The godly, Rolfe Barnard, well understood this principle of God. He preached a sermon called The God of the Bible Kills People. This sermon alongside another called Watching Men Die well represents this fierce attribute of God’s just and wrathful will to kill sinners. To be hunted by the arrows of God’s justice, to know that the bow of His wrath is bent, that He hath made ready and aimed His arrows to be drunken with your blood, this is a biblical trauma many don’t know! If sinners do not turn from their sin, what will God do?

“…God is angry with the wicked every day. If he [the sinner] turn not, He will whet His sword; He hath bent His bow, and made it ready. He hath prepared for him the instruments of death; He ordaineth His arrows against the persecutors” (Psalm 7:11-13).

What will God do? God has already bent His bow! He has already prepared the instruments of death! Oh, this generation is nearly mindless that this world is a world of Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. Would to God this sermon, by Jonathan Edwards, would cause the consciences of America to quake again. Within time, there is a humbling tension within the heart of an Omniscient, Omni-benevolent God, a tension between the love (Ezek. 33:11, John 3:16) and hatred of God (Psalm 5:5) that is beyond the spectrum of our comprehension. What would it mean for a sinner when, at present, “the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36)? That is what is written, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36). That is to say, the wrath of God dwells upon, continues upon, or rests upon the sinner. An active will of God, just anger, held from its final satisfaction by the Sovereign mercy of God at tension. The potential of death is near, hovering, ready, and easily released. The wrath of God abiding upon a sinner is as a bow bent and ready, pointed at you [a sinner], and any moment the love of God could release the justice of God that is aiming for your death. Life, righteousness, well being, and the Universe, for the glory of God, will be sustained and satisfied by the death of sinners. Yet till they all die, God’s will to kill men is illustrative through Hosea 11:7-9: “My repentings are kindled together.”

“And my people are bent to backsliding from me: though they called them to the most High, none at all would exalt him. How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel? how shall I make thee as Admah? how shall I set thee as Zeboim? mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together. I will not execute the fierceness of mine anger, I will not return to destroy Ephraim: for I am God, and not man; the Holy One in the midst of thee: and I will not enter into the city.” (Hosea 11:7-9)

Admah and Zeboim are neighboring cities to Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed in their destruction of fiery brimstone. God can, at present, be overtaken with the wrestling of “repentings.”  This is a wrestling of contradicting desires to save or to kill within the heart of God. God warns of the possibility of sudden destruction surprising the wicked. “He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.” (Proverbs 29:1) Oh sinner, above you are the eyes of God’s glory beholding your thoughts, words, and deeds, and I plead with you to understand the weight of His watchings.

“And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.” (Luke 12:15-21)

A sinner would never say within himself, “take thine ease,” if he knew that the wrath of God was hovering over his head like a bent and strung bow, that death is so nigh and every decision is vitally careful, lest you decide against your eternal good and release the everlasting wrath of God upon your helpless and wretched soul. These are the words of the hell-bound man, “take thine ease!” He didn’t know that he had less than 24 hours left in his life before God would require His soul. God said, “Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee.”

XMAS & NEW YEARS

Last year I wrote an article/booklet that endeavored to expose the biblical abominations in the celebration of Xmas. It is called “A Case Against Xmas,” and can be read/downloaded at www.XmasExposed.com. Within this biblical study was an analysis of US death rates. The peaks of mortality were outrageously high on Xmas day, the day after, and New Years Day (please view this graph –> Mortality Peaks). Why would people die on December 25-26^th? I urge you, read chapter one of the article “A Case Against Xmas.” In this article I seek to show the biblical evidence that Xmas is blasphemy, that men died in biblical history for the very things committed in the modern day celebration of Xmas, and this is entirely from scriptural application. Blasphemy is not a small crime! God’s wrath, according to the Bible (see Ch. 1), must go forth to slay men on December 25-26th. Arguably, Xmas is the day of the greatest sin in the year.

Why? A sin in God’s name is worse than the most horrific sins outside of or unrepresentative of Jesus’ name. A religious hypocrite is, in action, a counterfeit message of who Jesus Christ is. In consequence, is the damnation and snare of the eternal fate of souls. What is a carnal murderer compared to a spiritual murderer? A man like Joel Osteen would humble Hitler’s twisted pride at the judgment seat. The power of hypocrisy (Matt. 23:2-3, Lk. 12:1) in the name of God is the chiefest of sins, the weightiest consequence, though it is the most unnoticed brutality.  Jesus said to hypocrites, “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15) Again Jesus said, “But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.” (Matthew 23:13)

These mega Churches, Christian ministries, relationships, and families are an infection of vanity to this counrty, and it would be better that our number be 120. These mega Churches are a clubhouse, a company of sinners who love recreational activities instead of the recreating Deity! These talentless tinkers are in poverty, they love storehouses of comfort and dream of the lottery. The true Church is the Pillar and Ground of the Truth, but these churches are a graveyard of fallacy, a planting with no root. Their steeples are like tomb stones, their churches are funeral homes. Their preaching is a mass murder, a deadly pseudo gospel, and their preacher is a goat herder. They defile their conscience and have a memory of lies that will be regretted in eternal cries. What is every other crime next to the man who devours souls by a false gospel or misleading lifestyle? It is said in scripture that they are like cabals, adulterers, murderers, and fornicators, and they do devour souls!

Don’t trust in numbers! Multitudes are always in deception marching in a broad-way band of procession, waving a banner of Christian profession and following generations past who had a sinful, religious obsession. False prophets did always beguile the masses, therefore “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15).

Think of it! The multitudes of souls that go to “Churches” on Xmas day. Most of them scarcely step foot in a Church and desperately need an awakening to their sinful condition, and yet, the Jesus Christ they are indoctrinated with is an imaginary Jesus which caters to their very own sinful lusts. With a good tithe and the pastors smiling blessing, then the people are off to another year of sin. They are “traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof” (2 Tim. 3:4-5). It would have been good that, on this day, when the lost world of professing Christianity does come for a day of “worship” to give thier nod to God, that they would be awakened with the threatenings of the True Jesus Christ: “I tell you, Nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish” (Luke 13:3). “But I will forewarn you whom ye shall fear: Fear HIM, which after he hath killed hath power to cast into hell; yea, I say unto you, FEAR HIM” (Luke 12:5)!

Languish in your sin you’re a rotting soul, and you will be covered in carnivorous fowls to feast on your rottenness like ravening wolves. As corpses attract vultures, so sinners attract false prophets. False prophets feed on the flesh of men through false religion. You must understand that they are commissioned by Satan to make you a deceptive, counterfeit religion. A man of God, beholding this madness, would surely be staggered in emotion and pressed to make some kind of interruptive commotion, and so scare these feverish, feasting, false prophet carnivorous fowls (Ezek. 22:25, Zeph. 3:3-5).

In professing Christianity today “there is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey; they have devoured souls ” (Ezekiel 22:25). Her pastors and “princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are evening wolves; they gnaw not the bones till the morrow. Her prophets are light and treacherous persons: her priests have polluted the sanctuary, they have done violence to the law. The just LORD is in the midst thereof; he will not do iniquity: every morning doth he bring his judgment to light, he faileth not; but the unjust knoweth no shame.” (Zephaniah 3:3-5)

January 1^st is another time of great provocation to God because of New Year’s celebrations. A religious reveling that is blasphemy, followed by a false sense of liberty, new years promises, and hopes of a prosperous next year – for this to be the time that their death sentence is executed is a clear message from God. It reminds me of the rebellious partying: “let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die” (1 Cor. 15:32). God is interrupting the very time of their futuristic hoping, boasting, and partying, and this is just what God did to the hopeful man in Luke 12:16-21. Are not these words the epitome of New Year’s celebrations? “And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?” (verses 19-20).

“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.” (Isaiah 5:14)

Are you hunted by hell? Are you hunted by the very mouth of hell, to be swallowed up into the hole of God’s justice? If you are swallowed up, you will remain there until the lake of fire as an object of God’s fierce hatred, only existing to be destroyed forever? “The sinners in Zion are afraid,” scripture declares, and “fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings” (Isa. 33:14)? Will you be vomited out by the good will of God (Rev. 3:15-16), spewed out from the promising love of your Creator (Lev. 18:26-30), only to reside under the emotional distress and torturing experience of what you are in God’s sight? The wicked are in hell because God is there for He alone is the sustainer, creator, and maintainer of justice, righteousness, or truth. The jubilee of everlasting life redounds to the glory of God, truly, but for what cause and triumph? It is an eternity without wickedness, an eternity beginning with the exclamation that wickedness has ceased to taint God’s good creation and habitable palaces. That God, throughout all His good creation, or wherever the sole of His foot would walk, there is righteousness, purity, peace, and godly, God-centered charity. Finally, the wicked “shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:” (Revelation 14:10)

Don’t be carried away in the dream of sinners. Remember God, remember judgment, and remember righteousness! Don’t let the illusion of happiness, the monotony of daily obligations or pleasures steal your attention away from the cries of your conscience pointing you to your Creator! Before your soul is required and “your spirit shall return unto God who gave it,” remember HIM! Before suffering and evil come upon you, while it is yet day and there is still time to repent, remember your God. “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened, And the doors shall be shut in the streets, when the sound of the grinding is low, and he shall rise up at the voice of the bird, and all the daughters of musick shall be brought low; Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets: Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern. Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.” (Ecclesiastes 12:1-7)

The proclamation of the Kingdom of God in a world without God is an illustration of the redemptive power and love of God! The gospel is like the adorning of a beautiful bride, which is, the redemption of sinners from death, sin, disease, pain, sorrow, and tears, to present tense and eternal righteousness, grace, truth, and holiness. The Gospel is as this downloadable message I preached, A Bride Adorned For Her Husband.

God is working and appealing in love now, as the tears that He shed before the destruction of Jerusalem. Hear the words of a loving Savior on the eve of judgment:

“O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!” (Luke 13:34)

“And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it, Saying, If thou hadst known, even thou, at least in this thy day, the things which belong unto thy peace! but now they are hid from thine eyes.” (Luke 19:41-42)

If you are a Christian you know the sorrows of Christ. God has raised up into His resurrection many persons and ambassadors of His nature, personality, and message, that all the world might “behold, all things are become new” (2 cor. 5:17). They are, in person and message, vibrant testimonies of the message of His love. These persons (Christians), do live for, weep over, and bear a holy anguish over this world of sinners near damnation. They do feel the hurt of the message they preach but dare not diminish or corrupt the strictness of God’s judgment against sinners.

Abominations are everywhere in this world, therefore the righteous have no ease. The nations seek paradise and retirement, and at enmity to them, the saints bear the baptism of death. Think of the great contradiction of saints and sinners! The one, a majority, seeks the welfare of life, a promise of many days, the hope of a sustainable environment, and a wealthy retirement. The other, an unhidden, interruptive minority, has visions of judgment burning and energizing their heart, that “the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Therefore they number their days, neither trusting nor seeking many, having a heavenly hope to be spent and expended as a bold witness. The one, the majority, seeks to escape every memory and sting of death. Therefore the cinema is filled with the emotion of a life well lived. Movies are haunted with death’s near and untimely touch, and excited with a fantasy of men heroically overcoming an early grave. The other, the minority, is sent to testify to the majority, to turn them from vanity – that they must go to a spiritual grave to be saved, crucify their present days, and all this to escape a second death.

“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

The testimony of a loving God to a world abiding in His wrath is the messengers of Christ (Christians) that are clothed “in Christ” (Rom. 8:1, 13:11-14, Col. 2:6)! Christians seek the salvation of sinners! In this goal they do exhaust themselves. Through physical service, relationships, vocational obligations or opportunities, family ties, and vocal witness they do exhaust themselves, and when physically depleted their soul is still burning with the lamplight of prayer for a lost world. Even if their body collapses in exhaustion after a day’s deeds done, there is an inexhaustible love still burning and for a night of prayer they are still yearning. The light of the darling love of God cannot go out, and whenever the flesh is weak the spirit is still willing. As it is written: “And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (2 Corinthians 12:15). A Christian is constrained by a painful love (2 Cor. 5:14), a pursuing and living Savior, and they do burn in the fire of His passion.

Think of the greatest or most gripping sensation on earth! A near death experience, the underwater beauty of a famous scuba dive, or the sensation of a cinema experience where you are carried away in the climactic experience you are seeing on film. These, dull in comparison, cannot be compared with the sensation, the spiritual apprehension, or open face beholding (2 Cor. 317-18) of the living person of Jesus Christ in our heart, emotions, passions, and person. We don’t follow a religion but we live and walk in a Person: Jesus Christ. He suffered for, preached to, served, and died for sinners, bore the whole penalty and pain of their just punishment, and now lives in many sons for a worldwide appeal before final and irreconcilable judgment. He loves us, and loves you in us. “When we were without strength” (Rom. 5:6) and “while we were yet sinners” (Rom. 5:8), “He first loved us” (1 John 4:19) and is loving you.

Painful Love

So many deceived, how can I be consoled (Rom. 9:2-3)? Strangers, the world, and my dearest adamic friends… the alarm is bold. Going through life, many works I multitask, but the breath of God does show the monotony as a mask.

Time slips away in a perpetual bask as I am confronted by a ceaseless task (Mark 16:15), That by some endeavor, and before the END, pleading and preaching might eternity unmask (2 Cor. 4:18). My heart breaks in unrest; I am moved and distressed…

Oh to gather the condemned from vanity! To bring them nigh to Christ, even to His chest, That they would be the Chiclets under His wing and upon His breast (Luke 13:34), That they would cease from pleasure and smiling (2 Tim. 3:4), and know what is best.

“The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalm 10:4)

Stadiums of souls circle to behold, Sports and fame, and for the world they’re sold. Their hearts are dead and cold; they know not the rest of the Saviors fold. Of His face they are unaware, the joy of His Kingdom they do not share, though nothing on this earth could nearly compare (2 Cor. 3:17-18). Happy merry-making and pleasure without God (Psalm 147:10), these rags of menstrual blood they do applaud (Isa. 64:6).

Oh such love that seizes upon my soul (2 cor. 5:14), it is like a wound, a pain, a breaking, Christ-life role (Gal. 2:20). My mind does meditate what I might do, seeking salvation for this one or two. I imagine suffering a thousand crucifixions just for you, that for you these blessed words might be true… “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

To me, in Him, a thousand deaths do seem small (Php. 1:8), I earnestly hurt that you would hear the gospel call. Oh, I wish a sinner could behold it all (2 Cor. 4:4)… Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.” (1 Peter 2:24)

……………………………………………………………………………………

SERMONS RECENTLY PREACHED:

Greatest Thing In the World - Jake Gardner

Are You Still Sold Out?  – Ryan Ringnald

Resurrection, Not Revival - Jake Gardner

The Great Picture - Jake Gardner

Why Weepest Thou? - Sean Morris

Looking Unto Jesus - Sean Morris

Pure Religion - Sean Morris

Testimony of Jesse Morris - Jesse Morris

Trudeau Brother’s Testimonies - Ricky and Tanner Trudeau

The Simplicity In Christ - Jake Gardner

The Call for Worthiness - Sean Morris

Be Not Highminded, But Fear - Jake Gardner

Pursued, Overtaken, & Blessed - Sean Morris

Watch - Ryan Ringnald

Willing To Do His Will - Ryan Ringnald

I.Greetings to the Saints with adorations, admirations, and thanksgivings to God

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of Him who hath called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” 1 Peter 2:9

“To the strangers scattered throughout” Texas, Pennsylvania, Indiana, California, New York City, Missouri, New Mexico, Wisconsin, and all of the USA, all of Germany, all of the UK, all of Africa, and all of the world: firstly, it is to you we write and greet in the name of Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who is the builder of the heavenly mansions, the city of Zion, and the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Take heart and consider  the “abundant mercy” of God that he “hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you” (1 Peter 1:1, 3-4). Though this world foams at the mouth in blasphemous rebellion against God, though the Name of Jesus Christ is blasphemed and mocked, yet still even in the last days “we know that we are of God and the whole world lieth in wickedness,” that “whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world,” and “that wicked one toucheth him not” (1 John 5:19, 4, 18). “We know that the Son of God is come,” lives today, “and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in His Son Jesus Christ. This is the True God, and eternal life” (1 John 5:20). Because He lives we live, He conquers we conquer, “for all the promises of God in Him are yea, and in Him Amen, unto the glory of God by us” (2 Cor. 1:20). The servants of Christ Jesus are partakers of salvation in a commision to minister the messag eof salvation as the last remaining light of this world before the judgment of fire. We are commissioned as His ambassadors, as the risen Lord said, “to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in Me” (Acts 26:18). And yet in a little while the “seventh angel” will sound with the “great voices in heaven, saying, The Kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever” (Rev. 11:15).

Oh exalt God Almighty and give Him the praise! Oh Father, our Lord Jesus Christ, let the world “praise Thy great and terrible Name; for it is holy” (Ps. 99:3)! “The LORD reigneth; let the people tremble: he sitteth between the cherubims; let the earth be moved. The LORD is great in Zion; and He is high above all the people” (Ps. 99:1-2). Our every supplication should be preceded with an awareness of our state before this Awesome Deity. Many men murmur against God, but Abraham saw it a weighty thing to even speak to God. In righteousness he had faith, in humility he did premeditate, before speaking to God he did inculcate: “Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak unto the Lord, which am but dust and ashes” (Genesis 19:27).

Man may desire to supplicate, but no prayer can man worthily generate. But dust and ashes, I am an earthly creature. Under the Sun we burn, in the night a sleeper. With this eternal, heavenly God I cannot grasp his pinky finger. He wears time like a kingly gown, and Heavenly Jerusalem will be coming down. His Kingdom blooms after apocalyptic dooms, the beauty of a heavenly flower falling to earth like a rain shower. Mountains melting, the earth under God’s smelting. The heavens rolled back, nothing is left intact. In pools of blood, He returns wicked men to mud. From dust and ashes I’ll be translated, having glorified eyes to see God I once carnally hated. I will wonder still at His right hand majesty. Gasping at the end of days, beholding The Rod of Iron He’s grasping. Nations in recreation, He subdues all scholastically. God becomes all in all, and the Father takes supremacy.

II. An Update

The Triumph of Christ in California, New Mexico, Indiana, New York City, Pennsylvania, Missouri, Wisconsin, Texas, Abilene, and the uttermost parts of the world.

 Around three months have passed since our last posted update and I suppose that because of this some of you may be wondering. By the grace of God we are still serving Christ Jesus, still pressing “toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God,” but the “good works which God hath before ordained that we should walk in” have been increasingly abundant and straining! Why? Sleeping saints “awake to righteousness and sin not” (1 Cor. 15:34)! Have you forgotten the narrow way of Christ or “that ye should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21)? Are you different than He? You who claim to be His servant and disciple, has “evil communications” “corrupted” what was once that part of your walk that is called “good manners” resulting in your friendship with a Christianity that is not like Christ (1 Cor. 15:33)?

In a day more perilous than His was is the “spirit” that you have received led you in His same steps (2 Cor. 11:4)? Is your holiness anything like the Lord Jesus Christ’s? “He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). Is your “Christianity” best described by a baptism of death or are you “baptized for the dead” (1 Cor. 15:29)? Can you relate at all to the sufferings of the saints in every age, as to be consoled by or even understand the saying: “if in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable” (1 Cor. 15:19)? Many are assured they presently have eternal life yet do not walk the crucified life (Gal. 2:20), have not left their “old” life (Rom. 6, Col. 3), yet “the disciple is not above his Master: but every one that is perfect shall be as his Master” in every generation and still today (Lk. 6:40)! The work of God is abundant and straining for the times are still “perilous” (2 Tim. 3:1), still full of modern day “beasts at Ephesus” (1 Cor. 15:32), the devil still “walketh about” “as a roaring lion” (1 Pet. 5:8), the unconverted elect mingled in the masses are still at present “white already for to harvest” (John 4:35), and with “plenteous” duties “the labourers” are still “few” (Matt. 9:37).

 In the past three month, though I can scarcely remember all that happened, I do know that our work in the sovereign pleasure of God was always including missions abroad. We have been to Missouri, Wisconsin, California, Indiana, New York City, Pennsylvania, and more. William went to Wisconsin for approximately a week of labor. Jordan, Masao, Kevin, and William went to California for approximately two and a half weeks of labor. Chris, Kevin, and I (Sean) went to New York City and Pennsylvania for weeks of labor. Finally and at present, William, Ryan, and Jake are in Indiana doing labors. It was the cause of God, for His own Names sake, to sanctify and send His people to testify and triumph in His Name- to make “manifest the savour of His knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: To the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life” (2 Cor. 2:14-16). That is to say: unsaved men are the same as yesterday and if they come to know Christ they will know that He the light and they are in darkness, He is the life and they are dead, He is good and they are evil, and He is salvation and they are in hellish anarchy against His Kingdom and rule because they are by nature, children of damnation.

Salvific light is a sin remover and a righteous intruder. This light is righteously bright, and therefore an expeller of sin; it is not relatively defined by men. It is no candle in a devil’s den, to give a warmness of light to help them sin. Costly hugs and kisses are the harlot’s love and wishes (Prov. 7:6-27). Feasts of peace on the eve of judgment are no banquet of the Lord (1 Sam. 28:22-25). They extinguish the fervency and every possibility of fasting; they replace the need of mourning with meat. This is the devil’s method of madness; he is a master builder making prisons of gladness. If there is no repentance, there is no life; therefore, preach repentance that they may have life! The comforts of this life are the witch’s love and harlot’s ways to steal repentance from sinners all throughout their days.

Nevertheless, blessed be God! Rays from Thy countenance are shed abroad; they circle, astound, and clothe Thy saints with armour shod. “The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light” (Rom. 13:12). “There be many that say, who will shew us any good? LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us,” and he has, therefore we are victory bound!

A Message to the Persecutors

“He that saith I know Him” – Do you keep His commandments? (1 John 2:4)

“He that saith he abideth in him” – Do you walk, even as He walked? (1 John 2:6)

“He that saith he is in the light” – Do you walk in the light and love as He authored and defined it? (1 John 2:9)

Before the antichrist is revealed to this world there are specific events that must transpire. There must be “strong delusion” and then the world will welcome him with open arms (2 Thess. 2:11). It is written, “And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thess. 2:11-12). This delusion causes an orderly, robotic reprobation in worldwide unity. If you have this one mark (pleasure in unrighteousness) you can expect to be a part of this end time antichrist army.

The distinct mark of holiness for saints is that they, overwhelmingly and predominately, have no pleasure in unrighteousness. Pleasure in unrighteousness is reigning in all once-born men. They are captive under “the rulers of the darkness of this world” and even “the prince of the power of the air” (meaning Satan) (Eph. 6:12, 2:2). This great darkness is: “As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one” (Romans 3:10-12).

Salvation is a creation of holiness! Why? Well truly, “there is none that understandeth,” but in Christ this is not so, for by him “it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matt. 13:11). “There are none righteous,” nevertheless, you “become the righteousness of God in him” at salvation (2 Cor. 5:21). Though all the world has “gone out of the way,” the Lord Jesus Christ is our “Way, Truth, and Life” (John 14:6). The Lord makes the seekers of sin seekers of him, and that by the effectual spoken word. Herein is the Christian confession to God, that, “when thou saidst, seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, thy face, LORD, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8). Holiness is the inevitable exclamation of salvation!

If you are a light in the midst of a kingdom of darkness, if you love righteousness in a world dominated by satanic unrighteousness – This is an extraordinary situation. In this extraordinary situation love and righteousness would be active in extraordinary deeds. A Christ dominated, grace-filled, righteousness-loving, wise, seeker of God would be identified as a light of holiness. The darkness that blanketed Egypt, “even darkness which may be felt” (Exodus 10:21), was not in the place where the Israelites dwelt. “There was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days: They saw not one another, neither rose any from his place for three days: but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings” (Ex. 10:22-23).

Abominations are everywhere in this world, therefore the righteous have no ease. The nations seek paradise and retirement, and at enmity to them, the saints bear the baptism of death. Think of the great contradiction of saints and sinners! The one, a majority, seeks the welfare of life, a promise of many days, the hope of a sustainable environment, and a wealthy retirement. The other, an unhidden, interruptive minority, has visions of judgment burning and energizing their heart, that “the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10). Therefore they number their days, neither trusting nor seeking many, having a heavenly hope to be spent and expended as a bold witness. The one, the majority, seeks to escape every memory and sting of death. Therefore the cinema is filled with the emotion of a life well lived. Movies are haunted with death’s near and untimely touch, and excited with a fantasy of men heroically overcoming an early grave. The other, the minority, is sent to testify to the majority, to turn them from vanity – that they must go to a spiritual grave to be saved, crucify their present days, and all this to escape a second death.

Have you read the commission: “To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me” (Acts 26:18)? This peculiar minority is rejected, reviled, and reproved, but they are compelled to sing:

This world is not my home; I’m just a-passing through. My treasures are laid up somewhere beyond the blue. The angels beckon me from heaven’s open door, And I can’t feel at home in this world anymore. (This World Is Not My Home)

These are the runners of a righteous race (1 Cor. 9:24-27), fighters of a faith-filled fight (1 Tim. 6:12), exercising for everlasting life (1 Tim. 4:7), and wrestling against these rulers of the night (Eph. 6:12). The Spirit does well up a song for this season, and in it you can tell their spiritual endurance and reason:

O land of rest, for thee I sigh! When will the moment come, When I shall lay my armor by, and dwell at peace at home? No tranquil joys on earth I know, no peaceful sheltering dome. This world’s a wilderness of woe, this world is not my home. I sought at once my Savior’s side, no more my steps shall roam. With him I’ll brave death’s chilling tide, and reach my Heavenly home. We’ll work till Jesus comes, We’ll work till Jesus comes. We’ll work till Jesus comes, And we’ll be gathered home.(We’ll Work Till Jesus Comes)

Yea, in this hour, in this day of wickedness, it is evil for a man to be full of laughter and glee, with no sorrow. They have blind eyes of ease, callused hearts of careless, cold immorality; they are comfortable with the devil’s spiritual brutality, they agree to his decrees and follow him in actuality. On these terms Jesus separated the saved and the unsaved: The Lord said, “Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted,” and “Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh” (Matthew 5:4, Luke 6:21). “Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep” (Luke 6:25). Blessed are the saints, the forerunning messengers that proclaim a new world without end, they are the body of Christ. They walk the steps of their salvation in a Person, and “he is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isa. 53:3). The Lord calls out the contrary with woes because they are revelling in Satan’s jubilee and power. They are partakers of Satan’s commission and he has made them fat and full with the pleasures of unrighteousness, and they do “laugh now!” 

The world is Satan’s Egypt that afflicts God’s people. The world is drunk to a stupor of laughing in lawlessness. It is a kingdom of criminal perversion deserving Sodom’s fiery fate. Sobriety and sufferings mark the messengers of the Lord. Grave matters grip the mind of godly men for they bear tidings of a fiery death or everlasting life. They are uninvited, unwelcome, uncalled by men, but sent by God. And, as the Lord said, our Exodus route from this Egyptian, Sodomite world will be as Lot’s. He referenced the crime of Lot’s wife who looked back to Sodom. He has declared a similar fate to this world, commanded you not to look back nor love the world, and if you will be saved it is because you are not like Lot’s wife. Jesus gave the warning: “Remember Lot’s wife” (Luke 17:32). “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up” (2 Peter 3:10).

III. The Gospel of Grace

 “Grace reigns,” the scripture exclaims, “for the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:21, Titus 2:11-13). In other words, “saving grace makes one have the earnest expectation of the gospel message which makes you deny ungodliness and worldly lusts. It makes you live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world because you are looking for… the glorious appearing… of Jesus Christ.” If you are not looking for his appearing then you are not living in the manner described. If you are living for his appearing you are living for the world to come, not this present world, “for here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come” (Heb. 13:14).

The marks of ready watchfulness begin as heart righteousness; heart Christ-likeness. It is written, “Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life” (Prov. 4:23). If from your heart there is a “well of water springing,” thy heart will issue righteousness from day to day (John 4:14). “Grace reigns” in a Holy Ghost Geyser, “springing up into everlasting life” (Rom. 5:21, John 4:14), and this is your Noahic Ark of escalation (1 Pet. 3:18-22). Yea, “as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:21). “Grace reigns through righteousness,” and “the Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Rom. 5:21, 8:10). The Spirit of God is not a wellspring of happiness but righteousness, not relative morality but a blistering, holy, righteous mentality. For, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Cor. 2:16).

Unbelief is surrender to a godless night, a groping of blindness without arising to fight. All who know the true faith are recipients of a crucified Savior’s cross-bearing commission, they are enduring “hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ,” worthy to make this finish and confession: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing” (2 Tim. 2:3, 4:7-8). Such grace did hold Lot captive at heart! That is to say, Sodom and Gomorrah was not in his heart, and these were the first fruits of his worthy escape. All recipients of our eternal escalation must be partakers of those fruits. They must be like unto Lot: 

 “And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned them with an overthrow, making them an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly; And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked: (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds)” (2 Peter 2:6-8).

It is written that God “delivered just Lot,” meaning righteous Lot, because the “Spirit is life because of righteousness” (Rom. 8:10). What can be said of Lot’s practical righteousness by deed or what righteous works warranted God to deliver him from the fire? He was “vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked.” As he saw and heard their “unlawful deeds,” it “vexed his righteous soul from day to day.” It is apparent that Lot had a love of righteousness that did lead him from day to day, “for as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. 8:14). This is the heart of God and the heart of his children in Christ.

 What sins in Sodom did vex Lot? Don’t think that the vexing sins of Sodom were merely of the sexual kind, namely homosexuality. “Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy” (Ezekiel 16:49). Are these things vexing to you like homosexuality? What of other lawlessness that God has mentioned, for surely we must be vexed over the seeing and hearing of it all, especially those that are particularly the greater of sins. Galatians 5:19-21 and 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 lists the works of the flesh, which, if anyone continues to do they are wicked enough to go to hell. Among the works listed they can be divided between culturally unacceptable sins and culturally acceptable sins. Many people scorn abortion, but have bloody hands because they don’t share the gospel. Many people help the poor, but neglect the spiritually poor. Many do shun adultery or fornication, but celebrate lust, gossip, idleness, covetousness, envy, and un-forgiveness. If you re-read those two portions of scripture (Galatians 5:19-21, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10) you will find the murderers condemned alongside the covetous, the adulterers alongside the envious, the fornicators alongside the drunkards, witches alongside liars, and so on (see also Rev. 21:8, Matt 6:15). All these deeds are declared damnable, and therefore are lawless. Righteous Lot was vexed by all the lawlessness, not by culturally or Pharisaically-defined lawlessness.

If Lot was temperate enough to refrain from, or in some sense hate: homosexuality, fornication [sex outside of marriage], adultery, drunkenness, and witchcraft [drugs]; nevertheless, if he did in heart lust for women outside of marriage, was drunken with concern for the cares of this life, and high on the ease and riches of an idle life – this is sure condemnation! (Lk. 21:34, Mk. 4:18-19) If your goodly godliness is caught in a garrison of guile wherein you idly Google your life away, that is, pursuing personal hobbies, interests, knowledge, sports, and gluttony – you are perishing! “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Lk. 21:36). O how beautiful you are on the outside! Innocent of murder, yet you hate, innocent of adultery, yet you lust, innocent of thievery, yet you covet, envy, and are jealous. You are “full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matt. 23:27). You may not be crowned a witch, but you love the imagination of magic in Harry Potter-like movies. You may deem yourself not as guilty as a wicked witch, but your sin of self-will is rebellion, anarchy against God, and witchcraft: “For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the LORD, he hath also rejected thee” (1 Sam. 15:23).

You may profess to know the Covenant of grace, but if you are dominated in these sins of lawlessness (as stated in Gal. 5:19-21, 1 Cor. 6:9-10) you are perishing! The culturally acceptable sins are by name and definition:

All these sins are (if they are characteristic of your life over and against the fruits of the Spirit, done in persistence or perseverance) they are indisputably evidences of a life without saving grace! Those guilty of the latter description, those deeds that many justify with the saying, “I am only human,” these sins are lawless works that the scripture declares damnation. It is convenient for men to justify themselves but if the word of God condemns you its final. You must repent and rather let God justify you. If God justifies you then the word of God will confirm your salvation, if you have given yourself false peace then the word of God will condemn you. God has told us beforehand what will happen on Judgment Day, it is the word of God that judges us, and God has been merciful enough to warn you what will happen then. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth shall pass away: but my words shall not pass away” (Lk. 21:33, Matt. 24:35, Mk. 13:31).

O friend, you must have a hatred for sin! So much so, that, if you are in the presence of these deeds, from day to day, you are vexed over them. If there is no vexation then there is no love for God or righteousness, you are in darkness. These deeds are the American Dream, popular TV shows, and mostly all media streams. It is the world and the merrymaking of the wicked. Thoughts are not harmless, but effectual definitions of the salvation of man: Proverbs 23:7, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he.” So what about you? When you watch TV, movies, listen to the radio, CDs, and music? When you spend time with family, friends, acquaintances, and co-workers? Is the light of righteousness so pure, so bright, that darkness cannot dim its darling grip on your heart? If you are not daily vexed at the seeing and hearing of these things, as Lot would not have escaped, neither will you. O how quickly you justify yourself simply because you watch it on television, in the secret of your own living room. That room is your cave of covetousness. You love violence and bloodshed, for all manner of sin you restlessly thirst. “How much more abominable and filthy is man which drinketh iniquity like water” (Job 15:16)? Don’t deny it, repent! You must be born again! “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). Turn to righteousness through Christ and don’t look back to this world. The godly man Lot, saw that all of Sodom was being dissolved, by faith he forsook it, and did not look back – in this manner are you looking for the day of God? Are you in like manner, “seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved?”

“The day is at hand,” the apostle Paul proclaims (Rom. 13:12). “Knowing the time, that now it is high time” that “the night is far spend, the day is at hand” he says, in the light of this, “let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the amour of light” (Rom. 13:11-12). What is this day? Urgency exudes from the words “let us therefore,” but what is this day? Reader, there is a salvation which you must prepare for, a “salvation ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).

IV. Where is Jesus Christ Today?

“Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” (Hebrews 13:13).

Is Jesus Christ without the camp? It is written that “Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate” (Heb. 13:12). Why? Jesus was like “the bodies of those beasts, whose blood is brought into the sanctuary by the high priest for sin, are burned without the camp” (Heb. 13:11). Jesus is like those beasts because the Father “hath made him to be sin for us,” and though he never sinned he was “made a curse for us” (2 Cor. 5:21, Gal. 3:13). It is commanded of those beasts that were sin offerings: “the flesh of the bullock, and his skin, and his dung, shalt thou burn with fire without the camp: it is a sin offering” (Ex. 29:14).

Christ suffered at the hands of sinners, “he was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet He opened not His mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth” (Isaiah 53:7). Is this the King of Kings? Pilate asked Christ, “Art thou a King then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a King. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth My voice” (John 18:37). Indeed He is a King but of what manner has His Kingdom come? Jesus told Pilate before the former answer, “My Kingdom is not of this world: if my Kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my Kingdom not from hence” (John 18:36). Jesus came as a testimony to the Kingdom of Satan that is presently ruling the world through those that are God’s enemies; those that live in carnality and walk after the flesh (2 Cor. 4:4, Eph. 2:2-3, Rom. 8:4-6). He came as a testimony, a suffering servant, a lamb to be slain but who killed Him? Who killed Christ?

Christ came and was betrayed and delivered up by the Jews, the professing people of God on earth. To go without the camp as a sin offering was to go without the camp of the professing Jews of the day. For us to be betrayed, to follow in His steps, we must also suffer and be rejected by those who call themselves Christians! Note: Those who are “carnal” and “walk as men” (1 Cor. 3:3) will reject those “spiritual” men whom God will send (1 Cor. 2:15-16). Why? Those that are carnal will seek to “reign as kings” while Christ perpetually calls His true people to be “made as the filth of the world, and are the offscouring of all things unto this day” (1 Cor. 4:8-13). These are the true “ways which be in Christ” to “be ye followers of” (1 Cor. 4:16-17)! “Let no man decieve you” (Eph. 5:6, 1 John 3:7)!

Have you ever imagined what it would have been like in Jesus’ generation where Satan’s crafty devices were ruling and governing the established religion of Judaism? Satan did not merely disguise himself as an angel of light to deceive one individual, but he clothed himself in the entire religion of Judaism. It was as if the hands and feet of Satan were Jewish “pastors.” Furthermore, upon their lips and as a seeming justification of their actions was the Holy Scriptures. How hardly would one be able to escape such a widespread delusion when these “pastors” season their teachings with “scriptural” justification?

It is significant that Jesus and John the Baptist were not educated in the Pharisaical “Seminaries;” they had a much different school of God. Their curriculum included the wilderness and their graduating class was one in number. The book of study was so simple a babe may know it, but too deep solely the Spirit can show it (1 Cor. 2:10). God’s Prophets were not the pride of the Jewish proselytes nor the prime pupil of their Rabbinic riddles, these men were strangers from the wilderness whose school was so humble it was a stumbling block and offence. To make manifest a deception that has fastened its death grip on an entire society and generation, one must steadfastly remember what “is written.” You must know what is written well enough to refute the sermons of Satan, whose rhetorical devices are as numerous as a locust plague, whose only appetite is the vineyard and planting of the Lord. All Satan’s fair speeches and scriptural gymnastics can only be resisted by a somber, courageous, unyielding wielding of, “it is written again” (Matthew 4:7)!

In Jesus’ day there were many traditions and denominations of men, yet he wasn’t a Pharisee, Sadducee, Zealot, or Herodian. All of these sects and beliefs were divided against each other, but when Jesus came in the way of righteousness they all united against Him. How did Jesus respond to such contention and perplexity, and how should we respond today? Jesus responded, “it is written” (Mark 9:13), “have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God” (Matt. 22:31), “is it not written” (Mark 11:17), “have ye never read” (Mark 2:25), “ye do err, not knowing the scripture, nor the power of God” (Matt. 22:29), and “it is written again” (Matt. 4:7).

Come now, you who judge yourself innocent because you follow the masses, do you know that the majority is usually wrong? The most who say “Lord, Lord” are a satanic throng. Few find, and ever found life in every generation through time.  Eight were saved in the days of Noah, while (arguably) millions perished at the worldwide flood? Therefore Jesus said, “enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). Don’t trust in numbers! Multitudes are always in deception marching in a broad-way band of procession, waving a banner of Christian profession and following generations past who had a sinful religious obsession. False prophets did always beguile the masses, therefore “beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves” (Matt. 7:15).

Languish in your sin you’re a rotting soul, and you will be covered in carnivorous fowls to feast on your rottenness like ravening wolves. As corpses attract vultures, so sinners attract false prophets. False prophets feed on the flesh of men in their false religion. You must understand that they are commissioned by Satan to make you a deceptive, counterfeit religion, and God will judge you as a spiritual idolater, a golden calf worshipper, and one worthy of eternal torture. A man of God, beholding this madness, would surely be staggered in emotion and pressed to make some kind of interruptive commotion, and so scare these feverish, feasting false prophet carnivorous fowls.

Is this not what the Lord did when He said: “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:21-27)

“Lord, Lord, I am sorry I got caught, I am sorry my deeds are wrong, But Jesus’ atonement is my Sunday song and to him I know I do belong.” NO! Repent, for regeneration the Son of God was sent! Such Sunday singers and tithe bringers, Church members of all ages and genders, Examine your fruits not your Sunday suits. At the altar you plead, the bible you daily read, And you thank God for food and shelter – but do you know your need? Jesus purchased sinners and pronounced them freed, Therefore obeying the Word of God is a Christian’s minute by minute deed!

This hour may be a cloudless sky, men may now have a sunny time, but judgment can come in a single hour. A sandy foundation renders the most protective, luxurious, and profitable house useless. Two men, like two houses, will be tried at Judgment Day. Both men hear the sayings of Jesus, but only one does them. This one characteristic separates the two men. Thus, whatever your faith or confession, though you abide under an illusion of safety, though you may think you will be sheltered from the storm of Judgment Day, if you do not obey the word of God you will perish. You may confess Jesus as your Lord and have an earnest assurance that you have faith, but if your faith does not move you to hear the sayings of Christ [the bible] and do them, your faith is not of the saving, counterfeit kind. Is your faith and Christianity genuine? O readers, in this chapter please “examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates [or fail the test]? Study the scriptures presented, and test your faith by the word of God.  A stubborn unwillingness to be introspective will be your greatest evil. A man can be so bound in pride that, though they are deceived, they cannot even entertain the possibility of deception. False assurance is their damnable regression, and they find repentance to be a depression. On the contrary, “godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death” (2 Cor. 7:10).

Many would expect Jesus to have showered the Pharisees with soft reproofs and gentle corrections. You might expect he served them as the least of all men, not overturning their spiritual concessions. Or, perhaps, he honored them with entreaty not judging their professions. Some people witness by presents and vain physical possessions, but not the Lord of glory.  He came to give himself, and he is the Everlasting Bread, Living Water, Imperishable Treasures, and Manifold Mansions. Do you love Him? He is that Bread (John 6:32), Water (John 7:38), Treasure (Matt 13:44), and all measure of blessing is given by a reconciliation to Jesus (2 Cor. 5:17-21) – a single-eyed consuming love to God alone. A salvation of indwelling love (1 John 2:5), that “thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength” – having nothing instead. “But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him” (1 John 2:5).

In unfeigned love, the Lord, the Prophet like unto Moses, did rebuke the Pharisees more fiercely than Moses rebuked Aaron. The most loving person who ever walked this earth preached a sermon of woes to the Scribes and Pharisees in Matthew 23 with no appeal for mercy, forgiveness, or hope, even proclaiming their state horrifyingly hopeless by the words: “ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell” (Matt 23:33)?

Spiritual idolatry was running rampant and the Savior of the world grinded the golden calf of Pharisaical religion by uprooting the blind guides which, he said, “my heavenly Father hath not planted” (Matt 15:13). He said, “let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch” (Matt 15:14). Jesus was offensive, he was merciless to defend the blind and defenseless, and he was the perfection of love that did cry aloud, calling the blind to a righteous attention. At one point his disciples said to him, “knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying (Matt 15:12)?

Reader listen, Christ was “set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against,” and it was even spoken to Mary, “(yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Lk 2:34-35). Jesus “was the Word,” “His name is called the Word of God,” and “the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart” (John 1:1, Rev. 19:13, Hebrews 4:12). Reader, I preach to you today: Be born of the Spirit and walk in the Spirit, and you will find it Pharisaical in our day. 

Many claim to walk in the Spirit, many love the saying ‘what would Jesus do,’ but “he that saith he abideth in him [in Jesus] ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked” (1 John 2:6). The Holy Ghost was not sent for world peace but spiritual war, and “when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment” (John 16:8). He is “the Comforter” that reproves in judgment “because the prince of this world is judged” (John 16:11). The Holy Ghost is a comfort to the saints, but gnashing disturbance to the lost (Acts 7:54). He is an incense of pleasure and life to the saints, but a stench of death to the wicked (2 Cor. 2:14-16). Henceforth to be a son of God you become an alien to the world, as it is written, we “should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew Him not” (1 John 3:1). Is it any marvel that if you are a Christian the world will hate you? As it is written, “marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you” (1 John 3:13). Walk in the Spirit of Jesus and you will see that this is the calling for you and me: “Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate. Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach” (Heb. 13:12-13). 

It breaks my heart that the truth is often misunderstood to be unwise passion, zeal without knowledge, or some other diagnosis made by ”civilized” or “dignified” men. Oh that God would grant ears to hear!

My inner man may break and my bones shake,
But there are certain cries that do sinners awake,
And an assortment of methods righteous reasoning does take.
 
It may come in sharpness given to the heartless,
Paul’s arguments that were sarcastic in rhetorical tactic,
Or the prophet’s illustrative sermons of God’s wrath that were frightfully enthusiastic.
Civilized men do not depict the love of urgency, and emotionless messages are not for emergencies.
In delivery of a message the prophets were often blatant and drastic, To compel men to the truth and away from the fatal fantastic.

A Christian must reconcile himself with the tribulations of truth. The word of God brings a sword of division, and if you speak it in love it will happen to you as it is written: “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth” (Gal. 4:16)? Thus it can be said, “For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love” (Psalm 109:4-5). Nevertheless, in Christ we partake of so great a love for others we verily can say in response to all the affliction and repercussions of righteousness, in first person, “I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved” (2 Cor. 12:15).

~ Within this post are many excerpts from “A Case Against Xmas,” Chapter III Counterfeit Christianity, found at www.XmasExposed.com.

 Recent Sermons Preached: 

You could die for celebrating Xmas!

I am compelled to post this quick warning, in Christ’s stead. After searching the scriptures, I must say, I do believe that “you” could die if you celebrate Xmas. To support this claim I have written a “book” referencing over 500 verses from Holy Scripture. With these verses gripping my mind, I am constrained to beg you, please read this book to see if what I am saying is true- according to scripture.

You can find the book at the link below:

www.xmasexposed.com.

Sincerely, Sean Morris.

Yet again it is my honor and privilege to write a post on this blog. I will be writing on behalf of both the “Church of Arlington” and “YMBBA Ministries.” It has been quite a long time since our last post and for that we do apologize. In the following post I am desirous to accomplish a number of things: I want to update you on the current estate of this ministry and church, to share with you a number of things that have and are currently taking place in the lives of Jake, Sean and I, and most importantly, I want to preach-type to you throughout the update and in the foremost section just below.

In the forty-fifth psalm it is written, “My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer.” (Ps.45:1) The psalmist was inditing, that is: composing, pondering or bubbling over with deep meditations of a good matter. Also, the psalmist says his tongue or “means of communication” was the “pen of a ready writer.” Today, as the psalmist was inditing a good matter in his heart, even so am I, namely: the matter of revival. Also, as the psalmist’s tongue was for him the “pen of a ready writer,” even so may my tongue be the “laptop of a ready writer.”

*Note (This is a long post, so if you are pressed for time, please skip section I, which is basically a sermon on revival, and start with section II unto section III: for a brief update on the “Church of Arlington” and/or an update on Jake, Sean and I)

I. Revival: But Do you Want Him?

“Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” (Ps. 80:19)

a. Context

Recently, as I read the eightieth psalm one thing stood out above all else, which I will share below. But first, the context of this psalm is clearly taking place in a time of great distress and affliction for the people of God. The psalmist uses such language as “How long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? Thou feedest them with the bread of tears; and givest them tears to drink in great measure. Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbours: and our enemies laugh among themselves.” (Ps.80:4-6) The context of suffering in great measure, which is clearly laid down in this psalm, is not at all different from the situation in Israel just before the great “Exodus”. Israel during this time was in dire straits. They were being forced to serve the “Pharaoh, who knew not Joseph, with rigour.” (Ex.1) At this time, almost simultaneously: the newborn male children were all systematically sentenced to death, the people were treated as less than dogs, and, even after the LORD had begun to move, the people were forced to make brick without straw! Truly, the great “Exodus” was also an instance of suffering in great measure for the people of God.

Is this Context Abnormal for the People of God?

Nay… the context of travail and affliction for the people of God is absolutely essential and irreplaceable whenever the LORD intends to visit his people; that is, to bring revival or the gospel of the kingdom of God in power (personally or widespread). As a matter of fact, the context of sorrow and affliction (even affliction in great measure) for the people of God is a quintessential part of revival and always has been. There will be no good news, no revival, no visit from Him who is the gospel in a person, from Him that is revival Himself, except there come bitterness of soul and fiery affliction first: sent by the loving hands of a God, who both (personally or corporately) “killeth and maketh alive,” and who both “bringeth down to the grave and raiseth up.” (1 Sam.2:6) Verily, if you study your bible, you will be unable to miss God’s people being driven to their knees yet again and again in utter turmoil and desperation of soul just as is expressed in this eightieth psalm: until they are forced to cry out in earnest, “I need thee every hour, Most Holy One, O make me thine indeed, thou blessed Son!” (I Need The Every Hour).

Note to the Reader

Reader: Is this your cry? Has this been your plea? You say you are saved; you say you are a Christian: a follower of the lamb. Maybe you even dare state yourself to be a vital part of the body of Christ joined in vital union to the most Holy One, Jesus Christ, and a trophy of his invaluable mercy. But have you ever been afflicted, as is expressed in this psalm? Better yet, you who say “I believe in the cross of Christ,” has His cross ever become your cross, your death, your baptism, and your burial? Has His cross ever become the doom of your world, dreams, carnal ways, and fleshly inclinations? Has the cross of Christ, by faith, ever become your end to all that you ever were, will be, or have become: until you can say with the Apostle Paul, “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” (Gal.2:20) Until you can say, “Behold, he hath made all things new in my life!” (Rev.21:7) Until you can say, “But what things were gain to me those I counted loss for Christ” (Phil.3:7) Until you can say, “Forbid it Lord, that I should boast, save in the death of Christ my God; All the vain things that charm me most, I sacrifice them to His blood.” (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)

Or… professing Christian friend, are you playing church, playing discipleship, yea, playing with the fire of God’s wrath? Don’t you know the bible says “thou shalt not tempt the LORD” (Mtt.4:7), and “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” (Gal.6:7-8)?

Moreover, Paul says, “Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin.” (Rom.6:6-7) But…O Reader, honestly, do you know this? Do you know that your old man is crucified with Christ so that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth you should not serve sin? Do you know this fact from experience and in the heart, or just mentally and in your mind? Do you know this fact even unto the “mortifying of the deeds of your body, that ye might live?” (Rom.8:13) Have you, O Reader, come to your bitter-end, that the Lord Jesus Christ may come in?

Biblical Examples of Distress for the People of God

God’s people were driven to a great measure of distress in the time of Adam, as God put a great curse on the earth and all its elements. They were driven to despair in the time of Noah, as the LORD determined to send a worldwide flood upon the earth; and Noah “moved with fear, built the ark to the saving of his house,” (Heb.11:7) even while he preached righteousness to a world of violent, God-hating men. They were driven to despair in the time of Jacob and his sons as they were forced to send to Egypt for meat in time of a great famine sent by God. They were driven to despair, in many instances, during the times of the judges: such as, the time of Barak and Deborah, who were raised up to fight against Sisera, the general of the Canaanite King, Jabin. This is the same Sisera, who “mightily oppressed” the children of Israel unto tremendous affliction and sorrow with his famed “900 chariots of iron.” They were driven to despair yet again in the time of Gideon as God had sold his “evil doing” people into the hand of Midian, who “encamped against them, and destroyed the increase of the earth…and left no sustenance for Israel, neither sheep, nor ox, nor ass and entering into the land do destroy with an army of grasshoppers for number.” (Ju.6:5-6) They were driven to despair during the time of Samuel as the Philistines sacked the Israelites, killed God’s priests (Hophni and Phinehas) and took the Ark of the Covenant in one day! Further, Israel was pressed to great distress in the times of King Hezekiah by the seemingly unbeatable and merciless invading Assyrian army. They were yet again straitened to great affliction in the times of Jehoshaphat by the rapidly approaching great army of various nations combined, as also in the times of King Asa by the million-plus Ethiopian gargantuan-hoard of mighty men! Moreover, Israel was in distress during the great famine and systematic annihilation of God’s prophets by the hand of the Jezebel-manipulated King Ahab during the prophet Elijah’s day. Israel was also in a great state of gloominess through the times of the prophet Elisha, in which Samaria was famished to the point of cannibalism (as Israel was on numerous other occasions). All this happened in the providence, perfect wisdom, and sovereignty of God! The same God, who in the time of Isaiah said, “Now therefore be ye not mockers, lest your bands be made strong: for I have heard from the Lord GOD of hosts a consumption, even determined upon the whole earth.” (Is.28:22) The God, who in the time of Noah unhesitatingly said, “I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.” (Gen.6:7) -Not the type of God you want to mess with. Further, Israel was under tremendous turmoil in both the major and minor prophets through such God-appointed “wicked men, which are his sword,” (Ps.17:13) such as: King Nebuchadnezzar, Kings of Egypt, the Assyrian King Sennacherib and other great instruments of affliction. Moreover, the people of God were urged to despair even in the New Testament when the eleven faithful disciples were driven to flight. Peter, having denied his Lord thrice, wept bitterly, and their King and Messiah was left to be slain by the hands of wicked sinners on a cursed tree!

The Only Question

Note: But alas, hurray, hallelujah, what a Saviour! He arose from the dead; he lives. He hath ascended on high as he soared through the sky! The only question is, “Do you know him?” As the late Rolfe Barnard said, “There’s no life in the death of Christ, but there’s life in the Christ who died.” Do you know the risen Lord himself, the King of glory? Yea, is he “with you now,” or do you merely know about him? “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” (Jn.17:3)

Let me shock you for a moment before we move on:

Have you ever been in this kind of travail of soul I’m describing: travail that is expressed in this eightieth psalm? Even travail to the point of hating your life? Have you ever personally, by faith, groaned in great agony along with Christ on that cursed tree, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mtt.27:46) Have you ever “cursed the day of your birth” like the godly Job? (Job3:1) Have you ever become hopeless “for righteousness sake” (Mtt.5:10) as David, the man after God’s own heart, when fleeing from Saul: “And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.” (1 Sam. 27:1) What about the groan of the weeping prophet, Jeremiah? Has it any relevance to you? “Woe is me, my mother, that thou hast borne me a man of strife and a man of contention to the whole earth!” (Jer. 15:10) Have you ever asked God to kill you even as Moses, whom God says “verily was faithful in all his house” (Heb.3:5): “And if thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray thee, out of hand, if I have found favour in thy sight; and let me not see my wretchedness.” (Nu.11:15)? What about the abandoned cry of the prophet Jonah: “Therefore now, O LORD, take, I beseech thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live.” (Jon. 4:3) -Did you get that? They desired to die. Have you? Did you say, “No, I have never hated my life; I have never desired to die?” If so, do you think you will make it to the same heaven as these righteous men who professed to be strangers and pilgrims in this world: men, who (though as godly as they come) were “scarcely saved” (1Pet. 4:17) through many sorrows for the sake of uncompromising righteousness? Do you really think you are on the same “narrow way which leadeth unto life, that few find” (Mtt.7:13-14) as these suffering forerunners of the one true faith?

What about the auto-biography of the life of God’s prince, Jacob [whom God renamed Israel, declaring “as a prince hast thou power with God and with men, and hast prevailed” (Gen32:28)] in his own words: “Jacob said unto Pharaoh, The days of the years of my pilgrimage are an hundred and thirty years: few and evil have the days of the years of my life been, and have not attained unto the days of the years of the life of my fathers in the days of their pilgrimage.” (Gen.47:9)

How would you summarize your life?

Have you any resemblance to God’s true people? Do you think they alone were called to hate their lives in this cursed world that they might keep it in the next? Do you think Jesus was “despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Is.53:3) so that you and I could take it easy in this cursed earth of death that hated Jesus, killed Him, and would do it again if possible? To be at ease in this cursed earth that still wars against Him, “tooth and nail” to this day? Whose side are you on anyway? Friends, remember that the “scripture cannot be broken,” (Jn.10:31) God “cannot lie,” (Titus1:2) and the Bible says, “He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.” (Jn. 12:25)

Is that too hard to bear? Would the reader rather “not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts… heap to themselves teachers…and turn away their ears from the truth, and…be turned unto fables.” (2Tim.4:3) Would the reader rather skip the cross, and deny Jesus Christ of whom it is said, “The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head?” (Mtt.8:20) “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”(Gal.1:16) Reader, please do tell me, were Peter and the disciples the only ones who were led to exclaim in utter terror of soul, “Lord, who then can be saved?” (Mk. 10:26) or “Lord, whither shall we go, thou hast the words of eternal life?” (Jn.6:68) Was Paul (our “pattern” saint according to 1Tim.1:16) and his companions the only ones that were meant to be “pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life?” (2 Cor.1:8) Was Job the only man that was intended to “abhor himself, and repent in dust and ashes?” (Job 42:6) Is the affliction Isaiah speaks of, ” Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction” intended only for the saints of his time? “Has the narrow way of the cross, the narrow way of truth changed over the last two thousand years? Or has the “strong delusion” (2Th.2) of this antichrist-flooded “generation of vipers”, in which we live, changed the truth as it is in Jesus? I don’t think so!

Nay… My friends, to live is still Christ and to die is still gain (Phil.1:21) and we need still “be confident rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” (2 Cor. 5:8) Nay… My friends, as exhorted the Apostle Paul, so exhort I you; “we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God.” (Acts14:22) Further, let us not forget that “all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution,” (2 Tim.3:12)… even today. And finally, in the words of the psalmist, let us keep in mind the fact that still remains for the people of God in this “whole world that lieth in wickedness:” (1Jn.5:19) “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.” (Ps.34:19)

So truly, beloved readers, let us pick up our cross, follow Jesus, and let us get serious lest we wake up gnashing our teeth and burning with the devil and his angels in hell. Time would prevent me from mentioning all the other corporate and personal instances in which the LORD, in love to his people and hatred for their sin, was moved with envy to sell them into great measures of distress as has occurred in the context of this eightieth psalm.

b. Fruit

So, what was the fruit of this “distress in great measure” and tribulation caused by a sovereign and merciful God’s hatred for sin, and love for the souls of his people? The fruit, which is the one thing that stood out above all else to me in this psalm, was desire. This is the need of the hour. This is the reason I am concerned for the church in America, yea worldwide. Where is the desire? Where is the need for God, the need for revival, the need for help, the need for a Saviour, the thirst for water, the hunger for righteousness, the plea for judgment? Most of the church is seemingly asleep and (as Ian Paisley said) is saying, “Please don’t wake me up I want to sleep on!” But, in the context of this psalm, the fruit of God-sent distress has clearly awakened the people of God from this state of being “at ease in Zion”(Amos 6:1), being rich and in need of nothing, yea, this lukewarm-complacent attitude of death to the soul and life to “fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (Rev.3,Gal.5:18,1Pet.2:11)

Yea, the fruit of distress described in this eightieth psalm has spurred the people of God to an aggressive and urgent desire for Him! They, like King David, seem to say, “When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek.” (Ps.27:8) This psalm is thoroughly saturated with earnest pleading for God to work, for God to move, for God to “shine forth.” Three times the psalmist prays, “Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” The psalmist even asks the LORD to “stir up thy strength, and come and save us,” and to “Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine.” (Ps.80:14) Even the concluding passage of this psalm is soaked with a desire for help: “Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. So will we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O LORD God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved.” (Ps. 80:17-19)

It is written, “Through desire a man, having separated himself, seeketh and intermeddleth with all wisdom.” (Pro.18:1) Reader: Where is your desire? Where is mine? Do you think God will save you if you don’t want to be saved? Do you think he will find us if we don’t want to be found? Do you think he will revive us if we don’t see a desperate need for revival? I doubt it! Like in this psalm, if the LORD is going to work, he will bring us to our knees in desperation! Until we desire, until we thirst, until we hunger, until we solemnly cry, “Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee.” (Ps.73:25) Until we, like Isaiah the prophet, ardently protest before the throne of God, “Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the LORD; awake, as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art thou not it that hath cut Rahab, and wounded the dragon?” (Is.51:9), until we are forced to be like the godly King Jehoshophat: surrounded by thirty and two captains that had rule over the king of Syria’s chariots and were commanded to “Fight neither with small nor great, save only with the king of Israel” (whom they mistook Jehoshaphat to be), to cry out for help as if we were hanging by a snapping string over the gulf of eternal perdition! -“and Jehoshaphat cried out:” (1 Ki. 22:31-32), until we groan like David in the thirty-eighth psalm saying, “Lord, all my desire is before thee; and my groaning is not hid from thee.” (Ps. 38:10), then, and only then, will the LORD “rend the heavens… that the mountains might flow down at his presence.” (Is.64:1) Only then will God step-down in revival! As God said, “then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you. And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.” (Jer.29:12-13) Then, in the very day we pray like Jesus, “who in the days of his flesh, when he had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that he feared;” (Heb.5:7) will God send revival. At that moment when we, like Esther, exclaim before the throne of God “If I perish, I perish” (Est.4:6) and proceed to “call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised: so shall we be saved from our enemies” (Ps. 18:3). In the time when we “call upon the Lord in truth” (Ps.145:18) and early “cry unto God, then shall our enemies turn back: this we know; for God is for us.”(Ps. 56:9)

Lastly, I give you an excerpt from the prayer of King Solomon in reference to Israel, if ever they were to backslide. This passage was given at the “Dedication of the Temple,” which Solomon constructed. I give it to the intent that this might be our prayer, that this might be our plea, and that we might receive this much needed advice:

“If they sin against thee, (for there is no man that sinneth not,) and thou be angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captives unto the land of the enemy, far or near; “Yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they were carried captives, and repent, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captives, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have committed wickedness; And so return unto thee with all their heart, and with all their soul, in the land of their enemies, which led them away captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: Then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling place, and maintain their cause, And forgive thy people that have sinned against thee, and all their transgressions wherein they have transgressed against thee, and give them compassion before them who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them: For they be thy people, and thine inheritance, which thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron: That thine eyes may be open unto the supplication of thy servant, and unto the supplication of thy people Israel, to hearken unto them in all that they call for unto thee. For thou didst separate them from among all the people of the earth, to be thine inheritance, as thou spakest by the hand of Moses thy servant, when thou broughtest our fathers out of Egypt, O Lord GOD.” (1Ki.8:46-53)

Conclusion

So, in conclusion, (as the title of this message states) I ask the reader, I ask the Church of Jesus Christ, and I ask myself: “Revival: Do you desire Him?”

“Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.” (Is. 55:1)

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Mtt.11:28-30)

“And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.” (Rev.22:17)

“Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, whom if his son ask bread, will he give him a stone? Or if he ask a fish, will he give him a serpent? If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him?” (Mtt.7:7-11)

Spurgeon’s Prayer for Revival

“O God, send us the Holy Ghost! Give us both the breath of spiritual life and the fire of unconquerable zeal! O Thou who art our God, answer us both by wind and fire, and then we shall see Thee to be God indeed. The kingdom comes not, and the work is flagging. Oh, that Thou wouldst send the wind and the fire! Thou wilt do this when we are all of one accord, all believing, all expecting, all prepared by prayer. Lord, bring us to this waiting state! God, send us a season of glorious disorder. Oh, for a sweep of the wind that will set the seas in motion, and make our ironclad brethren, now lying so quietly at anchor, to roll from stem to stem. Oh, for the fire to fall again-fire which shall affect the most stolid! Oh, that such fire might first sit upon the disciples and then fall all around! O God, Thou art ready to work with us today even as Thou didst then. Stay not, we beseech Thee, but work at once. Break down every barrier that hinders the incoming of Thy might! Give us both hearts of flame and tongues of fire to preach Thy reconciling Word, for Jesus’ sake! Amen!” (Spurgeon and Revival p. 26 by Robert H. Lescelius)

II. The Current Estate of “YMBBA Ministries” and the “Church of Arlington”

On the Move:

Over the past two or three months the “Church of Arlington,” (or a real and tangible part of the Kingdom of heaven on earth and in this area of the world) has been on the move. The number of this God-founded, God-protected, and God-guided sheepfold (as evidenced by the biblical fruit it produces) is currently composed of fourteen called-out and Holy Ghost led, fruit-bearing saints of zeal (by God’s grace alone) . Each of whom we believe to be soundly and biblically saved men and women of God, and the LORD seems to be nigh unto increasing our numbers!

Important Digression Note: How to Test a Church

“Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.” (1Jn.4:1)

“Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (1Thes.5:21)

How do you know if a “so called” church, or even an individual, is of God and not a cult? (A cult is commonly known as, in layman’s terms: a religious society, whether through creed, teachings or a living guru, that follows a man, or men, and not God) So, what’s the biblical test on whether a church is really, and not just seemingly, following God?

In Acts chapter five as the Apostle Peter stood condemned as a rebel before the religiously esteemed leaders of his day, he said, “And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.” (Acts5:32) Therein lies the only legitimate test of biblical authority and merit to call yourself a true church, prophet, apostle, movement, revival, or denomination having come from God.

“God hath given the Holy Ghost to them that obey him!”

Not to them that pretend to obey God and are really mere “hypocrites…like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” (Mtt.23:27) Not to them “having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.” (2Tim.3:5) Not to them that “justify themselves before men but God knoweth their hearts” (Lk.16:15) [by for instance: good Calvinistic doctrine, an orthodox theory on the atonement, a big and conservative church building, a conservative “so called” evangelical church membership, a nice smile and demeanor, a leadership position in a bible study with poor inner-city kids, a modest style of dress, a good marriage and an orderly family with daily devotions, a seminary degree, a church winning average of tithes given, or even a lifelong mission commitment to a cannibalistic island off the coast of Australia!] Neither to them that “thank God that they are not as other men.” (Lk.18:11) [when in reality they are as other men, but deceived by their Satanically inspired self-righteous flesh, while they unknowingly call God a liar in the process (1Jn1:8,10).] Nay, O my dearest reader of this post…Not to any such men hath God given the Holy Ghost, but unto such as really obey him, “though they be as reprobates.” (2Cor.13:7)

Let Us Remember

O that men would remember the proverb, “He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.” (Pro.11:12) And that men would remember what Jesus said, “Judge not after appearance, but judge righteous judgment.” (Jn.7:24) Why should you do that? Why should you remember these things?

Because I’m convinced many sincere people in biblical and extra-biblical history have perished in hell using carnal judgment, reason, and logic for their means of discernment as opposed to biblical reason and logic (which is not logical from a human standpoint!). Perhaps, they were guilty of thinking such a thought as, “Do not Peter and Paul frequent prisons? Are they not cast out of the synagogues? Are they not physically and spiritually younger than we ourselves? Are they not, along with the other “so called” disciples of this “way,” reproached by all classes of society, and apparently ignorant and unlearned men? Oh, and do not our leaders, pious fundamentalists, and rabbis who agree on practically nothing, unitedly agree with themselves on this one conviction: that these men are rebels and deserve to be crucified? Therefore, we reasonably and rationally conclude these men must be heretics and cult leaders!”

Because I’m convinced this “seemingly righteous” line of reasoning would be biblically deemed “judging after appearance” or “answering a matter before you hear it, which is a folly and a shame.” (Pro.18:13) Yea, I’m convinced that this carnal line of reasoning caused Samuel to deem the wicked older brother of David (who was named Eliab) God’s anointed King! Fortunately God reproved Samuel saying,“Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.” (1Sam.16:7) Question: If the godly Samuel could be deceived, whom God puts before Jeremiah in his two person “power-team praying hall of fame” [i.e. “Then said the LORD unto me, Though Moses and Samuel stood before me, yet my mind could not be toward this people: cast them out of my sight, and let them go forth.” (Jer.15:1)] along side Moses alone, even excluding Elijah, WHAT ABOUT YOU? WHAT ABOUT ME? Be careful professing Christian friend, this line of reasoning is even what got Israel into the mess they are in today and the mess they found themselves in around 70 AD, when the historian Josephus says the Roman army crucified so many Jews that they had no room nor wood left to crucify with, and when there was said to be so much blood running in the city that many things that were burning were extinguished by it! Further, Josephus says over 1.1 million Jews (because the siege began during the time of Jewish passover feast) were killed in the siege of Jerusalem alone, along with well nigh 250 thousand Jews killed in adjacent villages. Lastly, in reference to that destruction, I quote Josephus in Albert Barnes’ commentary with reference to the dreadfulness of this destruction brought upon the Jews because they “judged Jesus after appearance” and not “righteous judgment”: “Josephus, in describing it, uses almost the very words of our Saviour. “All the calamities, says he, which had befallen any nation from the beginning of the world” were but small in comparison with those of the Jews.” ( Jewish Wars, b. i. preface, section 4.)

So, let the reader understand that though the wheat and the tares (true and falsely religious Christians) look similar on the outside, yet God, who alone knows the heart consequentially gives the Holy Ghost as the only trustworthy evidence that “God hath received them.” (Rom.14:13) Therefore the only question is: “ Who has the Holy Ghost, do you, does your church?”

Don’t Forget

Also, in matters of discerning the true from the false, don’t forget, “Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.” (prov.28:5) Therefore, make sure you “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto your own understanding,” (Prov.3:5) nor on the world’s, which is so easy to do that almost everyone does it! Yea, rather, “In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.” (Prov.3:6) Yea, rather, “present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.  And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Rom.12:1-2) And finally, beloved friends, “Be not wise in thine own eyes, fear the LORD and depart from evil,” or as Jesus said to the Pharisees, so say I unto you, “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell? (Mtt.23:33) “Because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not!” (Jn. 8:45) “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear!” (Mtt.11:15)

Again I ask the reader, I ask the elders of every church in this nation, I ask myself, in light of all this, do you have the Holy Ghost of God dwelling in you richly by faith? If not, friend, I’m telling you, you’re “none of his!” (Rom.8:9) Without hesitation you desperately need to seek Jesus Christ for salvation through the merit of his blood and the quickening life of his Spirit: Lest Almighty God say unto you, “Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:,” (Mtt.25:41) while he casts you into eternal hellfire.

God’s Not Wasteful

Moreover, let us be mindful that the Lord will not “cast his pearls before swine nor give that which is holy to the dogs,” (Mtt.7:6) nor will he “let a double-minded man receive anything from the Lord.” (Ja.1:7-8) Thus, if a man has received the Holy Ghost, you better believe he is a righteous man in the realest sense of the term, and he is accepted and received of God through Jesus Christ. I warn you to be careful how you treat him, who is evidently the apple of your Creator’s eye. Remember the advice from the author of Hebrews, “Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” (Heb.13:2) And do not forget the frightfully simple warning of our Saviour, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” (Mtt.25:40)

-Sermon below by Rolfe Barnard on the topic of a sovereign God choosing to use sinful men (human means) for his purposes:

‘If you reject God’s messenger, you reject God’ -Rolfe Barnard in the sermon below.

-God Uses Earthen Vessels

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” (2 Cor. 4:7)

“He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.“ (Lk. 10:16)

One more thing: Which Spirit Did you Get?

Please notice Peter said, “the Holy Ghost”… not the worldly ghost, or the spirit of profanity, or the spirit of lightness, sensuality, and intemperance; nor the spirit of rebellion and uncontrollable laughter, but “the Holy Ghost!” Reader, please make sure you have the right Spirit, the HOLY SPIRIT! The Spirit which is evidenced (not by charismatic tongues) by fruits of righteousness entailing such things as love for truth and the word of God, hatred for sin even if it costs you your head, meekness, self-control, faith, “peace that passeth understanding” even in the face of death, “joy unspeakable and full of glory,” a burden for souls, fear of God, gifts of preaching, virtue proceeding from ones life, willingness to suffer wrong, “swearing to one’s own hurt and changing not,” willingly ministering to others, mercy, praying in the Spirit, understanding the word of God, wisdom, knowledge, faith, miracles, overall freedom from envy and pride, ultra lowliness of mind consisting of truly thinking others better than oneself, overwhelming selflessness in every righteous way, and even culturally-shattering generosity in giving both financially and in regards to ones own necessities along with many more! I say this for your good, and because I fear many have been partakers of a “so called” baptism of Holy Spirit (second blessing experience) that is not the Holy Spirit and cannot save. Yea, I fear that many “zealous, but not according to knowlege” (Rom.10:1-4) professing Christians have received the wrong spirit unawares. (1Cor.13:6, Eph.5:9, Ps.97:10, Mtt.5:1-13, Gal. 5:22-23, Jer.32:40, Acts 19:6, Ps.15, 1 Cor.12, and more)

On the Move Continued:

“But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.” (1Sam.18:16)

“I pray thee, forgive the trespass of thine handmaid: for the LORD will certainly make my lord a sure house; because my lord fighteth the battles of the LORD, and evil hath not been found in thee all thy days.” (1Sam.25:28)

We have been, in the “Church of Arlington,” like I said before, “on the move.” Just as it is said of David “that he went out and came in before them,” (Israel: God’s Kingdom) even so have many of the brethren in our church been coming in and going out to battle before our humble “geographical sheepfold” or “spiritual Israel” (otherwise known as the “local church” in Arlington, TX). This “local church” (which we are convinced God has established and not men*) meets at various locations where we, the “body of Christ,” worship the Lord, preach the word, pray, rendezvous from going in and out to battle for the Lord, partake of communion, sharpen each other, and seek the Lord!

*If God didn’t establish our church, truly, we want nothing to do with it! How about your church, did God bring it about? Would the reader rather be at a man-made church with the comforts of “worldy wisdom,” or at a God-established church of lowly saints, glorying in the Spirit alone, yea, glorying in the cross?

Brother Chris Open Air Preaching

Brother Chris and Brother Sean

Lufkin, Texas is one of many places various members of this church have traveled to. It is the hometown of our dear brother Chris Faulkner. He and brother Sean went there somewhat recently, and Chris was graciously given an open-door to preach in a church (which he did effectually, and I believe with some tears). However, there is no doubt that he has been greatly persecuted by many in his hometown, which is to be expected for a biblical Christian. Also, if any of those who have persecuted Chris are reading this blog, please talk to brother Chris, and don’t listen to slander! -which God hates and will judge! “He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool.” (Pr.10:18) I assure you before God that he is, by the grace of God, perfectly sober-minded, full of integrity, and easy to be entreated. He is instantly desirous to witness to any and everyone about what great things his newly found and beloved risen Lord Jesus Christ hath done for him, and even the biblical incentives for certain decisions which he has made in his life (which I am convinced is being founded upon the solid rock of the word of God).

Reader: Where is your foundation? Are you built on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and his word, or on the shifting sand of presumption? Don’t die in presumption. You will, I guarantee, regret the day you were born. It is not a presumptuous and hasty faith that saves, but a real, vital, life-changing, and undeniable one! “On Christ the solid Rock I stand, All other ground is sinking sand; All other ground is sinking sand.” (The Solid Rock)

More About Brother Chris

Brother Chris has been saved since early March, having previously been falsely converted to the utmost! Chris was even leading worship, discipling others, leading bible studies, traveling overseas for mission work, desirous to give out tracts, and had been a part of the church as he would say “from the womb.” However, in all this he was deceived…having not the Spirit of God until his recent and fearful conversion, which, “many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD.” (Psalm 40:3)

Let us never forget the promise of God, “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.” (Matt. 5:10-11) And further, let us not forget God’s warning to the popular of this world, ARE YOU? “Woe unto you, when all men shall speak well of you! for so did their fathers to the false prophets.” (Lk.6:26)

Brother Kevin and Brother Masao

Next on the travel list is our beloved brother Kevin (whose testimony will be posted in video form below) and brother Masao: two young “sons of thunder!” Seriously! These two fellows are extremely meek and quiet when at home and in fellowship with the brethren (to the point that sometimes you could forget they were there). However, when they get on the streets to preach and fight the Lord’s battles they are evidently overcome by the Spirit of the Lord, and transformed into “mighty men of valor,” lions, warriors, animals (in the sense of ferocious, fearless, and strong spiritually), or you might say “spiritual soldiers.” Truly, in time past brother Sean was surnamed by Jake and I “the trumpet” for the overwhelming power of his voice. Recently, however, he told me that as these men preached on Halloween, back-to-back with Sean, he didn’t know if he had anything on these dear “trumpet-sounding sons of thunder.”

Kevin Fessler’s Testimony:

Further, Masao, (who is from California and has left everything for the Lord, taking only a suit case from California) is known to have a God-given stamina to preach for great lengths of time without losing his voice. In fact, when everyone else (as far as I knew) had a scratchy voice last week following their expedition to preach in Austin, TX on Halloween, Masao seemed to be sounding just fine! However, as I asked him about this keen ability to preach outdoors for long periods without fail he relayed a wonderful story to me. This summer, when Masao was somewhat confident that he had “got it down,” that is: learned how to open-air preach using the diaphragm and not lose his voice; he was suddenly humbled when, the next day, God took his voice so badly that he couldn’t even effectively share one-on-one with people!

Anyway, these brothers were in California for quite some time in the recent past. They preached at a college, in a home, in other diverse places, saw some people touched by the word, saw some persecution, warned many sinners within and without the professing church, and finally made it back home safely around a week ago to the great benefit of our small congregation. Further, these brothers were unrighteously escorted out of a church, I believe, for the sake of the gospel. I also understand that brother Masao was at one point physically knocked off his preaching stand into some water, and being flooded with compassion he chased down the culprit only to be persecuted more!

Brother William and I

Brother Masao and Brother William

Well, time would fail me to tell all the details that took place on the mission trip that our “brother of zeal” William Pearce and I took, but I will say a couple things. First, as we traveled up to William’s homeland in Wisconsin, we preached effectually with some. We even saw multiple people in tears through the preaching of word of God at our dear brother, Brad Grant’s house. Also, we warned false professors from William’s old church, and consequentially young William received some heavy persecution from those he loves. Yet, even as he was afflicted for the sake of the gospel, I can clearly recall brother William being filled with the grace and love of God for the truth and for his persecutors! [Persecutors: If you are reading, contact William, be reasonable, I know that William is truly humble to the word of God from several personal experiences. Talk to him as you would like someone to treat you. But, remember, if you refuse to hear reproof or be reasonable according to the word of God, you are sealing your own death warrant! “Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.” (Pro.15:10)]

Consolation Proportionate to Tribulation

Truly, we must learn the scriptural principle that “as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.” (2Cor.1:5) The spiritual reality that “If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.” (1Pet.1:14) This truth was no more evident than when the early disciples were said to have “departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.” (Acts 5:41) Have you learned this principle, reader?

“I have found that hope so bright and clear,
Living in the realm of grace;
Oh, the Savior’s presence is so near,
I can see His smiling face.

It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Full of glory, full of glory,
It is joy unspeakable and full of glory,
Oh, the half has never yet been told.” (Joy Unspeakable)

Brother William and I Cont’d

Further, brother William warned some of his unsaved family (who honestly treated him horribly). It was a grief to behold, but by the grace of God and to the praise of Jesus Christ I have no doubt that William loved them, nevertheless. He was even crying out to God for them! “For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer.” (Ps.109:4) This instance of brotherly cruelty reminded me of the way Joseph must have felt as his brothers, “moved with envy,” (Acts 7:9) sold him into slavery! Note: Did not we, “moved with envy” against God, sell Jesus Christ our Saviour and the only one who truly loved us, into slavery? Yea, and even put him on the cross! Jesus Christ, who was “delivered for our offenses and raised again for our justification.” (Rom.4:25) What then ought we to do but repent, seek his face, and give God the glory:  God who, “commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!” (Rom.5:8)

“To God be the glory, great things He has done;
So loved He the world that He gave us His Son,
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin,
And opened the life gate that all may go in.” (To God be the Glory)

Finally, William and I went to his grandfather’s funeral, in which William, (I believe with fear and trembling) shared some timely and dreadful scriptures in the face of even more persecution. Afterward we headed south to prepare for our dear brother Jake’s wedding.

Jake, Sean, and I

Brother Jake, Sean, and I are also, as in the days of old, on the move. We unitedly left our respective places of resort on multiple occasions that we might do battle for the King. Brother Jake, who was at the time engaged, took primary refuge at the godly home of his wife’s family in Missouri. Brother Sean and I were primarily stationed at our miraculously received home in the Dallas area (the Lord faithfully provided us with a wonderful home for most of the men in the church). However, on separate instances all three of us packed up, traveled, and prepared for war. We were enabled of the Lord to preach in both Pennsylvania and Canada. The first trip, to Pennsylvania, was spent at a youth retreat for mostly youth from Mennonite and Charity Churches. This event was called “Kingdom Fellowship Weekend,” wherein brother Jake and Sean each preached once alongside a number of other godly men. We left this event, having been mutually edified with many godly people, and I was enabled to preach at another church up in Northern Pennsylvania with much help from the Lord.

Further, we were also permitted to preach up in a little village called Tobermory, Canada, for a week of meetings. These meetings were mightily owned of the Lord, and we saw time and again the fearful presence of God fall! These were the meetings in which brother Jake preached the sermon, “Seeking God Aright,” (posted below) which was truly blessed of God. Nevertheless, we had much opposition from one man who was preaching the law for justification, instead as an instrument for condemnation. He was preaching the law for  righteousness instead of the law to expose our wretchedness. As it is written, “Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” (Rom.3:19-20) It is written again, “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.” (Gal.3:24)

Truly, this man preached that a man was saved initially by faith, only to turn around and carnally keep the law unto “perfection:” (Or to be made like Jesus, which is perfection and the heart of the gospel: please download the Rolfe Barnard sermon just below to clearly understand salvation) such as keeping the carnal ordinances of the Jewish feast days, dietary laws, sabbath days, etc. But Paul warned the Galatians, “Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh? O, there is so much to say on this subject of “walking in the Spirit and not fulfilling the lusts of the flesh,” (Gal.5:17) but where do I begin?

Rolfe Barnard sermon clearly explaining what salvation is, and God’s purpose in it:

-Do You Want to be Like Christ?

This false prophet was likened unto the deceivers of Paul’s time of whom it is said, “Desiring to be teachers of the law; understanding neither what they say, nor whereof they affirm,” as he no doubt “zealously affected the people, but not well.” His carnal message of legalism was  zealously affecting the people toward carnal ordinances, and not toward obeying God in Jesus Christ! (And it was noticeably grieving the Holy Spirit at every meeting he preached.)

How do you know if a “so called” gospel message is from God?

“Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Mtt.7:20)

Answer: What is the fruit? Does the message tend toward holiness, righteousness, conviction of sin, “setting your affections on things above?” (Col.3:2) – It must be the gospel. Or, does it cause one to be lukewarm, rebellious to Jesus Christ, hardhearted, and “carnally minded, which is death:” (Rom.8:6) even with a false assurance of salvation? -That is not the gospel. What was the fruit of the “gospel” in Acts 2? The fruit was fear of God,  joy, men having all things in common, miracles, power, and souls being saved! (Acts 2) - That is the gospel of Jesus Christ, which is “not in word, but in power!” (1Cor.4:20) Again, does the “so called” gospel message teach rebellion against God, and justify unrepentant sinners in their sin ? Or does it drive men to fear God, repentant perpetually (without justifying themselves) and hope in God’s mercy (which is a person, Jesus Christ)? As it is written, “Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him, upon them that hope in his mercy;” (Ps.33:18) That is what the true gospel accomplishes: it breaks men of all hope in themselves, and  brings them to trust in the power, merit, salvation, and life of  another, namely, Jesus Christ the Lord.

“Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD. So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.” (Jer.28:15-17)

“Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.  For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Jude1:3-4)

Back to Jake, Sean, and I: One last story:

When in Canada, one night brother Jake preached a well prepared and intense message on evangelism: and it was in the power of God. Truly, conviction fell upon the room and some were touched; but also, certain people were offended. To make a long story short, because of this offense brother Jake was roughly struck that night by unrighteous and anti-biblical persecution. It was extremely grievous to see, but my dear brother didn’t try to defend himself: he was rather (by God’s grace alone) a ” partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;” (2 Tim.1:8). The result of this affliction I will never forget. That night, Jake, though cast-down, and I sang to the Lord a new song with all our heart, and the Lord was there! Can you sing it?

“Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed. Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey; Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day. Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes; Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.” (Stand Up, Stand Up for Jesus)

The Heartbeat of the Church

Well, I am straitened to consolidate this update. It is truly becoming longer than I expected. So, how is the life of the church and what have we been doing? The “Church of Arlington,” which is a great aspect of the labor of the brethren of “YMBBA ministries” has truly been, like I said, on the move. I mentioned some geographical movements above, but we have also been on the move in other ways: especially, spiritually.

Many of the brethren in the “Church of Arlington” alongside Carmen and Bianca from Germany.

Digression Note: An Apology for the Self-Commendation of the “Church of Arlington”

“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1 Pet.2:9)

“Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” (Tit. 1:14)

“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.” (Mtt.10:32)

Before I share more details about “the heartbeat of our church,” I must make an apology to avoid unnecessary offense, and to relieve myself of a burden. Firstly, I want the reader to know that I am aware of the scriptures in which Jesus warns the legalistic, carnally minded Pharisees not to pray, fast, or to do religious alms (deeds) “for to be seen of men.” (Mtt.6) I also (by his grace) understand the fact that “he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God.” (Rom.2:28-29) And finally, I assuredly know, and heartily agree that “not he that commendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord commendeth. (2 Cor.10:18)

“Well then, why are you commending your church, one might ask?”

I will tell you why. I will tell you the reason I am straitened to give such details of the spiritual successes in our young and small (often misunderstood) church: such as the length of prayer meetings, methods of prayer, evangelism, church gifts, miracles, unity, salvation testimonies, brotherly love, burden for souls, burden for holiness, charity, etc.

I Want People to Know (That)

The reason I write these things is: I want the world to know that God is still alive and not dead today: as we have seen in our church! [Dead, as he would seem to be if one judged from the "twice dead" fruit of many complacent and silent professing churches in this decaying nation, where the salt seems to have "all but lost" its savour! (Mtt.5:13)] Yea, I want people to know that the New Testament standard of a church is still the measure for a true church today; and perfectly reasonable for God to require of us! (Not the ecclesiology of the Puritans, nor the shifting customs of the Charismatics, nor the historical convictions of the Anabaptists, nor the theology of John Calvin, nor the church doctrine of Charles Spurgeon, nor the doctrinal creeds of time past, or the dispensational teachings of J.N. Darby, nor any such extra-biblical sources!) Nay, my dearest reader, but the Standard New Testament church as it is revealed in the Bible alone! That is the only standard; that is the only test!

Surely, I am sharing details about what God hath wrought in our midst to show you that God’s grace still works, and is available today! Grace to be a New Testament Church, grace to be a praying people, grace to be unified through and through, grace to preach the gospel unashamedly to the easy-going sinners of this world (in the face of apparent death), grace to hate and shun: worldliness, lukewarmness, compromise, pride, rebellion, envy, sin, and even false churches for the sake of Jesus Christ’s holy name, even unto being crucified! Grace to do all this and more with “the joy of the Lord, which is our strength.” (Neh. 8:10) I write to show the reader that New Testament Christianity is achievable, even in a world of abounding iniquity all around us! Verily, Verily, God is still on the throne, “Behold, the nations are (still) as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he (still) taketh up the isles as a very little thing.” (Is.40:15) The fact still remains that, “without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Heb.11:6) Furthermore, we have found that even today, the “eyes of the LORD (still) run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him!” (2 Chron.16:9)

How about you, reader? Have you found the Lord faithful? Have you found his promises true? Please answer God, is your heart perfect toward him? Or… are you tempting God with excuses for unrepentant sin, worldliness, and compromise? How about the heart of your church, is it pure? Or are you playing church, playing Christianity? Reader, are you playing the fool with an HOLY God, and thinking you will get away with it? Let not the world forget that, “Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favour,” (Pro. 14:9) and to them that will not turn to God with their whole heart, “behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out!” (Num. 32:23)

Friends, I am testifying of what God hath done, even as Joshua and Caleb testified to Israel of the promised land. (Num. 13-14) -That men might know there is a God in heaven, and that he is still HOLY, HOLY, HOLY! I am writing with the desire of the psalmist burning in my bosom, namely, that God might, “Put them in fear, O LORD: that the nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah.” (Ps.9:10) I am writing because I don’t want the reader to die like Herod! “And immediately the angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost.” (Acts 12:23)

Further, I want the the world to understand that “Jesus Christ (is)the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Heb. 13:8) Therefore, the heart of God in the days of Jeremiah still cries out, “Oh that I had in the wilderness a lodging place of wayfaring men; that I might leave my people, and go from them! for they be all adulterers, an assembly of treacherous men.” (Jer. 9:2) I’m telling you, the Lord Jesus Christ is looking for a church that will, by his grace, confess him aright! He is looking for a church to keep such a passover as Israel in the times of King Josiah! King Josiah’s revival, (on the cusp of Judah’s approaching decimation 34 or so years later) of which it is said, “And there was no passover like to that kept in Israel from the days of Samuel the prophet; neither did all the kings of Israel keep such a passover as Josiah kept, and the priests, and the Levites, and all Judah and Israel that were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.” (2 Chr.35:18) -and I’m certain the Lord of glory, Jesus Christ, will settle for nothing less, even if he must go “without the camp” of the institutionalized church to find it ! The Lord will have the world (without and within the church) to know that his blessed bride is, by his grace, still a “chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:” (1Pet.2:9) I’m speaking the truth when I say that as the prophet Ezekiel was called, so is the church of Jesus Christ today. That is, to confess Jesus before this apostate world of rebellion “whether they will hear, or whether they will forbear, (for they are a rebellious house,) yet shall know that there hath been a prophet (Church) among them!” (Ez. 2:5) Just as the LORD did through Noah who, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.” (Heb.11:7) - And I pray God, that he will do it one more time before his unstoppable wrath burns up this world with fire!

“But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.” (2 Pet. 3:10)

Conclusion to “Apology for the Self-Commendation of the “Church of Arlington’”

So, as said the Apostle Paul, who was forced to commend, yea, even to glory in his achievements to the Corinthians (due to the “false prophets” galore in Corinth), even so say I unto you (due to the false churches galore in America), “Would to God ye could bear with me a little in my folly: and indeed bear with me. For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.”

“I am become a fool in glorying; ye have compelled me: for I ought to have been commended of you: for in nothing am I behind the very chiefest apostles, though I be nothing.” (2 Cor. 2:11)

“But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me” (1Cor.15:10)

Prayer

We pray officially and corporately Tuesday nights and Saturday Mornings, for an average of two or three hours (but often feel that we could, by God’s grace,  pray all night!). We have occasional prayer meetings on Thursday nights. We also pray in the “solemn assembly” on Sunday. We normally begin the prayer meetings by sharing burdens, and often have exhortations as the Spirit leads. We often sing Spirit led hymns (See Welsh Revival Heart-Singing Quote below to better understand “singing as the Spirit leads”) or use our new hymn books which we cherish, called “Living Hymns.” And, finally, we prepare our hearts to pray.

There are many burdens (primarily for eternity-bound souls running headlong into hell, even as an ox to the slaughter: and not so much for carnal things like, for instance, Aunt Wilma’s aching hip) all around the church, and by the grace of God there have been many tears in these meetings, along with a wonderful and powerful sense of the presence of God much of the time! We even have a fearful solemnity and silence often settle on our meetings, which we cherish as a precious seal of God’s approval. For instance, I can remember last Lord’s day meeting: as we were praying, I was truly fearful to pray unless I felt the Lord’s leading, because there was such a sense of the presence of God in the room. -Note: The true presence of God, who  is a sovereign Spirit that will visit whom and when he will; Not some emotionally-manipulated, warm feeling “figment of our imaginations,” caused by a bass-pumping, God abhorring, worldly pleasing contemporary Christian music. As God said, “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” (Jn. 14:21) Truly the Lord is with us in this infant, yet pure, state of our church. (Please read the quotes below from Spurgeon and a reporter from the Welsh revival, as they describe the same atmosphere historically as we see often in our church)

Glimpse into New Testament Assemblies

“How is it then, brethren? when ye come together, every one of you hath a psalm, hath a doctrine, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation. Let all things be done unto edifying.” (1Cor.14:26)

Blessed Quietness in the House of God

“Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God, and be more ready to hear, than to give the sacrifice of fools: for they consider not that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.” (Ecc.5:1-2)

“Blessèd quietness, holy quietness, What assurance in my soul! On the stormy sea, He speaks peace to me, How the billows cease to roll! What a wonderful salvation, Where we always see His face! What a perfect habitation, What a quiet resting place!” (Blessed Quietness)

Spirit Led or Heart-Singing in Welsh Revival

“Sometimes singing and prayer would go on together, but there was no real confusion-the praying was not to man, and the singing was not to man. But such singing is rarely to be heard. It was perfect time and perfect harmony; often the same hymn (never given out, but started spontaneously), sung in English and in Welsh at the same time, and sung over and over, until penetrated. There was no organ, nor need for one; when men-for the women were too few to make much impression-sing to the Lord in this was, an organ is out of place. It was hear-singing, “singing with melody in your heart to the Lord.” (Eph. 5:18) (The Great Revival in Wales by S.B. Shaw p. 26)

Spurgeon on the Spirit of God Falling in Assemblies:

“When I came to New Park Street Chapel it was but a mere handful of people to whom I first preached, yet I could never forget how earnestly they prayed. Sometimes they seemed to plead as though they could really see the Angel of the Covenant present with them, and as if they must have a blessing from Him. More than once we were all so awe-struck with the solemnity of the meeting that we sat silent for some moments while the Lord’s power appeared to overshadow us; and all I could do on such occasions was to pronounce the benediction, and say, “Dear friends, we have had the Spirit of God here very manifestly tonight let us go home and take care not to lose His gracious influence.” Then down came the blessing; the house was filled with hearers, and many souls were saved.” (Spurgeon and Revival by Robert H. Lescelius p. 23-24)

Spirit of God Moves in the Welsh Revival: First Hand Report

“This mighty movement must be seen to be understood. A sense of awe came over me again and again as in a large chapel, on a weekday afternoon; I saw a large, deep gallery surrounding the chapel literally packed with men. They were manly, intensely earnest faces, not looking around or talking one to the other, but with one consent utterly taken up with God. The body of the chapel was also crowded with men and women of all classes, with but one purpose- TO MEET GOD.” (The Great Revival in Wales by S.B.Shaw p. 25)

How do we pray?

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;” (1Tim.2:1-3).

“Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” (Eph.6:18)

“Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (Ja.5:16)

We try to pray following the above advice from God’s word. Thus, we pray often: for the lost, for the church, for the “lost-sheep of the house of Israel,” for unity, for power, for guidance, for our leaders, for our neighbors, bosses, for each other, and we try to pray fervently with all our heart! We pray corporately, individually, and encourage the brethren to be instant in group prayer daily, knowing that “God’s house shall be called a house of prayer.” (Matt.21:13) Honestly reader, how else do you expect the church to fight the Lord’s battles? With a big building, spending budget, or church roll? With a seminary-educated Pastor, a high quality all-around sound system in the church building, or an A-team choir? How about with  a daycare, or a church food bank? I think not! Remember, “the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;” (2 Cor.10:4-5)

Preaching

A good view of the crowd of listeners on A&M Campus.

The “church of Arlington” has been on the move in preaching. Even now, some of the brothers are preaching at “Texas A&M” for a number of days. They have seen crowds upwards of hundreds of people. At one point, the Lord drew these crowds using atheists arguing with Sean! They have also been invited to a bible study in which the power of God fell, and there are a couple of people we know of at “Texas A&M” seeking God in truth even now, Hallelujah!

Zoomed out version of the same crowd, take note brethren, the harvest is plentiful! Pray for these souls!

Many brothers were also preaching through the night on 6th street in Austin, TX during  Halloween, alongside our dear brother Cory James (from Houston). The girls also went soul winning on this trip, and were a great encouragement to the brethren by prayer and handing out tracts. On Halloween sister Ashley (Whose testimony, which was shared effectually at Family camp 2010 in Missouri, will be posted on video form below) and sister Stephanie joined the brothers. Also, Stephanie, Ashley, sister Carmen, and Bianca from Germany, (who is seeking the Lord for salvation) have all joined the brothers some at “Texas A&M!”

Lastly, we have been reaching various local venues for Christ with differing results. The fellows have preached outside Texas Ranger Stadium during the World Series (I believe that is partly why the Rangers made it into the World Series: so we could preach to the crowds). We have also preached at high-schools, a Mormon Temple, a Roman Catholic church, in bible studies, to neighbors, at IHOP, Panera Bread (one of which we’ve been asked to stop), at various jobs of church members, in Evangelistic meetings, at clubs and many more places. Did not the Lord’s last commission to the church state, “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature?” (Mk.16:15) And did not the Lord by the hand of Paul command us to “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine?” (2Tim.4:2).

Valiant for the Truth Video:

More Church Insight

Further, we have a “solemn assembly” every Sunday morning at around 11 o’clock (generally), where we plan to take communion every week in the future. Sean, Jake, myself, and occasionally William, preach the word for now. This will continue until the other brethren that are called to preach are older, and approved by God. We preach for sometimes hours, pray, sing, and rejoice with the saints. But, truly, we are convinced that the saints are the only persons biblically permitted in “official church meetings.” Verily, the world is not for the church and the church is not for the world. (Brother Sean has written a document on that very subject to be presented at another time). We are also convinced that church services (the assembling of God-saved, not self-saved Christians* to worship God) is not an end to Christianity, but a means to an end: being the church for the rest of the week!

Salvation is of the Lord

*God-saved, not self-saved Christians- Many people are quick to say, “I have received Jesus Christ as my Lord and only Savior,” but the question really is, “Has Jesus Christ received you?” Jesus said, “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:44) It is also written, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God,” (Jn. 1:12-13) and, “it is not of him that willeth, nor of him that runneth, but of God that sheweth mercy. “(Jn. 9:16) And finally it is written, “He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death.” (Ps.68:20) Brethren, Salvation is of the LORD! Have you tasted it?

“O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Ps.34:8)

“Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.” (1Pet.2:1-3)

-A sermon explaining this very concept, namely, that “salvation if of the Lord:”

- Sovereign Mercy – A Rolfe Barnard Classic

We also make phone calls to different people we are burdened for around the country, such as Christians in need of exhortation. We are especially certain to call a number of “awakened sinners” that know they need to be saved, whom we also (by the grace of God) weep for in the prayer meetings. O, and praise the Lord, we have even seen a number of people (we believe) saved over the last couple of months through the Lord, in his sovereignty, using many of the members of this church to water and to plant; yet, the Lord surely gave the increase.

Sister Carmen and Bianca

Carmen

Further, we recently had a newly saved and dear sister from Germany named Carmen staying and rejoicing with us! This lady is a true blessing, whom we baptized with great gladness in the Spirit! Carmen was, like the rest of us, a falsely-professing and deceived Christian. God, in his mercy, opened her eyes to her lost estate, to the end that she is now really saved and would gladly tell anyone of “what great things God hath done for her!” Praise the Lord! Rolfe Barnard says, “if God can get you lost, he can surely get you saved.” But reader, have you been lost, or do you think you were “born saved out of the womb,” honestly? Why would Jesus die on the cross, suffering the wrath of Almighty God for someone that was never a hell-deserving sinner? Like Jesus said to the religious of his day, “But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mtt.9:12-13)

Back to Carmen:

Though she is mightily saved, I must give some insight on her testimony. Before the Lord saved her, he took her through three months of sleepless nights, of terrors within and without, of feeling overwhelmingly crushed by the tremendous “burden of sin” on her back, and of persecution even before being saved. Yea, and truly even more! So, by the time she was really saved, she appreciated it to say the least. If you want to be saved my friend, I’d expect a cost too. Alongside Carmen, in the picture above, is Bianca. Bianca is a dear friend of Carmen and the “Church of Arlington.” She traveled here with Carmen, has recently been confronted with an awareness of her lost, unregenerate condition before God (which is the first and a necessary step to being saved), and is desperately (we believe) seeking God to be saved. O please pray for her!

- Below is a sermon about this principle that a man must be lost, before he can be saved.

-How God Gets Men Lost – A Rolfe Barnard Classic

Strive to Enter

Remember what Jesus said to the man that asked him, “Lord, are there few that be saved?” He replied, “Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.” (Lk.13:25) So, simply put, if you haven’t done that, you couldn’t possibly be saved (according to this verse)! *So…repent and “strive to enter in at the strait gate” before it’s too late. Come to the light that your deeds may be reproved, and do it gladly. Quit covering your sins, but rather confess and forsake them. Rather, make yourself naked and vulnerable before the throne of an Holy God. Yea, throw down your filthy spotted garments of sin saying, unwaveringly, “If thou wilt, thou canst make me whole,” ( Mtt.8:2) if thou wilt, thou canst cover me in the perfect righteousness and blood of Jesus Christ! Saying to God, “I will rather go to hell crying for mercy, than to heaven justifying my own self with the fig-leaves of self righteousness!” Saying… “O God, If I perish, I perish, but here I come, send me, I will follow, I will fight, I will go!”

*Reader, I will tell you what I have learned when dealing the the Lord. I have learned that if you will get serious with God, he will get serious with you; In other words, I have learned if you are real with the Lord, he will be real with you. Whether in matters of salvation, post-salvation sanctification, or in other areas of need.

“For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved.But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (Jn.3:20-21)

“He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” (Prov.28:13)

“And Ittai answered the king, and said, As the LORD liveth, and as my lord the king liveth, surely in what place my lord the king shall be, whether in death or life, even there also will thy servant be.” (2Sam.15:21)

Tribute to the Sisters

“And certain women, which had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary called Magdalene, out of whom went seven devils, And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod’s steward, and Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of their substance.” (Lk.8:1-2)

Before I leave this section about the “Church of Arlington,” I must give credit where due. We are so privileged to have a number of Jesus Christ loving, God-fearing, and sin-hating ladies in this assembly. These young women have, much like the women of the early church given themselves to “minister unto the church of their substance.” These God-fearing women, though young and very much persecuted, are still tending to do manifold irreplaceable things for the church, including: cooking, cleaning, praying with tears and melted hearts of godly sorrow, exercising mercy, modesty, encouragement toward the brethren, sharing the gospel online, on the streets, on the phone, they grocery shop for the men and each other, run errands, burn CDs, and they sing with beauty and gladness of heart. Some of them work professional jobs on top of these things, and they intercede! Honestly, what would we do without these beloved intercessors? Without these female soldiers of the cross? Further, they spread truth, they love the word of God, they stand up for Jesus, they are truly wonderful and we praise God for them, each one!

“Sisters, will you join and help us? Moses’ sister aided him; Will you help the trembling mourners who are struggling hard with sin? Tell them all about the Savior, tell them that He will be found; Sisters, pray, and holy manna will be showered all around.” (Brethren, We Have Met to Worship)

Sister Ashley Williams, a new creature in Christ, tells of her recent reception of the gospel:

-If all this demonic activity spoken about in this testimony seems strange or unbiblical, please listen to this sermon for biblical reference of such things. The sermon is by Keith Daniel, it is hosted by sermonaudio.com, and it is titled:

-Our Adversary the Devil and His Angels! The Scriptures!

Tribute to the “Professionals”

Percentage-wise, this congregation has no shortage of evangelists and preachers, to say the least. In fact, we have at least five full-time preachers out of seven men, and out of fourteen persons overall! O truly, what a blessing for the preachers that “do the work of an evangelist” (2Tim.4:5) and minister in spiritual things! – especially in a world that is so terribly famished for the word of God: in its purity. But, we must not forget the “professionals” or those that “hold down the fort” financially for this church and “the Church of Jesus Christ everywhere”: to the end that the other brethren are able to pay the bills, and meet other monetary necessities, while preaching the gospel full-time. We have a number of people in this church that have “professional” jobs, and have truly “bent their backs” to feed, house, and cloth this church with its material needs (e.g. a teacher, a scientist, a barista, a cashier) These selfless brethren provide heavy financial support without, I might add, saying a word of complaint (that I have ever heard)! I praise the Lord for such men and women, and solemnly declare unto all them that support this church and “God’s people” in any way financially, “verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward.” (Mtt.10:42)

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (Gal.6:9-10)

“For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Heb.6:10)

“And Jesus sat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two mites, which make a farthing. And he called unto him his disciples, and saith unto them, Verily I say unto you, That this poor widow hath cast more in, than all they which have cast into the treasury: For all they did cast in of their abundance; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living.” (Mk. 12:41-44)

III. Sean, Jake and I: How are we Doing

An update regarding the three of us:

We were called on stage during a sermon preached by Keith Daniel, and he told us to preach for a very short while. Dear brother Keith has been used of God in measures which we cannot even understand, by God’s grace we are thankful to know him. The message can be downloaded by clicking the sermon title below:

-The Call of God to Preach and It’s Consequences – by Keith Daniel

Sean

How is our dear brother Sean Morris? Well, to say the least, brother Sean is (as usual) an extremely burdened man. If you met him on an average day you would find that he is hard at work on something. He is either hard at work on open-air preaching with the younger brothers in the church, hard at work on preparing a sermon or exhortation for a church meeting, or even preaching “out of season” (2 Tim.4:2) to the younger brothers in the church. He and the brothers have been making a number of open air preaching missions, and God is giving the increase!

Jake

Next, how is our dear brother Jake Gardner doing? I will go ahead and take liberty in answering that question, brother Jake is “truly doing great.” It is written in the prophesy of Isaiah, “Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Sarah that bare you: for I called him alone, and blessed him, and increased him.” (Is.51:2) Brother Jake was called by God, alone and single, “seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.” (Matt.6:33) Yet, in the providence of the God whom Jake serves, his marital status has suddenly taken a change for the better! Brother Jake started out alone, and as the Lord blessed Abraham with the godly Sarah, so has the Lord blessed his servant Jake with a bride, the godly sister Hannah Gardner. I deem sister Hannah to be very much a spiritual daughter of Sarah! Brother Jake was married to his beloved Hannah Gardner on October 23, 2010 at a wedding that was “mightily owned of God.” I was Jake’s best man, and I tell you the truth, I was unable to keep dry eyes through some of the service as the power of God fell! I even heard that brother Sean was absolutely bawling and brother Jake’s mom was utterly broken before the beauty of this union owned of God. Yea as we discoursed she said something like, ‘It’s right, it’s right,’ and I assuredly agree with that assessment. Perhaps the most powerfully owned instances of the wedding were during both the vows (Which will be available for viewing below), the prayers of both their wonderful fathers, and the preaching before the service. It was truly a privilege to be a part of this wedding and I doubt not, that all the people there, who witnessed this godly marriage, went home edified, fed, and/or possibly convicted. Also, brother Sean preached a powerful “gospel message” at Jake’s wedding which was sealed by the Spirit of God. (This message should also be available below).

Jake and Hannah after their wedding ceremony with the “Wedding Party.”

Please watch the vows which are an accurate representation of the biblical mandate for marriage, something our world desperately needs to obey, thirdly, a brilliant image depicting Christ and the Church:

These two “soldiers of the cross” have since had a honeymoon and have been heading West toward Idaho with brother Shawn Holes and company in their respective motor-homes. They are probably somewhere around Arizona today. I asked Jake how he was doing around the time of his honeymoon and he told me in all seriousness, in the last three days I believe I have been filled with more joy than anyone in the world!…and I didn’t doubt it, praise the Lord! Truly, brother Jake is in a good place, but there is still a war going on and he is a marked man. Please pray for him and brother Shawn Holes as they are preaching around this perishing nation to countless perishing people. Are you perishing, have you been washed in the blood of the lamb, have you repented of “doing what’s right in your own eyes” and given it all up to the Lord Jesus Christ? Please answer God, and don’t leave this blog in your sins!

“Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?

Are you washed in the blood,
In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
Are your garments spotless? Are they white as snow?
Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?” (Are you Washed in the Blood?)

-Recent sermons from brother Jake, Sean, and I can be downloaded from the links below:

1 A Bride Adorned For Her Husband Sean Morris | Jake & Hannah Gardner WeddingYMBBA Ministries Play! | SAT 10/23/2010 Wedding | 38 min 2 Seeking God Aright Jake Gardner YMBBA Ministries Play! | SUN 09/26/2010 Special Meeting | 64 min 3 The Way to Heaven: Are You On It? Ryan Ringnald | Why should you hear the gospelMatthew 7:13-14; Luke 13:24 Play! | SUN 09/05/2010 Special Meeting | 74 min

Ryan

How am I doing? Verily, verily I can say unto the reader that my life, just as in the life of our dear brother Jake, has taken a drastic change for the better! I am currently one of, if not the most blessed men in the world! If you met me a year ago you would not have needed much time to figure out that I was dead set to be a eunuch for the Kingdom of God. I believed that I had (by the grace of God) “received the gift” to stay single (Mtt.19:12). However, since that time the Lord has shown me otherwise, and according to the will of him “who bought me with the price of his precious blood,” my course has taken a dramatic change for good! It is written, “A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Pro.16:9) This Scripture has been no more real to me than in regards to my relationship status: which I thought was sealed against marriage. Nevertheless, as of June this year the Lord, after having done a mighty work in me, brought my relationship status to the altar of his feet. He brought me to the place in which I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I was to be married, yea, I was even desirous thereto. At this place I proceeded to cry out in desperation for an helpmeet, yea, for some assistance in serving in the “garden of God.” I knew I was supposed to be married after many undeniable proofs. Almost at the moment of my most fervent plea for help, I was given great consolation, and (around that time) I distinctly heard the Lord telling me, “and I have made for thee an helpmeet.”

Joy and Ryan in their four and a half week courtship.

The Voice of God

One might ask, “How did God speak?” I didn’t hear an audible voice, if you were wondering, but I sure did hear the voice of my God. Do you hear the voice of God leading, chastening, comforting, and impressing things upon your heart that are harmonious with the will of God? Is his word “quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword” (Heb.4:12) in your life? Have “thine ears heard a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left?” (Is.30:21). Reader, have you never read the words of Jesus,“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28) Have you never sung the hymn, “He leadeth me, O blessèd thought! O words with heav’nly comfort fraught! Whate’er I do, where’er I be, Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me (He Leadeth Me). What about the proverb, “When thou goest, it (the word of God) shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and when thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.” (Pro.6:22) And finally, how about the blessed promise, and fierce warning of our mighty Redeemer, “Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors. For whoso findeth me findeth life, and shall obtain favour of the LORD. But he that sinneth against me wrongeth his own soul: all they that hate me love death.” (Pro.8:34-36)

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 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.” (Ps.23:1-4)

Back to “Ryan”

Once the Lord revealed that he had made for me an helpmeet and brought me to a state of submission, I now needed to find out who this helpmeet was. I began to “seek the Lord with all my heart” and to “acknowledge him in all my ways that he might direct my steps.” (Prov.3:6) It didn’t take long until I knew of a surety who this “favour of the Lord” (Pr.18:22) was to be! It was the girl, whom I had been working hand-in-hand with for the last year in regards to the ministry! I had pointed seeking souls in her direction, constantly updated her on how to pray for me and the brethren, and even told people all over the country that she was arguably the godliest girl I knew! It was none other than the beautiful and godly Joy Courville!

“House and riches are the inheritance of fathers: and a prudent wife is from the LORD.” (Pro. 19:14)

“Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD.” (Pro. 18:22)

Knowing this to be the will of God, even before I had any feelings for Joy in a companionship type way or she to me, I submitted to “God as unto a faithful Creator!” (1Pet.4:19) I must not go into too much detail about all the barrage of confirmation the Lord then began to pour into my soul, and the souls of many saints, yea, the complete establishment that he gave on every side (ask me if you want to know). Nevertheless, I will tell you the summary. The Lord never spoke more clearly to me about anything in my life than that I was to marry “the lovely Joy Courville!”

It was not long after knowing this, that the Lord sent Joy down to Texas. Within a short time, just being around her, my heart was utterly melted in love (In a righteous way of course)! God says, “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.” (Prov.21:1) Most assuredly the Lord did just that, and I have been overcome with a love for this godly girl ever since. I learned, and so must we all to “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you,” (Mtt.6:33) even in regards to marriage! We need only to seek his will, submit to his way, and get out of the way: He will do the rest.

That was months ago, and the wonder of the story is that the Lord was giving sister Joy almost proportionate confirmation about me, even asking her “if Ryan asks you to marry him, will you surrender to say yes?” O, how I praise the Lord for his faithfulness and supervision in the lives of his saints! From that point on I prayed that the Lord would send his angel before me and prosper me in his way. Truly, the Lord can do “exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think,” (Eph.3:20) if we will wait on him.

“And he said unto me, The LORD, before whom I walk, will send his angel with thee, and prosper thy way; and thou shalt take a wife for my son of my kindred, and of my father’s house.” (Gen. 24:40)

Just over eight weeks ago I went and talked to Joy’s father, and got the seal of approval for us to begin courting. I praise the Lord, not only had the Lord prepared my heart to marry this most wonderful of women, but he had prepared her heart as well, completely separate from and unknown to me (other then certain hints from other people). Well, we began courting and I continued waiting on the Lord about the engagement until the day of Jake’s wedding. Then, when feeling led of the Lord, and having received permission from her parents to ask Joy’s hand in marriage, I dropped on my knee and asked her to marry me! She said, “yes”! (ask me if you want to know more) and “the wonderful Joy Courville” and I are now intending (A short engagement*) to marry on December 5, 2010. Please pray for us! After that we intend to move down to Texas and continue serving the Lord in the context of the “Church of Arlington” and wherever else the Lord leads. Again, please pray for us!

*“And her brother and her mother said, Let the damsel abide with us a few days, at the least ten; after that she shall go. And he said unto them, Hinder me not, seeing the LORD hath prospered my way; send me away that I may go to my master. And they said, We will call the damsel, and enquire at her mouth. And they called Rebekah, and said unto her, Wilt thou go with this man? And she said, I will go.” (Gen. 24:55-58)

Sincerely and for the glory of Jesus Christ,

Ryan Ringnald (And my wonderful editors)



Ryan and I, soon to re-unite with Jake in Missouri, plan to travel to Meyersdale, Pennsylvania for Kingdom Fellowship Weekend. This gathering is from August 13th-15th. It will be wonderful to see Jake, and after KFW we intend to be together for the next month and a half. Lord willing, Jake will be returning to Arlington with us. Truly, grace has been the beginning, middle, and end of tremendous edification in Arlington, Texas. We are attempting to bear the burden of these cities,  follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and see the Church of God stand up in Jesus!

In Arlington we pray Tuesdays and Thursdays, and the Lord has been merciful to grant us many tears. Doors are opening for preaching and we eagerly await the fall semester to begin for college campus preaching. As the pace of the run picks up, O how we need grace to stand! Grace to stand against false doctrine, deeds, churches, and creeds. Grace to fight, wrestle, run, and exercise ourselves in godliness. Grace to do all that the Lord wills- glorify Him in our bodies with every word, thought and deed full-stop, even to the end! Though the pace picks up, and the battle increases, yet the runner must prepare his mind for the difficulty of the race.

In Our Generation Who Will Stand?

Brethren, these last days are trying times. And even as Peter warned the early Christians so must we be warned, that “the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ”(1 Peter 1:7).The last days began nearly two thousand years ago, and friends, iniquity is still abounding. Today’s terror is “the judgment seat of Christ,” and the question is: who shall be able to stand (2 Corinthians 5:10)? Paul spoke of the Lamb of God’s judgment to be terrifying, and he warned that “we must all appear” before it to give an account. It was said by the Lamb of God in commandment, “take heed to yourselves” concerning the terror of the day when the “Kingdom of God is nigh at hand” (Luke 21:34, 31). Jesus said that that day will come as “a snare,” for, “as a snare shall it come on all them that dwell on the face of the whole earth” (Luke 21:35). Thus the command of salvation is “watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36). Therefore brethren, let us stand, lest that day come upon us as a “thief in the night” (1Th.5:2)! “And the Kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; and said to the mountains and rocks, fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of His wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand” (Revelation 6:15-17)?

We are commanded of the way to stand, and that is to stand in His grace! The true grace of God empowers us to STAND! “This is the true grace of God wherein ye stand” (1 Peter 5:12). But, if you do not stand you will perish, “for now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 3:8). This stand is a standing in His strength, against the powers of this world. Indeed, we are commanded how we might be “able to stand” today, and they that stand in Him today will be hid in Him from wrath on the “Great day of His wrath”. Therefore brethren, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all to stand. Stand therefore…” (Ephesians 6:11-14).

O, but what generation is this, where so few even stand? Surely the godly exclaim even as King Josiah, “great is the wrath of the LORD that is poured out upon us, because our fathers have not kept the word of the LORD, to do after all that is written in this book” (2 Chronicles 34:21). Josiah lived in a generation that preceded the wrath and judgment of God. As he was, so are we, therefore we must stand even as he did. We must escape wrath as Josiah did, and it was said of him, “because thine heart was tender, and thou didst humble thyself before God, when thou heardest his words against this place, and against the inhabitants thereof, and humbledst thyself before Me, and didst rend thy clothes, and weep before Me, I have even heard thee also, saith the LORD…..thou shalt be gathered to thy grave in peace, neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place, and upon the inhabitants of the same…” (2 Chronicles 34:27-28).

We Must Find Grace

King Josiah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. But will we find grace? Brethren, you must be so sensitive to what is written, that you humble yourself like Josiah did when he saw the fierce judgments of the LORD in His Word. Josiah was in a generation when the book of God was found. When the word of God was read to Josiah he wept until God granted him grace, and when grace came he “then stood in his place.” “And the King stood in his place, and made a covenant before the LORD, to walk after the LORD, and to keep His commandments, and His testimonies, and His statutes, with all his heart, and with all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant which are written in this book” (2 Chronicles 34:31). God has made a covenant available to us, a covenant of grace, but we must perform the words!

“The book” is the common ground of the saints, not only one must stand, be we all must stand! Moreover, it was written of Josiah that “he caused all that were present in Jerusalem and Benjamin to stand to it. And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 34:32). “Stand to it,” it said, and that is a stand against the vileness of disobedience rampant in our country. It is a war against abominations wherever they are found: personally, corporately, city-side and worldwide! “And Josiah took away all the abominations out of all countries that pertained to the children of Israel, and made all that were present in Israel to serve, even to serve the LORD their God. And all his days they departed not from following the LORD, the God of their fathers” (2 Chronicles 34:33).

I profess, on behalf of the Church of Arlington, this is our desire, and this our plea: “Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross; Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss. From victory unto victory His army shall He lead, Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.” Moved with fear we do stand. O what boldness the righteous must have, they are so few but cannot be hidden! It is written, “the righteous are bold as a lion,” and, “a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid,”(Proverbs 28:1, Matthew 5:14). If God is with you, indeed you are “strong, and of a good courage” (Deuteronomy 31:6). Great strength, yes, but in strength is great persecution appointed. We must not be forgetful of this, “that no man should be moved by these afflictions: for yourselves know that we are appointed thereunto” (1 Thessalonians 3:3).

Grace Is An Offense To The Carnal

It is an offense to be spiritually strong! My lamentation is that so many are deceived! O that men would understand that it is humble to receive the Ark of God’s strength, rule, dominion, and victory. It is God’s will that we rejoice in the confident glory of His grace. Carnality, like Michal, would rather the Ark not come. Such carnal thinking supposes it is humility to reject the Ark, but rather we should receive it. O let us receive the Ark! Reproach is inevitable. Let us praise though we be vile. Let the carnal look on like Michal, but we must press on… “And as the ark of the LORD came into the city of David, Michal Saul’s daughter looked through a window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before the LORD; and she despised him in her heart” (2 Samuel 6:16).

Spiritual courage is an offense to the lost and to the carnal Christian. I speak of those who are called “babes in Christ,” who are unarguably in Christ and yet are called carnal (1 Corinthians 3:1-3). There are many biblical examples of carnal thinking. Such men respond to spiritual valiance and grace in a consistent pattern. Remember that carnality is being carried away in sin. Men, carried away in sin, will rebel against the work and word of God that is done through other men. That the saying of Jesus may be true, “if they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also” (John 15:20). The Israelites said to Moses, “who made thee a prince and a judge over us” (Exodus 2:14)? Yet, it was said of the work of God to the Israelites, in reference also of this Moses, “Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps are not known. Thou leddest thy people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron” (Psalm 77:19-20). It was “by the hand of Moses and Aaron” the Lord did lead forth a mighty victory. So if they rejected Moses they rejected God.

After their redemption from Egypt, even after all this, the Israelites were deluded by the deceit of sin. In their carnality they made an accusation against Moses and Aaron, saying, “ye take too much upon you” (Numbers 16:3). They knew that the LORD was among them, but they discerned not the humility of subjection: “and they gathered themselves together against Moses and Aaron, and said unto them, Ye take too much upon you, seeing all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the LORD is among them: wherefore then lift ye up yourselves above the congregation of the LORD” (Numbers 16:3)? The Lord lifted up Moses and Aaron yet the carnal accused them of self-exaltation. It was the opposite, for the Lord does lift up the humble. As it is written, “Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time” (1 Peter 5:5-6). By elder, that is, the elder in the faith. For even Timothy was an elder, even ordaining other elders, though in the flesh he was still a youth (1 Timothy 4:12).

Moses was the most humble man on the earth of that time (Numbers 12:3). Such a meek man was used in a manner of great responsibility and oversight. The question that remains for all who are exalted is, did they choose themselves or was it the Lord? Even seasoned spiritual people can be carried away in carnality and rebellion. So it was, when Aaron and Miriam rebelled against Moses, and Miriam was struck with leprosy because of it. “And they said, hath the LORD indeed spoken only by Moses? Hath He not spoken also by us? And the LORD heard it” (Numbers 12:2). They were in trouble “and the anger of the LORD was kindled against them” (Numbers 12:9). They should have been “afraid to speak against” Moses, for the Lord says he was “faithful in all Mine house,” even though he had an Ethiopian woman for a wife (Numbers 12:1, 7-9).

Men are inclined not to listen to men.  It is hardness of heart when men resist other men that are standing on behalf of God. Likewise, this can be traced throughout scripture. The Israelites would not listen to the Lord through Samuel until he did a miracle by “sending thunder and rain” at Samuel’s call. They were fearless in sin against Samuel, they could not see their sin. Samuel said, “now therefore stand and see this great thing, which the LORD will do before your eyes. Is it not wheat harvest to day? I will call unto the LORD, and he shall send thunder and rain; that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great” (1 Samuel 12:16-17). The Israelites would not listen to Elijah until fire came from heaven to consume the sacrifice in their sight.  Yet, even after all of Jesus’s miracles they still rejected Him.

God sought to save Israel by bringing a youth to the battlefield, David by name. His carnal brother Eliab was very angry! “And Eliab’s anger was kindled against David, and he said, why camest thou down hither? And with whom hast thou left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine heart; for thou art come down that thou mightest see the battle” (1 Samuel 17:28). These were the words of the eldest son of Jesse against the youngest son of Jesse, and still today, it is so easy for men to judge after appearance! What about you? Do you trust in your physical age or do you look for spiritual age? Men do judge after the flesh, but God sets men apart by the Holy Ghost! There is no other resume but the appointment of God the Spirit. Likeas  the case of Jesus: “God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”(1Tim.3:16)

Today, it is seemingly pride to stand in the confidence of Christ crucified just as it was then. So many men are fleeing from the giants, that if one charges the line, those in retreat cry madness and pride. Have they no understanding that the LORD’s command is to be strong in His strength? That is an uncompromising, glorious, unceasingly-victorious strength! The arrows of doubt and timidity are quenched by the shield of faith in the Almighty! It is carnality to doubtfully hope for victory, but faith speaketh on another wise: faith is confident victory. Is it not the spiritual weapons of righteousness that we fight with? And are not such weapons effective? Would you judge them ineffective? It is them we are commanded to yield and they are a mighty victory in every battle field! “For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: (For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). This is our war, and these our weapons, be careful not to judge a man prideful because you don’t sense meek impressions.

Are not the hidden things of the heart for God to judge? “Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God” (1 Corinthians 4:5). The way of Christ is offensive, and Jesus said, “blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me” (Luke 7:23).

It was said of Christ, “behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence” (Romans 9:33, Isaiah 8:14). We must become “lively stones” and come to Jesus. This coming is an action the world will reject you for. They must become offended at you (1 Peter 2:4-8). Yea, the chief end of our victory will be the life of Christ as it was written in history. Conformity to His image will be “as it is written, for Thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter” (Romans 8:29, 36). Has the way of Christ changed at all today? If you think so, you are thinking foolishly and carnally. Jesus and His ways are the same yesterday, today, and forever! If the world rejected Christ shall it not then reject the body of Christ today? If Christ was hated because the world was evil and He was holy, how much more should we be rejected seeing the world is only growing more evil? The holiest men of the world will be the “offscouring of all things unto this day” (1 Corinthians 4:13). It is these men who bear the suffering of Christ today that we ought to learn from and follow.  Paul exhorted in the same chapter, “be ye followers of me” for his ways were “in Christ” (1 Corinthians 4:16-17). The danger of becoming carnal is that you will reject Christ as the Jews rejected Christ and the Corinthians rejected Paul. Will you stumble at the lively stones in your day? Carnality can quickly deceive you to where you do reject “your Paul,” though you be “in Christ.” Is it not telling enough that Paul ended the letter in 2 Corinthians 13:7, ” now I pray that ye do no evil; not that we should appear approved, but that ye should do that which is honest, though we be as reprobates.” Who are the reprobates today that are Christ’s messengers? Only those who have eyes to see will find them…they are “unknown, yet well known” (2 Corinthians 6:9).

The Truth

O the truth is sure! It is written and settled! God has commanded A Way, and it is narrow. He has defined the judgments against transgressors of this Way, and it is terrible. He calls them blamable, unworthy, reprove-able, rebuke-able, and at fault. It is the classic “Strange Woman” snare to have these characteristics as your pinnacle end of religious power- and true religion is not in word but in power (1 cor. 4:20)! At the pinnacle height of your doctrinal truth, you cast yourself plummeting to the ground trusting this is permitted in grace, and trusting that Heaven’s angels will save you from the dashing stones of Hell. The damnable forgetfulness of such a man, may well trust the angel’s salvation is nigh at hand. He will find no salvation from the Saviour, having given himself to a Doctrinal Faith and Damnable Behavior.

The Love of God is A Pearl of Doctrinal Beauty. Let all men beware not to handle this pearl of Love unworthily. Whatever your faith in the Doctrinal Pearl (what you do with it) will be the end of your story. God accepts no Intellectual Faith that hears and never fears. A house of faith in doctrine built upon the sand of The Mind, does not save! True saving reception is a reception of the heart. True faith in doctrine and wisdom is a house built upon the rock of the heart, wherein the life of such faith hears His sayings and does them. The Mind may make great juggling exploits of demonstrative assenting Faith in Christ’s Salvation, but, if there is no Life of the Faith expressed through Works of Faith there is no Life of the Body or Justification. If your faith is a circus of poetic assent in the mind, praise on the lips, and hymnal smiles a-shine, yet you have not holiness by deed, you are lost. Such deeds are not meritory but necessary seeing they are unavoidable fruits of saving faith, and the evident life of faith. O how we need a good Prophet like John the Baptist to come blistering through our Pharisaical Christianity. He would call people to an unavoidable resolve to have worthy repentance evidenced by fruitful deeds at the warning and threatening of an AXE and Wrathful HELL FIRE.

Scriptures To Consult:
- John the Baptist preaching: Luke Chapter 3.
- House upon the rock and sand: Matthew Chapter 7.
- True Doctrine is a reception of the Heart made manifest through deeds and holiness: Romans 6:17 & 6:15-23, Hebrews 12:14, 2 Corinthians 6:11-7:1, 2 Peter 3:10-13.
- Faith, deeds, Justification, and the life of the faith: James Chapters 1-2.
- Wisdom that shows itself in conversation, lifestyle, and deed: Entire book of James, and especially James 3:13-18.
- Worship by mouth and not heart, lips and not life: Matt 15:7-8, Isaiah 29:13, Mark 7:6, Luke 22:48.
- Vain religion: 2 Timothy 3:5, James 1:27.
- The eternal fate of fruitlessness or bad fruit warned: Gal. 5:19-23, John 15:6, Titus 3:4, 2 Peter 1:8&10, Mark 4:19, and I could go on…..
- Righteousness that is by deed is a necessity, but is only a natural product of meritory imputed righteousness: 1 Cor. 6:9-10, Eph. 5:5-9, Revelation 21:8, Galatians 5:19-24, and I could go on…..
- Satan’s crafty snare through twisting scripture can be seen in the temptation of Jesus: Matthew 4 (This is “the pinnacle of the temple” illustration. Satan quotes from Psalm 91 to try to get Jesus to cast himself off of the temple thinking it is the righteous will of God.)
- The strange woman: Proverbs 2
- Evidence that I love you: Galatians 4:16
- My request is for you to examine yourself: 2 Corinthians 13:5
- Even if I look like a reprobate: 2 Corinthians 13:7
I love you.

1Co 15:29-31, “Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead? And why stand we in jeopardy every hour? I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.” Are your hymns mere soliloquy because you avoided True Death, the Image of conformity? God bless you all, yea even to mourning, that I may see you all in Heaven’s adorning.

Please don’t accuse me of being an ascetic, read the Scriptures and remember them, you will understand my rhetoric.
Please don’t accuse me of pride, remember David’s brother, this Blasphemous Gospel Goliath is Mine!
To God be the glory, may Him from our earthen vessels shine!

Don’t let your perception of Easy Yoke Christianity negate or nullify your conformity to His Image, and that image is the baptism of death. The Pharisaical way in the name of salvific grace stumbles at the cross. May grace empower you to a cheerful loss of all things, a selling of all, and a forsaking of all, for the joy thereof of the goodly pearl, fellowship with and being found in Him. Then you have comprehended true grace from the heart. True grace soars in the night sky of this world like a burning shooting star a-shine, and in His glory, only to be burnt out by literal physical death. Onward Christian Soldiers! March unto your death.

Note: By death, I mean and I speak not according to the flesh, but according to His Word, in all places that “literal physical death” is not stated.

Hold off on your praise, now is a time for inward investigation. You may be in danger.

Loss of all things, conformable to His death: Philippians 1, 3, Galatians 2:20, Romans 8,  and everywhere!!
Goodly Pearl, selling all: Matthew 13:44-46, Mark 10:17-31.

Be careful dear one, be careful. Don’t use David’s sin as blasphemy by justifying plowing your way too broad, lest you be found not marching with the Narrow Righteous Academy.

What keeps me up pacing in the night,
My face to the ground, my skin wrinkled white?
What makes my heart burdened and pressed in this plight?
O Generation of Vipers! You think you flee from God’s Wrath?
In what way do you think He is coming to you, to what can I liken your aftermath?
Where is your assurance from, your leaning staff, what fruit dost thou hath?
Be sure it is according to His Word or your eternal blood may be His garments bath.
Do you believe He is crucified for you, the evidence is your crucifixion.
Do you believe He is resurrected for you, the evidence is your newness of life in the power of His resurrection.
Do you believe His Kingdom is for you, then you must suffer at the hands of this world’s king and bear His reproach in utter rejection.
Is this not a worthy concern of great obsession?
Woe to the false prophets who make the gospel a concession!
Make up your mind preacher or you will suffer greater condemnation.
Is your preaching a theater, a pay check, a profession?
Repent in dust and ashes or you are in for a lesson!

Do not begin to say within yourselves, ‘We have Jesus as our Savior.’ If you’re not crucified, buried, and resurrected then you’re not a sheep in His stable. God must smite the rock of your heart that Living Water cometh forth. A fruitful life is the evidence of your feet walking the blood bought path! All is a gift, yea, all is a gift! Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance; otherwise, do not begin to say within yourselves, ‘We have Jesus as our Savior!’
(This is a contemporary equivalent of John the Baptist’s Sermon directed to Pharisaical doctrine and deed. Stay the multitudes for Baptism and articulate true repentance preachers, then, and only then, admit them for baptism. Otherwise I perceive you are blind to the deception of your time and risk the characteristics of a planting the Lord never planted, all such shall be uprooted.)

My javelin is Thy Truth, my hand is cleaving tight.
I cannot thrust it enough, at every enemy in sight.
The crept in Goats have abounded, and I am utterly surrounded.
It seems all are unawares, many wrapped up in worldly cares.
O Lord let me not whimper, in shameful defeat.
No matter how out-numbered and lonely, may I not retreat!
Let Thy grace make a river, empty Thy arrow filled quiver,
Let my heart resound though I am encamped by thousands round and around.
Though the religious enmity influx iniquity, disciples of Judas like a Sea in quantity,
What wilt Thou O God do in this hour?
Let Thy arrows of Truth come like a rain shower.
Kill every Old Man, Adam, and Cain, break down every strong Satanic Tower.
Rejoice O Heaven’s, Victory is Won, make my arm like Samson’s and let thousands be against one.

Below is a video with Chris Faulkner and Kevin Fessler, and both have been converted for less than a year. O, that we would judge the grace of God, not comparing ourselves by ourselves, but by the bold spirituality in the testimony of scripture. This testimony would call these men, normal Christians; though they are novices……all glory to God in the Highest!

Sincerely, in grace by the Blood,

Sean Morris.

What are we doing in Texas?

Sean and I have recently been given a tremendous burden to see the Lord build his church in the Dallas area, that the “gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Mt.16:18). By the glorious providence and plan of God, the Lord has been commanding saints (or, “called out ones”), to join us and other brethren in Arlington, Tx., from around this country. The Lord has even given us a church “covering” from our dear brethren at Maranatha Baptist church in Springfield, Mo., under their godly pastor, Don Courville. I joyfully can say on behalf of the people coming, as far as we know all of them “walk with the Lord in Spirit and truth with all of their heart.” Surely, this is a shocking and rare thing in our generation seeing that most churches in this nation (it is reasonable to estimate) have very few, if any, “biblically saved people” by the standard of scripture, which is the only legitimate measure. However, we know that this should not be the situation in God’s professing churches and it is unacceptable to the Lord Jesus Christ; that is, having some possibly saved people mixed in with many possibly unsaved people who are all too often “playing church” instead of fighting the Lord’s battles in the beauty of holiness! Who are, moreover, using the world’s methods to worship the Lord, and even to evangelize the world – this ought not to be! The generality of churches in this nation, I am convinced, are thereby profaning the name of our holy Lord Jesus Christ, desecrating his sanctified ways (by doing as the heathen do, Jer.10:2), and disabling him from showing himself strong on their behalf! Further, I do believe these “so called” evangelical churches, whatever denomination they be, are not confessing the true gospel as it is in Jesus Christ, but rather an unholy and worldly gospel and Jesus (willing to stoop to the use of the world’s ways of worship, evangelism and to compromise with the devil). They are tainted by the world, and the Lord Jesus Christ, whom I serve, is not, and will not be, with them, except they repent.  The Lord said, in the context of the new covenant, “And they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest”(Heb.8:11). No doubt, this is the will of the Lord, that the whole church, from the least to the greatest, might perpetually gather and walk together in the name of the Lord (meaning under his authority, power and in his ways – not the world’s ways and methods), and in the beauty of holiness!  Is anything else, in the context of the “local church,” an acceptable witness of our glorious God and Saviour, who purchased us with his own blood? I think not. Only a congregation meeting together consistently, to the end that they might preach the gospel to the ends of the earth in the power of the Holy Ghost and finish the work Jesus started; that is, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord, the rule of the kingdom of heaven and the incomprehensible grace of our God in Jesus Christ (Lk.4:18-19). “Until all the ransomed church of God be saved to sin no more,” is an appropriate ark, church or tabernacle of the living God! This is acceptable to our risen Lord, Jesus Christ, who beholds all the ways of man; yea, he sees you right now! Again, it is not the will of the Lord to have just a few on fire, Spirit-filled, and holiness loving Christians scattered abroad at a couple of churches around the nation that gather as an end to their Christianity rather than as a means to being the “church” for the rest of the week and preaching the gospel to the ends of the earth in word, deed and power to the glory of God!    

In light of this situation, the brethren and I are very aware that we are utterly in the hands of a sovereign God. We know that if this is not a work of God, it will not stand when the raging fires of hell are unleashed against it. Only the almighty power of Jesus was able to keep the New Testament church holy and triumphant as they were perpetually under the fierce onslaught of Satan. How much more do we need the power of God with us, that he may be pleased to bind the powers of Satan and all his fiery darts, that the word of God may ever abound, even as it did in the New Testament church no matter what the devil tried! Therefore, in all honesty, our primary goal in this church is to maintain a state of perfect holiness and obedience before the Lord, in utter submission to Jesus and the Holy Ghost even unto death. In an individual life, we know that the Lord “looketh to shew himself strong in the behalf of him whose heart is perfect toward him”(2chr.16:9). In the same manner I believe the Lord looketh to shew himself strong in the behalf of a “local church” or “body of believers” whose heart, or core, is perfect toward him, and perfectly submitted to his will and authority. Meaning, that the whole “local body” or congregation are all stedfastly gathering together in the name of the Lord under God’s discipline, order, Holy Spirit, appointed leaders, having all things in common and ever walking in the light they have been given by the scripture and the Holy Ghost with all that in them is, submitting themselves to one another in the fear of the God! This is our goal in this church, which we believe the Lord is establishing and not men, to the intent that we might fulfill the great commission, taking the gospel to the ends of the earth and at the same time to be fellow-helpers with the Holy Ghost in bringing many sons to glory(Hebrews2:10), which the church, that is, the hands and feet of the living Jesus Christ, is commanded to do. For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love (Eph.4:12-16).    

It is written in the scriptures, “Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep” (Ps.127:1-2). How true it is if this is not a work of God, it will not stand and it will be undermined and usurped by Satan just as the whole, God ordained, religious system of Judaism had been subverted in the time of Jesus and most of the church in the western world seems to be subverted today! If Satan could take over God’s religion in that day  and ours to the extent that it was the religious establishment that killed Jesus, how much should we fear lest this little congregation be overtaken in our day? Therefore,  we intend to honour the Lord with all our might, trusting that he, as only he can, will “give his beloved sleep” and defend us!  O that the Lord might defend his people as he defended Jerusalem in Hezekiah’s day. Hezekiah, mind you, who refused to turn to Egypt for help when the most powerful army in the world under the King of Assyria came against him! How foolish did Hezekiah look to withstand the Assyrian army that had wiped out nation after nation greater than Judah, and had his eyes set on Jerusalem? Hezekiah was utterly insane, not having any military might to stand against Assyria, but the Lord was with him… and he was! So the Lord defended Jerusalem himself, wiping out  185,000 soldiers of the Assyrian army in one night and killing king Sennacherib by the hands of his own children in the house of his “idol” god, because Hezekiah’s heart was perfect towards God, desiring rather to die than turn to the world for help! All that to say, don’t mess with the Lord Jesus Christ, if he is with us! And if he is with us, we will stand come all the kingdom of hell, for it assuredly will.    

What are we up to Currently?

Currently, our church is in a transition phase. We are still awaiting a number of members of the this congregation that intend to come. As we wait however, we are doing a number of things. We are gathering resources for the church such as tracts, bibles, and books. Also, we are preaching on the streets, door knocking, witnessing in coffee shops, studying the word with a reckless abandon.  And finally, by the grace of God, we are attempting to make God’s house a “house of prayer”. Time forbids me to write unto you of all the divine appointments we have had lately, the joy of Holy Ghost controlled fellowship, and all the wonderous things the Lord has been doing, but perhaps we will make another update soon. Some of the books we intend to read as a church, and which I recommend to all who read this are: The Life and Diary of David Brainerd by:Jonathan Edwards, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinner’s and Pilgrim’s Progress by: John Bunyan, and George Whitefield’s Journal’s from Banner of Truth publications. We also are working on distributing sermons, listening to sermons, and without doubt preaching sermons! Please see our “Resources page” to find a number of recommended sermons, we believe from the Holy Ghost through holy men of God. I highly recommend listening to some sermons from the late Evangelist Rolfe Barnard. As of late, the Lord has been mightly stirring myself and others by his old sermons, and though he died in 1969, still “he being dead speaketh”!  Below is a sermon I just preached on the Joy of the Lord, and below that is a sermon brother Jake has just preached at Maranatha Baptist Church, and below that are some recent pictures.    

1 The Joy of the Lord: Do you have it? Ryan Ringnald  Nehemiah 8:10; Philippians 4:4  Play! |  SUN 07/11/2010 Sunday Service | 79 min   2 The Blessing of a Curse Jake Gardner  Genesis 3:16-18  Play! |  SUN 07/04/2010 Sunday – AM | 64 min

All is well. Christ is seated at the right hand of God Almighty, and we are seated there with him (Ephesians 1:3)! God has put all things – dominions, principalities and powers – under his feet, and we are in him, thus have authority in the name of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 1:22)! Christ is full of grace and truth, and if the head be full, then can the body be malnourished (John 1:14)? God forbid!

To say that the past month has been eventful would be a gross understatement. While brother Sean and brother Ryan have been preaching the word of God incessantly, with much fruit, I have been being blessed in a different way.

On the previous post it was said that Ryan and Sean were preaching at meetings in Pennsylvania. These meetings were at a church in Buffalo Valley. In this church are many dear brothers who are truly connected to the vine. God was pleased to visit them and quicken His word. There was around six meetings total, and, Lord willing, we will be posting a message delivered there by brother Ryan soon.

I have also been preaching around the Springfield are for the past 9 weeks. The Lord has been very gracious and many people are seeking the Lord with their whole hearts. God has also seen fit to favor me in a much different way than that which I am accustomed to. On the 5 day of the month of June, 2010, I was engaged to be married to the beautiful (within and without) and godly, Hannah Nicole Phillips.

Over the course of time we hope to produce, in narrative, how the Lord worked in both of our lives to finally bring us together. Praise God! The Word of God teaches that, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing, and obtaineth favour of the LORD” (Prov. 18:22). It is quite an amazing experience to be preaching with my precious bride at my side, offering up prayers to God for me! absolutely amazing! “Marriage is,” truly, “honourable in all.”

Jacob Gardner and Hannah Phillips

We are currently back together in Arlington, TX. seeking the Lord’s will for this upcoming Fall. After being separated for close about 10 weeks it is very good to be back together again. The Lord has done so much, even in this short amount of time, and for this we are eternally grateful. Please pray for us that the Lord would send his answer quickly to open and surrendered hearts.

If you have been praying and seeking the Lord’s guidance on an issue, but have not yet received an answer, may I ask you a question? Are you surrendered to the will of God? Oh! this is a very important question indeed. For unless your heart is surrendered to do the will of God, God himself is in no way obliged to make known to you his will. Are you surrendered? Jesus said, “If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine” (John 7:17). Is your heart willing? If your heart’s willing – no matter what the cost, or loss; no matter if it’s the dragon’s lair in China, or the tiger’s din in India – a willing heart says, “No matter!” ARE YOU WILLING?

Seek the Lord! both saved and unsaved alike, SEEK THE LORD! Not to gain Heaven, and not to escape Hell, but because Christ deserves your worship and adoration. The voice of the Lord has gone out to the ends of the earth, and he said, “Seek ye my face.” Reader, will your heart reply to God, “Thy face, LORD, will I seek” (Psalm 27:8)?

Recommended Sermon: “Zealous For God’s Sake” Preached Lord’s Day Morning, 30 May, 2010

Jake Gardner Sunday – AM Zealous for God’s Sake:Numbers 25:1-15

Under the Precious Blood of Christ,

Jake

Hello everyone.      

 Ryan and I (Sean) are presently in Pennsylvania. After Indiana we made our way to NYC to visit some brethren to confirm them in the faith. Alongside this mission we also intended to preach the glorious gospel of Christ to the sin ridden city of Manhattan. It was a glorious privilege to preach His gospel, it is still good news after all these years, and how thankful I am along with all the saints. We were joined by a good brother named William Pearce.     

He open air preached for the first time in Union Square. It was a blessing! Praise be to God that His word went forth!          

It is convenient for this world to rejoice in some kind of civil liberty, individual rights, and peace from war. This pleasure is of the world and it is passing away, and those that do the will of God abide forever. To the saints there is always war until the consummation of salvation. This statue is an abomination to God seeing that it proclaims an illusion of liberty when America is in desperate bondage and poverty. What good is it that a nation be free from physical war and utterly defeated in a spiritual war? What good is freedom from some monarch of rule? Is it any occasion of rejoicing to be free from a physical monarch while in bondage to a spiritual monarch named Satan?          

      

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. 2Co 4:3-4          

The American people need freedom in another nation, an heavenly one, citizens of heaven! They may sing “God bless America,” but if God blessed it he would cause America to mourn. He would cause America to weep!      

  And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said, Blessed be ye poor: for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are ye that hunger now: for ye shall be filled. Blessed are ye that weep now: for ye shall laugh. Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets. But woe unto you that are rich! for ye have received your consolation. Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger. Woe unto you that laugh now! for ye shall mourn and weep. Luk 6:20-25       

For this cause let us preach the gospel brethren!       

 

   

  

   

 

   

Here are some videos of preaching….      

 

Sean Morris Special Meeting Take Heed Lest You Fall 1 Corinthians 10:12

1Co 10:12

“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.”

 

The message above was preached of our first of two scheduled meetings in Pennsylvania. We have another one tonight and Lord willing there will be more. Please pray for us brethren.

 

      

 

    

]]> http://jmgardner.wordpress.com/2010/05/24/visit-to-manhattan-nyc-and-now-pennsylvania/feed/ 0 YMBBA Ministries Brother William from Wisconsin Back To Union Square Liberty? Freedom on these streets? william 2 002 william 2 005 http://jmgardner.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/update-sermon/ http://jmgardner.wordpress.com/2010/04/26/update-sermon/#comments Mon, 26 Apr 2010 20:08:15 +0000 YMBBA Ministries http://jmgardner.wordpress.com/?p=746 ]]> Dearest Readers:

We hope that you all are doing well in the Lord  and ever striving to be holy. Today, Sean and I are at Panera Bread in Fort Wayne, Indiana, while brother Jake has recently headed back to the Springfield, Missouri area. Truly and thankfully we are attempting to seek the Lord with our whole heart and to do his will. The Psalmist says “Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart.”(Ps.119:2) Friends, is there any other acceptable way to seek the Lord than with the whole heart? If your answer is yes, I heartily disagree and believe the Bible is throroughly against you. Nevertheless, my reason for this post is for the edication of God’s people. Recently, the Lord has done many mighty exploits before our very eyes to say the least. We praise his name that we have been privileged enough to see some of these wondrous works. Time is a hindrance toward me writing about everything the Lord has done, but I would like to post a sermon below with a brief update amidst other things. We do pray the the Lord would bless all of God’s people, and save any of you that are not. Never forget, “unless a man is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”(Jn.3:3) because heaven is nothing like this world. In heaven they love truth, righteousness, God’s word, being persecuted for the Lord’s sake no matter what the cost, and they even hate sin: lust, lying, being ashamed to share the gospel, etc. These are the normal characteristics of a child of God, and if you don’t have these things, in truth and from the heart, you are not capable of entering the kingdom of God, yea you wouldn’t even want to be there because it is completely contrary to every fleshly device and system of this world. The trouble is, nobody wants to go to the other place, namely hell, and if the bible is true (and it is) there is no third option. So, whoever is reading this post, REPENT, SEEK JESUS CHRIST, BE YE SAVED before it is too late!

But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer.1Pet.4:7

Sermon: Evangelism and Truth: Ministry Update, How God led me to the KJB, Exhortation to Evangelism, brief exposition of the Beatitudes.

Most Recently Preached  Sunday, April 18, 2010 Ryan Ringnald Sunday – AM Evangelism and Truth Exhortation for the Church