www.JesusSavesFromSin.com - Sunday Morning, Jan 20, 2008


Home	About Us	News	Reports	Music	Resources	Contact Us	Eldership	Updated Pages

Sunday Morning, Jan 20, 2008,

This morning, we had several special songs and Bro Joe exhorted about a number of things on his heart. It was a time of open sharing among the saints. Our desire is to be a representation of Christ in all ways, in all places, and to all people.

Bro Joe's father recently got saved and this has been an answer to a long-standing prayer request.

Collectively, our desire is to continue to be a representation of the New Testament church. Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles, was deeply rooted in Judaism and had become completely convinced that his religion was indeed God's religion. In fact, when given the power and authority, he persecuted the saints and had some of them put to death.

Philp 3:5 -10, "Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee; Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ, And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death."

On the road to Damascus, when he finally came to the true realization that he had been wrong, he was completely shocked. He suddenly lost his "bragging rights." He spent the next 3 years in isolation and allowed God to teach him what was right. Basically, he had to start all over and unlearn those things he had been wrongly taught and learn what was right. We can only imagine the mental and emotional anguish and struggle he must have experienced as he discovered that the very thing that he had furiously fought against was the very thing that God had approved. And the very thing that he had defended, was the thing that God despised. He spent the rest of his life totally dedicated to doing what was right before God, despite the tremendous personal suffering and loss that resulted from that decision.

Being wrong is not always an easy thing to realize, nor is it always an easy thing to admit. It is only through the mercy and faithfulness of God that we can see the truth as it really is and be given an opportunity to do the right thing.

While we were a part of the Institutionalized church system, we were totally dedicated to it's cause, it's purpose and it's programs. We worked to build it up in whatever way we could and we were completely convinced that we were right and others were wrong. Now that we are free from it and from the underlying spirit of it, we see where we were so wrong ourselves. We were unnecessarily judgmental. We viewed other Christians suspiciously. We felt as though we were God's chosen few (and few we were) and other Christians were at best our "step-brothers and sisters". We did not see ourselves for who we really were.

Thank God, our eyes have been opened to our true condition. We have been delivered from the lukewarm spirit of Laodicea. We were the ones who were naked in that we were not clothed in humility. We were the ones who were blind, in that we could not see the needs of those all around us. We were the ones who were poor, because we thought we were so rich in truth and doctrine. We were the ones who were wretched, because we thought we had it all.

How wrong we were!

Thank God for the fire of the Word. 1 Cor 3:12-13, 15, "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is... If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire."

The fire has certainly fallen on us and burned up much of our former foundation. The hay, wood and stubble is being removed as the fire grows more intense. It hurts, and we have indeed suffered loss. However, that same fire has rekindled the flame and the underlying gold is being refined! Now, instead of being on fire to build up a particular church program, church system or church affiliation, we are on FIRE FOR GOD, and Him only! Now, we are lifting up Christ only, realizing that He will draw all men unto Himself.

Like Paul during his first three years of reevaluation, we are still sorting through all the "stuff", discarding the bad and keeping the good. We have no intention of throwing out the baby with the bathwater, but if we find something that ain't supposed to be in the tub, out it goes.

Yes, we too are going through the fire. But it is not in vain for God said "I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God." Zec 13:9

Praise the Lord!

We are not satisfied, but we are content knowing that we serve a BIG God who has great things in store for those who will seek Him with their whole heart.