Faith unlimited may, 2016 2b

Want to see your wedding picture in our magazine? Send in a picture of you or you and your spouse and have it published in the June issue of Faith Unlimited! The theme will be love and weddings, and we would love to see you in your wedding outfit!

You can send your picture to me by PM on Facebook, (Faye Hanshew), or you can Email your picture to:

faye.faithunlimited@gmail.com In the Subject line, please put “WEDDING PIC�. Give me your first names and the date of your wedding. I will send you an email back to confirm that I received your picture. Pictures must be received by May 15.

Articles From Vision to Reality Dr. Theodore Dones The Power of a Vision!

Dr. Bill Hanshew Heaven’s Government on Earth Bishop Frank Dupree The Vision of God Concerning His Kingdom Pastor Jimmie Lewis God’s Vision Concerning America Dr. Dan L. Corse AIM: God’s Vision Concerning Marriage Rev. Kathy Weddle The Vision of God Concerning The Church!

Evangelist/Teacher Rick McKnight What Holds you Back from Fulfilling the Vision God has for You? Faye Hanshew The Vision of God Concerning the World Rev. Leon Goswieski God’s Vision for His Kingdom Genice Fulton The Vision of God Concerning the City Rev Melissa Shepherd

Teen Trooper Make a Quality Decision

Briana Bishop

Books Wholeheartedly!

The Fig Tree Has Sprouted, Awake! Rise & Glow, and Christianity Mis-Sold Spread a Little Love, God’s Love Quotes of Inspiration from the Heart of God Treasures of the Messiah Where Precious Gems Hide Matthew 4:4 The Crocked Legged Foal The Power of Grace Decisions, Decisions, and more Decisions What About Job?

Genice Fulton

Leon Gosiewski Dr. Bill Hanshew Amos Long Katie-Anne Martin Rick McKnight Danielle Norris Dr. Larry Ollison Nick Schneider Tom Tompkins

Dr. Ted Dones is an apostolic revivalist whose greatest desire is this one thing: To be an instrument for God to open the eyes of His people and turn them from Dr. Ted Dones darkness to light, from the power of Satan to God so they may receive forgiveness of sins and inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Jesus Christ. He has worked vigilantly, using every resource and opportunity that God sends his way to accomplish his call.

Dr. Dones is an alumni of Harvard High School, Washington DC. He holds a Doctorate of Theology, Master of Divinity and Bachelor of Ministry degree from International Circle of Faith College, Seminaries and Universities, joining alumni such as Paula White, Bishop Noel Jones, Attorney Julian McPhillips, Bishop Paul Morton and others.

He lays down his life to help leadership grow in foundational truths that must be established before works of faith are built upon it. He has helped thousands tear down the unproductive ways which seem right to a man and replaced them with the ways of the Lord.

Ultimately, Dr. Dones will see his vision

fulfilled that the Lord gave him several years ago. He will build a 2500-seater training center with an emphasis on the nine Gifts of the Spirit. The center will act as a resource hub for the fivefold ministry and believers will be dispersed back out into Janet Dones the world, fully equipped, to make disciples.

The fruit of his international ministry has been in the works for over fifteen years.

Five Fold Connection (Fivefoldconnection.com), a leadership networking site equivalent to Facebook Ž, has recently launched and is connecting God’s people with rapid results. This site provides a God-rated environment for families to enjoy Godly conversation, posts, and teachings. Christian gaming and other enhancements are being added as well.

The Messengers of Fire Bible College opened in 2011 which affords everyone an opportunity to learn God’s Word online.

Dr. Dones has reached nations for God on television and radio as well as affecting many souls during his recent trip to Africa.

His book called Secrets of the Heart is greatly anticipated in print and will be released for publication in the near future.

into the lives of others bringing deliverance and breakthrough. Janet fully embraces the liberty of God’s Spirit and has recently ushered MOFM into a new realm of worship. In addition, each week she holds prayer meetings with the ladies.

This has been an opportunity for her to demonstrate the effectiveness of prayer to the younger women of the faith.

Leadership conferences, weekly local church services and international ministry are just another part of Dr. Dones’ everyday life. He relies fully on God’s grace, presence and anointing being fully aware of his personal inability to do anything good without Christ. He watches in amazement as God continually sends people into his life to support all aspects of the vision. He greatly anticipates the day when God’s plan is complete and all the glory is given to Father God!

Her personal testimony has been a wellspring of victories in her life and through them she is able to minister to others with great understanding. Daily she spends hours in counsel, giving words of encouragement and love to anyone the Lord sends her way. Janet’s patience seems equal to God’s, for it is not uncommon for her to minister repeatedly on the same issue, yet sound as though it were the first time. She uses the same abundant mercy God has given her, to pour back into the lives of others.

Janet Dones is a prophetess, intercessor, and wife who is full of mercy, compassion, and grace. Without fail, Janet humbly approaches God’s throne with prayers and petitions for others every day, especially for those who have no one else to pray for them. While serving her husband and spiritual family, she has been an outstanding example of a Godly woman for the ladies at Messengers of Fire Ministries.

With religion in her past, Janet has excelled in the prophetic.

While mostly quiet and gentle, the boldness of the Lord presents when she is operating in the prophetic realm. Knowing the seriousness of the office, she is never casual about her call. God has used her to speak

Over the past 32 years of marriage, Janet has served alongside her husband making it possible for the ministry to transcend all obstacles. With steadfastness and endurance, she continually proves her desire and passion to serve the Lord Jesus Christ at all costs.

Get Dr. Ted’s Books Messenger of Fire Ministries (417) 396-8295 US Only or go to: WWW.MESSENGERSOFFIRE.ORG

Habakkuk 2:2-4 (NKJV) says, “2 Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it. 3 For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie.

Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 4 “Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.”

While these verses have a historical significance,

Dr. Bill Hanshew

there is also a practical significance whereby we can find help in understanding the power a vision from the Lord can have. Of course, “The Power Of A Vision” is necessary when looking at many layers of truth, such as when building a house or even a skyscraper. Yet a vision truly becomes empowered when we understand exactly what it takes to complete any task.

When God speaks to you and says, “start a ministry,” it is most important that we hear exactly how God wants you to proceed. Now in this passage of scriptures, it tells us to “Write the vision and

make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.” In other words, write down what God says, then began to plan out the steps it will take to see such a vision come to pass. But this still does not explain what the power of a vision is.

When taking steps toward the fulfillment of a vision or a goal that God gives, keep in mind what God says in His most famous blueprint about visions. Habakkuk says, “For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.” Although these are simply words of encouragement from the Lord, the purpose is so that we will not give up during the process of the vision coming to pass. The words God speaks to us, produce the power that is within the vision. In other words, after God has given us a vision, He is the one who encourages us so that His words become the empowering behind the vision. But one thing is certain, you cannot walk out a vision unless you take each step by faith. And along the way, do not allow pride to interfere – any more than you would allow discouragement to enter in and fall short of the

fulfillment of the vision God gives you.

Proverbs 29:18 (KJV) says, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.” The (NKJV) says, “Where there is no revelation [Or prophetic vision], the people cast off restraint; But happy is he who keeps the law.” The word “law” mentioned here refers to the Old Covenant law. Yet we could also say, happy is he who operates in or by the Word of God. The word “vision” {among other things}, basically means, revelation. And the phase, “Prophetic-Vision” is how the New King James Version interprets the word “revelation.” This word comes from a Hebrew word which means, to gaze at; mentally to perceive, contemplate (with pleasure); specifically, to have a vision of: —behold, look, prophesy, provide, see. In other words, it means to stay focused on the Prophetic Word of the Lord. And this means that by both, prophecy and the revelation from the scriptures {both written and spoken} is how we receive and maintain a vision from God. Someone once said, “Vision is what we see, but it is also the way in which we see. And vision is also the lens that

interprets the events of our life, or the way we view people or even our concept of God. “Well, one time I heard the voice of the Lord speak to me and say, “Sighted people are those who always have their eyes open… they are watching with anticipation.

Those who cannot see or will not see, are those who have no prophetic-vision.” When God speaks to you through His Word or by way of prophecy, which means prophetically by His Spirit, that is when you hear those words and a vision begins to form in you. It is then that an empowering to carry out what God has spoken accompanies such a word.

Proverbs 29:18 (NLT) says, “When people do not accept divine guidance, they run wild. But whoever obeys the law is happy.” In other words, under the New Covenant, we would say, to obey the Word makes for a happy life. But to have a prophetic vision, according to the Hebrew language, can also speak of having sight mentally or getting a mental picture of something. It can refer to a dream, revelation or something spoken, which is also known as an oracle; such as “the oracle of God.” So, what is Prophetic Vision?

Well, paraphrased it is a word from God which comes through prophecy; or the

written word, or a spoken or taught word. When we hear such a word, this can give you a revelation or direction of what God wants. It also can bring insight into your mind concerning what is next on God’s agenda for you. From a prophetic vision or prophetic word, a vision is formed. But what empowers the vision that comes from God? Keep in mind what Habakkuk 2 said in verse 4; “for the just shall live by his faith.” Faith is the bottom line in all matters pertaining to the voice of God, whether written or spoken. It is the faith in you that never let go of what God has said.

Other than having a vision and what to do with that vision, the message of Habakkuk 2:2-4 is to live by faith pertaining the vision that God gives and never allow the vision to die. Just briefly, when Jesus was on the earth, the disciples slowly found it easy to trust in Him, His words and even the stories of the Kingdom of God; although for some time those stories, parables, and parallels sounded very farfetched. But after Jesus left the earth, and the Holy Spirit came {although He was a real person}, He did not take on the form of flesh and blood. So the disciples, and all who came after them; had to have a relationship with the Holy Spirit by faith.

While this concept may not make much human-sense, it does make faith sense. And for me, having faith in what God says, causes an empowering to come concerning any vision God gives. We believe God by faith. Therefore, we believe what the Bible says by faith.

We trust God by faith. And we receive a vision from God by faith. We walk it out by faith, and it seems like the more we believe, the more power there is which comes for us to carry out the vision God gives.

This is why Habakkuk 2 says, “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; But at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; Because it will surely come, It will not tarry.

Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.” It may take some time to see the vision in your heart come to pass, but do not give up. If you know God has spoken it to you, then also know that the power to maintain such a vision has also been imparted. Then you will be able to maintain the vision by writing it down so that others may encourage you, reminding each other about

the vision God has given to you.

This very thing has happened to individuals or even church groups who can be unified by the same vision or revelation. Without a vision or prophetic–vision, people can live purposeless, meaningless or empty lives.

Yet even the WORD of God can bring light and direction, giving purpose and fulfillment. So what do we do with the revelation which comes from God’s Word?

We keep it before us so that power comes from what we are hearing God say. The same thing happens when God gives us a vision. When we keep it before us, there is an empowering that comes from reading it over and over or even hearing what God has said, again and again.

Proverbs 29:18 does not mean that those without a vision do not love God. But it simply means that at this point in time, their lives seem to be without purpose, without meaning or even empty. Therefore, when God speaks, we must get a mental picture of what God is saying; so that the power of God will bring strength to us so that we can patiently wait for the vision to manifest to the full extent that God has already designed it to do. …Think about it!

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How many times have you said while praying the Our Father: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”?

Hundreds or thousands of times?

Of course. We all have. But do we really know what we

are saying and praying? I’m not so sure about that…

Jesus had a conversation with a Pharisee named Nicodemus. It is recorded in John’s Gospel chapter 3:1-17 In this discourse Jesus spoke of the need to be Born Again and how he would be lifted up like the bronze serpent that Moses lifted up in the wilderness. Nicodemus did not understand what Jesus was talking about and when he questioned Jesus about these things Jesus said to him in verse 12; “But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”

Most Christians today have not gone much further in understanding Heavenly Things than the first step of being Born Again and believing that Jesus died on the cross for them and yet there is so much more for us to discover and walk in!

Bishop Frank Dupree

Sadly, many Christian Ministers do not bring deeper truths to their congregations.

This leaves the people of God ignorant of spiritual truths that should be shaping their lives and the culture that they live in!

In this short article I want to create an image in your mind that shows you a much bigger picture of heavenly things…

After all, the Word of God says: “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:47 (ESV) Our “Position” in Christ is that we are seated in heavenly places! Well, what does that mean and what does it signify?

Let’s take a closer look at that part of “The Our Father” where we say; “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.

The earth is a replica or “copy” of the heavenly realm… Look at this verse from Hebrews 9:23 (NLT) “That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.”

We are living on earth where the “copies” of the heavenly things are… The heavens have been purified by the Blood of Jesus and The Lord’s will is that we apply the power of the Blood of Jesus here on earth!

We have to look at another Scripture to grasp the reasoning behind this. The Apostle Peter is talking about Jesus returning but for now: “For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things,

as God promised long ago through his holy prophets.”

Acts 3:21 (NLT) So Jesus must “remain in heaven until” the restoration… Now just add this Scripture and you will see more of God’s plan: “The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.”

Psalm 110:1 (ESV) This Scripture plainly says that God The Father is talking to Jesus here. Jesus is to sit at the right hand of The Father UNTIL His enemies become His footstool…

Here is one more Scripture for you… “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us. Unto him be glory in the church

by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.

Amen. Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV) So, let’s put them together to see where we fit in. We are here on earth praying for

God’s will to be done here as in heaven. God is able to do through us more than we even ask or think and we have been given the power to make Jesus’ enemies his footstool.

This must happen as part of “the restoration of all things” the Prophets spoke of and Jesus is going to remain in heaven waiting until these things happen!

We are here on earth to bring God’s Government here. We are His agents here to enforce His Will! To do this we have to “wrestle against powers and principalities and the rulers of the darkness of this world” but we have the Holy Spirit within us empowering us and, if we can see it: “…in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.” Romans 8:37 (KJV) So the next time you pray The Our Father and say: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” you will realize that YOU are one of those whom He has chosen to bring His Government to earth and make it happen!

HELP BUILD A ROOF!

“ekklesia” occurs 115 times, and of these, 36 are in the plural and 79 in the singular, and all are rendered “Church,” except as used in Acts 19:32, 33, and 41 we find the word “assembly. All of this is information is very important to us if we want a good understanding of the word “Kingdom.”

Psalm 115:16 says, “The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth HE has given to man.” Let me add here that Psalm 24:1 says, “The earth IS the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world, and THEY that dwell therein.” Please get this; Jehovah is the Lord over all.

Every king or ruler must have a territory to rule. Heaven is God's territory, the earth is ours, but He give us power to rule the earth way back in Genesis 1:26. We were born to dominate the earth, not heaven. That is why Jesus brought heaven here, and lived it out, and brought it out where it could be seen because No man had ever seen God until Jesus came.

God reigns as King and absolute Sovereign over all things in Both the spiritual and physical realms. After He created the earth with all its varied plant and animal life, He created mankind to rule over it. By His design, we are rulers over the earthly

domain. God is King of the universe, and we are His ruling representatives in the physical realm. The earth is our designated territory. As God's vicegerent in this world, we are the Kingdom of God on earth. The Kingdom of God therefore, is not the earth itself, but is those chosen to function as His rulers in the earthly domain.

Therefore, this planet is not the Kingdom of God. God's Kingdom is you and me carrying out His dominion on this planet. God's Kingdom is manifest in His people rather than in a particular place. We need to know who has a dwelling within us. We have the very Spirit of Dominion living is us. Great IS He who is within you, then He who is in the world. Proverbs says this: “For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall “remain” in it.”

Proverbs 10:30 says, “The righteous shall never be removed; but the wicked shall not inhabit the earth.” It is about time for the righteous to take it back and quit giving it to the devil. Well, we covered the question, what is the Kingdom? So now we need to look at, where is the Kingdom? Luke and many others tell us where. But in Luke 17:20, when He was demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, He answered

them and said, “The kingdom of God comes not with observation (or, with outward show).” Next verse He tells them where it is. “Neither shall they say, Lo here! Or, lo there! For, behold, the kingdom of God is “within” you.” And people hear this; It is within you right now. He rules, yet He will not rule through you until He rules over you. It says in Luke 22:29, “And I have appointed unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me.” Then again Luke says; “Fear not, little; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom.”

So, WHAT IS A KINGDOM? All the kingdoms of the earth were mere attempts made to imitate His Perfect Kingdom.

Today modern attempts have been made to achieve the goals of the perfect kingdom, without the necessary raw material, which is the Holy Spirit, and they too shall all fail.

The kingdom concept was born in the hearts of men when they were born again, or born from above and placed there by his Creator, as the purpose for which they were created.

Here is what Ecclesiastes says in chapter three, verse 11. “He HATH made everything beautiful in His time: also he HATH set the world in their heart (that is

man hearts) so that no man can find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end.” This great work can be understood only by the Spirit. Here is what Psalm says in chapter 111 and verse 2. “The works of the Lord are great, sought out of ALL them that have pleasure therein.” He will not withhold any good thing from them that walk uprightly.

Here is a list of some things that we must know in order to understand the concepts of the Kingdom. We cannot have a kingdom, without a king, and we must know where the king lives. He is not off on some other planet. He lives in our hearts, and we are His dwelling place, we are His house, we are His Temple, and without you and me, He has no place to manifest His power or His rule. So we must have a King and Lord—a sovereign; a Territory—a domain; a Constitution; —a

royal covenant; a Citizenry— a community of subjects; a Law—acceptable principles; privileges; —rights and benefits; a code of Ethics— acceptable lifestyle and conduct; an Army—Security; a Commonwealth—economic security; and a Social Culture—with protocol and procedures. I do not have the space to share all of these things, but one or two would be this: The King is the embodiment of the Kingdom, who represents its glory and nature. Authority flows from the King and the word of the King is supreme. Ecclesiastes 8:4 says, “Where the word of a king is, there is power; and who may say unto him, what doest thou?” The Territory is the domain over which the king exercises total authority.

The territory and its resources and its people are all the personal property of the King. The king by rights, owns it all and therefore, is

considered lord over all. The word Lord by rights denotes ownership. Lord is only given to one who is a sovereign owner. This is why the scriptures declares, “The earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein (Psalm 24:1). Praise the Lord, you His angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word.

Praise the Lord, all His heavenly host, you His servants who do His will (Psalm 103:20-21). This is the lifestyle of the Citizens, and the evidence and the culture of the Kingdom of God. I will end with this: Hebrews 12:28 says, “Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, “let us” have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear: Stay blessed as you read, for the kingdom is at hand!

The Kingdom of God is

WITHIN YOU! Luke 17:21

God’s Vision Concerning America The reason for our nation’s exceptionalism, which does not mean this nation is or was ever without flaws, some of them glaring, was understood

by Alexis de Tocqueville.

Visiting our nation in 1832, the French sociologist, political thinker, and historian concluded in his classic work, Democracy in America: “I sought for the greatness and genius of America in her commodious harbors and her ample rivers – and it was not there… in her fertile fields and boundless forests and it was not there… in her democratic Congress and her matchless Constitution – and it was not there. Not until I went into the churches of America and heard her pulpits aflame with righteousness did I understand the secret of her genius and power. America is great because she is good, and if America

ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.”

It is imperative that we remember the “pulpits aflame with righteousness” that Alexis de Tocqueville credited with being “the secret of our genius and power” were found in churches.

Those were Christian churches, not mosques, as the often historically inaccurate President Obama tries to convince us by lecturing us that Islam has always been interwoven into the fiber of our nation. In truth, President Obama would better serve historical accuracy by discovering or remembering that it was only about a quarter of a century earlier that Thomas Jefferson was navigating a war with the Muslims in the form of the Tripoli pirates and the Muslim powers supporting them. When de Tocqueville visited America Islam was not interwoven into our nation’s fiber. Nor, factually, though those brandishing the creed of political correctness often seek to convince us otherwise, is Islam interwoven into our fiber now, with perhaps five to

Dr. Dan L. Corse seven million adherents in the United States from a total population of around 318 million in 2014.

What was interwoven into our fiber when de Tocqueville visited America? Interwoven into our fiber was a Christian worldview, a worldview that provided for our nation’s vision and stoked the flames of its perpetuation. This Christian worldview provided our populace with the framework through which they saw the world. It

consisted of many factors: a belief in a powerful, loving, and just God existing as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; the moral absolutes found in the Bible; a creationist perspective; the traditional view of family; mankind’s fall and redemption; and divine law.

This worldview pervaded our culture, from law to economics, from science to philosophy, and from psychology to sociology.

Integral to this Christian worldview, Alexis de Tocqueville understood and noted this principle, “Liberty cannot be established without morality, nor morality without faith.” Faith, from the Christian perspective, is alien to the definition placed upon it by nonbelievers, skeptics, atheists and the like, who view it as blindly believing, irrational emotionalism, or embracing a “fairytale.” Rather, faith, from the Christian perspective, is a divinely implanted principle. Note, it is not humanly manufactured, but is divinely implanted.

Choosing to not believe the words of the gospel, the good news of salvation by faith in Jesus Christ, is what keeps God from implanting this principle, not “fairytale,” within us. Implanted within us, this principle is marked by our having confidence, trust,

and reliance in God and all that He says. Implanted within us, this principle produces in us a hunger for morality, the same morality upon which liberty is truly established.

Related to our nation and the liberty experienced by its citizens, de Tocqueville also noted, “America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great.” Has our nation ceased to be great? With various polls telling us that the vast majority of Americans believe our nation is headed in the wrong direction, clearly, in many ways, the answer is “Yes.” How did this come about?

Our nation ceased to be great when it allowed the Christian worldview that provided for and perpetuated its vision to be replaced by an inferior worldview. This largely happened in the past century, when a secularist worldview (secularism) began holding sway in our nation. Like the Christian worldview, secularism is a pervasive view. Secularism is marked by a naturalistic view of reality, where spiritual realities are discredited and scientific method is the only way of knowing anything; a belief in evolution; a nontraditional view of family;

moral relativity, where human beings, not God’s moral absolutes as recorded in the Bible, determine standards and values; and politics are viewed in light of liberalism and progressivism, with a secular world government the ultimate goal.

Clearly, secularism is the antithesis of the Christian worldview that in so many ways contributed to the exceptionalism of our nation.

Additionally, the goals of secularism have been greatly enhanced by the removal of the influence of the Christian worldview from the public forum. This was largely facilitated by Supreme Court decisions like Everson v. the Board of Education in 1947; Engel v. Vitale in 1962; Abington v. Schempp in 1963; and Stone v. Graham in 1980.

With secularism holding sway and SCOTUS decisions that have removed the influence of the Christian worldview from the public forum, the moral reality of our nation has become much like that described in Judges 21:25, “everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” Of course, this is fully understandable, as Alexis de Tocqueville warned us, without faith there will be no morality or liberty. Living now in a culture where faith has been largely removed

from the public forum, morality has in many ways eroded, and our liberties, especially those related to matters of the faith, have as well.

A drift on a sea of secularism, what are we as Christians to do? Are we to toss up our hands and yield to the howling winds of discouragement and despair?

Are we to seek erroneously from the Bible prophetic reasons for why there is no hope, giving impetus to lethargy and inactivity?

Never! Like Esther, we must recognize that God has placed us here “for such a

time as this” (Judges 4:14, NKJV). The power of the God we know as Savior and serve has not waned. His ability to transform our culture, as was true when he “turned the world upside down” by the early Church, is still available to us (Acts 17:6, NKJV). We must place our focus squarely upon God and through prayer seek the revival and awakening that has transformed our nation in the past, as was true with the Great Awakening; the Second Great Awakening; the Prayer Revival; the Holiness Revival; Azusa Street; the Healing Revival and the Charismatic Renewal.

Revival occurs when we Christians are awakened from the vestiges of lethargy and spiritual dullness that are hindering our spiritual effectiveness.

Awakening occurs when the lost come to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Buoyed by Revival and Awakening, our nation will find itself empowered to cast off the bondages of secularism and again embrace a Christian worldview, that which provided for and perpetuated our nation’s vision, that which undergirded the faith of our people, resulting in morality and liberty.

August 8-15

Matthew 16:13-18 "When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, He asked His disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am? And they said Some say that you are John the Baptist; some Elijah, and others Jeremiah, or one of the Prophets He said to them but who do you say I am? And Simon Peter answered and said You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus said You are blessed Simon Bar-Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father which is in heaven. And upon this rock I will build my Church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

Jesus said; "I will build my Church!” There is only one way to get into the Church that Jesus started which is, you must be born again.

Notice that Jesus did not say I will build my churches,

plural! Church is in the singular!

Do not misunderstand me though!

People from any denomination who get born again belong to His church.

But on the other hand, a person can belong to any church and still not receive Christ as their personal Savior, and still not belong to Christ's Church!

When Jesus said “Church” He was not saying there will be an Early Church and a Latter Church. The only difference between the Early Church and the Latter Church is that the Early Church came earlier! But there was to be no fundamental difference between the two!

I hear all the time from many that (healing, miracles, baptism in the Holy Ghost, Tongues, etc.) was only for the early church, and all that stopped when the disciples died! The only thing that

Evangelist/Teacher Rick McKnight stopped when the disciples died was the disciples! I always ask for what Chapter and verse is their opinion based on?

You have a decision to make.

So to be a member of the Church that Jesus began, you must be born again. Well, someone might say, they do not teach that at my church.

Well, then you have a

decision to make! Belong to yours, or belong to Christ's.

Many churches say that they are going to the same place (heaven), they are just on another road.

Buddha, Mohammed, etc. etc. Well, Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the Way the Truth, and the Life. No one can come to the Father except through Me." So if you are on any other Road to Heaven other than Jesus, you are on a dead end road!

You shall be baptized in the Holy Ghost: Everyone got filled with the Holy Ghost in the Church Jesus started!

"And being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father. For John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized in the Holy Ghost not many days hence" (Acts 1:4-5). Verse 8 says, "But you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in all the world."

THE CHURCH (Part 2) Witnesses: What kind of witnesses?

Powerful witnesses! That means the church (the church He builds) will be a powerful, world-

changing, body of believers who will demonstrate the goodness and power of God to this lost and dying world!

There is no mention of a weak emaciated church at the mercy of a merciless devil, filled with all kinds of sorrow and grief. In other words, poor, poverty stricken, sick, fearful people and begging for the Lord to come back and rescue them from this world!

No mention of bingo or church sponsored dances!

No, a thousand times no!

Traditions of Men: Traditions of men brought all these things to the church!

Things such as there are no more miracles, or healings, or speaking in tongues. We no longer need such things!

What does Jesus say to these traditions? (Mark 7: 113) Making the Word of God of none effect through your tradition and many such like things you do! This is not the church Jesus envisioned when He came to earth to build His church!

(Matthew 16:18) To give His life, and shed His blood for!

You will notice on the day of Pentecost, the birthday of His church, that it all began with a powerful demonstration of the Spirit and power! Acts 2:1-4 And when the day of

Pentecost had fully come they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them (There were 120 of them, not just 12) And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Glory to the Almighty God! A supernatural beginning!

God is Intelligent: This was the beginning of the Church that Jesus started!

And if you will give God credit for being intelligent, this must have been the kind of church He wanted! A powerful church!

The book of Acts is a pattern for the church until He returns!

God Demonstrates His Goodness: Acts 3:1-10 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer. They came upon a man lame from his mother’s womb begging who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. And Peter said, "Look on us." Then he said, "Silver

and gold have I none, but such as I have I give to you.

In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk."

The man was instantly healed! And all the people saw him walking and praising God. And they knew that it was the man they had seen daily at the gate begging alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement.

Hallelujah!

This resulted in a great crowd gathering and offered Peter the chance to preach the gospel to them. Another 5,000 were saved that day!

What a contrast between the church then and the church now!

In The Beginning: We are comparing the Church that Jesus started in the book of Acts to the modern day church. The book of Acts is a pattern of the church to all generations!

The Church's Great Commission: Let's look at the Great Commission that Jesus left the church just before His ascension into heaven. Mark 16:15-20 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel (Good news) to every creature. He that believes and is baptized shall be saved (Born Again) but he that does not believe shall be damned. (Not only live a

cursed life but in the end, go to hell).

Many churches teach this as the great commission, but this is only part of it! And (This means He is not finished speaking yet!) these signs shall follow them that believe (and not just you 11 disciples). In My name they shall cast out devils, they shall speak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them.

They shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

So then after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word with signs following! Praise the Lord.

The church was to be a people that were supernaturally equipped and supernaturally empowered! Ambassadors to this lost and dying world! We were never meant to be a groaning, defeated, sick, fearful bunch of people praying for the Lord to come quickly to take us out of this devil-infested world!

Noooooo! Never! Jesus meant for the church to take His place!

Have you ever read John 14:12? "Verily, verily, I say to you, he that believes on me, the works that I do shall they to also, and greater works than these shall they do because I go to the Father." This staggers the imagination when taken at face value, and believed!

Remember God cannot lie!

People can, but God never!

How about 1 John 4:17b, "because as He (Jesus) is so are we in this world." What about Matthew 5:14, "You are the light of the world! Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven!" What are the good works that are referred to here? His works, and greater!!

Ephesians 2:10, "we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God had before ordained that we should walk in them." Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 19 to born again, Spirit filled believers and asks them this question. What?

What! Don't you know that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which you have of God, and you are not your own? For you are bought with a price.

(The Blood of Jesus) Therefore glorify God in your

body, and in your spirit, which are God's! (Notice!

Your body has been bought as well as your spirit!) Praise God if you receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost!

If you receive the Baptism in the Holy Ghost, you receive the power that raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11).

That is resurrection power!

Is it possible the people Paul was writing had that power dwelling in them and did not know it? Or not taking advantage of it! Could it be that many (most) in the church today could be in the same position! Filled with supernatural power, and not know what they have? Could this account for the difference in the Early church and the church today?

The Church Final Addition: Acts 4:29 "Grant unto us that we may speak your word boldly! And that signs and wonders may be done in the name of your Holy Child Jesus!" Notice the way the "early church" prayed!

IS THIS REALLY REAL? Now we must come to the realization that the Holy Ghost resides in the believer today! Is it really true? We are the temples of the Holy Ghost. The same Spirit that

raised Jesus from the dead is now actually residing in us?

And He has lost none of His power!!

SELAH! (Pause and calmly think of that!) Think of it! Let me say it again! According to Romans 8:11 the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the grave, out of hell itself, out of satan's grasp, is now living in us! And He will make alive our mortal body!

This is not at the last resurrection, but "mortal body" means the body you are living in right now!

Hallelujah! I think this is a good place to just shout a little bit! Maybe even dance a little!

I often say to a congregation while I am preaching "What if the whole Bible was true?"

They look at me stunned for even suggesting that it may not be true! I do this to get people’s attention! If the whole Bible is true, and it is, then the Holy Ghost has come to take up residence in every believer! To make you a superman, or superwoman, or super-teenager, or? Praise God! God is waiting for the revelation knowledge of this to come to the "modern day church." Waiting for us to grasp the fullness of this

biblical truth! Waiting for us to rise up and take our place as the Church Jesus started, and is still perpetuating today!

Now, what is He in you for?

Acts 1:8 "but you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me... to the uttermost parts of the earth!"

(Wherever you may live or travel to!) Thank God! Jesus did not leave us here to be the slaves of a merciless devil!

Not as wimps to fall for his every trick! But to "Rule and reign as kings in this earth!"

He intended for us to "Occupy until I come."

"Occupy" means to rule over, as when a country is taken over after a war, as we occupied Japan after WW 2.

John 1:12, "To as many as received Him, to them He gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name!"

Which were born, not of the blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, BUT OF GOD!! Again think of it! We are the children of the MOST HIGH GOD! No wonder Jesus said in John 14:12 "Verily I say to you, he that believes on me, the works that I do, shall he do also!" GLORY TO GOD!

Notice He did not say that the "early disciples" or the "early church" would do these works! He said, "He that believes!" That's you and me!

That's why Paul could say in 1 Corinthians 2:4-5 "and my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstrations of the Spirit and of power, that your faith

should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God!" Now! How do we match up to the early believers? Are we doing "The works" He did?

Let's get to doing the Works that were promised to us!

Let's rise up in resurrection power and make Jesus proud

of us! Let's show Him he did not waste His time by coming and going to the cross! Let's take this supernatural power to our lost and dying world!

He is waiting for us to take our place! Let's just DO IT! The Church of Jesus Christ is to be the most powerful entity on earth!

I have read somewhere that “Love is what we were born with and fear is what we learn.” I agree with this. Before we come into this world, we do not know anything except love. Oh, the comfort and happiness the tiny baby feels living inside Mommy’s tummy, never having to think, work, made decisions, or any of that stuff.

So now we are here on earth…and the fear starts…as our parents or guardians love us, we grow and learn new things every day. As we grow, we start to understand God’s love and His purpose

for us.

But sometimes, we allow our mind to do too much thinking. What I mean by this is, we tend to think about the how’s, why’s, when’s, and where’s about God. Sometimes this brings fear because we can’t have all the answers.

My husband has a

saying that goes like this, “to know God is to know His Word.” So, if we want to know anything about God, get in His Word. Never try to figure it out on your own, it simply won’t work.

Besides God, there is the “us” that we think about. Sometimes those closest to us can get in our way of our growth. I remember one time a man called us over to pray for him. This guy told my husband, “now don’t pray for my total healing, only that the pain will stop…because if I get totally healed I will lose my disability.” Well, someone put it in his mind that he needed to make sure he stayed that way so he could continue getting his check each month.

The things we go through day by day with our family, friends, and people we see each day that we may not even know can bring fear and hold us back from doing things we believe inside us that God wants us to do. For instance, if you started writing your first book, and someone told you that it would never sell, that the storyline was no good, or that you did not have what it takes to be a good writer, it may make you feel uncertain or that you don’t have the confidence it takes to complete the task of writing your book. Sometimes, the people who say these things don’t really do this intentionally. They think they are saying what is right, but they should stop and think about it before talking!

One of the things that can cause us to close the door to completing the visions

God has for us is that we don’t take that little soft voice inside us seriously. We think it is just us overreacting or dreaming or just our natural minds playing with us. Do you know how many people could have actually been inventors had they took the next step and made what they thought about? I mean, look how many times some people made mistakes, failures, and had fears, but turned out to be some of our most important people.

Abraham Lincoln was one! He failed more times than not, but was one of the most respected Presidents we have had. If you feel impressed to do something, for instance start a business, stop and pray.

Ask God if He wants you to do something, to give you the instructions or next step. He hears you, and He will answer. Those small little voices inside of you are there for a reason. You should pay attention to Him! Another mistake is filling your time with so many activities that you don’t have time to do what God wants you to do. I know I have done this myself.

You get busy with kids, work, chores, and all the other obligations. Hey, I love my children and grandchildren so much, and whenever they needed me, I could never say no. But not just them…It could be anyone. If someone ask me to do something, I would try my best to do whatever they needed done. Even if there was something that I was so excited to do, I would always put everyone else first.

Growth in God requires patience, compassion, and generosity.

With these, we can listen to God and walk in His vision for us We should remember that what God has for us to do is the most important task we could have the honor of doing. The other things may be important, but they do not have lasting value. What God has for us to do will last forever.

Growth is not always easy, but if you ignore the steps that go with it, you may feel empty and bury yourself in stress because you won’t be on God’s growth plan. But when you listen to God, the impossibility will disappear and things will begin to become clear.

And the last mistake I will talk about is the feeling that most people get about themselves. They think they are not good enough…some even think they are dumb or stupid when it comes to doing the work of God. They may even ask themselves how they could possibly do something that important. Remember Moses? He had a speech deficiency and did not think he could lead the people out of bondage, but God chose him!

God does not always choose the smartest people to carry out his task…He chooses the person who is obedient and willing. Remember, you can do all things through Christ (Phil 4:13). So if God has called you for a specific task, you CAN do it!

Remember, the struggle does not come from God, but rather from all the lies that satan tries to make you believe.

Before you give up, ask yourself these questions: 1. Did God call you to do this task?

2. Have you prayed and ask how to get the task done, and made a plan?

3. Have you decided that you have God’s strength, and you can do all things?

If you can answer yes to these questions, then you are on the right track, and remember God will help you throughout the entire task…so don’t give up, don’t be afraid. After all, you have the creator of the universe on your side. You have the most knowledgeable person, famous person, and loving person with you!

‘For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him’ (John 3: 16, 17)

By Rev Leon Gosiewski When God created humanity He spoke these amazing words of love and generosity, ‘let us make man in our image, according to our likeness’ (Genesis 1: 26). In other words, people were purposefully created from the depths of God’s love for love (‘God is love’ 1 John 4:8), and to resemble and share similarities with Him. In fact, when God said ‘let us make man’ and gave breath and life to humanity His singleminded intent was that people should become part of His

loving family; His offspring.

God’s visionary purpose is for humanity to know, share and enjoy His loving presence and live eternally with Him in Heaven.

This is why Rev. Leon Goswieski everything that lies at the heart of Christianity humanity power over the is life giving, pure, loving and earth and all in it. In fact that relational. power was again later extended when Jesus said, As God’s family members we ‘whoever believes in me will then read that, ‘God blessed do the works I have been them (man and woman), and doing, and they will do even God said to them, ‘Be greater things than these, fruitful and multiply; fill the because I am going to the earth and subdue it; have Father’ (John 14: 12). dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, Sadly, humanity abused their and over every living thing unique position and power that moves on the earth’ through the free-will act of (Genesis 1: 28). God gave to

sin and death (see Genesis 2: 17 & Romans 6: 23) which immediately separated people from their Holy, sinless Father and Heavenly family.

But amazingly this abuse of God’s love, generosity and Holiness did not change how He felt and still feels about you and me. His willingness to graciously forgive abounded. Jeremiah puts this point succinctly in these words, ‘I have loved you with an everlasting love’ (Jeremiah 31:3). God’s love, like His entire character never changes this is why we read these incredible words from the Old Testament prophet Malachi, ‘For I the Lord do not change; therefore, you, O children of Jacob, have not perished. Ever since the days of your ancestors you have turned aside from my statutes and have not kept them. Return to me, and I will return to you, says the Lord of hosts’ (Malachi 3 6, 7).

With a single word God could have destroyed all people of the earth along with sin but He chose another way; a way of such depth of love that He sacrificed His only and dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to offer a way of redemptive Life to you and me whilst ultimately destroying sinful death.

Jesus, an innocent man suffered gruesomely at the hands of humanity with frenzied lashings so deep that His back is graphically described as being like a ploughed field (see Psalm 129: 3). Nonetheless Jesus lovingly and unselfishly sacrificed His life and shed His blood on the cross of Calvary to wipe away our sins and make a way to restore your and my family relationship with God. Our freewill choice to repent and accept the Life-giving Jesus as Lord and Saviour is now available to each one of us (see 1 John 1: 9). We have it within our gift to change our sinful ways of living, restore our relationship with God and walk in holiness. All that separates us from returning to God’s family is our personal willingness to repent our sin and egotism.

The personal decision of pride to continue in the death trap of sin is a self-chosen choice to stay in its clutches and eventually into a torturous eternity of sin in Hell.

As for God, He has not changed. John explains, that the ‘Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to

come to repentance’ (2 John 3: 9). The only thing that stops people from being forgiven and reunited with God is the individual person’s willingness to humbly repent and accept the free-will offering of the blood stained cross of Calvary.

This opportunity of a lifetime is however only for the lifetime of the opportunity.

Once we die there are no more chances to repent and become a holy, royal priesthood; reunited with God and part of His Heavenly family as children of God. Our destiny is unmistakably in our own hands. It is God’s will that none should perish in hell. He has done all He can by offering His Beloved Son to wipe away our sin but the final decision rests firmly with you and me.

Jesus is coming soon and the end of all things is close at hand. The world is becoming more and more corrupt. Sin is abounding and destroying lives. God is warning the world that time is short. The signs are clearly seen in the weather and climate changes, the atrocities man commits against man, the signs in the stars, moon and sun and the warnings of God’s watchmen across the Globe.

Both the World and the disobedient church are being shaken. Sin and acts of frenzied wickedness are rampant and God is being squeezed out of people’s lives.

In 2010 the Spirit led me to give this prophecy: ‘There is coming a fresh wave of God’s power and we are now at the very brink, the start of this revival that will outstretch any other revival.

It will be worldwide and based upon the word of God, dedication to prayer, the power of the Holy Spirit and love reaching into local communities’ (this appears in The Language of Love, Forgiveness, Faith, Prayer and Healing and is again repeated in all the books the Lord has led me to write).

The Lord God is warning the world of imminent great disasters and hardships.

There will be, and it has already begun, two major crescendo clashes of sin,

deception and destruction meeting with Holiness, truth and the power of the Holy Spirit.

There will be a greater falling away from God in churches who think friendship with the world, disobedience and sin is acceptable and they preach a false and diluted Gospel message having strayed away from Scripture truth.

A mighty tsunami wave of the Holy Spirit in Revival is already rising up and it will clash with the rolling wave of sin and deception that is flooding the church and the world. Those that are not ready in the church and preaching truth will be swept away. The Holy Spirit will touch the world. Many will come to know Jesus and great signs, wonders and miracles will abound. But in sinful opposition greater numbers of false prophets and teachers will also arise and they will do signs that are counterfeit

and deception will draw many away from God. The important thing about this mighty move of Revival is that it is a holiness Revival and it is coming to separate the sheep (true believers) from the goats (see Titus 1: 15, 16). It is a call to believers worldwide to walk in holiness and preparation for the coming of Jesus who is seeking His Bride, spotless and without blemish.

You may ask, why? Why will a mighty move of the Holy Spirit come and why will Jesus follow and end the world as we know it? The pouring out of the Holy Spirit upon all people and the return of Jesus are necessary. They are love acts of God that have a purpose; to save as many people from eternity in hell as possible before the sin-sick and self-destructive forces of humanity end up destroying the world and one another (see Matthew 24: 2

Leon is available to speak, sign books at conferences, and hold healing meetings.

You can reach him at: Web Page: www.dunamisfire.com Email: info@dunamisfire.com You can also contact him direct for the purchase of his books!

The title of this month’s article left me with the following questions: • “What is God’s vision for His kingdom?”

• “How do we practically apply His vision for His kingdom on a daily basis?”

• “Who will fulfill His vision for His kingdom?”

(John 13:34-35, John 3:16, Romans 8:32, Luke 10:19) When I am tempted to (let’s just say-not be very lovable) it is helpful for me to stop, take a deep breath, exhale, and remember why I do what I do. I ask myself, “What is my motivation in this situation?”

In His Word, I found the answer to be simple and very clear, “To love in all situations.” Jesus said, “You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.”

And Jesus also said, “love your neighbor as yourself.”

(Matthew 22:37-39)

My overall primary motivation is to glory my God. (1 Corinthians 10:31) My heart’s desire is for Him to come first in all things.

(Matthew 6:33) In order to do this, I ask God to help me by quickening my spirit and bringing to my remembrance to always choose life.

(Hebrews 13:6, John 14:26, Deuteronomy 30:19)

Knowing God’s vision for His kingdom really excites me! We have definitive, effective, clear communication for exactly how God wants us to live! We are to love in the same way He has loved us. And that is by giving our very best and withholding nothing good.

I’ve included a checklist below.

helpful

God’s vision for His kingdom is to love by:  enduring with patience and serenity

Genice Fulton  being kind and thoughtful  not being jealous or envious  not bragging  not being proud or arrogant  not being rude  not being self-seeking not being provoked [nor overly sensitive and easily angered]  not taking into account a wrong endured not rejoicing at injustice, but rejoicing with the truth [when right and truth prevail]

 bearing all things [regardless of what comes]  believing all things [looking for the best in each one]  hoping all things [remaining steadfast during difficult times]

 enduring all things [without weakening] 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, AMP) Before acting on a matter, we really have to ask ourselves if our action fulfills God’s Word in us (James 1:22) or if our action makes us a fool

(James 1:26). I encourage you, always choose life!

Insuring we love with a biblical heart, biblical soul, and biblical mind is obedience, sets us apart as His people, is high praise to our God, and fulfills His vision for His kingdom.

THE VISION OF GOD CONCERNING YOUR CITY As we look around at cities today, we see destruction and death increasing as darkness and lawlessness abound.

There are millions of empty, hurting, addicted, depraved and satanic people all trying their best to fill their time with pleasures that never fulfill.

They are the condemned, the lost, those dying in their trespasses. It is for these that Jesus came. His heart is to reach these damaged ones who are clinging to life with no hope.

The love of Christ and the love of God have been poured out into this earth and are available for anyone who will receive it and be changed into His likeness. Every Christian became a Christian the same way. Someone received the Lord and then shared what they received, Jesus. It is now up to us to continue to

share the Gospel, the news about Jesus coming here in the flesh with the saving grace to give new life in Him. Salvation in Christ is the only thing that will destroy the works of darkness in our cities.

Though social programs and social justice are noble notions, they lack the supernatural power of God to change the core of a person’s being, so therefore, are limited in their ability to bring lasting change in communities.

There are some positive results from these programs, but most of those positives come from the increase of love and caring in a community. Love only comes from God and that is why there are any positive results at all in these programs. However, unless

a person is born again, and filled with the Holy Spirit, they will not have the power to resist and overcome the

Rev. Melissa Shepherd darkness in the world and will eventually succumb to the darkness in some area of their lives. For example, the rate of deliverance from addiction is a mere 13% when looking into social programs and secular plans funded by the

government. However, when you consider faith-based programs to combat addiction, the success rate rises to 93%. 700,000 people EVERY DAY seek treatment for alcohol and drug addiction in the U.S. according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). The impact on the families in our cities of alcohol and drug use is devastating. The shattered families, loss of productivity, health deterioration, theft, law enforcement and incarceration costs due to alcohol and drug use are incomprehensible. Alcohol and drug use are considered the catalysts for the other works of darkness in our culture.

Science and psychologists just blame the alcohol and drug use on weak genes, or a weakness in the emotional and mental faculties of a person, but there is more to the problem than these causes. Alcohol and drug use are not the base problem but are in fact a desperate attempt by people to comfort themselves, escape from their harsh reality and hurts and for a few fleeting moments, forget that their lives are empty, meaningless and not really worth living.

These lost souls have no idea that they have an advocate, Jesus, who is the answer to all of their

woes. He is their knight in shining armor, the valiant and honorable king who will save them.

They have not encountered a blood bought, spirit-filled, fire-breathing Christian who has given them the Word of God and the Power of God. They may have heard of a form of Christianity with rules and fees to pay, but not heard about the true miracle working, salvation bringing, yoke destroying power of Christ.

The reason they have not heard is that laborers are in great need.

There are millions waiting to hear about Jesus and be delivered from the power of the evil one, but there are not many who are willing to reach out. Every believer has to make a choice to keep what they have received to themselves and enjoy the fellowship with the saints only, or share what they freely received and spend time in seeking the lost where they may be found, like Jesus did. The reason the church is not reaching the lost in mass proportion is due to a heart condition in the church. It is a love problem in the church. The hearts of believers are not fully in tune with the love of God for the lost. We know that love is not selfish, and that without love you have nothing

according to scripture. Jesus commanded us to “love your neighbor as yourself.” We know that God’s love covers a multitude of sins. So why are people ignoring their command to reach out to their cities and communities? A majority of believers have simply become insulated against the darkness in our world and the people that are caught in the net of satan. It isn’t that people do not have the capacity to love and reach out to these desperate souls, it is just that they have not made God’s will a priority yet.

When God saves you and fills you with His Spirit, His Nature and His Will you have all the power of heaven with you to share what He has given to you. If you seek Him about how to give the gift you have been given, you will notice that God will begin speaking to your heart and you begin to be concerned with not only yourself, and your family, but you will begin to feel concerned for your neighbors and your city.

Your awareness of the needs of the people around you increases. You may find yourself thinking about how you can help, serve or change your city for the better.

Often people feel like the task is daunting, so they may push it to a later time, or feel they need to wait until they are more prepared.

But the

important thing to remember is that if your life has been touched by Christ, and you have received His salvation, then you are qualified to speak about your experience and how Christ has helped you. Testifying of Jesus will touch the hearts and minds of those in your community.

You can start right where you are now. With a neighbor, a delivery person, a store cashier, each are so very important to God. They need the words of life that you carry!

Every Christian has the responsibility to seek God

and be led by His Holy Spirit to dwell in the city that God needs you to conquer for His Kingdom. Every Christian has an important call and particular works to fulfill for God’s Kingdom. When you align yourself with God, ask Him to reveal His plan for your life, and you are willing to obey God in where He wants you to live, He will guide you with His Spirit and show you the vision He has for your city. Essentially, every city has the same basic needs: spiritual salvation, soul transformation, mind renewal, physical healing, provision, wisdom and truth.

The key is to allow God to direct you or help you select the location so that He can utilize your specific gifts, callings and knowledge to reach out to a community and raise up ministers and leaders to go forth and bring in the harvest of souls for Jesus.

God wants to do His works and miracles in partnership with you sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ His Son. Bring the light of Jesus into the darkness of your city and you are fulfilling the very heart and vision of God! Jesus sent you to work God’s greatest miracle, salvation!

But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.

2 Thesselonians 3:3 (NKJV )

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Say the prayer below, and mean it from your heart. If you decide to make Jesus Lord of your life, we would LOVE to hear from you.

Please go to: https://www.facebook.com/faithunlimitedemagazine and leave us a note. God Bless you for this life changing decision!

Dear Jesus, I know I am a sinner. I thank you for dying on the cross for me. I confess with my mouth. I believe in my heart that you are the Son of God. I believe you are the Lord and that God raised you from the dead.

Please, forgive me of my sins. Wash my heart clean.

Come live in my life. Be the Lord of my life. Fill me with your Holy Spirit. Teach me to walk with you and live for you the rest of my life. Thank you for saving me and for giving me the gift of eternal life in Heaven with you. Amen.

Teens and juniors!

Be watching for our next issue for a new Teen Page, and a New Junior Page!