THE
FRONTIER by B Y R O N F O X X
have thought the FRONTIERS of advancing the Christian faith in America as being “out there” somewhere in a new territory and “over there” somewhere a thousand miles away in the backwoods. That may have been true at one time, but it is no longer true! The FRONTIER of the spiritual life of our beloved America is now found in the heartland of our major cities. As a Christian, and an American citizen, I refuse to allow the throne of satan to continue to grow his ugly grip on the cities of America. I will not surrender our cities without a fight! I am deeply in love with my Lord and my country. God has a beautiful plan for every city! Any city that will follow God’s plan will
receive God’s blessing! In fact there will be no murder, mischief or hatred in any city that will follow God’s plan! There will be love, compassion, and real kindness in every city that will follow God’s plan. Where do you find God’s plan for the cities? It is found in the Bible! What should city people do? Start with John 3:16. Read it, memorize it, share it with others, and do what the verse says. Then, read Matthew chapter 5. Read it about 100 times. Then read Psalm 119. It takes about 22 minutes to read that chapter, but if you will read it every day for a month, your life will greatly change to what is right and proper. PRAY. Pray to God Almighty and pray through His Son Jesus. It will change a city.
BELIEVE. God will not do great and mighty works in a city that does not believe. Want proof ? Read the first few verses in Mark chapter 6 and you will find that no great miracles took place in that city because of their “unbelief.” “Dear Lord, please raise up Christian workers of every kind for the major cities of America. We need prayer warriors. We need soul winners. We need Bible teachers. We need Your grace, Your mercy, and Your power! Help us dear Lord. Hear our cry. In Jesus’ name, amen.” b y r on f ox x
is an evangelist, music publisher, songwriter, and the founder and president of Bible Truth Music.
GOD BLESS AMERICA Volume 1, Number 3
editor: byron foxx | assistant editor: t. kevan bartlett | managing editor: tim cruse | production assistant: caleb cruse We would love to hear from you! Please write to Editor@GodBlessAmericaCrusade.com
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G O D B L E S S A M E R I CA
SEPTEMBER 2015
THE PIONEERING SPIRIT of the NEW TESTAMENT CHURCH by DR. CLARENCE SEXTON
e need to recapture the “pioneering spirit” that springs forth from the faith life. It is so easy to make a goal out of a by-product, to find something that has been produced as a result of faith in God and make the by-product the goal, and not faith in God the goal. In Judges 2:10, God tells us that after the death of Joshua “...there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done....” The faith required to trust God for the complete victory is also the faith that would have made God real to His people. Men with a pioneering spirit came before them, but their generation chose to simply rest on those who had gone before. Though this rest was enjoyable, the absence of faith caused them to lose touch with God. They lived in the same land as their forefathers, but they did not know firsthand the God of their forefathers. Our Christian heritage is made up of pioneers who did more than talk about
what was impossible. They faced the impossible, and cast themselves entirely on the mercy of God. Not only did the Lord provide, He became real to them as they trusted Him to meet their need. In so many places today, there are people who serve in the same locations others have served, but only inhabit what was built by those who had a “pioneering spirit” in God. They can tell stories of how victories were won, but to them these stories are only historical accounts. Church members meet in buildings that were provided by the faith and sacrifices of others. For those who had the pioneering spirit and trusted God for the facilities, the facilities were never the goal, only a means to the goal. Their goal was God. The next generation faces the temptation of making the care and maintenance of the buildings the goal. They misunderstand the faith that was exercised in trusting God for the provision. The spirit of adventure, following God,
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The faith required to trust God for the complete victory is also the faith that would have made God real to His people.
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and the faith life is most meaningful to the pioneer. Unless we recapture this pioneering spirit and move from the death of a maintenance ministry, someone will say, “...there arose another generation after them, which knew not the LORD, nor yet the works which he had done....” dr. c l ar enc e se xton
is the senior pastor of Temple Baptist Church and the founder and president of The Crown College in Powell, Tennessee.
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THANK GOD! WE CAN HAVE REVIVAL! GOD’S PRESCRIPTION FOR REVIVAL b y BRUCE MILLER
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od’s Word is clear and assuring that during the times of casual and lukewarm attitudes of God’s people toward God, His Word, prayer, lost souls, and the local church, that we can have revival! Even when Christians forsake God for the world and worldliness and when spiritual deadness prevails, we can have revival! The church at Ephesus in Revelation 2:1-7 was, of course, comprised of individual members. They had left their “first love,” Jesus Christ. Christ said that the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37) is to “…love the Lord thy God with all thy heart…” The Ephesian Christians were serving God without love and by duty only (Revelation 2:2-3).
GOD’S PRESCRIPTION In Revelation 2:5, God said to: 1. Remember their first love for Christ—the zeal, the passion, the devotion. 2. Repent—turn away from their new love object and turn back to God. II Chronicles 7:14 says that this requires humbling of self, prayer, seeking God’s will, and turning from sin. 3. Repeat—they were to “do” the first works, like a new Christian getting back to the basics of Bible study, prayer, church attendance, witnessing, etc. To not do the above will bring God’s judgment (Revelation 2:5b). To do them
will bring restored fellowship with God (Revelation 3:19-20) and a high position in Heaven and eternity (Revelation 3:21)! A revived Christian experiences personal revival, and enough revived Christians can bring church revival, and revived churches can cause national revival. As the songwriter asked, “Do you really want revival?” Pastors, don’t settle for “good,” dutiful, but “go through the motions” Christians! Preach for, pray for, and pursue revived Christians and a revived church!!! bruc e mi l l er
is the president of Atlantic Coast Baptist College in Laurel, Delaware.
PRAYER: ABSOLUTELY ABOUT GOD b y TOM ALVIS
S
omeone has appropriately stated that “Our spiritual immaturity never shows up more than in our own lack of praying – alone or in the church prayer meeting.” Let that sink in; allow the Spirit of God to challenge us with His evaluation. King Asa, early in his reign, fought the Ethiopian army on his knees. Judah’s army numbered 580,000; the Ethiopians assembled 1,000,000 fighting men; yet, this good king uttered one of the most powerful prayers of Bible times. Within this brief prayer (II Chronicles 14:11), King Asa expressed 4 Key Elements of Biblical Prayer. 1. Absolute Confidence in God—Lord,
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G O D B L E S S A M E R I CA
AUGUST 2015
it is nothing with Thee to help. He believed that God could do what no human could do. 2. Absolute Commitment to God— Help us, O Lord our God; for we rest on Thee. It is one thing to believe that God can; it’s quite another to commit ourselves to Him so that He will! Prayer produces such a change in us that it renders us available and ready for God to do His work! 3. Absolute Courage because of God—in Thy name, we go against this multitude. There is power and strength in the name of the Lord!
4. Absolute Concern for God—O Lord, Thou art our God; let not man prevail against Thee. What a perspective! Fervent, passionate, Biblical prayer elevates our concern from man to God. You see, Biblical Prayer is absolutely about God. Oh, that you and I would learn to pray with such fervor and power. t om alv i s
is the senior pastor of the Mount Moriah Baptist Church in Powhatan, Virginia.
GOD BLESS THE CRUSADE WORKERS b y BYRON FOXX & JOSHUA LANCASTER
God bless the Crusade workers, That heard the city’s cry! The worker moved by call of Christ And watched by the Master’s eye. God bless the Crusade workers, That have wept over the city in prayer. The worker with heart for rich and poor Who gladly each burden share. God bless the Crusade workers, That labor through day and night. The worker that gives, and the Church that lives To do what is noble and right. God bless the Crusade workers Singing in the choir Workers that give their all To pull souls from the fire! God bless the Crusade workers Walking in the Light Workers that attempt to take a stand While fighting in the good fight! God bless the Crusade workers Leading men to Christ! Workers that can take His Word To show what He sacrificed God bless the Crusade workers WORKING - not sitting by Workers who share God’s amazing love With men before they die. God bless the Crusade workers Continuing to the end. Workers that will not stop or quit That will not break or bend! God bless the Crusade workers Leading in the work. Workers that will sacrifice And not their duty shirk. God bless the Crusade workers Who give the widow’s mite, Workers that will give it all When God says it is right.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” –John 3:16
God bless the Crusade workers Hiding from men’s view Workers that are rarely seen But yet SO much they do!
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G O D B L E S S A M E R I CA
SEPTEMBER 2015
A REVIVAL of CHURCH ATTENDANCE by MIKE NORRIS
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Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
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Hebrews 10:25
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heck any of the statistics and you will find that church attendance in America is declining at a rapid rate and we are paying the price for it. Blame it on apostasy, affluence, amusements, but it is an indication that our nation is walking away from the God who has blessed her. The writer of Hebrews gave us four principles for every Christian to remember when it comes to our church attendance:
1. WE ARE COMMANDED TO ASSEMBLE We are to congregate. The internet church will not meet this command of God. Small groups may be fine for a Bible study, but
God has always commanded His people to congregate on the Lord’s Day.
4. WE SHOULD CONGREGATE MORE AS CHRIST APPROACHES
2. WE ARE CAUTIONED ABOUT ABSENCE
The nearer we get to Christ’s return we should be more faithful! The trend today is to be less faithful. Folks take vacations and never attend church. Church leaderships are cutting back their service schedules dropping Sunday School, Sunday night and Wednesday night services. Revival meetings are shortened due to ballgames or just plain lack of interest. Some churches have not had a week long meeting in years! May God help us! Part of the judgment that America is facing right now is because we have failed to train an entire generation – “Thus saith the Lord!” But there is still time! As we focus on praying for revival in America, let us revive our interest in faithful attendance to the house of God! May we see a revival that packs the pews in churches all across America!
The manner of some in the last days would be to forsake assembling together. Take note of this! As a little boy I remember how important my attendance to church was. My Sunday School teacher had an attendance roll on the wall. Every Sunday that I was present I got to lick the back of a little “gold star” and stick it by my name. I also remember the little “pins and bars” that the Sunday School superintendent awarded us each September for our perfect attendance. Those days are long gone, and some would even laugh about it now, but it really is not funny. We are losing our nation because we are absent from church!
3. WE ARE COUNSELLED TO EXHORT ONE ANOTHER This is why we assemble! We are to hear Bible preaching, sing uplifting music, fellowship, and pray for the needs of others. There is really nothing like it! It is a little like Heaven! (Read Hebrews 10:24)
mi ke nor r i s
is the senior pastor of the Franklin Road Baptist Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee,
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WE ARE INDEPENDENT BUT NOT ISOLATED
7 REASONS WE ARE COMPELLED TO WORK TOGETHER PART I I
by T. KEVAN BARTLETT
Previous Reasons: 1 The Scope of Our Assignment | 2 The Singular Focus of Our Message | 3 The Principles of Scripture
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The Love of God
“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” ( John 13:34-35) Jesus explained that the primary way we demonstrate His authenticity in our lives is by the evident love that we show to one another. Sadly, a common testimony of our movement is that we do NOT love each other. Partnerships in ministry are open testimonies that we love and appreciate each other. Jesus said that is how the world would recognize His true followers.
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The Commonality of the Holy Spirit
We are the body of Christ. A body is designed with a diversity of parts. The Bible uses this object lesson to teach us that “difference does not equal deficiency.” The Holy Spirit of God brings us together into the Body of Christ. I Corinthians 12:13–14 says, “For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” We preach this about our local church and that is a proper application. The proper interpretation of the text speaks of the entire body of believers. We are ALL to work together like a physical body of different parts. 12
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SEPTEMBER 2015
The Identification of Our True Enemy
ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord; and ourselves your servants for Jesus’ sake.”
““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.” (Ephesians 6:11–12)
Conclusion I am not suggesting nor advocating that we or our churches join anything or make any long-term, binding associations. I am certainly not suggesting that you compromise your biblical convictions. The reality is that you may not be comfortable to participate in every “partnership” effort. What I am suggesting is this: because the Bible teaches us that we should work together, let’s look for and find some opportunities to actually work together for God’s glory. We can work in cooperation on specific projects and special events. Our church (Maranatha Baptist Church) has been excited, energized and encouraged to be in partnership with other churches on many projects in recent years. We have experienced the synergy of partnership in regional church planting, saturation door-knocking, camp ministry, and of course, God Bless America Crusades and Rallies. I truly believe that the cause of Christ, the message of salvation, and the kingdom of God will be advanced because of the working together of different churches and pastors. May God deliver us from the vanity of our carnal nature and let us, together, lift the blood stained banner of the Cross high, for all the world to see. As independent Baptists working together we can accomplish so much more for God than we can ever do toiling in isolation.
We have a vicious, wicked, aggressive enemy! We are in a war against Satan. The battlefield of this war (for now) is his territory. None of us are called to be “Rambos” for God—single-handedly defeating an entire brigade of enemy combatants. We are soldiers in the army of the Lord. Soldiers work together, focused on an enemy. Let us not only stand together—let us charge together against the Devil.
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The Reality That the Only Kingdom We Are to Build Is God’s
We must be mindful that “the best of men are men at best.” All of us have a major besetting sin—pride. Those who lead are especially susceptible to pride. The adulation that Paul and Apollos felt would have been a great temptation to have prideful attitudes toward the other. Each man had a following of supporters. It is a natural temptation to build my kingdom by tearing down your kingdom. We must be careful to clarify to ourselves and to our followers the principle from II Corinthians 4:5, “For we preach not
t. ke van bart l e t t is the senior pastor of Maranatha Baptist Church in Charleston, West Virginia.
IT’S OUR TURN by TIM CRUSE
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If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psalm 11:3
T Franklin Road
Baptist Church
franklinroadbaptist.org
he faith which was once delivered unto the saints” ( Jude 3) must be contended for in each generation. If the foundations of faith upon which our freedoms stand are being destroyed, what can we do but lay them again? Psalm 11 is a Psalm of steadfastness. When the battle is raging and the earth is shaking we must stand fast and remember that:
1. God is on His throne Knowing God
Growing Together
Showing Others
3148 Franklin Road | Murfreesboro, TN 37128 | 615.890.0820 Dr. Mike No r r i s , P as tor
“The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men. (Psalm 11:4)
3. God is on the side of those who love Him “For the righteous Lord loveth righteousness; his countenance doth behold the upright.” (Psalm 11:7) Praise the Lord for the wonderful heritage we have as Bible-believers! I am thankful for those who have gone before us and blazed a trail of love for God, truth, and others. However, while generations have passed away, the baton of truth has been handed to us. It’s our turn to do our part in our day to pray, proclaim the gospel of Christ, and promote the work of God. “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.” (Isaiah 60:1) “I’ve enlisted in the fight, for the cause of truth and right. Oh, praise the Lord, I’m on the winning side!”
2. God will judge those who reject Him “The Lord trieth the righteous: but the wicked and him that loveth violence his soul hateth. Upon the wicked he shall rain snares, fire and brimstone, and an horrible tempest:this shall be the portion of their cup.” (Psalm 11:5, 6)
t i m c rus e
is the senior pastor of the Shining Light Baptist Church and president of The Shepherd’s Place Children’s Home in Monroe, North Carolina.
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A Word
FROM THE EDITOR
The Gospel of Jesus Christ needs no additions, subtractions, proofing, or editing! In recent years in America, a lot of “new gospels” have been introduced. Some “new gospels” are “new age” belief systems, others are more psychology than religion. HOWEVER, there is only one Saviour, His name is Jesus Christ! He is the only way to Heaven. Do you know him?
“That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death” Phillipians 3:10
For more information about the God Bless America Crusades, please visit GodBlessAmericaCrusade.com
If you have never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Saviour, will you do so right now? Romans 10:13 says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Perhaps you need help praying. Consider using this simple prayer: “Dear Lord, I admit I am a sinner. I believe You died for me on the cross, and rose again on the third day from the grave. I ask You to forgive my sin and save me. I am fully depending on You to take me to Heaven when I die. Thank You Lord. I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.”
If you just now asked Jesus to save you, we would love to hear from you. Please write to Editor@GodBlessAmericaCrusade.com
Please consider committing to The Hour That Makes The Difference | Bible Reading and Prayer, at least 15 minutes a day, 5 days a week, during the 12 o’clock hour (midday or midnight). “The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16)
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G O D B L E S S A M E R I CA
SEPTEMBER 2015
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