The difficulties we have all faced in 2020 caught most everyone by surprise. I’m convinced that the devil is behind the evil plot that led to quickly closing the doors of churches across America and around the world.
Romans 13 commands us to submit to government authorities, however, when a pandemic is used to oppress the church it is time to take action! I’m fully aware that there are high risk individuals that it has been necessary for them to be precautious, but seemingly we have gone from saving people to manipulating people, specifically those that make up the Body of Christ.
I believe that this coming year will be strategic for the Body of Christ as we wake up and prepare for the greatest outpouring of the Holy Ghost in the history of the Church!
Submitting our lives wholeheartedly to God in 2021 will be extremely important in the midst of what He is going to accomplish.
God is going to use the Body of Christ mightily and assembling ourselves together will be imperative for many reasons.
First of all,
“We should not stop gathering together with other believers, as some of you are doing. Instead, we must continue to encourage each other even more as we see the day of the Lord coming.” –Hebrews 10:25 (GW)
Jesus stressed the importance of the local church when He was here in the flesh and he hasn’t changed His mind. God could accomplish what needs to happen without the church but instead, He chooses to use the Body of Christ.
The Lord’s plan for the Body of Christ involves coming together with other Christians. One very necessary purpose is to create an atmosphere for the Holy Ghost to accomplish what God desires to accomplish as described in 1 Corinthians 12-14.
Companionship and connections are important to our Christian growth. God uses the assembling of ourselves to allow believers to move in the gifts of the Spirit and speak into others. Something as simple as a smile leads to much needed encouragement in the midst of difficult times.
Psalm 92:13 tells us, “They are planted in the Lord’s house. They blossom in our God’s courtyards.” (GW).
Blossoming in your life happens as a result of being planted in God’s house—the local church.
In addition, attending church isn’t just about what you can GET out of it, it’s also about GIVING of yourself. As much as you need the local church, the local church needs you! We are the Church, not the building, but we the people. However, if the Body is disassembled, the Body can’t operate the way Christ wants us to operate. When we come together, we must be prepared to give and receive according to 1 Corinthians 14:26, “So what does this mean, brothers and sisters? When you gather, each person has a psalm, doctrine, revelation, another language, or an interpretation. Everything must be done to help each other grow.”
Secondly,
“When Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house. An upper room in his house had windows that opened in the direction of Jerusalem. Three times each day he got down on his knees and prayed to his God. He had always praised God this way.” –Daniel 6:10 (GW)
It is definitely important for us to respect and obey God’s instructions in Romans 13 with regard to obeying the laws of the land. However, the Lord does not require us to adhere to laws that are in opposition to the Bible.
This truth is clearly revealed throughout God’s Word. Daniel was thrown in the lions den. The three Hebrew boys were thrown in the fiery furnace. Esther approached the King without first being summoned. John the Baptist had his head chopped off. Stephen was stoned. The axe blade dripped with the blood of Paul the apostle. Peter was crucified upside down. They were sawed in two and burned at the stake. What’s happened to you lately?
What the Lord says always trumps the law of the land. In the book of Acts 5:29 the Apostle Paul said, “We must obey God, rather than men.” We respect authority when it isn’t convenient, even when we are not in agreement. But when the law is in opposition to what God’s Word says that is where we must draw the line.
Thirdly,
“Have nothing to do with the useless works that darkness produces. Instead, expose them for what they are.” –Ephesians 5:11 (GW)
Gathering together as the local church is scriptural, however, realize that it is also a legal right. Freedom of speech, freedom of religion and the freedom to peaceably assemble are all protected rights of every citizen. In addition, no where in the Constitution is there room for justification of singling out church bodies and ministries for being treated unfairly.
Regardless, believer’s Freedom of Speech rights to ‘peaceably assemble’ are being attacked on a regular basis. In many cities across America Church bodies have been forced to close down while bars, restaurants, casinos and amusement parks have been allowed to stay open.
In addition, referring to church congregations gathering as being “high risk” while encouraging and praising large gatherings of protestors, rioters, anarchist and looters is absolutely persecution.
Here is what Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch said about this despicable treatment of churches,
, “The First Amendment prohibits such obvious discrimination against the exercise of religion. The world we inhabit today, with a pandemic upon us, poses unusual challenges. But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel.”
America was founded on biblical principles to begin with! It would help our great nation to be reminded that freedom to exercise religion and freedom to gather is why America was founded. When we gather as a church, we are standing for our right to gather, while strengthening our unity.
And finally,
“You are Peter, and I can guarantee that on this rock I will build my church. And the gates of hell will not overpower it.” –Matthew 16:18 (GW)
Our gathering as the Body of Christ will usher in the last day revival. The greatest outpouring of the Holy Ghost in the history of the church is at the door step, and it starts with the Church of our Lord Jesus Christ assembled in unity.
The devil realizes that a mighty move of God is inevitable, and he is working overtime to keep it from happening. There is absolutely nothing that can stop the Body of Christ when we rise up, under the anointing of the Holy Ghost!
When we speak in unity, with one voice, and boldly rise up, standing for truth and justice, we will be positioned spiritually to usher in the last day harvest of souls.
The Lord proclaimed, “He told them, “My house will be called a house of prayer,’ but you’re turning it into a gathering place for thieves!” –Matthew 21:13 (GW).
As the Church leads, we can direct America to become a nation of prayer—leading into a powerful move of God.
Now is not the time to be sleeping spiritually, but instead, it is time for us to identify which tables need to be turned over. Regardless of what persecution we are up against, the gates of hell will never prevail against God’s Church!
Let this message compel you to be a faithful church attender in your local Bible believing, Holy Ghost filled, body of believers. Let this encourage you to move forward with the power and presence of the Holy Ghost to build the Kingdom of God and bring in the last day harvest.
I speak church bodies gathering in 2021 in the name of Jesus Christ!
Over the past 30 plus years of ministry around the world, we have continued to see the faithfulness of God in every one of the ministry outreaches that we facilitate. I believe that in 2021, we will begin to see an exponential increase of miracles, signs, and wonders, of ministry opportunities, of seeing the lost saved, the broken restored, and family members who have turned away from God are coming back home!
2020 brought many challenges, but God continued to use the ministry of Revival Fires International to reach people AROUND THE WORLD through our ministry outreaches such as…
The Truth For Youth Bible Project
So far we have GIVEN AWAY more than 2.7 million Truth For Youth Bibles to students around the world. This awesome witnessing tool has impacted students from all backgrounds, those who are saved and not saved. In 2020, we have received more decision coupons from students receiving Christ as Savior than any other year! God is moving in the lives of students through this ministry!
Bibles for Troops
Right now, Revival Fires International is helping to provide Bibles for our men and women in uniform worldwide! The Chaplains at the Pentagon are helping to coordinate this giant Bible distribution effort.
Bibles for Cuba
Did you know that we are actively involved in distributing Bibles in Cuba? Cuba’s Department of Religious Affairs approved Revival Fires International distributing one million Bibles throughout Cuba! Brothers and sisters in Christ in Cuba are receiving Bibles for the very first time!
Bibles for Prison Inmates
Men and women incarcerated in U.S. prisons are hungry for the Word of God. In 2020, Revival Fires continued to distribute Bibles to our prisoners and we are seeing unprecedented salvations! Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost and we are excited to be a part of what God is doing in the lives of prisoners across the country.
Radio Evangelism
“Dr. Todd is a powerful evangelist! I have never heard anyone preach such truth! I love to listen to him every time he comes on!” We receive testimony after testimony of people who have been touched by our Revival Fires Radio Broadcast on American Family Radio which has a listening audience of over 10.5 million!
Revival Services and Evangelistic Crusades
We are witnessing more miracles, signs, and wonders right now than in more than 33 years of ministry!! I believe that in 2021, as we assemble in the church we will see a move of God like never before! We are looking forward to seeing God outdo our expectations. He is a good God! Please be praying with us for souls to continue to be saved, pray for physical healings, and people who are broken to be delivered as we continue to preach the Gospel in revival services and crusades.
Thank you for praying for us! If you feel led to give a tax-deductible gift to any of these vitally important ministry outreaches, please use the enclosed envelope. We pray God’s blessings over you and your family in 2021!
For a $50 a month or more partnership to help us take the Gospel around the world…receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between America and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
January 7, 2021
Categories: Revival Fires Blogspot . . Author: revivalfires . Comments: Comments Off on Not Forsaking the Assembling of the Body of Christ in 2021
Luke 2:11-12 “The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! And you will recognize him by this sign: You will find a baby wrapped snugly in strips of cloth, lying in a manger.”
The Christmas story as described by Luke is under attack today in America and around the globe. Good will toward men and Peace on earth? What happened? Separation of church and state! Atheist sign beside the nativity scene in the Washington capitol. A believer in Florida was fired because she refused to greet the customers with “Happy Holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas”. A teacher in Texas was sued for giving Truth for Youth Bibles to her students, as Christmas presents. The Seattle airport was sued for having a Christmas tree on display.
All of this in a nation that was founded on Biblical standards.
I don’t mind people celebrating whatever they want to celebrate. It is the elimination of Christmas that is unacceptable. With all of these efforts to do away with Christmas I wanted to take a look at what it would be like without Christmas. What would your life be like without Christmas?
If Christmas had never happened there would be no Christmas family get togethers, no Christmas gifts, Christmas carols, decorations, Christmas trees, Charlie Brown Christmas specials, no Grinch who stole Christmas, no Jimmy Stewart and It’s a Wonderful Life, and, Children would have to go to school the entire month of December. Without Christmas, December 25 would be, just another day!
If there had never been a Christmas, the world would be far different than it is today – in ways you may never have imagined. For example, when Jesus came, He taught His followers to love God, but also their neighbors! (Luke 10:27). Jesus’ followers invented the idea of organized charity.
It was the early Christians that stressed support for widows, orphans, the sick and disabled. They coordinated efforts to help those who were dying. They built, staffed, and paid for hospitals. In recent times, Christ’s followers have founded virtually every charitable organization on earth, including the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, World Relief, World Vision, Samaritan’s Purse, Food for the Hungry, Compassion International and Revival Fires International.
Without the birth of Christ, education would be very different today. Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, and almost every one of the first 123 American colleges and universities were founded by Christians. Hard to imagine those schools that now teach evolution and deny the very existence of God were started as Christian universities.
If there had never been a Christmas, much of the good in this world and that you’ve experienced would be missing. None of our great Christmas memories would have happened. But without Christmas, something far worse wouldn’t have happened: Christ would not have come. I don’t even want to think about life without the birth of Jesus as a man. He came as one of us. Think about it for a moment. JOHN 1:1-5, “In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.”
Here was the creator, there from the beginning of time, the one that everything was made for and nothing was made without, the light on man, and He chose to come to earth as a fragile, vulnerable human. Why would such a sovereign being do that for us? What possible motive could He have had to come and endure such scorn and ridicule. To endure the pain of the cross, only to be rejected by the very people He died for. The answer is found in John 3:16, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”
It was the God’s love that brought that baby to earth 2,000 years ago. God’s desire to have His creation dwell with Him and worship Him. We can’t fathom the depth of God’s love for us. It is incomprehensible to our limited minds that ANYONE…much less our creator…could love us that much. Especially when mankind treats Him the way we do.
Ephesians 3:14-19, “When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God.”
Angie and I love to watch our children open their presents on Christmas morning. The joy in their faces, the anticipation of what’s in those brightly wrapped gifts. Our favorite part of opening Christmas presents is to watch the expressions on our children’s faces as they unwrap that special gifts that was picked out just for them. We want to get our children a good and perfect gift, don’t we? It makes us feel good to give good gifts. What kind of feeling do you think God gets whenever one of His children open up the gift He gave especially for them?
Do you think that any child would leave a gift unopened if they knew it was theirs? Yet, to this day there remains for some an unopened gift from our heavenly Father. A very special one-of-a-kind gift: a personal relationship with Jesus! God wants us all to have communion with Him. He doesn’t want anyone to be without this gift of salvation.
Luke 15:7, “In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!”
Christmas 2020 is right in front of us. The year 2020 has been filled with many challenges. However, right now, we are still able to celebrate the birth of our Saviour here in America.
I believe that we are in for a rough time as Christians but it will be the greatest day for God’s Kingdom. We are being asked to compromise the truths of God’s word, to accept things that are ungodly and unholy in the name of tolerance. There is one thing that God is not tolerant of, and that is unrepentant sin in the believer’s life. We must stand strong for God now more than ever. Be Holy as He is Holy, that’s our call. Listen, He knows when you’ve been bad or good….so be good, for goodness sake!
It is impossible in yourself to live as God wants you to, but I have good news!
1 Peter 3:18 says, “Christ suffered for our sins once for all time. He never sinned, but he died for sinners to bring you safely home to God. He suffered physical death, but he was raised to life in the Spirit.”
We must have God’s Spirit living within us, crucifying our flesh and increasing Christ in us. In this, we see the gift OF God to the sinner, and the gift FROM God to the believer.
Luke 11:13 says, “So if you sinful people know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”
Have you asked, “Do you live in a manner that is yielding to His Spirit? Have you put your flesh to death? Are you being led by the Spirit?”
Romans 8:13, 14, “For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.
If you are reading this newsletter chances are you have already opened God’s free gift of salvation. But if you haven’t, He invites you to do so today. Don’t put it off. None of us are promised tomorrow. And if you haven’t received His gift of the Holy Ghost, He invites you to unwrap that present today. Without the power of the Holy Ghost, these difficult times we are living in will be harder than it has to be.
My younger brother, Cecil Wayne Todd, passed away a few days ago. The last time I saw him he shared the difficulty of his heart condition and I shared with him an update on some difficulties we have been facing. After we shared, wept and prayed, Cecil said, “You know Tim, the season of these difficulties we are both in will end, but the mercy and grace of God will last forever”.
Christmas is right in front of us, as you may be in a difficult season. Your difficult season will end, but God’s mercy and grace, God’s gift of unconditional love for you will last forever.
Merry Christmas from our family to yours.
~ Tim Todd
As we approach Christmas and the 2021 New Year, we have the opportunity to recall and celebrate God’s many blessings through the ministry of Revival Fires International that came as a result of your faithful prayers and financial giving. Your support has been vital for the work we do in the United States and around the world.
This past August, we held our 20th Annual National Truth For Youth Bible Campaign on American Family Radio where we gave away more Truth For Youth Bibles this year than years past. This brings our total to more than 2.7 million Truth for Youth Bibles to young people that committed to give them to unsaved friends in school! To date, we have received more than 30,000 decision cards from youth that have been saved for the very first time!!!
This year has been one of the most incredible and productive global ministry opportunities for us at Revival Fires International with evangelistic crusades around the world, Bible distribution to our U.S. soldiers defending America in the war on terror, and to the people of Cuba that have never had a Bible and many other regions of the world.
In addition, we have continually produced evangelistic content on our Revival Fires radio program on Newstalk radio that airs weekly, immediately following Dave Ramsey, that is producing a tremendous response as we are reaching people that don’t have a relationship with the Lord. Several of these programs have also aired on American Family Radio as well. We also produce a weekly evangelistic Revival Fires Podcast.
We have also been privileged to preach and distribute Truth for Youth Bibles to inmates in prisons across America. A huge part of God’s blessing has been providing us with people like you who join us in this vitally important Kingdom work, encouraging us, praying for us, and generously supporting us. More than anything, we want to thank you. We pray that the Lord will bestow His richest blessings to you and your family as you celebrate God’s goodness and the birth of our Savior this Christmas season!
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between the US and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
In the case of most virtues, you can’t quickly develop an attitude of gratefulness. You only become grateful when you develop a pattern of thankfulness as a lifestyle.
“Give thanks to the Lord because he is good, because his mercy endures forever. (1 Chronicles 16:34)
Ephesians 5:18-20 says, “Don’t get drunk on wine, which leads to wild living. Instead, be filled with the Spirit by reciting psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs for your own good. Sing and make music to the Lord with your hearts. Always thank God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In the 18th-century classic, A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, William Law made the following statement:
“Would you know who is the greatest saint in the world? It is not he who prays most or fasts most; it is not he who gives most alms or is most eminent for temperance, chastity, or justice; but it is he who is always thankful to God, who wills everything that God wills, who receives everything as an instance of God’s goodness and has a heart always ready to praise God for it. Could you therefore work miracles, you could not do more for yourself than by this thankful spirit, for it turns all that it touches into happiness.”
Law makes a great point. When you see God at work and respond to what he is doing with thankfulness instead of resistance, you will develop many other virtues he describes.
Everything good in your life comes from God, according to James 1:17, “Every good present and every perfect gift comes from above, from the Father who made the sun, moon, and stars.”
We will become more intimate with the Lord when we understand this truth and focus our lives around the fact that everything good comes from God.
I want to be more thankful and these are some things that, if we will apply these to our lives as a pattern, they will help us to accomplish this:
Consistently have a pattern of being thankful.
We need to be habitual in expressing thankfulness. Having a heart of thankfulness, instead of belly aching and complaining needs to be a pattern in our life. When you see where God has blessed you, express your heartfelt gratitude to the Lord. Be grateful to God for it. Everyone is guilty of belly aching from time to time, however make it a habit to catch yourself when you do, and replace the complaining with expressing gratefulness. By doing so you help your mind and heart to line up with what God’s Word says with regard to being thankful.
Convey Thankfulness in spite of what you are going through personally.
The Apostle Paul speaks to this when he addresses the Thessalonians and encourages them to give thanks in all situations because that is what God’s will is, (1 Thess. 5:18). What is this about? We never see the complete picture. We can’t look at every circumstance and clearly understand why the circumstance is going on. But we can be certain that God is working behind the scenes on your behalf in every circumstance you are facing, and He is working them out for our wellbeing and his glory (Romans 8:28).
No matter what is going on in your life personally, and in our nation, we can thank God for His presence. He is redeeming the circumstance you are facing and protecting us through it. On our own, we focus on the current situation. We rise above the situation when we purposefully look for what God is doing in the middle of it.
A.W. Tozer put it well when he said, “Perhaps it takes a purer faith to praise God for unrealized blessings than for those we once enjoyed or those we enjoy now.”
Give God glory when things are going good in your life.
You may think that is a no brainer, but it is extremely important! We’re conditioned to believe that life will go well for us. When life goes well, we don’t tend to see this as God’s blessing to us. Many times, we don’t recognize that His protection gives us direction and leads us to green pastures and still waters.
Allow the Lord to teach you that a troubling situation can result in a productive end result.
Consider some of the trials you are facing right now and realize that God desires to bring good out of it. Each one of us should take some time to consider the benefits of the trying times in our lives and in our nation. After we spend some time separated from the trying circumstance, we should be able to focus on the good that will come out of your experiences. Many times, you will be able to see how those bad experiences helped you gather strength and momentum for future blessings in your life. Regardless, learning to view your trials through eternity’s perspective, will help you to be more grateful in the midst of difficult times in your life.
When you are around other people, let “being thankful” be a major part of your conversations.
Being thankful needs to impact both our relationship with the Lord and our relationships with the people around us. Rick Warren said it well, “To appreciate means to raise in value. That’s not only true of things, it’s true of people. When you appreciate somebody, you literally raise their value. We ought to appreciate people because it increases their self-worth.” Make it a habit in your life to express thanks to the people that have positively influenced you. Many times, we are guilty of expressing thanks the least, to the people closest to us.
Lean into the strength that thankfulness provides.
There are a lot of individuals who have been through very tough circumstances. I have taken note that those who are the most thankful and have learned to see God’s work regularly show the most perseverance.
Gratefulness is a supernatural enabler. Gratefulness gives us the ability to view our trials and circumstances and wrap our arms around how God is moving. Grateful individuals are not only able to draw strength from gratitude, but they are also able to empower others with their perspective as well because being thankful is contagious! Have a Happy and wonderful Thanksgiving!
-TIM TODD
At Revival Fires International we are thankful for all of you who have prayed for us and partnered with us financially through this COVID-19 pandemic to help us continue to take the Gospel of Jesus Christ around the world.
COVID-19 has not slowed us down! We continue to actively provide Truth for Youth Bibles for students, provide Bibles for our brave U. S. Soldiers, provide Bibles for the people of Cuba that have never had a Bible, provide Bibles for prisoners, and we are still preaching the Gospel on the radio across the nation on American Family Radio to a listening audience of more than 10.5 million people!
Bibles for Cuba
God is moving in the lives of our troops! We are thankful for those who have served in the armed forces.
If you have served our country in the U.S. military, are currently serving, or you know someone who has, you know just how difficult it can be. That’s why we prioritize providing Bibles for our troops. A Bible in the hands of men and women defending America in the war on terror brings hope, brings healing, and provides an anchor for their soul amidst the trials that they are facing.
God is moving in the lives of our troops! We are thankful for those who have served in the armed forces.
If you have served our country in the U.S. military, are currently serving, or you know someone who has, you know just how difficult it can be. That’s why we prioritize providing Bibles for our troops. A Bible in the hands of men and women defending America in the war on terror brings hope, brings healing, and provides an anchor for their soul amidst the trials that they are facing.
Many of the testimonies that we receive on a daily basis are from prisoners who have read my testimony of God saving me from drugs, drunkenness and death! Revival is breaking out in prisons across America and we are thankful that we get to play a small part in what God is doing in the hearts of men and women who have been incarcerated.
This year we have given away thousands of Truth For Youth Bibles to students who call to receive a free TFY Bible to give to an unsaved friend at school.
As a result, we continue to hear testimonies of students who are receiving Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, students who are starting Bible studies in their school, and students who are being miraculously delivered from various addictions. We are in awe of how God continually uses the Truth For Youth Bible to bring in a harvest of souls!
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between the US and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
I have spent the past 33 years of full-time evangelistic ministry reaching out to bring lost people to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ, to restore the backslider, not to condemn people.
The Apostle Paul writes to the church in Galatia, “Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself lest thou also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)
Also, 2 Peter 3:9 says, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
Those of you who know Angie and I know that we have a deep love for God and for people. My heart is heavy right now and my prayer is that you will hear my heart of compassion with regard to what I’m going to share.
1 Corinthians 5 has become very controversial as we approach the soon return of Jesus Christ. I believe it is a sign of the times we live in. The Corinthian believers had come to the point that they were putting up with outright sexual sin among people that were a part of the Corinthian church body. According to 1 Corinthians 5:1 there was a man in their church body that was having sexual relations with his dad’s spouse. No church should turn a blind eye to ANY form of sexually immoral sin.
The bottom line message Paul was conveying in 1 Corinthians 5:2, is that this individual was to be excommunicated from their church body. And not just that man, but Paul goes on to say in 1 Corinthians 5:11, “I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.”
In other words, Christians were told that they were not to have anything at all to do with him, or anyone that has a pattern of engaging in the above said sins, and yet they continued to proclaim to be a believer. The believer was instructed not to even have a meal with those people.
Spiritually, the expulsion of these individuals would translate into them being “turned over to Satan for the destruction of their flesh”. In other words, removed from the church, into Satan’s sphere, for the purpose of their spirit being saved on the day of the Lord, according to 1 Corinthians 5:5, “Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.”
By doing so the Corinthian church body would make sure these people were washed clean of the “old leaven” that would run the risk, or likelihood, of spreading throughout the church body, 1 Corinthians 5:6, 7: “…Don’t you realize that this sin is like a little yeast that spreads through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the ‘old yeast’ by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.”
The Apostle Paul had previously taken the action of judging this individual according to 1 Corinthians 5:3, “Even though I am not with you in person, I am with you in the Spirit. And as though I were there, I have already passed judgment on this man.”
The Corinthian church body was also supposed to pass judgement on him and others in the same spiritual situation, by removing them from the church body as Paul instructed the Church of Corinth in 1 Corinthians 5:12-13, “It isn’t my responsibility to judge outsiders, but it certainly is your responsibility to judge those inside the church who are sinning. God will judge those on the outside; but as the Scriptures say, “You must remove the evil person from among you.”
It seems that there are few in the body of Christ that are willing to adhere to what the Lord requires of us with regard to this passage of scripture. And that is a shame because it appears that the Apostle Paul was taken back by the sexual sin, but he was even more taken back by the attitude of the Church of Corinth with regard to the person committing the sin and continuing to claim to be a Christian.
Today, many in the church will tell you that applying the biblical concept of 1 Corinthians 5 is expressing ‘a lack of love’, or ‘a lack of grace’ toward the person that continues in sexual sin.
What God says in 1 Corinthians 5:5, (THAT HE IS REQUIRING FOR US TO DO), with an individual in the church that continues in a pattern of sexual sin, sounds so ‘abrasive and unloving’: “Then you must throw this man out and hand him over to Satan so that his sinful nature will be destroyed and he himself will be saved on the day the Lord returns.”
…hand him over to Satan?…purify yourselves of this individual?…judge those inside?…excommunicate the evil individual…? “That all sounds so harsh. Where’s the grace? Where’s the love?”
Here are some of the responses I hear people use when it comes to applying 1 Corinthians 5: “You are just not showing the grace of God.” -or- “Jesus loves them just the way they are, and you should too.” -or- “God’s mercy endures in their life.” -or- “Tim, you remember when you were living in sin, we didn’t, (desert you), turn our back on you.” -or- “We are all sinners and if you judge them, God said He is going to judge you.” -or- “We should continue to carry on a friendship relationship with them and speak truth into them.” -or- “We should love the sinner and hate their sin”.
With today’s popular doctrine, putting into action the concept of 1 Corinthians 5 is almost nonexistent among believers. What the Apostle Paul requires has the appearance of not expressing the love, forgiveness and grace of God.
I’m convinced that it delays the process of restoration when a believer continues to maintain a relationship with someone that continues to live their life in habitual sin, and yet claims to be in right standing with God. I also believe that God will hold believers accountable who decide they have a “better way than 1 Corinthians 5” to handle those people.
In addition, there is a church on just about every street corner, many of which are willing to welcome with open arms, a person who refuses to turn from their pattern of sin and yet continuing to claim they are in right standing with God.
When the Corinthian church was in existence there may have been only a handful of available churches to attend. Today we have a tremendous amount of church bodies. It breaks my heart, but many in some of these church bodies are willing to welcome with open arms anybody and everybody that claims to be a Christian, even if they refuse to turn from their ongoing sin that is destroying their life and the lives of those around them.
Some like to say, “The most effective way to get someone to turn away from their habitual sin is to keep them sitting in church so they can continue to hear the Word.” Some like to say, “If we sever ties with them and kick them out of the church, they are cutoff from the Bible that will eventually transform their life.”
In today’s society, applying 1 Corinthians 5 is difficult but important in the church. It is so much easier for us, as believers, to hide behind the spiritual terms of grace, love, mercy and forgiveness, instead of lining up with God’s prescription in 1 Corinthians 5, for an individual who claims to be a Christian and yet continues in a pattern of sexual sin.
Please allow me to give clarity to what the Apostle Paul is conveying to us in 1 Corinthians 5. Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 5:9, 11, “(9) When I wrote to you before, I told you not to associate with people who indulge in sexual sin… (11) I meant that you are not to associate with anyone who claims to be a believer yet indulges in sexual sin, or is greedy, or worships idols, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or cheats people. Don’t even eat with such people.”
Paul said not to even have a connection with an individual that calls themselves a believer but refuses to turn away from their sexual sin, or greed, or idolatry, or is abusive, or is a drunkard, or an individual that is not truthful. Paul went as far as to say in 1 Corinthians 5:11, “Don’t even have a meal with them”.
My heart is broken because of the many pictures I’ve seen on social media in recent days, of individuals that fit Paul’s 1 Corinthians 5 description, claiming to be Christian but living in a pattern, a lifestyle, of sexual immorality, and yet, they are surrounded by spiritual leaders and Christians.
Let me be clear, Paul isn’t talking about an individual that just slips into this sin activity and gets right. Instead, he is referring to someone who is living in a pattern of habitual sexual sin, or being a greedy person, or being a drunkard, etc. In other words, these are people that systematically participate in a pattern of blatant sinful activity. This is an individual claiming to be a Christian who has a pattern of being sexually immoral and says, “Oh, I’ll just repent later”, or has somehow justified in their heart and mind that their sin is alright in God’s eyes even though the Bible says otherwise. These are individuals that live one way in the church building and a different way outside of the church building. They are recognized as a ‘struggling Christian’, but their lifestyle makes a liar out of their lips.
Paul declares that true to life disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ do not even associate with such individuals.
The Apostle Paul is not referring to an individual that slips into these sins and submits to authority and receives restoration, but instead, Paul is referring to an individual that is living in a pattern of one or more of these behaviors and they refuse to turn from their sin.
In spite of what God’s Word says, some like to justify their actions that are in opposition to God’s Word, by saying, “The Lord is leading me to keep a relationship with that person.” Let me tell you something that most all of you already know: The Lord will never lead you to handle a person in a manner that is in opposition to His Word.
In 1 Corinthians 5:4 when the believers came together, they were to give this individual over to Satan. Paul doesn’t really expound on the details about this, however, one thing that is certainly and abundantly clear, he is calling on that church body to banish this individual from their church body, turning him over to Satan’s dominion.
The actual act of banishing this individual from the fellowship is followed by an agreement by the believers to NOT be connected to, or even have a meal with, this individual. When Paul says “even” eating infers that he means private meals instead of partaking of communion, which would also be included. The expression of ‘association’ and ‘eating’ speak of the more intimate expressions of Christian fellowshipping. For example, not giving an invitation to that individual to come to a growth group or Bible study, not inviting them over for a meal, or accepting an invite to go out to eat with them.
It is so very important to understand that this path is motivated by the love of God. The motivation for this spiritual concept is to see this individual get in right relationship with Jesus Christ according to 1 Corinthians 5:5. A lot of people call this ‘tough’ love, but regardless, it is love. An individual living in a pattern of a sinful lifestyle and yet claiming to be a Christian, above all, needs to reckon with their hypocritical actions and repent of their sin.
In addition, applying 1 Corinthians 5 is motivated by love for the rest of the congregation. The Apostle Paul uses the imagery and language of ‘leaven’ in 1 Corinthians 5:6 which ‘leavens’ the whole batch. Leaven that is not good, pollutes the whole batch of dough.
More often than not, when we deal with someone in the church body that refuses to turn away from their sin, we make the mistake of focusing solely on the well-being of the person caught in the sin. We make a huge mistake by thinking that we need to keep that person in the body so we can minister to them, in spite of the fact that they continue to stay in their pattern of habitual sin. We allow them to go on ministry outings with other believers in the body; we let them keep attending their Bible study; encourage their Christian friends to keep meeting up with them for ball games, meals, birthday celebrations, etc. This approach is in direct opposition to what the Apostle Paul says to do!
Staying connected to the individual who claims to be a believer, while they refuse to turn from their pattern of habitual sin, is a destructive and corruptive influence to those they continue to stay in relationship with! To be in a friendship relationship with a person who claims to be a Christian yet behaves otherwise is in direct opposition to God’s Word!
1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals.” According to Paul, it is spiritually devastating for you to hang around with people who blatantly continue in their sin and yet claim to be a Christian. For you to hang out with them also denies the reality of their integrity and character as being ‘unleavened’: “Get rid of the old “yeast” by removing this wicked person from among you. Then you will be like a fresh batch of dough made without yeast, which is what you really are. Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.” 1 Corinthians 5:7.
This passage of scripture does not promise that if you follow this course of action to a “T” that this individual will for sure get saved. But by applying the important principles of 1 Corinthians 5 you will definitely protect the rest of the church from this person’s influence.
So many times, this person I’ve described simply goes to one of the other churches in the city. It would be helpful if the leadership of the church they left would make the other church body aware. Regardless, the original church has been saved from the devastating and immoral influence of that person.
As a believer we have to protect ourselves from the false mindset that we have more wisdom than God does with regard to how we are to deal with the person who claims to be a believer and yet continues in habitual sin. It’s not a matter of whether you love them. Of course, you love them…you love them so much that you are willing to apply 1 Corinthians 5 to their life, knowing that is what God requires. It’s not a matter of “Oh, you’re just not showing enough grace”. It’s a matter of doing what God requires. It’s not a matter of forgiveness. Of course, God forgives them, and you need to forgive them or God won’t even answer your prayers. It’s a matter of doing what God requires.
I realize that people have strong reactions to 1 Corinthians 5. There are many that reject the mindset that severing a relationship with someone is the right approach. They argue that “it’s not what Jesus would do”, and that it has the appearance of not being Christ like. In spite of that logic, 1 Corinthians 5 is the most loving approach as it applies to an individual as described in this message. Applying 1 Corinthians 5 is loving for the individual concerned and loving for the church body. Calling for repentance without a heart change is not expressing real love for a person and will lead to devastation.
And the Word of God backs itself up, too:
“If a believer does something wrong, go, confront him when the two of you are alone. If he listens to you, you have won back that believer. But if he does not listen, take one or two others with you so that every accusation may be verified by two or three witnesses. If he ignores these witnesses, tell it to the community of believers. If he also ignores the community, deal with him as you would a heathen or a tax collector.” (Matthew 18:15-17)
“And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don’t follow the tradition they received from us.” (2 Thessalonians 3:6)
My questions to you as a believer, are these questions: Who are you hanging around with? Who are you eating meals with? Who are you attending church with? If it is the individual that is described in 1 Corinthians 5, that continues to live in a pattern of habitual sin and they refuse to repent and turn away from their sin, and they claim to be a Christian, then you are fellowshipping with people that God has clearly commanded you to stay clear of.
And to the person that continues to live in a pattern of habitual sin and you refuse to repent and turn away from your sin, and yet, you claim to be in right relationship with the Lord:
I want you to know that I love you! I forgive you! But I must say, there is a very high price to pay for low living. It is not God’s will for you to think that you can live in opposition to God’s Word and continue to claim to be a Christian. It is a destructive path and God will honor his Word. If you do not truly repent, the end result for you will be Proverbs 29:1, “He, that being often reproved but hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.”
Proverbs 29:1 is not what God has planned for your life! This is not what God has written in the books of Heaven for your life, your purpose, your destiny, your calling!
God’s remedy for you, is for you to repent, turn away from, RUN FROM, your sin! If you truly repent, God readily has available to you, redemption, reconciliation and restoration. My heart has always been, and always will be, to offer ‘restoration upon repentance’, which is also the heart of the Father.
With that in mind, if you are reading this article, and you are living in a sinful lifestyle as described in 1 Corinthians 5, and you are willing to genuinely repent, TURN AWAY FROM YOUR PATTERN OF SINFUL ACTIVITY, Angie and I stand ready and willing to help you get back on track and receive the spiritual & emotional restoration you need.
Revival Fires are burning bright as we continue to preach the Gospel around the world. We are witnessing more miracles in our revivals right now, than in more than thirty years of being on the evangelistic field! Signs, miracles, and wonders are taking place in every service! We serve a mighty God!
As we continue to preach the Gospel to those who are hurting and desperate for a move of God in their lives, I ask that you would partner with us in prayer for the following ministry areas:
We have given away more than 300,000 Bibles to our U.S. Soldiers defending America in the war on terror. These men and women lay their lives on the line on a daily basis for our freedom to worship, our freedom to vote, and our freedom to raise our families in one of the leading countries in the world. The very least we could do is show our support for them by providing them with the Word of God. If you would like to help us continue to provide Bibles for our troops, please click the below link:
Did you know that we have been given special permission by the Cuban Department of Religious affairs to print and distribute Bibles to people who have never had a Bible before?
The people of Cuba are getting Bibles for the first time in 48 years! Bibles have been so scarce in Cuba that some preachers have been preaching for years from a borrowed Bible! Most churches have had only one or two Bibles for the entire congregation! With your help, we can continue to provide more than 1.4 million Bibles to the precious people of Cuba.
Today, we have distributed MORE THAN 2.7 million Bibles to students around the world and have received more than 25,000 decision coupons from students who have given their lives to Christ as a result of receiving the Truth For Youth Bible. We are honored to continue to receive testimonies like the one below:
Hi, my name is John. I am seventeen years old. I am locked up in the Pemiscot County Jail in Caruthersville, Missouri. Some Christians came to the jail, sang to the inmates and prayed for me. They left me a Truth For Youth Bible they got off of the radio and I started reading the comics. One of them fit my life so much. God used the comic to lead me to Him.. I gave my heart to Jesus four days ago and I am loving it. God bless everyone who had a part in making The Truth For Youth Bible.
Will you prayerfully consider giving a tax-deductible financial gift to help us distribute TFY Bibles to students who call to receive a free Bible? If so, please click one of the links below:
The first sermon that Jesus preached after returning from the wilderness was out of the book of Isaiah chapter 61. He read, “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me…He to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners.” He was not speaking only of physical prisoners, but spiritual prisoners. Prisoners bound to their sin. We have been given the opportunity to be the hands and feet of Jesus in prisons across America by handing out Bibles to inmates who feel lost, forgotten, hopeless, and desperate for truth in their lives. Every week we receive letters from inmates across America who have given their life to Christ as a result of receiving a Bible from. To give to help us in these efforts, you may click the link below:
Every week, the Revival Fires radio broadcast airs on our local KMLB 105.7 FM or 540 AM radio station on Sundays at 7:30 AM. We also air on American Family Radio to a listening audience of over 10 million people. We are praying diligently that God will minister to each and every soul that listens to our radio broadcast. If you would like to sow a financial seed into this powerful ministry outreach, please click the link below:
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between the US and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
Is the devil lying to you? Absolutely! There are a lot of voices and views loudly screaming for your attention. You need the leading of the Holy Spirit to help you distinguish God’s voice from every other voice.
In the end times, God’s Word declares to us that a lot of people will fall into deception. You don’t have to be one of those people!
The Bible continuously alerts us about the dangers of being deceived, including in our everyday personal lives.
Protecting yourself and your family from being deceived gets you positioned to withstand the devil’s trickery in the last days. The meaning of deception is that those who are being lied to don’t realize they are being lied to. It’s extremely important that, as Christians, we are protecting ourselves from the snares of the devil by saturating ourselves with the Word of God!
These are some important things that will help protect you from being deceived and also to build you up in the strength of the Lord!
Nobody is exempt from being deceived. If you have this idea that you are immune to being deceived, that is an indication that you have already been deceived.
When you participate in an act that is in opposition to God’s Word and you are aware that it is in opposition to God’s Word that is not being deceived. That’s making a wrong decision. The only deception in this is the mindset that there will not be a price to pay for your action.
Being deceived is when you get engulfed in an act that is in opposition to the Word of God but you convince yourself that it is truth. Timothy said, “A time will come when people will not listen to accurate teachings. Instead, they will follow their own desires and surround themselves with teachers who tell them what they want to hear. People will refuse to listen to the truth and turn to myths.” (2 Timothy 4:3-4).
“Following their own desires” are the people that only want to be told what they want to hear. They are people that desire to only hear the part of the Gospel that fits the lifestyle they want to continue to live and the flow of society. This results in making a concoction that consists of truth and falsehood until the depiction of Jesus and Christianity is nonexistent.
Here’s what being deceived really means: believing as truth what you didn’t believe previously. This is exactly what took place with Adam and Eve.
The nature of being deceived is a work of fear that starts with doubting. Adam and Eve believed what God said about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil until the devil got them questioning what God said. They began to pull away from the truth as a result of their own doubt: Is that what He really said? Is He trying to keep something from us? Instead of going back to the Lord, they let doubt pull them away. That is being deceived!
Realizing how easy it is to be drawn into being deceived, Paul declared boldly, “take heed” in 1 Timothy 4:16.
Taking heed means to beware, perceive and consider carefully. We must make preparation beforehand to analyze through the Bible those things that present themselves as truth. You need to be able to determine fast and precisely by utilizing the knowledge from God’s Word that you have hidden in your heart.
Protecting your heart against being deceived is proactive. Don’t wait around for a situation to arise and then make an attempt to figure out if it’s truth or deception. Make preparation beforehand.
Saturate yourself in God’s Word. Do not allow the world’s system override what you are taking into your life from the Word of God. Remaining steadfast in prayer and communing with God is the most effective way for you to prepare for standing firm in these troubled times.
When a politically correct idea comes along, for example, the lie that says, homosexual perversion is an acceptable lifestyle, you won’t be deceived by the cultural norms. In the light of the Truth of the Word of God that you have hidden in your heart, you will stand strong!
When you view something through the lens your own perspective, you are positioning yourself to be deceived. As Christians, we have our own barometer, a rock solid foundation on which to base our perceptions. That barometer is the Bible.
We are living in troubled times. The Bible clearly lets us know us that masses in the church will be led astray (Luke 21:8). Jesus said that to help us, not to try to strike fear in our hearts. When we make preparation beforehand to fight the devil and his schemes, we are guarding ourselves from being deceived!
Anytime a suggestion, ideology or belief is introduced, you don’t have to wonder if it’s truth. Just let the Bible be your barometer, and you will quickly know. The Bible is the way you protect your life from being deceived!
A lot of people are ready and willing to deceive you. Bringing deceit simply means pressuring a person to accept as truth, something that is not true. This is taking place now more than ever before.
Many people want to believe it is okay with God to vote for candidates whose views are in opposition to the Bible. Those individuals are being deceived.
Many Christians have fallen into deception by thinking homosexuality and abortion are somehow acceptable. That’s ‘being deceived’ because it isn’t based on the barometer of the truth of the Bible.
Being deceived has no regard whatsoever for God’s law of sowing and reaping. To be deceived is to think you can plant pumpkin seeds and reap a harvest bananas, to believe you can plant seeds of selfishness and reap a harvest of generosity, or that you can plant seeds of anger and reap peace.
Galatians 6:7 says God is not mocked; whatever a man sows, he will also reap. You can’t sow one thing and expect to reap a harvest of something else.
In addition, there is a difference between validity and truth. Something that is valid is not absolute in and of itself. As an example: It is a valid fact that COVID-19 is real and has killed people. However, the truth is that Jesus bore COVID-19 for you on the cross of Calvary, and when you have given your life to Jesus Christ and you have faith in what the Lord did for you, COVID-19 ceases to threaten you.
When the Bible is your barometer you are protected from being deceived.
To protect yourself from being deceived, you are going to have to walk by faith and not by what you are seeing. This will keep you out of the deception.
Difficulties are inevitable. Everybody comes up against difficulties. What sets us apart from others is that we know the truth. The Lord has nothing but victory for you and don’t let the devil convince you otherwise!
Satan will try to convince you to anticipate defeat, failure, sickness and disease, broken relationships, and financial trouble. When you walk according to faith, you trust in the truth of the Word of God! And the Word of God declares…
“I can do everything through Christ who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13)
“But nothing is impossible for God.” (Luke 1:37)
“As far as possibilities go, everything is possible for the person who believes.” (Mark 9:23)
“Our faith is what wins the victory over the world.” (1 John 5:4)
“But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
The Word of God is truth, and the Bible declares that we have already won the battle through Christ!
Protect yourself from the lies of the devil by applying these four Biblical principles to your life. Ask the Holy Ghost to direct you into the truth of everything God has for you.
Be watchful, and saturate yourself in the Word. Refuse to accept as truth ANYTHING that is in opposition to God’s Word! Be spiritually strong from now until the Lord’s return. Protect yourself from being deceived by the devil and his cohorts!
On August 13 I had the privilege of conducting an interview with Louisiana Attorney General, Jeff Landry.
In the interview we discussed the importance of students exercising their religious freedoms on public school campuses as they return to school in the midst of Covid 19 and racial unrest.
With the fear and extended isolation resulting from the coronavirus pandemic, the racial unrest, violence and vandalism in cities across America, young people need real hope that comes only through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We are giving young people that hope through the massive distribution of the Truth for Youth Bible.
Landry said, “We are seeing the fruits of the labor of taking God out of our schools with all of the carnage and violence…and trying to replace God with some form of government. I don’t know if anyone who can give me an example of when you bring Christ more into your life, that violence and unrest lives. You see the opposite. The more Christ is brought in, the more peace comes over people”. Landry added, “Thank you for what you are doing with the distribution of Truth for Youth Bibles in America’s public schools”.
The Truth for Youth (TFY) Bible consist of the entire New Testament along with 100 pages of powerful graphic novels, (comic stories), dealing with many issues that young people are faced with on a daily basis such as bullying, suicide, sexual purity, abortion, homosexuality, evolution, witchcraft, honor, cutting, sexting, cyber bullying, school violence, pluralism, drugs, drunkenness and peer pressure. More than 2.7 million copies of the TFY have already been distributed.
Displayed on the back cover of the TFY are the “10 Student’s Legal Rights on Public School Campuses”. We put number four in bold to let young people know, they do legally have the right to distribute religious literature, (Bibles), on campus during non-instructional time.
Click Here to purchase the Truth For Youth or Click Here to give financially to help us get them into the hands of young people across America.
On August 3-7, we conducted our 20th annual, National Truth For Youth (TFY) Bible Campaign on American Family Radio! We were able to give away thousands of TFY Bibles to students who pledged to give them away to their unsaved friends in school. Please continue to pray for each student who receives a TFY Bible, that they will experience God like never before!
Cuba’s Department of Religious Affairs approved Revival Fires International distributing one million Bibles throughout Cuba! In the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, we continue to make sure that the precious people of Cuba who do not have a Bible, are able to have their own personal Bible for the very first time!
We have the privilege not only to provide TFY Bibles for students across America, but also to prison inmates who are desperate and hungry for a move of God in their lives! Please pray for revival to sweep across our nation’s prisons, and that inmates who were once bound by addiction, sin, and shame, to be set on fire for Jesus Christ!
The Revival Fires Radio Broadcast airs on TALK RADIO, KMLB AM and FM at 7:30 AM every Sunday, following The Dave Ramsey Show, and on American Family Radio’s 181 stations in over 30 states with 10.5 million listeners!!! PLEASE PRAY FOR SOULS TO BE SAVED!
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between America and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
As Rachel stood in school that day, holding a Truth For Youth Bible, she could have chosen anyone as its recipient. But she chose Alex, a prominent gang leader at school.
When she approached to give him the Bible, Alex was indignant. He spat and cursed at her in front of everyone, humiliating her. However, this did not sway her resolve, and she left the Bible with him before walking away.
Although not many things are worth approaching an intimidating gang leader, spreading the truth of Jesus Christ is worth it, which is why Revival Fires International (RFI) hopes to inspire other students around the country to take the same courageous stand for the gospel.
Within RFI, one of the most important outreaches is called Truth For Youth (TFY). Each school year, Truth For Youth New Testaments are given to students in every state around the country to spread the truth about Jesus Christ.
Since the project’s beginning in 1995, TFY has distributed more than 2.5 million Bibles to students worldwide. Additionally, the ministry has received decision cards from over 25,000 individuals who have made a decision to follow Jesus.
“The light of the gospel is shining in those schools,” said Tim Todd, president of RFI. “I’ve seen young people who have become bolder than they have ever been before. I’ve seen a shift for the Bible, where the Bibles are distributed in the schools.”
During August 3-7, American Family Radio (AFR) will be partnering with TFY to help spread the gospel throughout schools in America. This partnership has thrived for 20 years and has seen more than 1 million Bibles distributed.
“It’s been AFR’s privilege,” said Jim Stanley, AFR general manager, “to join Revival Fires International in providing more than 1 million Truth For Youth Bibles over the past 20 years. This year we hope to put thousands more Bibles into the hands of youth across the country to use as an evangelical tool to introduce their friends to Christ. This is part of our mission statement: that AFR aid the church in its task of fulfilling the Great Commission.”
In the early 1960s, a series of court cases took Bibles out of schools, starting a resistance in public education to the Word of God that continues today. Many believers are often not allowed to step foot on school campuses to hand out Bibles.
“The way that the law is interpreted,” Todd said, “adults are not able to go on school campuses to pass out religious literature.”
For the TFY campaign, Todd and his ministry have developed a legal response to this barrier. Instead of handing out the Bibles themselves on school campuses, Todd will hold a service at a local church and give the Bibles to Christian students. Todd then challenges those students to take the Bibles to the hallways and lunch rooms of their schools and distribute them to unbelieving classmates.
“We encourage [them] not to disrupt class,” said Todd, “but before school, during lunch hour, between classes, [they can] get the Bibles to friends in school who are not serving the Lord. One way I like to describe it is ‘legally smuggling’ Bibles into America’s public schools.”
To better equip and empower each student in this outreach, the back of each TFY Bible contains an additional invaluable tool.
“We print the student’s legal rights on public school campuses on the back cover,” said Todd. “We put Number 4 in bold, and it says that young people have the right to give out Bibles on campus during non-instructional time.”
Along with a complete New Testament, each TFY Bible contains faith based comics at the front, which have impacted many students nationwide.
“[These are] powerful comic stories,” Todd described, “that deal with the truth about things that young people are up against every day. Things like drugs, drunkenness, peer pressure, pornography, sexual impurity, homosexuality, cutting, sexting, bullying, school violence, suicide, and witchcraft.”
Todd goes on to say, “The ‘Sexual Revolution’ started in the late 1960s, but it has flourished in media, culture, and, even school curriculum, ever since. Today, on average, children experience their first exposure to pornography by age 11! In a bygone era, children were protected from early exposure to violence and sexual activity, but today’s professional sexualists celebrate promiscuity and unimaginable forms of sexual expression.”
Todd said, “This is why the TFY graphic novel stories on the subjects of sexual purity, pornography, homosexuality and other subjects are so vitally important. These powerful comic stories address the prevalence of an over-sexualized world and many other issues.”
Each comic appropriately portrays the worldly aspect of the above topics along with what it looks like to turn from sin and walk with Jesus Christ.
Similar to those in other places and walks of life, the youth in schools desperately need the Word of God in their lives. Joseph Parker is the director of outreach and intercession for American Family Association and hosts The Hour of Intercession, a daily prayer-focused program on AFR.
“When a young person begins to read—really read and spend time in the Word,” said Parker, “The power of God found in His eternal Word can begin to guide and transform his or her heart and life wonderfully.”
Parker asks a very powerful and important question: “Why does the devil work so hard to keep the Word of God out of public schools?” The answer is obvious. “The devil understands that there is tremendous power, grace, and mercy in God’s Word.” Parker is right, and Romans 1:16 confirms it: “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
The Word of God contains the power to transform any life, and so many students walking the halls of public schools are in tremendous need of this transformation. Alex, the gang leader, was no exception.
After he received the Bible from Rachel, he sat down during lunch hour and read the comics at the front, each of which pointed to his need for Christ. When the day was over, he approached Rachel, this time with a changed heart.
He then promptly asked for more copies, so that he could give them to each member of his gang. That night, Alex showed up at the church where Tim Todd was conducting a revival service, and he gave his heart to Jesus. The following night, Alex returned to the church, this time with all 12 members of his gang, all of whom accepted Christ as their personal Savior. Todd is confident this is a battle the Lord has already won.
“We’re not fighting for victory,” Todd exclaimed. “We’re fighting from victory! These young people who are going on our school campuses, who are armed with the Word of God, are taking back what the devil has stolen.”
“When you’ve got the truth that is going onto school campuses, we’re seeing God honor His Word and setting people free. As a result of the freedom that these young people are receiving, we’re seeing a difference on the school campuses in those schools where the gospel is shining bright.”
BY MASON BEASLER
OUR 20TH ANNUAL NATIONAL TRUTH FOR YOUTH BIBLE WEEK ON AMERICAN FAMILY RADIO BEGINS AUGUST 3-7!!! Every year during our TFY Bible week on AFR, we give thousands of Bibles away to students who pledge to give the TFY Bible to an unsaved friend at their school. Mark your calendars!
As we prepare for this ministry outreach we ask that you pray with us. Pray that this will be the largest distribution of TFY Bibles that we have ever seen in the history of this project! Pray that every student who receives a TFY Bible will radically give their life to Jesus!! Pray that this virus will lift and that students can safely return to school WITHOUT fear!
In addition, prayerfully consider giving a financial gift to help us provide each student with a free TFY Bible who calls during August 3-7. Through this gift, teenagers will be saved and lives will be impacted with the Gospel of Jesus Christ! To partner with us in this vitally important Bible distribution, click on the donate link below.
Thank you for your prayers! We are excited to see what God is going to do through these efforts!
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between America and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
Every person should obey the government in power. No government would exist if it hadn’t been established by God. The governments which exist have been put in place by God. 2 Therefore, whoever resists the government opposes what God has established. Those who resist will bring punishment on themselves.
3 People who do what is right don’t have to be afraid of the government. But people who do what is wrong should be afraid of it. Would you like to live without being afraid of the government? Do what is right, and it will praise you. 4 The government is God’s servant working for your good.
But if you do what is wrong, you should be afraid. The government has the right to carry out the death sentence. It is God’s servant, an avenger to execute God’s anger on anyone who does what is wrong. 5 Therefore, it is necessary for you to obey, not only because you’re afraid of God’s anger but also because of your own conscience.
6 That is also why you pay your taxes. People in the government are God’s servants while they do the work he has given them. 7 Pay everyone whatever you owe them. If you owe taxes, pay them. If you owe tolls, pay them. If you owe someone respect, respect that person. If you owe someone honor, honor that person. (Romans 13:1-7) GWT
Many people think that you shouldn’t mix Christianity with politics. If there is anywhere Christianity needs to be mixed, it’s in politics.
Some are concerned about encouraging a social gospel where you have a body of believers just trying to make the world a better place instead of focusing on the cross of Calvary and salvation through the blood of Jesus. We do need to be careful not to fall into doing that, but I’m convinced that God desires for the church to insert God into our government.
Many have made up their minds that it’s too late for America. God is ready to judge our nation. It is true that if we don’t fall to our knees in repentance we will be knocked to our knees in judgment. But I don’t believe it is too late for America IF we will do what God requires in 2 Chronicles 7:14: “If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”
Romans 13 gives us hope for this great nation that was founded on biblical principles! In Judges God demonstrates that His preference is to forgive us instead of judge us. Time and time again the people of Israel would turn away from God. However, IF they would repent, God would forgive and restore them.
Some argue that all politicians are evil and so we shouldn’t even vote because none of our choices are acceptable leaders. So many have become weary with all of the scandals among politicians that they have given up even getting involved.
Even some believers feel threatened by a possible law suit from the ACLU because the liberal politicians and news media talk so much about “separation of church and state”. By the way, the phrase, “separation of church and state”, does not appear anywhere in the United States Constitution. It is found in Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto!
President Thomas Jefferson wrote to the Danbury Baptist Association letting them know that he would keep the Government out of the Church, not the Church out of the Government. Jefferson conveyed to them, never again will there be a church sponsored by the government like it was in England, where all people were made to attend and support!
See for yourself, the first amendment says: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…
If anything, the intention was to keep the government out of the church. In spite of that, there are those that say, “No, they wanted to keep BOTH separated from each other.
With that in mind, consider these facts:
When George Washington was sworn in as president he did so with his hand on the Bible. He kissed the Bible then conducted a two hour praise and worship service in the Congress.
In 1956, Congress put “In God We Trust” on our coins and currency!
In 1776, 11 of the colonies mandated that you had to be a believer to be able to run for elected office.
In 1777, the Congress voted to spend $300,000 to purchase Bibles for distribution in the nation. Quote from Gettysburg Address, “…this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…”
94% of our Founding Father’s writings had statements from the Bible.
The Constitution representing all 50 states make mention of God.
The very first “Thanksgiving” the population were thanking God!
The “Liberty Bell” has a portion of Leviticus 25:10 engraved on it: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”
Part of Proverbs 14:34 is engraved above the L.A. city hall door: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”
Facing the Speaker of the House of Representatives is an image of Moses carrying the Ten Commandments.
When sworn in as President, the new occupant puts his right hand on the Bible, and finishes his oath by declaring, “So help me God.”
The Supreme Court starts every preceding with declaring, ‘God save the United States and this honorable court,’
In 1798 President, John Adams declared: “Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people.
In 1781 President Thomas Jefferson declared: “I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.”
President, John Quincy Adams said: “No book in the world deserves to be so unceasingly studied, and so profoundly meditated upon as the Bible.”
In 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin proclaimed, “God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”
In 1863 President Abraham Lincoln said: “We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven… But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us;“
In 1917 President Theodore Roosevelt, penned these words: “In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at, or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down-grade.”
In 1911 President Woodrow Wilson, declared: “America was born a Christian nation.“
In 1923 President Calvin Coolidge proclaimed: “They were intent upon establishing a Christian commonwealth in accordance with the principle of self-government. They were an inspired body of men. It has been said that God sifted the nations that He might send choice grain into the wilderness.”
On June 6, 1944 President Franklin Roosevelt prayed this prayer on a national radio broadcast on D-Day: “Almighty God… with Thy blessing we shall prevail over the unholy forces of our enemy.”
In 1974 President Gerald Ford quoted President Dwight D. Eisenhower: “Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life.”
President Ronald Reagan put it well: “If we ever forget that we are ‘One nation, under God’, then we will be one nation gone under.
So I would propose to you that we don’t need to ask if a Christian should get involved in politics. The real question should be…”Can you be the Christian God has called you and set you apart to be without being involved?”
The following are several responsibilities we have as believers if we want to line up with the Bible as it relates to God in government:
For a gift of $25 or more to help Revival Fires provide Bibles for our troops defending America in the war on terror-or-to provide Truth for Youth Bibles for young people in America’s public schools, receive this Commemorative Edition 16X20 full color picture of the very ‘First Prayer in Congress’. Also the names of those in the picture and the picture history are included along with a copy of the actual prayer that was prayed by Rev. Duche.
Romans 13:6-7 “…taxes is equivalent to income tax and toll is equivalent to sales tax.”
There are believers that proclaim, America’s government is a sinful government and because of that, we shouldn’t be required to pay taxes since they are not godly. The Roman Empire was in charge when that was written and they certainly were not a godly government!
While the Lord walked on the earth, He submitted to paying His taxes, and we should do likewise!
“But, the taxes we have are not fair.” Great point! “That hard earned money is wasted and utilized foolishly by our government.” Great point!
We definitely need tax reform, but if you agree that Romans 13 is a part of God’s Word then pay your taxes!
“First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way” (1 Timothy 1-2). Pray for Holy Ghost revival; our spiritual & political leaders; the war on terror; God to use our leaders and have victory over our enemies! Pray for our leaders to have wisdom navigating out of the coronavirus. We need to pray for a revival of the sanctity of life!
Several Supreme Court justices are aging and our next president will select justices. Vote prolife and profamily, not the economy!
“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of water, He turns it wherever He wants.” (Proverbs 21:1)
16″ X 20″ POSTER As our way of saying “thank you” for your gift of $25 or more to help us Take America back, we’d like to send you this beautiful “Take America Back!” poster. The poster is 16 by 20 inches and printed on thick, archival-quality paper, and displays beautifully framed or unframed. Keep it as a reminder of our nation’s godly heritage and our solemn responsibility to seek the Lord in prayer and repentance to turn America back again.
In spite of all our pandemic problems and the handful of bad cops in America, this is still the absolute very best nation in the entire world. We need a revival of good old-fashioned patriotism!
And we should honor our leaders, and all that are in authority…our police officers, like our boss (good or bad…v. 1), we should honor our parents, for God placed them in authority over us, we should honor our spiritual leaders, like our missionaries that give away their lives, even their freedom, for the souls of others.
It would not make any sense for the Lord to ordain government like He has, and then tell His people to not be a part of it.
It is our Christian duty to be informed, and then vote! Shame on the believer who pledges their allegiance to that flag, and then doesn’t vote. Shame on the believer who pledges their allegiance to a political party, instead of the Biblical principles upon which America was founded!
We are a republic…that means that, for the most part, public policy is shaped by public opinion. The only way to impact public opinion is to get God’s Word into the lives of people.
Christians changed their mind about murdering a child in the womb when they got saved because they found out what the Bible says! They made a new decision based on new information!
Sex outside of marriage, drunkenness, slander, lying, fowl language, pornography, the way they dress, the way they think!
The most patriotic thing we can do is not to set off fireworks, or sing a song, but to witness and win them to the Lord Jesus Christ! Let’s lock arms and be the church that shines the light of Jesus Christ in the darkness of a dying world!
As we celebrate our nation’s freedom realize that spiritual freedom comes when you give your life to Jesus Christ!
August 3-7, 2020 will be the 20th year of our annual National Truth For Youth Bible Campaign on American Family Radio. In one weeks time, we will give away thousands of Bibles to young people across America! Please prayerfully consider helping us bring the message of the Gospel to America’s youth and counter the ill effect of the liberal agenda being promoted aggressively in America’s public schools by partnering with us.
Every day our U.S. soldiers put their life on the line to keep us safe from the international terrorists that continue to threaten our nation. The very least we can do is make sure they have Bibles! My prayer is that you will partner with Revival Fires in this vitally important Bibles for U.S. Troops project.
The Department of Religious Affairs for the Cuban government granted permission for Revival Fires International to distribute full Bibles and Truth For Youth Bibles in their very own language to the people of Cuba. This was a miracle break through from God! We are thankful to be able to continue these efforts with your help!
The full Bibles cost our ministry only $5 each and the Truth For Youth Bibles cost only $2 each. Your financial gift of any amount will be a tremendous help to continue to bless the people of Cuba, (that have never had a Bible), with their very own Bible!
Every person is made in the image of God! No life is beyond His reach! Revival Fires is reaching out with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to all those affected by crime and incarceration, and infected by Covid19, and to see lives and communities restored in and out of prison…one transformed life at a time, one Truth For Youth Bible at a time!!!
We have received testimony after testimony from people across the nation who are being blessed from our radio ministry which airs on American Family Radio’s 181 stations in over 30 states with 10.5 million listeners!!! RFI Broadcast also airs on TALK RADIO, KMLB AM and FM at 7:30 am every Sunday, following The Dave Ramsey Show. PLEASE CONTINUE TO PRAY FOR SOULS TO BE SAVED!
Flame Partnership
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible ($200 value), a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between America and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
The stay at home order, a depletion of assets and the devastation to the U. S. economy have caused fear in the hearts of many as a result of the effects of Covid19. However, God has made you more than a conqueror!
The Lord has promised His people that through Him, we will always be victorious! “But I thank God, who always leads us in victory because of Christ. Wherever we go, God uses us to make clear what it means to know Christ. It’s like a fragrance that fills the air.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
The only thing we are required to do is receive the victory that He has already secured for us! You accomplish this by activating your faith.
Regardless of what the liberal news media and fake news is proclaiming you have everything you need to be victorious over all the challenges the Coronavirus have brought. It’s not an accident that God entrusted you to live here and now, at such a time as this!
You have the mighty victory through your effectual and fervent prayer life. When you pray with a clean heart, God listens and answers. “So admit your sins to each other, and pray for each other so that you will be healed. Prayers offered by those who have God’s approval are effective.” (James 5:16)!
Let me encourage you to pray in these areas:
A fearful nation needs to see the church full of faith in these trying times!
In the midst of Covid19 the bride of Christ should not behave like the world. The church needs to answer with faith. The result of this will be the light of Christ dispelling the darkness of the devil that is in opposition to God’s plan. Our world is looking for hope and peace right now that can only be acquired through Jesus!
Fear, anxiety and stress are contagious! God in the midst of this pandemic, requires for us not to be conformed to this world but to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2). The church cannot allow the world’s system to dictate the way we carry ourselves. The Bible is our roadmap!
Right now, as a believer, don’t feed fear. The words that come out of your mouth and the things that you do are being listened to and watched closely by the people around you. Don’t participate in the panic discussions. Ask God to open doors of opportunity for you to be a blessing to the people around you and vocalize the Word of God and triumph to them!
As a believer you should express a high level of confidence to the people you are communicating with. They should see you operating with faith in God, in times of crisis. Remember, faith is contagious too!
Be a blessing to the people in need that are around you. Don’t go out and buy up all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer. . Help senior citizens. Go to the store for people that can’t get out. Call people and pray faith, peace and hope over them.
Don’t participate in criticizing our political leaders like so many are doing right now. That is not what a REAL Christian does! Let the love of the Lord flow through you instead of a critical spirit.
God’s Word instructs us, “First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions, and prayers of thanks for all people, for rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for these people so that we can have a quiet and peaceful life always lived in a godly and reverent way. This is good and pleases God our Savior” (Timothy 2:1-3).
The right thing to do is pray that President Trump, Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader McConnell and all of our political leaders would have God’s wisdom, direction, peace and supernatural understanding with regard to Covid19 decision making!
The reaction to Covid19 has devastated the financial status of the entire world. Put your faith in action on behalf of our economy by praying that fear will be stopped dead in its tracks and that the economy would begin to boom again! Pray for the restoration of small businesses and a supernatural renewal of resources. Stand in the gap for the provision of your brothers and sisters in Christ. Don’t forget, we operate according to God’s economy not the world’s. If you pay your tithe, God’s got you covered!!!
Psalm 91 is the most powerful prayer of faith! It leaves no stone unturned with regard to the CoronaVirus!
Proclaim the Word of God when you pray. Give thanks and praise to God that Psalm 91 protection is surrounding you and your family.
Proclaim Psalm 91 protection over your family, your physical body, your home, and your church body. Lift up our health care workers, the workers that pick up your trash each week, grocery store workers, the people that deliver your mail and packages and the rest of the people that are out there still working. Every day, declare Psalm 91 audibly and insert your name in it as you read it. Make it personal!
“God didn’t give us a cowardly spirit but a spirit of power, love, and good judgment” (2 Timothy 1:7).
A sound mind doesn’t think and vocalize irrationally or feed a spirit of fear among other people. It is emboldened in any predicament, good or bad!
God said, “Don’t be afraid, because I am with you. Don’t be intimidated; I am your God. I will strengthen you. I will help you. I will support you with my victorious right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).
Stand in opposition to fear by binding the devil from putting fear in the hearts of your family, friends, relatives and our nation. Release peace, power and a sound mind. Proclaim 2 Timothy 1:7 in your own personal life.
And last…BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST…
In perilous times, everybody is searching for solutions. It is in uncertain times that many are more receptive to giving their life to Jesus Christ than at any other time. I know that when I hit rock bottom, it was then that Jesus had my attention! We are at the door of the last day harvest!
Cry out to God with me that those who are not in right relationship with the Lord will come to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ! Pray that they will find the answers, not only in the midst of the coronavirus, but with all they are facing in their lives. Pray for a great spiritual awakening and that sinners would turn to Christ.
My prayer for you is that God will use you mightily in the midst of Covid19 to make a positive eternal spiritual impact in the lives of everyone God connects you to, and builds your faith at the same time. I’m expecting and believing for the power of God to be manifested mightily as we His people, utilize the power of prayer. We are victorious over the coronavirus (COVID-19) as it has to bow its knee to the name that is above its name!…THE MIGHTY NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!!!
“This is why God has given him an exceptional honor— the name honored above all other names—so that at the name of Jesus everyone in heaven, on earth, and in the world below will kneel and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between America and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
“After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And suddenly there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord, descending from heaven, came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men. But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay.” Matthew 28:1-6
Can you even imagine what it was like for the people in the Bible to interact with angels? It had to be frightening.
I don’t know how you think biblical people responded to angels but the witnesses provide clarity for what the reaction to angelic beings must have been. In just about every case the angel says something like, “Do not be afraid.”
Angels are beings from the heavenly realm sent by God and so, most likely, if an angel says to you, “don’t be afraid”, it’s because the angel knows you are absolutely terrified, totally scared out of your mind, so paralyzed by fear that you might miss the important things that are going to happen in that extraordinary encounter…so the angel needs to calm you down.
Apply the very first resurrection morning to your own life. Envision yourself going to the grave of a loved one that has gone to be with the Lord. You go to check on the grave with fresh, beautiful flowers to have a time of precious memories. All of the sudden, some angelic beings appear from seemingly nowhere and begin carrying on a conversation with you. If that scenario didn’t scare you half to death, you are a much stronger person than me.
So it’s not surprising to me that our text reads, “For fear of him the guards shook and became like dead men”. Even faithful followers of Christ like Mary Magdalene and the other Mary had to be told, “Do not be afraid”!
I imagine if I had been there and had just been told that the resurrection had actually just happened, and someone I knew, someone I loved, had just come back from the dead. In addition, I was receiving this news from real to life angelic beings, messengers from God. I would probably want to hang out with them for as long as I could to learn as much about these angels and as much about the heavenly realm as possible. I feel like that’s what I’d be inclined to do.
In reality, something awesome has taken place. Nothing will ever be the same again as a result of what has happened! Resurrection happened!
Resurrection reminds us that faith reveals something bigger, something more important than the everyday activity. Whenever we are faced with the fear of the coronavirus, when we start to get stuck in the routine of life, resurrection reminds us that God has surprises in store for us, God reminds us that there’s power in faith far beyond anything we experience that is of this world.
Marys’ response to the appearance of the angels is one of fear. That’s right, fear. “So they left the tomb quickly with FEAR…” I already addressed the fear the Marys’ must have experienced when encountering the angel, but fear AFTER hearing about the miraculous and amazing resurrection of Jesus?
When both Marys realized that the resurrection had actually taken place, they experienced power, a power far greater than anything they had experienced and it must have been absolutely terrifying.
One of the biggest problems facing the American church is that we don’t fear God enough. I’m not implying we should be afraid in the sense that we should be scared God is going to bring harm to us. I’m saying we don’t respect God’s awesome power as much as we should.
We worry about a lot of things that we allow to have power over us: -Threat of the coronavirus; -Finances; -The way individuals feel about us; -Whether or not we’re worthy, doing anything of value; -Losing people or material blessings; -Pain; -Physical ailments and even death; -Transition – that we might wake up tomorrow and the world will be different in ways large and small than how it’s always been, even CHURCH might be different than how it’s always been;
These are some of the BIG things we worry about; the fears we face in our everyday lives. And then I take refuge in the resurrected Savior of the Word of God: -Who has power to cure the coronavirus that has plagued our world?; -Who has the power to cure the incurable diseases that have attached themselves to your body?; -Who has power to bring peace in the middle of your raging storms?; -Who has the power to cast demons out of people and into pigs?; -Who has the power to resurrect people from the dead, take them from death and breathe life into them?; -Who has the power to give you life eternally?; JESUS! JESUS! JESUS!
Take a moment and compare these two lists. How can finances compare in power to calming storms? How can the power of people’s affirmation compare with the power to cure coronavirus and any other diseases and cast out demons? How can the power of pain and death compare with the power to resurrect from death? How can the power of change, even change in things we hold dear, compare to the power to give eternal life? God’s power is so BEYOND anything we typically experience here on this earth, any created power, that when we do encounter it, when we encounter the power of the CREATOR of the universe, we should be blown out of our socks THANKFUL!
Remember all that power I just mentioned a moment ago? What the two Marys discovered in the resurrection is that God wants to, that God DID, use that power for them then, and for us now.
If we are not careful to guard our hearts from fear, the forces of this world can bring you down. The coronavirus worldwide pandemic reminds us of just how much the powers of this world can try to place fear in your heart. In addition, people are constantly whispering in the background, gossiping, on a regular basis, spreading negativity about someone or something in the shadows. Sometimes, those whispers of negativity are even about you and me. So I know how much the forces of this world can attempt to bring you down. And it seems like sickness, injuries, terrible acts of nature, unruly or rebellious children and sometimes just unexpected accidents try to overtake us with fear.
I’m sure you know as much as I do: the forces of this world can bring you down if you allow them to. Which is why we need to cling to the Cross; cling to the resurrection. We need to cling to the knowledge, the remembrance, that God unleashed the amazing power of heaven, the unstoppable power of resurrection, for US.
During these trying times for our nation we as believers need to turn to Jesus, turn to the Cross, and turn to resurrection. When you are in right relationship with Jesus Christ you have absolutely nothing to be afraid of. You are ready for whatever the future holds. Even in the middle of this great trial you can have GREAT JOY…because you understand in those moments that God’s great power is unleashed for His people, for you, and for me.
We must carry the great joy of the resurrection with us everywhere we go even when the threat of the coronavirus is all around us. I believe that as we share with everyone we encounter, the great joy of the resurrection of Christ the risen savior, God is going to bring victory for many in these trying times. The message of Jesus dying on the old rugged cross and raising from the dead will bring refreshing change from the message of the coronavirus pandemic the world is hearing. By the great joy of the resurrection we share, people will long to know God.
The Marys’ final response to resurrection can be found at the end of this sentence we’ve been considering: “So they left the tomb quickly with fear and great joy, and ran to tell His disciples.”
The Marys told the disciples. Are we surprised? We shouldn’t be. To me, the most natural response to resurrection is the one: to tell somebody about it.
Every amazing thing that has happened to me in life, I’ve longed to share it with someone. The amazing experience just doesn’t feel complete until I share it. How much more should we feel compelled to share something so amazing as the resurrection? And, not just share it, but RUN to share the news…just like the two Marys. What we know about Christ’s resurrection should compel us to run, not walk, to share with somebody, maybe everybody.
With a lot of “death news” in our world and nation right now, know this: The “greatest news” known to mankind came from a cemetery-“HE’S ALIVE!” Christ, the Lord, is Risen! Everything humanity knew, or thought it knew prior to the empty tomb, has changed…and, as a result, everything about how we live should change. Don’t let the event of Jesus’ resurrection be overshadowed in your life by the coronavirus or anything else. In the midst of the coronavirus hysteria respond to Jesus’ resurrection with every minute of every day, with every fiber of your being, respond in a way that reveals that from here on out EVERYTHING has changed!
Jesus gives you peace, His peace; not the kind of peace the world gives. Don’t let your heart be troubled; He is in control!
CORONAVIRUS GAS PUMP EVANGELISM
I’ve had several back to back revivals reschedule because of the coronavirus. I used this pandemic as an opportunity to ‘provide and pump’ gas for a lot of people at Walmart that were in need or reluctant to do it themselves. I was so thankful to encourage a lot of people, pray with a lot of people, and lead a man to the Lord that had just returned from his nephew’s funeral. Through tears he said, “My family just pleaded with me to get my life in right relationship with the Lord.” This man’s name being written in the Lamb’s Book of Life made it worth every gallon of gas I gave away!!! THANK YOU JESUS!!!
WE APPRECIATE YOUR PRAYERS FOR…
Please pray for us as we continue to provide Bibles for our soldiers defending America in the war on terror, America’s young people, the people of Cuba that have never had a Bible and conduct evangelistic crusades.
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between the US and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
April 1, 2020
Categories: Revival Fires Blogspot . . Author: revivalfires . Comments: Comments Off on DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE CORONAVIRUS, JESUS IS RISEN!
Are you stuck in a rut or have you settled for less of an existence than you were called by God to live? Have you ever thought, “Is this all there is to it?” It’s time to march forward!
The Children of Israel were in that place. They experienced the Lord delivering them from Egypt, they came up short in entering the land of promise, the land flowing with milk and honey.
Has something got you stuck in mediocrity? Are you sidetracked or dismayed to the point of paralyzation? God wants you to march forward like the Children of Israel did.
The great theologian A. W. Tozer said, “Refuse to be average. Let your heart soar as high as it will.”
The Apostle Paul realized that marching forward was a constant pursuit of all that God had for Him, “The prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 2:12-16
Consider these things from Joshua 1; the Children of Israel are urged to march forward, after 40 years of running in circles in the wilderness because of their lack of faith, their murmuring and complaining.
Verse 1 – After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, it came to pass that the Lord spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, saying: 2 “Moses My servant is dead. Now therefore, arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them – the children of Israel.
Death and disappointment aren’t the end but the beginning. The Children of Israel loved Moses, yet it wasn’t until he died that they were able to march forward. They probably thought that without Moses it was over, however God up to something.
Don’t allow a “let down” to cause you to stay down. It’s merely a new thing God is doing and he wants to show you that you can trust Him. When things appear devastating it gives God the opportunity to reveal to us that He is all we need.
Verse 3 – Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. 4 From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the River Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your territory.
Paul said in Philippians 2:12, , “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me.”
God has so much for you that you can keep aggressively marching forward. Not that we won’t have setbacks, and go through different seasons in our walk with The Lord, but as we keep persevering we will never exhaust the wealth of God’s goodness that is available.
He welcomes us to move forward, and then to keep moving forward, and then to keep moving forward!!! There is continual revelation and new and awesome things He wants to reveal to you. Go for it. If someone or something has stopped you from doing what God wants you to do, get up and get going. You will find your strength and renewal in Christ.
Verse 5 – No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. 6 Be strong and of good courage, for to this people you shall divide as an inheritance the land which I swore to their fathers to give them.
You are unstoppable when you are in God’s will. You may be fearful of trying new things. You may have been burned, or let down. You may have a fear of being defeated. Regardless, “Be strong and courageous” because where God commands you to run is where you are invincible.
Patience is good, but never let patience turn into keeping you from marching into what God has for you. When it’s time to move, go in the boldness of The Lord. Nothing can stop you.
Verse 7 – Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. The way forward is to follow Christ in simple obedience. When you focus on obedience, you will always be marching in God’s direction.
Verse 8 – This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Your success and prosperity is connected to the Word of God. We have this promise; if you live according to God’s Word it will result in success. The key is on “doing” the Word. It’s not just reading it, and listening to it, but it is living according to it. Marching forward, then, is maturing in God’s Word and making it applicable to you.
Verse 10 – Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying, 11 “Pass through the camp and command the people, saying, ‘Prepare provisions for yourselves, for within three days you will cross over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’ ”
Preparation is of paramount importance. When God compels us to march forward, He has also prepared us for what’s ahead. He will never lead us to a place but what He has already equipped us to go to. If God is moving, that means you are ready.
Much of what happens to us is to prepare us. So don’t complain during these times that may be difficult. Embrace them by faith, knowing that you are being prepared to march forward.
Verse 12 – And to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh Joshua spoke, saying, 13 “Remember the word which Moses the servant of the Lord commanded you, saying, ‘The Lord your God is giving you rest and is giving you this land.’ 14 Your wives, your little ones, and your livestock shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side of the Jordan. But you shall pass before your brethren armed, all your mighty men of valor, and help them, 15 until the Lord has given your brethren rest, as He gave you, and they also have taken possession of the land which the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and enjoy it, which Moses the Lord’s servant gave you on this side of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”
When you are on the highway to marching forward there are a lot of obstacles. It’s not the easy highway of the least resistance but the hard road of great resistance. The devil is determined to prevent our growth and maturity.
Satan knows how great our path is so he throws up roadblocks along the way as we march forward. You can look at the roadblocks in your life as a mark of Godly maturity. God’s Word says, “All those who desire to live Godly lives will suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
The Children of Israel were stuck because they were afraid of the enemies they were up against in the Promised Land. Instead of trusting God, they retreated into disobeying God.
Don’t back up as faith will always carry you to the next level. God has given you every weapon of warfare you need to march forward in victory, “No weapon formed against you shall prosper.” (Isaiah 54:17) “If God be for you who can be against you?” (Romans 8:31)
Verse 16 –So they answered Joshua, saying, “All that you command us we will do, and wherever you send us we will go. 17 Just as we heeded Moses in all things, so we will heed you. Only the Lord your God be with you, as He was with Moses. 18 Whoever rebels against your command and does not heed your words, in all that you command him, shall be put to death. Only be strong and of good courage.”
There will be plenty of reasons to stop, but none of them are good reasons. The way to march is forward. Do not allow anything to distract your focus and don’t have any boundaries. The sky is the limit, especially with God wants to do more than “you” can ever hope or ask for.
My prayer for you is that this year will be a year of new normals, greater territory, higher heights and deeper depths. May you look back this coming December and see 2020 as the year you marched forward into the fullness of everything God has for you!
Iran has promised severe revenge for the United States’ killing of Qasem Soleimani, the country’s powerful military commander. Across the Middle East, these threats of confrontation have put on high alert the bases, ports and other installations where U.S. troops are based or pass through. They are more receptive to the Word of God when they are in harms way than at any other time in their life. As you know, Revival Fires has been given permission to provide Bibles for every U.S. soldier!!!
The Pentagon just announced that it was sending an additional 3,500 troops to the region, while troops in Italy were put on standby, according to defense officials. The troop escalation came just days after President Trump ordered an additional 750 U.S. soldiers to the Middle East and 3,000 more to be on alert for future deployment, after pro-Iranian forces stormed the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad as part of a worsening cycle of violence.
The United States has tens of thousands of military personnel at bases and aboard ships across the Middle East, as well as arrangements with various countries to move soldiers and military equipment through airstrips and ports. We plan to be sure that everyone of our brave soldiers are armed with a copy of God’s Word!!! Please pray with us for our U.S. troops safety and for their families back home. Pray that God will speak to the hearts of His people for the necessary $17,500 to provide Bibles the the 3500 soldiers being deployed to the Middle East right now. PLEASE PRAY!
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Do you have the faith to believe that God is your healer, deliverer, peace giver, your savior, your Holy Spirit baptizer? That God has every good thing for you and your family, but you don’t feel worthy to receive those things?
A lot of believers are refusing the great things God has for them through Jesus shed blood because they have this mind set they are unworthy. As a result of sins past and mistakes, and the sins past and mistakes of others, they do not feel good enough to benefit from a righteous God.
If you’ve been having trouble receiving healing, financial breakthrough or anything else you need from the Lord, and you struggle with feelings of shame and unworthiness, you may be living in unnecessary condemnation.
What Is Condemnation?
Condemnation is guilt, shame, regret, fear and unworthiness…most likely a result of a past mistake or experience. These past sins could have happened a long time ago or yesterday. When we make a mistake, and none of us are exempt, the devil works overtime to attach condemnation to us. How should you respond? Have faith in God, believe and stand firm on God’s Word!
· The Bible declares in Romans 8:1 that those who are believers in Christ Jesus can no longer be condemned.
· Psalm 34:22 declares But the Lord will redeem those who serve him. No one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.
God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives us and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong. (1 John 1:9).
God said He will not remember your sins anymore. (Isaiah 43:25).
He has not treated us as we deserve for our sins or paid us back for our wrongs. (Psalm 103:10).
You must understand that there’s a difference between conviction and condemnation. The Holy Spirit will let us know when we’ve messed up by convicting us of sin from our past or present, but He is gentle. He doesn’t try to attach guilt, unworthiness and fear to us, but instead, He leads us to repentance. Correction usually comes by a quickening from the Holy Spirit as you read and study the Bible, or through a minister or pastor teaching or preaching from the Word. It can also come from a fellow believer who is walking in love.
Condemnation, on the other hand, is brought on by the devil, and he wants to make you feel all the bad things—unworthy, afraid and guilty. He will often invade your thoughts or use people to accomplish his mission.
But there’s good news! You don’t have to live in condemnation, because Jesus poured out His blood on the Cross for you to walk in freedom! Are you walking in condemnation? Satan is very clever, so it’s always a good idea to check and see if he’s been playing mind games on you and trying to keep you from the victory Jesus came to give you.
Here are some DANGER SIGNS to help you determine if you may be living in condemnation.
“One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead.”
–Philippians 3:13 (NASB)
Do thoughts of your past seem to creep up out of nowhere? Sins and mistakes from a long time ago? Or maybe you keep reliving a hurtful experience from the past. Maybe you’ve even thought over and over that you wish you would’ve handled something like this, instead of the way you did handle it. And you beat yourself over the head.
The number one danger sign that you may be living in condemnation is if you think about your past sins and the negative experiences of your life a lot. Rehearsing these memories can leave you feeling guilty, ashamed and like you’re never quite good enough.
This is why God tells us to leave what’s in the past in the past, and to press forward into our future. God wants to do something new and wonderful in your life, completely apart from your past, but you have to stop looking to your past in order to receive it!
How do you do this? Know that Jesus already took the condemnation for your past on Himself. As a born-again Christian, you have been made free from every sin you’ve ever committed. Jesus bore all your sin, shame and guilt on the cross, so you could live free of condemnation—FOREVER!!!
It isn’t enough to just mentally acknowledge this truth. As long as you keep allowing yourself to replay bad experiences you’ve had, you’ll keep yourself spinning in circles.
Here’s your solution : Take your thoughts of the past captive and make them obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). When a condemning thought from your past crosses your mind, stop it by speaking the Word out loud. Say, “No. I don’t live in the past. Jesus has made all things new and given me a prosperous, guilt-free future. I am living fully in the present, and I look forward to what God is doing in my life right now.”
This might be a daily effort at first, so don’t give up if the thoughts of your past don’t immediately stop. In addition, there is a devil that doesn’t want you to succeed, but remember, he’s already lost the battle! So, whenever the devil tries to call you with reminders of past mistakes—block his number. Inform him that he’s been placed on your Do Not Call List, and you will not be receiving any more of his communication. Leave the past behind, and focus on the here and now, and your glorious future!
“Whoever is a believer in Christ is a new creation. The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence.”
-2 Corinthians 5:17 (GWT)
If you are constantly hitting yourself over the head after you have fallen, that’s a good indicator that you may be walking in condemnation, and something’s just not right. Feelings of rejection, fear of failure, insecurity and depression are all connected to condemnation.
When you became a Christian, you literally became a new creation, a species that has never before existed. The old person you were is gone, spiritually speaking. The best news is that all of your past mistakes have been blotted out by the blood of Jesus! If Jesus can forgive you for past sins, who are you to not forgive yourself?
To forgive yourself, you must renew your mind to the truth of God’s Word that says you are forgiven and have been made new.
Remember, when you sin or miss the mark, confess and repent as soon as you realize it.
Next, receive your forgiveness and cleansing from the Lord, (1 John 1:9), and then take the next step and forgive yourself! Holding onto guilt and shame is refusing to receive God’s forgiveness, and it just wouldn’t be right to refuse this free gift! In addition, the devil will take anything that you’ve not forgiven yourself for, and beat you senseless with it. But if you forgive yourself, he’s neutralized.
This is so important for to you grab hold of. You may need to spend some dedicated time with the Lord to inquire of Him and search your heart for any areas where you have not received God’s forgiveness and have not forgiven yourself.
If you find that you just can’t seem to forgive yourself, it’s a good time to ask, “Why?” What do you lose by letting go of the past and accepting the truth that Jesus washed away your sins and mistakes? What do you gain by holding onto past hurts?
Walking in condemnation because you don’t forgive yourself is ‘self-focus’, and receiving forgiveness is ‘God-focus’. So, turn your focus back on God, forgive yourself because Jesus has already forgiven you, and start walking in victory!
“Otherwise, you will be judged by the same standard you use to judge others. The standards you use for others will be applied to you.” –Matthew 7:2 (GWT)
An additional danger sign that indicates you may be walking in condemnation is if you have a judgmental and critical spirit toward others. What is a judgmental and critical spirit? It is one that looks for flaws in others and forms a verdict or opinion about them. When you pass judgment on others it makes you feel superior in areas in which you feel you have the upper hand. You may think, “At least I don’t do that!”
Why would this be considered a danger sign that you are walking in condemnation? Many times, we judge people because we ourselves “feel” judged either by God or by people. When we feel judged, feelings of condemnation abound. However, often, we are only feeling judged by others because of condemning thoughts replaying in our heads. If we knew the truth of the matter, we’d probably be surprised to find out that the person we “felt” judged by didn’t ever give us one thought!
If you find yourself observing, judging and criticizing the faults in people—spouses, friends, family, co-workers, political leaders—or even pointing them out to others, the Bible has some advice for you: Stop it! The Bible clearly warns us of the dangers of judging others. When you sow judgment, you will reap judgment (Matthew 7:2), leading to more condemnation. It’s a vicious cycle!
Most of all, God loves you so much, He sent His one and only Son to die for you. Because you have accepted this free gift, you are no longer condemned; therefore, you are free from the thoughts and judgments of others. God says there is now no condemnation for you because you belong to Him, so His Word and love for you trumps everyone else’s opinion.
Other signs of a critical spirit fueled by condemnation include:
· Having a spirit criticism of yourself and comparing yourself to others
· constantly requiring affirmation from the people around you
· Feeling threatened if others are complimented and at the same time craving compliments.
How do you get set free from a judgmental and critical spirit?
Repent. This means to change your ways to God’s ways! Ask Him to show you the root of the critical spirit. If you truly believe someone is in error, refuse to criticize him or her, but pray instead! The Scripture says, “Who are you to criticize someone else’s servant? The Lord will determine whether his servant has been successful. The servant will be successful because the Lord makes him successful. ” (Romans 14:4, GWT).
Refuse to gossip or speak negatively about anyone, ever (Ephesians 4:29). Be cautious of what you share about others, knowing that love covers a multitude of sins (1 Peter 2:8), which means it doesn’t highlight or gossip about the failings of others
Walk in love by choosing to speak life and build others up with your words. Go out of your way to say something nice to or about someone. When you’re living free from condemnation, you’ll find yourself eager to build others up. Refuse to walk under a cloud of condemnation!
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
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“…As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. Trust the Lord your God, and believe…” 2 CHRONICLES 20:20
Have you ever struggled to find something? Perhaps your billfold or car keys. Maybe you didn’t recall where you had them last or even worse where someone moved them to … what I find even more irritating is when the item is right under your nose!
We are usually seeking for something and finding that “SOMETHING” always seems to be a battle. It may not be as obvious as our keys or billfold … perhaps you are looking for healing in your physical body… salvation for your children or grandchildren … success or acceptance … perhaps its love or friendship … whatever it is. Regardless of what it is, I’m confident it boils down to one thing: We are seeking after victory. We all want to be winners! Win over the battle in your family situation or win over the habit or win over the anger or bitterness.
Regardless of our “SOMETHING”, we all want victory. And without exception, as we search the Word of God and look at the trials that individuals were up against, the key that unlocked the door to their victory was prayer and calling on the Name of the Lord. Look with me at a man in the Bible who found victory as he faced giant obstacles … and the key to his victory was keeping his eyes fixed on the Lord and calling on the only one who is able to save.
2 Chronicles 20:1-3 says, “Later the Moabites, Ammonites, and some of the Meunites came to wage war against Jehoshaphat. 2 Some men reported to Jehoshaphat, “A large crowd is coming against you from the other side of the Dead Sea, from Edom. The crowd is already in Hazazon Tamar” (also called En Gedi). 3 Frightened, Jehoshaphat decided to ask for the Lord’s help. He announced a fast throughout Judah…30 Jehoshaphat’s kingdom was peaceful, since his God surrounded him with peace.” You notice that Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah found victory through prayer!
Jehoshaphat was afraid for his country’s sake. We don’t know a lot about the enemy armies chasing them but we do know that the army was already in route to attack them. Now I’m not trying to confess negative things but the truth is, as we enter into this new decade, some of you are facing major obstacles with your children, your marriage, your family, your physical body, your career, perhaps even your home church. The key to our victory is PRAYER! We need prayer. In this story we find 4 weapons we need that assure us of certain victory.
A man was walking through the forest and came up on a big grizzly bear. Scared, he thought, “What am I going to do?” He remembered that years ago a Sunday School teacher told him that whenever he was in trouble, he should pray. He hadn’t prayed in years but he was desperate so he fell to the ground and called out to the Lord … “O Lord, please make this a Christian bear!” He opened his eyes to see the bear on his knees also praying, “For meal I am about to eat, make me truly thankful!
I believe we … like that man … have a lot to learn about prayer. Here are 4 weapons God wants us to utilize to teach us how to have 20/20 VISION and walk in VICTORY.
Look at verse 3. Jehoshaphat was afraid … alarmed maybe even petrified. The first thing he did was resolve himself to seek the Lord. He called the people of Judah to a fast.
The people of Judah were in trouble. A huge army was up against them … probably several hundred thousand men strong. Immediately they went to God in prayer. It was not that they didn’t have a big army themselves … chapter 17:1-18 tells us that Judah’s army was also huge … over a million strong! But they knew that victory did not come in the strength of their army, VICTORY COMES FROM THE LORD!!! Immediately, they turned to the Lord in prayer. Prayer was not just an option … PRAYER WAS THEIR PRIORITY!!!
For you to walk in victory in your family, in your marriage, with your children and grandchildren, with your finances, with your Church and victory in Christ in this world in 2020, PRAYER NEEDS TO BECOME YOUR PRIORITY! Prayer is NOT a last ditch effort and it is not something to do if you get around to it. We must MAKE the time to pray … not FIND the time.
There is a story of a church that was going through some difficult times. The pastor called all of the elders together and asked them to call a church-wide week of prayer. Shocked, one of the elders replied, O NO, HAS IT GOTTEN THAT BAD THAT WE HAVE TO PRAY?
Sadly, many of us are in that same situation. Prayer is a last-chance effort. If all else fails, then we should pray. Grab hold of this truth, prayer is the lifeblood of every believer and the lifeblood of the Church! Without prayer, we die spiritually! When prayer becomes the priority in your family, then you will make time for it … you will PRACTICE it … consistently. Prayer is your key to the victory that has already been won!
The people of Judah turned immediately to prayer and fasting. When a person or a church seeks hard after God, God promises blessing. 2 Chronicles 7:14, 15 says, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, search for me, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear their prayer from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their country. My eyes will be open, and my ears will pay attention to those prayers at this place.” When you and I wake up to the realization that we are at war, we will get serious about prayer!
Verse 12 says, “We have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us.” Jehoshaphat came before God and admitted his weakness … he admitted his inadequacies. Do we? Not really. God will not help the arrogant or the self made man. Listen … this flies in the face of what we have been told. “Don’t confess it and it won’t be there…You can do it. Try harder. If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try again”.
Victory over what you are facing is not about trying harder. The Bible says that God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. God is close to those who are weak and in need. How can God help you when you constantly tell Him, “No thanks God, I’m alright.”
A dad was passing by his 5 year old daughter’s bedroom one evening. He noticed she was on her knees in prayer. Listening in, he heard this curious prayer- “abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz”- repeated several times. When she was finished, he asked her what it meant: “God is really smart,” she said, “when I don’t know what to pray about, I just say the alphabet and He figures it out for me” Let me encourage you, when you don’t know how to pray, pray in the Spirit! Life is too big for us. Sometimes I don’t like to admit this? God steps in when we humbly admit our weakness to Him. It’s time to be truthful with God!
If we had a realistic view of who we are and what our condition is, I believe we would pray in an entirely different way. In fact, if we had a correct view of God we would pray differently.
We are warned by the Apostle James to come to God humbly. James 4:6-7 says, “But God shows us even more kindness. Scripture says, “God opposes arrogant people, but he is kind to humble people.” 7 So place yourselves under God’s authority. Resist the devil, and he will run away from you.” Do you want to see God? I mean really, would you look to see Him? Jesus said, “If you have seen me, then you have seen the Father.”
When we keep our eyes focused on our problem, our problem seems to grow. When we keep looking at the problems with our children or our parents … even the problems of our sins and the problems with our Church, we can quickly become discouraged. The truth is these problems you are facing are huge. But let’s get some perspective here. If I look at my obstacle … focus on my big problem, I can’t see Jesus. My problem gets in the way. If I look to Jesus, the one who has already paid the ultimate price for my victory, then my problems seem small in comparison.
Colossians 1:15-16 says, “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. He created all things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. Whether they are kings or lords, rulers or powers—everything has been created through him and for him.”
Satan is your enemy. In 2020 the devil wants you to focus on your problem. But Jesus is your victory!!! Is your life falling apart? Keep your eyes focused on Jesus. Jehoshaphat’s only hope was keeping his eyes on the Lord. Where is your focus? Victory requires that we are God focused … 20/20 VISION on the Lord!
Look at 2 Chronicles 20:17 … Now, I don’t know about you, but when someone tells me I don’t need to be alarmed, that is usually the perfect time to be alarmed. I’m kind of like Woody in the movie Toy Story who said, “Don’t panic, this is the perfect time to panic!”
It has been said, “If you trust in administration; you will get what administration can do. If you trust in hard work; you will get what hard work can do. If you trust in your sparkling personality; you will get what personality can do. If you trust in prayer; you get what God can do.” I don’t want my clever solutions to my problems; I want God to answer in His unique way.
Notice how King Jehoshaphat prayed in verse 7. He noticed God’s deeds in the past. He reminded himself of God’s good character … that he is the deliverer. And He gave God the freedom to judge (which means He gave the outcome over to God).
Jehoshaphat poured his heart out to God. He prayed. And he was honest with God … he wasn’t pretentiously puffed up with pomposity and pride. He kept his eyes focused clearly on the Lord and he trusted God to deliver in his own unique way.
Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah put their trust in God. In fact, they began praising God even before they received the victory over their enemy. Now that’s trust! And that’s scriptural. “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours” Mark 11:24. That’s what God is requiring of us … to focus on the VICTORY that Jesus has already bought for us by His shed blood on the cross. As we begin a new decade, have 2020 vision … take time to pray, be honest with God. Keep your eyes on Jesus not your problems and trust God to deliver you in His own unique way. As we leave 2019 I want to encourage you with what Jehoshaphat encouraged the people of his day with in 2 Chronicles 20:20, “…As they were leaving, Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. Trust the Lord your God and believe…” May God help you to focus with His 20/20 vision!!!
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $50 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between America and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
Have you ever felt like, “I gave my very best. I put my whole heart into it. I searched after God aggressively and followed Him. I didn’t turn my back on Him in spite of the huge burden. I continued to keep my eyes on Jesus and moved forward…” only to slam into an even more devastating trial?
Have you ever become aware that when you give it your spiritual all, suddenly, you get this mindset that God should give His all too?
Maybe you don’t speak it out loud but in your mind, you begin to think: “I’ve been praying. I’ve been fasting. I’ve done what God required of me. Now God needs to come through and do His part. God, you brought me this far. Now don’t leave me hanging in the middle of this trial.”
Somehow, we convince ourselves that our following, trusting, and abiding with Him DESERVES an instantaneous response from God like some sort of a hot fudge sundae with a cherry on top.
The Lord’s blessings are not determined by our demands. His blessings are always good, but not always the easiest route. God’s blessings are given and not demanded. His blessings are not earned and, many times, are unexpected. A lot of times God doesn’t always payback hard work, because he wants to payout the better gift.
Consider Mary. She was just a young girl. Did she ever think that an angel would be visiting her from on high? I doubt it. However, it was a blessing. “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God.” Luke 1:30
She may have thought that having a baby without being married was more of a curse than a blessing. But it wasn’t a curse, it was a blessing. “You will become pregnant, give birth to a son, and name Him Jesus.” Luke 1:31
Is it possible that Mary may have been somewhat let down by the fact that realistically, Jesus seemed to be less great and more humble? He was a King nailed to an old rugged cross. Seemingly a curse, but really a blessing. “He will be a great man and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David.” Luke1:32
Many times what we view as a burden is really a blessing in the process of coming to fruition.
Sometimes blessings can look like nails. Sometimes blessings come in the form of a cross you are required to carry. However, when it is all said and done, what comes forward from the agony of a cold winter is the warmth of fresh spring weather – an abundance of God’s majestic strength. “The Lord rules as king! He is clothed with majesty. The Lord has clothed Himself; he has armed Himself with power. The world was set in place; it cannot be moved.” Ps. 93:1
For a spotless lamb the excruciating pain of the cross was seemingly unfair, but it was a blessing that would change the world for eternity!!!
As Mary’s son was being nailed to that old rugged cross, as he cried out in pain, she likely wondered why it all had to come to this – she was being blessed.
What burden are you faced with as we approach celebrating the birth of our Savior? What burdens seem to be nailing you? Might it actually be blessing you? I’m praying with you right now that what the devil has meant for bad in your life is going to end in being a blessing.
As we approach Christmas and the 2020 New Year, we have the opportunity to recall and celebrate God’s many blessings through the ministry of Revival Fires International that came as a result of your faithful prayers and financial giving. Your support has been vital for the work we do in the United States and around the world.
On the domestic front, we have launched an evangelistic Revival Fires radio program on Talk Radio that airs weekly, immediately following Dave Ramsey, that is producing a tremendous response as we are reaching people that don’t have a relationship with the Lord. Several of these programs have also aired on American Family Radio as well. We also launched a weekly evangelistic Revival Fires Podcast. CLICK HERE to help us continue to bring the Gospel to America through radio ministry
In addition, this year we crossed over the ONE MILLION Truth for Youth Bible mark in our 19th annual national campaign on American Family Radio to get God’s Word into the hands of young people across the nation. This brings our total to more than 2.5 million Truth for Youth Bibles to young people that committed to give them to unsaved friends in school! To date, we have received more than 25,000 decision cards from youth that have been saved for the very first time!!! CLICK HERE to help us continue to take the Gospel to the youth in America.
We have also been privileged to preach and distribute Truth for Youth Bibles to inmates in prisons across America. A huge part of God’s blessing has been providing us with people like you who join us in this vitally important Kingdom work, encouraging us, praying for us, and generously supporting us. More than anything, we want to thank you. We pray that the Lord will bestow His richest blessings to you and your family as you celebrate God’s goodness and the birth of our Savior this Christmas season! CLICK HERE to help us continue to give Bibles to inmates in prisons across America.
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $30 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between the US and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
December 12, 2019
Categories: Revival Fires Blogspot . . Author: revivalfires . Comments: Comments Off on TURN YOUR BURDEN INTO A BLESSING THIS CHRISTMAS
Probably the best definition of real revival found anywhere in the Bible is in the letter to the church at Sardis. Jesus said, “I know your deeds, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Wake up, and strengthen the things which remain, which were about to die…” (Revelation 3:1-2).
This church was dead! That doesn’t mean they were lost or separated from God, as Ephesians 2:1 says. Instead these people were genuinely converted to Christ. Their deadness meant they had lost their spiritual passion and fervency for Christ. They were flat and devoid of spiritual power. By outward appearances, they looked religious and sounded pious. But realistically, they were dead.
Jesus called them to wake up. That’s what real revival is—it is a spiritual awakening of those who are lethargic, apathetical, indifferent toward Christ. It is a sleeping church—unconscious, unresponsive, unexcited—waking up to the presence of God and returning to full spiritual vitality. It’s waking up to Jesus Christ and allowing Him to strengthen what spiritual life remains.
Playing church can be deadly! Sad to say, too many are doing just that—playing church. Unfortunately, they are in the house of the living God to worship the risen Christ. Tragically, to many people are just going through the empty motions of playing church. To many are playacting. Pretending. Role-playing. Dressing the part. Playing one-upmanship. Pretentiously puffed up with pomposity and pride! Following a rehearsed script. Turning in Academy Award-winning performances.
That’s precisely what the word hypocrite means. In the ancient world, this Greek word meant one who walked onto a stage, put on a mask, and played a part according to a script. While on stage, he pretended to be someone he wasn’t. But once the play was over, he walked off the stage, took off his mask, and resumed his true identity. That’s a hypocrite.
That’s exactly what Jesus called the Pharisees of His day (Matthew 6:5). They had mastered the game of playing church. They knew how to look and sound the part. When they fasted, they put on a gloomy face. When they gave, they blew a trumpet. When they prayed, they acted out a performance! The people were spellbound. These performances were absolutely captivating. Trouble was, it was all a game. The Pharisees were hiding behind masks of pretense. Sound familiar?
Two thousand years have lapsed, and little has changed. Churches today are still filled with play actors. They come Sunday by Sunday and put on their masks at the front door. The pastor follows his script, and the people play out their roles. They say their rehearsed lines perfectly. All the while hiding behind a mask. And when church is over, they stomp off the stage, take their masks off, and go back to being who they really are. Now, that’s playing church!!!
I am all to familiar with this stage production. As an evangelist, I work very closely with churches all across America and the world for the past thirty-two years. Amid the true worshipers, I see the bit players. I have traveled from coast to coast and have spoken to thousands of pastors and church leaders. And wherever I go, I see the same. Many in our church buildings are just playing church!
Why do grown-ups pretend? Why do people go through the empty motions of such a masquerade? Simple. They don’t have the real thing. In the absence of a growing knowledge of God, void of the fullness of the Spirit’s power, they put on their masks and parrot their lines. Anything to look the part. Anything to sound spiritual.
Worse, in the absence of any real spiritual power, pastors are turning to the latest gimmicks and current fads to generate church growth and hold their “audiences”. Church leaders are desperately trying to jump on the latest bandwagon to fill the vacuum. But all the while, they neglect the real thing—a genuine work of the Holy Spirit of God in the hearts of their people.
Quite simply, the need of the hour is revival! We need the real thing—a spiritual awakening to sweep through our slumbering congregations and put us back on our knees before the living Lord! The word revival conjures up different pictures to different people. If you have lived in the South, as I do, a revival means a week-long series of meetings at the church held by an evangelist. Each of these revival meetings are primarily designed to reach unbelievers for Christ. I have preached revival services for more than thirty-two years, however, that is not what revival is.
Evangelism is not revival. That’s regeneration. Revival is strengthening believers in the church. Reaching the unsaved is the by-product of revival. Revival is a sovereign work of God in His own people, bringing back to full spiritual fervor the hearts of believers that are now dormant and dull. It cannot be coerced, nor manipulated. It is a supernatural work of God in His church that restores her lost purity, devotion, and power. Revival restores to full health the spiritual life that is already present in the church. It is the renewing, purifying, replenishing work of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church.
In reality, revival is a time of divine visitation. It is an invasion from Heaven that manifests the presence and power of God in the church. It ushers in a renewed, conscious awareness of God’s awesome holiness that produces holiness in the church. Now that’s the real thing! That’s real revival!
Please pray with us as we continue to give Truth for Youth Bibles to every teenager who commits to give the Bibles to their unsaved friends in school. Over 2.5 million Truth for Youth have already been distributed and more than twenty-five thousand young people have received Christ through these efforts! Thank you for helping us provide Bibles to be distributed to teenagers all across America!
Every person is made in the image of God! No life is beyond His reach! Revival Fires is reaching out with the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ to all those affected by crime and incarceration, and to see lives and communities restored in and out of prison…one transformed life at a time!!!
Our Prison Revival at Cummins Unit in Grady, Arkansas was a Kingdom success!!! The altars were filled with inmates weeping before God as they received Christ as their personal savior! Please pray with us as we have several upcoming prison revivals scheduled. Every inmate should have an opportunity to surrender their life to Christ and receive a Bible!!!
We are giving thanks for God’s gift of love and the joy we share through Christ our Lord! May God bless you in abundance with the good things of life, not only at Thanksgiving but throughout the coming year. Happy Thanksgiving from the Todd family to yours! “Whatever You do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $30 a month or more partnership receive the Spirit of Israel Bible, a powerful new resource prepared to help you understand the prophetic and spiritual links between the US and Israel and the connection between Christianity and ancient Biblical traditions.
Does it ever feel like you just keep ending up right back where you were in your trials and situations where you need breakthrough in your marriage, home, family, children, finances, physical body or your job? It is God’s plan for you to walk in miracles, signs and wonders continuously!
It is imperative that you make certain that anything that is in opposition to faith has no place in your life. You have to be saturated with a climate of faith so that you have a radical transformation in your actions!
My prayer is that this message is going to help you to speak LESS doubt, believe God for victory in every area of your life, not to be comfortable with sickness or owing money, and fulfill the things that God promised you perhaps even long ago!
God wants to saturate you with everything you need to accomplish this. It’s time to transition to receiving what God says over your life without allowing the ‘business as usual’ to affect you anymore!
“But first, be concerned about his kingdom and what has his approval. Then all these things will be provided for you.” Matthew 6:33 GWT
Radically rearranging your schedule to spend time with the Lord demands an investment of your time. When an individual enlists in the Army, they have intense Army Basic Combat Training that lasts nine weeks. This length of time doesn’t count time span in reception, nor does it count time spent in job training. Training is all they are participating in.
Do you really mean business about strengthening your faith? It requires for you to radically rearrange your schedule. I would recommend that you set aside about a month. If you can take off of work, great. However, most people can’t do that. If you can’t, then just modify your routine to center your attention on God’s Word!
If you have a job, get up earlier in the morning to spend time reading the Word before you go to work. Instead of just eating with friends at lunch hour, slip away during that time frame and spend time in the Word. Radically rearrange your routine so you can totally saturate yourself with the Word of God!
I will not put anything wicked in front of my eyes. I hate what unfaithful people do. I want no part of it. Psalm 101:3 GWT
After radically rearranging your routine the next requirement for you to strengthen your faith is to make an assessment of what you are taking in each day.
Pretend that you are attending a birthday party that has a beautiful chocolate cake with chocolate icing and a lot of ice cream. I know you are probably getting hungry for cake and ice cream just picturing this in your mind. A big slice of the chocolate cake is put in front of you. You are sitting there with your fork in hand, ready to dig in. As a big scoop of the ice cream is placed on your cake, your host says, “Oh, and by the way, there is just a little bit of dog poop that managed to end up in the cake mix before we made it. It is such a small amount that you certainly won’t be able to taste it.”
How would you respond to that?
My thoughts are that you would push the cake and ice cream away and say, “No thank you.” What about other areas of your life? Do you watch out for excrement and steer clear of it the same way you would the chocolate cake?
Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart.” However, many believers look at ungodly influences just like the person putting on the birthday party with the chocolate cake that has excrement in it. Just a little bit of cursing in your favorite band’s lyrics. Just a little bit of sexual content and violence in the programs you view on television. Just a little bit of fear, anxiety and gossip spewing from your acquaintances. You get this mindset that it’ll be okay because it is just a little bit and you are not the one who is actually doing it. We try to reason it out and justify it.
The same way you would push the chocolate cake away, that smells and looks so good, is the same way you need to push anything away that would be considered excrement in God’s eyes…even it is just a little bit! Satan does not need a large door in your life. It’s the little foxes that spoil the vine. So, all the devil requires is “just a little” region of compromise to get his nasty head in the door.
Don’t forget, the Army Basic Combat training requires nine weeks of intense training. Training is all they are participating in during that time frame. If you want to experience the quickest way to strengthen your faith and be someone who is victorious on a regular basis you’ve got to get rid of the things in your life that are in opposition to what the Bible says, especially during your initial time of intense training and saturation.
Let me suggest that during the initial month of intense training you do without the following: social media; movies, secular television such as sitcoms, news programs; music other than worship; non-Christian magazines and books; social gatherings with those who don’t speak the language of faith; any other area of your life that may be sending you messages opposite of the Word of God.
Once you finish the month, decide if any of these should come back into your life at all. I certainly do hope you continue to read our Revival Fires Newsletter, Facebook, Instagram posts, and listen to our podcasts. Whatever is used as an instrument to disable your faith is not worth its limited entertainment value.
So faith comes from hearing the message, and the message that is heard is what Christ spoke.” Romans 10:17 GWT
As you carry on with strengthening your faith, your intense training voyage has to include packing yourself full of God’s Word.
Since I’ve given my heart to the Lord, I have had a thirst for truth and a thirst for miraculous Kingdom results! I’m thankful that I came up under my dad, Cecil Todd, a mighty man of God. In November he will complete his 70th year of full-time ministry. I have witnessed God perform miracles, signs and wonders in and through his life and ministry throughout my entire life!
I have dedicated my life and ministry to surrounding myself with mighty men and women of God that are like minded in the faith. Let me encourage you to totally saturate yourself and pack yourself full of God’s Word. Make up your mind that for an entire month you are going to totally commit to radically rearranging your schedule, guarding yourself from excrement, and packing yourself full of God’s Word. This will strengthen your faith to a higher level than it has ever been.
The Bible is a precious gift. It reveals God’s plan for salvation to rescue and renew a lost world filled with darkness. But many people in Cuba live in Bible deserts, places where Bibles are scarce or illegal. Millions of people in Cuba have never seen a Bible, much less owned one themselves.
Your sacrificial gift will help us send the precious people of Cuba their very first Bible as a Christmas present in the first part of December. Many people in Cuba have no idea that Jesus came to bring them new life. When you give Bibles, you meet a tangible need and offer eternal hope. You send the message of God’s love into Bible deserts, showing the Cuban people they are important to Jesus.
Placing a Truth for Youth Bible in the hands of every Christian young person who commits to give it to their unsaved friends in school is a task that the global body of Christ can accomplish in this generation. Here at Revival Fires International, we are committed to making it happen in cities across America where Christian youth are being persecuted for their faith. Thank you for helping us provide Truth for Youth Bibles for the young people in America!
Please pray for our Freedom Revival at Cummins Prison in Gould, Arkansas October 24-26. We are expecting a tremendous harvest of inmates getting saved!
If you are not already a monthly Flame Partner, please prayerfully consider partnering with us to take the whole Gospel to millions around the world before Jesus comes!
For a $30 a month or more partnershipreceive the beautiful, leather, God’s Word Translation, Deluxe, Large Print Bible, an exceptional resource perfect for devotional reading, in-depth study, outreach, discipleship, memorization, preaching, and teaching.
· Elegant, two-tone matte gray, Deluxe, Duravella gender-neutral cover
· Beautiful metallic silver gilt edging
· Debossed abstract oat stalk design
· Deluxe silver-gray ribbon
· Single-column paragraph format
· Easy-to-read large, 12-point type
· The Teachings of Jesus index
· Application index
