The Church: Attack or Retreat?

The Church: Attack or Retreat?  Lessons from the Past   Kelly Durant Re 4-19-26

Matthew 16:18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.   

2. Many times we have heard jokes about St. Peter being at the gate of heaven asking questions of those that arrive in order to be allowed into heaven. The premise of these jokes is that Peter decides who gets in and who doesn’t because he holds the keys to heaven and hell. This is a false idea that has been coined for a long time.  All we need to do is look at Revelation to know that it is Jesus who holds the keys of heaven and hell. Revelation 1:18 I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. He also says he gives eternal life in John 10:28. 

The verse of today is quite a loaded verse. I could focus in on Peter, or I could focus in on the rock, or what is the church. Or I could highlight how heaven prevails against hell or I could focus in on the gates of hell. Let’s focus first on the gates of hell but just to clear a few things up, Jesus is the rock (the cornerstone as described in Romans 9:31-33) and it is Jesus who has the keys to heaven and hell, not Peter. Keys to the kingdom implies authority over the spirit realm.

3. In verse 19 Jesus gave to Peter authority to bring into God’s kingdom souls, to preach and win converts forever, but he was not given authority over who governs the eternal death in hell of souls, or who has eternal life. Peter is not heaven and hell’s gate keeper, Jesus is!

 Matt 16:19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Everyone, through Jesus, has a freewill control, and the binding up of sin, and the practice of living heavenly is what matters here as it is setting a constant for a continuum in the next existence.

4. Peter, and every Christian, has some measure of control over their future in heaven, so that if you bind your sins and live holy on earth, you retain that eternally in heaven. Or if loose and free yourself from sins, when you die, you keep that state of freedom forever. Your role in helping another do the same is your part of bringing on the kingdom of heaven.  Basically, it is Revelation 22:11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

Peter’s nickname was Petras; he was as stubborn as a rock at times but also one who learned his lessons. He had just affirmed that Jesus is the Christ. Jesus with a play of words then makes it clear that God’s people would have a rock foundation for the church, and symbolically Jesus was referred to Himself. Jesus is the rock, the cornerstone. Peter is a rock, but not “the” rock.

5. Jesus example of how the church should be governed was of one in that is in action, one that goes on the attack. In other words hell would be shaking in their boots from all the souls being won for God because of the blitz tactics of the disciples travelling from town to town preaching the “good news” and then escaping on to preach some more somewhere else. 

The idea that Jesus had was that hell would be shaking scared of the Christians message being preached in the world to the lost souls who would gladly accept God’s kingdom over the gates of hell but instead today we have many churches shaking scared feeling they are under attack.  They have their doors closed tight not letting in any new members for fear that Satan is going to corrupt them! Christians afraid of the world are happy just to be inside their comfortable rooms on Sunday but the church is not intended to be a barricade of defense; the church must be a front line of offensive in the battle front! Peter won 5,000 souls, not in a building, but out in the city!

6. Now I want to bring in some geographical information to supplement the historical cultural context of this profound statement from our Lord Jesus that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” To understand this better, return to verse 13 When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?

7. Where was Jesus preaching? At Caesarea Philippi. When we were in the area of Caesarea Philippi in Israel we went just a couple of miles outside the city to an area called the Grotto of Pan. It is an opening to a cave that had the official name of “The Gates of Hell.”  Beginning in the 3rd century B.C., human sacrifices, in particular young virgins, were cast into the cave as offerings to the Greek god Pan.  The victims were thrown into the cave and they would fall into a drop off inside where they would die crashing on the rocks below inside and then their blood would flow out in the river stream in front. Horrible the practices of these people, right?

This large cave that was the center of pagan worship in the region and Pan, the half-man half-goat god of fright and he was honored in this Satanic manner. He was often depicted playing the flute.  In English we get the word "panic" from pan, and of course taking the life of innocent ones does invoke fear and panic! This town just down the road was known as Panias in antiquity but the name changed in the Arabic language to its modern-day name of Banias. 

8. Now that I described the area for you, and the customary horrible practices of the people of that region, do you see why Jesus chose the words “Gates of Hell?” He may have been preaching to his disciples very close to that cave, just right outside the city even speaking at the very moment they were practicing their horrific satanic rituals! 

The gates of hell are open wide as Jesus stated before, yet narrow is the path that leads to eternal life. If we do not take seriously the destruction of people’s bodies and souls from the demonic erroneous customs of their worship, then we will never appreciate what salvation, and eternal life, truly means. Jesus gave his disciples, and that applies to all his followers, authority to “storm the forts of darkness and bring them down.” (as in the hymn we sing in the Salvation Army)

9. It is our task as Christians to expose the evil in the community and those who bring the gates of hell to us and our children! Those who steal and commit fraud, that do  crime in gangs, those who practice witchcraft, or sell drugs, or porn, or pimping prostitutes (child-trafficking), these followers of Satan should be angry at us because we are exposing them and preaching Jesus converting the souls of their victims! We must keep on with our prayer marches and evangelism, it is our job! We must keep the attack up! The gates of hell should be trembling! 

10. The way this spiritual war works is that either the good is on the attack and winning, or the evil is carrying out the attacks and defeating the good. One is on the offensive, and the other is on the defensive. It is our job to be on the offensive. Sadly, we have seen this country fall into a state of remission; Christians are being corralled into their churches and told to practice their own faith privately without bothering anyone else. Christians as well are made fun of by the media as ignorant radicals! The lies, deceptions, and attacks on Christians are at an all-time high by the liberal press, the liberal colleges, and the liberal government who protects people practicing extreme perversion.  

I do not want us to ever be guilty of hiding our faith, of knowing to do good but then be sinning by not doing it! More than ever we must be prepared with an answer to reply to whoever attacks us over our faith.

11. Jesus knew that no one could win a defensive war! When the Jews mixed with the Romans in pre-Jesus time in Israel, they later started taking over to the point that the Jews responded defensively too late. They could not do an offensive attack so they closed their selves in in Jerusalem and they barely survived for 2 years until finally the Romans broke in and killed most of them and destroyed the Great Temple that Herod built. Solomon’s temple was destroyed several centuries earlier and now for a second time they lose their magnificent temple.

12. Do you recall how Jesus said that no one stone would be left? Matthew 24:2 And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, “There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down”. That prophecy happened in 70 AD. That was when all of Jerusalem was burned to the ground by the Romans and the Jews in Israel were scattered all over every continent. This was the great “diaspora” or the dispersing of the Jews throughout all the continents. Only loose stones are there today.

13.But a few Jews and their families escaped in the region and they fled to a high plateau fortress constructed by Herod called Masada and barricaded their selves inside. This was easy to do because there was only one way up and that was by a winding stairway about 20 stories high. How many of you know this story as told by Josephus the historian?

14. Then what happened? Again the Roman pride could not permit any one to rebel and get away with it so Flavius Silva marched from Rome with a regiment of men they and camped out for 3 years at the bottom of the cliff while his army built a ramp and a tower in order to invade the city in 70 AD. The people survived on pigeons and stored grains but when they knew the Romans would come they took a drastic decision the night before the invasion was sure to happen. 

The Jewish people had no escape and rather than allowing the children to be slaves, see the women be raped and killed, and the men die by the Roman swords, they all took an oath, as an act of heroism to kill their own selves! There was a mass suicide of 960 people. 

15. This tragedy in history in 73 AD proves a point, that if the enemy can surround you and you cannot fight back, then you might end up with no options like the ones in Masada. This is a sad lesson in history and we, as a Christian church, must keep the offensive going. We need leaders, men and women with conviction to always be ready to defend our faith in Jesus.

The Salvation Army started out as a movement taking the church preaching and literature to the streets seeking to save men’s souls. The offensive method worked! The movement preaching near the bars and brothels grew so fast that it is amazing to consider TSA can be found in most all US cities and in most major cities around the world only 160 years later.

16. The challenge today for each of us is how ‘attacking’ are you? Do others who are unjust and sinful feel intimidated when you are around? Do others know you will speak up and attack the modern day gates of hell?  It takes conviction and courage, but when we are reminded of all of Satan’s works, how horribly he loves to destroy lives, then you get the conviction to preach His love and salvation like never before.

When a person visits a SA rehab or shelter, as many of you have, you get reminded of how sin destroys people’s lives, you see 30 year olds appear as 60, you see how people lose all to an addiction, a vice, or a sin. That may not be the case for everyone as some people are victims of circumstances beyond their control but to see others suffering does make you wake up. You can see where Satan has attacked and won a victory. It makes you sad, mad, and convicted. 

17. And in many other countries (as here!) the child sex slave trade is alive and real for millions, so the destruction of innocent people in reality continues, but just in a different way from how the Greeks and Romans did it. The SA is active there helping many to escape.

Are you going to stand up for your faith no matter what? If you look closely at the lives of the faithless you will see they always leave behind a trail of pain and destruction. Our mission is to save others from their own destructive selves and from others who like Satan, try to control and manipulate and own souls for their own selfish gain. We, God’s called ones, free people to live heavenly lives.

Come now and pray for someone you know is oppressed. Pray to become solid like the rock. Pray to go on the attack and never let yourself be on the defensive. The more holiness you have the more power from God. When someone makes fun of your Christian faith and attacks you, do what Jesus did to the hypocrites, he attacked them back! Our faith is worth defending! When you compare our church with so many others like I have seen lately, we live a very blessed life!

Easter: The Uncomfortable Reality!

 

Easter: The Uncomfortable Reality!           By Kelly Durant     

 

Mark 16: 14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.

 

2. How many of you have seen the classic movie “Risen”? I thought it was extremely well portrayed with much detail as it was in Jesus’ day. It was about the story of the resurrection from the point of view of a Roman Soldier that was sent to investigate what happened at the tomb. Try to rent it or see it, it is well worth it! 

 

My favorite part was when the Roman Soldier found the ropes that sealed the rock frayed from being burst open. This Roman knew what a cut rope would look like, but ropes burst apart? I am sure many people in Jerusalem experienced revelations that caused them to believe in the resurrection as in the story of this soldier! 

The truth is no one will respect or follow a leader once they are dead if they were an oppressor, liar, or a con. However, Jesus’ teachings still rule over thousands of millions even today because He was pure love and truth! 

 

When an evil person dies, as in the case of King Herod, the whole town celebrated! When Jesus died, many mourned but few, we observe by scripture, really expected Him to rise up out of the tomb. The first Easter, His resurrection, transformed humanity into a celebrated victory over death! But the first Easter did not exactly start out as a celebrated moment though.

 

3. Let’s go more into depth of the verses today. It says in Mark, “He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen”. I don’t know how you feel after getting rebuked for doing something wrong, but personally I feel embarrassed and humiliated! I would not feel too festive and happy. We celebrate Jesus’ resurrection today but the first encounter with Him made everyone feel afraid and ashamed of themselves for not believing Him.

 

Imagine witnessing a person die in such a horrific manner as Jesus did, and fearing the Sanhedrin might come to arrest and kill you now, but then you see the crucified Son of Man walking around with holes in their hands and feet, I think it would make any one of us so scared we would faint. It is like when you see a ghost, you feel mortified because you know it is a creature with supernatural power. Jesus showing himself to be supernaturally alive contradicted what is understood concerning reality, logic, and the physically possible!

 

So, to prove it is Himself, risen, Jesus appears out of nowhere to sit down at the table with them to talk. In another instance, He also ate fish with them on the beach. He took time with them but despite being undeniably in this world, they doubted in the beginning. Jesus does not like to see people afraid and doubtful and many times he repeated to all who saw Him the word, ‘peace’! For the doubters and unrepentant Jesus’ presence brings fear, but for those who love Him His presence brings peace! John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid”. 

 

4. To illustrate it was not such a celebrative moment at first, recall that the disciples when they first saw Jesus, they were full of fear. Jesus had told them all several times that He would be killed and then come back, but it almost seems as if none of them really believed Him. Mark 8:31 “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again”.

 

Imagine seeing all the miracles the disciples had seen and then still not believing that He had resurrected! Remember these are dedicated followers that had given up everything to follow Jesus, they had no hopes to go back to their old life, and they saw dozens and dozens of miracles and yet they still doubted?!

 

It just goes to show how we cannot depend on all those who say they have experienced Jesus’ power to remain totally faithful and doubtless through every moment of their lives. Even the most dedicated have their weak moments but the comfort is that Jesus will still love you and receive you even though He may have to rebuke you and correct your lack of faith.

 

5. So, take it to heart, if Jesus rebuked the disciples who were in it all the way until their own martyrdom, how much more you and I should expect to get rebuked by Jesus for our lack of faith, unbelief, and obedience! John 5:21 For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.

 

Our world today is the same as it was in Jesus’ time, there is a vast majority that will not even believe though there is proof that one was raised from the dead. And then there is also a large group that will not believe because they have not personally seen it. Both are hopeless doubters choosing death over life because they love darkness rather than light.

So, what are we left to work with? 

 

Christians or believers that believe… but have doubts! But the hope is they will come around to have real faith and trust and obedience to what Jesus taught because the Holy Spirit will convict them.

 

6.  Easter then, in many ways, is an uncomfortable rebuke to the world! It is a mortal blow to Satan and his followers who can no longer reap dead men’s souls when those souls have been cleansed in the redeeming blood of Jesus! Jesus’ resurrection stripped away Satan’s power of maintaining a death over humans; that is if that person is repentant, believes, and obeys Jesus. For a Christian, there is no second death, but not so for unbelievers.

 

Easter, being a supernatural event, puts to the test every human mind and heart. A test usually provokes fear but after passing it, relief and peace come. It is amazing to me how many people in this life chose foolishly what they will believe in, thinking they will never answer for their actions. Read the Proverbs, they teach much about fools who refuse to fear and honor God, and their own destruction comes by their own wrong and bad choices. Easter is a reminder that Jesus rebuked the doubting followers! 

 

Year after year during these special moments of celebration we must face the fact that some of our Christian brothers are not living pure repented lives displaying that they truly fear God, believe His word, and obey. Once you realize Jesus is alive and present in the here and now through the Holy Spirit speaking in your mind, it will make you be afraid as the 11 disciples at first were to witness Jesus in front of you!

 

7. The most foolish thing one can do in life is to doubt something that gives you a win, win, situation such as is the case in believing in the resurrection of Jesus. If you and I simply accept and believe, then we can be sure that we are saved by faith: saved meaning saved from the judgement for the wrongs we have done (forgiven) and also saved from a second death (spiritual one) and be resurrected. Romans 10: 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

 

What have you got to lose by proclaiming Jesus as risen except losing a dozen worthless prideful friends who are materialistic atheistic self-lovers? Start talking about Jesus to everyone you know for a week and see how many still keep you as a friend! They will be a good friend indeed if they are brave enough to allow your light of Jesus to shine in their darkened heart. I lost a few dozen so called friends at age 21 when I got on fire for God, yet I have gained thousands of trustworthy loving Christian friends in dozens of cities in return! You, here, are my friends that I never would have met if I had not taken the path of proclaiming Jesus risen!

 

The resurrection is real as 2.3 billion Christians proclaim today! However, if one were to entertain an idea that it were not real, we would be as Paul states in I Cor 15: 16 “For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins! 18 Then also those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.” But I KNOW we will not be disappointed! He will make us rise up as He did!

 

8. You and I have full trust that these ancient records in the Bible are truth and come from God’s anointed; that Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John and all the 11, plus the hundreds of other men and women, had a supernatural experience witnessing Jesus’ presence in His resurrected body. This is an experience you and I have not personally had but choosing to believe their story will unexplainably fill your spirit full of hope, peace, and a sense of eternity. When you believe, you inherently know it is truth and you will even die for it!

 

I also trust the testimonies of the millions of Christians that have lived before me sincerely having convictions of the truth of Jesus resurrection. If His resurrection was not something real, then what miserable lives Christians have lived being tortured, martyred, and humiliated by most every evil government that has ever existed! And remember how Jesus even showed himself to doubting Thomas.

 

Here is a personal belief, I think that people who ask God if Jesus is really who He says He is or not, that God reveals His truth to them. Jesus in a dream revealed to me I had a mission to stop being who I was and to go into the world and save souls. And I obeyed the call! I have been reading testimonies from Christian news sources that many Muslims are getting revelations that Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is here, now awakening!

 

9. Now back to our verses of today. Did you catch how Jesus rebuked the 11 for not believing (vs14) “those who had seen Him after He had risen”. Who is He referring to? That was Mary & the disciples! Jesus showed his resurrected body first to her. What does that mean? It means He trusted her to be the witness to all the others and it seems they thought that she was just a woman being emotional and delusional.  

 

So, Mary was in essence being praised while they were being rebuked. The pride of man is an evil thing. Then the next uncomfortable part is vs 15. And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”. This verse, in my opinion, has been one of the least obeyed verses in the Bible. Very few Christians dedicate their lives to travel in all the world just to preach Jesus. Thank God every first disciple obeyed! Soon afterwards every believer obeyed and went out preaching Jesus after gaining power from the Holy Ghost as we read in Acts 1. 

 

Conclusively then, doubting the resurrection and not recognizing the first Easter as a reality will get you a rebuke from Jesus! Not listening to those who make you uncomfortable with the good news will get you a rebuke from Jesus! But being spiritually uncomfortable is the way God gets you and me to move out into action! Conviction is what changes you and me!

 

10. And the final inconvenient uncomfortable reality is vs.16 “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” How clear is that? If you believe that Jesus lives, you will live as well! If not, you will be condemned to let nature’s death take its course; it’s as simple as that. 

 

And the Baptism of the Holy Spirit is a must! John states in Matthew 3:11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 

Do you feel uncomfortable at Easter? Let Jesus peace come in!

The fire of God is what purifies our hearts and minds of all sin. It brings on the full repentance bringing us into holiness, obedience, and most importantly, living our lives motivated by God’s love! The Salvation Army’s mission statement makes it clear; we are “motivated by the love of God!” 

 

Today, if believing that Jesus is as alive as He was over 2,000 years ago has not penetrated your doubtful heart, come and pray to accept Him in your heart and then Romans 10:9-10 will be a reality for you. You will be saved and resurrected when He returns. John 6:40 And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Pray!

Jesus: Praised by People and by Rocks

Jesus: Praised by People and by Rocks                by Kelly Durant

 

Luke 19:36 And when he was come nigh, even now at the descent of the mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen;

38 Saying, Blessed be the King that cometh in the name of the Lord: peace in heaven, and glory in the highest.

39 And some of the Pharisees from among the multitude said unto him, Master, rebuke thy disciples.

40 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.

 

2. How many of you have ever heard a strange sound and you can’t tell what it is or where it’s coming from? I recall one time I was in an English class in Santiago, Chile, in the Mercurio Newspaper where I was teaching a student and there was a strange loud whistling sound outside the building. I asked the people in the office what that strange sound was that sounded like an alien invasion with a mystical musical tone. They said that that was a beggar below playing a saw with a violin bow (like for cutting wood)! He played for money, but he had talent enough to produce a song for a Star Trek movie! I later went down to see him, what skill he had! 

 

Have you ever noticed some people like music loud and others hate it that way? It depends on the music, right? If it is a famous and magical song then loud could be fine, but if it is some mechanical machine sound with talentless verbally slurred words it is an irritation, agreed? A river flowing over stones is a southing sound, agreed? What we hear is important!

 

Now, have you ever noticed that the worship of God always involves sound or music, no matter the culture? Muslims pray with their loudspeakers blasting at certain hours in all their cities repeating a prayer. Hindus repeat the ‘Omm’ sound until the vibrations induce an altered state, and Christians usually shout out, ‘Praise the Lord, Hallelujah, Glory to God!’  All of these involve the human voice, and praise with music added will often be very moving, giving us inspiration. God created us to crave sound! All of nature is producing vibrations and sound!

 

3. Our ears are amazing! God created them to absorb Him and his good vibrations of creation, and His Word came before all things! John 1 ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God’. Then came His light. So, his spoken wisdom in word vibrations went out when light vibrations were created, how amazing all of John 1 is!

 

Romans 10:17 ‘So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God’. We hear sounds and words all day long, but only by hearing God’s word do we reach a point of understanding His love, depth, and wisdom and get a connection with Him. He dwells in the praises of His people!

 

So, what could Jesus have meant by saying the rocks would cry out in praise to Him if the people were to shut up? This statement, like so many that Jesus made, seems to echo the message in other verses. Like when Jesus explained that God would raise up followers, if it none came from the people, that He would even raise up stones. Matthew 3:9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.   

 

4. We are celebrating Palm Sunday today, glory to God in the highest! All around Jerusalem where Jesus was entering in were rocks and stones. Israel is mostly deserty with stones everywhere!  I once wrote a 5 page report paper on how the stones speak to us concerning all the history observed in the rock formations that around Jerusalem.

 

You and I are aware that in the Old Testament altars were made of stone to support the sacrifices of the lambs and animals. When one looks at 3,000-year-old round stone altars that the Philistines and other heathen cultures made in Israel, one can almost hear the screams of the children crying out that had died as human sacrifices with their blood dripping over these cold hard stone platforms. Rocks and stones can tell a story and they may even supernaturally communicate to you and me if God wants them to!

 

Isn’t it interesting that God told Moses while in the desert with the children of Israel to speak to the rock to get out the water? All of God’s nature is under His control and knowing that man was made from clay (being rock in a soft state), it is not so far-fetched to believe that God could raise up praise and ‘His people’ from the stones. 

 

5. The palm branches (used to show peace and praise) and the shouts praising Jesus while entering Jerusalem were what God desired, as they witnessed to the whole city and to the whole world that Jesus was the Messiah, the expected chosen one, the Savior of the world! Blessed are those that praised Him then and us who praise Him now! We did not see Him in person as they did, but we do sense His presence in our lives!

 

Imagine Jesus was defying the so-called spiritual authorities of His day telling Him and everyone to shut up from their praises and He threatened them with having the rocks praise Him! I wish the rocks would have spoken up, that would have scared them to death, right?  

 

It is just like today, there are many people from liberal universities, from pagan nations, and from those in our own communities and families mocking us who praise Jesus telling us to shut up! But we can’t! Even when some are silent, others show up to give Him praise! Jesus overwhelms the place when He shows up! Hallelujah!

 

6. Another focus, take into account rocks are also used as killing instruments and we all know about people dying by stoning. If a person broke the law and committed an abomination, they would be stoned to death. The Jews no longer practice this, but many Islamic nations still do. You can see a person murdered by stoning by Muslims on Youtube (if they did not erase them), if you want to. But God himself will stone the wicked in the latter days for cursing at Him and at His Son Jesus, Revelation 9:18 By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone (stone!), which issued out of their mouths. 

 

Stones and landscapes may stay put or idle for millennia, or stones may be cut and transported for construction, no matter how they are used, afterwards they bear a testimony which can tell a story of how God, or men utilized them. People have stone hearts, we were once useless sinners,  but God breaks us and shapes us into something beautiful!

 

7. God is connected to all of nature, and He is aware when blood is spilled on the ground or on the rocks. What did God say after Cain killed Abel? Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. God is in pain for all of the atrocities man does to His fellow man and destroying the precious life on earth. The rock in front of Jesus’ tomb did not stop Him!

 

All of creation bursts out in praise to Jesus when Jesus is near, but in the meantime the situation of our earth and nature is sad and cruel because too few praise Him. Due to evil men, and Godless mockers, our creation is under stress. Romans 8:22 For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.

 

We usually think of stones as rough, dumb, heavy, common as dirt objects, but they can be more than that. Jesus referred to himself as a stone! Matthew 21:42 ‘Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes?’

 

Because we love and praise Him, God wants us to become as a precious useful stone as Jesus became, did you know that? The scripture infers that we, the believers are as precious stones fitting along side of Jesus. 1 Peter 2:7 ‘Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner’.

 

8. And considering the palm branches that were used for praising, Jesus also described Himself as the vine, and we are His branches that must stay connected to Him in order to stay alive. John 15:1 ‘I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.’ We are also like a branch connected to Him

 

One other thing about stones, certain ones actually do communicate! When I was a kid, I was fascinated that you could make your own radio, that a quartz stone could absorb radio waves and you could hear through the quartz. A friend and I built one and used a fence was the antenna. Quartz is also used in fine watches. 

 

The Hebrew priests had breastplates with 12 stones, symbolic of the 12 tribes of Israel. So precious stones have been communicating and praising God from the beginning. Don’t mystics always use their crystals to connect to the spiritual realm? But we should doubt the things they claim to hear! We are warned not to listen to the soothsayers!

 

Precious stones make up the structure and the walls of heaven! We have studied this before in Revelation 21. So, Jesus’ connection to stones is evident. Jesus’ connection to all of creation, even within inanimate objects like stones precious or not, is evident as His presence invokes praise.  

 

9. Shutting up when Jesus is near? It’s impossible! He is always the center of attention as a huge rock in the middle of the road. You either embrace Him or hate Him, but no one escapes ignoring Him.  Romans 9:33

As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumbling stone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. It is our calling to honor Jesus as the only rock and foundation upon which we should build our lives. 

 

Jesus’ humble entrance in Jerusalem invoked praise and He got the red carpet greeting, or I should say green carpet greeting with the palm branches! Not everyone praised Him though, the Pharisees and the indifferent faithless didn’t. That is symbolic of how it has been for perpetual generations, some loudly praise and love Him, while others observe and think the praisers have lost their minds. But we haven’t, we recognize who He is, we feel Him, and we tremble with His vibrations (Word).

 

We will praise Jesus when we float into the gates of heaven, into the New Jerusalem. We will share heaven with many in that same crowd that praised Jesus on Palm Sunday in Jerusalem. Revelation 7: 9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” So, praise God as they do in heaven! Praise Him every day, in every moment of the day, amen!

John 17 Capture the Unity & Depth

John 17 Capture the Unity & Depth                                 by Kelly Durant 3-22-26  

 

John 17 (Whole Chapter)  

2. Today you and I will take into account Jesus' longest prayer before he goes on to his death and resurrection. He will challenge our epistemology! His prayer makes no sense to the unbeliever. You know “Our Father” is less than a minute long but prayers have more to do with the quality of content than they do with how long they are! Let’s explore the importance of Jesus prayer, glory, power and connection to the Father, and how that relates to those of us who believe Him.

 

Before anything, I think we all love puzzles, right? With every statement someone makes, we discover, like an onion, there are many layers behind the statement. For example, if someone says, “My toes are black and blue because of my wife”, the biggest problem we have is that most listeners just form an opinion and believe what’s in their own mind about the matter and this is what creates disunity and communications problems! The average unwise reasoning person is not guided by truth, or God, or the Holy Spirit, but by their own imaginations which almost infallibly are false impressions! When someone is “assuming” something, please correct them! Discernment and reasoning gifts are necessary!

 

The statement above could mean that the wife dropped the iron on the toes or she stepped on them and they are bruised, or it could even mean the man kicked the wife and bruised his toes in the process! It could imply an accident, or something malicious, but you do not know until you learn more by asking questions, and by also taking into account the persons past record. It could even mean that she painted his toenails with black and blue nail polish as a joke! Do you see how no statement should go past you without a deeper inquiry to learn the truth! We have already witnessed that some people leave the church because they only listen to their own minds and not to what is actually being said!

 

3. Here is something I want you to learn, when reading the Bible, together with praying and asking the Holy Spirit to guide you, learn to capture the depth of the inferences of what was set up in the past, and what is deeper between the lines.  

John 17:1 These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee. For one, why is Jesus asking His Father to glorify Him? Hasn’t He already been glorified in his birth, in his baptism, in the miracles, and in everything up until this point? So why does He ask to be glorified? This is the question?

 

God inspires answers. I see it like this, if a person trains to win a competition, this person could win on the state and the national levels, but despite the victories and accomplishments this competitor is not content because the focus is on the final prize of winning the Gold medal to be the best in the world! What Jesus is inferring is this, He has already been glorified but not totally yet, He is aware He still has to endure more: the death on the cross, and then return in an ultimate glory never witnessed before, the glory of being in His resurrected body! 

 

4. 2 As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

 

What is understood here? It is inferred that Jesus is confirming that God is delegating His authority of the future fate of all humans to Jesus so that after being glorified, He will then have total power to decide whether a human spirit after death can have access to heaven through eternal life or not: Eternal life that is tangent upon the acceptance of Himself (Jesus). It was only He that broke the curse of death and He was sent by God to break it and the glory is… He did it! 

 

It is confirmed in scripture many times that Jesus is the one (only one) who gives eternal life. How did Jesus gain this ability? He was the chosen one, but He also did not fail in “His obedience and by the things He suffered”. Hebrews 5:8

When you review the Old Testament you discover that none of God’s men, His prophets, or chosen ones (Moses, David, etc.) were perfect enough to come back to life, granting them the power to control this eternal life power by being the first one to dominate it. Death was brought in as a curse, and many of you know about curses, but it was undone by Jesus, so only He has the authority and control! Only He decides who gets eternal life and who not! You and I love Jesus but we also must fear Jesus’ authority as He has access to heaven and hell!

  

5. Jesus accomplished what no one had ever done before, and neither has anyone ever since Him ever gotten close to resurrecting like Him! Some people, however, believe they are gods but they are far from it and like the bumper sticker that says, "The next time you think you are perfect, try walking on water!" 

It resonates true that none of us, not one of us of the human race will ever be so perfect, so close to God that we will do miracles or have power over eternal life in the way that Jesus did! 

 

Divine yet human Jesus, by living obediently, righteously, and Holy, having the ability to do miracles, by his suffering, death, and resurrection, gained the status of being God’s right hand ruler and this means that He is over all humanity: Every person is subject to Him! No preacher, no wealthy star, no president, no dictator should ever be honored because all honor is due to Jesus!  Philippians 2:10

 

“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth;” The name Jesus is synonymous to His power of resurrection and it is the proof that He revealed His Father’s glory to the world.

 

6.  John 17:4 “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.”  First Jesus asks to be glorified, then he is claiming to have finished the work already, what does this mean? 

Jesus is talking in past tense, in other words, He is inferring He completed everything up to this point and the next step He counts as if it is done already. He has so much faith he is counting on the future as if it were past! Time is His!

 

That is confidence and strength! All of us have trials and tribulations but imagine if God revealed to you that you will die a horrible death, as He did with Jesus, would you still have faith and unquestionable obedience to God despite your fear and anguish and say to God, “Not my will, but yours be done?” 

 

7. 5 “And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was”. So think about what this infers. Jesus was around before our world was! It was His design with God to create our world and it was full of glory! There still is an amazing harmony of glory out there when you discover the vast amazing things in macro space, and then observe the vast complexity of the creation design in the DNA micro space. God’s glory revealed in the physical, measured with our modern instruments, proves He made and keeps maintaining a harmonious perfection in life & energy, a perfection that is quadrillions of light years beyond our creative capacities and understanding! 

What we must assume from Jesus statement is that God’s Kingdom (of another world) is perfect and full of glory and that it existed before our world did.  It is instilled in our nature to know that there is a spirit world that is glorious and never ending, and we conclude that each one of us are existing in a temporary world that is broken, full of life but also full of death and suffering. 

 

One can only appropriately assume that a certain glory has been lost in creation as we know it. Obviously in heaven with God on the throne, no glory has been lost in that realm, but here on our earth there has been a lost glory of the original creation because sin and death came into the world by disobedience. Jesus came to erase this sin and to undo the curse of death so God’s glory could be restored but it is only for those who believe and accept it through Him.

 

8.  The obvious pretention of Jesus is to restore glory to the souls of everyone! 

John 17:12 13

12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.

13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.

 

Verse 12 refers to Satan himself. In other words, anyone, anyone can be saved except Satan who went too far because he brought death into the world so He has to be punished with his own curse, so he will never obtain salvation: but anyone else can! Jesus came not to condemn but to save whosoever will!

Verse 13 mentions that we will have joy and it is true, we have great joy in Jesus in this life because He forgave our sins, gave us peace, and filled our hearts with love! But in reality our joy will not be complete until we join Him in heaven!

 

9. John 17:14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

 

If you are following Jesus, then you are being rejected by those of the world like He was! We can’t do anything about living in this evil world, we are here and we have to interact with all kinds of people all the time, usually with people devoid of understanding, but the good thing is, if you and I stay close to Jesus, He will protect us from the world’s evil, keeping us strong in faith! 

 

What is established here is most people in the world are blind and evil, while we are other-worldly and heavenly. Our relationship will always be as oil and vinegar.  

 

10. John 16:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

As Salvationists we believe in sanctification, which is the lifelong process of becoming cleaned through the Holy Spirit, and the He speaks to you and me through the Word of God, which is the only absolute truth! Knowing Jesus as truth is the greatest blessing we can ever have in life because the majority of people are (2 Timothy 3:7) ‘Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth’.

 

You and I have to be careful because “lies” can appear to be “truth” because they come disguised in many ways. I reflect on my own personal mistakes: I believed I was gaining holiness, truth, life, and happiness at one time through the teachings of gurus. But there always comes a time when you will have to wake up and experience the real “truth”. No spiritual teacher (angelic or demonic), no politician, no person of glamour or power has any meaningful words at all compared to those of Jesus! Those who accept Jesus and are obedient to Him, who pray through Him, have a power that no human or demon can stop!   

 

You and I are similar to dumb sheep and we can easily be tempted by words of teachers or persons in power who entice us to become “enlightened”, and to gain a secret “wisdom” that only a few elect can have. How egocentric! But if you investigate deeper the rituals, the processes, and the false promises offered, they do not hold up under the light of truth which reveals their deceitful shallowness. 

 

11. History has taught us that no human can ever produce teachings that will bring you to a higher truth, or power above the truth and power of Jesus! But sadly today people get misguided very easily by indoctrinators in certain cults or religions, by political propagandists, and by professors in ‘so called’ prestigious colleges fueling the mindless ‘endless trains of faithless’. 

 

21 “That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.”

What a tragedy that innocent people suffer consequences due to our society being severely divided by those who absorb and repeat lies instilling inconvenient immoral policies with no critical thinking applied. But Jesus expects his saved ones to apply analysis and critical thinking to fully absorb deeper truths so they will be preserved as one in Him until the end rejecting lies. The herds of the shallow misguided apply no depth of research to understand any consequences of what it is they live out and promote. 

 

Those without Jesus’ truth do not do any personal introspection (or if they did they would conclude that they are evil) as to why they defend popularized trends and positions. They become puppets of those with manipulative agendas intent on destructions! But true Christians have a “one-ness’ of thought, purpose, and mission and the “truth has set them free!”

 

12. John 17:22 “And the glory which Thou gavest me, I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one.” Jesus prayer covers many more points than what we don’t have time for here but the main point in the end is that each of us learn to be One with Him, Jesus, believing in Him as sent from the Father. He is one with the Father being in part divine and human, and knowing Him provokes a desire to imitate His heart, mind and soul! 

 

The ultimate truth is we will never have unity with those of the world, but we must have it amongst ourselves because Jesus prayed for us to have it! The world is made up of 2 breeds, the sheep of Jesus, and the goats of those who “do as they please.” Those of us who have Jesus understand and walk in truth and see all lies for what they are, but the deceived ones, who are entrapped and slaves to their own passions, never make any sense of life or of anything! Confusion=hell.

 

So what did you learn from this? That applying reasoning and questions is imperative to knowing truth! And that only Jesus has power over eternal life! We learned that worldly people haven’t learned anything in life at all: they are shallow by ignorance and choice lacking in depth for rejecting Jesus! And without Jesus as truth leading you and me into deep insights one exists purposeless, sad, and confused, not just for now but forever! Absorb all of Jesus, study well His prayers and He will change and enlighten you!

St. Francis And William Booth’s Effective Practices

St. Francis And William Booth’s Effective Practices                  by Kelly Durant   

Matthew 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

2. How many of you like non-conformists? These are people with fresh new ideas, leaders who having experienced the ineffective old established systems and in frustration decided to be strong enough to expose the dysfunctions by doing something about them? What do iconic figures do that leaves an impression so deep it lasts for centuries?  For one, they do not accept the routine broken system that has no inspiration or life in it but instead they create new means and methods. Then they went out to start a new wave of enthusiasm! True revolutionaries of God motivate their followers to win souls to Christ as a means to bring about a positive change in the debauched, corrupted institutions and authorities in the community! 

Jesus took on the status quo! Jesus’ impact, His life, death, and resurrection put into effect a radical change in society so much so that after a few hundred years Rome’s corruption and false worship of gods collapsed under Christianity. Jesus first message, the Sermon on the Mount, is a radical guide on how to live out God’s values which are diametrically opposite to the values of proud hypocritical abusive average people following the authorities in power.

When you and I love Jesus, I think we also love all the other radical men of God who bring about positive changes as He did, don’t you agree? Jesus is my and your first love, and all of us who have accepted Him will always recall our first impressions of learning His Word and experiencing the internal change of heart and mind and attitude. But despite our internal change, each of us need to see how Jesus’ love works through the lives of leaders who were effective to better understand how to put into practice what He taught.

3. Before I became enthusiastic about William Booth (I studied about his life), I was an admirer of historical iconoclasts such as Martin Luther, and St Francis of Assisi. Since Francis is recognized by the Catholic Church it may seem strange that this admiration would come from me being an evangelical, right? But I think all of us should remain open to honor those to whom honor is due regardless of their affiliation. After all, there was no Salvation Army in the 1100’s! Francis was The Salvation Army for those of his day!

The Pope Jorge Mario Bergoglio chose his identity in St. Francis and his influence was of modest austerity; a ‘Francis Effect’. Considering multimillions were influenced by him, it is important to tune into what others are being influenced by.  It is important that every Christian become more educated by what influences are taking place in all groups with power and influence.

In his time period, Francis of Assisi was considered an unpopular crazy revolutionary by the Catholic Church and considered a nobody outcast, but when they started losing a lot of followers to him, they had to reconsider his effect. Very soon the church wised up and quickly included him as a saint so that the common people would think good of the church for their acceptance of him because he defended the plight of the poor.   

4. After I studied about the life of St. Francis of Assis about 40 years ago, his life’s accomplishments helped me realize how my service in Christianity could be improved with even more self-sacrifice and giving to the poor. The more I learned about him the more I realized that joy and happiness comes from being a real Christian that serves the poorest of the poor and the worst of the worst.

My wife knows we spent many hours and years of our lives on the phone asking for food and clothing donations in South America and then we would go in a taxi and pick them up. For example, a 50-pound bag of something (noodles, rice, etc.) we would deliver it to a local orphanage as we did a little show with our kid’s singing songs plus doing a devotional. What motivated us to spend our time on these things? It is because Jesus changed our lives! 

Everyone to keep the change alive and real needs to be active, serving, loving, praying, encouraging, and being a channel for the Lord’s work of love and salvation to flow!

5. Does anyone recall the old movie of the life of Jesus, ‘Jesus of Nazareth’ by Franco Zeffirelli? The same producer also made a movie that was a hit in Bolivia (and around the world) called, ‘Brother Sun and Sister Moon’ about the life of St. Francis, did any of you see that movie?

Francis returns wounded and disillusioned from a Crusade battle and while healing in bed and outdoors he discovers God’s beauty in nature and the need to serve the suffering people and decides to dedicate his life in service as a monk. His father, being a wealthy man running a sweat shop of several hundred people who dyed clothing, did not want any part of his spiritual awakening and he had raging fits over his son’s strange new dedication to God and not to making money in his business.

The day came that Francis knew he had to leave town and start a work with the poor. His father was cruel to mock him so in front of the town’s people one day he gave away all the material, the clothes of the store of his father, since his father was rich by exploiting the poor. He then shockingly took off all of his clothes and returned them to his father and said, here take back what is yours that you lent to me! He began his devotion to help the poor outside the city and he rebuilt an abandoned church and it quickly filled up with followers much like a homeless shelter today. He was loved by all!

6. Why did Francis have such an impact? Because he rescued the Church system from totally collapsing! Scandals had plagued the Catholic Church in the 11th Century including despicable sexual activity along with the exploitation of the poor by phony doctrines and indulgences which permitted the clergy leaders to fleece others, no matter how poor, so they could live shamefully lavish lifestyles.

Compassion and love for the poor was absent so for Francis to give the example of taking from the rich, as he did from his father, and giving to the poor was an example of what would resonate with the people and become an improved model for Christianity; one of including the ministries of showing mercy on the poor. Jesus commanded to “do unto others” so, how is it the church neglected it? The first Christians shared as every man had need in Acts 2:44-45

Christian leaders in his day had perverted the religion of Christianity into a corrupt business and they sold so called antique relics and indulgences so you could pay for a prayer for a family member’s soul to get out of hell?  Corruption, power, and politics, were manipulated in order for a person to secure their salvation. The church, not Jesus, determined who was saved?!

These postures led people to distrust the church, and by association, the gospel itself!  In response, Francis began a movement that restored people’s love for the person and message of Jesus Christ. This gave people reason to trust the church again, bringing a revival in to Europe which lasted more than 500 years. In a not so old ‘Time Magazine’ Pope Francis even ranked 9th on the list of the most important influential people of the last millennia! However, controversial being liberal against church precepts, in my opinion, does not equate to greatness of influence.  

7. What do I bring up the past? Because corruption is exponentially multiplying today in the church and within all authorities in power! God’s formula is always the same: Christians must live out the example of the life of Jesus Christ in order to bring a reverse change converting others to Him. Take note of these 5 points that were practiced by Francis de Assisi and General William Booth which serve as an example to us today. How much do you practice them?

1. Extravagant Love for the Poor

Their followers were renowned for doing something radical to alleviate the suffering of the poor. They were willing to step into their world of suffering and serve and help them. This simple mission disturbingly silenced the critics. After all, the higher ups did not want to get dirty doing the job of ministering to the poor, derelicts, homeless, and alcoholics.

When it comes to materialistic lifestyles, Christians and non-Christians live about the same these days (in the USA), yet some have become extreme in their wealth. Jesus said in Matthew 8:20 Jesus answered him, “Foxes have holes, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lie down and rest. Francis said, “It is faster to get to heaven from a hut than a palace.” Booth with his Salvation Army usually lived right there in the same poor neighborhoods where they ministered, and this system continues in most places in the entire world today! 

8. 2. Peacemaking

Matthew 5:9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.

General William Booth preached an all-inclusive love that brought in peace between the rich and the poor, between the haves and the have-nots and between ideologies.  It seems ironic but declaring war on sin and marching into battle to free souls from hell brings the results of peace and well-being to the average person in the community. It is the Holy Spirit’s work in the hearts of men and where God’s presence is, there peace multiplies.

Francis taught non-violence. He traveled to Egypt hoping to forge a truce between the Christian Crusaders and the Muslims. Francis refused to bear arms and it was a condition for obtaining membership in his Order. If peace is taught and expected, then peace results are the outcome.

You and I do want the gospel heard in a culture that is increasingly cynical towards it, so we must always approach others in peace.  We must make peacemaking a priority at home and practice it with everyone we come in contact with.

9. 3. Love for Creation

I am not sure if you can imagine the smelly muddy streets of East London in the 1800’s but practically the entire city was a depressing hell hole! Several sections of our U.S. cities have become like this as well. It was a time where drunken sailors, prostitutes, and Jack-the-Ripper types roamed the tunnels and streets day and night. This is why Booth suggested that some of his followers move to farm colonies where the countryside nature could refresh them. In other words, those that love God, want time with his beautiful creation in His nature!

We hear many wild stories about St. Francis’ personal interactions while out in nature. He would preach to the birds, and he befriended wolves. Whether these stories are exaggerated or not, they reveal that he had a fame for having love for animals and all creation.

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Being God’s child, we all should love and respect His nature and do our part to not be cruel, wasteful, or destructive because taking care of God’s earth is a part of our heritage.

10. 4. Contemplative Prayers

A person’s prayers can be spoken out loud, but prayers also are frequently internal, and not always vocal. Prayer should include not just a speaking to our Lord, but also a time of listening, of meditating, of taking a moment of silence to let God come through. In the ancient time, this silence was known as contemplative praying. Francis rekindled this practice.

Booth listened to God for all decisions or he would not have succeeded as he did in establishing such a huge work in such a short time! I have read how he did a daily devotions, and then he prayed, listened to God and then acted.

Francis promoted contemplation. This practice of meditative silence allows God to speak to your spirit. Consider these Psalms which teach us to meditate or contemplate.

Psalm 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.

Psalm 63:6 When I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches.

Psalm 77:12 I will meditate also of all thy work, and talk of thy doings.

Psalm 119:15 I will meditate in thy precepts, and have respect unto thy ways.

11. 5. The Rebuilding of God’s Church

When William Booth brought the homeless and drunks into the stale church of his day, but the comfortable folks did not want them there.  So, God inspired him to start a new church, to rebuild a compassionate church, to start a new revolution of taking the gospel to the streets. His first churches were established by converting the very same pubs and drinking places, used for debauchery, into places of worship.  How is that for taking back the enemies territory!

St Francis of Assisi’s ministry began when he heard Jesus say to him, “Francis, rebuild my church, don’t you see it’s in disrepair?”  This message agrees with Jesus’ gospel which continues on today. Too many churches in our world are uncaring, self-serving, rich and comfortable. People need to see an example of a new type of people in Christ that are “others” serving!

We are living in a time when our culture is facing many of the same challenges St Francis and William Booth faced in their eras, one of acute decadence in the church and society. To prevent our own spiritual decline, it is time we must start doing the time proven practices of the ones before us of helping the poor, being peacemakers, loving creation, meditating on God in prayer time, and to start the rebuilding of church the way God wants it by being ‘others’ serving! The Church, or “ecclesia” in the Greek means nothing more than the “called out people”, and they (we) must be ones who are loving God and others with words and with deeds effectively.  

12. Francis, Booth, and countless others truly inspire us to sacrifice more, to love more, and most of all to preach Jesus more! Contemplate on this powerful prayer…

Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

Where there is injury, pardon;

Where there is doubt, faith;

Where there is despair, hope;

Where there is darkness, light;

Where there is sadness, joy.

O divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek

To be consoled as to console,

To be understood as to understand,

To be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

It is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.