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Bible Teaching

Are You Ready?

Athlete standing at arena railing above a boxing ring
An athlete stands alone in an empty arena, surrounded by warm sunrise light and quiet anticipation.

Text: Luke 8:43-48 , “(43) And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,  (44)  Came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched.  (45)  And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?  (46)  And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.  (47)  And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.  (48)  And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”

12 long years – Have you ever gone through a long trial?

Are You Ready?

In 1910, a young boxer named Jim Jeffries came out of retirement to fight the heavyweight champion Jack Johnson.

Once an undefeated legend in the ring, Jeffries had been years away from competition, and he was out of shape, unconditioned, and unprepared for the intensity of the fight ahead.

He trained harder for that comeback fight than he ever had in his life. He ran many miles every day. He lifted weights. He sparred until he could barely stand.

Why? Because he knew that stepping into the ring without preparation meant certain defeat, but when the bell rang, it became clear:

He had not conditioned himself enough for the fight.

Round after round, Johnson’s blows landed. Jeffries staggered. He fell. He got back up. He fell again. He got back up again. But eventually, he could no longer continue. The fight was stopped.

Afterward, Jeffries said, “I couldn’t have beaten him even if I had been at my best.”

Why? Because the fight demanded more than he had prepared for.

Jeffries was not ready. Are You Ready? GET READY.[1]

1 Timothy 6:11-12, “(11) But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.  (12)  Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.”

  • Paul is instructing Timothy on how to be ready…conditioned for the good fight of faith.
  • There are some things you need to flee
    • The “love of money” and all that comes with it – temptations, snares, traps, harmful desires – leading to ruin and destruction
  • There are things you need to follow
    • “…righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.”
  • There are things you need to fight
    • The Good Fight of Faith
  • Reward – Eternal Life!

Jude 1:3, “Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.”

Contend upon, for, or about[2] — Struggle for it!

If you are going to “fight the good fight,” you cannot be spiritually out of shape. You must be ready.

If you are going to “earnestly contend for the faith,” you must be conditioned for the struggle. You must prepare yourself to be ready.

This is not a casual contest. This is not a hobby.

This is a fight that requires discipline, training, and endurance.

The Good Fight of faith is not a spectator sport. It is a fight. A struggle. A contest for an incorruptible crown.[3]

Are You Ready?

The audience watch as two contestants at Olympia wrestle and box in their pursuit of an earthly crown. Only one will stand with the olive crown on his head.

Hear the roar of the crowd as the runner crosses the finish line in victory. Only one will wear the wreath of apple at Delphi.

A pine crown awaits the victor at the Isthmian games,

And at the Nemean games, all you get for your struggle to contend with others is a garland of parsley…and bragging rights.

No lasting achievement, because in 2 or 3 or 4 years we will do it again and someone else will be faster, stronger, quicker, more perseverant.

It’s just an earthly corruptible crown and only one receiveth the prize.

Our Preparation is for The Good Fight of Faith, and our reward is for an incorruptible crown, which is why Paul wrote to the Corinthians:

(26) I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air:  (27)  But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway.[4]

The ESV: “I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”

Have you ever watched an Olympian be disqualified? The look of shock, disbelief, and instant regret.

Questions in the mind: “What will I do now?” – “I just wasted four years of my life training, sacrificing, giving and now this?”

Paul was making sure that he was ready – he did not want to be Disqualified, castaway, rejected.

If you are going to “earnestly contend for the faith” then you better be conditioned for the struggle, and it is a struggle.

To obtain the incorruptible crown:

You must deny yourself – You strive for temperance and moderation You need to actually be guilty of being a Christian.

You could lose this crown at any moment.

There are threats, hazards, opposition on every hand

John 10:10, “The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.”

Your enemy, the devil, would gladly have you trade an incorruptible crown for eternal hell and torment.

Billy Graham was famous for never having had one mark against his character, and he prayed this prayer often: “Lord, let me not today ruin in anything what You have taken all these years to do in my heart and provide for my life.”

This fight of faith requires you to be conditioned. What is “Faith?”[5]

  • “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear” (Hebrews 11:1-3).
  • The source of “Faith” is God’s Word.
    • Romans 10:17, “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” 
    • God’s Word conditions and prepares us:
      • “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”[6]
  • THE FAITH ARE THE COLLECTIVE TEACHINGS OF JESUS CHRIST, INCLUDING HIS PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES WHICH HE “MODELED” FOR US, AND “ALL THINGS” THAT HE COMMANDEDHISAPOSTLES TO TEACH US.
    • There are Four Practices that prepare us in this fight of faith:
      • “And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers” (Acts 2:42).
  • THE FAITH is NOT just somethingwe“know”; it is also something “we do.”
    • James 2:17-18, “(17) Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.  (18)  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”
    • James 2:22 (NLT), “You see, his [Abraham’s] faith and his actions worked together. His actions made his faith complete.”
  • FAITH IS ACTIVE —IT ISSOMETHING TO BE OBEYED. It is not passive —notjust something to know or “mentally acknowledge!”
    • Romans 1:5, “By whom we have received grace and apostleship, for obedience to the faith among all nations, for his name.”
    • Acts 6:7, “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith.”
    • Hebrews 11:8, “By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.”
  • The Conditioning Point of Contact for Faith is Prayer:
    • “Pray without ceasing.”[7]
    • I have come with a call from the Holy One:
      • “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,” (Jude 1:20).

Paul said, “I have kept the faith.” 

He didn’t mean he was storing it away, or hanging it on the wall like some type of trophy.

It was an active pursuit of his life: “I have kept the faith.” 

He conditioned himself.

You and I are engaged in a great contest.

  • “My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing” (James 1:2-4).
  • “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us” (Romans 5:1-5).

When we say someone is a man or woman of faith what we really mean is that they have done something with that faith.

They were conditioned for the trying of their faith.

James said, “Show me your faith without your work, and I’ll show you mine with it. Because faith without works is dead being alone.

The Woman with the Issue of Blood

She had been fighting this battle for 12 long years.

She had evidently been a wealthy woman at one time, but now the money was gone, the doctors’ options exhausted and her only hope now lay in this man named Jesus.

Faith doesn’t always look like what you think it looks like.

She was conditioned and prepared by her struggle for this moment. She was finally ready!

Your current struggle is conditioning you, preparing you and getting you ready.

At the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, Tanzanian runner John Stephen Akhwari cemented his legacy not by winning, but by finishing last.

Despite falling, injuring his knee and shoulder, and suffering from altitude cramps, he kept contending.

By the time he entered the stadium, the sun had set, the medal ceremony was over, and only a small crowd remained.

He was the 57th and final competitor to finish the marathon, out of 75 who started.

Battered, bruised, injured and bandaged he was asked why he didn’t just quit. He replied,

“My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish it.”[8]

He was ready. Are You Ready?

(1) I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;  (2)  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  (3)  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  (4)  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  (5)  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.  (6)  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  (7)  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  (8)  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.[9]

Are Your Ready? Keep contending. Continue struggling.

Don’t let up – Don’t Quit! Fight The Good Fight of Faith.

“Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13-14).

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Johnson_vs._James_J._Jeffries

[2] Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.

[3] SOURCE: Italicized. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Johnson_vs._James_J._Jeffries

[4] 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 

[5] Chester Wright. (2022). Contending for the Faith (Part 1-The Call to Contend). Self-Published.

[6] 2 Timothy 3:16-17

[7] 1 Thess. 5:17

[8] Source: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/marathon-man-akhwari-demonstrates-superhuman-spirit

[9] 2 Timothy 4:1-8 

Categories
Bible Teaching

The Power of Pentecost and Apostolic Identity

Electricity pylons crossing a misty valley beneath a colorful sunset
Electricity pylons stretch across a misty valley toward a distant city at sunset.

Text: Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”

The Power of Pentecost and Apostolic Identity

Have you been in a new home that is under construction?

Bare studs and the smell of pine fill the space.

Then the electricians come in and they start running electrical lines for lights, outlets, HVAC, hot tubs, etc.

However, all those lines will be useless if the Lineman does not come and connect that house to the power grid.

The potential for power is there, but that house has to receive power.

The Power Lines in your neighborhood sometimes go out.

It might be windstorm, ice on the lines, a car wreck taking out an electric pole, or a blown transformer.

The need is still the same – you need a Lineman.

The Power Lineman is a skilled line installer and repairer, who is trained to construct, maintain, and repair electrical power systems.

They work with high-voltage lines, often at great heights in varying weather conditions, to keep electricity flowing to homes and businesses.

Their main job is to make sure that all the residential and commercial buildings in the area receive the electrical power they need to operate to their full potential.

Acts 2:38-39, “Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  (39)  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

The late Robert Bayer, known as “The Walking Bible” said, “Bethlehem was God with us, Calvary was God for us, and Pentecost is God in us.”

Statistics regarding Pentecostals today (5/23/2026)

There are 130 million Pentecostals globally, which represents 1.63% of 8 billion.

There are 2.66 billion Christians globally, which is 32.3% of the 2025 population.

Christianity is growing at a rate of roughly 0.98% annually.

As of 2025, the global number of Oneness Pentecostals is estimated to be approximately 30 million (.375% of population).

This figure represents about 1% of total global Christianity and roughly 4% to 5% of the broader Pentecostal-Charismatic movement, which includes over 644 million people (8.05%).

If Christianity grows at .98% annually while the global population grows at a rate of .88%, it would take approximately 1,027 years for the faith to represent 90% of the world population. 

Based on current demographics and growth projections, it would take Oneness Pentecostals anywhere from 70 to over 500 years to reach 25% of the global population, depending on which growth rate persists.

While the broader Pentecostal movement already makes up about 25% of global Christianity (roughly 644 million people), Oneness Pentecostalism is a specific subset with approximately 30 million adherents.

Using a 2026 global population estimate of 8.1 billion and a world population growth rate of 0.8% annually, here is how long it would take at different sustained annual growth rates for Oneness Pentecostals to make up 25% of the global poplutation:

  • At 7.0% Growth (High Estimate): Approximately 71 years. This rate is seen in some specific high-growth regions or individual denominations but is difficult to sustain globally over decades.
  • At 4.0% Growth (Moderate Estimate): Approximately 135 years.
  • At 1.58% Growth (Conservative Estimate): Approximately 546 years. This rate is closer to the current average for the broader movement.

Before the Lord Comes for His Church/Bride There She Will Fill the Earth

Daniel 2:31-35, “(31)  Thou, O king, sawest, and behold a great image. This great image, whose brightness was excellent, stood before thee; and the form thereof was terrible. (32)  This image’s head was of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his belly and his thighs of brass, (33)  His legs of iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. (34)  Thou sawest till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. (35)  Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshingfloors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth.“

Isaiah 2:1-3, “(1)  The word that Isaiah the son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem. (2)  And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. (3)  And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.”

Jesus speaking: “And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come” (Matthew 24:14).

Are You Connected?

“Who could ever forget those hours when we were hunting for the Baptism with the Holy Ghost? Days and nights were spent in seeking God and nothing else mattered. Then came that climactic day when we spoke in tongues and glory filled our soul. We had arrived-and most of us are never again so earnest in waiting on God, so the tragedy of modern Pentecostalism is that most of the saints are more spiritual just before they get the Baptism than they ever are again! One is reminded of giant powerhouses. The river of God is moving the turbines in the unseen realm, feeding the generators with prodigious potential power, but there are no lines to get the power out to a lost and needy humanity.”[1]

Apostolic Linemen

We Apostolics have done ourselves a great disservice.

Regardless of how or where it originated, we have sent the message to our people that the operation of the Spirit is limited to service times.

We have the power, but our power lines have been cut, disconnected or never installed.

We have forgotten that any believer, anywhere and anytime has the potential for miraculous and evident signs of salvation and deliverance following them.

The Old Testament was potential, but the New Testament is power.

Two Types of Power in the New Testament:

  • Dunamis = Power (energetic, explosive, demonstrative)
  • Exousia= Authority (delegated right, privilege – it’s about position)
    • His authority to exercise His power comes from His position as the Christ.
    • Our authority to exercise that same power is given to us by Jesus Christ:
      • Mark 16:14-20, “(14) Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen.  (15)  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.  (16)  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.  (17)  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;  (18)  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.  (19)  So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.  (20)  And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.
        • They had humbly received the rebuke of Christ.
        • They preached every where = They Proclaimed the Gospel.
        • Propelled by a faith strengthened through the power of the Holy Ghost that they received in Acts 2.
        • Signs followed as the Lord promised they would.
      • Acts 1:7-8, “(7) And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power [exousia = authority].  (8)  But ye shall receive power [dunamis = power], after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.”
      • 2 Corinthians 13:10, “Therefore I write these things being absent, lest being present I should use sharpness, according to the power [exousia = authority] which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruction.”
        • NLT, “…I want to use the authority the Lord has given me to strengthen you, not to tear you down.”
    • I do not have the power to stop an automobile, but that police officer driving behind me in the car with the lights flashing has something that will stop me – authority.

Apostolic Authority Abandons Apathy – Pentecostal Power Perpetuates Passion

There are twin powers, two sides of one coin, are the very means through which the Church will fulfill its purpose of reaching the world as it manifests its Identity.

Some alliterative statements:

  • Apostolic Authority Abandons Apathy
  • Pentecostal Power Perpetuates Passion

What will happen to our world when Oneness Pentecostals actually become concerned for the world?

People today are obsessed with AI (Artificial Intelligence), but what this world needs is for the Church to allow the Power of the Holy Ghost to produce the real AI – Apostolic Identity.

The real AI (Apostolic Identity) that we need today is:

  • Apostolic Intercession
  • Apostolic Influence
  • Apostolic Impact

Apathy (Indifference) is the sin of our age, and for true worldwide growth, renewal and revival to occur the Church needs to reconnect to the power of its Apostolic Identity.

Elie Wiesel, holocaust survivor, author, and Nobel Laureate wrote:

“The opposite of love is not hate, it’s indifference.”

As a movement, we have a present day Pentecostal problem:

  • Feeling over Faith
  • Excitement over Evangelism
  • Entertainment over Introspection

We need to learn to follow the line to where it meets and connects to Jesus.

It’s a “Follow me” faith that we have. We follow Jesus.

Nowhere in the Bible does it tell you to be Apostolic, or Pentecostal.

All Jesus ever said was, “Follow me,”

Paul simply wrote, “Follow me as I follow Christ.”

That’s our injunction. That’s our directive: to be born again of water and spirit and follow Jesus.”

When you follow Jesus in that fashion, you will be full of Power and you will take on that Apostlic Identity.

You first need to make sure the power lines are connected and the current of God’s Power is flowing to and through you.

You have the potential for power and authority, but are you connected?

Do you have an Apostolic Identity?

  • Apostolic Intercession – Are you burdened for the world?
  • Apostolic Influence – Are you reaching your family, friends, peers?

Apostolic Impact – Are you effecting you w

[1] Lennard Darbee. (1959?). Tongues: the Dynamite of God.

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Consider this...

Before the Throne, the Towel

None of the twelve did what they knew needed to be done.

Why?

Because there had arisen among them a contention, a strife, an argument, about which of them should be considered the greatest (Luke 22:24).

They had begun to compare themselves with one another, and Scripture reminds us that this is never wise.

They were jockeying for position. Their egos had risen to the surface, revealing something deeper within them: pride, self-importance, and assumptions of superiority. They were so concerned with who was greatest that they overlooked the opportunity to serve one another.

The towel was there. The basin was there. The pitcher was there. But no one picked them up. None of the twelve knelt.

So Jesus did.

Jesus, God in the flesh, took the towel, the basin, and the pitcher, and He knelt before them as a servant and washed their feet.

Jesus wasn’t trying to put His humility on display. He was demonstrating what true love looks like.

Love serves. Love stoops. Love takes the position nobody else wants. Love doesn’t need recognition. Love simply does what needs to be done.

Not long before this, a woman had washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and anointed them with costly perfume. Her love had been expressed through extravagant, devoted service. Now Jesus would take that same posture of love and demonstrate it to His disciples.

The Master knew His hour had come. He knew the cross was waiting. He knew betrayal was coming. He knew suffering was coming.

And yet, knowing all of this, Jesus turned His attention toward the twelve He loved. And He loved them all (yes, even Judas).

Secure in His own identity, Jesus was not threatened by taking the position of a servant. There is power in knowing who you are, and you don’t have to prove yourself by the position you occupy.

You can serve. You can stoop. You can pick up the towel. You can carry the basin. You can pour the water. You can kneel. You can wash feet.

Because your identity isn’t diminished by serving someone else.

In fact, when you truly understand who you are, you realize that no assignment is beneath you.

The disciples were arguing about who would be greatest.

Jesus answered their argument without an argument. He picked up a towel.

They were thinking about thrones. Jesus was thinking about feet.

They were concerned about position. Jesus demonstrated servanthood.

They wanted to be recognized. Jesus chose to kneel.

And in one final lesson before the cross, Jesus taught them, and He teaches us, that before you ever sit on a throne to judge, you must first learn how to kneel with a towel, a basin, a pitcher and serve.

Because greatness in the Kingdom of God is not measured by how many people serve you, but by how willing you are to serve others.

Before there is a throne, there is a towel. Before there is a crown, there is a cross. And before you learn how to lead from a position of authority, you must learn how to kneel in the posture of love.

Categories
Bible Teaching

Lengthen Your Cords, Strengthen Your Stakes

Sanctuary of Praise (Culloden, WV)

Numbers 4:29-33, “(29) As for the sons of Merari, thou shalt number them after their families, by the house of their fathers; (30) From thirty years old and upward even unto fifty years old shalt thou number them, every one that entereth into the service, to do the work of the tabernacle of the congregation. (31) And this is the charge of their burden, according to all their service in the tabernacle of the congregation; the boards of the tabernacle, and the bars thereof, and the pillars thereof, and sockets thereof, (32) And the pillars of the court round about, and their sockets, and their pins, and their cords, with all their instruments, and with all their service: and by name ye shall reckon the instruments of the charge of their burden. (33) This is the service of the families of the sons of Merari, according to all their service, in the tabernacle of the congregation, under the hand of Ithamar the son of Aaron the priest.”

  • The sons of Merari were tasked with doing what we now have the privilege to do.
  • Merari = can mean “bitter, sad” –OR- “strong, fierce” (as in a bitter taste that has a strong flavor).

Isaiah 54:2-3, “(2) Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitations: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes; (3) For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited.”

  • “Curtains” are a canopy or cloth used in a tent. The boundaries of the church have been enlarged in order to accommodate the vast conversion of the Gentiles.[1]
  • Where once only Gentiles lived, now the Gospel of Christ has been carried, preached, and believed and millions of souls have been born again.[2]
  • Now, because of God’s grace, a spiritual seed, the seed of the church, inhabits those formerly desolate places, until the fulness of the Gentiles.[3]
  • The desolate cities here we empty of the knowledge of Christ and the Gospel of salvation. In fact, all divine and spiritual things have now been made accessible all who will believe in Christ, profess his name, and obey the Gospel.[4]

Isaiah 33:20, “Look upon Zion, the city of our solemnities: thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down; not one of the stakes thereof shall ever be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be broken.”

  • Zion refers to the Church: God dwells, inhabits, her.
  • Zion is a strong city, it is the perfection of beauty, and the joy of the whole earth (Ps. 50:2; Lam. 2:15).
  • It is here where the saints gather to worship their Lord.
  • Rev. 21:3, “…the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.”
  • Every true believer is a “stake” or pillar in the church of God, which shall never be removed (Rev. 3:12) from the heart, hands and love of God.[5]
  • No born again Christian can be removed from the family of God. You can’t be “un-born again,” and so all the privileges and blessings of being part of the Body of Christ belong the believer.
  • The “cords,” which represent the everlasting love of God, will never be broken and so they are always firm and sure, secure and stable, eternal and unending.[6]
  • Jesus’ cords of love on one side and your cords of love on the other create a safe boundary, a bulwark of salvation, a wall of integrity.

Brass Pins/Stakes were used in the Tabernacle in the wilderness to secure the gold pillars of the Outer Court upright. 

These pins were driven in the ground at one end and fine twined linen was attached to the pins and to the top of the wooden pillars overlaid with gold to which sheets of fine linen were attached.

This created a type of fence and there was only one entrance into the outer court.

The Ark had one entrance, one gate to the sheepfold, and one way to the Father.

Jesus saith unto him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”[7]

The wood of the pillar represents Christ’s humanity.

The gold of the pillar represents Christ’s divinity.

Humanity wrapped in deity.

God manifest in the flesh.

Fine twined linen was drawn tightly and fastened with the pins.

They speak to us of the drawing power of God and His love for men and women:

“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love…” (Hosea 11:4).

We also have a part in the drawing power of love in our relationship with Jesus: “Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.”[8]

Without the cords, the pins and stakes would be useless.

It is God’s love that constrains us, that holds us together: “For the love of Christ constraineth [to hold together] us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:  And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15).

Unfortunately, there are times when we speak love, but do not demonstrate love, or as Jesus said, “This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.  But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.”[9]

  • It seems that when our hearts harden, or become distant, we choose man’s rules, commands, and sacred cows over relationship.

Our text tells you to, “lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes.”

STORY: I went camping one night when the wind began to blow and a strong storm blew in. Someone forgot to fasten the tent to the ground with the provided stakes.

A stake, a pin, will do you no good if left on the ground and not driven into the earth. 

The strength of the stake refers to it being secured into the ground, not whether it is steel, iron, or brass.

There are some stakes we need to secure firmly into the ground, and keep coming back to them in order to make sure they remain strengthened.

There are four pins of our faith that will keep us attached to the love of God, if we are vigilant in strengthening them regularly:[10]

  • Dogma = One God
    • Gen. 1:1, “In the beginning God created…” God here is the transliterated form of Elohim, which means “plenitude of might,” or more simply, “one God whose characteristics are many.”Dogma = “a principle or set of principles laid down by an authority as unquestionably true.”[11] The source of the pin of our dogma is God’s Word.Deut. 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD.”In Colossians 2:9 we are told that in Jesus dwells all the fullness of the Godhead (all the characteristics of God) bodily, and we (the Church) are complete in Him (Jesus).Paul did say that the Godhead was a mystery, but then he went on to explain what the mystery was, “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.”[12]
    • Only Jesus Christ fulfilled those six points. Therefore, Jesus Christ of the New Testament is Jehovah of the Old Testament
  • Duty = Love (to God and to one another)
    • Jesus & People
      • “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?  Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.  This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.  On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”[13]“A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.  By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”[14]
      • A pin and a cord
  • Discipline = Study of Scriptures
    • John 5:39, “Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.”2 Timothy 2:15, “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”
    • 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “(16) All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:  (17)  That the man of God may be perfect [complete], throughly furnished unto all good works.
      • Doctrine  = What is right
      • Reproof = What is not right
      • Correction  = How to get right
      • Instruction = How to stay right
  • Method = Union (Balance) of the Spirit and the Word
    • John 1:17, “For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.”2 Corinthians 3:2-6, “(2) Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  (3)  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.  (4)  And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward:  (5)  Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;  (6)  Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.
    • Philippians 4:5, “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.”
    • Modesty, Humility, Gentle, Patient = Balance

A word of warning:

“(19) Woe is me for my hurt! my wound is grievous: but I said, Truly this is a grief, and I must bear it.  (20)  My tabernacle is spoiled, and all my cords are broken: my children are gone forth of me, and they are not: there is none to stretch forth my tent any more, and to set up my curtains.”[15]

Instability in the Church, in our lives, occurs when we do not strengthen our stakes and lengthen our cords by drawing closer to God.

James 4:7-8, “(7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  (8)  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”

Psalms 73:28, “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, that I may declare all thy works.”

Psalms 145:18, “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”

He’s as close as the mention of His name. Jesus. Jesus.

Lengthen your cords, and strengthen your stakes

[1] Albert Barnes

[2] F. B. Meyer

[3] Ibid.

[4] Ibid.

[5] John Gill

[6] Ibid.

[7] John 14:6

[8] James 4:8a

[9] Matthew 5:8-9

[10] Source: Dr. Joe Nelson. (n.d.) Four Fundamentals of Faith Necessary for New Testament Living. Parkersburg Bible College.

[11] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/dogma

[12] 1 Timothy 3:16

[13] Matthew 22:36-40 

[14] John 13:34-35 

[15] Jeremiah 10:19-20

Categories
Consider this...

The Making of a Good Preacher

There’s much to consider when we discuss what makes a good preacher.

My Uncle Mark talked about the importance of wrestling for the mind of the people when we stand behind the sacred desk and preach a message.

It is that space between the lips of the preacher and the ears of the listeners where the struggle intensifies and the anointing grapples with thoughts of sincere men and women.

Unfortunately, preachers sometimes are guilty of being out-of-touch with their generation, or as Carey Nieuwhof wrote: “Too many church leaders are perfectly equipped to reach a world that no longer exists.”

In his seminal work, J. T. Pugh addressed this issue by writing: “One of the secrets of David’s greatness was that he ‘served his generation.’ How sad and futile it is when a preacher persists in presenting the gospel in a format peculiar to another day. How useless it is to answer questions that a present, living generation is not asking. The key to deathly stagnation in any local assembly is a fervent Spirit-filled, God-called pastor, alert to the needs and hurts of this present age to, without compromise, present the healing word in communication that modern pagans can relate to.”

J T Pugh at Zion Tabernacle (Kokomo, IN) in 1993

The following collection of notable quotes offer key insight for the preacher who is wrestling for the mind of the people and striving to serve their generation well.

Bishop James E. Tyson taught the “3 B’s of Preaching: 1. Be Anointed. – 2. Be Brief. – 3. Be Seated.”

J. T. Pugh: “Sermons that are not revealed to the preacher cannot be revealed to the people.”

J. T. Pugh: “You may learn how to preach sermons but you will never be a minister without suffering.”

I like this definition offered by Raymond Woodward: “Preaching is the anointed declaration of Truth. Teaching is the anointed explanation of Truth.”

Richard Baxter wrote, “I preached as never sure to preach again, and as a dying man to dying men.”

James Lumpkin, Sr. said, “A prayerless preacher builds a powerless pulpit and a troublesome pew.”

Vance Havner had a few things to say about the preacher and preaching:

  • “A preacher should have the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child, and the hide of a rhinoceros. His problem is how to toughen his hide without hardening his heart.”
  • “If we preach the whole counsel of God, we shall be accused of extremism, not only by the world but also by a professing church that cannot endure sound doctrine.”
  • “We have suffered from the preaching of cheap grace. Grace is free, but it is not cheap. People will take anything that is free, but they are not interested in discipleship. They will take Christ as Savior but not as Lord.”

Leonard Ravenhill: “Prophets may have miracles, but they must have a message.”

T.F. Tenney left these two poignant thoughts:

  • “No man with wet eyes will ever preach a dry sermon.”
  • “Preach every sermon like your son was sitting on the back seat giving church one last chance.”

I heard Rex Johnson once time say that there are three things every minister needs to do: 1. Stay clean – 2. Love people – 3. Preach when necessary

There there is the inimitable Charles H. Spurgeon:

  • “Preach Christ, and Christ, and Christ, and Christ, and nothing else but Christ.”
  • “No Christ in your sermon, sir Then go home, and never preach again until you have something worth preaching.”

Alistair Begg: “Unfortunately, preachers who distort God’s Word are all too common today. Sometimes this springs from a sincere desire to soften hard hearts, but hearts aren’t changed by compromise.”

Alistair Begg: “The truth is that we are not good people who make mistakes; we are sinful people in need of mercy. Because it requires humility to accept what our hearts are truly like, those same hearts will tend to prefer to be deceived by preachers of self-esteem and self-confidence rather than listen to prophets such as Jeremiah.”

The beloved Lee Stoneking connects anointing to preaching: “Inspiration does not break the yoke of bondage. Only the anointing breaks the yoke of bondage.”

G. T. Haywood wrote the following in “Do All In Jesus’ Name” (1923):

“Preach in Jesus name, teach in Jesus name,

Heal the sick in His name and always proclaim

It was Jesus’ Name in which the power came;

Baptize in His Name, enduring the shame,

For there is vict’ry in Jesus’ name.”

Johnny James: “When preaching is done like it is supposed to be done, the sinner is evangelized, the saint is edified and the Lord is glorified.”

in Romans 10:13-15, the Apostle Paul emphasized the beauty of a true preacher of God’s Word:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!”

For me, a good preacher is one who follows what James Lumpkin, Sr. called the Prophet’s Creed (Micah 6:8): “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?”

Paul wanted Timothy to witness the eternal significance of good preaching: “(1) I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom;  (2)  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  (3)  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  (4)  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables”(2 Timothy 4:1-4).

Our Lord Jesus Christ is our example (Luke 4:14-31):

“(14) And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.  (15)  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.  (16)  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.  (17)  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,  (18)  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,  (19)  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  (20)  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.  (21)  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.  (22)  And all bare him witness, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son?  (23)  And he said unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do also here in thy country.  (24)  And he said, Verily I say unto you, No prophet is accepted in his own country.  (25)  But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land;  (26)  But unto none of them was Elias sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was a widow.  (27)  And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Naaman the Syrian.  (28)  And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath,  (29)  And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong.  (30)  But he passing through the midst of them went his way,  (31)  And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and taught them on the sabbath days.”

I believe Allan Oggs said that the greatest preacher in the world was not Peter, James, or John. The greatest preacher isn’t some world-famous pulpiteer whose name is known around the globe.

The greatest preacher in the world is a little short man who takes the pulpit of your mind and begins to preach to you like nobody else can.

That preacher is your conscience.

Your conscience can wrestle with your mind like no other preacher can. It knows your thoughts, motives, failures, compromises, and your spiritual condition.

He preaches a message of conviction calling you to renewal, crying for you to consecrate you heart and mind. He sees exactly where you are and his sermon somehow reaches when no one else’s can, because your conscience can reach you exactly where you are, and that is what is important in the making of a good preacher.

A good preacher is not merely someone who can get your attention to hear a sermon; a good preacher is someone who can get your conscience to hear from God and then make the changes necessary to come and submit your life to Jesus Christ.

That’s what makes a good preacher.

Categories
Bible Preaching

Determined to Meet the Challenge

Text: Hebrews 11:32-12:2

(32)  And what shall I more say? for the time would fail me to tell of Gedeon, and of Barak, and of Samson, and of Jephthae; of David also, and Samuel, and of the prophets: (33)  Who through faith subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, (34)  Quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens. (35)  Women received their dead raised to life again: and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance; that they might obtain a better resurrection: (36)  And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: (37)  They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (38)  (Of whom the world was not worthy🙂 they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth. (39)  And these all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: (40)  God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. (12:1)  Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2)  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

I got called out, to a street fight when I was 15 years old.

Two brothers and their cousin took offense at my breaking up their three way fight and they turned on me and challenged me to take on all three – at the same time.

Being less cautious than I should have been, I accepted, because I knew my best friend, Tony Huff, would stand with me.

On that fateful day, Tony and I met the trio of trouble at a road construction site about two blocks from my home.

We were Determined to Meet the Challenge.

We were not necessarily equipped to meet the challenge, but we were determined.

I don’t think I’ll forget the moment when we were through talking and about to square off, 2 against 3, my fists raised, my adrenaline pumping and my best friend beside me…

When all the sudden I heard running feet coming down the alley.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a wave of brown hair and a flash of blue denim skirt and a voice saying, “Stephen Eugene Kuntzman, Anthony Douglas Huff, you come here right now.”

Too our everlasting embarrassment, Momma had heard about the rumble and she was there to stop it.

But we were determined.

That youthful rumble ended in embarrassment, but it taught me a lesson about determination.

Life eventually brings real battles where “Momma” cannot step in to save you and in those challenging moments, you can look to a much greater cloud of witnesses who stood their ground.

Determined to Meet the Challenge

Life is full of challenges, struggles, trials, tough decisions, unpleasant conversations, disappointments, losses,

And even when you have done everything correctly to meet those challenges head-on there is no promise that you’ll succeed in the moment.

In faith you come to the battle, but you are not guaranteed the outcome you believed for, hoped in, dreamed about, and prayed over will come to pass.

To have faith is to be sure of the things we hope for, to be certain of the things we cannot see.[1]

And we know we can do all things through Christ because He is the source of our strength.[2]

And we understand that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.[3]

But what do you do when ALL YOU HAVE BELIEVED FOR CRUMBLES BEFORE YOUR EYES?

Are you determined to meet the challenge?

It’s 1968, the Olympics are being hosted in Mexico City, and John Stephen Akhwari, a runner from Tanzania, cements his Olympic legacy not by winning, but by finishing last. Despite falling, injuring his knee and shoulder, and suffering from altitude cramps, he kept meeting the challenge. By the time he entered the stadium, the sun had set, the medal ceremony was over, and a small crowd remained. 75 started the race, but only 57 finished, and that final competitor to cross the line was Akhwari. Battered, bruised, injured and bandaged he was asked why he didn’t just quit. He replied, “My country did not send me 5,000 miles to start the race; they sent me 5,000 miles to finish it.”[4]

He was Determined to Meet the Challenge.

The Apostle Paul wrote to Pastor Timothy, his son in the Gospel: “(2)  Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.  (3)  For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;  (4)  And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.  (5)  But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.  (6)  For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand.  (7)  I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:  (8)  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”[5]

The challenges of life and leadership are not easy,

But after 43 years, Bishop Moore and First Lady Moore have proven their determination, their grit, strength of character, and faith in God.

You are surrounded by their witness of faith.

God chose this man and woman to represent Him to you and to this city.

Moreover, God has been using them to teach, train, mold, edify, and love you so that you can do the work of the ministry.

And at the same time, He has filled their lives with challenges that reveal His hand and purpose in their life.

But, as Søren Kierkegaard wrote: “Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.”

When God Wants to Drill a Man[6]

By: Angela Morgan[7]

When God wants to drill a manWatch His methods, watch His ways!And he lifts beseeching hands!
And thrill a manHow He ruthlessly perfectsHow He bends but never breaks
And skill a man,  Whom He royally elects!When his good He undertakes;
When God wants to mold a manHow He hammers him and hurts him,How He uses whom He chooses
To play the noblest part;  And with mighty blows converts himAnd with every purpose fuses him;
When He yearns with all His heartInto trial shapes of clay whichBy every act induces him  
To create so great and bold a manOnly God understands;  To try His splendour out–  
That all the world shall be amazed,While his tortured heart is cryingGod knows what He’s about!

We’ve all been there, haven’t we?

We have all experienced God ruthlessly perfecting, hammering, and chiseling, and smoothing our rough edges as He molds us for a noble purpose.

We have all asked Jesus, “Why?”

And He is often silent, but you can count on this – God knows what He’s about!

“..weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.”[8]

When your faith is challenged, questioned, ATTACKED, or injured, you will face a moment of choice between meeting the challenge or stepping aside.

And if you have determined to meet the challenge, you will often face the same choice again and again and again.

The challenge is bigger than you are, it is more important than you can sometimes grasp. It is eternal in scope:

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”[9]

That’s faith! The substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.[10]

And without it, without FAITH, it’s impossible to please God.[11]

Do you know how I know that this Man of God and His wife have pleased God?

They are still here. They haven’t quit. They’ve kept the faith.

They decided a long time ago that they were determined to meet the challenge.

It no longer matters what the challenge is, after 43 years they have dealt with all kinds of challenges from the pew, from the pulpit, from the world, and from the enemy:

  • Moral Bankruptcy
  • Spiritual Apathy
  • Physical Sickness
  • Social Injustice
  • Financial Challenges
  • Demonic Influence
  • Mental Instability
  • Gender Dysphoria
  • Death

Life has thrown every obstacle in their pastoral path, but they are still standing, still determined, still standing in the gap for you.

Most of you have taken their example and followed suit, but some ran when challenges arrived.

The trying of your faith revealed a weakness, a brokenness that you can’t seem to get over.

You have been beating yourself up for so long that you don’t even know how you made it here today.

You are not as lost as you think.

Jesus is searching for you even in your cloudy and dark day:  (11)  For thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. (12)  As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. (16)  I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick: but I will destroy the fat and the strong; I will feed them with judgment.[12]

The Lord God is not resisting, rejecting or denying you…He is searching for even one lost, broken, scattered sheep.

“For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again.”[13]

Paul and James wrote about enduring the persecutions, hardness and afflictions that challenge all believers and ministers of the Gospel.

They could only write about such things because they had experienced them.

Is it possible that they were determined to meet the challenge, but sometimes, like Peter on the night of our Lord’s crucifixion found themselves not as strong as they professed?

Did mercy come to them and now their voices of grace and experience encourages us to stand tall, firm, resolute?

Now, to our text: Hebrews 12:1-2, “(1) Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, (2) Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”

The cloud of witnesses – our heroes of Hebrews, our elders, your Bishop and First Lady are looking towards you today.

They surround you, they compass you, watching to see if you can lay aside that which has hindered you.

Can you receive the baton of determination, faith, and endurance?

Will you run with patience the race set before you?

Are you Determined to Meet the Challenge?

Look to Jesus: “And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51).

Jesus demonstrated determination by deliberately marching toward Jerusalem. He knew that betrayal, torture, and crucifixion were waiting for Him.

He was determined to face the agony of the cross and to bear your sins on it.

He refused fear, even when facing intense physical and spiritual pain. Jesus looked past the temporal and focused on the ultimate eternal victory.

He disregarded the humiliation and pushed through the suffering for the sake of the final goal:

“…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”[14]

That joy was you.

Conclusion:

We are surrounded by a massive cloud of witnesses—from the heroes of Hebrews to 43 years of pastoral grit.

Jesus did not stop at Gethsemane,

Akhwari did not stop on the marathon track,

Bishop Moore and Lady Moore have not stopped through 43 years of challenges.

Lay aside the weights that hold you down and turn away from your sins.

Stop beating yourself up over past falls and failures.

Jesus is here binding your wounds today.

Stand up, square your shoulders, and be

Determined to Meet the Challenge.

[1] Good News Bible.

[2] Philippians 4:13

[3] Romans 8:28

[4] Source: https://www.olympics.com/en/news/marathon-man-akhwari-demonstrates-superhuman-spirit

[5] 2 Timothy 4:1-8 

[6] https://marbaniang.wordpress.com/2017/09/07/origin-of-the-poem-when-god-wants-to-drill-a-man/

[7] Believed to be an anonymously “Christianized” form of her 1918 poem When Nature Wants a Man.

[8] Ps. 30:5

[9] 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

[10] Hebrews 11:1

[11] Hebrews 11:6

[12] Ezekiel 34:11-12, 16

[13] Proverbs 24:16

[14] Hebrews 12:2

Categories
Bible Teaching

The Sin Bucket -Harold Hoffman

Categories
Bible Preaching

The Scent of Water

Tree roots glowing with blue and green light above and below water in an underground forest pit
A mystical view of tree roots glowing above and below water in a forest pit

Text: Job 14:7-9, “(7) For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. (8) Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; (9) Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.”

I love the scent of the ocean air that increases the closer I get to the beach when my wife and I go to Hilton Head Island for vacation.

“Water” mentioned over 500 times in the Bible.

Water is present in Scripture from the first chapter of Genesis to the final chapter of the book Revelation.

Water is necessary for life, and most people cannot go more than 4 days without it.

It is a symbol of God’s spirit, cleansing, and judgment.

Key Symbolic Meanings[1]

  • Life and Creation: Water is present at the very beginning when the Spirit of God hovers over the waters (Genesis 1:2). It represents God’s life-giving power and is essential for the flourishing of all life.
    • Genesis 1:1-2, “(1) In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.  (2)  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.”
  • Purification and Cleansing: Water is used to ritually cleanse and symbolizes the removal of sin and impurity. In the New Testament, it is the central element of baptism, representing spiritual rebirth and the washing away of sins.
    • Acts 22:16, “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
    • Acts 2:38
  • Judgment: Water can signify divine judgment
    • The Great Flood (Genesis 6-9)The destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea.
    • Your sins in the waters of baptism
  • The Holy Spirit: “Living Water”
    • John 7:37-39, “(37) In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.  (38)  He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.  (39)  (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

Famous Biblical Events Involving Water[2]

  • The Red Sea Crossing: God parts the sea to allow the Israelites to escape from Egypt on dry ground (Exodus 14).
  • Water from the Rock: During their wilderness journey, God miraculously provides water from a rock to quench the people’s thirst (Exodus 17:6).
    • That rock was Christ: “And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.”[3]
    • The water is the Spirit of Christ: “Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.”[4]
  • Jesus’ First Miracle: Jesus turns water into wine at the wedding in Cana (John 2:1-11).
  • Walking on Water: Jesus demonstrates His authority over nature by walking on the Sea of Galilee during a storm (Matthew 14:22-33).
  • The Woman at the Well: Jesus offers “living water” to a Samaritan woman, explaining that those who drink it will never thirst again:
    • John 4:7-15, “(7)  There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink. (8)  (For his disciples were gone away unto the city to buy meat.) (9)  Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans. (10)  Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. (11)  The woman saith unto him, Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water? (12)  Art thou greater than our father Jacob, which gave us the well, and drank thereof himself, and his children, and his cattle? (13)  Jesus answered and said unto her, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: (14)  But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life. (15)  The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.”

More Water[5]

  • Psalm 23:2, “He leadeth me beside still waters.”
  • Isaiah 43:2, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.”
  • Amos 5:24, “But let judgment run down as waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream.”
  • Revelation 22:1, “And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

I’m Thirsty!

There is a deep-rooted desire, an unquenchable thirst for God, in each of us, and we will fill it with something:

  • Psalm 63:1, “God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is;”
  • Psalm 143:6, “I stretch forth my hands unto thee: my soul thirsteth after thee, as a thirsty land. Selah.”
  • Isaiah 55:1, “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”
  • Psalms 42:1-2, “As the hart panteth after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after thee, O God.  (2)  My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?”
    • An inherent desire inside each of us for the One true source of life; our Lord Jesus Christ.
    • “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of each man.”[6]

Life has a way sometimes of cutting us down.

We might say that someone is “cut off at the knees.”

Our text tells us: “(7) For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. (8) Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; (9) Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.”[7]

Did you know?[8]

Trees and plants can actually detect moisture levels in the soil. Their roots contain biological sensors that detect: moisture, chemical traces carried in water, and temperature differences.

Even when a tree has been cut down and appears dead, living root tissue may remain dormant underground.

When moisture increases in the soil: the root system detects it, dormant buds activate, and new shoots begin forming

Just the detection of water – the scent of water – will trigger life.

The root can sense the presence of life-giving moisture before it even receives it.

It is not smelling in the human sense, but detecting the signal of life nearby.

This is what happens when we begin to sing praises, raise our hands, lift our voices and shout unto God.

What Job Was Saying?[9]

While humans appear to die and stay dead, trees can come back to life “through the scent of water.”

Jesus’ incarnation displayed for us the power of “the scent of water” because He is the “root out of a dry ground.”

 (1)  Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the LORD revealed? (2)  For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.[10]

So he says: “There is hope of a tree…”

Even if:

  • the trunk is cut
  • the stump is dead
  • the roots are buried

The moment it detects the scent of water — it can live and thrive again.

Even if you have been:

  • spiritually cut down – you can live again
  • buried in failure – you can live again
  • dried up in your soul – you can live again
  • burnt by life’s furnace of affliction – you can live again
  • numbed by betrayal – you can live again

If you can detect even the faintest presence of the Spirit…

Life can return.

Just “the scent of water” is enough – it is the signal of life

Acts 17:24-28, “(24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;  (25)  Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;  (26)  And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;  (27)  That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:  (28)  For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.”

You may be exhausted, discouraged, or spiritually dazed, but just catching a whiff of the scent of water can give you hope,

And sensing that small signal of hope can restart life.

Examples of “the scent of water” in real life:

  • one encouraging word
  • a moment in prayer
  • a sermon that awakens faith
  • a glimpse of purpose
  • a fresh touch of God
  • a song that inspires hope
  • a Bible passage that reignites conviction

The soul senses possibility before full restoration arrives.

Job did not say, ““through the river of water.”

He did not write, “through the flood of water”

Job said, “through the scent of water.”

That scent simply means that it takes very little to awaken a dormant life.

Not a flood – Just a hint – Just a signal – Just the possibility

Just a scent – Just a detection of the signal of life – Just a little hope

Someone has said: “The root doesn’t need a river. It just needs to know the water is coming.”

That’s the scent of water.

The moment a soul catches the scent of…

Grace – Hope – Mercy – The Holy Ghost – God’s Love

Something inside begins to live again.

Through the scent of water

The blessed man is “like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper” (Psalm 1:3).

You have been blessed to catch the scent of water.

“(7) For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again, and that the tender branch thereof will not cease. (8) Though the root thereof wax old in the earth, and the stock thereof die in the ground; (9) Yet through the scent of water it will bud, and bring forth boughs like a plant.”

[1] SOURCE: Google AI Mode. Query: water in the Bible.

[2] Ibid.

[3] 1 Cor. 10:4.

[4] Is. 12:3. Read whole chapter

[5] Ibid.

[6] Blaise Pascal

[7] Job 14:7-9

[8] SOURCE: ChatGPT from Aaron Fairburn

[9] Ibid.

[10] Isaiah 53:1-2

<<Preached in Glen Ferris, WV on 3/8/2026>>

Categories
Golden Heart Foundation

Letting Go

A woman walking on a stone path beside a cottage surrounded by blooming flowers at sunset
A woman enjoys a peaceful walk through a colorful cottage garden at sunset.

Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, “(1) To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:  (2)  A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;  (3)  A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;  (4)  A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;  (5)  A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;  (6)  A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;  (7)  A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;  (8)  A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.”

I have a hard time letting go – but I, and you, are in good company:

  • Jacob wrestles with the Angel of the Lord (Ge. 32). At Jabbok, after a lifetime of trying to do it his way – ways that failed – Jacob lets go of his past, his control, his plans and grabs onto God for a new future, new trust, new life.
  • Moses at the burning bush. God commands Moses to move beyond his past failures in Egypt to embrace his future purpose.

Letting Go of the past.

  • You ARE NOT your past actions.
  • You ARE NOT your past failures. 
  • You ARE NOT how others treat you. 
  • You ARE who you think you are. 
  • You ARE who you choose to be.

Let it go. Stop worrying about the past and the things that you cannot change. Worrying accomplishes nothing, and it doesn’t help you change.

My Uncle, Mark Kuntzman, said to me one day. “Why worry when you can pray.”

Your past can make you stronger, if you will learn the lesson it offers. You are not required to remain in that situation. Let Go!

  • Proverbs 24:16, “For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief.”
  • Ephesians 4:31-32, “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”
  • “Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert” (Is. 43:18-19).

It’s your choice: Stop worrying, Ask for God’s help, Make a change.

  • “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10).
  • “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).
  • John 8:32, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
  • Philippians 3:12-14, “(12) Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.  (13)  Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,  (14)  I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Categories
Golden Heart Foundation

A Conversation at Noon

Stone water well with wooden pulley, bucket, and clay jar in desert
A stone well with a wooden pulley and a clay jar in a dry desert landscape

“…He must needs go through Samaria” (John 4:1-45).

The Jews in Jesus’ day would often take the long way around Samaria, but Jesus felt compelled to go through Samaria.

Then, near the village of Sychar, He sends His disciples into the village for food and sits on Jacob’s well at noon (the sixth hour).

And He waits for a woman of Samaria to come.

No name is mentioned, just her gender and her genealogical status – A Samaritan woman (half Jew and considered by the Jews to be “unclean.”

He begins a conversation with her — at noon

She initially resists and is mistrusting of this Jewish teacher’s intentions.

She has been rejected, marginalized and devalued for all her life by these Jews and now life’s choices and situations have in a real sense separated her even from her own people.

This is why she goes to the well at the hottest part of the day:

  • To escape the judgmental glances
  • To avoid hearing the condemning voices
  • To protect her heart from witnessing happiness in others she doesn’t possess

Then this Jewish Rabbi, an interloper, sits on the well she needs to draw water from and has the audacity to cross a cultural divide and ask her for a drink of water — Who does he think he is?

She doesn’t respond positively. She might even be a little snippy with Jesus:

“You are a Jew,” she replied, “and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink of water when Jews and Samaritans won’t have anything to do with each other?” 

Jesus answered, “You don’t know what God wants to give you, and you don’t know who is asking you for a drink. If you did, you would ask me for the water that gives life.” 

She doubles down: “Sir, you don’t even have a bucket, and the well is deep. Where are you going to get this life-giving water? Our ancestor Jacob dug this well for us, and his family and animals got water from it. Are you greater than Jacob?” 

Thus begins a conversation at noon that changes her life and sets the stage for Jesus to tell her what He has never told anyone else before:

The woman saith unto him, “I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things.”

Jesus saith unto her, “I that speak unto thee am He.”

Who is he…He is Jesus, the Christ…the Messiah!

Points to Consider:[1]

  • Confronting Reality Without Condemnation: Jesus revealed her personal history—having had five husbands and currently living with a man who was not her husband. Crucially, He did this to reveal himself, not to shame her. This “tender seeing” allowed her to move past her own guilt and recognize him as a prophet.
  • Clarifying True Worship: When she attempted to pivot to a religious debate about the proper place to worship (Mount Gerizim vs. Jerusalem), Jesus responded that true worship is “in spirit and in truth,” making the location irrelevant.
  • Full Revelation and Mission: Once she expressed hope for the coming Messiah, Jesus directly declared, “I who speak to you am He.”
  • The Depth of Her Change: Seen in her immediate reaction: she left her water jar behind—symbolizing her move from physical thirst to spiritual fulfillment—and ran to her village to testify – “Come see a Man that told me all ever that I did.”

[1] SOURCE: GOOGLE AI MODE: Query- explain the way that Jesus initially overcome the resistance and mistrust of the woman at the well, and her change of heart. Italicized.