Category: Bible Preaching

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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 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
Bible Preaching

Not Guilty

Stephen Kuntzman | Nov. 18, 2025 | 7pm

Text: 2 Samuel 12:1-7

(1) And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.  (2)  The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:  (3)  But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.  (4)  And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.  (5)  And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:  (6)  And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.  (7)  And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man…”

“Thou art the Man…”

Not Guilty[1]

God’s forgiveness is the remedy for your guilt.

Your sincere obedience to His plan is how you find forgiveness.

“Guilty,” was the loud accusation that sprang from the lips of a woman on the corner of a busy intersection.

People looked towards the voice and say her repeat that accusation, “GUILTY,” while pointing her finger at those who passed her.

Inevitably, the accused would look at her, put their head down and walk quickly to the other side of the road.

We have an accuser of the brethren.

We are often our own worst accusers.

Sometimes the guilt feelings are legitimate, but you don’t have to be guilty to feel guilty.

In our text tonight, David was definitely guilty

– tell the story of Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba –

What are you guilty of doing, seeing, saying, thinking, silencing?

Nathan, the prophet, came to David and declared to him, “Thou art the man.”

We need a “thou art the man” moment.

If forgiveness is the greatest builder of lives then guilt has to be the most destructive demolisher.

Guilt weights people down – Forgiveness lift people up

One day, a group of indignant “righteous” men dragged a woman to Jesus, pointing their fingers at her in moral outrage and mortal accusation. 

Her immorality, they said, demanded her public execution. 

Jesus – Our Jesus – did not join them in pointing His finger at her. Instead, he pointed his finger to the ground and wrote on it.

The accusers and the accused were standing on the dust of the earth, the common dirt of their shared humanity, and Jesus said unto them:

“He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”[2]

One by one, beginning with the eldest among them, her accusers hung their heads and walked away.

“Isn’t there anyone left to accuse you?” he then asked her.  “No sir” she replied.  “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more,” said Jesus.[3] [4]

Preacher, I’m guilty…how can I get to the place where I’m Not Guilty?

Acts 2:38, “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.”

“When God forgives He forgets. He buries our sins in the sea and puts a sign on the bank saying, ‘No Fishing Allowed.’”[5]

[1] SOURCE: Carlton L. Coon Sr. (2003). Master-FULL Preaching. Truth Publications.

[2] John 8:7

[3] John 8:10-11

[4] Ronald W. Nikkel. (2013). By Pointed Fingers. https://www.prisonfellowship.org/2013/02/by-pointed-fingers/. Accessed: 11/18/2025.

[5] Corrie Ten Boom

Categories
Bible Preaching

The City of Light

Text: Matthew 5:13-16, “(13) Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (14) Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”

The City of Light

We are an elevated city.
The Mount of Beatitudes rises from the Sea of Galilee not far from
Capernaum.
Jesus likely pointed out across the water city on top of a hill there.

Quesnall wrote, “The Christian life is something very high and sublime, to which we cannot arrive without pains: while it withdraws us from the earth, and carries us nearer heaven, it places us in view, and as a mark, to the malice of carnal men.”
We rise as an example to a world looking for something real to follow.
Jesus said, “If I be lifted up…”
“I am the Light of the world…”

You are the temple of the Holy Ghost
When we are together we become a city of light for the whole world to see.
Diffusing to the world the Light of Jesus Christ.

Apostolic Life Cathedral is the City of Light

Categories
Bible Preaching

Unthinkable – LJ Harry

Categories
Bible Preaching

Fresh Oil

Text: Psalms 92:10, “But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.”

Fresh Oil

Oil plays a significant part in the Scriptures and in the life of the believer.

The first time oil is mentioned in the Word of God it was used by Jacob to anoint the stone he’d used as a pillow (Genesis 28:10-22):

(10) And Jacob went out from Beersheba, and went toward Haran.  (11)  And he lighted upon a certain place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set; and he took of the stones of that place, and put them for his pillows, and lay down in that place to sleep.  (12)  And he dreamed, and behold a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven: and behold the angels of God ascending and descending on it.  (13)  And, behold, the LORD stood above it, and said, I am the LORD God of Abraham thy father, and the God of Isaac: the land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed;  (14)  And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth, and thou shalt spread abroad to the west, and to the east, and to the north, and to the south: and in thee and in thy seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed.  (15)  And, behold, I am with thee, and will keep thee in all places whither thou goest, and will bring thee again into this land; for I will not leave thee, until I have done that which I have spoken to thee of.  (16)  And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the LORD is in this place; and I knew it not.  (17)  And he was afraid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven.  (18)  And Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had put for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the top of it.  (19)  And he called the name of that place Bethel: but the name of that city was called Luz at the first.  (20)  And Jacob vowed a vow, saying, If God will be with me, and will keep me in this way that I go, and will give me bread to eat, and raiment to put on,  (21)  So that I come again to my father’s house in peace; then shall the LORD be my God:  (22)  And this stone, which I have set for a pillar, shall be God’s house: and of all that thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee.

There on that stone Jacob poured oil and dedicated it as a place of worship to God naming that spot Bethel – The House of God.

Later he came back to Bethel, built an altar and named it El-Bethel – the God of the House of God (Gen. 35:1-15).

The first time we see oil used on man it is the anointing oil poured on Aaron and his sons as they are dedicated and consecrated unto God as priests (Exodus29).

Throughout the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy, you will find the constant presence and use of oil.

  • Consecration and Sanctification of Priests, Prophets and Kings, Tabernacle, Tools and Furniture (Exodus 30:22-25).
  • Used Medicinally to Heal the Sick (both spiritual and physical restoration)
    • James 5:14-15, “Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord:  (15)  And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
    • Acts 10:38, “…God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
      • There is a lingering presence when you have been anointed – God’s presence will stick and stay with you.
  • Worship
    • Mary anointed Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume (oil-based) as an act of worship (Matthew 26:7, Mark 14:3).
  • Purification
    •  Leviticus 14:1-18 instituted cleansing rituals for those recovering from leprosy, symbolizing their legitimate return to society and acceptance into the general public.
  • Joy
  • Psalms 45:7, “Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest wickedness: therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.”
  • Everyday Life
    •  Oil is used for cooking, cosmetics, skin care (Frankincense & Myrrh).

This fresh oil is a type of the Holy Spirit.

Just as oil pervaded, permeated, saturated, soaked and flooded every aspect of a person’s life in the Old Testament

The Fresh Oil of the Holy Ghost abides constantly in the life and spirit of the believer:

“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?  For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

There are three types of oil that was produced from pressing of the olives:[1]

  1. First Pressing (Purest Oil) – Holy Use
    1. Used for anointing priests and kings, lighting the Temple menorah, and sacred meal offerings.
    1. Christ the Anointed One – Messiah
  2. Second Pressing (Medicinal/Food Oil) – Physical Use
    1. For healing wounds, cooking, and general household use.
    1. Christ the Healer and Provider
  3. Third Pressing (Crude Oil) – Cleaning and Fuel
    1. For soap (cleansing) and lamp fuel.
    1. Christ the atoning cleansing sacrifice and the Light of the World.

Gethsemane means “olive press,” and the three prayers of Jesus reflect these three pressings.

Just as the pressings extracted the oil in ever increasing intensity

Jesus was pressed to the point of sweating great drops of blood

The intense suffering of Jesus provides spiritual anointing, healing, and cleansing for believers.

1 John 2:20, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”

“Unction” is the same word for “anointing”

To be anointed you have that fresh oil rubbed in our poured on.

That’s what happened to David (1 Samuel 16:1, 13)

 (1) And the LORD said unto Samuel, How long wilt thou mourn for Saul, seeing I have rejected him from reigning over Israel? fill thine horn with oil, and go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for I have provided me a king among his sons….(13) Then Samuel took the horn of oil, and anointed him in the midst of his brethren: and the Spirit of the LORD came upon David from that day forward. So Samuel rose up, and went to Ramah.”

Look what happened:

  1. God sent Samuel to Jesse’s house in Bethlehem to find the next king, telling him to fill his horn with oil.
  2. Samuel sees Jesse’s older sons, but God rejects them, explaining that He looks at the heart, not the outer appearance.
  3. David is brought from shepherd’s field
  4. God confirmed to Samuel that is was the chosen one – the one after His one heart.
  5. Samuel then takes the horn of fresh oil and anointed David in front of his family.
  6. At that moment, the Holy Spirit of the Lord came powerfully upon David and never left him.

Tonight, at the beginning of this New Year, we need to receive Fresh Oil – Fresh Anointing.

Fresh Oil will Eliminate Fear, Confusion and Frustration.

Fresh Oil will propel us into a future that will see us operate in faith and boldness as we reach our families, our friends and our homes with the oil of gladness.

To receive Fresh Oil for this coming year lift your hands and hearts to God and begin to thank Him for His Fresh Oil

Receive a renewing of the Holy Spirit.

Psalm 92:10, “But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.”

My horn = You can find joy tonight in foreseeing the mercy of the Lord. You will not perish, but God will lift you up over your difficulties.

Jesus is here tonight to anoint you with fresh oil that will enable you to be victorious, smooth the difficulties of life and prepare you for new levels of ministry and spiritual growth.

The overflowing effect of Fresh Oil will produce renewed purpose, focused vision, and divine wisdom.

God has sent Fresh Oil here tonight to refresh and renew you:

Acts 3:19 , “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

Fresh Oil releases Joy, Victory, Explosive Power and Divine Authority.

Fresh Oil will bring unity to this body:

Psalms 133:1-3, “(1) Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!  (2)  It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard: that went down to the skirts of his garments;  (3)  As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: for there the LORD commanded the blessing, even life for evermore.”

  • As the oil covered Aaron’s entire body, unity is a shared blessing that touches everyone.
  • Unity is a divine gift, not just a human effort.
  • The flowing oil signifies the blessing and life that God commands where unity exists, bringing a refreshing abundance, like the dew of Hermon.
  • As Aaron was the High Priest, this anointing signifies that believers living in unity function as a unified priestly body, anointed and set apart for God’s purpose.

[1] Google AI Overview. Query: three oil pressings in the Bible. Accessed: 1/4/2026.

Categories
Bible Preaching

A Thing Called “Hope”

Text: Matthew 9:20-22 

(20) And, behold, a woman, which was diseased with an issue of blood twelve years, came behind him, and touched the hem of his garment:  (21)  For she said within herself, If I may but touch his garment, I shall be whole.  (22)  But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.

“Hope” is the thing with feathers –

That perches in the soul –

And sings the tune without the words –

And never stops – at all –

And sweetest – in the Gale – is heard –

And sore must be the storm –

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm –

I’ve heard it in the chillest land –

And on the strangest Sea –

Yet – never – in Extremity,

It asked a crumb – of me.[1]

Hope is “a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. A feeling of trust”[2]

Albert Barnes defines Hope as:

…a desire for an object, and an expectation of obtaining it.

If there is no desire for it; or if the object is not pleasant and agreeable, there is no hope, though there may be expectation – as in the expectation of the pestilence, of famine, or sickness, or death.

If there is no expectation of it, but a strong desire, there is no hope, as in cases where there is a strong desire of wealth, or fame, or pleasure; or where a man is condemned for murder, and has a strong desire but no prospect of pardon; or where a man is shipwrecked, and has a strong desire, but no expectation of again seeing his family and friends.

In such cases, despondency or despair are the results.

It is the union of the two feelings in proper proportions which constitutes hope.[3]

Hope is the place where desire and expectation unite:

A Thing Called Hope

She had been sick for 12 long years, but somehow she had not lost her hope. “She had gone to many doctors, and they had not done anything except cause her a lot of pain. She had paid them all the money she had. But instead of getting better, she only got worse.”[4]

She was ritually unclean and should not have even been out in the crowd, but there she was.

This was such a personal and private issue – an issue of blood – but fueled by desire and expectation – HOPE – and she quietly approached Jesus from behind.

She had no desire to make a scene. She simply had a hope kindled by an Old Testament messianic prophecy, and when she touched the hem of Jesus’ garment, she was expressing her faith in Him as the Christ:

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings…”[5]

You have been holding onto your own quiet, personal, private issue of blood for some time now.

You may even think that nobody really cares about your situation. What you really want to do it quietly come to Jesus, just brush the hem of His garment because still resident inside you, despite how long, weary, disappointed and tired you have become in this struggle – you still have HOPE (desire and expectancy).

Don’t give up! The miracle is just a brush away.

The moment she touched the border of his garment, immediately her issue of blood stopped.  

Jesus said, Who touched me? …Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.  

And when the woman saw that she was not hid [she had tried to be as inconspicuous as possible], 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.

And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.[6]

A Thing Called Hope

Is something you cannot afford to let go.

It is in the waiting where Hope is tested. The sometimes-insurmountable fear that this delay is just foreshadowing the disappointment to follow, but I hear Lord say…

Habakkuk 2:2-3, “(2) And the LORD answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it.  (3)  For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.”

There is a future Hope beyond this world, but there is a present Hope as well: Romans 8:24-28:

(24) For we are saved by hope: but hope that is seen is not hope: for what a man seeth, why doth he yet hope for?  

(25)  But if we hope for that we see not, then do we with patience wait for it.  

(26)  Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  (27)  And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.  

(28)  And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

A Thing Called Hope will hold you together when nothing else will:

  • Psalm 38:15, “For in thee, O LORD, do I hope: thou wilt hear, O Lord my God.”
  • Psalm 42:5, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.”
    • His face is turned towards you with favor and salvations.
  • Psalm 42:11, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.” (See: Psalm 43:5)
    • If you hold onto hope, one day your face will display the joy within because you hoped in God.
  • Job 14:7, 14, “(7) For there is hope of a tree, if it be cut down, that it will sprout again…(14) If a man die, shall he live again? all the days of my appointed time will I wait, till my change come.”

[1] Emily Dickinson. (1861). “Hope” is the thing with feathers.

[2] Oxford Languages.

[3] Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible. 2 Corinthians 3:12.

[4] Mark 5:26, CEV

[5] Malachi 4:2

[6] Luke 8:43-48

(Preached on 11/16/2025 to the saints of Tornado Apostolic Church, Pastor Wilson Hudson)

Categories
Bible Preaching

Rejected, But Accepted

Text: John 1:10-13, “(10)  He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. (11)  He came unto his own, and his own received him not. (12)  But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: (13)  Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Jesus always looks for those whom the world sees as rejects.

He knows what rejection feels like and He knows how it feels to be seen by others as a reject.

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.[1]

“…touched with the feeling of our infirmities…” – Jesus understands all your weaknesses, all your hurts, for he faced all the stuff you have faced, everything, especially rejection.

“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”

It was prophesied that he would be rejected:

(3) He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  (4)  Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.  (5)  But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.[2]

Rejected, but Accepted

Because Jesus can sympathize with the rejects, the untouchables, the marginalized

He is drawn to people who recognize their need for Him – no matter how aware they are of Him.

There is a magnetic pull…a vacuum if you will…that Jesus is compelled to fill.

Jesus specializes in reaching for people many would not cross the street to talk with.

Men and women that society has deemed somehow unacceptable.

They have been called godless, useless, prodigals, wastrels, discards…trash.

Certainly, there were people when Jesus walked this earth in shoe leather and there are people now considered by the majority to be “rejects.”

Remember the moments when Jesus took time to come to the rejected:

  • Zacchaeus – “Zacchaeus, make haste, and come down; for to day I must abide at thy house.”[3]
    • Other Jews did not like Zacchaeus, a Jew, because he chose to work for the Romans, and as a publican he was treated as a traitor to his people.
    • When the people saw that Jesus was going into Zacchaeus’s home, “they all murmured, saying, That he was gone to be guest with a man that is a sinner” (Luke 19:7).
    • Zacchaeus had risen to the top of the ranks of swindling tax collectors, he abused his authority by getting rich off the hard-earned money of others, and they rejected him.
    • The people rejected him, but Jesus accepted him.
  • Mary Magdalene – tormented by seven evil spirits, she was rejected by the people of her coastal hometown on the Sea of Galilee, but Jesus accepted her.[4]
  • The Cleansing of the Ten Lepers – unclean and standing far away from Jesus and His followers, but “they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” [5]
    • They were rejected by people and the Law of Moses, but Jesus accepted them.
  • The man of Gadara – He was so full of unclean spirits that they called themselves “Legion” (possibly 2,000)
    • The people there rejected him, but Jesus accepted him
  • Thief on the Cross – ultimate form of rejection is when society demands your death – capital punishment.
    • The legal system rejected this thief, but Jesus accepted him.
  • Woman of Samaria – came to the well in the heat of the day. Rejected by the women of the city and perhaps the shame of her past caused her to reject herself, but Jesus accepted her.

Like so many truths found in Scripture, often the one most in need of spiritual rejuvenation, Holy Ghost regeneration, and Bible salvation is unaware of just how far they’ve fallen from grace.

Worthless, without value, insignificant – these are words sometimes used to “put people in their place,” by people who have forgotten the place where Jesus found them.

The sinner who has never come to Jesus before KNOWS she is lost, but the religious soul who has trusted in man’s tradition, in the trappings of religiosity, in the intellect of their own mind, and not in the power of the Holy Spirt – he has no idea just how lost he really is.

The fall of the haughty, arrogant and prideful is rarely overnight, but little-by-little.

Luke 18:9-14 highlights this truth:

(9) And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others:  (10)  Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.  (11)  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.  (12)  I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.  (13)  And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.  (14)  I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Paul wrote to the Church at Ephesus reminding them, and us today, that we are blessed “…with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: (4)  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;”

He goes on to tell us, the Rejected, But Accepted: “…We have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ. In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, (14)  Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.[6]

A permanent change is coming to us.

We who were once rejected are about to be eternally accepted:

(50) Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption. (51)  Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, (52)  In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. (53)  For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. (54)  So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.  

  • The saying that is written (Isaiah 25:8), “He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the LORD hath spoken it.”

(55)  O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? (56)  The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. (57)  But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.  

  • We who were one time rejects are accepted in the beloved Lord Jesus Christ.

(58)  Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

  • So, don’t stop serving Jesus, keep reaching for fellow rejects, and loving each other the way Jesus showed us to love one another.

Do you feel broken, marginalized, rejected?

Have you ever felt that way?

Your acceptance is as simple as believing and obeying the very words of Jesus:

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28).

[1] Hebrews 4:15

[2] Isaiah 53:3-5

[3] Luke 19:5

[4] Luke 8:2

[5] Luke 17:11-19

[6] (10/26/2025, Sanctuary of Praise, Culloden, WV, Pastor David Gentry)

Categories
Bible Preaching

Drinking from His Cup

“James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, will you do us a favor?” Jesus asked them what they wanted, and they answered, “When you come into your glory, please let one of us sit at your right side and the other at your left.” Jesus told them, “You don’t really know what you’re asking! Are you able to drink from the cup that I must soon drink from or be baptized as I must be baptized?” “Yes, we are!” James and John answered. Then Jesus replied, “You certainly will drink from the cup from which I must drink. And you will be baptized just as I must!” -Mark‬ ‭10‬:‭35‬-‭39‬, CEV‬‬

Categories
Bible Preaching

The Rock & The Name

Stephen Kuntzman | Oct. 5, 2025 | 6:30 pm

Text: Matthew 16:13-20 

(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?  (14)  And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.  (15)  He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?  (16)  And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.  (17)  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.  (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.  (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.  (20)  Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ.

1 Corinthians 10:1-4, “(1)  Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;  (2)  And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;  (3)  And did all eat the same spiritual meat;  (4)  And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ.

The Rock & The Name

Bishop James A. Johnson: “Men often fail in their religious pursuits because they are not convinced of the extraordinariness of Jesus.”

“Whom do men say that I the Son of Man am?”

Apparently, there were many opinions in Jesus’ day regarding His identity: John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.

The world today has no need for men and women who have already ran their race, finished their courses and received their reward.

John, Elijah, Jeremiah, and the prophets – healed the sick, raised the dead, stopped the heavens from raining, brought the rain again

They preached great sermons, performed notable miracles, baptized many.

BUT, they could not make men, women, boys and girls inwardly whole. They were unable to save humanity from their sins.

Only Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God can do that.

I love, honor and respect our Apostolic / Oneness Pentecostal heritage.

I have great esteem for men like Urshan, Ewart, Goss, Haywood, Pugh, Kilgore, Kitchen, Simison, Kuntzman, Jenkins, McFarland, Tenney, etc.

They all served their generation well, but their time has come and gone.

It is now your time to do for this generation what God requires of you.

God has called you to this time and this hour and this day.

Esther 4:14, “For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”

This is your time! This is your place! What will you do with it?

The disciples gave Jesus a list of who people believed others Him to be, but Jesus cut through all that and simply asked them, “But whom say ye that I am?”

Who is Jesus to you?

Who is Jesus to you? Is He simply a good man, a healer, a worker of miracles, a teacher of great truths…

Do you see Him as some far off ethereal deity cloud robed and mystery hidden, or can you say like Peter did:

“Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

He is the one the prophets spoke about, wrote about, prayed for, looked to, and rejoiced at His coming.

He is the Messiah, the anointed one, the savior.

He is God manifest in the flesh.

Jesus is The Rock, and properly identifying Jesus through the power of divine revelation brings a blessing into your life:

“Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

1 Corinthians 12:3, “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.”

Revelation comes by the Spirit of God and always agrees with the written Word of God.

1 Timothy 3:16, “And without controversy [undeniable, certain, without dispute] 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.”

1 Timothy 2:5-6, “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;  (6)  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.”

Matthew 1:20-25

(20) But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.  (21)  And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.  (22)  Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,  (23)  Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.  (24)  Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:  (25)  And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.

Jesus then tells Peter who He is: “Thou art Peter [a piece of rock], and upon this rock [a mass of rock] I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” <<Peter = “a piece of rock”[1]  | Upon this rock = “a mass of rock”[2]>>

Peter, I’m not going to build my Church on you, you’re just a little piece of rock, but upon This ROCK, this massive rock of stone – the revelation of who I am – I am going to build My Church.

Jesus – The Rock – The Name, is who this Church is built on:

(10) Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  (11)  This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  (12)  Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.[3]

Jesus Christ is The Rock

  • Deuteronomy 32:31, “For their rock is not as our Rock, even our enemies themselves being judges.”
  • Deuteronomy 32:3-4, “(3) Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God.  (4)  He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.”
  • Psalm 18:2, 31, “The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower….For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God?”
  • Psalm 95:1, “O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
  • Isaiah 28:16, “Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.”
  • Ephesians 2:19-22, “(19) Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;  (20)  And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;  (21)  In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord:  (22)  In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit.”

Like Paul, when you receive the revelation of The Rock & The Name and realize His power you will be driven by a singular devotion and determination:

“And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified” (1 Cor. 2:1-2).

PERGAMOS[4]

Revelation 2:12-17 

(12)  And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he which hath the sharp sword with two edges; 

  • Pergamos literally means “married with the world.”
  • It refers to a condition and time when satan changed tactics to attack the Church.
  • We all want to be accepted.
  • So, satan stopped persecuting the church and began popularizing it.
  • The church became the “in thing” to join.  And so it became fashionable.
  • But while fashionable it had become impure. Those joining didn’t leave their sinful practices and those already in it became influenced by the world.
  • This led to a condition where the Church would become unfaithful to Christ and married to the world.
  • Jesus is stating here that He is coming with a two-edged to divide the true Church from the false church that is full of compromise and polluted works.

(13)  I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan’s seat is: and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. 

  • Even as popular culture tried to pervert, popularize, and convolute the name of Jesus, the Church held on to the truth of the mighty God in Christ.
  • They still understood:
    • Neither is there salvation in any other…
    • In Him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily…
    • Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name…
  • God has always had a True Church that has held onto His name.
  • Somewhere and somehow Truth has always been preserved.
  • Even when satan changes tactics, God is always steps ahead preserving and protecting the Church.
  • You see, Truth doesn’t need protecting. Truth is true whether all believe it, or none do.
  • It was Adrian Rodgers who said, “It is better to be divided by truth than to be united in error. It is better to speak the truth that hurts and then heals, than falsehood that comforts and then kills. Let me tell you something, friend, it is not love and it is not friendship if we fail to declare the whole counsel of God. It is better to be hated for telling the truth, than to be loved for telling a lie. It is impossible to find anyone in the Bible who was a power for God who did not have enemies and was not hated. It’s better to stand alone with the truth, than to be wrong with a multitude. It is better to ultimately succeed with the truth than to temporarily succeed with a lie. There is only one Gospel and Paul said, “If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed”.” -Adrian Rodgers, National Religious Broadcasters Convention in 1996
  • The Church in Pergamos had martyrs who had died for Truth – Antipas (thought to be the pastor).

(14)  But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 

  • It was Balaam who couldn’t curse the Hebrews. So, he encouraged Balac to have his pagan people intermarry with the Hebrews.
  • Thus, the Hebrews brought a curse on themselves when their gentile wives brought false gods, heathen practices, and compromise into their homes.
  • The devil wants you to bring a curse on yourself by allowing a marriage of the holy with the profane in your life.

(15)  So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. 

  • The doctrine (deeds) of the Nicolaitans: Corrupts Paul’s teaching concerning grace, and made it a license to sin.
  • They were sensual and unrepentant.
  • They turned the grace of God into lasciviousness.
  • Paul wrote in reponse to them: “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?  God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?” (Romans 6:1-2).
  • 2 Corinthians 6:17, “Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.”
  • According the Joseph Benson, “They allowed the practice of the most abominable lewdness and adulteries, as well as sacrificing to idols; all which they placed among things indifferent, and pleaded for as branches of Christian liberty.”[5]

(16)  Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 

  • REPENT – Jesus here gives to John the very first word of the Gospel that He shared in the beginning – REPENT.
  • It is the only solution for your sin.
  • It is better to fall in humble repentance now than to be broken by God’s judgment.
  • Psalms 103:8-11, “The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.  He will not always chide: neither will he keep his anger for ever.  He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.  For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him.”

(17)  He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

  • Hidden manna = Divine provision both natural and spiritual.
    • The Bread of Life, the Lord Jesus Christ, is our sustenance.
  • White stone = a sign of purity and innocence.
    • Even in this wicked age of compromise God can keep you pure and declare you innocent.
  • Name recorded in stone = worthy of eternal life.
    • God would not condemn the True Church to Hell because of the failures of their generation.
    • Is your name recorded in the Stone?

If not, you need to enter into The Rock

Isaiah 2:10, “Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of the LORD, and for the glory of his majesty.”

How do you “Enter into the Rock?” How do you get in Jesus? Peter told us on the Day of Pentecost how to do that:

…God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.[6]

Get into Jesus?

Obey the plan of salvation and be born again of water and Spirit.

That is how to enter into the Rock.

Death, Burial & Resurrection = New Birth:

Colossians 2:8-12, “(8) Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.  (9)  For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.  (10)  And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:  (11)  In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh [repentance] by the circumcision of Christ:  (12)  Buried with him in baptism [water baptism] wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead [Holy Ghost].

When you properly identify The Rock you will operate with the same delegated authority Peter was granted:

“…whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”

So, Preach Jesus – Teach Jesus – Live Jesus – Share Jesus – Love Jesus – Praise Jesus

And the gates of hell shall not prevail against you.

No secret council of hell will ever prevail against God’s Church – the gates of hell

Who is Jesus to you?  

You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.

Matthew 16:17-18, “Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven. 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.”

“Thou art Peter” = Petros – “a (piece of) rock.”[7]

You are a small pebble, Peter, I’m not going to build My church on you…

“And upon this Rock” = Petra – “a (mass of) rock.”[8]

But I’m going to build My church on this massive boulder, this Stone hewn out of the mountain, OUR ROCK that’s going to grow and cover the whole earth.

…and establish an eternal Spiritual kingdom that cannot be destroyed.”

[1] Strong’s & John Gill

[2] Ibid.

[3] Acts 4:10-12

[4] Dustin L. Abbott. 2007. Revelation Unveiled. Pages 44-48.

[5] Joseph Benson’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments.

[6] Acts 2:36-39

[7] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. G4074.

[8] Strong’s Hebrew and Greek Dictionaries. G4073.