This Week’s Word & Prayer / “Sometimes The Hardest Thing To Do Is Nothing”/ June 4-8

This Week’s Word
“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

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From my earliest years, I can remember being taught to set goals and meet deadlines and while pondering my next ministerial project, Psalm 46:10 came to my mind. It says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” A voice seemed to speak to me out that text and say. “Let’s just spend time together. No agenda. No goal. No deadlines. I want to rekindle the intimacy we once knew. I just want to spend time with you.”

This surprised me. I hadn’t even realized that the fire had died down. Wasn’t I working for the Lord? Wasn’t I doing God’s will? Wasn’t I busy about my Father’s business? Wasn’t I striving to please him? And then I began to see what He meant. In the middle of all my busyness for God, I had neglected my relationship with God.

Sitting still wasn’t in my nature. I never was a lazy person. I always had a desire to work. And the church always taught us that we should be active in the church in order to show our love for God. But I began to realize that my desire to work and serve was standing in the way of my worship. My natural tendency to be active for God was getting in the way of my communion with God. My daily routine of evangelical and pastoral activities was getting in the way of divine intimacy which God desires to have with each of His children.
I was totally unaware that I had allowed the agenda of traditional religion and my own ignorant desire to serve over shadow my intimacy with God (Proverbs 19:2 ). I made my relationship with Jesus work oriented and far more difficult than it had to be. I spent too much time striving to prove my heart to God. And all the while God has been whispering to me, “I already know your heart. Cease striving and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

And that is what I feel that the Spirit is telling us today; be quiet and settle down“—be still and know.” We know that God is God. It is the “be still” part that stumps us every time. Most of us can be still for a few minutes, maybe even an hour if need be. But much longer than that and we are undone. Restless spirit syndrome begins to shake our souls and the urge to get up and get moving wrestles us away from focused, intimate communion with God.

So today I ask you to join me in a time of rejuvenating intimacy. Be still and know that He is God.

REPENT!

This Week’s Prayer
Father, I pray to You today in the name of *YeHoWsHua HaMashiach – Jesus the Christ. Help me to learn what it means to be still, and know that You are God. As I seek to serve You and to please You, help me never to allow personal goals, deadlines, agendas or objectives to hinder my worship of You or cloud my vision of who You are. I realize that I cannot live, move or have my being unless I am in You. Empower me Oh God to be still and reverent in my worship of You so that I may hear Your voice over the busyness of the world and the activities of religion. I want to spend my days with You. I want to feel the warmth of Your embrace and the comfort and security of Your forgiving love. I want to know You in a special way. This is my prayer today in the name of the LORD YeHoWsHua* (Jesus) the Christ, Amen.

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Footnote:
The Hebrew spelling of the name of Christ is used in this prayer for educational purposes. Yehowshua is often shorten to Yeshua but out of respect for my Lord I chose to use the spelling of His proper name to demonstrate that His name s above every name and that even the spelling of His name is relative to the spelling of The Father’s name – remembering that there were not any vowels in the Hebrew alphabets. Thus, YHWH (Yahweh) and YeHoWsHua (Yahweh is salvation) are grammatically and uniquely related.
For more information of the authentic name of God, please follow the link below:
http://www.therockofmontgomery.org/Yahweh.html

Please pray for this ministry.

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“Stop Tolerating the Clowns and Seek for the Crown”

Something is disturbing me.

I’ve discerned that a significant number of pastors are plagiarizing other pastor’s materials. They don’t have an original revelation or thought from the Lord so they borrow and steal the revelations of others without giving credit to the original prophet. Some have used their seminary professor’s opinions, Bible annotations and Bible footnotes exclusively to form their sermons. Instead of these things being tools for information, they’ve become resources for revelation. This is not necessarily a bad thing in and of itself. But it can become a bad thing. If that is all a pastor is depending upon, he then is only regurgitating the predigested rhetoric of another without any real personal substance, insights or revelation of his own. He does not hear from God. He is always borrowing from other men more gifted than himself; reciting old news, rearranging old thoughts and offering leftovers platitudes and Sound Bits to his congregation.

This is what a lot of folks are stuck with for a pastor—a motivational speaker posing as a preacher, pretending to have heard from the Lord when in actuality all they’ve heard is another man’s sermon.

They are fakers and imitators; gifted entertainer and impersonators. They wouldn’t know what an original thought or divine revelation looked like. They are “wannabes.” They want to be more than they are and something that they are not. Pastoring is an occupation to them and not a divine calling. Their faith is in the gifts of others or in their own education and not in God’s divine revelation. They are cowards also. Unless somebody else has said it first and unless their congregation approves of it, they will never preach a condemning message or a message that challenges long-held, yet incorrect beliefs. They are clowns on a stage–performing the scripted play.

Stop putting up with these pulpit playwrights and plagiarists. Seek for a real man of God who genuinely is saved according God’s Divine Plan of Salvation and who genuinely hears from God and deliver God’s Word as the Lord directs. Seek for a man who speaks with the voice of God (Ezekiel 33:7-9).

Stop tolerating the clowns and seek for the Crown.

Repent!

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Go To Hell?

Can I See God When I Look At You?

If you allow the world to set your moral compass,

If you allow the world to form your opinions,

If you allow the world to define what a Christian should be,

If you allow the world to dictate what is morally acceptable,

If you allow the world to determine what is holy,
If you allow the world to shape you into its own image,

Be it known that you are conforming to the image of the god of this world—Satan.

2 Corinthians 4:4 and 1 John 5:19 clearly tells us that the whole world is under the control of the devil.

James 4:4 calls those of us who have conformed to the image of the world (in worship, clothing, speech, thought or sexual immorality) adulterers and enemies of God.

It doesn’t matter what your political rank is. It doesn’t matter what your religious distinction may be. It doesn’t matter about your financial or social status. It doesn’t matter if you are a preacher, teacher, songwriter, gospel singer, comedian, televangelist, rapper, movie star or celebrity. If you have conformed to the image, sexual perversions, immoral views and anti-Christians thoughts of the world, you are in the image of Satan and are declared to be an enemy of God.

God instructs us in Romans 12:2 that we should “not conform to this world…”

It is getting harder and harder everyday to distinguish between the saints and the ain’ts.

Through one of the most powerful tools of Satan, the communication air ways—television, internet and music, many have been deceived and influenced to take on the image of the world (Ephesians 2:2-3). Christianity has been commercialized, preaching has been glamorized and the pastor and the church has been idolized. Churches are imitating the style, dance, music and language of the world. Some so-called Christians are conforming to the popular social trend of the day—homosexuality, same-sex marriage, secular music tones and lyrics, disrespectful and provocative clothing, etc. Many churches have abandoned God’s divine order of gender role assignment in the church in favor of a social agenda of sexual equality—effectively calling God’s way evil.

Beware!!! There is a way that appears to be right, feels right, sounds right and looks right but in the end it leads to eternal death and damnation. (Proverbs 14:12)

Only God’s way leads to Eternal Life.

Only by being renewed through the transformation that come through obedience to God’s ordained plan of salvation—Repenting, Washing at Baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and being born anew of His Holy Spirit—Can anyone hope to be saved and begin to resemble Christ.

Can I See God When I Look At You?

REPENT!

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For more information, please request the CD entitled “Stop getting drunk on Junk.”

SCHEDULED TO BE POSTED TOMORROW

ON THE O.W. PRINCE MINISTRIES

HOW ARE YOU HONORING GOD?

For a Free Audio Download of this message, visit the Ministries’ Homepage at http://owprince.wordpress.com/2012/05/16/how-do-you-honor-god-audio-podcast/

Happy Mother's Day

Praise the Lord Everybody!
I want to wish all of my FaceBook friends, Bible Scholars and faithful followers a wonderful and happy Mother’s Day weekend. God bless you!
Here is a Mother's Day Greeting just for you.

You may view the greeting by clicking here:
http://www.123greetings.com/send/view/05311112809703019376

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" Can Fashion be a Distraction?"

Question: (Sender’s Identity Is Always Protected)
I am a pastor of about 250 souls and I have noticed more and more half naked female church members coming to church in an ever increasing number. I was warned by the church board members that I should just leave this alone and it will go away. But I have a number of young teenage boys in the church who are easily distracted and affected by this phenomenon. What do you think I should do?
Thank You Bishop!

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Answer (Part 1):
First let me say that I am honored that a pastor would seek advice from me. It is my experience that pastors are the most difficult to advise and don’t often seek advice from non-acquaintances. Thank you for this opportunity to share.

In addition, I would like to say that your church board of advisor may have a point. However, not knowing their motives, I would encourage you to exercise pastoral authority and privilege and operate in the fullness of the office for which you were called and do whatever the Holy Spirit of God advices you to do—always operating in love and careful instruction. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)

Answer (Part 2):
As to the heavier part of your question, I too share your concern.
On last Sunday morning as I drove past a church, I could not help but notice a woman attempting to walk toward the church. Her stumbling and unsteady behavior initially drew my attention. Then I noticed why she was stumbling and weaving as she walked. She had about 4 inches of stiletto heels on her feet and a dress that was skin-tight and 6 inches above her knees. She kept pulling at it as if it were going to get any longer.

I began to think to myself that “maybe that is all she had to wear — may God bless her soul for trying to make it to a house of worship.” But then I noticed a few women of varying ages making their way toward the church who were dressed in similar attire—some with elaborate headdresses and hats. I then changed my assessment of the situation. I began to think that their appearance was planned and well thought out, coordinated and purposeful. They knew what they were doing and they knew what they were revealing. They were dressed to attract attention and invoke sensuality. They knew what message that they were sending through their appearance. But what message is the church sending by tolerating this behavior and offering them stares of compliments and admiration?

I know that sinners sin and other sinners will only approve of their sins but the House of the Lord should be a House of Prayer, Decency, Order, Propriety and Holiness.( 1 Corinthians 14:40) Church is not a night club or a pick-up bar and should not be treated as such. However, that is exactly what appears to be happening in many of our churches. It looks as if many are walking right out of the night life into the church without making any distinction between the two.

Parenthetically speaking, this is not speaking to the financially and spiritually impoverished or unchurched individuals who just don’t know any better or cannot do any better. But it is speaking to those who have been exposed to Christian teachings and who have been in the church for a long time, yet purposely buy and dress themselves in apparel that expresses irreverence toward God and His House of Prayer.

I don’t espouse that we come to worship looking our worse. Too little attention to dress apparel is just as bad as too much attention. Worship should not be about worldly fashion trends or who looks the best in what they have own – although I am aware that this is a concern of many parishioners. Our attention should be on God and His Word and not on fashion distractions.

Let’s be honest. The world determines fashion trends and Satan is the god of this world. It is inherent that anything worldly is against God. (James 4:4) Fashion has the potential to be destructive in the church. Folks will continue to wear whatever they want to wear but what a person has on in church can distract from the worship experience. Modesty is the key. (1 Timothy 2:9-10 & Titus 2:3-5) God purposely directed women to dress modestly. I may discuss this further in another lesson. At this time, suffice it to say that God knows what is best for us. “Understanding God is not a prerequisite to obeying God.”

I would like to suggest a non-confrontational and peaceful approach to addressing some of the fashion offences in the church today. Simply ignore them. Totally and completely ignore them. Refuse to acknowledge them in any way. Make no reference to them at all. Do not draw attention to them. Attention and approval is what they want so don’t give it to them. Many folks cannot stand to be ignored. And in contrast, praise the ones who dress appropriately. Show open admiration for the women who dress like ladies and are modest in decorum. Assign positions of honor and responsibility to those who represent Christ well and avoid any private interaction with those who are dressed provocatively. (1 Corinthians 15:33) And hold classes and/or private lessons on how a Christian should represent Christ in every area of his/her life, including dress. (Romans 13:14) This will also work on the men who are wearing sagging pants.

I hope this provides you some useful answers and methods to addresses your concerns. 

All Glory, Honor, Praise and Thanksgiving belongs to God through Christ Jesus.

Keep Looking Up!

Your Friend,
Bishop O.W. Prince