"Life Hurts but God Heals!"

"Truth"

"I am Your Pastor"

I would like to be your friend and make you happy all of the time. But I can’t. I am your Pastor.

I would like to fellowship with you—engage in worldly pleasures and naughty deeds. But I can’t. I am your Pastor.

I would love to yield to your wants and desires—fulfilling your dreams. But I can’t. I am your Pastor.

I would love to tell you what you want to hear but I must tell you the Truth. I am your Pastor.

My life doesn’t belong to me and I can never truly belong to you. I am your Pastor.

You cannot give me my job description or set the parameters of my authority. I am your Pastor.

You didn’t call me or ordain me—from my mother’s womb I was chosen. I am your Pastor.

The Words I speak are not my own but belong to Him who sent me. It’s not personal. I am your Pastor.

Loved yet hated. Despised but needed. Killed yet lives. Emptied but filled. Poor yet rich. Naked but clothed. Loving yet unloved. I am your Pastor.

Think About It!

Bishop O.W. Prince

Author

[Reference: John 15:18, Romans 10:14-17, 2 Timothy 4:2-3, 1 Corinthians 6:20, Titus 2:1-15, Ephesians 5:11]

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons license.

“Do God’s Children Need A Revival?”

Where in the Holy Scriptures does Jesus or his apostles establish the practice of “revivals” or “religious revival services?” The answer is “nowhere.” Nowhere does Jesus or his apostles establish the practice of revivals in the original Christian church of the first century. As a matter of fact, the word “revival” doesn’t appear anywhere in the original language of the Bible. The nearest equivalents are “revive” (quicken) and “reviving,” but these may be applied to individual awakening and are not synonymous with, what is traditionally known as, “religious revival service.”

Religious revivals and the word “revival” descend from religious traditions absent of scriptural and apostolic authority and divine approval.

I realize that this is strong language and challenges most of our beliefs and religious practices. However, it is not my intention to be hurtful or confrontational but to edify the body of Christ as inspired and instructed by the Holy Spirit of God.

One may easily borrow from the earthly and scientific disciplines of etymology, philosophy, sociology and theology to explain the term “revival” and substantiate the practice of religious revival services. However, the fact would still remain that revivals, as we have come to know them, are not a part of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ.



For a Christian to accept the notion of or participate in the religious practice of “revival services” is for them to believe that a Christian can be dead spiritually and be brought back to life. This is contrary to everything that Jesus taught us about the ever-living Spirit of God and the born-again believer (John 11:26,John 6:47, Romans 8)

The word “revive” is made up of two parts: “re” meaning “again” and “vive” meaning to “live.” Thus, “revive” means “to live again, to be brought back to life, health or vitality.” Although this concept sounds good it lacks the authority of Holy Scripture and it contradicts the teaching of Christ and His apostles.

Neither Jesus nor his apostles ever advocated for revivals or accepted the notion that once you were born of the water and of the Spirit that the Spirit would die and need reviving. No! It is the Spirit of God that makes us alive (Romans 8:11). If indeed we have the Spirit of Christ, we are constantly revived (2 Cor. 4:16). Only those who are a part of the counterfeit church of Satan or those who have been deceived by religious traditions would dare think that God’s Holy Spirit needs reviving.

As members of the Body of Christ, we are instructed to build one another up and keep each other encouraged (Hebrews 3:13, 1 Thessalonians 5:11, 1 Corinthians 12:20-27). We were not instructed to do this through some religious service but on a daily basis. It is The Way of LIFE.



However, in our contemporary Christian churches, especially in the predominately black southern churches (where my experience mostly lies), the word “revival” has become synonymous with fund-raising services.

In the name of “revival services,” most churches are just raising money. They choose the revivalist that can draw the largest crowd in the hope of raising the most money. There is little or no concern for the truthfulness of the revivalist’s message or the integrity of his salvation. The main concern is raising money.

In the name of “revival services,” many churches have membership drives whereby their goal is to see how many souls that they can get to join their religious institution. They just want to increase the number of potential paying members in the hope of increasing revenues. It is a calculated business strategy and promotional venture.

In the name of “revival services,” some Pastors exchange pulpits with each other and in essence exchange monies with each other so as to increase their own exposure, popularity and wealth.

In the name of “revival services,” many churches put on a religious production with various performers including preachers, comedians, singers, choirs, musicians and other talents that may or may not be true agents of God. Their goal is to create a festive atmosphere of joy and vibrancy whereby one may feel saved without actually being transformed. And in exchange for this false sense of salvation, the collection plate becomes the collection basket and the Alter becomes the place where people toss their monies in response to the performance much like a minstrel show.

I have yet to go to a revival service where money was not a significant part of the service. And I have never seen anyone revived at a revival service. I have seen them deceived. I have seen them lied to. I have seen them motivated to an emotional frenzy. I have seen them robbed of their money but I have never seen a spiritually dead person brought back to live simply by attending a revival service. Some may have gone through the motions of reanimation but I assure you that they did not experience genuine salvation.

“You Cannot Revive That Which Was Never Alive.”

Not all so-called revivals have clandestine agendas. Some churches are sincerely trying to reach lost souls with the message of Jesus Christ. Some churches and some evangelist are adamant about teaching and preaching the Gospel of the Kingdom of God. Some are devout followers of Christ and teach the importance of genuine repentance, water baptism in the name of Jesus Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. However, such churches should not call their services “revivals.” If they must have a distinction they should be but called “evangelical services.” They are evangelical at heart; attempting to fulfill the ministry of the kingdom of God and not their own surreptitious ambitions, denominational policies, theological beliefs or financial agendas (2 Timothy 4:1-5). They have given themselves fully to the ministry of eternal Life (John 14:6).

The Word of God says, “Preach the word of God. Be prepared, whether the time is favorable or not. Patiently correct, rebuke, and encourage your people with good teaching… do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.”

Obey The Word!

REPENT!

"How Is Your Heart Health?"

What Kind Of Friend Are You?

Where Does Your Loyalty Lie?

This week’s Word & Prayer is presented by our guest —Mother Lucile W. Prince.

Mother Lucile W. Prince is a semiretired public school teacher with over 48 years of teaching experience. At the blessed age of 79 (she will be 80 in one month) she continues to serve her State and community by teaching part-time at the Sumter Lee Adult Education Center, Sumter, South Carolina. I can truthfully say that God has called her to be a teacher and I am honored and blessed to have her as my mother and prayer partner.

May God be glorified for the things that He has done.

This Week's Word
(For an audio podcast download please visit Where Does Your Loyalty Lie)

Jesus said in Matthew 10:37:

“The person who loves his father or mother more than me does not deserve to be my disciple. The person who loves a son or daughter more than me does not deserve to be my disciple.”

 ------------------------------------------------------------

Human families are born into sin and shaped in iniquity and each individual member of a family is taught from birth that family is everything—their loyalty should always be to the family.  But Jesus challenges us to rethink that sentiment and to redefine the idea of family loyalty in the light of eternal life.  Jesus tells us that we will have to decide between following him or our human families. He is not going to share control of our lives with our families. He has paid the cost to be the boss in our lives with own precious blood. He deserves our uncompromising loyalty. (1 Corinthians 6:20 and Matthew 10:34-36)

We can never truly belong to God as long as our loyalties remain bound to our human relationships. We can never really know God unless we are willing to sacrifice our human relationships for the sake of Christ. We must be willing to deny ourselves the pleasures and comforts of relational intimacy in favor of eternal life with Christ. (Matthew 10:38)  Christ challenges us to decide whom we will serve. No one can be loyal to two masters. He will hate the first master and love the second, or he will be devoted to the first and despise the second. This is what Jesus is pointing out to us in Matthew 10:37.

The Lord tells us that we must decide where our loyalties really lie; with family or with him?  He says it plainly that our priorities and ultimate loyalties must lie with him otherwise we disqualify ourselves from being his disciple.

Whenever we decide to relax God’s commandments for the sake of getting along with individual family members, we have disqualified ourselves as disciples of God.

Whenever we allow immoral family members to preach, teach or hold office in the church, we have chosen family over God.

Whenever we hear the Truth of God’s Commandment to Repent, to be baptized into water in the name the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sin, and we reject baptism because the family doesn’t believe in it, we have rejected God’s forgiveness in favor of the family’s approval.

Where Does Your Loyalty Lie?

Don’t let family send you to Hell.

REPENT!

This Week’s Prayer 

Father, I pray to You today in the name of *YeHoWsHua HaMashiach – Jesus the Christ. I love You Lord! From everlasting to everlasting You are God. Your Love and Your Faithfulness rescued me. There is no one who loves me like You do. There is not a family member or church member who cares for me like You. No one deserve my total loyalty and faithfulness but You. Please forgive me for the times when I put my family and friends above obeying Your Commandments. I repent to day and accept responsibility for my transgressions. Have Mercy On Me Oh LORD! Help me to a live a life in total submissive and subjective obedience to Your Word Your Way.  Empower me to crucify the needs and deeds of the flesh so that I may be counted as one of Your disciples.  This is my prayer today in the name of the LORD YeHoWsHua* (Jesus) the Christ, Amen.