ministry

There is a huge wave of concerning mindsets going through the Church right now. I know some people would say, “Well that’s not the True Church then” but they still are a part of the True Church as of right now. But they are trying to bring in some things that just aren’t right. We are parading singers on platforms that literally sing with people who are in false doctrine. We have new “standards’ being pushed by a younger generation, because we all know that the younger generations can always justify what was previously taught not to do. Everyone wants to give everyone a chance and love them to death, but in all reality, they plummet them further into the abyss.

We recently, and I mean 2 years ago, had to make a horrendously difficult decision and uncomfortable at best. Our church (pastor) without any direction or counsel from the church decided that he wanted to go a different doctrinal way. That’s fine with me, but I won’t be able to do that. In an effort to grow the church, he decided to “error” (his own words) on the side of grace than to preach Truth. First off, you are erroring. It’s “err” on the side of caution. But scripture doesn’t back that up. Scripture tells us to be vigilant, to be holy, to be set apart, to preach the Truth, with doctrine, which is profitable for reproof (disapproval), correction, and instruction in righteousness (right living according to God.) That brings up an interesting point.

Many people equate self righteousness to standards. We dress and act a certain way because we are self righteous, which couldn’t be further from the truth. I mean, there are always going to be those ones that think they are better than everyone else because of what they look like or have, but as a group, no. But in all reality, turning your back on standards literally is self righteousness. You think you know how to live right according to your self, not God.

Women on the platform in pants, short hair, makeup and ear rings, while us congregants are trying to teach our children to live right. I could go into detail on the entire situation which would blow your mind, but I digress. We had to leave and find a new church that taught the truth, that wasn’t embarrassed or ashamed to preach it over the pulpit. We found that church and have been there 2 years. But we have watched others who were what we thought sold out to the Truth, stay in that church (although most left) and backslide with them. It’s heartbreaking really.

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly, that they which have believed in God might be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable unto men. But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject; knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.”
Titus 3:8-11

This is where the title comes in. Love. What is love? The dictionary says its deep feelings of affection. There are some other definitions, for this cause, this is the one I chose.

We all have a desire to care, most of us anyway. Well, we all should. But what is true Biblical love? Biblical love is what doctrine is about. Biblical love is sacrificial (John 3:16) demands obedience (John 5:3). What Biblical love isn’t is sloppy agape or greasy grace. So when we come to someone to bring them the truth, and they reject it 2 or 3 times, they are a heretic. That’s what the Bible says. Grace comes in with what God decides to do after we tell them the truth. And we can deliver salvation to someone with grace, I am not advocating anyone being ugly. But sometimes the Truth doesn’t look pretty to someone who feels convicted. Flesh rears its ugly head and they become defensive, but that’s a different situation.

“Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore Come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, And touch not the unclean thing; And I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, And ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.”
2 Corinthians 6:14-18

I don’t know how you can read this and still have sloppy agape and love for people who do not live according to the Bible. Now, don’t get me wrong, we love everyone. We witness to everyone and we want to bring everyone to the knowledge of Christ. But there is a major difference in loving someone to salvation and love them in their sin. What happens when you love someone in their sin? I am glad you asked.

“Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: and likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet. And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things which are not convenient; being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.”
Romans 1:24-32

The point of the above verse is that last line. These people who do these things are worthy of death, and those who take pleasure in them as well. That means if you enable sin, you are guilty of it. No one wants to hear things like this anymore. The world has infiltrated the Church so much that if you feel this way or voice it, you are accused of being a bad Christian. I didn’t write the Book, I just try to live by it as best as I can.

My precious pastors wife told me that Bro. T. W. Barnes said that the political world is a reflection of the spiritual world. GOD HELP US. But it’s true. I see it. I see the BLM, feministic, love what is bad and shun what is good mentality so much. I have interactions with people who claim to be in the Truth, on Apostolic platforms that call me a zealot or a Pharisee. You can call me whatever you want, but I only know one thing, Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

I have entered the world of Ministry training. I went to Bible college in 2010, but I only stayed one semester. We learned a lot in that one semester, I just didn’t feel that it was what I needed to be at that point in my life. When I say I learned a lot, I learned A LOT. Mostly life experiences, but it was great. I made some good friends that I am still in contact with, that are now helping me in this journey. To say that I am scared is an understatement. When I told my pastor that I felt the call of God on my life, I told him that I was wanting to preach. ThenI had to clarify and tell him that God wants me to preach, that I don’t want to. I, of course, want to do what God wants me to do. I have a huge fear of publicly speaking. I know that I will most likely cry the whole time, or speak in tongues after 3.5 seconds. One of the first things you have to do when entering into ministry is to find mentors. Well, when I was at Bible college, they wanted us to do that, and I couldn’t find any, including my own pastor, who told me he was too busy. And that wasn’t the first time I had a pastor tell me that they were too busy. And side note time, if you’re a pastor and some young person ones to you and asks you to mentor them, I think that you should do everything in your dead best effort to mentor them. It crushed me twice. Now, I am strong enough to deal with it, but what a shame that a young person would go to the man of God and seek out spiritual guidance and be rejected. So when your young people don’t show up to church and get involved with the world, don’t blame anyone but yourself. End of rant. Anyway, when it came to mind that I had to find a mentor, I was a little shaken up. Because of the previous experiences. But maybe when I tried before it wasn’t in God’s plan, or maybe that was God’s plan. When I searched this time, I found some amazing tools and amazing people that are now integral to what I will become as a mentor. It really excites me. I dream about preaching. I dream about God using me and anointing me to preach the Truth of this Acts 2:38 Gospel!