We Won't Be Silent

There’s little doubt that the world is becoming increasingly anti-Christ. As hatred toward God intensifies, so will hatred toward His Church. Mark my words: more pressure will come against the Church. 

This is why it’s so important for every believer, every pastor, every Christian, to be grounded in the Word of God and in the Holy Spirit. We can advance and impact the world, even in the face of opposition, but we must be willing to stay faithful to the preaching of the gospel of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

Let he who has eyes to see, see. Let he who has ears to hear, hear. There is a demonic agenda at work. The enemy’s goal is to confuse, intimidate, divide, isolate, and silence the Church. Many in this world do not want to hear the message of repentance, the truth about the blood of Jesus, or the reality of the cross. 

So there will be a pressure for us to conform, to be silent. They will threaten us with reputation-destroying labels. They will attempt to manipulate us with guilt. They will work tirelessly to silence us, to silence the preaching of the gospel. Like the religious leaders who were tormented by the preaching of Stephen the martyr, so today’s culture covers its ears and cries for us to be silent. The systems of the world are no doubt working against the Church.

This hour calls for bold, righteous, Spirit-filled believers.

Remember that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were pressured to bow to the statue that King Nebuchadnezzar had created. Society bowed. Some of God’s people bowed. Everyone bowed. Everyone except the faithful three. 

The young men were threatened with death - they were to be thrown in a fiery furnace. When faced with this threat, the young men gave a courageous response: 

“If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God whom we serve is able to save us. He will rescue us from your power, Your Majesty. But even if he doesn’t, we want to make it clear to you, Your Majesty, that we will never serve your gods or worship the gold statue you have set up.” (Daniel 3:17-18, NLT)

We too must have the courage to obey God; whatever happens to us as a result of our obedience is up to Him. We’ve laid down our lives anyway. 

Like in the days of Nebuchadnezzar, a statue has been created, and the system calls for all to bow: that statue is conformity to the ways and ideologies of the world. Conformity is exalted. Dissent is aggressively stifled. Society bows. Sadly, some pastors even bow. You must not bow.

When we stop preaching to truth, when we alter God’s Word to better suit the preferences of this generation, we’re bowing to conformity. When we stop declaring repentance from sin and salvation alone through Jesus, we’ve been bullied into conformity. 

Don’t conform to culture; confront it. Confront it by preaching Christ and Him crucified.

Preachers especially, we must stop weighing our words against what might offend the world. No, the goal isn’t to offend anyone, but if our preaching of Jesus becomes offensive, preach Him anyway. We need to be more concerned about souls than about our reputations, more attentive to the voice of the Holy Spirit than to our marketing strategies. We’re not celebrities; we’re servants of God. We’re preachers, not puppets. Too many are being consulted by culture instead of by the Word of God. God didn’t give you a platform to play it safe. He raised you to spread His Word - that souls might be saved. 

Cry aloud. Spare not. Sound the alarm. This is a spiritual war for the soul of a generation. 

You may be pressured into silence. Preach the gospel anyway.

You may be threatened by the social media mob. Preach the gospel anyway. 

Let them mock you, threaten you, accuse you, and cancel you. The world needs to hear the message of salvation. 

Stay on message. Focus on the mission. Jesus is still the answer. The gospel is still the mission. How we go down is history is of no importance compared to how we go down in eternity. 

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

Preach the Gospel

It’s easy to look at the state of the world - the moral, spiritual, and intellectual decline - and become discouraged. Everything seems to be getting darker. All of the systems of the world are becoming more anti-Christ. Many people are being given over to demonic deception - they’re losing their minds, their collective grip on reality. 

In these times, it’s tempting to throw up our hands, look to the Heavens, and say, “The evil is inevitable. There’s nothing we can do.” Yes, Jesus told us that in the last days perilous times would come, but He never said that in the last days the gospel would lose its power.

We must rise and tell the world. We must declare the finished work of the cross, the cleansing power of the blood, and destructive power of sin. We must warn the wicked, and we must boldly call for repentance. 

It’s a good thing to edify the body, but who will rise and win the lost? We have enough conferences. We have enough e-courses. We have enough church events and self-congratulatory pageantry. But what about the preaching of the cross? Whatever happened to the message of salvation? 

Church, it’s time to get back to the simple message of salvation through Jesus Christ.

There are many problems in this world, but there is only one real solution. The answer is the same as it has always been: Jesus is the answer for the world today.

So we mustn’t get distracted by the many causes that call for us to rally. Feed the hungry, yes. But what good does it do to feed a man today who goes to Hell tomorrow? Feed the hungry. Care for the poor. Stand up for the weak. Rescue the abused. Do good. But while you’re doing good, remember that without the gospel message, the clear and simple truth, all of our efforts will be of temporary impact. 

Want to make a real difference? Then don’t just change lives, change eternities. 

God is looking for someone who will boldly call for repentance from sin, for someone who will declare that Jesus is the only way. The gospel message is simple: God is holy, man is sinful, Jesus alone is sufficient, salvation is free, and consequences are eternal. Jesus will give you His eternal life in exchange for your temporary one.

I know our message isn’t popular, but it’s powerful. I know our message isn’t trendy, but it’s truth. And, yes, our message is offensive to some, but it is the only message that truly saves. Our message is the most important message to have ever been declared. 

In presenting the truth of the gospel, offending people is not our goal, but neither should it be our deterrent. I’d rather offend someone into Heaven than comfort them into Hell. People aren’t turned off to the gospel because of the truth within the gospel. That’s just an excuse. People are turned off to the gospel because they love darkness, rather than light.

Preacher, if people can continue to love your message while also still living in sin, it’s time to start preaching the gospel. 

Believer, preach the truth the of gospel. Preach salvation. Preach Jesus. There is no other message, and there is so little time. 

Preach the gospel to everyone.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

Jesus Said to Go!

And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.” – Mark 16:15

We often wonder about the perfect will of God. Should we? The mandate is clear. Our Lord has commanded us to go into the world and spread the gospel. Use every gift. Use every resource. Use every moment. Go! The Father wants souls. He sowed His Son that He might receive sons and daughters; and Jesus deserves to reap the reward of His suffering.

To preach the gospel, God has called you.

You may be asking the Lord, “What is your will for my life? What am I supposed to do?” You’ll be happy to know that the answer is quite simple. It’s not complicated or difficult to understand. God’s agenda in the earth is the spreading of the good news about His Son.

So it stands to reason that God’s will for your life is the participation in this global evangelistic effort. You may not know what job you should work at, what region you should live in, who person you should marry, or what school you should attend. But you do know that whatever it is that God reveals concerning those details of your life that you are to aid in the spreading of the gospel.

What should we do while we wait for answers concerning the specifics of our lives? We should involve ourselves with the spreading of the gospel. Do what is the clear will of God (spread the gospel), and, in time, God’s will for your life concerning the details will be revealed. In other words, while you wait to hear from God on the uncertain, involve yourself in the certain. You may not have all of the answers or every direction from God. But, in the meantime, you do have this clear command: Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

I Will Not Be Moved

The demonization of Christianity is an important aspect of the secular culture’s “progress”. Disagreement will be labeled as intolerance. Truth will be labeled as hate. Reason will be dismissed as callousness. And adherence to the scripture will be criticized as ignorance. Even so-called believers have begun to participate in the agenda. They critic a caricature of what the Church is, while embracing their own special form of lunacy.

I promise you – I will not be moved. Every day I am seeing believers in my generation convert from the madness and commit to sound Biblical truth. Every week, I witness the multiplied, accelerated expansion of the Kingdom of God. And, more importantly, we are taking the gospel to tens of thousands of people via media and television every single week. I am seeing young and old respond to it. And I’m only one of millions of God’s servants.

The message is simple: Because of His love, Christ died to save you. Therefore, repent of your sins and put your faith in Jesus.

I won’t stop preaching it. If I should become a lone voice in the desert, I won’t stop declaring it. I will take a stand for righteousness, love and truth. Will you stand with me for Christ?

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.” – Romans 1:16

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

The Holy Spirit: Heaven’s Greatest Evangelist

I had just finished presenting what most would consider to be a typical evangelistic invitation. All across the room, heads were bowed, and eyes were closed. Adding to the cliche call to repentance, I stoically instructed, “I don’t want anyone looking around the room right now. This moment is just between you and God.”

The music played while I pleaded, but after the passing of several awkward minutes, not a single person responded to my heartfelt invitation. I was tempted to dismiss the matter and transition to another portion of the service. However, before I made the switch, the Holy Spirit gently nudged me in a different direction.

In my spirit, I sensed His desire for the people to begin praying in the spirit – praying in tongues.

Following the leading of the Holy Spirit, I instructed the people to begin praying in tongues. They lifted their hands and began to do so.

While the people prayed, just after the first minute or so, I was bombarded with negative thoughts, bothersome lies of the enemy.

The first thought that assaulted my mind was this one: “This will only terrify the unbeliever! You’re not supposed to pray in tongues in front of unbelievers.”

Whether that suggestion was directly from the enemy or from some misguided theologian I had heard, there was still a disruption within me. But the Bible says this concerning the gift of tongues:

“So you see that speaking in tongues is a sign, not for believers, but for unbelievers. Prophecy, however, is for the benefit of believers, not unbelievers.” - 1 Corinthians 14:22 (NLT)

I overcame that worry and encouraged the people further, “Keep praying in the Holy Ghost.” It was my way of pushing back against the inner conflict.

Another thought rushed at me: “Believers shouldn’t all pray in tongues at once. This is disorder!”

But the Bible says…

“And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” - Acts 2:4 (KJV) Emphasis Mine

We continued to pray in tongues.

About two minutes had then passed, and we were all still praying in tongues. Still the enemy resisted what God was trying to do and attempted a final deception.

“This is bizarre. How are you going to reach people if you’re allowing something so odd to take place?”

It was right around this time that a man about my age came walking down the aisle and toward the stage upon which I stood. He was visibly shaken. With tears streaming down his face and his mouth shaking with prayers, he walked right up to the platform, fell to his knees, and began to weep.

At this point, I calmed the crowd and stepped down to converse with the man. I said, “Hey there, look up at me for a second. I’d like to talk with you.” When he looked up at me, his eyes were still filled with tears, and his face was red from sobbing.

I asked him, “Can you tell me why you’re crying?” I put the microphone to his mouth and waited for his response. What he said touched my heart.

“Because”, he explained, “I’ve been trying to find God for so long. And tonight, he found me.”

The church began to cheer and worship the Lord. And right there, in front of us all, that man gave his heart to Jesus and was born again.

What couldn’t be accomplished by human effort was accomplished by the work of the Holy Spirit. That happened several years ago, but the lesson I learned in that service has been cemented into the foundation of my faith and ministry.

Dear reader, I had, at that point, been in ministry for a few years and had grown accustomed to the almost systematic approach to evangelism. Thankfully, I have a friendship with the Holy Spirit that guided me to embrace a more effective flow of ministry.

“And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:” - 1 Corinthians 2:4

I believe in speaking in tongues, but this article isn’t about speaking in tongues. I believe that the Holy Spirit is Heaven’s greatest evangelist (as was exemplified through my story), but this article isn’t just about His evangelistic grace. This article is about choosing to depend upon the Spirit’s ability over our own.

When I write that we must never rely upon systems and programs, I am certain that you, dear reader, will enthusiastically affirm such a truth.

But ministry and spiritual living can become so familiar to us that we enter a place of human effort, often, without realizing it. In fact, almost everyone who is relying upon human effort for ministry and spirituality is doing so without realization.

After all, who really decides, “I think I’ll do it my way instead”?

No, most believers wouldn’t so much as dare to so blatantly reject or stifle the work of the Holy Spirit. So if one does stop depending upon the Spirit, he does so unknowingly. I would even go as far as saying that most believers would become offended at the suggestion that they have moved away from the Spirit’s method of ministry approach. But many have. None of us would do so willingly, so we must open ourselves to the question, “Have I begun to rely upon my efforts instead of His?”

In that Church service, I was battling very subtle, very nuanced suggestions of the enemy – or possibly of my own flesh. Yet, I, in all of my practiced presentation and expended effort, couldn’t present Christ in a way that compelled the lost to surrender in humble repentance at His feet.

I may have worn the title of “evangelist”. Furthermore, I may have even led several hundreds to Christ at that point in my ministry.

Who cares? That didn’t matter.

What mattered was my surrender to His leading. What always matters is obedience to His gentle, guiding voice. He is, after all, Heaven’s greatest Evangelist. No one can present the Glory of the Person of Christ like He can. No one can convict a soul of sin as the Spirit does. In matters of ministry, He is masterful.

The Holy Spirit is not just the greatest evangelist; He’s the greatest pastor, teacher, prophet and apostle. When we carry out our ministry tasks with His aid and conscious of our need for His enabling, a profound and powerful grace comes upon us. There is a certain, unique dynamic to Spirit-led ministry. So we must model our approach, not after the approach of men and women who have gone before us, but after His unique and responsive direction as it pertains to each moment.

Without the Holy Spirit, we begin to rely upon systems and strategies. Yesterday’s revival can so easily become today’s religion. Men have a way of systemizing everything.

But there is no substitute for the genuine power and presence of the Holy Spirit. You cannot duplicate His craftsmanship. We have to stop limiting His timing to our Church calendars and schedules. We need to stop confining His power to back rooms and “special services”. Methods cannot replace miracles. Programs cannot replace power. Structure cannot replace Spirit. And our pursuit of attendance should never become more important than our pursuit of the anointing.

The truth is that the world is hungry for the very thing from which much of the church has shifted away. People want the supernatural, and only the Holy Spirit can bring it to the Church.

The Holy Spirit is the greatest Church builder. Nobody can win souls, build a church, or expand God’s Kingdom better than He. If we will embrace His leading, humbly submit to His expertise and seek His guidance, then we will embrace a better way to be God’s Kingdom. For He is not a liability; He’s our only hope at drawing men to salvation. He’s our only hope of building disciples. He’s our only hope at properly presenting Jesus.

Be practical, yes. Gain wisdom from leaders, yes. Be organized and orderly, yes. But never prioritize any of that over what the Spirit of God can do.

Want to build people in the faith? Follow the greatest pastoral anointing in the earth – the Holy Spirit.

Want to draw crowds? Obey the enabler of the miraculous, the Holy Spirit.

Want to build a church? Consult with the One who built the Church of Acts which is the model Church. Consult with the Holy Spirit.

Want to win souls? Be graced by the Holy Spirit, Heaven’s greatest evangelist.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.

Simply the Gospel

There are those who think that all Christians are fakes, that we don’t really care about souls, that we don’t really obey God. I strongly disagree with those lies.

I know that you care about souls and the state of the world.

And, when looking at all that is happening in our world, it’s quite easy to become discouraged and concerned. All of it seems to add up – the political unrest, the economic instability, the moral decline.

Think of all that has been discussed in the last few weeks alone: ISIS, the “Gender Debate”, the persecution of the Church. Add those problems to the long list of issues that are pressuring the Church, and you might feel overwhelmed.

And, as it goes for being overwhelmed, perhaps you’re facing troubles that are all your own. Perhaps you’re facing financial trouble, the sort that never seems to end and makes you wonder, “How long is this going to last?” It may seem like one thing after another.

Maybe you’re having problems in your ministry, your church, your health, your emotions or even your own home.

It’s so easy to become distracted…

It may seem like there are just too many problems to address.

This isn’t so.

Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” - Matthew 6:33

While watching a news broadcast with my wife the other day, I became stirred in my soul. I looked at all that was happening, all that seemed to be changing for the worse.

Every time a new topic or problem would get talked about on the news broadcast, I would say, “I should do an episode on that!” My wife could see that I was eager to make a positive difference for the Kingdom. (this has happened a couple time with us)

But I’ll never forget what she said to me in my moment of frustration.

She looked right at me and said, “You’re not called to address all of those problems specifically; you’re called to just preach the gospel!”

I realized that she was right.  (And the women said, “Amen”)

We don’t need to go around trying to fix every moral problem. We don’t need to complain, debate, boycott or get angry. We just need to un-apologetically preach Jesus with the power of the Holy Spirit.

We need to stop trying to trim the branches and get right to the root of our world’s issues – the problem of sin.

For that, there is only one cure. The gospel is the cure-all. Wherever it is received, the gospel changes everything.

Sure we should work to make practical change in our world, but our primary focus must be the preaching of the gospel.

The preaching of the gospel is the greatest cause of all time!

The gospel is the only cause with eternal effects. If we’ll focus on preaching the gospel, everything will be made right, as people repent and turn to Christ.

Just preach Jesus!

Does our world have troubles? Of course.

So preach Jesus.

Are you concerned about the economy? Just preach Jesus, and prosperity will follow righteousness.

Are you worried about radical Islam? Just preach Jesus, and Truth will prevail.

Are you saddened by our nation’s moral decline? Just preach Jesus, and He will bring deliverance.

Don’t worry about your future. Don’t worry about your needs. Don’t worry.

Seek first the Kingdom of God, and everything else will be alright.

Don’t worry about your personal struggles. Just focus on your job here in the earth – the spreading of the gospel.

When we focus on the gospel, God takes care of the rest.

ENJOY DAVID'S WEEKLY BLOG? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE IT VIA EMAIL.