GOD IS AT WORK IN COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES IN THE USA

Posted on by

Over 1,000 students attended the Texas A&M Corpus Christi worship event:

More than 120 people were reportedly baptized during a recent revival event on the Corpus Christi campus of Texas A&M University, a gathering that has spurred increased attendance in church young adult groups in recent weeks. 

New Life Church of Corpus Christi helped organize an on-campus worship event on Aug. 31 known as “One Night,” an annual gathering held in the area for the past eight years and on campus for the past two.

New Life Church Young Adults Pastor Tarik Whitmore, whose church has a student organization on campus known as New Life Young Adults, told The Christian Post that their ministry outreach to Texas A&M began in 2015, saying its influence on the campus has “gradually increased over time.”

Whitmore reported that while last year’s One Night event had about 600 attendees and 51 baptisms, this year, they saw more than 1,000 in attendance (out of a student enrollment of around 10,800) and 124 baptisms.

“From the very beginning of worship, it was clear that something significant was happening because it was just, it was so powerful,” White said, noting that the gathering included “faces [we’ve] never seen [in church] before” who were “lifting up the name of Jesus.”

“For young people, it’s one thing for them to do that in a comfortable, familiar context like the Sunday morning; it’s another thing for them to do that at their college outdoors in front of their peers.”

Whitmore was amazed by how much anticipation there was for One Night. In the days leading up to the event, when he and other NLYA members spread the word, they came across many students who already knew and were planning to go. God is doing something with students in certain colleges and universities in the USA.

In February, Asbury University in Kentucky garnered national headlines when students held an impromptu worship service at the campus chapel that lasted 16 days and brought in tens of thousands of visitors from across the United States.

The revival service also inspired the launching of worship events at other schools, both public and private, as well as the creation of “outpouring teams” comprised of Asbury students to share their experiences with others off-campus.

God is at work across the world, particularly in countries where Christians are being persecuted.

Also, we know the end of the story; Jesus will return first to rapture the Saints to heaven and pour out His wrath upon an unrepentant world. Then Jesus returns to Earth with the glorified Saints to rescue the nation God established for His purposes, Israel. This needs to happen so that the covenant promises God made with Abraham and David will be fulfilled. As well, the new covenant spoken by the prophet Jeremiah must be fulfilled.

“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah, not like the covenant that I made with their fathers on the day when I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, my covenant that they broke, though I was their husband, declares the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be my people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ for they shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the Lord. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.” Jeremiah 31:31-34

Christians, we need to show the Palestinians, better still all Muslims that this prophecy will be fulfilled. All the Biblical prophecies of Jesus’ first coming as well as many other Biblical prophecies have already been fulfilled exactly as prophesied so we can be sure the many prophecies of Jesus’ future Millennial reign from Jerusalem will be fulfilled as well.

Jesus will rule and reign on this earth for a further 1000 years before it is destroyed by fire. The rest of the dead are raised (saved and unsaved) to face Jesus at the White Throne Judgement. The unsaved are thrown into the Lake of Fire where they face punishment and a second death. The glorified Saints go to a new Earth where only the righteous dwell.

“Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” Revelation 21:1-4

“And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Revelation 21:22-27

Note that even on the new earth there are kings and nations. There is a hierarchy on the new Earth as there is in heaven now with the Angels. The difference with the world today is the leaders on the new Earth will be humble servants of those they are assigned to direct their activities. Yes! there will be work to do on the new Earth and new Heaven.

GOD, HOLY SPIRIT AT WORK IN IRAN

Posted on by

Christianity is illegal in Iran. Yet, despite facing imprisonment, torture, and execution, millions of Iranians are forsaking the Muslim faith and converting to Christianity. According to Open Doors International, there are more than 1.2 million believers residing in Iran. This phenomenon is happening despite the regime’s efforts to target believers and spread false information and encourage a negative opinion about Christianity. Lela Gilbert, Senior Fellow for International Religious Freedom at Family Research Council, suggests that Iran holds little power over curtailing the Good News of Jesus Christ. “In my research and interviews, it has become clear that new Christians’ witness to others is mostly shared in quiet conversations, encouraged by low-profile online Bible studies, and affirmed by visions, dreams, and miraculously answered prayers,” she explained.

“Due to their risky circumstances, recent Christian converts are enthusiastically communicating about their changed lives with friends and loved ones, but quietly and carefully. However, their discreet but persistent witness accounts for the extraordinary number of new Iranian believers, who meet in small house churches,” Gilbert continued. “Those involved with the ‘house church’ movement in Iran are convinced that there are likely several million Christian believers there,” she added. Daniel Pipes, president of the Middle East Forum, also reports Christianity is flourishing.”An evangelical pastor, formerly an Iranian Muslim, concurred as far back as 2008: ‘We find ourselves facing what is more than a conversion to the Christian faith. It’s a mass exodus from Islam’,” he explained a few years ago. Pipes adds that the house church is key to the growth of the Christian faith in Iran.

He explains, “The practices of what are sometimes called Muslim Background Believers (MBBs) lacks clergy and church buildings, but instead consists of self-starting disciples and tiny house churches of four to five members each, with either hushed singing or none at all. Its lay leadership, in striking contrast to the mullahs who rule Iran, consists mainly of women.” Women like Marziyeh Amirizadeh have remained formidable in their faith despite being incarcerated and tortured in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison for being a Christian.  Marzi, as she is known, eventually escaped Iran and started a new life in the U.S. But before her exile, she and a friend smuggled 20,000 Bibles into Tehran because God told her to “plant the seeds.” “We knew how much Iranians are thirsty. And when we returned to Tehran, we had no idea what to do and how we can serve the Lord. And I remember we just prayed and asked Him to give us a vision,” Marzi recalled.

Marzi went on “One day I was reading the Bible and God show me that Iran is like a big desert. And He said, ‘Plant some seeds, then I will grow it with the power of the Holy Spirit.” That was the beginning of her effort to get the New Testament into the hands of believers in that nation. Marzi was eventually jailed for sharing her faith and was sent to Evin prison. They are cruel and evil people,” she said describing Iran’s Islamic leaders. Marzi now travels the world sharing her story of faith in the face of persecution and she acts as an advocate for the Iranian people’s freedom. She calls on Christians around the world to pray for believers in Iran. “We can pray for them to reach more people and share the message of salvation,” Marzi expressed. “I know how much Iranians are thirsty. And we can pray for those who have their loved ones in prison. The most important thing to pray is for the fall of this evil regime.” “A great awakening has started in Iran,” she added.

Source: Faithwire

GOD IS ALWAYS ON THE MOVE WITH THOSE TOTALLY COMMITTED TO HIM: FATHER, SON & HOLY SPIRIT.

Posted on by

There’s a whole lot of baptism going on these days. Signs of revival have been ongoing around the U.S. since February when a spiritual awakening began at Asbury University. Initially, the awakening seemed to be happening mainly among college students. But the latest evidence is being seen in the form of hundreds of salvations and baptisms of all ages at churches across the country in just the last two weeks alone, not to mention over the past two months. From scores of souls being baptized at churches, to dozens being baptized at one prison, pastors across the U.S. are declaring that God is on the move. Pastor Eric Petree of Citygate Church in Cincinnati, Ohio posted online, “Over the past two weeks at Citygate we have seen 650 people give their life to Jesus, 93 baptized, and yesterday hundreds of people filled the altars seeking the baptism of the Holy Spirit.”

Sam Rainer, lead pastor, at West Bradenton Baptist Church in Florida, tweeted on Sunday, “Today we baptized 21 people at the beach. God is good! What a blessing!” At the Crossroads Church Jersey Shore Campus, 17 people professed their faith in Christ through public baptism. At the University of Houston, several students chose to be baptized in a public fountain after a Bible study. And Regent University in Virginia Beach just baptized nine students last week. A revival event was reported in mid-April in Damascus, Maryland at Difference Makers Church with non-stop worship that lasted for several days, with young people dedicating their lives to Christ. Jeremy Tucker posted the following photo, saying, “Worship has been going for 41 hours straight! Young people from churches all over Maryland/Virginia/DC are gathering to unite the bride of Christ for non-stop worship! We thought we’d never see it, but the Holy Spirit is finally breaking out in Maryland! Come, Lord Jesus!”

The GOSPEL is still the power of God to all who believe!” Many are also declaring their freedom in Christ, even behind prison walls. The God Behind Bars ministry reports, “First Baptisms Inside of this Prison in 7 years”. 35 men in a prison in Reno, Nevada were baptized!! What a powerful moment.” A recent conference at Trinity Baptist Church in Lancaster, South Carolina, reports, “Many were saved over the 2 days, and even more were encouraged to Keep on for Jesus!  …at the close of the Service, God moved on my heart to ask for prayer for those teens battling suicidal thoughts and over 20 raised their hands for prayer.”

And the list goes on and on. For weeks, churches have been reporting multiple baptisms, including people spontaneously choosing to join in. Christ Fellowship in Miami recently reported 14 baptisms. For the last few weeks, Faith Assembly Church in Winterville, North Carolina has reported baptism after baptism, week after week. Hope Missionary Church North Campus in Ossian, Indiana reported 31 baptisms just a few weeks ago. And two weeks ago, 14 more baptisms were reported at Revival Church in Modesto, California. A student-led evangelistic event based in Oklahoma quickly became one of the largest outreaches in the country after more than 80,000 people signed up for tickets within a matter of days.  Fill The Stadium (FTS) was a gospel outreach being held at the University of Oklahoma’s football stadium and happening in late April.

Source: CBNNews Robert Furman

GOD’S GRACE CAN REACH ANY HEART

Posted on by

This story from Voice of the Martyrs is just one of many demonstrating the truth of these words.

It is the story of Sergei Bessarab who was shot to death in a small city called Isfara, where he had planted a church.

Sergei Bessarab became a Christian in prison as a result of another man also named Sergei who had prayed for Bessarab’s salvation. The two men had met in prison while Bessarab was serving time for his criminal activities.

In prison, Sergei prayed every day that Bessarab would come to Christ. But Bessarab was less than grateful for his friend’s concern. “Don’t waste time praying for me,” Bessarab told him.

Sergei remained steadfast in prayer, however, and Bessarab did eventually bend his knee to Christ. This should be a lesson for all of us. Keep praying, particularly for family members and loved ones. The former criminal became a bold witness for his Saviour both inside the prison walls and, after his release, as a pastor on the outside. In addition, he made frequent return visits to the prison to share the gospel with inmates.

Soon after, Bessarab and his wife Tamara moved to Isfara and planted a church, which began to grow as Muslims turned to Christ, a headline in the local paper asked the pointed question, “What’s Going to Be Done About Sergei Bessarab?”

Picture of a man playing the guitar
Sergei Bessasab strumming his gutar in worship

On Jan. 20, 2004, the son of a local mosque leader answered the question, shooting and killing Bessarab as he strummed his guitar during his nightly time of worship, Scripture reading, and prayer.

When the young man who killed Bessarab was convicted and sent to prison, Christians were waiting there to meet him. In God’s amazing providence, the killer was eventually assigned to a cell with a Christian prisoner who had been led to Christ and discipled by Bessarab!

And over time, the mosque leader’s son became Bessarab’s spiritual grandson, placing his trust in Christ.

Think about it, Bessarab was once a convicted criminal. Many would have written him off spiritually. His killer, a Muslim was also far from God, and some may have written him off as well. But God’s grace can reach any heart.

Picture the final chapter of this story: Pastor Sergei Bessarab stands worshiping before God’s throne with the man who ended his life on earth and perhaps the two may be working together on this earth again during Jesus’ soon coming Millennial Kingdom.

“Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.” Revelation 20:6

WHAT HAS GOD CALLED YOU DO?

Posted on by

A great message from David Platt of McLean Bible Church in Virginia. It is part five of his sermon series, titled “Following Jesus: Faith That Changes Lives in a World of Urgent Need, Can I suggest you take the time to view the sermon series, just click on the link.

‘What kind of Christianity have you bought into? Who told you that following Jesus would lead to greater comfort and ease in this world?’ Because that didn’t come from this Book,” said Platt while holding up his Bible. “That came from a very skewed version of this Book that’s being sold all across our culture.”

Platt said that many Christians need God to point them to the reality that “the ultimate need of every single person in the world is to be forgiven for their sins.” However, he said, in order to be reconciled to God, a person needs to first hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Platt emphasized the importance of Christians not being afraid of difficulties that they might face while spreading the Gospel to remote places because, he said, “there are 3 billion people in the world who have never heard the Word of God, and they won’t have their sins forgiven if they never hear the Gospel.” (My add) Moreover, if God has called you to go, He will guide and protect you.

“God made a way for humans to be forgiven for all their sin, to be reconciled to Him, to eternal life, through faith in Jesus, by what He did on the cross, His resurrection from the grave,” he maintained. “We have been commanded to show God’s love in a world of earthly suffering, and ultimately, we have been commanded to proclaim the Gospel to keep people from a second death (David said eternal suffering). “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. “Anyone who has an ear should listen to what the Spirit says to the churches. The victor will never be harmed by the second death.“

“Somebody has to go and tell them. If no one goes and tells them, they will spend eternity separated from Him. Do you see what’s at stake here? Do we see the need?” Platt asked rhetorically. 

COVID 19 WILL BE GOOD FOR THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST

Posted on by

God’s word reminds believers that “for those who love God all things work together for good” (Romans 8:28, ESV). Meaning, ultimately, COVID-19 will be good for the church of Jesus Christ. Of all the things believers are promised in scripture, bodily safety is not one of them. In fact, it says the opposite!

We are told by the Apostle Paul that “all who desire to live godly lives shall suffer” (2 Timothy 3:12).

Aside from whatever physical and emotional scars the coronavirus might leave upon the body of Christ, we can be sure that, in time, this event will produce wonderful fruit. As backwards as it may sound, Let’s welcome this reality. It is as Charles Spurgeon once said, “I have learned to kiss the wave that throws me against the Rock of Ages”.

Remember most viruses play a useful role in the design of God’s universe

The ugly idol of personal safety has plunged its jagged thorns deep inside the hearts of not only American Christians bot those in most affluent nations. Decades of excessive comforts and conveniences have created lazy, self-serving, inward-looking Christians. Many have forgotten how to trust God for provision. Instead, we have looked to ourselves, our stocked supermarkets, our full refrigerators, and our 401ks (pension plan) to provide the assurance that our future’s are secure. Throughout history, God has often allowed outside forces and tragedies to remind His people to look only to Him for comfort and assurance. We should remember this as we wander into the unknown of the Coronavirus pandemic. Lest we forget, the Israelites wandered the desert 40 years as they learned to trust God for daily provisions.

Whatever trials the days ahead may bring, it seems certain our faith will be tested. How will you choose to respond?

Extracted from a great article Christians, COVID-19, and the Dangerous Idol of Personal Safety by Jack Wells, www. patheos .com

JESUS IS RAISING UP YOUNG WARRIORS WITH ASSIGNMENTS TO DESTROY THE WORKS OF THE DEVIL

Posted on by

What is the most important thing we can do to destroy the works of the enemy? In this live stream, Pastor Alan DiDio of Encounter Today interviews Mario Murillo about these exact questions and more! A new generation is arising who have been baptised in fire, who are prepared to lay down their lives for Biblical truth who prophecy truth regardless of the consequences.

You need to watch this video probably more than once. It is one hour long but you can do it in 20 or 30 minute segments.

GOD AT WORK DURING CORONAVIRUS

Posted on by

Jason Hubbard from International Prayer Connect, shares amazing good news of what God has done in our world during Covid- 19 between Passover and Pentecost 2020.
“The doors to the our church buildings may have been closed but the Church has not been closed. We are living through a Great Quarantine Revival and I think God is just getting started.” Nick Hall Pulse Movement

  • Jesus Fast with Lou Engle – 40 Days March – 9 April 2020: 72,000 people. 1.9 million reached with call to fast & pray – 10 languages, 190,000 read the devotionals and 21,000 join Esther Fast to end Covid-19. 
  • Brazil Send 8 Feb & 25 April 2020 137,000 people in 3 stadiums and 3.2 mil watch. 15,695 salvations and re-commitments.
  • Good Friday Pulse Movement 10 April 2020 with Nick Hall. More than 130,000 came to Christ in virtual evangelistic event. 100 million tuned in from nearly 100 countries, translated into 40 languages.
  • World Prayer Together 1 May 2020 600,000 from 100+ nations in 12 languages for a 4 hour global call to launch GO20202 month of evangelism. 1.8 million house churches in May representing 38 million in united prayer. www.runministries.org
  • Watchmen for the Nations Passover & Pentecost Events 7 April & 28 May 2020 3000,000 from 100 nations translated into 26 languages. Also 10 days of worship & prayer 21-30 May 2020 www.watchmenforthenations.com
  • GO2020 52.6 million Christians shared the gospel on and off line. 227 million people reached with the gospel. Prayer Covenant for Children mobilised 7000,000 GO2020 kids and adults in Africa to pray for those they wanted to reach. Jesus film had 163 million views. A video clip of Amazing Grace got 2 million views and UK Blessing Song had over 2.2 million – now nearly 3.5 million!
  • Global Media Outreach reached 14.3 million people in 150 countries with webs based evangelistic services. 175,997 indicated decisions.
  • #Hope Story 60 second testimonies were seen by a million people. Stories were shared from nearly 50 nations On TikTok alone, 200,000 viewed a Hope Story of a young Aboriginal Australian. #HopeStoryChallenge 

GOD IS BUILDING HIS KINGDOM

Posted on by

Great article by Joseph Mattera (josephmattera.org)

15 Contrasts Between the Kingdom Age and Religious Systems

I believe now is the time in which God is shaking the global church and establishing Kingdom principles. God is ripping away and exposing extraneous second-tier traditions and denominational positions that are opposed to His kingdom. Believers need to understand the difference between the characteristics of the kingdom and man-made religion. The body of Christ and its surrounding environment will be transformed only through proper alignment with His kingdom.

The following are 15 contrasts between the kingdom age and religious systems:

  1. The kingdom focuses on manifesting God in the earth, while religion focuses on applying its traditions inside church buildings.

The word “kingdom” implies that there is a king who rules within a region. Psalm 24:1 teaches us that the earth belongs to the Lord, and Psalm 22:28 tells us His kingdom rules over all nations, not just over the church. Consequently, we in His kingdom are called to show that the cross of Christ impacted the whole cosmos, not just the church realm (Col. 1:12-13, 1:20).

  1. The kingdom transforms individuals from within, while religion focuses on observing outward rituals.

Jesus taught us that God requires truth in the inner man (Matt. 5-7, 23; Ps. 51:6). Hence, the kingdom focuses on inner transformation, while religion concentrates primarily on observing church rituals (Luke 17:21). Christ-centered spiritual disciplines help create proper habits of the heart that are conducive to growth in the knowledge and love of God.

  1. The kingdom releases all believers to the work of the ministry, while religion merely releases professional clergy to minister.

In the kingdom, all believers are both kings and priests (Rom. 5:17, 1 Pet. 2:8-9). In religion, only those trained in seminary and who are employed in church ministry are considered priests.

  1. The kingdom sees the Spirit poured out upon all flesh. Religion sees the Spirit move only during Sunday services.

The apostle Peter made it clear that the Resurrection inaugurated the kingdom age, which was seen when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon every culture, tribe, kindred, tongue and nation (Acts 2:17). Two of the results of the outpouring was that God was no longer restricted to the religious Jews, and His Spirit was not limited to the most holy place in their temple. Despite this, many in the body of Christ continue to restrict the Holy Spirit to moving only within the four walls of a building during mass or church services.

  1. In the kingdom, the Scriptures have primary ecclesiastical authority. In religion, second-tier religious tradition has primary ecclesial authority.

This second-tier religious tradition is an issue not only for the Roman Catholics, who put custom and canon law on equal terms with Scripture, but also for the Orthodox Church. Many people place the writings of the apostolic fathers on the same level as the Holy Scriptures. Many evangelical Protestant denominations, Pentecostal and non-Pentecostal churches also have second-tier traditions that they regard as primary authority as they relate to Christian practices.

  1. In the kingdom, the presence of God is wherever the believer goes. In religion, the presence of God is at the altar of their church building.

In the kingdom, the power and presence of God that heals, delivers and saves the oppressed were commonly manifested in the streets. God wants to unleash an army of believers who will turn the world upside down, but religion wants to keep believers closeted inside church buildings.

  1. In the kingdom, the fivefold minister equips the saints to do the work of the ministry. In religion, the fivefold minister does the job of the ministry.

Traditional religious systems keep people dependent upon professional clergy to pray for the sick, counsel, preach and represent God to the world. In the kingdom, fivefold ministry gifts are focused not on doing the work of the ministry but on equipping the saints to do the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-12).

  1. In the kingdom, the ministry focus is Monday to Saturday. In religion, the ministry focus is Sunday.

People participating in kingdom-focused churches cannot wait until Monday comes. Whereas those who are trapped in religious systems will only see purpose and meaning during church services.

  1. In the kingdom, the church is sent to serve its community. In religion, the church strives to get the community into the church.

Kingdom-focused churches equip believers to be the problem-solvers of society. They provide them with a biblical worldview to frame their service in every vocation that affects communities. In the kingdom, it is not about how many people attend church services; rather, it is about how many people in the church are sent out to transform their world!

  1. In the kingdom, the focus of concern is for the whole body of Christ. In religion, the primary focus is only on the denomination/local church.

Any person with a kingdom agenda will be concerned about the health of the entire body of Christ. Those with a religious mindset are sectarian and only care about the health of their denomination or church.

  1. In the kingdom, every sphere of life is integrated under King Jesus. In religion, the church stays out of the public square.

The kingdom of God prophetically speaks to societal structures such as law, politics, economics, families, art and business. In religion, the view is that such things are unimportant, unspiritual and therefore should be left to the concern of the world.

  1. In the kingdom, Jesus is the King of kings. In religion, He is merely the symbolic leader of the church.

In the kingdom, Jesus is not only the head of the church, but He is also the King of kings (Rev. 19:16). This is the most politically charged statement anyone can make about Jesus! Jesus is the political head of every president, politician, governor and mayor. It obligates every believer to be politically active by voting and doing their part to speak truth to power, as well as elect candidates who best represent kingdom values.

  1. In the kingdom, the church is the salt of the earth. In religion, the believer is the salt of the church.

Jesus called His followers to reflect His character and values. He called them to be the salt of the earth and light of the world, not the salt of the church and light of religion.

  1. The kingdom participates with Christ in the renewal of all things. Religion is focused on perpetuating its traditions in the church.

Every person in a kingdom-focused church should understand that the Great Commission involves influencing people groups and subcultures, not just individuals (Matt. 28:19). People stuck in religious systems work only to perpetuate the second-tier traditions of their church members.

  1. The kingdom engages culture, while religion escapes the earth.

The nature of religion is that it wants to create an enclave of safety from the unpredictable realities of the unredeemed world; religion is mystical, not practical or spiritual. However, disciples of the kingdom view every global challenge as an opportunity to be a problem solver and seek to reflect Christ to the surrounding culture.