KENYA HOUSE CHURCH MISSION TRIP

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The KHC Mission trip was to SUBA KURIA – near the border of Kenya and Tanzania and Lake Victoria. Kuria District is a district in the Nyanza Province of Kenya. Our team arrived on Monday, February 27th, and departed Monday, March 6th.

The KHC team was welcomed by our host Mr. Magaiwa Chacha and supporters of our Mission trip. Upon arrival, we conducted opening prayers, before proceeding with other ministry activities. The meeting was attended by a good number of people including men, women, and a few children.

HOUSE MEETINGS:

On the evening of our arrival at the home of Mr. Chacha, a good number of people turned up to hear our gospel message. Pastor Ben Otieno ministered a message on the Israelites and their physical land of promise. And it was good to see many hearts attentively listening to the gospel message, among them was a young widow wearing a green dotted dress, she was quick to learn and asked biblical questions (see picture 2. below). She is a potential leader of a women’s group.

On the morning of the next day, Feb 28th, our evangelism team led by Pastor Jacob conducted house-to-house visits ministering the gospel message and particularly the need for repentance and holiness. At the home of Mr. Girson Ogolla, there was a young man (Mr Evans Odero – wearing a white shirt). He was suffering intense pain in his back from a car accident five years ago and was unable to walk upright. After prayer, he was healed, walking upright without pain. He gave his life to the Lord and gave thanks to God for his goodness and mercy. He is the man with his right hand raised on the far left in picture 3 below.

On 1st March, at the home of Mr. Samwel Mwita , our team ministered the gospel message of salvation, Traditional churches vs the New Testament Churches, (church as Jesus intended).

Many people believed the gospel message and among them was his wife, Mrs. Birgitta Samwel,  this lady was being tormented by evil spirits, and had a spirit of divination, she was prayed for and delivered from demonic oppression.

On  March 2nd, at the compound of Mr. Robi Magige, Pastor Seth Otieno and some of our pastors had one on one evangelism discussions, Seth had a great conversation for about an hour with a young mother who happened to be an atheist. Seth was able to plant a few seeds. When they were done evangelizing and were loading up she came back to them and said “it was good talking with you”. She asked a few more questions and then gave them a thumbs up and said “that’s cool, thanks” I’m very grateful for these conversations I will have to get it to other people. 

It’s amazing that a lot of atheists ask better questions than Christians do.

EVANGELISM  MEETINGS:

On March 3rd, We held road evangelism and ministered the gospel message to many people including men, women, and youths. We distributed tracts to the youths and Gideon NT Bibles which were donated to me by a pastor friend.

The Holy Spirit gave many people the power to understand our gospel message on salvation, and repentance. Many were interested in our talks on the end times and Jesus’ second coming. We even spoke on Jesus’ millennium reign in his soon-coming Kingdom to be established here on Earth.

On March 4th,  Our team including Pastor Julius Makacha visited a nearby primary school ( Getong’anya) and ministered the gospel message of salvation to some teachers in the office. And two of the teachers believed the message. And they were given Gideons  NT Bibles. 

A NEW HOUSE CHURCH WAS ESTABLISHED:

As a result of the work done through us by God in this region of OLASI, a new house church of 15 members was birthed. This new young house church will be under elder Magaiwa Chacha. He will be helped and supported by pastor Bernad Jacobo of Nyarombo house Church. This will continue until brother Magaiwa is fully built up and mature in the faith such that he can stand alone with this house church.

The KHC leaders are planning their next discipleship mission trip to Nyabohanse on March 27th. They are hoping that God will raise up from some of those reading this report believers who will provide financial support for the trip. At 86, I am no longer able to provide the support I gave over the last four years of AUS $300 a month. It will be interesting to see how God provides for His work in Kenya’s rural areas. I have a Donations icon on the Home Page or you can send money direct to Pastor Charles by Western Union. Send to Charles Otieno Owino, Location ISIBANIA ROAD, MIGORI, KENYA. Email: otienochris@yahoo.com. Charles picks up the money from the Migori Western Union office. Please let me know if you decide to support the Kenya House Church Movement.

WHY AMERICA IS UNDER GOD’S JUDGEMENT

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The vast majority of Americans — 96 percent — do not hold to a biblical worldview following the COVID-19 lockdowns, according to a new survey. A biblical worldview, the survey said, is one in which the entirety of a person’s “ideas about all dimensions of life and eternity is based on biblical principles and commands.”

Sadly, most of the institutional churches and their Bible Colleges no longer hold to the truth of God’s Word so why should these figures surprise us. Also, if the bulk of Americans do not believe God’s Word is the truth it is highly probable they will embrace the deception of the coming Antichrist and take the Mark of the Beast in order to survive.

Calling it a “significant change” in Americans’ worldview, the Cultural Research Center of Arizona Christian University led by researcher George Barna found in its survey that the lockdowns impacted the already-dwindling number of people who claim to hold a biblical worldview.

In what Barna called the first national study of its kind, the incidence of biblical worldview declined to a mere 4%, down one-third from the 6% recorded just months before the pandemic lockdowns started in March 2020. 

“When you put the data in perspective, the biblical worldview is shuffling toward the edge of the cliff,” said Barna. “As things stand today, biblical theism is much closer to extinction in America than it is to influencing the soul of the nation.” 

Part of the problem, said Barna, is that younger people, in particular, are “largely isolated from biblical thought in our society and are the most aggressive at rejecting biblical principles in our culture.”

Barna said Christian churches and schools should be putting more effort into helping their congregations and students think through the Scriptures. What Barna should have said is that churches and schools should be teaching our young people that evolution and billions of years of earth’s history are nonsense. Fortunately, God has raised up His ministries to provide excellent resources to overcome the deception: http://www.creation.com and http://www.answersingenesis.org are just two of the organizations that I recommend. Evidence for Noah’s worldwide flood is starkly evident with fossil fuels and billions of dead things preserved in the rocks all over the world. The flood, not billions of years caused the geology we observe today.

The impact of teaching that evolution not creation by God is the reason for the Cosmos has had a diabolical effect on our children.

Nearly one in five (19.7%) members of Generation Z consider themselves part of the LGBT community, with 13.1% describing themselves as bisexual, 3.4% identifying as gay, 2.2% categorizing themselves as lesbians, 1.9% saying they are trans-identified and 1.5% chose the “other LGBT” category when asked about their sexual orientation. The share of adults belonging to the LGBT community dropped in descending order by generation, with 11.3% of millennials (born between 1981 and 1996) having a significantly larger LGBT population than Generation X (3.3%), baby boomers (2.7%) and the silent generation (1.7%). Generation X is categorized as those born between 1965 and 1980, while baby boomers were born between 1946 and 1964 and the silent generation was born before 1946.

Jesus told us beforehand that this is what the world will be like before He comes back to restore righteousness:

“And brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death. And you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” Mark 13:12-13

CHRISTIANS MUST BELIEVE 1 CORINTHIANS 15:1-19

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In reality, Christians must believe all of Scripture as it is all God’s Word but if someone calls himself a ‘Christian’ while denying that God raised Jesus from the dead bodily and historically, then he is deluding himself.

The Resurrection of Christ: 1 Corinthians 15:1-11

“1. Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel  I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11 Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

The Resurrection of the Dead: 1 Corinthians 15:12-19

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

“For the Lord, himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he will send out his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.” Matthew 24:29-31

GOD OFFERS HOPE IN THE MIDST OF JUDGEMENT

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Salvation in the midst of judgment is a common theme in the early chapters of Genesis. Just as God provided hope in the midst of punishment for Cain after murdering Abel by giving him a mark to protect him (Genesis 4:15).

When God judged the world (Genesis 6:18) the Lord spared Noah and his family. Additionally, the judgment of the city of Babel (Genesis 11:1–10) when God established the nations was followed by the call of Abram (Genesis 12:1–9) to establish His own nation, Israel, once again offering hope despite judgment.

It can therefore be expected that in the Bible’s first pronouncement of judgment at “The Fall“, God would offer the hope of salvation in the midst of judgment. I think the scriptural evidence shows that the following Scripture is messianic.

“The Lord God said to the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly, you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.’” Genesis 3:14-15

The essential messianic view is that Genesis 3:15 ultimately predicts the coming of a future individual (a “seed”) who will have victory over the serpent (Satan) through His own death.

A foundational element of that view is that the serpent must be identified as something other than just a mere snake. It appears to be, in the words of C. John Collins, “the mouthpiece of a Dark Power, whom later texts would call Satan.” A number of factors lead to this observation. For example, snakes cannot talk, even in Genesis. Moreover, a mere serpent from the good creation, apart from an evil force animating it, would have no reason to challenge God’s words or tempt humanity. Additionally, it is not the serpent’s seed that will be crushed by the woman’s seed after a long conflict but the serpent itself, indicating longevity, not normal for mere snakes.

Significantly, later biblical writers identified Satan with the serpent of Genesis

“The God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet.” Romans 16:20

“And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.” Revelation 12:9

Although in Gen. 3:14 the Lord addresses the actual serpent, in the following verse (Genesis 3:15), He appears to address the dark power. As well, some have proposed that in Gen. 3:15 there is an alleged prediction of the virgin birth because of the use of the phrase “her seed” not a man’s seed.

The messianic view as espoused here posits that Gen. 3:15 teaches that the seed of the woman, although being struck, will also strike the serpent and his seed and thereby win victory for humanity. This text is just the beginning of the story. As John Sailhamer says, “More is at stake in this brief passage than the reader is at first aware. A program is set forth. A plot is established that will take the author far beyond this or that snake and his ‘seed.’

The verse shifts the meaning of seed from a collective group to a particular individual descendant of the woman. The evidence for this is that a singular pronoun and a singular verb are used to refer to the seed. In Gen. 3:15, the biblical author uses singular pronouns and verb forms in reference to the seed, so he plainly has a specific offspring in view.

When the original readers considered Genesis 3, they would have recognized that its author wrote of more than a mere serpent. As such, they would have expected not a long conflict between snakes and humanity, but a battle between a terrible dark force and a divinely powered deliverer. The problem of identifying the serpent was resolved in Jewish theology “by the doctrine that the serpent of Eden was the mouthpiece of the devil.” As a result, ancient Jewish interpreters also viewed the woman’s seed as the messianic victor over the serpent. This messianic reading of Gen. 3:15 is evident in the Septuagint and the rabbinic literature of the Targumim Pseudo-Jonathan, Neofiti, Onqelos, and the midrash Genesis Rabbah 23:5.27

God’s pronouncement of judgment (Gen. 3:14) is directed to the serpent proper—meaning the actual animal and not the dark force behind it. Since a serpent from the animal kingdom is an amoral being, it is surprising that the animal itself would be cursed. The purpose of cursing the animal is for it to become a perpetual reminder of the devastating destruction caused by the role of the serpent in the sin of Adam and Eve.

In the Millennium we read in Isaiah 65:25, “In Israel, the wolf, and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the serpent’s food will be dust!” During Jesus Millennial reign the curse has not been totally lifted but in Israel, the curse on animals has been partially lifted but the curse on the serpent will remain. In this way, the serpent will remain an eternal outward symbol of the spiritual defeat of the dark force behind the fall.

In an apparent midrash on Gen. 3:15, the author of Hebrews writes:

“so that through his [Jesus’] death He might destroy the one holding the power of death—that is, the Devil—and free those who were held in slavery all their lives by the fear of death” Hebrews 2:14–15

Abraham is also promised that his seed will bless the nations (Gen. 22:17–18). In Baalam’s second oracle, he describes Jacob’s seed as “His king” who “will be higher than Gog (Antichrist)” and whose “kingdom will be exalted.” Just as Genesis develops that the woman’s seed would spring from a royal dynasty, this oracle identifies the seed as the end-time messianic king who will defeat the enemies of Israel and rule over an exalted kingdom. In the very next oracle in Num. 24:17–19, the promise of the future messianic king (“A star will come from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel”) makes a thematic allusion to Gen. 3:15. Although Num. 24:17 uses different words than Gen. 3:15 for both the blow struck and the head that is crushed, the thematic literary allusion is plain. The expectation is that when the messianic king arrives, he will crush the heads of Israel’s enemies, reminding the readers of the promise that Eve’s offspring would crush the head of the enemy.

The rest of the Hebrew canon makes extensive direct and thematic allusions to Gen. 3:15, firmly identifying the woman’s seed as a royal and messianic figure. Perhaps the most significant way that later biblical writers develop the “seed” theme is in the Davidic covenant. David is promised a “seed” who will have an eternal house, kingdom, and throne (2 Sam 7:12–16), reminding readers of the promise of the royal seed described in (Genesis 3:15; 17:16; 35:11; 49:9–10). There are many more “seed” theme references and Micah 7:17 predicts that in the eschatological future, the enemy nations will submit to the Lord and “lick the dust like a snake.” Speaking of that same future time in an intertextual reference to Gen. 3:15, Ps 8:6 proclaims that the messianic king will have “everything under his feet.” The same image of the ultimate defeat of the nations is found in Psalms 110:1, where the messianic king is promised that God will make His enemies a footstool for His feet.

It is appropriate therefore to conclude that the evidence supports Genesis 3:14-15 as the first messianic prophecy of the Bible. The fact that the “seed” theme is carried through the Bible by different authors over an extensive period of time is proof positive the Bible is the inspired word of God. Fulfilled prophecies are also proof positive that the many prophecies about Jesus’ second coming that are not already fulfilled (Israel established as a nation again) will be fulfilled.

“They (Saints) came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 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 20:5-6

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TRANSGENDERISM IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT END TIMES SIGNS

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Even evolutionary biologists understand that biological sex is foundational to “preserving a functional society “.

“I’m frequently asked why I focus so much on the nature of biological sex. It’s because in my view this may be reality’s last stand. If this undeniable fact can be denied en masse, then we become hostages to chaos. We simply cannot afford to lose our collective tether to reality.” —Colin Wright, evolutionary biologist.

“I’m not obsessed with gender. I’m obsessed with the preservation of a functional society. Ours will fail if we allow some to impose their personal fictions on others.” —Bret Weinstein, evolutionary biologist

Our society is descending into chaos and lawlessness exactly as Jesus said it would prior to His second coming to earth to first rescue the Saints and then to pour His wrath on an unrepentant world.

Transgenderism has exploded across the world in the past decade, particularly in the West. In my last post “Vladimir Putin on Religion and Family“, he made this comment on the West. “Look at what they’re doing with their own people,” he said. “It is all about the destruction of the family, of cultural and national identity, perversion and abuse of children, including pedophilia, all of which are declared normal in their life.”

Critics of transgender ideology are, predictably, met with withering rebuke. They’re labeled as “transphobic,” hateful, and even criminal. The vitriol seems especially intense when the criticism arises from within the LGBTQ community.

Even the gay neuroscientist Simon LeVay, whose research led to the claim that homosexuality is genetically heritable, has expressed skepticism about the transgender movement. An article in a leading LGBTQ publication quotes LeVay as saying, “We may be overly supportive of gender non-conforming kids, thinking they may be transgender so advocating giving them hormones or castrating them at an early age… We should always love our kids as they are, whatever, but don’t tell them their sexuality is a done deal before puberty.”

One activist called LeVay’s remarks quoted above, as “beyond irresponsible,” implying that such comments foster bullying and aggression. 10 Tweets from singer Bette Midler and author JK Rowling expressing concern about the diminishment of womanhood were roundly condemned in forceful and often vulgar ways, even though both women have been longtime supporters of the LGBTQ movement.

What we face is an unprecedented coupling of postmodernist academic theory with an internet-fueled social contagion targeting
vulnerable boys and girls who are struggling with their God-given sex. Spiritual warfare is truly intensifying as Satan realises his time ruling this planet is coming to an end and he wants to take as many humans down with him as he can.

PUTIN ON RELIGION AND FAMILY

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Putin claims West trying to destroy the family institution by normalizing gay marriage, ‘pedophilia’

Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning over what he called religious attacks from Western culture Tuesday as he suspended a landmark nuclear arms treaty and threatened to move forward with nuclear tests.

In his address, Putin leveled sharp criticism at Western values and said the U.S. and other Western nations were using “information attacks” to target youth, distort “historical truth,” and “attack our culture, the Russian Orthodox Church and other traditional religious institutions in our country.”

Putin appeared to suggest the advancement of same-sex marriage and other rights for LGBT-identified people are aimed at destroying the institution of the family and promoting pedophilia. Putin at least got this right.

“Look at what they’re doing with their own people,” he said. “It is all about the destruction of the family, of cultural and national identity, perversion and abuse of children, including pedophilia, all of which are declared normal in their life.”

As an illustration, Putin claimed priests are being forced to “bless same-sex marriages.”

After asserting that “people can live however they want” and that Russia has “never intruded into people’s private life,” Putin cited the definition of marriage found in the scriptures.

“Look at the holy Scripture and the main books of other world religions. They say it all, including that family is the union of a man and a woman, but these sacred texts are now being questioned,” Putin said.

Putin also cited a report stating the Anglican Church is considering the idea of a gender-neutral God, an apparent reference to a vote earlier this month by the Church of England to officially endorse plans for priests to offer prayers of blessing for same-sex couples.

“What can we say? God forgive them,” he said. “They don’t know what they’re doing.”

This is proof that God can use anybody to declare His truths. Just as God used leaders in the past such as Nebuchadnezzar and Darius the Mede he is using the most unlikely leader Vladimir Putin to declare the truth of what is really transpiring in the West.

TIMING OF RELEASE OF JESUS REVOLUTION MOVIE

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Considering the revival that started at Asbury and is moving across the country is it a coincidence that the Jesus Revolution movie is now being released across the U.S.A. and soon the world (Australia in April)?

Jon Erwin is one half of the filmmaking duo The Erwin Brothers. Jon and Andrew are the team that delivered the hits I Can Only Imagine, Woodlawn, October Baby, and Mom’s Night Out.” But it’s taken Jon seven years to bring a more than 50-year-old story to screen in his latest film Jesus Revolution and he believes it is God’s timing for the movie to be released now.

“This project has taken many twists and turns. It’s the longest I’ve ever worked on a movie,” Jon told CBN News’ Studio 5.

“My hope is people enjoy the movie. And we want to make you laugh and cry. But there really is a movement behind this movie.” 
The historic Jesus Movement began on the West Coast and spread. The Christian revival saw young people, often called hippies, turning to Christ.

The revival that unfolded in Southern California in the late 1960s and early 1970s is what Time Magazine called “The Jesus Revolution.” But just four years earlier, the front page of the very same magazine was asking, “Is God Dead?” 

Those magazine covers inspired Jon to begin work on his film, even before his hit film I Can Only Imagine.

Holding both magazines in his hand, Jon Erwin told CBN News, “I bought this seven years ago, and read this article. And then I bought this one as well. It was the first cover of Time without a picture. And that was my very question. What happened in between these two magazines? This bleak statement and then this psychedelic Jesus. And something was happening so undeniable in American society that Time Magazine had to give it credit with a cover story, as did Life Magazine and Look Magazine.” 

“Then I began to study it. And I wanted to meet people that lived “it”. That was the beginning of my relationship with Greg Laurie.”

Pastor Greg Laurie leads one of the largest church congregations in the country. But his faith story and love story begin inside the Jesus Movement of the 1970s. And both are featured in Erwin’s film. 

Studio 5 talked to Laurie and his wife Cathe as they walked the red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of Jesus Revolution.

“People know me as an older guy, and it is interesting for them to be introduced to us when we were young,” Greg shared. “It’s our story, but it’s like I am watching another story. But it is a story of redemption. And we are sort of representing a generation of young people that were searching.” 

Cathe Laurie added, “I was aware of how powerful it was for me. It was life-changing. It was overnight. It was darkness to light. And I’ve seen it played out in others’ lives, as they’ve had encounters with Christ. But I never thought our story, especially my story, would be told in such a beautiful way.” 

Joel Courtney plays the role of Greg Laurie in the film. Anna Grace Barlow portrays Cathe Laurie and The Chosen‘s Jonathan Roumie rounds out the cast in the role of the young charismatic preacher, Lonnie Frisbee.  

These cast members shared their thoughts on what gave birth to the revival story they’re now helping to tell on the silver screen.

“The culture was in a moment of fraught need. I think that is what primes a revival. This kind of like lost sheep,” Courtney said. “The need, the desire to reground yourself. And there is no grounding that’s better than the cornerstone of Christ.”

Roumie said, “I think as humans we are hardwired for a couple of things. One of those is the community, only second to God. Relationship with God and community with each other. And when those two things seem to be compromised in society, the spirit starts to rebel against that and try to figure out how to put that back in its right order. And so you have these revivals.”

“And I think you see it now with what’s going on in Kentucky,” he said.

Barlow chimed in, “I want to piggyback on that because I can’t stop thinking about Damar Hamlin going down on the field a few weeks ago. And the gut reaction was to take a knee and pray. And to pray on national television. I haven’t seen anything like this in years.”

“When they say we are primed for it, that’s a buzz phrase I have been hearing around this movie, I think that’s true.”

Filmmakers often say that getting a movie made is a miracle. Producer Kevin Downes would agree. But he also saw miracles while working on this project.

Downes said, “There are moments of miracles whenever you make a film. Obviously, the entire process. But this one had miracle after miracle, where we really felt and sensed God’s presence throughout the entire process.”

The miracles include how veteran actor Kelsey Grammer signed on for the lead role of Calvary Chapel Pastor Chuck Smith.

A TIMELY REMINDER CONCERNING THE ASBURY REVIVAL

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Greg Stier of Dare 2 Share Ministries International gives us a timely warning: “with all of the talk of a potential revival sweeping the nation right now, I think it’s a good time to discuss the difference between “the fire of spiritual revival” and “the whisper of daily obedience.”

Greg uses the experience Elijah had with Jezebel and the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. What happened after God sent the lightning bolt from heaven to consume the sacrifice?

Shocked and frightened, the people collapsed to the ground and started chanting, “The LORD—He is God! The LORD—He is God!” But Elijah wasn’t finished. He commanded the people to kill all the false prophets of Baal. and that’s exactly what they did.

Elijah scored his victory in an instant. Not only did he win the showdown, but he also wiped out the competition. At that moment, he must have been convinced that the fire of revival would strike in Israel, just as that lightning bolt from Heaven had struck the sacrifice.

Instead, it led to a death threat from the evil queen Jezebel, whose prophets he had humbled and slaughtered on Mt. Carmel that day and what did Elijah do?

“Elijah was afraid and ran for his life… He came to a broom bush, sat down under it, and prayed that he might die. ‘I have had enough, LORD,’ he said. ‘Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors.’” 1 Kings 19:3-4

We know that God provided for him miraculously on the journey but fueled by terror and adrenaline, he ran, then walked, and then slogged, ending up in a cave 280 miles away from Mt. Carmel, in the middle of a desolate wilderness. It was in the pitch black of that cold cave that he finally fell asleep, after 40 straight days and nights of weeping, wondering, and wandering.

The lesson

After he awoke the next day, God gave him an earth, wind, and fire object lesson he would never forget. At the mouth of the cave that day, Elijah learned the difference between the fire of spiritual revival and the whisper of daily obedience.

The revelation

We must learn that same lesson, especially as it seems “the prophets of Baal” (the world, the flesh, and the devil) are being defeated at Asbury University and that young people across the nation are increasingly chanting: “The LORD—He is God! The LORD—He is God!”

We all love the fire of revival. We all love it when God seems to send a lightning bolt of awakening, and the people, especially young people, hold high the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We all love it when there seems to be a move of God that brings revival.

But what happened at Mt. Carmel didn’t translate to a true revival that transformed the culture and truly turned it back to God. It was a flash in a pan, and soon after, things went back to the norm.

What does the object lesson God gave to Elijah have to do with all of this?

We tend to look at God’s work primarily as the hurricane-force wind that brings in the Spirit of God and sets everyone’s tongue ablaze with the Gospel (Acts 2:1-4). Or the earth-shaking power of God that rattles the building when His people pray (Acts 4:31). Or the lightning bolt of fire from Heaven that consumes the sacrifice (1 Kings 18).

But, as amazing as those experiences are, they aren’t God’s primary modes of working. Of course, He uses those to accomplish His will and, sometimes, to launch spiritual movements. But His primary mode is in the whisper of daily obedience.

The encouragement

Elijah thought he was alone (“I am the only one left…” 1 Kings 19:10). He thought he’d failed at launching a revival (“I am no better than my ancestors.” 1 Kings 19:4) and that his ministry hadn’t made a difference. Why? Because his dramatic victory on Mt. Carmel didn’t lead to a lasting revival.

But God showed him something different. He whispered encouragement into his soul. He reminded Elijah:

‘Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.’ 1 Kings 19:18

Guess whose example inspired them? Elijah’s!

Guess who was not only their hero but also the hero of a hundred prophets hidden away in caves (1 Kings 18:4)? Elijah!

Guess who most likely inspired the thought of launching a school for prophets? Elijah!

God had used the whisper of daily obedience in Elijah’s life to produce a radicalized remnant of the few rather than triggering a sweeping revival of the many. And God was reminding him of that.

He had made a difference. And that difference had been made long before the showdown on Mt. Carmel.

The takeaway

What does all of this mean for the current revival happening at Asbury and in more and more spots across the nation and around the world? It means we need to keep being obedient, no matter what. We need to be daily fixated on Jesus in our everyday jobs or school classes. We need to make the grind a godly one. We need a relentless consecration of self and dealing with sin in our own lives, making sure we’re not “kissing the baals” of our culture. We need to have a steady flow of outward activation for the Gospel, sharing God’s message with everyone.

If this fire that struck Asbury University a few weeks ago is from God, it will continue to burn. But either way, we must continue to be overcomers.

“For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?” 1 John 5:4-5

And God will use your relentless obedience, boldness, and faith to raise up a radicalized remnant to change the world.

Praise God for the spiritual hurricanes, earthquakes, and lightning bolts when they happen. But don’t underestimate the transforming power of God’s whisper in the dust of everyday life.

Great message from Greg Stier.

FACE PERSECUTION OR FLEE?

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The end times church will be faced with this question (face persecution of flee) more and more as Christians experience the coming prophesied tribulation in the last seven years before Jesus returns first to rapture His church and to pour out His wrath on a lawless, unrepentant world.

In this photo taken Sunday, June 3, 2018, the demolished house church is seen in the city of Zhengzhou in central China’s Henan province. Under President Xi Jinping, China’s most powerful leader since Mao Zedong, believers are seeing their freedoms shrink dramatically even as the country undergoes a religious revival. Experts and activists say that as he consolidates his power, Xi is waging the most severe systematic suppression of Christianity in the country since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)

Three years ago, 62 members of China’s Shenzhen Reformed Holy Church, also known as the Mayflower Church, fled to South Korea to escape persecution from the Communist government. They requested political asylum in South Korea but were denied. The church is now in Thailand, where members hope to gain refugee status, and eventually resettle in the United States. Until then, they face many challenges, including possible arrest by Thailand immigration police and being sent back to China.

The Mayflower Church believes that they are like the Israelites in Exodus who God brought out of Egypt. As well, if you study the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul fled persecution. Most Christian churches in the Western world would support the course of action taken by the Mayflower Church, however, many of the Chinese house church Christians have a self-identity of being “patriotic martyrs”. They are willing to suffer and be martyred for their faith. So when a group decides to leave persecution and martyrdom, that creates some tension in what has become a cultural and religious identity of the entire house church Protestant movement in China.

Regardless, it was encouraging to learn what Pastor Pan said in response to this contradictory view, “While church members still face restrictions and potential deportation, we enjoy the freedom we have to worship. I struggle with many uncertainties in my heart like most of my congregation. But we find strength every time we experience how God has been faithfully providing for our daily needs and how He is constantly protecting us from the evil men who want to harm us. “Whether we go live in the US or are taken back to China, we will regard this experience as listening to God’s call and continuing to be a vibrant testimony of His goodness and faithfulness.”

GOD PRESERVES HIS SERVANTS

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After 52 years of ministry, skydiving 98-year-old preacher, Roy Jernigan wants people to see Jesus in his life. I can relate to Roy’s testimony. I am 86 and I know God still has more for me to do specifically to alert the church to God’s soon-coming Millennial Kingdom on this earth. Checkout http://www.millennialkingdom.net

Asked to comment on the state of the American Church today:

Jernigan quickly explained that the main driver of his faith is the Bible without the trappings of denominational restrictions.

Jernigan has certainly got this right. The denominational church is not the church Jesus established as outlined in the Book of Acts. Jesus calls us all to be disciples who make more disciples. We all like the denominational church model as it removes this essential facet of the church. It is the pastor’s responsibility to grow the church so we can get on with our lives doing what we want to do.

“I’m not a denominational man. I don’t criticize the denominations but think about this: we have all kinds of denominations — Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Episcopalian, you name it, and every one of them has a different doctrine,” he explained. “They can’t all be right. And so, consequently, I don’t claim a denomination. I claim to be a Christian. And as a Christian, I follow the New Testament teachings on the Apostle Paul.”

And Jernigan’s nondenominational approach to ministry aligns with the direction of the American Church today. Data from the 2020 U.S. Religion Census show that in the last 10 years, the number of American Christian adherents in nondenominational churches nearly doubled in number and surpassed America’s largest Protestant denomination, Southern Baptist, by several million adherents.

Other recent studies also show that while America remains a highly religious nation, with seven in 10 claiming affiliation with some kind of organized religion, for the first time in nearly 80 years, fewer than half now say they have formal membership in a specific house of worship. Church attendance has also continued to decline in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

While he admits that being a Christian today is much harder than it was 50 years ago when fewer distractions were competing for people’s attention, Jernigan believes that the model of many church ministries today is partly to blame for people deserting the pews.

“I’ll be honest with you, one of the biggest problems that pastors have today is trying to build a church on their own,” Jernigan told CP.

“Today, preachers have gotten themselves into such a rut by building big buildings with stained glass windows and everything. And the people have deserted them because they get tired of being bled to death [financially]. And hear the preacher say, ‘you got to give, you got to give, you got to give.’ My conviction is you don’t have to hound Christians to give. If they are saved, they love the Lord, they will give,” he said.

Jernigan also criticized preachers who treat their ministry as a business. “I think it’s the wrong approach. Commercial? You don’t commercialize God. I believe this is a gross mistake, that people, you see so much of this today, trying to commercialize and put things into a peaceful (more like bless me) type of thing rather than teaching the Bible,” he said. “I do believe if preachers would come down off the high horse, and quit preaching, what I call cotton candy messages, that’s all fluff and no substance, I believe there’d be a great difference in the world today.”

And as the church continues to compete for the attention of society today, Jernigan is worried that current social trends might lead to a point in society where Jesus is “completely rejected.”

“Today, there is much more to pull a person away than there was in my day,” he said. “It is much more difficult. And it does appear to me that as the time approaches (Jesus return to put things right), that things are going full circle to the extent that Christ … is going to be completely rejected.”

He urged Christians who left institutional churches but still want to maintain their Christian faith to keep reading the Bible and praying to God for direction.

“My heart goes out to so many people, it really does,” he said. “There are a lot of people out there that are hungry, and they’re thirsting for the Word of God, but they don’t have anyone to give it to them.” You be one of those Christians that does do what Jesus called us to do i.e. bring the good news of Jesus Christ to the lost.