The Right to Lead

“From that time forth began Jesus to show unto his disciples, how he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” (Matthew 16:21).

Peter confessed “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt. 16:16), and yet the next words of Christ were not the sounds the disciples desired to hear. Leading up to and after the announcement of the identity of Jesus, God’s program was seen and foretold.

There are many misunderstandings today in our church culture. We have misunderstood the times we are in. We believe the weather report but not the Word of God. Many fail to see what God is doing in their midst.

False doctrine is rampant today as well. The yeast of false preachers have overtaken many churches and the only remedy is to remove it by the second coming of Christ. We belong to the holy nation, the kingdom of God and not the Babylon of this temporal world.

The crowd also is confused about Jesus. Do not follow the crowd, instead, let the Father reveal His Son to you and in you and confess Him to others for He is the Son of God. God is on the lookout for man who is not confused about His Son.

Another misunderstanding is that His people are to pick up their cross and follow Him. God expects us to be honest enough to live it. It does mean suffering, pain, and denying self. The only way to live is to deny self and follow Christ by faith. We should have no room for trivial pursuit, but to do business with God.

Do we really desire the power of God? Without sweat and tears there is no power. Will we be quiet enough to hear Him, brave enough to proclaim Him, and honest enough to obey Him?

Every year draws closer to the Lord’s return. He has been received in Heaven awaiting the day of all things to completely be fulfilled before He comes again. His plan is on purpose and deliberate. From the creation of the galaxies to this globe, God determined to settle the mystery of iniquity and to defeat all evil and wickedness. One glorious day there will never be the movement of sin.

When all vestige of sin is taken away there will never be the thought of worry, sorrow, and death. It was sin that brought all that is bad, but it was our sin that brought our Savior all the way down from His home which was to set us free from the tyranny of Satan’s works.

Let’s ask ourselves if we have seen anyone come to Christ during this year personally in our walk and talk of Jesus? Do we need revival in our lives? Have we grown accustomed to the culture and the ways of man? Are we asleep in the household of faith? Does what the pastor says shake you to your core through the messages? Do you get mad at the message, or sad, and then glad because you understand. These are real questions we need to answer ourselves. People are not looking for pat answers in their sorrows, they are searching for that which is real and true, they want to see Jesus in you.

God’s people in the beginning of the church age were people of extreme joy, deliberation, discipline, and worship. Though they were persecuted they endured, and they overcame. Our world of America is fast becoming a thing of the past. We can have a booming economy, freedom of religion, and open doors in our churches, but if we do not become a bastion of faith ourselves as individuals then we are only fooling ourselves to believe all is okay.

Let’s ask God to give revival in us. Are we seeing the burning bush of revival in us who is the Holy Spirit. Let’s examine our hearts by His Word and through His Spirit. You see, it takes more than just doing church work! Our church work must begin with Him in the holy sanctuary of our lives. We are the temples of the Holy Spirit. He lives within and indwells us as believers. And the church is the temple of the Holy Spirit.

If nothing is happening through us that is unexplainable than we need to look up and look within. Only that which is unexplainable can be said it is of God. God’s people are supernaturally natural and naturally supernatural. Think on that for a while . God’s people are saved, separated, sanctified, supernatural, splendid people. They witness without witnessing because it is Christ working through them.
May we have 20/20 vision for the year 2020.

I do love you dearly,
Pastor Don

“And of his fullness have we all received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16).

 

When you and I look into a river and perceive the fish swimming we would like to reach in and stop the water flow and catch the scene for a while. But we can’t because the current is heading downstream and it is strong, yet it was never meant to be stopped and caught.

While God gives us grace He desires for us to enjoy what He does for the moment but He doesn’t want us to reach in and try to stop it. He has more grace coming downstream that will pass by our eyes. It is wave of grace upon grace that He sends our way. We were never meant to stop the flow of grace and hunker down and bask in it.

Do you remember when Peter, James, and John were with the Lord Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration? They were asleep on that mountain. And all of a sudden they were awakened and saw the Lord Jesus speaking with Elijah and Moses about His upcoming death and resurrection.

Peter spoke up and wanted to build memorial booths for the occasion, and God the Father said, “This is my beloved Son, hear ye Him” (Matthew 17:5). God had more work to be done, more grace He wanted the disciples to see.

What about us? Are we satisfied with what the Lord has done thus far? Are we now satisfied that the debt renovation is now paid and there is no other territory to explore? Are we satisfied that no more people can be saved? Are we enjoying what has been accomplished and have no more get up and go for God?

God’s grace is new grace, continuous grace, uninterrupted grace that exceeds all we could imagine. Each spiritual blessing we appropriate becomes the foundation of greater blessing. God’s grace is like a mighty Niagara, thundering unending out of eternity into our hearts and lives.

Let us look into the future and ask God what He has in store for KMBC. He has an inexhaustible supply that every believer is given for all he or she needs in this world and the world to come. Pentecost filled the believers with Christ Himself and yet God emptied the upper room into the streets of Jerusalem. That is what God wants to do through us today and tomorrow and the future.

Let’s get full of Him and allow Him to carry us from grace to grace.

I Love you,

Pastor Don

Adoniran Judson and Ann Judson boarded a ship for India that would eventually lead them to Burma (modern-day Myanmar).  They suffered and endured much on the mission field, yet they were used by God in some extraordinary ways.

A letter was written from Adoniram to Ann’s father asking for permission to marry his daughter.   The following is Adoniram’s candid request:

I have now to ask, whether you can consent to part with your daughter early next spring, to see her no more in this world; whether you can consent to her departure, and her subjection to the hardships and sufferings of missionary life; whether you can consent to her exposure to the dangers of the ocean, to the fatal influence of the southern climate of India; to every kind of want and distress; to degradation, insult, persecution, and perhaps a violent death.  Can you consent to all of this, for the sake of him who left his heavenly home, and died for her and for you; for the sake of perishing, immortal souls; for the sake of Zion, and the glory of God?  Can you consent to all this, in hope of soon meeting your daughter in the world of glory, with the crown of righteousness, brightened with the acclamations of praise which shall redound to her Savior from heathens saved, through her means, from eternal woe and despair?

Ann’s dad said “yes,” the couple was married, and a year later they set sail.  Ann’s dad would never see his daughter or son-in-law again.  In fact, Ann would lose her life sharing the gospel with people who had never heard the good news of Jesus Christ.

John Piper said, “God’s plan is that his gospel-spreading, church-planting purpose triumph through the suffering of his people.”  Is this out-of-the-ordinary type of commitment or are we too far behind in our passion for Christ and His gospel?

Why is church attendance important? If the Christian is the body of Christ, then why does the church need to be in a building called the “church”? Isn’t having a friend over to have lattes just as meaningful? Or a few family members meeting together just as important?

 

The church organized is the only organization that Jesus Himself established. Church is an “of course” to the Son of Man (Revelation 1). It was an “of course” to the early apostles (Acts 2:42-47).

 

The church at large, which is largely absented, should be a prioritized who name the name of Christ. Instead of saying, “Why should I have to go to church?”; we should be asking, “What can I do to minister to and build up Christ’s own precious body, the church, and which I am a part?”

 

God took disciples who needed much work and together they accomplished much, for they turned the world upside down. This is what God does with and through and in people who take seriously the mandate of the church to meet, to encourage, to learn, to love, to give, to worship and to go.

 

The Bible tells us, “The eyes of the Lord run to and for throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him” (2 Chronicles 16:9). God isn’t looking for a strong man or a strong woman but rather someone whom He could be strong on behalf of.

 

Get into and stay with the organization, the church. For without organization the organism dies. We need the interaction, accountability, and outlet for our gifts and talents that only the local church can provide. I believe that when God set up the first Church, He did it right.

Did you know that 95 percent of all believers placed their faith in Jesus primarily because of someone in their OIKOS Group? The Greek word “OIKOS” is a noun, it means an extended household. What this means is that you and I have approximately 8 to 15 people that are in our world where you share life most closely. This is your sphere of greatest influence. If I were to ask in a room full of congregants of who came to Christ mainly because of someone who brought you to church, told you about Christ, invited you to hear and become a part of the community of believers, almost everyone (95%) in the church service would raise their hands and say “Yes, someone in my sphere of living invited me to church, to Christ, or was just there to be a sign for salvation.” Most people come to Christ because of someone who was interested in them. So the world-changer is the one who actively encourages people in their relational world (their oikos) to become Christ followers.You can become a World-Changer! It’s not hard, nor is it complex.You just select up to four names who are Pre-Christians who have not placed their faith in Jesus and then you begin to pray for them everyday. You also will pick out Prodigals who are believers but who are not actively pursuing their faith; write them down and pray for them daily. Then there are those who are Purposefuls, believers who are actively pursuing their faith. Take these names, write them down, pray for them. And finally there are the Potentials. These are those who keep showing up on your life’s front burner more often than in the past. You write those names down and pray for them.In all you will have eight to fifteen people that you will pray for everyday.You list their names, pray daily for your names, invest and watch for appropriate ways to be God’s instrument, and invite them to church thoughtfully and regularly, and prepare to become a better example of faith in Christ as well as a more effective witness of His grace. The Bible tells us Jesus said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you” (Mark 5:19). This is our oikos.This is how we follow Jesus and become fishers of men.

Very soon the church as a whole will begin to experience the life changing, daily washing of care and compassion for others, and we will begin to see the manifest presence of Christ as we trust and obey. I love you with the love of the Lord! Pray for your OIKOS! Those you go to school with, those who you work with, those who are your neighbors, those who are your relatives, those who are the others. Write them down-8 to 15 and pray and let God do the work through you.

-Pastor Don

Link to Oikos brochure