Make NO mistake! The foundations ARE destroyed!

If the foundations are destroyed,

What can the righteous do?

Psalm 11:3 NKJV

(As an introduction, could I point you to my last blog entry? What I said about morality, Christianity and presidential politics is key actually, to what I want to share in this post. I'll repeat my premise just in case you would rather not read my February blog. The President of the United States could not flesh out the Gospel of Jesus Christ and hold that office. Americans should not expect the president to be a truly biblical Christian. BUT! We should expect, in fact, demand, that our president be a moral person. Morality, in spite of post modern ideology, is not found in a subjectivity that constantly moves the base line needed to evaluate objective morality. There are, in spite of our cultural downward spiral, objective moral standards by which we should gauge whether or not a person is fit for public office. That being said, let me share a few more thoughts about the choices we have when we vote for a new POTUS.)

I used Psalm 11:3 as a header for this entry. Unpacking this verse and the context in which it is found is an excellent Bible study but for the sake of this post, I will simply state that regardless of whether one acknowledges objective moral truth or not, the fact remains that the moral fiber of our country has been eaten away. It is  not being eaten away, it is gone. Our moral compass has been destroyed primarily because the church has surrendered its authority to temporal, governmental systems which were never supposed to replace a living faith in God and in Jesus Christ, God in the flesh. That surrender has left the church not just in decline but impotent. Darkness has pressed against the church almost with little or, in some cases, no resistance. What chilling principles are revealed in Jesus' Words (from Matthew 6:22-23 NKJV)? 

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.  But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

The church has lost sight of it's offensive role in pressing back against the darkness. Sexual promiscuity (both gay and straight), legalization of marijuana, false religion (Islam and Mormonism to name two), a rise in satanism, and a host of other issues have drained the churches' strength and resolve. And, hence, our nation has paid a horrible price.

As I said earlier, the church has, for generations, left the government at all levels in charge of defining and executing a moral code. Since government was never supposed to be the moral compass to begin with, we are now at a point in our nation's history where a total collapse of values has sent us to the brink of judgement. Listen to what David said in Psalm 9:17 (from the NLT) -

The wicked will go down to the grave. This is the fate of all the nations who ignore God.

The blogs that have been written about the "pros" and cons" of both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump would fill a small library. It goes without saying that the very thought of Hillary Clinton becoming the POTUS is about as unsettling as anything could be.  But for the first time in our history, as far as I am aware, a great majority of conservative Americans (and yes, those who would claim to be Christians) are lending their support to one of the most godless, adulterating, lying, hedonistic, arrogant, proud, and otherwise immoral people that one could possibly imagine. All because he says, that he is "going to make America great again."

My message to America (as if I had a national platform) -

It is NOT POSSIBLE that Donald Trump can make America great. Our greatness is and always has been based on our allegiance to God - the God of the Bible! With that allegiance gone, it is preposterous to even consider that a man such as Donald Trump could do anything but drag our nation even further into an abyss of darkness from which there is already no return. To be fair, no one can help us now. But make no mistake about it; Donald Trump is as unfit for the office of President as any human could be. 

I understand the reasons (as weak as they are) for voting for Trump. All, or, most of which stem from the desire to keep Hillary from being elected president. For the last twelve years, a conservative vote has not been in genuine support of the conservative candidate but in opposition to the Democrat. That, in an of itself is not only tragic but indicative of the slippery slope we have ridden, now, to it's conclusion. 

Regardless of who wins the White House in November - it is simply too late. No one can help us now. No one, that is, but God Himself. But since we have ignored His warning shots across our bow, and in fact, ignored HIM, we have been given over to our lusts. Again, I say, it is just too late. 

Judgment is being meted out to us, at this point, in the godless people we now have running for President of the United States.    

Morality, Christianity, Presidential Politics, and Government

Warning...I do understand the nature and complexity of the topics/issues I am writing about. I am going to write about them anyway. (I know..."complex topics and issues have never stopped me from writing before!) The prompt for this blog has been and is the race for the White House. Straight up, I find no fault really in the process. Democracy, American style, has been and continues to be one of the world's greatest social experiments. The jury is still out about its success even after nearly 240 years. Conversely, I find the persons who are IN that process and competing for what is perhaps arguably still the most powerful job in the world absolutely, without exception, despicable and even unconscionable. I find no redeeming value in ANY of the power hungry deceivers who will, as most before them, do anything to win...I repeat, anything. 

I also understand that I am making broad generalizations about those who are still in the race and that my disgust encroaches on character judgment. So be it. I suppose if I could sit down with each person individually over a cup of McCafe coffee (MUCH better than Starbucks, btw!) and talk about the weather, jobs, our kids, our favorite movies, songs, and books...if we even dared venture into the realms of religion and politics; and if there were no cameras or news crews around, there could be some earnest, sincere, and even positive exchanges. By our second or third coffee refills, we may even come to the place where we liked each other. But these conditions do not exist. As it is, every one running for the office of POTUS is bent on doing whatever it takes and saying whatever must be said to sit in the Oval Office. 

I write today to perhaps serve a warning to those who would rally around one candidate or another with false hopes of "their" man or woman fixing what's wrong with America. There is an offense taking place. The worst offenders? People who have some claim to belief in God with a mostly benign knowledge of someone they identify as Jesus who, they think, is just the chief of their 'religion.' It is this desire for some ONE to fix things combined with the push to find the most evangelical candidate that has, as never before, clouded if not cloaked the true message of the biblical Jesus found in Scripture (from Genesis to Revelation), otherwise known as "The Gospel." 

I am sorry that I am into my fourth paragraph and have not stated my thesis. Having a minor in English has not kept me inside the guidelines of a well written piece considering that the thesis needs to appear in the first paragraph of a piece and even more preferably in the first few sentences. I am also sorry that my penchant for self indulgence while at the key board has brought you this far without it...so...at long last...

1. It IS possible to be moral outside of even a hint of Christian thought or active, practical "Christian" application.

2. Christianity must be defined and applied (fleshed out) directly from the Scriptures with, to a large degree, an attachment to orthodoxy.

3. It is highly UNLIKELY if not impossible for anyone seeking the presidency to practice their faith according to all that Jesus Himself demands. 

And, 4. What is the role of secular, temporal government. 

To address the first part of the thesis requires an honest and veritable understanding of the source of morality and subsequently the display of that same morality - 

Humans are born with a sense of right and wrong, which, translates into an inherent moral code or compass. We know this from the story of the creation for starters. I understand that this flies in the face of modern and post - modern thought. I won't take the time to define them here but I am fairly certain that the terms, Tabula Rasa and Innatism have been part of your Western dilemma for some time. The debates that have risen on school, college, and university campuses concerning the opposing ideas of a "blank slate" and "born - with" have at times been intense. The debate has spawned a very necessary and disciplined defense of biblical faith and practice called Apologetics. The Moral Argument builds a case for the existence of God in three parts - 

1. If God does not exist, then objective moral values do not exist.

2. Objective moral values exist, so,

3. God exists.

The moral argument along with the cosmological, teleological, and ontological arguments for God's existence are, as I said, important for the public arena in a godless, post - modern society. Having listed them, my intent has not been to enter into an apologetic exercise. Discussing this discipline and building a case for inherent moral codes and compasses using solid but philosophical apologetic devises is not my intent and does not serve the theses brought about by the political dilemma that has prompted the post to begin with. 

I will make a simple declaration. Objective moral values are not only based on God's law - The Ten Commandments but also in God's design. All humans are born with at least a partial awareness of God's law in general and those that directly affect life in any society in particular. (Do not lie, steal, covet, do not murder or commit adultery and the respect of parents) provide restraints for what otherwise would be anarchy. Yes, one's conscience can be seared from and by a complete disregard for that which humanity knows is necessary for a healthy society and culture. The six commands I listed necessarily point to the other four. Admittedly however, those four are, or, at least could be arbitrarily interpreted and influenced by social and cultural contexts. Romans 1:18 - 2:15 teaches us that included in a general revelation of God is the knowledge of morality. (General revelation should not be confused with special revelation which is another matter not pertaining to my theses.)

How does this highly philosophical thought process pertain to the 2016 presidential contest? What we as Americans should seek in our next president is a solid and undeniable foundation built on the moral code implanted in us by God. We, for the most part, are mistakenly seeking a candidate who seems to articulate the most Christian set of values. What the candidate espouses however, is morality, NOT Christianity. Here is the judgment. To equate an inherent set of moral values with biblical Christianity is a dangerous misunderstanding of both. The candidates running for president are vagrant, lying, charlatans. Their ONLY motivation for talking about Christianity is to woo unsuspecting voters who would more than likely not be able to define the term they use to describe themselves - evangelicals. I am painfully aware that most if not all of those running for president make the public claim to be Christian. There is however, a great problem with their declarations. 

2. So, what is a Christian? At the risk of over simplification, a Christian is everything the Bible says it is. The Bible, unfortunately for those who use the Bible as a tool to promote their own agendas also tells us what a Christian is not. There are over 31,000 verses in the Bible. For the sake of this part of my "thesis" let me share with you four sets. (All from the NKJV)

a. Matthew 4:19; Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.

How presumptuous it would be to contribute any commentary to this short statement from Jesus, except to say that "Follow Me" is not a suggestion. The command is followed by Jesus' intent for all those who respond to His command. (There are no options for alternative mission endeavors.)

Since this is a universal command and an all encompassing agenda for the Christ follower, then every presidential candidate who professes a relationship with Jesus should be directly involved in fulfilling the next set of verses with everyone God has placed in their path. Has there been any news of a presidential candidate sharing the Gospel with their aides, those of the media who travel with them, or, even with those who are also running for office - with the express intent on either winning them to a genuine faith and trust in Christ, or, to disciple them into a deeper walk with God.

Ahhh...you say, "Woody, that is totally and completely unreasonable..." My point exactly.

b. Matthew 28:18-20; And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen.

Again, how much commentary would it take to dilute the purity of the declaration, command, and promise all included in some of Jesus' last words. How many candidates running for president have stated that what they will do their first day in office is to seek wisdom and guidance from THE ONE who has ALL authority in heaven...oh...lest we forget that Jesus also has ALL authority ON EARTH? Is it dangerous for a human to arrogantly declare "If I am elected president, "I" am going to do this and that..." Really? If the respective candidates are in fact Christians, why would not part of their mission as a Christ following president be a passion to make disciples as The One with ALL authority commanded? Could it be that they have no clue what Jesus commands? Is THAT alone the reason they cannot or will not teach others everything that Jesus' commanded. Can one share what one does not have? Can one teach what one does not know?

Ahhh...you say, "But Woody, how can you expect a president of the United States to actually flesh that out?" I say, "You can expect that if you have one set of principles to which a Christ follower would adhere. As it stands, there are TWO sets of principles. One that is biblical and anointed, the other is designed by those who want to use the Gospel for personal gain much like Simon the Magician."

c. 1 John 2:3-6; Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.

Is commentary necessary? Would questions better serve the identification of a dilemma presented by these words of John in relationship to the presidential candidates who so flippantly and ignorantly profess to know Christ? Do they keep Jesus' commands? Are His commands arbitrary and subjective? Is not love THE qualifier for whether or not one does in fact "...keep His commands...?"

Do the candidates walk as Jesus walked? Would that command from John include studying the sacred texts as Jesus did? Would that not entail praying as Jesus prayed? Would declaring that Jesus is the only way to God not be part of the testimony of a true, born again believer? If the antitheses of any (or all) of those points is the actual reality, is not the "spirit of anti - Christ" in play rather than the Holy Spirit? (And please, PLEASE do not associate my reference to "the spirit of anti - Christ" with a pronouncement of some false end time scenario!)

d. James 3:11; Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?

Can the accusatory, slanderous speech, and the engagement of willful defamation of character, one against the other be fresh and bitter water flowing from the fountain of the heart? That is a rhetorical question because the answer is unequivocally no! 

***************************

So, to address the third part of my thesis I would say that it is not possible for a BIBLICAL Christ - follower who fleshes out the Word of God, literally, to be president of the United States. But, is that what one would even want? A more appropriate question is this; Is it necessary for the leader of a secular (temporal) country to be "Christian?" Aren't  the most important attributes of the leader of an entire nation simply a well defined sense of morality and the courage to live within the constraints of the moral code given by God?

That brings us to the fourth and final part of my thesis. The role of government. The best place to piece together what the Bible has to say about civil government and our responsibility TO that government is found in Romans 13:1-7. The Bible separates (divides) the role(s) of civil government ruled by secular leaders, who by the way are appointed by God (Acts 17), and HIS government - the Kingdom of God ruled by THE KING! So, technically, (and perhaps even ironically) there IS to be a separation of Church and state. If you do a web search for "the biblical role of government," you will find over 16,000,000 pages of information. I "clicked" on the first five. There are some excellent articles that discuss the subject from a wide range of points of view. I will quote one section from S. Michael Houdmann's site, "Got Questions." 

"Whether the Bible uses the terms “master,” “ruler,” “government,” or any other name for an established authority, the instruction is always the same – obey. We must remember that God created the authorities ruling over us just as He created us. As Paul wrote to the Romans, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves” (Romans 13:1-2). Peter wrote, “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right” (1 Peter 2:13-14). Both Peter and Paul also remind slaves repeatedly to be obedient to their masters for the same reasons (Ephesians 6:5-8; Colossians 3:22-25; 1 Timothy 6:1-2; 1 Peter 2:18-20; Titus 2:9-11)."

So what does all this mean for us as Christians?

1. We should absolutely vote! For what candidate? I can't tell you that. I can tell you that morality should and MUST be an issue and a contributing factor in our decision.

2. Christianity, as it is defined in and by Scripture and exemplified by Jesus and the First Century Church, should not be THE issue because no one running for office does anything but give lip service to God which is about as close to an abomination as one could get. 

3. It is not only unreasonable but unbiblical to expect civil government, in all it's branches, to assume the role of the church. The government protects our civil and temporal interests. That's it...

4. As for our leaders, we get what we deserve. When we ourselves have adopted a form of religion designed by and for our own lusts and preconceptions, we can't expect our leaders to take us down any road but that of destruction and judgment.

The next time you're tempted to pay homage to "your candidate" because he (or she?) makes a public profession of some sort of faith in God and who flies into a church or two for a photo op; and, who says, "God bless the United States of America," you should pause to figure out what "god" they're talking about. Their "god" is revealed in and by their lust for power.

What is the hope of America? Jesus Christ and His Word. What is the hope FOR America? That we, who say we believe turn to Him, repent, and cry out for deliverance. 

Merry Christmas means that God ALWAYS keeps His promises!

Dear Friends and Family,

           

I think that I started using this basic “Merry Christmas” message around 1990. I bring it to you again because I am more convinced of the premise behind this letter than ever before! Here’s that premise – if God promised to send His Son to be our Savior and He kept that promise; then His promise to return is sure.

If the birth of Jesus was orchestrated by God according to the fullness of time and there were signs that indicated that time (which few saw and recognized); and, if all of the major events of Jesus life, death, burial, and resurrection were also ordained and “signs” were given to reveal those times…then Jesus’ Second Coming will not be a random event that goes without events that provide insight into the time (not a day or hour!) of Jesus’ return and the end of all things. If we celebrate Jesus’ birth at “Christmas” and He was born at the appointed time will not His coming also be at an appointed time?

This is so vitally important and I share this message at Christmas because it seems that everything Jesus talked about in Matthew chapters twenty – four and twenty – five concerning His Second Coming, (which was given as the answer to the three part question the disciples asked in Matthew 24:3) is being fulfilled right before our eyes. So, the question WE must ask is whether or not the “signs” that Scripture provides us do in fact determine where on history’s time line we live. If prophecy is being fulfilled, as it was when Jesus was born and if we are at the end of time it would be of utmost importance to make sure we understand those “signs.” I don’t think that I have ever listed the prophecies that have yet to be fulfilled regarding Jesus’ return in my Christmas letter. For the sake of space, the list begins after the rebirth of Israel as a nation. That fulfilled prophecy seems to be that which catapults all other prophecies into fulfillment.  The budding of the fig tree in Matthew 24 was Israel becoming a nation in 1948. Jesus said that the generation that saw that event would also see “…all things fulfilled.” (BTW, this “list” is not in chronological order.)

1. The destruction of Damascus. (Have you been paying attention to the news and Russia’s involvement in Syria? Bone chilling!)

2. The Gospel to be preached in the whole world; Matthew 24. (Can anyone deny that there is a Gospel witness even now in every nation?)

3. The Jews will come to believe in and accept Jesus as the Messiah; (This is seen in all of the prophets in one way or another.)

4. The “tares” will be eliminated at the time of the harvest; Matthew 13.

5. Nations will come against Israel. Again, there is much to say in the Prophets.

But here is the BEST news of all!

6. The church being raised up to be in the end as it was in the beginning (primarily the church revealed in the book of Acts!) Daniel, Isaiah, Micah and in fact, most of the OT talks much about what God is going to do in the latter days! This end – time church has often been called “The Evening Light” church because God will work in and through the church as He did at the churches’ beginning!

There is a sense of urgency in my heart that I cannot ignore. I suppose my plea to all of those in my life, whether family or friends, is to make sure that we don’t miss the things all around us to help us determine where on the time line of history we live. Time is a linear line with a beginning and an end. Each generation should consider where it is on that line and live accordingly. Except for some shepherds, a group of “Wise men,” and a few others, the “signs” that revealed the time of Jesus’ birth were missed. There are billions now who are missing the “signs” of Jesus’ Second Coming. No one can know the day or hour, but we can know the time. It is time. Begin today to make sure your lamp is trimmed and full of oil! Those without oil will be shut out of the wedding feast. The parable of the wise and foolish virgins, which was Jesus’ last parable, is the most terrifying of all. Be ready. And, help everyone you know to get ready!

Share the Gospel with wild and reckless abandon!

Merry Christmas? A Zombie Jesus? Really?

Hmmm....

I HAVE to be over thinking all of this. I am, aren't I? But, on the other hand, maybe not...over thinking all of this that is...

Let me start with a verse from the Bible that will help address the questions I posed in the title of this post - (It's from John 1:14)

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth" (NKJV).

I'm sure you know this, but this verse from the Gospel of John is talking about Jesus, the Christ; God in the flesh who once walked on the earth with a human body but now lives in Spirit through His body, the church, just as surely as He did when He walked in a physical, temporal body! And, I must add that the biblical Jesus who DOES, IN FACT live in His body, the church, through His Spirit lives in and with the SAME glory He had when the disciples gazed upon Him. 

Beholding His glory...seriously, think about it. BEHOLDING HIS GLORY!

Why, in America, would there be two ridiculous, outrageous, and even dangerous ends of a spectrum that have the issue of the glory of Jesus Christ at their root? Track with me for a minute -

On one end of a "spectrum" society rages against the phrase Merry Christmas because it points to Jesus Christ. Now we can't have that, can we? Whether or not Jesus was or wasn't born on December 25 is not the issue. The issue is that it's pointless to ignore the fact that Christmas IS about Jesus. Just saying "Happy Holidays" does absolutely nothing to erase the point of Christmas being about the first advent of God in flesh coming to abide with us!

Hey world...rage all you want, seriously, it's STILL all about Jesus! 

Like it or not, (and this is why I don't have my comments section available), it is, without question the churches' fault that this controversy has arisen over the last few decades. Intentionally, or, unintentionally, we have conspired to cloak the biblical Jesus by ignoring His Word and rejecting His Spirit. It is really just that simple.

IF we sought out the biblical Jesus and walked in His Spirit and thereby beheld HIS glory, then, without question the world would also SEE HIS GLORY! And let me tell you, when one sees HIS glory, well, there just ain't no question about who the season is about!

And now for the other end of the spectrum...

Have you seen this? Zombie Jesus! (Clickable link!)

Free speech? Are you kidding me? Is this not frightening if not absolutely terrifying? This goes WAY beyond God's prohibition of making graven images. This is taking the very crux of history and the reality of the "Lamb that takes away the sin of the world" and associating Him with something dark, sinister, and evil. Honestly, I would be shaking in my boots to even think of making a zombie jesus, much less actually doing it.

Are you telling me that such a project could so easily be undertaken and displayed in front of thousands of people if Jesus' glory was clearly and unmistakably displayed in the church instead?

This is beyond tragic...

Here's the thing...

There is coming a day, when God's glory, IN JESUS, is going to be revealed in ways that many, who claim to be Christians, will not even be able to believe. EVERY eye is going to see and EVERY tongue is going to confess that HE IS LORD. For those who want to pretend that Christmas is just a holiday and has no connection to Emmanuel, God With Us; and, for those who would dare associate Jesus with evil, their confession will be too little too late...

BUT...how much responsibility will be placed on US if we cloaked Jesus' glory by ignoring God's Word and rejecting His Spirit?

I don't even want to consider the implications.

No Holding Back! A Tribute to Billy T. Ball

“As for me, this is My covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord (Isaiah 59:21 NIV).

The backstory -

It really started on a Saturday night. I don't know WHICH Saturday night but I do know I was 15. The church our family attended was in deep spiritual trouble. Our once thriving youth group had dwindled to just 4 or 5 students, 2 of which were my brother and I. We lived out in the country, maybe 10 or 12 miles from Middletown, Ohio. (One would think that after living there for years, at some point, someone would have clocked the actual mileage...)

My sisters attended the Grand Ave. Church of God in Middletown. They encouraged me to begin attending the youth service held on Saturday nights. The church had a growing bus ministry and a dear lady, Connie Centers, drove a few miles out of her way to pick me up for the Saturday night youth service. (JB Walters was the youth leader. JB has gone home to be with the Lord but as I've written in the past, in a very short period of time I was hooked! on Saturday nights because of the ministry of JB and Nina Walters!) 

Another couple, Rod and Juanita Montgomery, had a route in Preble County on Sunday mornings. I started attending the church on Sunday mornings also. When I turned 16 and got my driver's license, I began attending regularly. Billy T. Ball was not only my pastor, but was a preacher that spoke a Thus Saith the Lord message with a power and authority that I had never heard OR experienced before and I grew up in the church.

How could I or anyone possibly recount the impact of his messages, his life, and love for Jesus and His church. How could those who had Bro. Ball as a pastor recall the years of Sunday mornings and evenings, the Thursday night prayer meetings, and the Tuesday morning Bible studies...who could forget?

Bro. Ball laid my theological foundation. He also helped me lay the bricks that became the doctrinal building that sits on that foundation and, on which my life and ministry are now based. As I said, I have grown up in the church and always believed in the basics. (No need to list them here.) It was under Bro. Ball's ministry, however, that the Gospel opened up to a whole new level. There were things connected to those basic doctrines that could take one higher, deeper. longer, and wider than one could have imagined at the start. One would have to listen though...one had to listen intently, purposefully, passionately, and with single - mindedness to God through His Word, and His Spirit.  There were no shortcuts, or express lanes to drive in to understand His - Story (history).

I do not remember a time when the Word came without God's anointing. Bro. Ball walked in the Spirit and the Spirit worked through him in ways I had not seen and have rarely seen since. Bro. Ball, not only preached God's Word with power, but left us (those who were under his ministry) with a ravenous hunger for that Word. He helped us develop a thirst to know God and to speak about Him with authority. We developed a soul burden for the lost. Race, color, creed, ethnicity, or language - across the street, across town, or across the globe - it didn't matter. Winning the world was not only THE cause for which one's energies should be directed, but a cause that would end in a revival unparalleled in history. That revival would lead to the coming of Jesus.

Volumes could be written about anyone who has had a great and positive influence on others. Time nor space would allow the re-telling of a life who changed others' lives. This is a blog. I have a natural propensity to be wordy. I'll close with a Scripture that embodies what Bro. Ball imparted to me. I shared Isaiah 59:21 at the top of this post. I suppose if 100 people tried to summarize what impact Bro. Ball had on their lives, there would be 100 different ways that a tribute could be written. These words from Isaiah, to me, provide us with the promise that God's Word will always be on the lips of a new generation because of the faithfulness of the last generation. Being filled with and walking in God's Spirit and proclaiming HIS Word is THE most important gift anyone could give to others. Bro. Ball gave us this gift unreservedly. 

Part of the "title" for this post is "No Holding Back!" I too believe that a global revival is SOON coming. This revival will be the result of God's work in His last days church that will not only equal the work He did when the church was born but surpass it. This revival will lead to the Second Coming of Jesus and the end of all things. I can no longer be silent and I cannot hold back what I believe to be absolute truth. Billy T. Ball's legacy for me, was a message of extreme hope! A hope generated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The coming of God, in flesh, into this world has changed everything. His birth, death, resurrection, and soon coming is the Good News that the whole world needs. The Church, armed in God's Spirit and with His Word can, and will, storm the gates of hell and take back those who have been trapped by satan's lies in unprecedented numbers. The Kingdom that Jesus brought to this world will be presented back to God when He comes. And that, will be the end of all things.

I do not want to miss out on the work of God in these last days. I do not want to hear the cry, "The Bridegroom comes," only to be shut out of the wedding feast because my lamp has run out of oil. When it is all said and done, I want to hear God say to me, what He has already said to Bro. Ball; "Well done good and faithful servant..."

What? Jesus prayed for me?

Jesus prayed for me!

And He is STILL praying for me!

I can't even unpack these -

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word..." (John 17:20)

"Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us" (Romans 8:35).

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25).

Gayle and I were having our devotional time a few hours ago and in the middle of our discussion on prayer itself, the above three verses literally bolted into my mind like lightning.

Jesus prayed for me...did you hear that? Jesus prayed for ME!

All I can say is, why wouldn't I do all I could to listen, learn, obey, and serve Him with all my heart?

Did you REALLY read the first verse, from John 17:20? Do you know the context of verse 20? Jesus prayed for me right before He was murdered...think about it!

The crazy thing is, He is STILL praying for me! Ever interceding...

Don't you see? I HAVE to live my life for Him!

What will YOU do? You know He was praying for YOU TOO, right?

Praying and believing for the future!

"...(as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did;"

This is from Romans 4:17 (NKJV). When I woke up this morning (at about 6:15 AM), this Scripture was on my heart and IN my spirit! An unusual verse perhaps to think of when writing a Thanksgiving post. But...check this out...

I opened the "new post" window, pasted the logo I wanted to use for this blog and copied the verse above from Biblegateway. com onto my new blog window. But then I stopped because Gayle and I were ready to have our morning devotional time. We are using Mark Batterson's Draw the Circle devotional book and we're in our third time through. Today, Gayle read Day 25. The title for this chapter is, "A Prophetic Voice."

I wish I could just copy and paste today's devo right here into my blog because every word Batterson wrote for day 25 had already been placed in and on MY heart when I first woke up. Let me share one paragraph under the heading, "Personal Prophecies."

"Prayer isn't just the way we cultivate our own potential; prayer is the way we  recognize potential in others. Like Paul, who saw gifts in Timothy that Timothy couldn't see in himself, we, through prayer, are enabled to see with prophetic eyes. We are given supernatural insight. Then we are prepared to speak with prophetic boldness into the lives God has positioned in our path" (140).

Today is Thanksgiving Day, 2015. Gayle and I praise and thank God daily for His abundant supply. I, as anyone talking about this "holiday" could, thank God for the rest of our lives for all He is and for all He's provided. I thank Him for life eternal made possible through Jesus. I am thankful for Gayle, my family and friends, and for His sustaining daily strength in spite of critical health issues.

But today, I am also thankful for the things God is going to provide us in the near future! I said in my last blog that I would share some things about four things Gayle and I are praying about AND FOR! 

1. We thank God that He is going to miraculously save the girls, the manager(s), and the owners of New York New York which is a local strip club. We are praying for each person to have other vocational opportunities as well. With everyone involved out of "the business," we are praying that God would provide the building for a ministry center that could be remodeled and sanctified for His work.

2. We thank the Lord for the work He's doing at a local high school. And trust me, He IS working. But our praise takes us to the work He's about to do there. Revival is coming. We're sure of it. And many, many lives (students, faculty and staff) are going to be transformed by the grace of God. Jesus is about to show up, AND show off! (Thanks for that too, Mark Batterson!) (I wish I could share the story of just ONE young man, a ninth grader who has the faith of someone who has lived for Christ MUCH longer. He's amazing! Perhaps soon, he will share his story here.)

3. Gayle and I praise God for the open doors He is going to provide to have my books edited professionally and published. I am convinced that the Lord gave the ideas and themes to me and I believe that He is going to use them to reach a lot of folks with the Gospel.

And, 4., Because of the love and support of some dear friends whom I love with all my heart, Windstorm is back on the Web. I had a dream that took shape in 1985. That dream has yet to be fulfilled but that dream, with many parts, is about to come to pass.

We believe. And, we give thanks!