Who Are You?

Who Are You?

"As water reflects a face, so a man's heart reflects the man."  (Proverbs 27:19)  To understand what we are destined to do in this world, we must understand "who" we are in God.  What reflection comes from your heart?  Who Are You?

We all have natural gifts, and when we are filled with the Holy Ghost, we can have spiritual gifts.  Are we wandering aimlessly, searching for something we know not of; are we living day to day without purpose; do we lie awake at night wondering what we were born to do?  Do you look at your reflection and ask yourself that question, "Who Are You?"

                                                           "While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting,

the Holy Spirit said, Set apart for me Barnabus and Saul

for the work to which I have called them."

(Acts 13:2)

Wherever you are in the world, you have a purpose and a destiny if you belong to the Lord.  Maybe you have not accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior as yet, but you've always had this feeling deep inside that you were supposed to do something great.  That comes from God Almighty!  Don't you want to do it?  Do what you were created to do!  Be everything you feel in your heart that you can be!  Accomplish great things to change your world, your nation, your neighborhood, your country for the better!  Obey the Word of God, Acts 2:38  ... then Your life begins!   

It starts with a prayer, "I am willing to go anywhere and do anything for You, Lord Jesus, if You will go with me and be my everlasting Joy." 

                                                               "Pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest

to throw out laborers into His harvest."

(Matthew 9:38)

The literal meaning of "send forth laborers" in the above scripture is to "THROW" out laborers!  The Lord is pretty emphatic about this.  What an image!  Just THROW them, step back and hurl your longest pass Quarterback  ...  THROW laborers into the fields!  ...  Ah, can't you just picture "laborers" being "thrown" into harvest fields all over the world!

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God,

who gives generously to all without reproach,

and it will be given him."

(James 1:5)

Who are you?  Are you an apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor or teacher?  Ephesians 4:11-12 assigns these positions for the "perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ."  The Lord has need of you!  When we ask Him for His wisdom to guide us in all decisions; He will answer.  Pray, fast, seek His face for the face God wants You to present to the world!     

How do you know who you are?  Some people are natural born leaders; they are placed in a group of disorganized people and they will immediately take the floor and organize them into position, a goal or purpose, and task.  Some are highly detailed; these are teachers.  Others have an "unction" of God; they are yea or nay, no gray areas, and they are powerfully motivated in justice of God and His Word; they may have prophetic tendencies.  There are those who feel urged to go, and everywhere they go they tell of the goodness of Jesus Christ, His Word and His blood; they must bring salvation to all peoples; they are evangelists.  All who are Christians should be apostles; we shine the light of Jesus Christ for all to see.  Who are you?

"There are different kinds of gifts,

  but the same Spirit."

(I Corinthians 12:4)

"The same "Spirit," with a capital "S" meaning the Lord's Spirit.  In the Book of I Corinthians 12, we can read about all the gifts.  The important thing to know is "everyone," 10 out of 10 people must be filled with the Holy Ghost in order to move in the realm of "spiritual" gifts of God.  There are natural gifts, or inclinations we were born with, and then there are Spiritual gifts that come through the infilling of the Spirit of Almighty God.  The bottom line is: YOU are precious and important to God; YOU are unique, fearfully, and wonderfully made; YOU were created to do something powerful in this world for Your Creator!

There will come a day when You enter heaven's gates, and Your reflection in the Rivers of Life will be the image of the One who sits on the throne, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Mighty God, Jesus Christ our Lord!  Your reflection will be the light of Jesus Christ; it will not occur to anyone to ask, "Who Are You?"  

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience 238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

 

"No Day Like It!"

"No Day Like It!"

Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, "Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou Moon, in the valley of Ajalon."  And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies  ...  So the sun stood still in the midst of the heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.  And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel." (Joshua 10:12-14)  Oh, Joshua; you have made history; NASA scratches its scientific head; some people doubt such a thing occurred; the PHD's of astronomy say it's impossible; the fact remains, there was "No Day Like It!"

Earth, Moon and Sun

The story has been circulated that NASA scientists discovered a "missing" day in time which corresponds to Biblical accounts of the sun's standing still in the Book of Joshua.  The account states that scientists checked the computers going back in time and they found 23 hours and 20 minutes were missing, but there was a problem  ...  where were the other 40 minutes?  As stated in Joshua, the Word says the sun "hasted to go down about a whole day."  This was very important because the scientists were checking the orbits and the positioning of the planets up to 100 and even a 1000 years from now and they didn't want to send a satellite up which would bump into a planet at some later date.  They had to find the missing 40 minutes. 

Finally, a Christian employee stated he remembered in Sunday School an account in the Bible when the sun went BACKWARDS.  They got a Bible and read in 2 Kings where Hezekiah, on his death bed, was visited by the Prophet Isaiah, who told him he was going to die.  Hezekiah wept and pleaded with the LORD; the LORD heard his cry and granted him 15 years.  Hezekiah wanted a sign; Isaiah asked if he wanted the shadow to go forward ten degrees or back 10 degrees.  Hezekiah said it's nothing to go forward 10 degrees; let it go "back" 10 degrees.  Isaiah prayed, and the shadow went back 10 degrees.  This 10 degrees was exactly 40 minutes, according to the scientists; the full day missing in time was found; 23 hours and 20 minutes in Joshua when the sun stood still, and the 40 minutes in 2 Kings when the shadow went backward 10 degrees!  The Bible is true!

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout,

with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God:

and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are

alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in

the clouds to meet the Lord in the air; and so shall we ever

be with the Lord."

(I Thessalonians 4:16-17)

Will there be a Rapture of the Church? Yes! Will there be a tribulation period for those who did not come to the Lord in repentance, receive His Spirit and be baptized in His name? Yes!  Will the Lord come again after the seven years of tribulation? Yes!  Is the Bible true? Yes, Yes, and Yes!  

Scientists have proven the Bible is true; the rainbow in the sky after it rains proves the Bible is true; the Spirit of the living God filling us and living within us proves the Bible is true; we could go on and on of the hows and whys of the validity of the Bible, but scientific proof should convince the greatest skeptics!

Acts 2:38

Time is at hand!  We don't want to be left here to go through the tribulation period; it will be a time of judgment, a time of horror such as the world has never seen.  The Good News is that the Lord made a way of escape!  We must be ready, be obedient to God's Word, and we have nothing to fear.  The people in the Book of Acts heard the Word preached to them and they were stirred in their hearts; they asked Peter in essence, What must we do to be saved?  Peter told them to Repent of their sins, be filled with the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues as the Spirit gives the utterance, and be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ for the remission of sins.  Do these things and be ready for the Rapture of the Church!  When will it happen? At a time you think not; He comes as a thief in night  ...  Be ready!

The Bible is the greatest Book ever written!  It was written by men who were moved on by the Holy Spirit of God.  The days of the Bible were tremendous with "clouds by day, and fires by night;" Daniel in the middle of starving lions staring him down; Joshua commanding the sun to stand still on that day; Hezekiah's day of turning back the shadow 10 degrees; the Day of Pentecost when the Spirit of God sat upon each of them like tongues of fire  ...  Days of Power and Glory!

We are living in the last days, the days when the Lord's Spirit will be poured out upon all flesh; miracles, signs, and wonders are all around us; hundreds of millions of people have received the Holy Ghost and spoken in tongues; Nation after Nation the world over are obeying the Word of God and they're being baptized in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ  ...  Days of Power and Glory!  

It seems "ALL" days with the Lord are profound!  For Joshua, there was "no day like it;" for Hezekiah, there was "no day like it;" for us, worldwide Revival is coming and there will be "no day like it;" His Spirit will be poured out on all flesh and there will be "no day like it;" and then: the trumpet will sound for the Grand finale  ...  RAPTURE!  ... "No Day Like It!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

"What You See Is What You Get!"

"What You See Is What You Get!"

"I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ.  I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet."  (Revelation 1:9-10) 

In Spiritual realms, "Seeing" into the known of God and unknown to man, is Vision at its finest manifestation.  It is a step into the powers, principalities, dominions, and dimensions in high places; and according to the Lord God of the universe, Jesus Christ our Lord, His visions declare the status of what is to come: "What You See Is What You Get!" 

Apostle John at 92 years of age, when he was

banished to the Isle of Patmos, 90 miles out

in the Aegean Sea after having been boiled in oil. 

The voice, as of a trumpet, was God Almighty; the voice said to John, "I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia ..."  (Revelation 1:11)  John wrote, and wrote, and wrote, and what he saw  ...  is what we will get!  John saw "what is, what was, and what is to come!" 

We are living in the Rapture generation, and it was prophesied that this people would "see!"  "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams."  (Acts 2:17)  We must nurture our children and grandchildren to move into the "SEE" realm.  You say, "How do we do that?"  Lead them deeply into the paths of righteousness; teach them about the prophets of old, read to them about John on the Isle of Patmos; and "plant" hunger in their souls to "SEE!" 

But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak

any more in his name," his word is in my heart

like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones.  I am

weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

(Jeremiah 20:9)

 Like Fire shut up in my bones!  The Word of God, when it gets in your spirit, consumes your mind, emerges in groans from your soul, wakes you, calls to you, saturates you, and burns in you like a fire  ...  it must come out!  You say, "I don't know what in the world you are talking about."  It's called "hunger" for God, His Word, His kingdom, His souls, His voice, His deafening call  ...  it's what drove David to "spill" his soul in the moonlight; it was the impetus of Jeremiah's tears; it encompassed John in body, soul, spirit and mind; it turned John the Baptist into a rabid evangelist in the desert; it was a roaring flame in the Apostle Paul  ...  it's that "fire shut up in the bones"  ...  It has to do with the all powerful "feeling, embodying, partaking, and ingesting of God's Word!"  God's Word is addictive; the more we read it, the more we want it, the more we visualize it, the more we long for its prophecies, and thus, the more we long to "SEE!"

                                              

"The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him,

to show unto his servants things which must shortly come 

to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his 

servant John: who bare record of the word of God, and of 

the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of 

this prophecy, and keep those things which are written 

therein: for the time is at hand."  

(Revelation 1:1-3)

The time is at hand!  What we're going to do for the Lord Jesus Christ, we must do now; and what we're going to "SEE" for the people of God and the souls to be reached, we must "SEE" now!  You say, "But, we have no control over what God gives us, or doesn't give us."  Oh, but we do!  Hunger, desire, sitting at His feet, talking to Him in the twilight, begging to "SEE" His Glory in the earth, are the things that move Him  ...  And, humbling ourselves draws Him!  How often do we actually ask to "SEE?"  

The time is at hand  ...  Visions, Dreams, Miracles, Signs, Wonders, Glory, Power, Dominion, New Church Order, Regions, Father of the Nations, Spirit upon all flesh, Worldwide Revival  ...  These are the "Winds moving the trees" for the Time At Hand!

Lord, we fall on our faces for a visitation of Your Spirit, we long for Your moving film of what is to come, and we want to apply an old saying to the hunger of our souls; we ask Lord, let it be so, and grant us your version of:  "What You See Is What You Get!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

"Living Sacrifice"

"Living Sacrifice"

"Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice - alive, holy, and pleasing to God - which is your reasonable service.  Do not be conformed to this present world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve what is the will of God - what is good and well-pleasing and perfect."  (Romans 12:1-2)  To test and approve, to determine the mind of Christ, to walk in His will, to be Holy in an unholy world, requires one powerfully important thing: Become a "Living Sacrifice."

The word sacrifice means: "a giving up of something valuable or important for somebody or something else to be considered of more value or importance."  You say, "What does sacrifice have to do with knowing the will of God?"  Everything!  We first must be totally surrendered to God in order to ever ascertain His will.  Our initial step is repentance, baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and being filled with His Spirit and speaking in other tongues as the Bible states.  Then, we go on to maturity, learning to hear Him in our spirits.  He said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me."  (John 10:27)  The only time a sheep will not follow His Lord is when he is sick, and then he will follow anyone! 

"Therefore do not be foolish, but

understand what the Lord's will is."

(Ephesians 5:17)

Without knowing the Word of God, it is virtually impossible to know the will of God.  Everything God IS can be found in the Bible.  The Lord Jesus Christ will never say anything different than what is in the Bible.  If someone says they have a "new revelation," RUN!  There is nothing new under the "Son!"  When Jesus Christ said, "It is finished."  It Was!  When He said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life;" He IS; when He said, "He will come again to receive us unto to Himself that where He is, we may be also;" He will!  Paul said it, "But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let him be eternally condemned."  (Galatians 1:8)

Elijah and the prophets of Baal

 People serve many Gods in this world, but have they proved their Gods?  The God of Elijah came through for him; the God of Daniel came through for him; the God of Job came through for him; the God of Moses came through for him  ...  and guess what?  Elijah, Daniel, Job, and Moses' God is THE SAME and only true God; His name is the Lord Jesus Christ!  The ONE true God said, "Prove me!"  (Genesis 1:28)  Knowing God's will is knowing Him intimately, and in such a deep relationship that "you know" He will come through for you.  That does not mean that you can "tempt Him;" motive is everything!

         What makes the will of God difficult to know:

            A.  Lack of surrender to the Holy Spirit's control  (Romans 6:13)

            B.  Tolerating sin in my life, lack of confession and forsaking sin 

(Proverbs 28:13

C.  Lack of a spiritual motive - wanting to know the will of

God to consider it, rather than to do it.

(Bible.org/how to know the will of God)

The will of God  ...  something we all seek; Preachers search for it; Saints look for it; and Bible scholars want to discern it.  Do we all get it right l00% of the time?  No.  But, it was a trial and a test for all the noted figures of the Bible, as well.  It's all about Trust!  

Abraham and Isaac

Abraham trusted His God so much that he knew if he "did" have to slay his only son, that God was able to raise him up again; the three Hebrew children thrown in the fiery furnace refused to bow to earthly men setting themselves up as God and they believed God would deliver them from the fire  ...  but even if He didn't deliver them  ...  key words: even if He didn't, they still would not bow.  God did deliver them!  God delivers, but He's God; it's the eternal God's decision  ... our position is to obey Him, consecrate ourselves to Him, humble ourselves before Him, and present ourselves Holy to Him  ...

We KNOW what the essential will of God is:  It is to present ourselves as a "Living Sacrifice," Pure and Holy, acceptable in His sight.  After that, His will in all of our decisions and life's matters?  It's fasting, serious effectual, fervent  prayer, and then, it requires a walk on the water  ...

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

"Take It By Force"

"Take It By Force"

"And from the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force."  (Matthew ll:12)  Earth's wars are nothing like the wars occurring in the heavenlies.  There are three heavens; the first is the sky, clouds and what we readily see; the second is the domain where satan dwells; and the third is the throne room of God.  So, the term "pray through" literally means that our prayers have to break through the "second heaven," where satan's domain exists, in order to reach the portals of heaven.  Whatever progress we make as Christians in this life is contingent upon our stamina to break through the second heaven to get our answer, and we literally must "Take It By Force."  

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty

through God to the pulling down of strongholds; casting down

imaginations and every high thing that exalteth itself against

the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought

to the obedience of Christ." 

(II Corinthians 10:4-5)

The battle is on!  Everything starts in the mind!  Be careful little eyes what you see  ... the eye gate opens the doors to evil takeovers!  We must take control with our own obedience to God, and our authority by the Name of Jesus Christ, the Blood of Jesus Christ, and the Word of Jesus Christ.  Our prayers should encompass a lot of rebuking the devil, and casting him out of our territory and God's territory.  Fear is his mainstay, rebuke fear from your mind, soul, heart, spirit and body; then STAND!  When you've done all; STAND in the power of God Almighty!  

"In truthful speech and in the power of God; with

weapons of righteousness in the right hand and in

the left."

(2 Corinthians 6:7)

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." 

                                     "Stand, therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having

                                       on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the 

                                       preparation of the gospel of peace: Above all, taking the shield of faith,

                                      wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.  

                                      And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the 

                                      word of God: Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the 

                                      Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverence and supplication for 

                                                                 all saints."  (Ephesians 6:11-18)

It's called "warfare!"  If we are being beaten down; we need to rise up with the authority God gave us, and Take it by force!  "Take what by force?" you ask.  EVERYTHING!  Your life, your family, your health, your wealth, your job, your home, your church, your mind, your spirit  ...  take it all back, if you are being attacked and you feel like you're losing all of it little by little.  How do we do it?  In prayer!  Prayer is not "lay me down to sleep" orations; it is battle!  The enemy will take all he can if we allow it; we must resist him and push him back, defeat his purpose; fight his temptations; ignore his roars; subdue his influence; and remember  ... Only ONE Angel, just ONE, will cast him into the lake of fire  ... very very soon!

"For even if I boast somewhat

freely about the authority the

Lord gave us for building you up

rather than pulling you down, I will

not be ashamed of it."

(2 Corinthians 10:8)

Everybody needs a breakthrough somehow, sometime, some way, and somewhere in their lifetime!  It might as well be now!  Why don't you crash through your loneliness, your depression, your suicidal urges, your defeatism, your helplessness, your tragic circumstances  ...  with the Shield of faith, the Sword of the Spirit, and win Your wars with the three that win "ALL" the wars  ...  The Blood, the Name, and the Word!

                       "RESISTTHEDEVILANDHEWILLFLEE!"

Tell yourself, "God makes beautiful things out of dust, He makes beautiful things out of us;" and "Nobody told me that the road would be easy, I don't believe He brought me this far to leave me;" so, "I'm goin' to the enemy's camp to take back what he took from me;" and I know, I know, "You gotta' serve somebody, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you gotta' serve somebody;" so I choose the Lord, because in the darkness, "He whispers sweet peace to me;" besides,everybody knows, "Your arms are too short to box with God;" so I'll just sing, "I love You Lord, and I lift my voice to worship You, Oh my soul rejoice;" and it just takes "Faith, Faith, Faith, just a little bit of Faith;" to realize when I fight evil, Stand for righteousness, and Take It By Force, through prayer and power in the Holy Ghost, what do you know, it's not so dark anymore and  "There's a little bit of mornin' outside!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

                              

"Days Of Awe"

"Days Of Awe"

"...In the seventh month on the first of the month, there shall be a sabbath for you, a remembrance with shofar blasts, a holy convocation."  (based on the scripture Leviticus 16:24)  In Hebrew, Rosh Hashanah means, literally, "head of the year," or "first of the year." The ten days starting with Rosh Hashanah and ending with Yom Kippur are commonly known as the Days of Repentance or "Days of Awe."

Days Of Awe!

Isn't that beautiful?  Days of Awe!  We can apply that to the times in which we are now living, the Church age.  I believe we will live to see Days of Awe!  After repentance, there is a posture of "Awe!"  Awe means: a mixture of wonder and amazement coupled with a feeling of powerlessness.  When we repent of our sins, we are saying, "God, I surrender."  The wonder comes when you suddenly feel light as a feather; the guilt, shame, heaviness of sin, and burden of immorality are gone!  It is glorious!  Then, we feel the powerlessness, the place where we are totally dependent upon our Creator, Almighty God, our Lord Jesus Christ.  You may say, "I don't like to feel out of control."  It's deeper and more beautiful than that; you feel like an innocent child again and you're resting in the Master's hands.  It's humbling, yet comforting at the same time.  It is, indeed, Awesome!  

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will

pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons

and your daughters shall prophesy, your old

men shall dream dreams, your young men shall

  see visions. 

(Joel 2:28)

After repentance, wonder, and childlike innocence comes The Spirit of God, descending like a dove upon a clean holy vessel.  This, my friend, is referred to as dynamite!  It is the Holy Ghost and fire!  It is the Power of God coming to reside in a human being  ...   WONDER, GLORY, POWER  ... that's what I'm talkin' about!  It is AWE personified!  When you receive the Holy Ghost, you will speak in tongues, a language you have never learned.  It is the "taming" of the most wicked member of the body, the tongue.  It is phenomenal, spectacular, beautiful, and it doesn't happen only once.  As you grow in God, you will speak in tongues daily, or at least we should, because it is the Spirit of God that leads us and guides us.  Humans are 2/3 spirit and 1/3 flesh; we are comprised of soul and spirit, 2/3, and flesh, 1/3.  The parts we feed the most will be those who rule and reign in us.  I vote for 2/3 majority!

Man blowing shofar

Blowing the shofar was a call to repentance.  The shofar needs to be blown from coast to coast, Nation to Nation, continent to continent, and the inhabitants of earth should repent.  "Why; how could this change anything going on in this world of turmoil and terror?" you ask.  "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."  (2 Chronicles 7:14)  Does your land need healing?  America needs healing; all Nations need healing; the world needs healing; and I know the only ONE to do it  ...  He IS Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, the Creator of Heaven and Earth!

Days of Awe!

People all over the world are being baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ!  It is in obedience to the Word of God as stated in Acts 2:38, Acts 8, Acts 10, and Acts 19.  Why the Book of Acts?  This is where the Church began; we are living in the Church age, and to determine how to be saved, we must go to the Book in the Bible where the first Church began, and do exactly what they did.  "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved."  (Mark 16:16)  You say, "I've heard this over and over."  Bind it upon your neck; love truth; because we are living in the days also where people can believe a lie and be damned.  Never get tired of hearing "truth," believing truth, obeying truth, loving truth!  

                                   Oh, Lord, hear our cry, we pray, and send

revival power in a rain of Glory

We know You will pour out Your Spirit anon;

'tis not the end of the story

We seek Your face in humble obeisance,

with sorrowful tears of repentance

It is our desire to be like You, in semblance

of Your love, and Your essence

The springs of Your fountains flow, as

the rivers of life eternal

From Heaven's palatial gates, to the dust of 

earth's modest portals

Grant us the breadth and depth of Your mercy;

 for the Days You foresaw

When we would blow the trumpet in Zion, and 

hasten Your "Days Of Awe!"

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church,  Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)

"SOUL SAVVY"

"SOUL SAVVY"

"For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a servant to all, that I might win the more; and to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the law, as under the law, that I might win those who are under the law; to those who are without the law, as without law (not being without law toward God, but under law toward Christ), that I might win those who are without the law; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak,  I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.  Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker of it with you."  (I Corinthians 9:19-23)  The key to winning the world is for all of us to become "Soul Savvy!"

"We who are strong ought to bear the failings

of the weak and not to please ourselves."

(Romans 15:1)

Paul was blinded before He saw Jesus, and then when He "saw" Jesus, he was a pillar of strength to everyone he came in contact with and to us today, who read his writings.  We are all blind "before" Jesus!  We all were born in sin and shapen in iniquity.  Paul was not saying that he became a drunk to save the drunk, or that he became a drug addict to save the drug addict, or that we should act one way with these people and another way with those people.  Letusreason.org explains it this way, "Paul simply meant that he would use their own beliefs and ways to show them the truth.  So to a religious Jew, he would use the law to speak to them; to a Gentile, he would use his conscience and culture."    

Soul winning is an "Art;" it is the process of walking in another's shoes; we forget our own interests to partake of another's interest  ...  without "Sin."  The Apostle Paul never compromised his morals or beliefs to win others, but for the sake of the gospel, he forgot himself for the cause of Jesus Christ our Lord.  It's all about indistinguishing ourselves to distinguish another  ...   

Ghana



How do we become "Soul Savvy," and how do we unlock the doors of the nations of the world?  Ten out of ten times, it requires being filled with the Spirit of the ONE who is the Ultimate "Soul lover;" He is Jesus Christ.  When we repent of our sins; we are baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and we receive His Spirit and speak in tongues, we become like Him and the closer we get to Him, the more the world becomes our vision; all nations, kindreds and tongues become our focus, prayers, and goals.  It is difficult to be in love with Jesus Christ and not love His world!

That we might by all means save some ...

Pastor Kenneth Phillips says something extraordinary; "It's the same all over the world, a smile, a drop of blood, and a teardrop."  When we realize this and the depth of that statement really gets hold of us, "we will absolutely win some!"  Everybody in every nation, every culture, every far off land, "hurts" at some time or another, and for most nations right now, even our own, tears are falling, blood is being shed  ...  but most of all, we all need a "smile."  The Lord Jesus Christ IS the smile; He IS the rainbow after the storm; He IS the whisper of sweet peace; He IS the Joy that comes in the morning  ...  He IS!  

You're beautiful!

There's another thing that is the same all over the world  ...  the worship of Jesus Christ!  It may be in a different language, a different dance of Joy, a different style of dress, but the love of God manifested through the Holy Ghost is the same!  The Spirit of Christ produces the same facial glow, the same power in His Spirit, the same miracles, signs and wonders, the same Joy unspeakable and full of Glory, the same shout of praise, the same Hallelujah and Alleluia, the same brush of Angels' wings, the same salvation message  ...  One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism  ... One Lord and Savior of us all, Jesus Christ our Lord!

Whether you are in Latvia, Bangledesh, Ghana, Australia, India, an island in the middle of the Sea, the USA, or Timbuktu  ...  we're coming, World!  The Spirit of the Lord is coming!  We are all more alike than we think; we all know what it means to have "no more tears" in heaven.  We're learning World, we're growing, and we will win some, many many "somes," as we become more and more Soul Savvy.  We pray for you, lay our hands on the maps of "Your" world, and you know, you must know, that our tears are just like yours!

(Visit promiselandchurch.net and theexperience238.com.

PromiseLand Church, Austin, Texas, Pastor Kenneth Phillips)