12/21/18 WE ARE NOT HOME YET
EVER SINCE I FOUND OUT ABOUT GOD'S PLAN FOR VICTORIOUS LIVING IN CHRIST, THROUGH THE FULLNESS AND SANCTIFYING GRACE of the HOLY SPIRIT, I have wanted to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. I would rather preach God's grace and glory and power and love and purity through the shed blood of Jesus and the indwelling and leading of the Holy Spirit than anything.
BUT THAT AIN'T HOW IT ALWAYS WORKED OUT. I was called to be a PREACHER, and sometimes PREACHERS have to lift up their voices and CRY ALOUD, we have to WARN THE PEOPLE, we have to RAISE THE BATTLE CRY and STORM THE GATES OF HELL, TAKE UP THE SLING and SWORD to SLAY THE GIANT, put on our COMBAT BOOTS AND STOMP THE SERPENT. WOOOOO HOOOO. Sometimes we have to MARCH INTO THE ENEMIES CAMP AND SET THE PRISONER FREE, sometimes we have to SAIL INTO STORM TOSSED AND BLOOD DRENCHED SEA AND RESCUE THE PERISHING.
I would have loved exclusively preaching the bright and positive truths that accomplish these things, but sometimes we have to TREAD THE WINE-PRESS before we CELEBRATE THE VICTORY. But when the preacher does this, the Bible says he is going to lose fortune, friends and family (mark her down). He will be despised and rejected, even by those in his own household. He will be lied about, scorned, blasphemed, and in some moral climes and times it will be worse, much worse.
People want the healing without major surgery, the cleansing without the purging, the victory without the conflict, the success without the suffering. BUT IT IS NOT TO BE IN THIS EVIL WORLD. People want the sunshine without the rain, the peace without the war, the joy without the sorrow. People want unity without separation, power without surrender, reconciliation without repentance, acceptance without faithfulness, exaltation without humility, Divine blessing without self sacrifice, they WANT LIFE WITHOUT DEATH, but it ain't happening.
The further our nation has gone in its rebellion, the need for the voice of the prophet became greater. The brighter and more constantly a preacher lifts up the light of truth against the prevailing and popular darkness, the more that preacher will be hated. It does not matter that the preacher hates sin but loves the lost. To those who have joined the ranks of the rebellious and those who have become accustomed to being held in the dungeons of the damned, the shout of deliverance resounds like a death knell instead of the ringing of the freedom bell.
I have always appreciated old time preaching and the "old time religion" of victory, deliverance, joy, power, peace, purity, perfect love. But Satan has always withstood it and has always found ways to deceive, divide, denigrate the ministers, the ministry, the message of God, in the eyes of some people. But the twisting of truth should not keep believers from accepting and advancing God's saving truth, NO MATTER WHAT THE COST.
It is past time, but it is better late than never, to come back to the OLD PATHS, to RAISE THE WALLS OF DIVINE AUTHORITY and to RESTORE THE GATES OF RECONCILIATION.
