Messages of Note

April 29, 2011 at 11:56 am (Messages of Note)

Rev. David Wilkerson 

PROPHECIES THROUGH DAVID WILKERSON

Wilkerson believed that in April 1973 he received a vision regarding the future of the United Statesand subsequently gave a sermon on the vision and published a book called The Vision. He has said that God revealed to him a great calamity which was going to befallAmerica due to increase in sins such as homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, and greed.

Some of the details of this reputed vision were:

  1. “Worldwide recession caused by economic confusion”
  • “At most a few more fat flourishing years, and then an economic recession that’s going to affect the life style of every wage-earner in the world. The world economists are going to be at loss to explain what’s happening. It’s going to start in Europe, spread toJapanand finally to theUnited States.”
  • There will be a move toward a worldwide, unified monetary system. The US dollar will be hit bad and it will take years for it to recover.
  • The only real security will be in real estate (until a somewhat later stage, at which point this apparent security will also disappear).

      2. “Nature having labour pains”

  • Environmentalists will come under heavy criticism.
  • There will be major earthquakes.
  • There will be a major famine.
  • Floods, hurricanes and tornadoes will increase in frequency.
  • “A new kind of cosmic storm appearing as a raging fire in the sky leaving a kind of vapor trail.”

     3. “A flood of filth and a baptism of dirt inAmerica”

  • Topless women will appear on television, followed by full nudity.
  • Adult, X rated movies will be shown on cable television. Young people will gather at homes to watch this kind of material in groups.
  • Sex and the occult will be mixed.
  • There will be an acceptance of homosexuality, and the church will even say that it is a God-given gift.

      4.  “Rebellion in the home”

  • “I see the new number one youth problem inAmericaand the world as hatred towards parents.”
  1. “A persecution madness against truly Spirit filled Christians who love Jesus Christ”
  • There will arise a world church consisting of a union between liberal ecumenical Protestants and the Roman Catholic Church, using Christ in name only.
  • There will be a hate Christ movement.
  • There will be a spiritual awakening behind the Iron and Bamboo Curtains.

     5. Others

  • There will be another wave of riots.
  • There will be a fall in moral conduct.
  • There will be a new drug that will be popular with teenagers that will break down resistance and will encourage sexual activity.
  • Homosexual and lesbian ministers will be ordained and this will be heralded as a new breed of pioneer.
  • There will be nude dancing in church, but this will never be widespread.
  • There will be occult practices in churches.

                            

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Illustrious Men and Ministries

April 29, 2011 at 11:50 am (Illustrious Men/Ministries)

Rev. David Wilkerson

David Wilkerson (May 19, 1931 – April 27, 2011 was an American Christian evangelist, best known for his book The Cross and the Switchblade. He was also the founder and pastor of Times Square Church in New York, a non-denominational church.

Wilkerson’s widely distributed sermons, such as “A Call to Anguish,” are known for being direct and frank. He emphasized such Christian beliefs as God’s holiness and righteousness, God’s love toward humans and especially Christian views of Jesus. Wilkerson tried to avoid categorizing Christians into distinct groups according to the denomination to which they belong, and as such he was an evangelist with broad appeal.

Wilkerson was killed in a car crash inTexason April 27, 2011.

Wilkerson served as a pastor in small churches in Scottdale and Philipsburg, Pennsylvania,[ until he saw a photograph in Life Magazine in 1958 of seven New York City teenagers charged with murder. He later wrote that as he felt the Holy Spirit move him with compassion, he was drawn to go to New York in February 1958. It was then that he began a street ministry to young drug addicts and gang members, which he continued into the 1960s. In a year variously given as 1958, 1959 or 1960, he founded Teen Challenge, an evangelical Christian recovery program affiliated with the Assemblies of God, with a network of Christian social and evangelizing work centers.

Wilkerson gained national recognition after he co-authored the book The Cross and the Switchblade in 1963 with John and Elizabeth Sherrill about his street ministry. The book became a best-seller, with over 50 million copies in over thirty languages, and is included in Christianity Todays “Top 50 Books That Have Shaped Evangelicals” In the book, Wilkerson tells of the conversion of gang member Nicky Cruz, who later became an evangelist himself and wrote the autobiographical Run Baby Run. In 1970, Cross and the Switchblade was turned into a Hollywood movie starring Pat Boone as Wilkerson and Erik Estrada as Cruz.

In 1967, Wilkerson began Youth Crusades, an evangelistic ministry aimed at teenagers whom Wilkerson called “goodniks”—middle-class youth who were restless and bored. His goal was to prevent them from becoming heavily involved with drugs, alcohol, or violence. Through this ministry, the CURE Corps (Collegiate Urban Renewal Effort) was founded. It was intended to be something of a Christian version of the Peace Corps and Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA).

In 1971, Wilkerson moved his ministry headquarters to Lindale, Texas, where he founded World Challenge, an organization whose mission is to promote and spread the Gospel throughout the world.

Wilkerson believed that In 1986, while walking down 42nd Streetin New York Cityat midnight, the Holy Spirit called him to return to New York Cityand to raise up a ministry in Times Square. He founded and became the pastor of Times Square Church, which opened its doors in October 1987. The church first occupied rented auditoriums in Times Square (Town Hall and the Nederlander Theater), later moving to the historic Mark Hellinger Theatre, which the ministry purchased in 1989 and in which it has operated ever since.

From the 1990s, Wilkerson focused his efforts to encourage pastors and their families throughout the world to “renew their passion for Christ”. In his own words:

“I’ve been an evangelist for 50 years, but I didn’t want to preach to pastors until I had gray hair, until I’d pastored. Now after 15 years of pastoring, sharing the hurts, pains, and difficulties of the ministry as a pastor, I felt the Lord finally release me, that I might have something to say”.

Wilkerson and his wife Gwen moved to New York City at the inception of Times Square Church in 1987, and in 2006 began splitting their time between New York and Texas. They have four children and eleven grandchildren. His son Gary Wilkerson has also begun to gain recognition as a Christian minister and evangelist.

DEATH

While driving east on US Route 175 in Texas, Wilkerson crossed into the westbound lane and collided head-on with a tractor trailer. He was pronounced dead on the scene, and his wife was critically injured.

                              

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Great Stories

April 29, 2011 at 11:45 am (Great Stories)

Rev. E. Anderson

ANDROCLUS AND TBC LION

This is based on a true story recorded in Noctes Attica Vol. XV

by Autus Gellius

Heart racing, legs aching, he reached the forest; Androclus knew no other safe place. He could survive there – find roots and berries, avoid wild animals. He had few choices – he would be executed as a runaway slave if caught.

He wondered how it would be, living in terror of discovery. Every pine cone that fell softly to the mossy carpet beneath his feet was enough to make him jump, jerking his head around so wide eyes could search for soldiers.

He needed shelter. Rain was in the air, and it would soon be dark. Through the trees, he saw opening in the rocks. Thinking it might be big enough to sleep in just for one night, Androclus veered toward it.

Suddenly he stopped. Lying to the right of time opening was a lion. Instinct kicked in and Androclus ran, praying that the creature had already eaten.

Hearing no sound of pursuit, he slowed, and then stopped. Looking back, he saw that the lion had not chased. In fact, its only movement had been to roll its head to look at the man rather sorrowfully, Androclus thought.

Slowly, he retraced his steps. The lion was in pain, Androclus spoke softly, stroking mane and back, gently searching for injury. Finally, he found it a nasty gash on the lion’s hind leg that had been bleeding for some time and showed no sign of stopping. The man tore cloth from the hem of his tunic and cleaned the wound. The lion shuddered and groaned. Finally, it slept.

Just then the clouds let go of their rain. Androclus crawled into the cave and fell asleep immediately. Minutes later, he awoke as the lion had crawled into the cave next to him, dragging its leg, and collapsed with a t wheezing sigh.

The cave was large, and man and beast lived together for several weeks. Androclus found a fresh spring not too far away. The two hunted and gathered the food each needed.

One day, while scooping water from the stream, Androclus felt something sharp press into his neck.

“Don’t move,” a quarrelsome voice ordered. “There is quite a reward for the life of a runaway slave, you know. Now, stand up slowly”.

Forced back to the city, Androclus thought of his friend the lion, knowing they would never meet again. He was taken to stand before the Emperor in court, and was there sentenced to death. Soldiers took him to a stone cell in the halls under the arena until the time of execution.

Finally, they led (him into the arena. The crowd spat its hatred. But they began a thunderous cheer when a lion was loosed a lion that had not been fed for several days, a lion poked and prodded into fierce anger by the soldier. It roared when it saw the man, and bounded headlong toward its prey.

Androclus knew he didn’t stand a chance. Still his muscles tensed for the fight, readied for pain. How different things had turned out when he befriended a lion in pain instead of poking and prodding one. He closed his eyes, the animal, waiting for the weight of the animal, steeling against the first slashing blow.

Instead of searing pain, he felt the tongue of the lion wash his face as it knocked him to the ground. Androclus opened his eyes face to face with his friend from the forest. Instead of pouncing to kill, even after days of hunger and torment, the lion, once so gently cared for, fawned over the man like a friendly dog.

The crowd was instantly silent, the Emporer stunned. He called Androclus to him, and Androclus told his story.

“Both Androclus and his lion are herby freed,” the Emperor announced. “Such amazing kindness and gratitude between fierce enemies should be greatly rewarded”.

                           

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Dave’s Snippets

April 29, 2011 at 11:41 am (Dave's Snippets)

  

Dr. David Allen

ARE PENTECOSTALS ORTHODOX?

Shortly after I began to teach at a C of E secondary school in Bury, Lancs, I joined the local    AOG assembly. My headmaster, Raymond Petts (no relation!) took me to one side and asked me, “Are these Pentecostals you have joined orthodox or a cult from theUSA?”  I assured him that   “We are more orthodox than the Church of England.” Orthodox and more than that!

The headmaster continued and asked what our basis of faith was:  the Creed, the 39 Articles or the Prayer Book? Having just read Donald Gee’s book on the Pentecostal Movement, and quoting from him, I explained the Bible was our origin and basis and particularly that our  name derived from the first Day of Pentecost in Acts 2.  That was the beginning of a number of conversations in my five-year tenure as a teacher of History and English. The lady who taught what was then called  RE –  she was a  “bells and smells”  Anglican -explained that she prayed via the  saints, and particularly through Mary, as they were more  sympathetic than   God who  was   surely very stern  and far less approachable. When I explained   we can “go to the top”, through Jesus, her reply was simple, “You must be very happy.”

I am doubly happy that one of my very first pupils, later was saved and, more than that, her daughter has since obtained a degree from Mattersey and has married the pastor of that same assembly! This personal note now brings me to make a very important point regarding Pentecostalism: not only is our faith soundly orthodox – firmly based on Scripture and the ancient Creeds- but it is orthodoxy set on fire through the Holy Spirit.

My years among the Anglicans taught me many things: the central importance of the   Eucharist, particularly the beauty of the liturgy going back to Cranmer, and the treasury of the hymnal.  But what I learned in those years only came to real life and fire  later when I became a Pentecostal fifty years ago!

                               

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Just a Thought

April 29, 2011 at 8:58 am (Just a Thought)

Rev. A. Linford

TRUE NOBILITY

“Not many noble are called – 1 Corinthians1:26

The Countess of Huntington, friend and patron of George Whitfield, thanked God for the letter M, it changed ‘not any’ into ‘not many’..She was one of the few aristocrats of the day to respond to the appeal of the Gospel.

The noble (as we call this elite stratum of society) are hard to reach, and harder still to teach, for the noble are often tainted with ignoble pride. One noted divine, preaching on the Ethiopian Eunuch of Acts 8:27, marvelled that an aristocrat read the Scriptures, and more, that he admired he could not understand them and asked for help. But there are famous exceptions.

However, true nobility is not the monopoly of those of higher order, the nobility of character. Tennyson put it
thus

‘Howe’re it be, it seems to me, ‘Tis only noble to be good; Kind heads are more than coronets, And simple faith than Norman blood’.

The noblest character that ever graced this planet earth was the penniless prophet from Nazareth – Jesus. Poor, unlearned, obscure, He now dominates the hearts of half the world’s population. He had no titles, He held no degrees, but, even after 2,000 years, He is the greatest force in modern civilisation. And all who follow Him are among the noblest of living mortals.

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Prayer Dynamics

April 29, 2011 at 8:51 am (Prayer Dynamics)

Rev. Rick Warren

THANK GOD WHEN HE ANSWERS PRAYER

O Lord, now I
have heard your report, and I worship you in awe…” Habakkuk 3:2 (LB

For the past few days, we’ve been looking at how to hear from God when we pray. One final point that is critically important is this: If you want to hear God speak, then worship God.

What I want you to do is to stop seeing your prayers as a monologue and start seeing them for what they truly are: a dialogue.

In other words, thank him for being a part of your life and for being interested in the details of your life. Thank him for answering your prayers: “O Lord, now I have heard your report, and I worship you in awe…” – Habakkuk 3:2 LB. God gives you a vision. God gives you a dream. You know what God wants you to do, so now you thank God for answering your prayer. That’s part of worshiping God.

What I want you to do is to stop seeing your prayers as a monologue and start seeing them for what they truly are: a dialogue. Prayer is a conversation with God. God hears you when you pray and he answers you when you ask questions. He wants
to talk to you every day. If you will faithfully talk to God every day throughout the day, it will revolutionize your life.

Now you can’t hear God until you know God and there are three levels of knowing God: recognition, acquaintance, and friendship. You may be at the recognition level; you know God is there, but you don’t really know him. Or, you may be at
the acquaintance level: you know God a little bit, but you don’t know him very well.

God wants you to live at the friendship level. He wants to be your friend and he wants you to be his friend. God wants for you to talk together all the time.

Pray this: “Dear God, I’m amazed that you would want me for a friend. I really want to learn to have conversations with you. Help me to spend time with you everyday. Thank you that you care about every detail of my life. Jesus, I want to know you more and more every day and I want to depend on you for guidance in my job, my family, my future and in every other area of
my life. I invite you to be the manager of my life, my Lord and Savior as I follow you and trust you. In your name I pray, Amen.”

                             

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Wisdom’s Ways

April 27, 2011 at 7:46 pm (Wisdom's Ways)

                                

                              Rev. A. Linford

JUSTICE AND INJUSTICE

”To do justice …… is acceptable unto the Lord” – Proverbs 21: 3, 4

The Bible touches life at its roots. It deals with the basic instincts and motive intention that influence our thoughts and deeds. Good is good only if it springs from goodness; evil, whatever the camouflage that seeks to hide its perfidy.

Morality commended – v3. ”Justice” is the basic principle of morality. It concedes the rights of others: “judgment” is the practice of morality, it exercises the responsibilities that we shall ever owe to our neighbours. True religion is based on morality, but it is possible to observe the rites and fail to perform the righteousnesses demanded of true worshippers. It is practical religion that matters. To do good is more acceptable to God than merely to offer gift. Not that votive offerings are wrong, but sacrifice without sanctification is offensive to the Lord. My relationship wiuth my heavenly Father is coloured by my relationship with my spiritual brother. I cannot offend my brother without offending God: I cannot love God and despise my brother.

Immorality condemned. Do not confine immorality to sexual sins. Those are immoral who indulge in selfishness. A self-centred man is off-centre to God – a moral eccentric. The whole purpose of true religion is to give living its proper centre – the will of God. ‘The ploughing of the wicked’ cultivates this field of decadent human nature, producing a fine tilth of inordinate self- esteem. Two of its fruits are ‘a high look, and a proud heart’. The deeper emotions of the sinful heart are often expressed in the sinner’s countenance. A haughty look, a supercilious gaze a scornful sneer, a superior smirk – all these are marks of the person who places himself before and above all others. The wicked till the soil of sinful desire and produce a harvest of hate and indignity. Such bitter fruits are poison to acceptable behaviour and a blight on social life.

PRAYER:

May my self-hood be submitted to Thy God-hood, O Lord.

                              

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Sermon Starters

April 27, 2011 at 7:42 pm (Sermon Starters)

                                  

                               Rev. E. Anderson

This is a simple outline for you to think about and meditate on. The introduction, main thoughts and conclusion need further material to be added. It is an outline for you to expand, develop more fully and fill in to spiritual profit and inspiration.

PROVIDENCE IN DIFFICULT TIMES AND SITUATIONS

2 Samuel 16-20 

In this extreme situation of having to escape fromJerusalembecause of the traitorous action of his son Absalom, David certainly required the immediate help of God. From the narrative he is seen to place himself in divine hands and looks to Him to intervene in His own way. He believed that assistance from the Lord would be forthcoming in spite of His embarrassing circumstances. Who would have thought he would be running again at this time of life and needing divine aid. But the Lord was there to safeguard his life and interests – 2 Samuel 15:26

1/.  IT CAN BE SEEN IN BEING NOTIFIED OF THE REBELLION – 2 Samuel15:13

He is able to speedily take evasive action and get out of the royal city grateful and appreciative of a body of people jealous for his welfare and safety. There were those who immediately rallied to his cause and he was not left to face this threatened situation alone.

2/.  IT CAN BE SEEN IN THE NATURAL PROVISIONS BESTOWED – 2Samuel 16: 14; 17:27-29

First of all there is Ziba ready to quickly provide food etc  and bless him in the unforeseen developmental He was not to be without sustenance. This came along not only to provide victuals but other necessary factors.

3/.  IT CAN BE SEEN IN THE DEFEAT OF WISE COUNSEL – 2 Samuel 17:14

Usually the advice of Ahithophel was unquestioned because it was always wise and right and even in this instance it was the best piece of counsel to be given: but it was thwarted by the Lord. The Lord has the ability to negate the ideas and programs of men. God was able to overturn it so that David could make more ground. 

4/. IT CAN BE SEEN IN THE SLAYING OF ABSALOM – 2 Samuel 18: 1-18

Absalom is seen to be heading a strong, militant force and he was filled with pride and arrogance and he was to be brought down. Whilst trying to elope his hair is caught in the branches of a tree and he is slain by Joab. The rebel son that was ready to slay his own father is smitten himself.

5/. IT CAN BE SEEN IN THE RESTORATION TO THE THRONE – 2 Samuel 19 & 20

The nation had become divided by these events back home to be king again. but eventually he was brought

CONCLUSION

Without the Lord and His goodness, David would have been in a sorry state At this time of life he still needed to look to Jehovah.

                               

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Meet the Christian Ministers

April 27, 2011 at 7:37 pm (Meet The Ministers)

                                  

               Rev. Matthew and Sian James

Mathew James is the Pastor at The Rock Community Church. He is married toSianand they have 2 grown up children, Tom and Carys.

TheRockCommunityChurchis an outward looking family church, centred on Christ, and relying on God’s Word and God’s Spirit. People of all ages and backgrounds find a warm welcome among us.

The Rock Community Church meets at the OldInfantsSchool, High Street, Gilfach Goch. As a church, our aim is to practically serve the communities of Gilfach Goch and Evanstown, demonstrating the love of Jesus in everything that we do.

We have weekly activities for children aged between 6 and 10, and also a youth club, on a Friday evening for ages 11 to 16. Our church prayer meeting is held on a Wednesday evening and our services on Sunday begin @ 11.00am and 6.00pm, with Sunday School being held for the younger children during the morning meeting.

You will receive a warm welcome at any of our services. We look forward to seeing you.

TheRockCommunityChurchoffers a FREE bus service to and from the church for both of the Rock Solid meetings.

If this is something you would be interested in, for your children, please use the contact details listed at the bottom of this page to get in touch with us.

Email : info [at] therockcommunitychurch.co.uk

                               

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Messages of Note

April 27, 2011 at 7:33 pm (Messages of Note)

                                 

                         Rev. Geoff Feasey

READY TO RELEASE YOUR APOSTLES?

God has set in the church five ministry gifts, which we commonly call then ‘Ascension Gifts’. They are listed in Ephesians 4. They are apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor and teacher.

In our Western culture and our Church traditions we are very comfortable with three out of these five gifts. We enjoy the ministry of the pastor, the teacher and the evangelist; we are getting a little more used to the ministry of the prophet, but we have great difficulty in recognising and releasing the ministry of the apostle.

God has set these five ministry gifts as a foundation for the Church and as an ascension gift to us for the preparing of God’s people for works of service. These ministry gifts are therefore absolutely vital in the whole plan and scope of the Church.

God has given the Church the ministry of the apostle,. The Greek word for apostle is ‘apostolos’, which means ‘one sent out’, and conveys the thought of someone released into a gift, rather than one sent out to preach. We are all sent out to preach, but we are not all released to the gifting of apostleship.

The first 12 disciples, who had received special training, and who had special relationship with Jesus, were naturally released into the ministry and were called apostles. However, with th loss of Judas, the gap was filled not by the one who was voted on by ‘lot’ as the Church in Acts chapter one tried to do, but by Paul.

Paul was called and released by the risen Lord who chose him and added him into the first apostolic band. It naturally appeared that the first apostles were witnesses of the resurrection as a qualification of their apostleship. Paul would therefore fit this qualification as he saw the Lord on the road toDamascus.

However, it is quite clear that the calling and gifting, and therefore the releasing into ministry of apostles, was not confined to just those who had seen the Lord. There are several people who the New Testament writers recognised as apostles who were not part of the original band and who had not seen the Lord,  nor were they witnesses of His resurrection.

It is therefore understood that the ministry of apostleship was not just a destination to those who saw the Lord, nor was this ministry confined to those who were there at the beginning – although the 12 apostles of the Lamb do hold a very special place. It is clear too, that the ministry of the apostle was not concluded when the first apostles concluded their ministry. Apostolic ministry continued on, and continues to this day within the Church.

So, what makes a person an apostle and what sets them apart within this ministry? It is clear that the word ‘apostolos’ carries within it the concept not just of one sent or released, but also two other concepts. Firstly, there is the concept of the supernatural. When Jesus sent out His apostles it was with the authority to do supernatural things. This is mentioned several times in the Gospels, and all apostolic ministry carries with it the vital factor of supernatural miracles, as is mentioned in 2 Corinthians 12: 12, when Paul states that the marks of an apostle were seen as ‘signs, wonders and miracles’.

Secondly, there is the concept of the bigger picture. Paul was sent to the whole Gentile world, he was not just sent out. Those mentioned in 2 Corinthians 8: 23, were called ‘apostles of the churches’ and when Jesus sent out His apostles, He gave them authority over spiritual forces. So if we take these two concepts today, those who could be designated as apostles, would be firstly, those who have spiritual authority and who do supernatural things, and secondly, those who see the bigger picture within the Church.

It is possible that we have more apostles than we realise; it could be that we do not recognise them and that we may not have  the courage to release them to this ministry.

Geoff Feasey is a minister of the Elim Pentecostal churches. He recently retired from his role as a Regional Superintendent and now works with Gloucester Elim as well as covering a new function as Parliamentary Liaison Office for the Movement.

                                    

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