It is so awesome to see what God has accomplished through LightHouse World Evangelism, Inc.   Christa and I started this organization in 1997.  Wow!  What a thrill it has been to serve God and His people over the last Thirteen years through the LightHouse World Evangelism organization.  Christa and I are sad to see the name disappear from the internet, stationary, and from around our offices.  However, the door God has opened to us, and the opportunity to serve God in a new and fresh way is more important than hanging on to a name and a vision that God says has accomplished its purpose. 

As many of us watched the opening ceremonies of the Winter Olympics and the lighting of the torch, we were all filled with expectations for what would transpire over the following two weeks.  As individuals participated in events, some won, some lost, but all of the Olympians gave it their all, and left Canada with memories that will last them a lifetime.  During these games there were also some tragedies.  Some due to errors made on the part of the participants, some due to no one particular circumstance.  I have found in my career as a Pastor and Counselor, that I have made mistakes.  Some of those mistakes were as a result of immaturity and lack of experience, and others were due to my sin nature that each and every one of us contends with on a daily basis.  As I sat and watched the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, I heard God say every so tenderly to me that the “Light” that dawned in September of 1997, was coming to a close.  I will never forget the fear that began to go through my being.  As I wept and cried, asking God, why?  His reply was something I did not expect to hear. 

He said, “Son, you have run this leg of your race, and finished well.  If you try to keep alive something that I am no longer wanting to do in and through you, then you will be doing it in vain.  I have another race that I want you to run, and it will begin shortly.  Trust in me, and you will finish this new race better than you finished the last one.  You have not failed!  On the contrary, the “Light” My “Light” that has shined brightly from the ministry that I entrusted to you has pierced the Kingdom of Darkness in a way that you will not truly understand until you meet with me face to face.  Son, you have been obedient and you have served me faithfully, it is now time to allow me to do something new in you.  Step out in faith, and as Peter walked to me on the water, so I desire you to walk to me and with me in a realm not of your complete understanding.”

During the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics, the torch was extinguished, and the flame was symbolically given to the next host country.  At the very moment the flame was extinguished in Canada, God said to me, “The “Flame” the “Anointing” the “Presence and Power of My Holy Spirit,” will no longer reside over LightHouse World Evangelism, Inc., rather it is being transferred to a new ministry that I am calling you and your family to.”

It is my honor to have served all of you, and my Savior, Jesus Christ these past thirteen years as the founder and President of LightHouse World Evangelism.  I am so excited about the new ministry endeavor that has been opened to me and my family.  As we bring LightHouse World Evangelism, Inc. to a close legally, I want to thank all of our partners around this nation and the world for their financial giving, prayers, and faithful service.  Your sowing into this ministry has transformed many lives and brought salvation, healing, and deliverance to countless thousands. As we utilize our attorneys in Tulsa Oklahoma to legally close this non-profit 501C-3 organization we can assure all of our partners that your donations will be disbursed appropriately according to all federal and state laws and will continue to be used for the further growth and development of other Christian ministry organizations.  As of May 15, 2010, we will no longer be accepting monetary donations from individuals.  As for our current partners, you should have received a letter explaining what you need to do if you want to continue to financially support the new ministry work that is being created by the same attorneys.   

On a personal note, Christa and I want to thank all of our partners that stood with us during the three years of legal battles that took place when we adopted our two adult sons. The stress that our family went through and the threats from their former family members forced us to have a 12 month restraining order put into place against them.  As many of you know, still to this day, through web-sites they have personally made, they try to tarnish my character and legitimacy of LightHouse World Evangelism, Inc., with outrageous and false accounts of what really happened to their sons, and what really occurred in my past life.  They even went, last June, so far as to enlisting several homosexual led organizations in their hopes to humiliate me by bringing up my past arrests.  It just goes to show how desperate Satan is to accuse and try to bring down a work that God has placed His blessing on.  I assure you that they were not successful in their endeavor at all.  On the contrary, God has expanded our borders of influence and promoted us to a new level of ministry work in and to His body.

As you already know, you, our partners, were sent letters and were apprised of every detail of those cases, in which I was arrested.  At the time I was arrested, you all were given full details of the events and their outcomes.  By my openness in all of these matters, and my submitting to a full inquire from a panel of ministers that were none bias to me or our organization, you all were apprised of my being found not guilty of any wrong doing.  What has been so amazing and somewhat comical, is that these organizations wanted to make such a big deal of one arrest that occurred 12 years ago and was dismissed.  A second arrest that occurred 10 years ago where I was found not guilty within 20 minutes of deliberation by a Jury who listened to all the facts and carefully made their decision.  And finally, the posting of trial transcripts and arrest documents of the most recent case that occurred 5 years ago.  In their reporting on this case, they did not come first to us for any statements, but rather assumed their “sources” were right, and made it sound like I actually was found guilty of doing some horrible act.  The fact is, all of you, partners, were provided a court document by me and our organization, that showed that the previous ruling regarding this arrest was set aside, a plea of not guilty was entered by me, and the case was then dismissed and expunged from my official record.  Oops, this was probably something important that should have been mentioned!

 It saddens me to this day that not one single organization actually looked up the case, but rather relied on the information given to them by our adopted son’s ex-family (Their sources).  I have hoped and prayed that these organizations would have investigated the integrity of their “sources” before publishing opinions about me and our organization.  In their investigation, they would have found testimony, under oath; regarding the abuse that our sons sustained from those that they are calling their sources.

Many of you have asked why I or our attorneys had not responded to the accusations and the borderline slander that these organizations and individuals have perpetuated against me and our organization sooner, meaning when it first broke, last June.  The answer is simple; first, it is not worth my time or energy to defend myself to individuals that are not reporting the truth and have a political motivation or guilt driven motivation behind everything they say and do.  Our organization has never gotten involved in the politics of our society, and will not even when it seems personal in nature.  The organizations and individuals that have voiced their opinion regarding my healing or my integrity as a person, have no facts to back up their claims.  Regarding my healing, none of them have sat down and looked at my medical documentation.  Therefore, their opinions are just that!  Opinions!  In this country we pride ourselves on that fact that we can express our opinions, and we are all entitled to our opinion.

As for bashing my integrity, in my experience it is the individual that does this type of behavior that usually turns out having a guilty conscience.  Guilty people like diverting attention off themselves.  This in turn helps them sleep better at night, and makes them feel better about themselves.  The second reason I and our organization chose not to comment about their ridiculous reports regarding my arrests and integrity as a minister, is the fact that their reports were not “breaking news flashes” to us or to you are partners.  You walked with us through these events 12 years ago, 10 years ago, and 5 years ago.  The reports that were made to look like “breaking news” was just propaganda to try to smear my character and make new viewers to our ministry question my ability to lead.  Let me put it another way, it would be like me placing a blog on the internet telling everyone that Michael Jackson died last year.  The problem with this is everyone knows it already.  It is “old News.”  Most people are still sad over his death, but have moved on.  We as an organization walked through these situations one by one, and each of the cases were either dismissed, or in one case I went to trial, and after all the evidence was heard, I was found not guilty.  This is now old news!

As for all of those who have seen my medical documentation over the years, you know the truth.  For those of you who truly know me, and have worked with me for any length of time, you know that I am not perfect and I have many character defects, but one thing you all know is that I love Jesus and I am a person of integrity.  When I mess up, and I have messed up a lot in my life, I have tried and still try to admit to it as quickly as humanly possible, repent, and ask for forgiveness.  This is the way that we leaders in the Body of Christ should respond to our sin nature.

Why am I saying all this now?  It is finally the right time!  Christa and I are so thankful that all of our board of Trustees and elders are going to transition with us into the new ministry endeavor that God has opened for us.  For those of you that will be partnering on with us, please fill out the forms we have sent you and mail them back as soon as possible.  For those of you that have just visited our site for the first time, I hate to say goodbye so quickly.  May God continue to bless each one of you as you continue to serve Him faithfully!

Pastor Matthew and Christa Manning

We, the Board of Directors, have unanimously agreed with the Manning’s on their decision that they have made regarding their future as leaders within the Body of Christ, and the direct impact that it will have on LightHouse World Evangelism Inc.  We firmly believe that their obedience to the will of God has already begun to take this ministry to the next level in seeing God’s healing power become manifest in so many people’s lives. 

In every organization, change is always accompanied with its own sets of fears and anxiety.  Pastor Matthew and Christa have received numerous conformations and statements of support regarding their decision. As they begin to take one of the biggest risks they have had to make in over a decade, please be in prayer for both of them, their four children, LightHouse World Evangelism Inc., and its leaders as we all listen to God’s voice and transition our ministry and organization over the next six months.

For those of you that are not partners but faithful readers of our blog, we can only encourage you to stay tuned for what is coming next.  We assure you all that what God is doing in and through this ministry is only getting better and the opportunities are abounding.  You will notice that the LHWE Website has been taken offline.  For the amount of changes and overhauls that are currently taking place in the transition of LightHouse World Evangelism, Inc, to its new destiny, this needed to occur.  The LHWE Blog will remain up a little longer to allow our blog users to know of the change that is coming, and to notify our partners that a letter has been mailed prior to this post hitting the World Wide Web. 

Thank you all for your patience as we work through the legalities of this change and the official announcement in the future of the final result of what God has accomplished under the leadership of Pastor Matthew C. Manning and the entire transition team that God has put into place. 

For those of you that would think something bad has happened to cause this transition to occur, we as a board of directors want to assure you that nothing has occurred to Pastor Matthew or his wife, and that what it happening is not due to any wrong doing, but rather, it is an awesome end to a twelve year old ministry that has seen success at every turn, and an exciting new dawning of what God has in store for us as a ministry in the future.  There is a truth in the fact that “Old wineskins” cannot hold “New Wine!” Pastor Matthew and Christa have faithfully served God over the last twelve years, and God has just given them “New Wineskins,” so they can continue to serve us for another decade or longer.  Pastor Matthew and Christa have lived a life of integrity before God, and in the midst of negative propaganda and insults by those that want to put their own slant on things, God still works and opens new paths of opportunities where there seemed to be none.  Pastor Matthew and Christa Manning are and will remain our leaders in this new dawning of ministry expression.  For all of our partners and those that have just been blessed to hear encouraging words from time to time through our blog postings, this is the end of a decade of ministry that served its purpose, and at the same time is the beginning of something new and fresh.  As our Website communications come to an end, it is only just the beginning of a new era of fresh bold ministry.

Thank you for your prayers and your continued support.  While we are still online, please E-mail us any questions that you may have at: blog@lhwe.org  or call us at (415) 349-LHWE (5493).

The Board of Directors

LightHouse World Evangelism, Inc.

“Failing to plan is planning to fail.  If Jesus does not build the house, they who build labor in vain.  But if you have a plan to build a house designed by Jesus, no one can stop you!”

Quote from our President and Founder

When the president gives a state of the union address, his purpose is not simply to report on national happenings, but on what he plans to do.  It may seem strange for a church to have a state of the union address, however, Pastor Matthew’s purpose here is the same; any organization, be it a church, a business or even a family, should have clear set goals and a purpose.  Today’s message addresses the goals and purposes of LightHouse World Evangelism (LHWE) in 2010.  Though a state of the union is given once a year, a mission statement should be available at all times.  Read LHWE’s Mission Statement here!

Pastor Matthew and Christa founded LightHouse World Evangelism in order to have an impact on the San Francisco Bay Area as well as around the world.  LHWE is growing every year, and with that growth comes many responsibilities.  Pastor Matthew will be addressing how each of our partners can be a LightHouse in their own community and how you can partner with us to continue to be a beacon of light for lost and hurting souls.  The next series of Blogs that will be posted will be a series on the preciousness of our time, talents and treasures and how to use them wisely and in a God-honoring way.  Here is an overview of the upcoming blog posts that Pastor Matthew will be writing to help us all focus on God’s purposes for our lives in our own communities.

1.  Time – the progression of our existence

We all have 168 hours in each week, nothing more, and nothing less.  Donating 2 of those hours in ministry can make us lighthouses to our cities.

2.  Talent – Unique expression of Holy Spirit power.

With our partners and the several hundred of you a day that regularly visit our website, you all make up a group with many talents that can change the world for the better, serve your fellow men and women, and honor our Lord, Jesus Christ.  It is important that we use our strengths to their fullest rather than trying to do things that are not in our gifting.  For example, if you have the gift of teaching, your talent may be to reach many learners in a powerful way.  However, if your gift is prayer, then you pray and let the teachers teach!  Each person should serve in an area where he or she can have the greatest impact.

3.  Treasure – That which has exchangeable value.

If those of you that regularly view our blog (approximately 400 a day) would each commit to giving $5 a week or $20 a month to our organization, the total would come to over $125 thousand dollars a year we would add to our current operating budget.  Using that money could do incredible things for not only the San Francisco Bay Area, but the world as a whole.

God has always made it clear to this ministry that we are to reach out to our community and beyond to those who suffer and are considered “the least of these” because nobody else will.  Pastor Matthew and Christa Manning, where ever they go, encourage everyone to join a ministry suited to his/her talents so that together we all can touch others and empower our cities, our state, our country and our world (Act 1:8).  Going to church and listening to a sermon is nice, but that is not the only thing which God has called us to do.  He wants us to help point others to the saving power of the Cross of Jesus Christ, give hope, and give love.  With so many ministry outreaches that we have in operation, and you have happening in your own cities that need help, there is certainly one to suit your gifting.  There are ministries to help the church function, reach out to elderly people, serve with youth, perform with dramatic arts, witness to gang members or prisoners, or simply give hope to “the least of these in your community”.  One outreach that we as a leadership body have found to be of concern here in the Bay Area and is becoming more and more “known” about  in America and the world is the issue of human sex trafficking.  We have had many individuals come to us for emotional and inner healing due to the cause and effect of being raised in families that were involved in not only incest but also in the business of sex trafficking.  Let us be very clear, we as an organization are not called to go out of our way to try to bring down these sects of individuals.  This is the job of local, state, and federal agencies.  Yes we unfortunately have seen where some in those positions of power are themselves involved; however, we also from experience have found that this percentage is less than more.  What God has called us as a ministry to do is to help those who come seeking emotional healing and safety from such experiences a safe place to talk, share, heal and find the loving and compassionate arms of Jesus Christ that will take their damaged and broken lives and put them back together for His purposes and for His glory.

Our city, your city, this country and this world need help and it can start right here with you.  We are asking that our partners and regular viewers of this website continue or for the first time become a partner of this ministry as well as become “Lighthouses’” in your own community by volunteering and make a difference in the life of others.  LightHouse World Evangelism had its humble start in a room at the King’s College and Seminary in Los Angeles, California over a decade ago as a prayer group called the Gethsemane Prayer Warriors.  Now for the last decade we have plucked individuals out of the clutches of satanic ritual abuse, helped persons out of sex trafficking families, helped numerous people find their identity in Jesus Christ, through our four day seminars, that struggled with their identity stemming back to childhood judgments and vows they made, child abuse, molestation, incest, the lack of affirmation due to growing up in broken homes, and or families that were and may still be involved in satanic covens.

Thank you to all of you that have given over the years in support of what God is doing here at LightHouse World Evangelism.  We have gone through many changes in the last year that are for the better.  One major change occurred in July of 2009 when we moved our offices out of Sonoma County to San Francisco. This move was a tremendous undertaking but went smoothly and efficiently.  Thanks to all of our partners we ended 2009 better than we could imagine financially.  Thank you all for your prayers for Pastor Matthew and Christa as Pastor Matthew underwent three minor operations at the end of 2009.  He is still recovering, and though his travelling has been lessened as we begin this New Year, he and Christa look forward to a busy and prosperous 2010, seeing God’s Kingdom come into the lives of the many that they together will encounter throughout this New Year.  We all have a powerful work to do for the Lord, so let’s continue to be focused as a people who what to serve God with all of our hearts and move forward together! 

How would God have you serve His people, or how would God have you give of your financial resources in 2010?

The Board of Directors,

LightHouse World Evangelism, Inc.

Traditionally, many people in the world get inebriated on New Year’s Eve, only to wake up sometime the next day not knowing what they might have said, what happened, or with whom. But God’s people can unite in prayer power for God’s will to be done, and for His Kingdom to come. Although this may perhaps sound too religious or “goody-two-shoes,” it is a safe and sane alternative to the typical New Year’s celebrations that dominate cultures around the world.

Gathering together with music, food, games, good conversation, and perhaps an inspirational message right before midnight, along with prayer, make for a blessed New Year’s Eve celebration. Then go home, go to bed, and enjoy the next day without a smashing headache or an upset stomach.

One of the traditions associated with New Year’s observances is the making of resolutions, promises to stop or start something in the New Year. On the average, about half of American adults make one or more New Year’s resolutions each year, which commonly include weight loss, exercise, quitting smoking and better money management.

Typically, about 75 percent of people who make resolutions maintain their commitment past the first week, and less than half keep their word to themselves after six months. Numbers vary, of course, and some people actually make the desired changes in their lives. But for the most part, it’s another disappointment and another failure, and it comes up again at the next New Year’s time.

Making New Year’s Resolutions was started by early Babylonians. Although this is generally assumed as accurate, no one really knows, but it’s the stuff of great trivial conversation at social gatherings, particularly New Year’s Eve parties. For the Babylonians, the start of the New Year was a good time to return borrowed items, such as farming equipment, and so begin the New Year with a clean slate. Some believe that New Year’s resolutions began as promises made to the gods, negotiating or bargaining in the hope that the gods would grant some favor in return, such as a good harvest. It was also believed that breaking of New Year’s resolution brought bad luck.

The Bible does not speak for or against the concept of New Year’s resolutions. Every day is the day the Lord has made, as Psalm 118:24 states, and “we will rejoice and be glad in it.” One can make a resolution or promise to oneself any day of the year, and keeping it or breaking it is in their hands. One thing the Bible does say in Ecclesiastes 5:2, 4 and 5 is that if one makes promises or vows to God, it shouldn’t be taken lightly.

“Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart utter anything hastily before God. For God is in heaven and you on earth; therefore let your words be few. When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; for He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”

Setting a goal or several goals at the beginning of the New Year can be stimulating, but it is the motivation to keep the resolution that is important. One can determine to pray more, read the Bible more, go to church regularly, or volunteer more, but these resolutions can fail without correct motivation. The incentive must come from within with purpose and a plan. Even though there might be a setback at times, the best thing to do is to immediately start again.

After months and months of tests to develop an electric light-bulb, Thomas Edison was interviewed by a reporter who asked Edison if he felt like a failure and if he thought he should just give up. Edison replied, “Young man, why would I feel like a failure? And why would I ever give up? I now know definitively over 9,000 ways that an electric light bulb will not work. Success is almost in my grasp.” After over 10,000 attempts, Edison successfully invented the light bulb. The point is, don’t quit. If it is a worthy goal, it is worth sticking to, even if it means starting over a few times.

Happy New Year Everyone…

Pastor Matthew and Christa Manning

And then there was the suspicion that she and Joseph experienced in regard to accusations of an illegitimate birth.  The only human beings who came were shepherds; the lowest class of riffraff in the culture of that time.  Additionally, God did send the angels to celebrate and encourage Mary and Joseph.

In human terms, Jesus’ birth was not only simple, but it also dignified the poorest people that God could have chosen.  Thirty years later Jesus told a would–be follower that He (Jesus) had no place to lay His head.  So, from beginning to end, God sided with the poor and dispossessed rather than those living in Herod’s palace.

If you can see beneath the surface, this “Christmas Story” has an even more encouraging Christmas message this year where many of you reading are concerned with your future due to the state of our economy that has possibly effected your financial future.  However, this Christmas Season means that God is with you more deeply than ever, even in your times of trial, when you may have fewer possessions than before, may even have no place to lay your heads, and for some of you may have lost your reputations.

Jesus not only knew about these trials that you may be facing, but He lived through them with His family, long before He was crucified.

He will be your companion always, no matter what, as long as you stay close to Him!

With Christmas peace, joy and hope for a blessed New Year,  (Jeremiah 29:11)

Pastor Matthew and Christa Manning

 God’s way verse man’s way

1 Corinthians 1:17-2:16

I was listening to K-Love Radio last week and heard that a Church in Chandler, AZ was starting a new church service called “Man Church”.  The reporter from K-Love spoke about this new concept of church in a positive light and encouraged us listeners to check out the ministry website.  What was reported by K-Love Radio alone sent shock waves through my body.  To investigate the church and its new ministry for “men” for myself, I decided to look up this church’s website. The following question and answer is what I found on their website.  If this does not shock you as a born again believer, then I do not know what will:

What is “Man Church?”

“Man Church is church the way a man expects it to be done.  No singing, short sermon, time to talk with other guys, no women present, and coffee and donuts.  That’s the way men want to do church.  The topics of discussion will have a definite manly focus – being the best possible husband, father, employee, leader – being a real man.  In fact, every aspect of Man Church is geared for men – not like any other church you have seen.  This ain’t your mama’s church!” 

Here are my thoughts from the Bible regarding the church in Arizona’s quotes: “Doing Church the way a man expects it to be done”, and “That’s the way men want to do church.”

The book of 1 Corinthians is actually a letter written by Paul, the Apostle, to the Christians (Believers) of the Church in Corinth, Greece.  Paul is writing this letter to them because he had heard that there were divisions and problems in the church and he wants to instruct them concerning these things.  Also, he will be answering some of the specific questions which they had written to him concerning various problems and issues which they were facing.

When reading this book, you discover that many of their problems were due to the fact that they were spiritually immature; indeed, Paul had called them “baby Christians.”  And, Paul exhorted them to stop going over the basic fundamental (“milk”) teachings of the Gospel, as important and as necessary as those teachings are.  Rather, he told them that it was time for them to go on in their spiritual growth and to begin taking in the “solid food” of mature Christians and to begin to live in the light of those “solid food” truths of Scripture.

In light of this “MAN CHURCH” that is starting and getting headline news from K-Love Radio, let’s look at one of those “solid food” teachings, which Paul recorded in 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:16.  In these verses, Paul explains to them some “solid meat” information about the message of the Cross and about REAL wisdom and power.

Why did Paul need to teach them about Wisdom and Power?  He needed to do this because the culture and lifestyle of the people in the city of Corinth, Greece, placed its emphasis on man’s knowledge, wisdom, and learning.  The Greeks esteemed men who were wise and knowledgeable and they believed that things were obtained and achieved through man’s efforts and power.  Also, in Corinth, pagan worship of many different gods and idols was common and, indeed, immoral lifestyles and evil and wicked practices were part of these pagan worship rituals.  The Greek value system was based on human thoughts, human wisdom, and human effort, and their goal was to obtain and satisfy their own individual desires.  Therefore, the emphasis of the Greeks in general, and of the Corinthians in particular, was on man’s wisdom and knowledge, on self, on education, on learning for the intellectual pride it provided, on physical beauty, oratory, art, and sports.  (Does this sound a lot like the culture in which we also live today? Does this not sound very much like “MAN CHURCH?”

Yes!  Yes it does!

And, it was in such a culture as this that the Christians in Corinth (and we today) find ourselves.   And since they were not yet spiritually mature in their understanding of the Gospel message of the Cross of Christ, they did not understand that REAL Wisdom and Power is NOT from or through man, but instead it is from and in God, Jesus Christ, their (and our) Lord and Savior.

Paul, in these verses, 1:17-2:17, is now going to address this situation and teach them what real Wisdom is and what the message of the Cross is and…. Let’s see what Paul has to say to these “baby” Christians who are living in an immoral, corrupt, pagan society which placed its emphasis on man and man’s intellect, wisdom, knowledge, and desires.

The 2 kinds of Wisdom are the Wisdom of “the world” and the Wisdom of “God.”  And hopefully you noticed that these two types of Wisdom are very different!  They each have a different goal, purpose, emphasis, and focus.  In fact these are so different that they actually clash.  And, obviously, this was one of the main problems the Christians were facing in Corinth.  They were living in a culture where the Wisdom of Man was the focus and was highly prized and esteemed, yet, they were learning from Paul and the other Apostles and teachers who had come to their Church that the Wisdom and Power of God was entirely different, indeed it was OPPOSITE to what the “world” thought and honored!  What a dichotomy.  What a problem.  What were they to DO!  How were they to live in a culture like this?

And, it was not just Wisdom that was different depending on whether it is the Wisdom of Man (the World) or the Wisdom of God.  Paul is showing them, in these verses, that Foolishness, Power, and Weakness are also different depending on the perspective in which they are viewed (i.e. from Man’s perspective or God’s perspective.)

What did Paul say was the PURPOSE of his ministry?  It was to “Preach the Gospel.  And, HOW was he to do this? (1:17) Paul was instructed to not use human wisdom because if he did, those words of human wisdom would cause the cross to be emptied of its power.

“Words of human wisdom” would cause “the cross of Christ to be emptied of its power.”  What does that mean?  Well, in order to answer that, let’s think about it a bit.

First of all, we know that Paul’s ministry was to preach the Gospel, which is, of course, the message about Jesus’ death on the cross and His resurrection from the Dead.  That, in a summary form, is what the “message of the Cross” is!  So, Paul, in giving this “message” is actually saying that the Gospel teaches that Salvation can ONLY be obtained by believing that Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin and accepting that substitute sacrifice as a free gift.  That is God’s WAY.  And, that is why the message of the Cross is POWERFUL, because the way of the Cross is the ONLY way to obtain salvation.  Jesus purchased our redemption by dying on the Cross.

But, MAN’S way of obtaining and purchasing salvation would be by trying to do it himself by works.  Yes, Man thinks he can use his own human (1: 17) Wisdom and Work his way to God.  Man thinks that the teaching that “the Cross is the ONLY way to be saved” is (1:18) foolishness.  So, instead of coming to God in the way that God provides and requires, man thinks that God’s way is foolishness and wants to substitute works and human effort and “trying to do good deeds” to earn his way to God.

God, however, says this method does NOT work, and indeed, it empties the cross of its
(1:17) power or effect when you try to attain salvation through human effort.

“Salvation is the gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast.”  Paul said that in Ephesians 2:8.  Know that Salvation is a gift.  It cannot be earned.  Accepting Christ’s death on the Cross as a substitute for sin is the ONLY way to Salvation.  That is WHY the Cross has Power!  That is the POWER of the Cross.  It is the WAY.  The ONLY WAY to salvation.

But, the Greeks, and all those who are (1:18) foolish and are perishing, i.e., not saved and are, therefore, dead in their sins and destined for eternity in Hell.  (And yes, there is a literal Hell) say, “no, this cannot be.  We can figure out a way to get to heaven.  We can use our minds, our works and effort, our intellect, our wise words.”   God, however, says, “No, you can’t.  There is only ONE way to be holy and righteous and acceptable in My sight and to be able to come into My presence and that is through the Cross, through the atoning substitutionary death of Jesus on the Cross to pay the penalty for sin.”

And, this DEBATE has endured down through the centuries.  The Greeks and the Corinthians are not the only ones who have tried to get to God through human wisdom and works.  And, this effort by man to reject God’s way and to try to “do it my way” continues today.

WE MUST TAKE A STAND AS THE CHURCH AND STOP DOING CHURCH MAN’S WAY!

 In John15:1-2; 8, Jesus states, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.  He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful . . . This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples,” (NIV).  Jesus strongly reminds his disciples and us today that our main commitment to God is bearing fruit!  If there are areas of our spiritual lives that represent “dead leaves,” we must come to the point where we allow and ask God to prune those areas away so we can be true disciples “bearing much fruit.”

 In John12:24, Jesus states, “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed.  But if it dies, it produces many seeds,” (NIV).  Therefore, the key to this message and this season in our lives is this:  By letting God remove the kernels in our lives; they will fall to the ground and in turn produce other areas of growth in other people.  

In this Autumn Season 2009, lets agree together to boldly make our desire to allow ourselves to be pruned (The bad fall off ) and to bear much fruit for God, for both our own growth and the seeding of others in the kingdom.  Are you ready to take a fall (a pruning) for God so that we can continue to become children in God’s Kingdom that can be used by Him and thereby be able to bring in a larger more bountiful Harvest for the Kingdom?

“Since the 12th century (1167), Oxford University has been a profound influence upon the Christian Church. Existing as a center of spiritual and academic renewal, this renowned university has produced many of the greatest and most influential leaders of the Christian Church over the centuries.

During my summer experience in Oxford, England, I was taught by leading scholars from America as well as Oxford. I, along with 25 of my peers, experienced the flavor of English life with tea and biscuits, full English breakfasts, worship in historic chapels, and enjoyed tours of historic churches that have influenced Christianity. As I toured historic sites throughout Oxford, and elsewhere, I experienced the richness of our Christian heritage and particular influences upon our Pentecostal and Charismatic heritage.

I gained insights into the challenges of proclaiming a Christian worldview and practicing biblical principles in a society and culture being shaped less and less by historical, socio-theological influences. I also gained a greater appreciation for the successes and failures of the church in history and the obstacles it faced in maintaining its viability, relevance, and effectiveness in ministry. The courses I took were designed to both confront and challenge the present mindset of the church while inspiring us leaders to retool ministry, adjust our philosophy, and augment our strategies where necessary, in order to be more effective in serving our present generation and doing ministry in “such a time as this.”

During my stay at Keble College, Oxford University, I participated in four classes, earning myself 12 units worth of credit towards my Masters of Divinity at the KIng’s College and Seminary.  The following are the classes that I took, on the campus of Keble College, Oxford University, England:

• Encountering God in your Walk: Intimacy with the Infinite
• Encountering God Through Witnessing: The Discipline of Discipleship
• Encountering God Through the Word: The Power of Preaching the Word
• Encountering God Though Worship: Corporate practice of the Presence of God.

I am so glad to be back home with my family and friends.  I hope your summer was as awsome as mine!  May God bless each of you as we rap up  Summer 2009 and head into the Fall months together.

Pastor Matthew

Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, To your descendants I will give this land.” And there he built an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him…  “And he went on his journey from the South as far as Bethel, to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, to the place of the altar which he had made there at first. And there Abram called on the name of the Lord.

Abraham, the man who became the friend of God as well as the father of the faithful, was an altar builder.  When God would appear to him and bestow on him a blessing, a promise or a commission, he would build an altar.  All of us need to be altar builders.

The Bible does not tell us very much about these altars that Abraham built because it is not important that we know everything about their construction.  They do, however, symbolize a great truth and point out a basic need in our lives.  Abraham built altars when he worshiped or when he moved from one place to another.

What is an altar?  For Christians an altar can be a place, an attitude or a time when our thoughts and emotions are directed toward God.  ”God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:24).  We do not have to be in some specific place before we can worship, for God is a Spirit who cannot be restricted to a specific place.  While man is limited to one place at one time, man also has a spirit and therefore can worship God at any time or at any place.

We need to build altars that will call us to the holy privilege of prayer and worship to the one true God, Jesus Christ.  As we do so, we will find that those altars become places and opportunities to offer to Jesus the praise of our hearts.  As we spend time in deep heart searching and consideration of the blessings of God upon us, we will be more dedicated to our time, talents, treasure and testimony to the purposes of God and His will in our lives.

Because Abraham was an altar builder, he found God’s loving relationship to be wonderful and reassuring.  This strengthened his faith so that he was able to believe when others would have disbelieved.  Great strength came to him through worship.  His soul and inner self was made strong.

This is a great example for all of us reading this, that as we come before God in prayer and worship.  Our faith and hope become visible when we Christians present ourselves before the alter of Jesus Christ.  We must become altar builders!

Neglecting to build altars captures fear of the soul and will cause us to become neglectful in our worship.  Abraham did not construct an altar of any kind while in Egypt (Gen. 12:10-20).  This can possibly explain the reason for the fear that came over him at that time.

When fear captures the heart and the emotions, it is pinpointing the fact that faith is either absent or un- focused.  Faith must increase, and it can grow and be developed and strengthened.  This growth occurs only as we give ourselves to worship.  Worship is something considerably more than just going to church and listening to the pastor’s sermon.  It is the response of the human soul to God as He reveals Himself in many different manners.

Jesus spoke a parable to the end “that men ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). The truth is that people will not truly experience the fullness of God if they do not pray.  By the building of altars in our secret places as we journey through, Christians strengthen their faith, increase their joy, maintain their spiritual wellness and guarantee a continuing Christian witness. It presents an honorable and a reverent readiness for the Lord’s service.

We must build alters as Abraham did.  Many altars have already been built or are ordained as places and times for worship.  The church where we are to come together as God’s family for public worship is a divinely ordained altar.  We all need to stay close to our local church.  Love it sincerely and steadfastly.  Remember that God’s family is a human family, and do not let the sins of church members or leaders cause you to stumble or to neglect your altar of worship.  Pray for the unity of God’s people.  Pray for and involve yourself in the work of your church as it carries on its mission for the Lord.

The word of God, our Bible is another altar that will provide communion.  God will meet the deepest needs of our hearts as He did for Abraham if we will just listen to His authoritative Word.  The Bible is not just a history of what happened in the long ago.  It is also a revelation of what God will do and what we can become today if we will simply worship and work in cooperation with our Creator and Redeemer.

Every home should have an altar.  The family should have a time each day for devotional study that allows us to spend time together in the presence of our Lord.  If the entire family cannot come together that individual should prepare their own altar.  This can be done at many different times during the day.  For example, we can pray as we shave or dry our hair or drive to work. Take time for mindful and direct prayer.  Where there is a will God will always make a way.

Have courage, Jesus Christ will meet with you and bless you as you build your altars.

 Nineveh was located on the eastern bank of the Tigris River in northeastern Mesopotamia (Iraq).  It flourished from about 800 to 610 B.C. as the capital of the Assyrian empire.  It is first mentioned in the Bible back in Genesis as being founded by Nimrod (Genesis 10:9-12).

During its time of power, the Assyrian empire conquered the northern Israelite kingdom of Israel, with their capital at Samaria, and transported them away into captivity.  Unlike the southern Israelite kingdom of Judah, with their capital at Jerusalem, they never returned, and became known as the “Lost Ten Tribes” of Israel.  The Assyrians themselves eventually were lost, although some identify their descendants as being in central Europe today.

Nineveh was the city that the reluctant prophet Jonah was sent to by God.  Jonah did not want to go, so he ran away.  However, after a famous adventure with a whale at sea he accepted what he was to do – get the people of Nineveh to repent of their evil.  He went, and was successful.  However, Jonah was still not happy because he did not like the Assyrians because of all of the harm that they had inflicted upon Israel.  He had hoped that they would refuse to repent and in turn God would have to destroy them.  He may well have been the only prophet in history that hoped that his ministry would fail!

Eventually, the Assyrian empire declined and fell.  It was overtaken by the Persian and Babylonian empires that were just then beginning to grow.  Today, Nineveh is just a vast stretch of ancient ruins.  Giving this backdrop as a history lesson, there is a question that I would like you to think about:  Does Jonah’s message to Nineveh regarding its being destroyed in 40 days and not taking place make Jonah a false prophet?

Some use Jonah as an example that prophets can be wrong.  The word of God tells us if they speak and it does not come to pass, they are a false prophet (Deut.18).  Why?  Because a prophet speaks the word that God tells them to speak.  God first told Jonah “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry out against it.”  It should be obvious that what Jonah spoke was a conditional proclamation to give them a chance to repent (Jonah 1:2).  Instead of going to Nineveh, Jonah was disobedient, going as far away in the opposite direction as he could. “Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and preach to it the message that I tell you“ (Jonah 3:1-2).  When Jonah finally arrived in Nineveh, Scripture says he spoke what God told him to (3:2).  He cried out and said: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”  So the people of Nineveh believed God” (3:4-5).

Jonah really wanted to see Nineveh’s destruction; he was anticipating judgment not their repentance.  God did not tell Jonah everyone would be saved, and he does not tell this to people today, despite their prophesying that cities and nations will come to Christ.  His message was simple, “yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown.”  The anticipation of Nineveh’s destruction delighted Jonah when he proclaimed the message God gave him.  The people did not know if God would be merciful to them so they did the right thing anyway.  In the book of Jonah Chapter 3, verse 5 it states, “And the people of Nineveh believed God; they proclaimed a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them“.  God honored their repentance!  In Matthew 12:41, Jesus also tells us that they repented. 

Before Jonah went to Nineveh He knew God was merciful, one who relents from doing harm (4:2), the Ninevites did not.  Jonah knew that if he preached to the Ninevites they would have a chance to survive.  This was why he was being disobedient in the first place, not because he was afraid.  The Bible is clear that God told Jonah to speak a very clear and precise message that God revealed to him to speak. If one were to find fault in the message not coming to pass, it would have to be with God.  So it is not Jonah who would be wrong, but God.  The message, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh will be overthrown!” destroyed!

The fact is that their repentance was God’s desired result, He gave them 40 days.  We already know God’s heart in these matters, through the prophet Jeremiah 18:7-10:  ”At what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to pluck up, and to pull down, and to destroy it; If that nation, against whom I have pronounced, turn from their evil, I will repent of the evil that I thought to do unto them.  And at what instant I shall speak concerning a nation, and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it; if it do evil in my sight, that it obey not my voice, then I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them.” This principle is based on God’s character of mercy to the repentant.  Judgment was sure to come unless Nineveh repented.  God gave them a chance to repent by sending Jonah with a message of judgment a second time.  It was God’s plan for Nineveh.  We cannot turn to God from our evil way unless God first turns to us.  He initiates and we are to respond.  God had a purpose for saving the entire city of Nineveh.  He did this to spare Israel and also give them time to repent as well.  Isaiah and Amos prophesied that because of their disobedience they would be taken captive.  Jonah knew it would have probably been through these people, if they survived.

This was a conditional prophecy.  If they repent God will relent.  This is a remarkable display of faith, as they had to immediately give up their idols to seek the Lord.  The only ground which their faith rested on was the fact of God sending the prophet to warn them, instead of destroying them at once; this suggested the possibility of a pardon.  Jonah 3:9-10 states, “Who can tell if God will turn and relent, and turn away from His fierce anger, so that we may not perish? Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.“

The fulfillment of the threat of judgment was contingent on the Ninevites response.  Again we must remember- Scripture says Jonah spoke what God told him to (3:2).  What this shows us is that God loves to give mercy instead of judgment.  Repentance appeals to God’s mercy.

To those of you that this message speaks to I hope and pray that you too, will hear the voice of the prophet Jonah, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown”.  However, more importantly, I hope you will see Jesus and his heart of mercy towards you, “Then God saw their works, that they turned from their evil way; and God relented from the disaster that He had said He would bring upon them, and He did not do it.“  Jesus Christ loves Mercy and grace more than judgment.  This is a very comforting thought when you really think about it!

Continue to be blessed this summer as you spend time with family and friends!

Pastor Matthew