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A daily Christian thought from:
ACP, The Church for the American Christian who is a Patriot
Pro-Christ, Pro-Life, Pro-Constitution.
34 Duck Pond Road
Harrison, Maine, USA
040440
Pastor Rev. Robert Celeste ACP/MCAC
Mr. Steve Burzlaff, Elizebeth, Kentucky
Special Guest Pastor Rev. Jim Marstaller, Pastor of The CornerStone Gospel Church in Naples, Maine
Today the Bible believing church in Maine is in trouble as its influence in the public square continues to wane. Since individual Christians comprise the Bride of Christ would it not be fair and honest to state that the church is weak because the Blood-washed Christians are weak.
We have an unbelievable condition in the Maine Blood-washed church which I might describe, returning to Exodus, as the "forty year babyhood of the believer." God told His chosen people that because they did not believe Him they were going to run in circles in the desert until that generation died and He rose up a new one. Today, in this state, the born-again Bride is finding itself in the same plight. We are stumbling in circles in a desert place while the enemy encompasses us round about.
We have far too many born again believers in our churches who remain the same year after year. Twenty years ago, when they accepted Christ, they were innocent, confused, spiritual babies. Today they remain in a confused languor believing that Christ called them to a ministry of pew warming. They continually need the pastor to check their titty bottles to make certain they are not too hot or too cold, change their pampers and talcum their rear because of the bed sores they have developed from all that pew warming. Too many of our Blood washed churches look more like a hospital maternity ward than an army of Christian soldiers.
Sometimes, no, most often, our Blood washed churches grow in numbers. But, is the spiritual there? Are the ministers serving pablum or half raw horse meat? Is the flock wearing pampers or are they soldiers wearing the full armor of God?
Paul spent two years at Cornith. Yet he still had to write this church asking if they were babies? If not where was the spiritual growth? He told the Galatians he needed to go through the pain of childbirth for them all over again. He couldn't get them out of the maternity ward. The author of Hebrews complains that, although you people have been Christians long enough to be teachers you need to be taught the fundamental principles of Christianity all over again. When you should be eating horse meat you are still on baby food.
So we see the problem is not new.
Like many boys in their teens, I thought some facial hair would do wonders for my mug. so, I borrowed my father's razor and shaving mug. I shaved several times a day. I left the shaving soap on my face for hours at a time. I tried everything but nary a whisker. As I matured the hair grew naturally. The same is true of our Christian walk. As we grow we will begin to manifest the gifts of the Holy Spirit. We won't need a razor and shaving soap. It will come naturally.
You will not grow in the Spirit unless your church is alive. Dead churches grow in numbers of those attending services. So do cemeteries. The only excitement I have ever seen in a cemetery was one night when some teen age vandals torched some tires in one. When is the last time the Holy Spirit torched some tires in your church? Better yet, when is the last time you got torched? You, not the building, are the church. You don''t go to a building built with human hands to meet Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ lives in you. He comes into that building in you and lives in you. There are no holy, sanctified buildings, only holy, sanctified people. How can you go to meet someone Who lives within you twenty four hours each day?
Our problem seems to be that we have the concept of Christ but not the ""life."" We are conscious of the historical Christ but not aware that He has invaded our soul and spirit living His life once again in us. I want to barf when I hear someone sing or pray ""Come Lord Jesus"" or ""Descend Holy Spirit."" I have never heard such blasphemy. Do we really believe that Jesus hangs from the ceiling like a vampire bat waiting for us to enter our church so He can drop down and bite us on the neck? Our church is nothing but a gas pump where we fill our spiritual gas tank. Our vehicle is the Holy Spirit. Yet we want to park our vehicle on idle in front of the pump for six days and then wonder why we never got anywhere during the week. No wonder we are weak, confused and uncertain.
A person once said to me, ""You must spend a lot of time alone with the Lord."" I told that person that whenever someone wasn''t with me I spend my time alone with Christ. I have no choice. Jesus lives in me. If I watch that infamous Logo, Logos or whatever channel then Jesus watches a homosexual movie with me. If I watch an ""adult"" movie on cable His face turns red. No wonder I am weak. Rather than empowering me, Jesus is trying to find a rock to hide behind. If I live my life in the reality that Jesus is always present within me, then I will clean up my life in His authority and will begin to live in the manner He directs.
This is a true story. A pastor gave a sermon on Matthew 28:18-20. For ten weeks in a row he preached on the Great Commission in the exact same words. After the tenth week the deacons came to him and complained that he was driving the congregation nuts. They had heard the exact same sermon, word for word, for ten weeks. Could he please change his sermon since his flock had heard that one ten times. The pastor told the deacons that they were wrong. The congregation had not heard that sermon ten times. They were not out banging on doors throughout the neighborhood telling others the Good News of Jesus Christ. The flock hadn't heard the sermon ten times. They hadn't heard it the first time. His congregation had the concept of the historical Christ but not the reality of the Living Christ living within them.
A pastor gave seven sermons on the Good Samaritan. His flock enjoyed each one. They admired the depth of his knowledge and his ability to convey this concept in seven different ways. But what did Jesus say two thousand years ago? He said "If your neighbor has a problem, help him out." I said in nine words what it took the pastor seven Sundays to say. But that is unimportant. What does Jesus say today?
Jesus says "In My strength, in My authority, in My compassion help your neighbor in a way that will glorify Me." What does He say differently today. We must operate in His strength and authority in a way that He directs that will glorify Him if we are to please God.
Joe: "Gee, Frank, thanks for the hand. I couldn't have done it without you."
Frank: "Glad to help you out, Frank, but it really wasn't me who helped you out of this mess. It was the One living in me. He is such a tremendous guy. You really ought to meet Him."
Joe: "Really. Well .."
Joe: "Well, there goes Frank to church to meet his God or whatever. I really asked him for a hand but he said it was Sunday and well you know ."
Luke 10:31-32. "and likewise a priest came by " but he had a service to conduct. V. 32 "and likewise a Levite " but he had to collect the offering. Two Christians, filled with the fullness of Jesus Christ, who couldn't be bothered because they had to get to church to meet Jesus Christ. Two Christians, drowning in Living Water, gasping with parched throats that they were dying of thirst, not walking in the reality of the fullness of the living Christ living His life once again in each of them. They had the concept of the historical Christ without the reality that the living Christ, living within them only awaited the opportunity to empower them for His service and glory.
Brothers and sisters, we need to remember that the four gospels and the first chapter of Acts are the dying days of the Old Testament. In His earthly walk, Jesus was an Old Testament Jewish male. He was a carpenter, an itinerant rabbi through whom the power and authority of God flowed. Jesus had no glory in the flesh. "I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work Thou gavest Me to do. And now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was." (John 17:4-5 ACP/KJV)
Who was Jesus in the flesh? "Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made Himself of no reputation and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8 ACP/KJV).
In the flesh, Jesus became the Suffering Servant, the son of man. He had nothing we do not have except the reality rather than the concept of Our Father. (I know My Father because He lives and works through Me. Since He lives in Me, He and I are One) We cannot be one with Christ if we only know Him in concept.
In II Corinthians 5:16-17 Paul says "Wherefore henceforth we know no man after the flesh; yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth we know Him no more. Therefore, if any man be in Christ he is a new creature: "
Paul told the Corinthians that he did not know the Jewish Rabbi as a person and would only teach on the Risen Christ, the Christ with all the power, authority and glory of Jehovah Himself. His goal was to turn the Corinthians into new creatures, new supernaturally empowered creatures. He could not do this if he left them standing under the cross. He was aware the life, the living ministry in Jesus Christ, lay beyond the cross. The cross is only the beginning. The fullness of the Living Christ is the reality of a supernatural, Spirit empowered walk. It turns pew warmers into evangelists, the true calling of each of us.
Larry Austin
Norway, Maine
PLease pray for Danny Calhoun, Danny and Theresa Gilpatrick, Seth Winslow, George Robert and this ministry and all involved with it.
Never ever forget this: There aint no purgatory!
Lord Jesus, please give women a love for their babies, from the moment of conception on, let them love them I pray Thee. Amen.
The Lord bless you all and may He heal Mel's eyes and Myra's ears. May You be with Colby as he is now out of boot camp and into Fleet Marine Corps, A Christian babe amongst many a wolf.
And Lord I ask You to bless those who bless me and mine tenfold for the blessing they are to me.
Amen.
May the Lord understand the importance of Mac, Cecily, Steve, and Rev. Jim Marstaller to this ministry. Lord I need them both healthy and able to continue to hold up their ends. Lord this cancer of Mac's is starting to get in the way, this ministry needs him whole, just a thought Lord, is all it will take, just a thought on Your part.
There is a young man, a veteran who suffers from some kind of chemical weapon exposure, in a Veterans hospital in Colorado, he is young, and he is Saved, yet his wife just abandoned him. Please pray for him, Lord, help him and deal with her and those who hurt him, we ask this of the Father in Your name Lord Jesus, amen.
The Lord our God, Christ Jesus, be with and bless you all, amen.
The difference between a true preacher and a false preacher comes down to this. The true preacher uses God's word to convict of sin, the false preacher twist God's word to justify sin. The Lord our God, Christ Jesus be with you always, amen.
The Lord our God, Christ Jesus, be with you all and please keep your pastor and me in your prayers. Amen. My prayer daily is "Lord please bless those tenfold who bless me."
Pray for the President, pray for Attorney General John Ashcroft, pray for me, pray for all those who open their mouths or take pen in hand in an effort to sway public opinion.
The Lord God of the Universe, Messiah Y'shua be with you all, amen.
It is better to be a horse fly in the stables of the Lord Jesus than the CEO of hell.
All Scripture quoted, in both sermons and daily thoughts, except when done by a guest, is from the ACP/authorized 1611 King James Version. The words in red are those quotes of God the Son, the Lord Jesus and the words in purple are those qoutes spoken directly by God the Father and the words in this sickly greenish color are of satan. But all of the Bible is spoken by God and should be viewed as God's handbook for us to run our lives by 2 Timothy 3:16.
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