Guard the Truth: by Len Paxton

Guard the Truth

2 Timothy 1:13

13     Hold fast the form of sound words (forms the correct Doctrine, which is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified), which you have heard of me (refers to the fact that the Lord gave Paul the meaning and understanding of the New Covenant, which is the Cross [Gal. 1:11–12]), in Faith and Love which is in Christ Jesus. (Anytime Paul uses the phrase, “in Christ Jesus” or one of its derivatives, without exception, he is speaking of what Christ did at the Cross.)

 

 

Swaggart, Jimmy: The Expositor’s Study Bible. Baton Rouge, LA : World Evangelism Press, 2005, S. 2107

 

We are living in a time when many Christians appear to lack strong, definitive theological convictions…

In fact, if you hold firmly to pure and strong doctrine, many people will say that you are unloving and antagonistic.

Doctrine has almost become a dirty word in the times we are living in. The founder of TBN calls doctrine “doodoo”.

But we see from our opening verse that true love and true faith will concern itself with proper doctrine, the foundation of which must be Christ and Him Crucified.

One reason that sound, strong doctrine is ridiculed today is that much (if not most) of today’s preaching is shallow and many people have been lulled into a sleepy spiritual complacency…. Many prefer to hear feel good sermonettes and attend prosperity seminars rather than sitting under sound doctrine.

 

Sad to say, many churches, seminaries, colleges, and professing Christians have defected from biblical truth. So few today understand the great tenets of the Christian faith like Justification and Sanctification by faith; Glorification; the incarnation and Virgin birth of Christ; the baptism in the Holy Spirit; the proper roles for fasting and prayer; etc.. I could name many more but the reader gets the idea… And fewer still can articulate what they believe because most do not know what they believe and do not know what the Bible teaches. All that many do is study their favorite verses and spiritualize everything….

 

Guarding the Word is the most solemn responsibility we have. But fewer and fewer these days are taking that responsibility seriously. And those who do develop strong doctrinal convictions must be prepared for the inevitable times of conflict that will arise when defending truth.

 

1 Timothy 6:20-21

20     O Timothy, keep that which is committed to your trust (refers to the deposit of Truth delivered to him; actually, it would be the entirety of the New Covenant as it was given to Paul; what a responsibility!), avoiding profane and vain babblings (pertains to that which is devoid of Godliness, and empty of content), and oppositions of science falsely so called (should have been translated, “and oppositions of knowledge falsely so-called,” and speaks of the Gnostics):

21     Which some professing have erred concerning the Faith (have turned away from Christ and the Cross). Grace be with you. Amen. (Grace will always be with the Believer who places his Faith exclusively in Christ and His Finished Work.)

 

 

 

Swaggart, Jimmy: The Expositor’s Study Bible. Baton Rouge, LA : World Evangelism Press, 2005, S. 2105

 

 

2 Timothy 1:14

14     That good thing which was committed unto you (presents in such simple words the single most important thing in the world, the Gospel of Jesus Christ) keep by the Holy Spirit (has the help of the Holy Spirit respecting the purity of the Message) which dwells in us. (He is constantly present and, therefore, constantly available!)

 

 

 

 

Swaggart, Jimmy: The Expositor’s Study Bible. Baton Rouge, LA : World Evangelism Press, 2005, S. 2107

 

 

In 2 Tim. 1:14, the Greek word translated “keep” means “to keep safe; preserve from corruption or destruction.”

The phrase “That good thing” could also be translated “treasure”  and refers to the truth as brought forth in the Word of God.

 

It is the Holy Spirit within the believer, that will help us in keeping and guarding the truth of the Word of God and keeping our doctrine pure, if we will put our faith in the finished work of Christ upon the cross and keep it there…

 

Guarding and accurately representing the Word of God (which is the message of the Cross) and all sound doctrine therein, is the primary task of every believer…….

 

Ephesians 4:15 tells us that speaking the truth in love helps us all grow up in Christ…. We should not have a loveless, cold, insensitive orthodoxy. Instead we are to be sensitive yet uncompromising……..

” Almost “: By Chris Tanner

” Almost ” – Evangelist, Chris Tanner !!!

In The Book Of Acts Chapter 26, We See A Very Sad Senario, The Apostle Paul Is Standing Before King Agrippa, And Your Bible Records As Paul Is Preaching The Gospel To The King, That God Was At Work On This Wicked King, A King Who Was known For His Sin, From A Family Of Wicked Rulers, A Traitor Of His Own People, But Yet God Through The Testimony Of The Apostle Paul Is Reaching Out Still To This King “Agrippa”, And Your Bible Says As The Apostle Is Declaring The Testimony Of The Lord, He Asked The King This Question, In Acts 26:27 -“King Agrippa Believest Thou The Prophets ? ” . In Other Words Do You Believe King, What They Prophesied Concerning The Coming Redeemer And Saviour Of The World ? And In Acts 26:28 Your Bible Says King Agrippa Uttered Some Of The Saddest Words A Man Or A Woman Could Ever Say, He Said These Words Your Bible Declares ” Verse 28- ” Paul Thou “ALMOST” Persuadest Me To Be A Christian”. ALMOST, ALMOST, Now We Would Look At This Wicked King And Say Well Now Thats Pretty Good, He Almost Came To Jesus, He Almost Bowed His Knee To Christ, He Almost Surrrendered, No Doubt The Spirit Of God Was At Work Convicting Him, Reaching Out In Love, Even To This Wicked King, And The Holy Spirits Heart Was Yearning To Save Him, No Doubt, But When It Came To The Choice , King AGRIPPA, ALMOST Chose Jesus,For A Moment In Time He Tiltered Between Saying Yes Or No To The Lord, A Moment He Would No Doubt Replay In His Mind For Eternity, What If I Had Said Yes When I Had That Chance ? Oh What I Wouldnt Give To Have That Oppritunity All Over Again, But ALMOST, ALMOST, HE ALMOST CHOSE JESUS, HE HAD THE CHANCE, THE OPPRITUNITY, THAT WAS HIS TIME TO DECIDE, AND HE ALMOST MADE THE RIGHT CHOICE, BUT IN THE END HE DIDNT CHOOSE JESUS, HE CHOSE TO REJECT THE TENDER VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT ALMOST, ALMOST, But With God Brothers And Sisters ALMOST Is The Most Dangerous Place To Be, To ALMOST Be Saved, Is The Same As To ALMOST Not Drowned, But You Still Drowned, To ALMOST Be Found, Is To Still Be Lost, Oh Brothers And Sisters Some One Here Tonight Is In ALMOST, Please Chose Jesus, Dont ALMOST Surrender, Or ALMOST Be A Christian, Or ALMOST COME TO THIS ALTAR AND KNEEL, But Make Up Your Mind To Accept Jesus, Dont You Need Him Tonight, Aren’t You Tired Of The Sin And The Guilt, Be Washed And Be Clean And Free Tonight In Jesus Name, Dont ALMOST Be Rescued, But Surrender To Gods Searching Party, To His Convicting Voice In Jesus Name, There Will Be Soooo MANY IN HELL WHO “ALMOST” Said Yes To Jesus, Dont Be One Of Them, Decide To Decide To Follow Jesus, Amen, Every One Come To This Altar Tonight In Jesus Name. – Taken From A Message Preached By Bro.CHRIS TANNER March 12th 2008 Central Park Topeka, Ks !!!!!

“The Outsider”: by Angie Paxton

“The Outsider”

The other day I was in a situation where I felt like an outsider. I started to think what that felt like and what other times where people feel like an outsider. When we were young we had many opportunities to feel like an outsider. Maybe we were picked last or our so called friends went to the football game without us. Maybe you are alone and at the holidays, when so many are getting together with their families, and you don’t have anywhere to go. Or the past has caused your present to be something other than what you thought it should be. Maybe you are not in the click. Maybe you are the only one in your family saved. Maybe you have been left out of an event that you really wanted to be apart of. You simple felt like an outsider.

There are many situations in the Bible that show how Jesus handled so called outsiders.

John 4 talks about the woman at the well.  vs 6 Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied with his journey, sat thus on the well: and it was about the sixth hour.  7 There cometh a woman of Samaria to draw water: Jesus saith unto her, Give me to drink.

She said how is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a women of Samaria? Jews had nothing to do with samaritans. She was an outsider. But I love verse 4, It says that Jesus must needs go through Samaria. He went that way on purpose, just for this women. He knew she would be there. He knew just what to say to her and what she needed. But when the disciples came they said, “Why talkest thou with her?”. How many times do we make others feel like outsiders??? But That did not matter to Jesus. Her life was changed that day because Jesus came. You are not an outsider when Jesus touches your life. Then she went and told others and many were saved because of her testimony.

Another story comes to mind.

Matthew 20:29-30 And as they departed from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And, behold, two blind men sitting by the way side, when they heard that Jesus passed by, cried out, saying, Have mercy on us, O Lord, thou son of David.

These two blind men were on the outside. But they did not let that stop them when Jesus was passing by. They cried out loud, but those around them tried to get them to be quit. They rebuked them and told them to hold their peace. Oh let us not be like the multitude who told them to be quit. Let us be like those blind men and cry out, WE NO LONGER WANT TO BE OUTSIDERS. JESUS HEAL US… Jesus had compassion on them and they received their sight. Oh praise God! Jesus will heal your hurts and pains. He will touch those things that make you feel like an outsider. He will not listen to the multitude. The blind men were not blind no more, they received their sight and they followed Him… Oh praise God!!
Another women in Matthew 9 had an issue of blood. She was not suppose to go into the  public. She was considered unclean. There are so many people on the outside that are unclean. But she came behind Jesus and touched the hem of his garment and she was healed. No longer an outsider!!!

What about the lepers? Outsiders? Healed!!! Praise God. The poor? The lame? The lonely? The lost? What makes you feel like an outsider?

There are many, many, many stories where Jesus went out of His way to touch the outsiders. He healed them, touched them, changed them and then they were no longer outsiders.

Sin makes us an outsider. Others try to make us an outsider. Satan tries to tells us we are outsiders. We make ourselves outsiders.

Jesus says “Come unto me…”

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Ephesians 2:12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world…
You were one who was on the outside. While you were on the outside, Jesus died for you. You were without hope and without God.
But now because of what Jesus did at Calvary you can be on the inside looking out. Now you are apart of the family of God. You must believe what he did for you and receive what He did. No longer are you an outsider. Don’t let others make you feel that way. Don’t listen to the lies of Satan.
My prayer for you:
Ephesians 3:14-23
14 For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
15 Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
16 That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
17 That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
18 May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
20 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
21 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.
That you may know Him and be apart of the family of God. You don’t have to be an outsider!!!!

LONELINESS: by Carter Conlon

LONELINESS
by Carter Conlon

“Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee. Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily. For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth. My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread. By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin. I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert. I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top” (Psalms 102:1−7).

We don’t know what particular difficulty the writer was experiencing at the time he penned this psalm, but in it we find a common experience—a difficulty that we all face at some point in our lives: loneliness.

Loneliness does not necessarily stem from the fact that someone is indeed alone. Millions of people live in the greater New York area, yet it can be one of the loneliest places on earth. Many people feel alone in their family setting or workplace, perhaps rejected because they have come to Christ while others have not. Even church can be a lonely place for some—even though they stand on their feet and sing praise to the Lord, they know that once service is over, they will be alone once again. They will walk out the door and ask themselves, “Why can’t I get rid of this deep sense of loneliness in my heart?”

If this sentiment is familiar to you, you are in good company. Even the psalmist said, “I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top” (Psalms 102:7). In other words, “I have the anointing of God. I know the purpose of life and why I am on the earth. Christ is everything to me and I live in a place where I have a higher view and see more than ordinary men, like a sparrow upon a housetop—yet I feel so alone.”

LONELINESS IN THE SCRIPTURES

Some of the greatest people in scriptural history struggled with loneliness. David, for example, was anointed to be king of Israel, and the Spirit of God had come upon him. He had God-given talents and abilities and had experienced victories that perhaps no one in his generation had seen. However, at a point in his journey, he found himself in a cave saying, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul” (Psalms 142:4). Nobody understood what he was going through, and in his opinion, nobody really cared to know. He could not find refuge in any of humanity around him.

Or consider the apostle Paul, who likely had the greatest revelation of any writer in his generation. Listen to the words he wrote to Timothy in the last hours of his life: “At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge” (2 Timothy 4:16). How lonely Paul must have been at that moment in his life—especially after his whole journey and all he had given for the churches. Finally, when he was called to answer before the judicial system of his time, not a single person stood with him! How tempted Paul must have been to become overwhelmed when everyone forsook him. Likewise, how tempted we are to throw in the towel when we feel alone.

A DEEPER PURPOSE

Given the prevalence of loneliness throughout the Scriptures and in our own lives, we should consider an important question today: Is it possible that loneliness has a purpose far deeper than we understand? We live in a society that has adopted a theological perspective that pursues to escape all hardship and sorrow. But is it possible that we are constantly trying to escape something that God has intentionally allowed in our lives? Although the Bible promises a day in heaven when there is no sorrow, no sighing, no loneliness and no tears, we are often like the prodigal son—we want our inheritance now. We want church to make us happy, with every message building up our self-image and allowing us to avoid all suffering. Tragically, this pursuit has left much of the Church ill-prepared for the days that we are all about to face.

Now think about this for a moment. There was no loneliness in the human race until sin separated man from God in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve were not lonely—they had fellowship with God and with each other. But when mankind sinned, loneliness entered the hearts of the human race. And loneliness, though not a sin in itself, does lead many people to sin.

The Scriptures say we are enticed and drawn away by our own lusts—that is how sin gains a foundation in the human life. But for many people, it does not begin with lust—it begins with loneliness. People don’t just start browsing pornographic sites because they are filled with lust, nor do they get into bad relationships or substance addictions because they necessarily wanted to. In many cases they are simply lonely, looking for something to satisfy the aching in their heart. And when people come to Christ, they often get the impression that all of this will be gone—that they will never be lonely again. Therefore they begin to wonder, “Well, if I’m never supposed to be lonely again, why do I feel so alone? What’s wrong with me?”

If you are lonely today and have given in to sin, or you are moving toward sin, you have made a wrong choice. You are becoming led by the lusts of your own fallen nature, and you will find yourself in a worse situation than you have ever been in before.

I suggest to you that loneliness is in your heart for a reason—God put it there. After Cain sinned, he was sent as a vagabond in the land, yet God put a mark on him so that no man could hurt him. And when Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden, it seemed that loneliness was put into the human race by God Himself. He put it there because He wants you back to Himself again. You will never find anything to satisfy that ache in your heart. You were created by God, in His image, for fellowship with Him and ultimately for eternity with Him. Search for all the fame, wealth and popularity that you can—but that emptiness in your heart will never be satisfied until you are back in full relationship with God. Nevertheless, mankind incessantly circles this globe looking for some new relationship, some new thrill or activity to satisfy that ache in their heart put there by God Himself.

David said, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me; refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul” (Psalms 142:4). But then in verse 5 he said, “I cried unto Thee, O Lord: I said, Thou art my refuge and my portion in the land of the living.” David was lonely, but he said, “God, I know that You are the only one who can satisfy this ache in my heart. I know that I’ll never be complete until I am back in right relationship and full fellowship with You.”

The Lord wants us to come to understand that Jesus Christ is our only lasting strength and comfort in this world. Sometimes He causes everything to be stripped away until all that remains is a friend who sticks closer than a brother—until we finally stop looking to who is on the left and on the right. Thank God for people—but it is only a living relationship with God through Jesus Christ that will truly satisfy.

SHARING GOD’S HEART

God uses loneliness to draw us to a place where we become fully satisfied in Him, but I believe we should consider another purpose, as well. Is it possible that loneliness in the human heart is God’s way of sharing with us the longing in His heart for people to return to Him? You can waste time focusing on yourself, trying to get rid of that feeling or you can consider another possibility. Christ may be manifesting His heart in you saying, “I love you, I have embraced you, I have called you by My name. But just look away from yourself for a moment and see all the men and women around you, the teenagers on the street, that senior across the hall. I am lonely for them.”

Paul said, “If we suffer, we shall also reign with him” (2 Timothy 2:12). Our loneliness is in measure a part of sharing in the sufferings of Christ, for Jesus Himself experienced loneliness. When people believed in His name simply because they saw His miracles, the Scriptures say that Jesus could not commit Himself to man, for He knew what was in man. At the tomb of Lazarus, Jesus groaned and was troubled at the people’s unbelief, and He wept. When He was with His own disciples explaining how He must go to Jerusalem to be crucified, none of them understood but instead tried to convince Him not to go to the cross. When the people came to make Him a king, He walked away. It must have been lonely.

You see, the only real lasting fellowship Jesus had was with His Father and the Holy Spirit. That’s why He said, “Father, if it be possible, take this cup from Me.” There was nothing of this world that could satisfy Him. I believe even the thought of losing fellowship with the Father for a season was almost unbearable to Jesus. Hebrews 4:15 says, “He was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” If He was not lonely, then this Scripture is not true. Jesus had to be tested in all points as we are, yet He did not sin. He did not try to escape the loneliness, but in spite of it allowed the hand of God to reach out through Him to others—to people whose pain would be eternal if He drew back.

If God’s people spend their days drawing back from humanity, refusing to partake in what it really means to be the Church of Jesus Christ in this world, how many people are going to suffer for all eternity? I thank God Jesus didn’t draw back and say, “Father, the only happiness I have is with You, and I am not willing to forsake it for anything.” If that were the case, we would have no hope.

FOR THE JOY

“…who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross” (Hebrews 12:2). It was for the joy—the joy of you and me being reconciled to God again. It was so that the longing and the loneliness in the heart of God would be satisfied. Did you know that God has a need that only you can meet? Have you ever considered that? Have you ever thought that God might be lonely? If that weren’t the case, couldn’t He have just written off all of humanity? God could have said, “Well, I tried and it didn’t work. Let me create another world with some other people.” But no! When God came down into the Garden of Eden and yelled, “Adam!” He was like a father who had lost his child; like a husband who had lost his wife. There was a loneliness in the heart of God—a loneliness for every person throughout all time who would miss out on the great love and salvation of the Father.

And now Jesus commissions His Church, “As the Father has sent Me, now I send you into the world.” So the question is, should we constantly try to escape all hardship? Should we live solely for our own happiness? Yes, happiness is a wonderful thing, and Christ had times of great joy in His own life. But as the Church of Jesus Christ, are we not still on a redemptive mission to bring people to the Savior? If we did not feel what is in the heart of God for humanity—if we could see a man crying on a bench and not be moved to speak to him—do we really share the heart of God?

If you and I lived on a mountaintop all the time, we would be obnoxious to this world. We would simply come down with our million-dollar smiles and our list of things for people to do to get right with God. There would be absolutely nothing in us that truly represented the Christ who went to a cross. Nothing of that passionate love of Jesus that caused lepers to crawl through a crowd, blind men to cry out on the side of the road, prostitutes to fall at His feet and wash them with their tears.

Yet in our day, in this American church age, can it be that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness has become our theology? Has society so infiltrated the church that we no longer resemble Christ but instead reject everything that could produce His character within us? How foolish it would be to try to throw away something in our lives that God is using to produce compassion in us! After all, lonely people are aware of other lonely people. Once someone has suffered and has had to be comforted by God alone, it is only natural that they become filled with compassion and start reaching out to the needs of others.

For the joy set before us, we should be willing to endure the cross and despise its shame. It is for the joy of men, women and children being reconciled to God, the joy of knowing that the loneliness in our Father’s heart is being satisfied.

PUT IT TO WORK

If you cannot put your finger on the reason for the loneliness in your life, it is likely that God, in His mercy, is sharing His heart with you. He said He would never fail you nor forsake you and He came to you when you reached out to Him. Yes, there is a day coming when there will be no more sorrow and no more tears, but until then, you are given the privilege of sharing the heart of Christ in this world. I am thankful that God doesn’t just allow us to become aloof—distanced from the pain of humanity around us; distanced from the heart of God; singing songs but looking nothing like the Savior.

Don’t keep looking for that “perfect person” to come into your life and take away the loneliness. True, he or she may dull it for a season, but it will come back again. Instead, take that loneliness in your heart and channel it in the right direction, saying, “Lord, thank You for sharing Your heart with me, letting me know how You feel about people. As much as I may long for someone to come into my life, You long so much more for fallen men, women and children to return to You. Help me to focus on You and others rather than on myself.”

As you submit to the Lord, He will give you compassion to move toward people who have that same cry of loneliness in their hearts. They don’t have the answer—but you do! Allow God to use you to represent the heart of Christ in this generation!

Carter Conlon
©2010 Times Square Church

A WORD FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE QUITTING: by Carter Conlon

A WORD FOR THOSE WHO FEEL LIKE QUITTING
by Carter Conlon

If you feel like quitting, this word is for you. Beloved, you are so close to something in God—so close to the victory that your heart has longed for. This is not the time to quit!

“For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: but we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us; ye also helping together by prayer for us, that for the gift bestowed upon us by the means of many persons thanks may be given by many on our behalf” (2 Corinthians 1:8–11).

Paul was saying, “I don’t want you to be ignorant of this. We were on a divine commission from the Lord to bring life and liberty to people who needed to know there is a Savior. When we were involved in this, trouble came against us so suddenly and powerfully that we could not stand against it.”

“…pressed out of measure…” (2 Corinthians 1:8) means the opposition was stronger than any resistance they could find within themselves. They didn’t know how to handle it, which eventually brought them to a point where dying looked better than living. Have you ever reached that place?

Many people today can probably testify, “When I first came to Christ, I had such optimism. Things around me were changing for the better, and the future appeared to be full of great promise. I was given a new heart, a new mind, a new spirit. But suddenly, without warning, things seemed to grow dark—circumstances changed, and threatening voices from without and within grew so loud that I could hardly hear the promises of God. Now I am afraid to go on. I can hardly see hope ahead of me anymore.”

SUDDEN OPPOSITION

It is not uncommon to suddenly and inexplicably face violent opposition while serving Christ. However, it is important to remember that in reality, none of it can conquer you, no matter how it looks. It is like walking through a dark alley and being surrounded by vicious junkyard dogs—yet their chains stop them just short of being able to hurt you.

The devil’s whole tactic is to convince you that the evil around you is going to overpower you. However, he really has no power to stop the work of God in your life, for he was defeated on Calvary. His reign, the law of sin and death, and all the power that he had was cancelled on Calvary. There is nothing he can do but stand on the shores and watch the people of God go through the seas of impossibility into every promise given in Christ Jesus. The only potential power the devil has is when we fall into agreement with his reasoning and embrace his threats. “I don’t think I will ever change. I don’t think I can make it.”

In contrast, consider the words of Paul: “What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” (Romans 8:31–32). Only someone who has come through everything that we must face today could write such words. Paul had to get to the point of understanding that these things were more powerful than he could ever hope to be. His only recourse was quitting and he finally realized that his only help was in God.

“As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, not angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:36–39). I am persuaded! It is easy to be persuaded when you’re on the mountaintop, but being persuaded down in the valley is where you find the difference.

A SEASON OF MIRACLES

“When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spoke with tongues, and prophesied…. And this continued by the space of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. And God wrought special miracles by the hands of Paul” (Acts 19:5–6, 10–11). For at least two years in Ephesus, Paul had experienced unimpeded preaching and miracles. People were receiving the Word of God in unprecedented measure and Scripture says that even handkerchiefs were taken from Paul and placed on people who were deathly ill, and they were healed.

“And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious (magical) arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver” (Acts 19:18–19). There was no religious deception here—people were honest with God and put away their evil practices. They came to an understanding of the depth of Christ on Calvary—the depth of the forgiveness that was bought there. It was an incredible revival! I think most of us would have been happy to live during that time—to see the things that Paul and those who ministered with him saw. However, it soon became evident that it was time to move on. “After these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, After I have been there, I must also see Rome. So he sent into Macedonia two of them that ministered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus; but he himself stayed in Asia for a season” (Acts 19:21–22). After sending Timothy and Erastus on, I believe Paul took just a moment to relax and reflect on all the wonders God had done. Have you ever done that? Have you ever just put your feet up and thought about all the miracles that have happened in your life since you became a Christian? We can picture Paul doing that here—just sitting back for a bit to savor the moment.

Then the next day, all hell broke out! Most commentators agree that this season was what Paul was referring to when he spoke the words of our opening text—“…pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life…” (2 Corinthians 1:8). A local silversmith began to stir up the other idol makers whose trade was in danger due to Paul’s preaching, and they all became infuriated (their profit margin was being affected). It grew into an uproar in the arena, and the people shouted for two hours straight, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians!” Can you imagine being a Christian in the midst of that cacophony—a roar of voices trying to shout down the Word, claiming that something else is greater than the God that you serve?

But that is the tactic of the devil. He was trying to convince Paul and his associates that there was a power greater than the God they were walking with, the one who had begun to manifest His glory. This uproar lasted for quite a while, and Paul was in the midst of it. We don’t have all the details, we just know that it was violent and that society had suddenly turned. The turning point seemed to have been when their god of gold was touched—their god of income and prosperity. At that time this great revival turned inward and turned against the believers.

Similarly, you and I are going to experience opposition from a kingdom that is being overthrown by the presence of God in us. We may know victory for a season, but keep in mind that we are standing for God in a world that is against the ways of God—a world filled with people who, in their own ignorance, are opposing their own salvation. Some of you go to a workplace where those around you tolerate the fact that you are a Christian, and some may even be interested in what you say. That is, until it begins to affect their livelihood—because you are walking honestly while they are not. Then suddenly all hell begins to break out around you.

This world will profess tolerance toward us until their sense of well-being comes into question—until they realize the church is a force in the nation. Then we will find ourselves in the midst of this incredible war, “Great is Diana of the Ephesians! Great is Dow Jones of the United States of America! Great are our corporations and our image of ourselves!”

ENCOURAGE YOURSELF IN THE LORD

I don’t know what you are facing today or what kind of voice is coming against you, but I do know that you do not have to be overcome by it. You are not walking in a kingdom made by the hands of men but rather fashioned by the hand of God Himself. After the apostles witnessed Jesus feed the multitudes with the loaves and fishes, they got into their boat to cross to the other side. Suddenly a violent storm arose and it seemed the elements themselves were trying to throw off the testimony of what Christ had just done. Why did that storm come? The enemy knows that the free gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ is something he must oppose with everything he has.

This was not a chance storm in the apostles’ day and this same storm will come against every believer today. If you find yourself losing strength in a storm, you are a partaker of what others before you have gone through. Search the Scriptures and you will see that those who walked with God ended up facing all types of opposition. Daniel was thrown into a den of lions and Elijah had to flee from a wicked king. King David, mighty king of Israel, had a great anointing on his life and had won many victories in battle. Yet suddenly he found himself completely alone—the only ones who came near were those who were against him. But he did what you and I need to do in such seasons—he encouraged himself in the Lord.

You must go back in your mind and remember how good God has been to you. David remembered how God’s anointing had come upon him. He remembered victories in his life—fighting the lion and the bear and running into the valley to face Goliath. He also remembered picking up his harp and singing to King Saul, binding the devil so that he was no longer able to torment him. David thought about these things and encouraged himself in the Lord.

David went into the closet of prayer, and God showed him a way through. That is why he could write, “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me, thy rod and thy staff they comfort me” (Psalms 23:4). God was saying, “I am not going to take you out immediately; I am going to take you through. I am going to show you where strength is.” With his few men, David pursued what was lost, and although the odds were overwhelmingly against him, everything was restored—“Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit…” (Zechariah 4:6). David concluded, “I will not get through this by reasoning or by figuring a way over or around. I will get through it just the way I started—by the supernatural power of Almighty God.”

When you get to the end, you will have a song, but that song will not be about how you figured it all out. That song will be, “Jesus took me through, Jesus saved me, Jesus carried me, Jesus walked with me, Jesus defeated my enemies, Jesus took me over the finish line.” You are more than a conqueror! There is no prison door that can hold you. There is no roaring voice that can drown out the voice of Almighty God, and no plan of hell formed against you can prosper. You are a child of God, and Jesus said, “I am taking you through to the other side.” Hallelujah!

BEACAUSE OF PRAYER

Look again at Paul’s words: “…he will continue to deliver us. He will rescue us because you are helping by praying for us. As a result, many will give thanks to God because so many people’s prayers for our safety have been answered” (2 Corinthians 1:10–11, NLT). Paul acknowledged that God would rescue them because people prayed, and as a result many would give thanks to God. I believe one of the greatest victories we will know in our time is simply the awareness that we are not walking this journey alone. It is not just about me, and it is not just about you, it is about the whole body of Christ. We spend so much of our time praying for ourselves, don’t we? “Lord, help me; Lord, bless me; Lord, keep me; Lord, why me?” But the Lord says, “Would you let Me expand your thinking a little bit?” As you pray for those presently going through a tough season, when God brings them through, they will pray for you when your time comes. Then there will be great rejoicing, and many will give thanks to God.

How are we going to get through the days ahead? How are we even going to get through the present time? We will get through because we are going to pray and believe the promises of God. We will get through because we are moving together as a body—nobody will be left behind. That was the cry of Moses, “We will go with our young and with our old, with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go… Our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not an hoof be left behind” (Exodus 10:9, 26). As the church—the Bride of Christ—we are going to make it to the other side. We are heading out of here—going home!

Today you may feel “pressed out of measure, above strength,” as Paul wrote. People are facing serious battles. Some have lost children; some don’t know where their next meal is coming from; some are fighting for their sanity; marriages are falling apart. I want you to know that we are standing with you—you are not alone. We are praying for God’s grace and strength to be yours. You are not going to be overwhelmed; you are not going to go down—we are fighting this together, and we will walk in the victory Jesus has already secured for us. Hallelujah!

Carter Conlon
©2010 Times Square Church

Fear of Failure: by Angie Paxton

Fear of Failure”

“Freedom Is not Free!”

There are many types of fear. One that grips a lot of people today is the fear of failure. We try to be perfect because we don’t want to fail. We don’t want to fail our family, our friends, ourselves, and God. But this can steal your joy and can stop you from growing and going forward in God.

When you fear like this it will stop you from getting involved with something you were asked to do, because you are afraid to fail. God almost always ask you to do things that you can not do. He wants us to depend on Him. With fear of failure you won’t walk out on faith and just do what ever God ask you to do. You won’t take risk. This will limit you and your service for God.

The fear of failure can put one into depression. You feel though you let everyone down and that you are not worth anything. Once you are depressed it can be hard to come out of it. You have no motivation & little hope. Fear of failure has turned many to drugs and drinking. We must remember our life & who we are is not based on our success or failure.

Many people have feared failure, Moses did. Exodus 4:10 (Amp.)

“And Moses said to the Lord, O Lord, I am not eloquent or a man of words, neither before not since you have spoken to your servant, for I am slow of speech & have a heavy & awkward tongue.”

One of the first things people do when they fear failure is to make excuses to why they can not do something. God does not want us to do this. Many times in the bible the first thing God says to people when He ask them to do something is Fear Not! He knows that people will not go forward and do the great things He has asked if they are afraid.  Fear hinders us from doing what God wants us to do. We must remember we are not to do anything in our own strength & wisdom. (do all things unto the Lord, You can do all things through Him)

God answer to Moses: “and the Lord said to him, Who has made man’s mouth? or who makes the dumb, or the deaf, or the seeing, or the blind? Is it not I, the Lord? Now therefor go & I WILL BE WITH YOUR MOUTH & will teach you what you shall say.

See God is with us. He will teach us. He has made us who we are. He is our strength.

Gideon was just like Moses. Judges 6:15

“Gideon said to the Lord, oh Lord, how Can I deliver Israel? (first we question God, then here comes the excuse) Behold, my clan is the poorest in Manasseh, & I am the least in my father’s house.”

But again God answers Him: “surely I WILL BE WITH YOU…” vs 23 “DO NOT FEAR”.

See God will always be with us. He will teach us and show us what and how to do what ever He ask us to do.

It is not what we do or not do that gives us relief from the fear of failure. It is because God sent His Son Jesus to die for us, so we could have life, even though we did not deserve it. He does not kick us our when we fail. He forgives us & cleanses us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

We have been justified and forgiven. He has succeeded, so it is not weather we succeed or fail that matters. It is what He did!! We have right standing with God because of what Jesus did at the Cross. 2 Cor. 5:21, Heb. 10:17.

Rom. 5:8 While we were yet sinners Christ Died for us. (We were failures, when he died for us)

Christ alone is the source of our peace. We do not need to fear failure, because He is our strength.

Isaiah 64:6 For we all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteousness (OUR BEST DEEDS OF RIGHTNESS AND JUSTICE) is like filthy rags or a polluted garment; we all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind, take us away (far from God’s favor, hurrying us toward destruction).

Our best deeds are like filthy rags. WOW! We go around Fearing failure and even our best deeds are like polluted garments. There is nothing we can do without God that means anything or is good for anything. (without Him we are nothing) So lets stop making excuses and lets stop fearing failure and lets “GO FORTH” and do what God has called us to do without fear!! He said He would be with us. He would provide for us. As He told Moses “Have I not made your mouth?” He can give us the words to say, the deeds to do, and the strength and wisdom to succeed. So do not let Fear of Failure hinder you. Let God be God and follow Him. He will not leave you, nor forsake you!!!!!

“Don’t Park There”: by Angie Paxton

“Don’t Park There”

Many times in life we get stuck in the mud. We do the same thing everyday and become religious. We have had many things happen to us and we have been hurt. Many times we sit and look back at the things we did or didn’t do and we park there. We have had loss or missed an opportunity because of sin and we park there. We stop moving in what God would have us do or what He would have us be.

We are not to live in the past and we are not to park there. Memories will come. Thoughts will come. What are you going to do about them? You could even have had some good things happen in your life. God has done some great things and you have not moved on to the next thing He has for you because you have made that thing a god. You look to that thing instead of looking to God for direction and guidance. So it is not just bad things that cause us to park. God has a plan and purpose for your life. He is not a wasteful God. The bible says to redeem the time… Meaning making the most of the time we have for Him.

Many people live in the past. First they replay in their minds the good old days. They think about it over and over. They meditate on it over and over. Then that is all they talk about. “I remember when…”, It was better times back then.” They talk about it over and over. Then others look back to the bad times they had and the things that they went through. Those things that made a strong impression on their minds. Mistakes that they mad or times where someone hurt them really bad. They replay it over and over in their mind. Then they start talking negative and get depressed. People do not know how to live in today. Don’t get me wrong I believe some people have been hurt. But we do not & should not live in the past.

Looking back is a sure end in going back. Many people give up and go back because they park until they have looked back so much, they just go back. They go back to the things in life God has delivered them from. They go back to the mountain top where they once were at.

We have’t yet scratched the surface of the work that needs to be done in the hearts & lives of people. God has a plan and purpose now for you. He doesn’t keep a person in the past. God is the “I AM”, not the I was. He deals with people where they are at now, not what they could have been, or what has been in the past.

Phil. 3:13-14Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

Everyday we must look forward at what God is doing now. Forget those things in the past, good or bad. We must remember the things God has done for us only to encourage ourselves in the Lord, not to stay back there. So instead of rehearsing the problem or the terror or trouble, rehearse, reflect, and live out and reflect His nature in your hearts and lives. Park at His goodness, His Character, and be in awe about him.

Lets look at some things to ponder and meditate on.

Gen. 9:16 … Remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature…

Deut. 8:1,18 : 16:3,12 Remember what the Lord has done, where He has brought you through, and where He has brought you from.

1 Chron. 16:12 Remember His marvelous works and His wonders…

Ps. 63:6 Remember Him and meditate on Him day and night.

Like David in Ps. 9:1 I will Praise you, OH Lord, with my whole heart: I will show forth (recount & tell aloud) all your marvelous works and wonderful deeds!

Ps. 16:7-11 I will bless the Lord, who has given me counsel. Yes, my heart instructs me in the night season. I have set the Lord continually before me, because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

Ps 18:33 He makes my feet like hinds feet [able to stand firmly or make progress on the dangerous heights of testing & trouble]: He sets me securely upon my high places.

Eph. 4:23 … be renewed in the spirit of your mind.

You are no longer a slave of your past or your former way of life!!

There are so many scriptures that we can meditate on.

Phil. 4:8-9 8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.

9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.

Fix your mind on these things… Practice & model your way of living on it…

Forgetting those things behind, pressing forward, fix your mind on the Cross and your Faith in the Cross will produce:

Phil. 4:13
I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who infuses inner strength into me; I am self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

So live today, do not look back or meditate on the past. Cover it with the Cross. Only Park at His goodness, His word, and sanctify your heart unto Him. This must be done daily. When satan tries to bring things up, tell him that is under the blood. Then tell him, My God… My strength…My savior…My Redeemer…My Shield…MyBuckler…My Shepherd…My Light…My Righteousness…My Salvation…My Deliverer …My Refuge…My Lord…My God…, My Great Physician …is in me. Greater is He that is in me, than He that is in the world. Satan the blood of Jesus is against you. Praise God be set free from the bondage of Fear and Terror!!!!!!

THIS IS TRAGIC: by Len Paxton

THIS IS TRAGIC

The Zen Episcopalian

By Mark Tooley

The modern Episcopal Church always strives to stay ahead of the latest fads. In recent years it has dealt with its first openly homosexual bishop, its first Islamic priest, and its first Druid priest. Now it might be on the verge of electing its first Buddhist bishop.

Kevin Thew Forrester, who is ordained both as an Episcopal priest and as a lay Zen Buddhist, was elected bishop by the Diocese of Northern Michigan (the Upper Peninsula) in February. He is also known as “Genpo,” or “Way of Universal Wisdom.” A majority of Episcopal bishops and diocesan standing committees now must consent to his election by July. The 2003 election of actively homosexual Gene Robinson as New Hampshire’s bishop has already fueled schism within the Episcopal Church and the global Anglican Communion. Would a Buddhist bishop add to the division, or merely be an anticlimax?

“I have been blessed to practice Zen meditation for almost a decade,” Forrester has explained. “About five years ago a Buddhist community welcomed me as an Episcopal priest in my commitment to a meditation practice — a process known by some Buddhists as ‘lay ordination.’” He further opined: “Literally thousands of Christians have been drawn to Zen Buddhism in particular because, distinct from western religions, it embodies a pragmatic philosophy and a focus on human suffering rather than a unique theology of God.”

Forrester, who is 51 and has been an Episcopal priest since 1994, insists Zen Buddhism is compatible with his faith. “It’s not a matter of holding two faiths. There’s one faith and it’s Christianity,” he told a local Michigan newspaper. “The gift is that that faith is deepened by my meditative practice and I’m eternally grateful to Zen Buddhism for teaching me that practice and receiving me as an Episcopal priest.” Forrester insists that his faith allows him to be “open to receive the truth and the beauty and goodness, and the wisdom from the other religious traditions of the world, and to be in dialogue with them.”

The diocese to which Forrester has been elected bishop has only 27 churches, has lost 30 percent of its membership, and now has fewer than 2000 souls, fewer than 700 of whom actively attend church. But consent to his election by the Episcopal Church will elevate him in the global Anglican communion, whose more than 800 bishops preside over nearly 80 million communicants. An Anglican bishop in Nigeria or Sudan may preside over many tens of thousands of members and arduously commute, sometimes by bicycle, across many hundreds of miles of dirt roads. Small, liberal, and affluent dioceses in the U.S. can afford to be more esoteric in their selection of bishops, who have fewer responsibilities.

According to a Diocese of Northern Michigan statement, Forrester was “drawn into the Christian-Zen Buddhist dialogue through centering prayer and his desire to assist persons in their own transformation in Christ.” He has practiced Zen meditation for nearly 10 years and, “with marvelous hospitality, the Buddhist community welcomed him in his commitment to meditation practice as an Episcopal priest.”

An Episcopal theologian who assisted the Northern Michigan Diocese in its election similarly explained that “Buddhism is a set of practices similar to Christian practices about meditation and awareness and compassionate living.” She insisted Zen Buddhism could be “practiced without detriment to doctrine” and there are “a number of bishops” in the Episcopal Church who “engage in and have experience of Buddhist practices of mediation.” So if his election is confirmed, Forrester apparently will not be alone among the bishops.

Forrester’s confirmation by most Episcopal bishops may be less than automatic. Even several non-conservative bishops have publicly opposed him. Bishop of Southern Ohio Thomas Breidenthal says he’s concerned not so much about the Zen Buddhism as about Forrester’s seeming denial of the Christian understanding of salvation.

“According to Thew Forrester, Jesus revealed in his own person the way that any of us can be at one with God, if only we can overcome the blindness that prevents us from recognizing our essential unity with God,” Breidenthal noted. “The problem here is that the death of Jesus as an atonement for our sins is completely absent, and purposely so. As I read Thew Forrester, nothing stands between us and God but our own ignorance of our closeness to God. When our eyes are opened, atonement (not for our sins, but understood as a realization of our essential unity with God) is achieved.”

The Southern Ohio bishop worried that Forrester’s teaching “flies in the face of what I take to be the conviction at the heart of our faith tradition, namely, that we are in bondage to sin and cannot get free without the rescue God has offered us in Jesus, who shouldered our sins on the cross.” Breidenthal observed that Forrester’s sermons, once publicly available on his home congregation’s website, have recently been removed.

Of course, most of Forrester’s sermons had already been downloaded by countless curious Anglicans. The Arkansas Democrat Gazette wrote extensively about Forrester’s theology, reporting that the proposed bishop “denies that Satan exists,” “doesn’t believe God sent his only-begotten son to die for the sins of the world,” “says that the Koran is sacred,” and altered the Apostles’ Creed, all while aspiring to become a “successor to the Apostles.”

The Gazette quoted Forrester’s Buddhist abbot fondly remembering when the Episcopal priest “donned ceremonial garb, kneeled with his hands in a praying position, took Buddhist vows and received his new dharma name” of Genpo.

Early this month, the Seattle Episcopal priest who professed also to be a Muslim was defrocked by her bishop. In 2005, a Pennsylvania Episcopal priest who had been outed as a Druid (he belonged to the Order of Bards, Ovates, and Druids) was forced to resign by his bishop. Having rejected Muslim and Druid priests, will the Episcopal Church now affirm a Buddhist bishop? We’ll know this summer.

My Thought: This is a tragic situation. The Lord help us- Len

PASSING THROUGH THE GATES OF BETRAYAL: by Carter Conlon

PASSING THROUGH THE GATES OF BETRAYAL
by Carter Conlon

Many people have suffered betrayal as a Christian. This often causes them to live in a place of defeat where God cannot pour into them his full provision. As you read this message I believe there is going to be deliverance for you. Deliverance will mean not living behind gates of betrayal, where the devil would want to keep you.

BETRAYAL CAN HAVE A PURPOSE IN YOUR LIFE
Psalm 105:16-22: Moreover he called for a famine upon the land: he brake the whole staff of bread. He sent a man before them, even Joseph, who was sold for a servant: Whose feet they hurt with fetters: he was laid in iron: Until the time that his word came: the word of the LORD tried him. The king sent and loosed him; even the ruler of the people, and let him go free. He made him lord of his house, and ruler of all his substance: To bind his princes at his pleasure; and teach his senators wisdom. To fully grasp how God can have a purpose through betrayal, let us take a look at the life of Joseph. He was the man whom God would one day use to supply provision for others, including his own family. God had a plan to preserve the lives of his own people which ultimately involved moving them to another place. To do this he sent a severe famine throughout the land. Before God would bring about this time of great provision through Joseph, he was first called to walk a very difficultpath. We read in verse 18, God took Joseph on a journey that literally brought pain to his feet. In other words, God allowed hard times to come into Joseph’s life to prepare him for what was ahead. For God’s provision to flow through you to others it may mean taking journeys in life that you and I would rather not take and places we would rather not go. Some of you have had to walk a very hard path, and you’ve had these conflicts in your mind: “God, I thought this was going to be a walk of blessing. I thought it was going to be one of constant provision and joy. I’ve had this impression, but I seem to be called to walk in such a difficult place, enduring hardship when others around me appear to be on an easier journey.”

DREAMS THAT GOD GIVES
Remember when you were a child and your feet hit the ground with wonderful expectations of life? You lived in anticipation of what was going to happen every day. Joseph was like this in his early years when he had a dream in his heart. In Genesis 37, it says he dreamed God loved him and he would one day be in a highly favored position. God also has an incredible purpose concerning your life, something only you can do, and the moment you come to him, he begins to let you know what it is. It may not be grand in the sight of man, but it’s grand in the sight of God. He looks down upon you with favor, and empowers you, fulfilling the purpose that has been assigned to your life. God gives you the desire, and then fulfills that desire.

BETRAYED BY FAMILY
As a teenager, Joseph, knew he had been favored by God. Even though his life, he could not have known it would include being betrayed by his family. In much the same way when you were a young Christian, you set out on this journey with an incredible sense of the favor of God on your life. You loved everyone and everyone loved you. Wrong! Joseph’s father had said to him, “Go and see how your brothers are doing,” so he headed down the road that day in childlike obedience. But when Joseph met up with his brothers they laid hold of him, and in a moment of jealousy sold him into slavery to passing traders. These traders took Joseph bound with chains
into Egypt. Joseph endured things that would stop most people in their tracks. This betrayal by his family was the beginning of a journey that would result in many years of suffering. I don’t know if there’s any deeper betrayal than that which comes from those whom you thought loved you, those you became vulnerable with. Some of you have known this pain, even when you came to Christ and thought everything was going to be different.

BETRAYED BY EVERYONE AROUND HIM
After several years in Egypt and faithful service to a man called  Potiphar, Joseph was again betrayed. Potiphar’s wife could not gain Joseph’s affections so she decided to cause him great harm by slandering his character to her husband. This man knew Joseph would not have acted with any impropriety, but still he chose to believe this evil report and had Joseph imprisoned. While in jail Joseph is betrayed once again by a fellow inmate. This man promised to help Joseph when he was in a position to do so, but immediately after his release he forgot all about Joseph. I don’t know about you, but after thirteen years of this, I might be inclined to pack it in, find a cabin somewhere and just give up.

THE DOORWAY OF SUFFERING
The New Testament tells us that suffering is, in measure, a doorway to a depth of Christ that you cannot know in any other way. Through suffering, God can bring you into some of the darkest prisons to minister to people in their suffering; to give them true hope and not just theories and pat scriptural answers. Look at Paul and Silas. We want to sing about their victory, the earthquake that opened prison doors, and the jailer and his family being saved. We forget that the precursor to the prison doors opening were stripes laid on their backs, false accusations, public beatings and humiliation. Paul said in Philippians 3:10: That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his suffering, being made conformable unto his death. Paul knew suffering was a  doorway to fellowship with Christ.

ARE YOU WILLING TO GO THROUGH SUFFERING
Matthew 20:20 — Then came to him the mother of Zebedee’s children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. James and John answered, “We are able to drink of this cup.” How quickly we answer God, and run to the altar, not understanding what we are asking for. Jesus said to James and John, “You want to sit with me where I am. Are you then able to endure rejection, betrayal, and wrath that you do not deserve without losing heart and focus? Are you able to drink the cup I have to drink to get to that place? Are you willing to be baptized with the same baptism I’m baptized with? Are you willing to walk in the will of God, and allow God’s plan for your life to be fulfilled? Can you follow me even if it means pain, sorrow, misunderstanding, being scorned and even death? Are you willing to let me be your source of life and supply to others?” Jesus could ask this because He was a man who would be betrayed. He was betrayed by Judas. He was betrayed by countless hundreds, maybe even thousands; some of whom he may have even fed on the mountaintops. This crowd stood before him and said, “Away with him, give us a murderer, give us a thief— away with this Christ—crucify him.” Jesus went to the cross and suffered the wrath of God, the wrath we deserved. So the question remains, “Are you able to drink the cup I have had to drink?”
PROVING OF YOUR FAITH
The enemy’s plan while Joseph was imprisoned was to keep him behind the gates of betrayal for all of his days; to have him believe he should merely endure people and look out only for himself. Yet these trials were permitted in Joseph’s life to increase his faith and trust in God. God’s plan for his people was to flow through Joseph with incredible provision.  Unfortunately, there are many people in the Body of Christ who have never come close to fulfilling what God has for their lives. Could this be you? Instead of growing in faith you sit behind the gates of betrayal not willing to trust people or be vulnerable again. You don’t like people, loving people is no longer an option. You can’t come under leadership, because leadership at some point betrayed you, whether it was your father, mother, guardian, or a boss. You vowed never to trust leadership again. You cannot come under authority, you cannot walk in a ministry, or in unity with anyone else. You are living exactly where the devil wants you to be. You might have heard sermons like these before, occasionally gone to the altar, and asked God to help you forgive. You might have had momentary relief, but you were not really free the way you thought you were going to be. You might be discouraged, but don’t despair. God will not allow you to go through a trial without His power and aid. 1Corinthians 10:13: There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.Every person who has been used in any considerable measure in God’s kingdom has had to go through betrayal. You see it throughout the scriptures. Jesus Christ was betrayed. John the Baptist, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were all betrayed. Look throughout history and you will find all great men and women who were used of God went through the gates of betrayal. You will not know the fullness of what God wants for you if you cannot get through these same gates.

JOSEPH’S JOURNEY THROUGH THE GATES OF BETRAYAL
Once Joseph was released from prison, he was placed in a position where he had the keys to great provision, even for those who had wounded him. People are going to come to you because you are in  Christ, sitting in a place where there is abundant provision. Hungry people that once wounded you, people in your neighborhood, on your job, in your family, will seek you out and you are going to have to deal with this. When Joseph’s brothers first appeared before him, the memory of their betrayal came flooding back. Genesis 42:7: Joseph saw his brethren, and he knew them and made himself strange to them, and spoke roughly to them. The best Joseph could do at this time was to speak roughly to them. Sometimes that’s just where you are. You can’t speak civilly to people who have hurt you. You try to cover it with some Christian words, but there is a roughness in your speech. It’s not defeat. This was just the beginning of God bringing Joseph through the gates of betrayal, and he will do the same for you. Joseph’s brothers stood before him and claimed to be honest men. When Joseph asked, “Who are you?” they replied that they were all one man’s sons and true men. Yet here they were standing before the man they had once betrayed. When somebody has betrayed you and they are unwilling to admit their fault, they stand before you in self-righteousness. This might be one of the most galling moments you have to go through as a Christian. God had already revealed to Joseph there would be a famine for seven years. He knew there was no hope of his brothers and family ever surviving, yet it was within his power to provide for them. He must have had a battle in his mind. If you have the provision of God, why should you give it to those who have betrayed you? They were not even willing to admit who they were—betrayers! Joseph placed them all in prison for three days. This might have made him feel good at the time. You might also feel a sense of justification when you keep people in a prison of unforgiveness for days on end. But the scripture says in Matthew 18:28: But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellow servants, which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. And his fellow servant fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt. So when his fellow servants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. Then his lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

MERCY TRIUMPHS OVER JUDGEMENT
I can’t help but wonder what was going on in Joseph’s heart the three days his brothers were in prison. Maybe the Lord reminded Joseph of the mercy he had been shown when he was in jail. So on the third day Joseph said to his brothers, this do and live, for I fear God…go ye, carry corn for the famine of your houses. This is about as merciful as Joseph could get; he told them, “Just go. Here’s your corn – just leave.” You might think by this action Joseph had  forgiven all the debt, but he still had a way to go. In Genesis 42:22-24, Joseph hears the brothers talking in their distress, as Reuben exclaims, Did I not tell you, Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required. And they knew not that Joseph understood them; for he spake unto them by an interpreter. And he turned himself about from them, and wept. Joseph battled in his heart; he saw his brothers were only concerned about the present trouble they were in. He hears no true sorrow for what they had done to him. You see, for Joseph, it was no longer about the fact they betrayed him; rather, it was the fact that they were not dealing truthfully with the deception of their own hearts.

A YEARNING FOR RECONCILIATION
Despite the struggle of his heart there was a growing yearning for reconciliation in Joseph. You see this in Genesis 43:30, And Joseph made haste; for his bowels did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber, and wept there. And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said, Set on bread. Joseph yearned for reconciliation with his brothers but wasn’t sure if he could be vulnerable with them. A desire to be reconciled with people who have hurt you is clear evidence you are moving through the gates of betrayal. You know Joseph is now passing through into the victory God had originally intended for him as he opens himself up to his brothers. Genesis 45:1-5, Then Joseph could not refrain himself before all them that stood by him; and he cried, Cause every man to go out from me. And there stood no man with him, while Joseph made himself known unto his brethren. And he wept aloud. God does not always call you to go back to past hurts with a big smile on your face. There are real emotions involved. When you go back to someone who hurt you, it may involve a lot of tears. Joseph was now willing to do it. He had come to the point of understanding God’s plan and therefore wept aloud, saying, I am Joseph your brother, whom ye sold into Egypt. Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.

THE GATES OF HELL CANNOT PREVAIL
When you finally get to this point in your life as Joseph did, you understand God has been in control all along. Everything he allowed in your life was for a divine purpose and this purpose was to be a source of provision for others. You are called to walk with him, to drink the cup that he drank. God loves you, even though in your hurt you may have drawn back from Him. Jesus said, “You are my church and the gates of hell cannot prevail against you.” It’s time for you not to let wounds and hurts stop you from what God has for your life, and the provision that he is going to flow through you. The gates of hell cannot prevail! That means they can’t hold you back if you have a heart for truth. If you have a heart for God, and if you want to go on with Christ, then no gate can ever stop you. Hallelujah!

IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO ARISE
I want to challenge you with everything that is in me becauseof the lateness of the hour we live in. The famine is already here, and people are starving. It’s time for you to arise; the gate is open, but you have to make the choice to walk through it. Joseph did and was blessed on the other side. David also made the choice and he too was blessed. In Psalm 23, he wrote Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death… He did not remain in the valley but walked through it to the other side. David realized the revelation of the promises and provision of God in his life came when he walked through the valley. Therefore he could say, God’s provision of Goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life. I shared the life of Joseph in this message to show that with God there is a process involved in moving through the gates of betrayal. You no longer have to live behind those invisible bars of past betrayals. You will be vulnerable once again. Will you get hurt? Probably! But will you get through it? Absolutely! The end result of this victory will be even greater provision from God. God will give you fresh insight into his Word; he’ll give you boldness and words of knowledge and faith in troubled times. You will stand in the midst of adversity and be a testimony for the living God.

Carter Conlon
November 12, 2006
©2006 Times Square Church

THERE IS A SONG IN EVERY BARREN WOMB: by Carter Conlon

THERE IS A SONG IN EVERY BARREN WOMB
by Carter Conlon

1 Samuel 2:27–36: And there came a man of God unto Eli, and said unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Did I plainly appear unto the house of thy father, when they were in Egypt in Pharaoh’s house? And did I choose him out of all the tribes of Israel to be my priest, to offer upon mine altar, to burn incense, to wear an ephod before me? and did I give unto the house of thy father all the offerings made by fire of the children of Israel? Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people? Wherefore the Lord God of Israel saith, I said indeed that thy house, and the house of thy father, should walk before me for ever: but now the Lord saith, Be it far from me; for them that honour me I will honour, and they that despise me shall be lightly esteemed. Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house. And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever. And the man of thine, whom I shall not cut off from mine altar, shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. And this shall be a sign unto thee, that shall come upon thy two sons, on Hophni and Phinehas; in one day they shall die both of them. And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever. And it shall come to pass, that every one that i left in thine house shall come and crouch to him for a piece of silver and a morsel of bread, and shall say, Put me, I pray thee, into one of the priests’ offices, that I may eat a piece of bread. This is a message for all who find themselves in a time of discouragement. By the close of this word, however, I believe you will be rejoicing in the Lord.

A BARREN RELIGIOUS SYSTEM
Now in times past, the people of God had taken the testimony he determined they should have of him and turned it into a false religion. When that happened, that generation was dealt with by God. God has a pattern of dealing with his people in his Word and it does not change from generation to generation. We read in the book of Samuel that the religious condition of Eli’s day had produced immoral and self-seeking sons. Eli was a type of backslidden priesthood. He was a priest in Israel who had lost his authority and with it the people’s respect because he could not correct his sons. The previous scripture verses tell us that Hophni and Phinehas, Eli’s sons, were flagrantly promiscuous and randomly fornicated with women while in the service of God. Furthermore, they were no longer content to live by faith. Instead of being satisfied with regular meat offerings as provided by the Lord, they demanded the choicest cuts. This resulted in abhorrence for the Lord’s offering by the people. Before we completely castigate this priesthood and say how immoral and religiously corrupt it was, let us remember that in the Book of Revelation we, too, are called kings and priests unto the Lord. The question we are then forced to ask ourselves in this hour is: “How am I representing Christ before my generation?” It’s easy to criticize those who have gone before us while failing to realize that we, in part, might be following in their very footsteps. Undoubtedly numerous warnings had come to Eli and his sons that had gone unheeded. Then one day a man of God appeared. This is the way God does it; he finds a vessel on whom he can place an anointing. This anointed man was fearless in bringing stern warnings of impending judgment, saying God would no longer tolerate those who refused to listen to his warnings. Ironically, 1 Samuel 2:25 tells us that the sons of Eli couldn’t hear godly instruction anymore. And the reason they couldn’t hear was because God had determined to slay them. Their reckless misrepresentation of his life and character had robbed those people seeking knowledge of who he was. Their disregard of this sacred trust sparked the flash point of God’s judgment. He was literally going to remove them out of the picture.

THE LOSS OF WISDOM
Behold, the days come, that I will cut off thine arm, and the arm of thy father’s house, that there shall not be an old man in thine house (1 Samuel 2:31). This judgment of God speaks of the loss of wisdom and of a people who rise and lose respect for those who have gone before them. There would not be an old man in the house, no grandfather, no father of the faith. Young, inexperienced men, perhaps in their late twenties or early thirties, led largely by their ambition and fleshly lusts and desires for success, are leading the house of God. Look around today and you will see the system that is under the justice of God. They cast away the old as if they were no longer of any value to the house of God. I thank the Lord that in this house of Times Square Church, we have and have had men of maturity and experience such as Pastor David Wilkerson, Ben Crandall and the late Pastor Jack West who have all spoken words of life, encouragement, and direction to this body of believers. The scriptures speak of this a second time: And thou shalt see an enemy in my habitation, in all the wealth which God shall give Israel: and there shall not be an old man in thine house for ever (1 Samuel 2:32). God said, “Eli, you are going to see an enemy come in and take away all the wealth that I would have given you: the knowledge of God, the life of God, the treasure of God.” Eli lived to see this when the Philistine army came in. And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain (I Samuel 4:11). The shock of it all caused Eli to fall backward off his seat, break his neck and die (v. 18). It’s not as if the Word wasn’t there with him; it was, but he could not hear it clearly anymore. Perhaps it was because Eli had become comfortable in his priesthood, and then overnight everything he cherished was suddenly taken away, including his own life. This warning of God continues unto all future generations. In verse 33: …shall be to consume thine eyes, and to grieve thine heart: and all the increase of thine house shall die in the flower of their age. Young men full of ambition will rise in this type of ministry just mentioned, and remove the true vision of God from before your eyes. They see you as possible donors for their cause and not as precious members of the body of Christ. But as these young men begin to look like the new rising stars in the church of Jesus Christ, they will suddenly fall. God will not let them go beyond a certain point since they do not truly represent him. Technically speaking, a man should be at his zenith as he grows older. What an incredible judgment of God.

GOD WILL RAISE UP A MINISTRY TO REPRESENT HIM
And I will raise me up a faithful priest, that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind: and I will build him a sure house; and he shall walk before mine anointed for ever (1 Samuel 2:35). The judgment of God is not complete until a ministry with his heart and mind is raised up again. It’s just as he does with us. When you come to Christ, the Holy Spirit takes the old away, and brings in the new. This is the pattern of God: he begins to remove your old way of thinking and he gives you a new mind; he takes away your old selfish heart and gives you a heart that has his love in it; he removes confusion of mind and then sets a clear pathway before you; he takes the old away, and brings in the new. So judgment is not fully complete until God establishes the new order. This has been God’s pattern all throughout history.

A BARRENNESS RESERVED BY GOD FOR A DAY OF HIS CHOOSING
In the midst of the backslidden priesthood, God had reserved a woman with a barren womb for himself. This was his plan right from the beginning. This woman came with her husband yearly to the temple to offer a sacrifice and the scripture says, … for he loved Hannah: but the Lord had shut up her womb (1 Samuel 1:5). It is important to note that Hannah’s closed womb was not caused by a medical problem. It wasn’t the devil. God shut her womb. He had destined this woman to bring life at a certain point in history. He forewarned Eli of his judgment and had a plan to raise up a faithful priest (1 Samuel 2:35). And as he did so year by year, when she went up to the house of the Lord, so she [her adversary] provoked her; therefore she wept, and did not eat (1 Samuel 1:7). Despite the railing of her adversary, the lack of “fruit” from her womb had put a cry within Hannah; part of her life had not been satisfied. So she faithfully came to the house of God in Shiloh to seek the Lord. We should be encouraged by this example. She remained undistracted by the party crowd led by Hophni and Phinehas and made fervent, heart-wrenching intercession to God that bewildered backslidden Eli. You must remember it was God who kept this woman barren, from the life that she wanted—until she uttered something that God wanted to hear: …she vowed a vow, and said, O Lord of hosts, if thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of thine handmaid, and remember me, and not forget thine handmaid, but wilt give unto thine handmaid a man child, then I will give him unto the Lord all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head (1 Samuel 1:11). Hannah’s vow to God came at great personal cost; giving up the chiefest cry of her heart, the life God would give to her—she vowed to return it to him.

GOD WAITS TO HEAR THE SAME CRY FROM YOU
Prophetically speaking, some of you reading this have been kept from receiving what you want until, like Hannah, you say something God wants to hear; something that will touch his heart, something that is of great personal sacrifice. Perhaps you have been touched by God and will be called to give what you have even in places where it is not appreciated. But God says, “I am waiting for this cry.” He knows there is a spiritual void in many of you, and that an increasing desperation has come into your heart. Now he is waiting for the cry to come from you, “Lord, touch me; God, if you raise me up I will bring it all back for you to use.” She had longed for this child, and it was the deepest cry of her heart. Hannah knew of the great personal sacrifice she would have to make. She knew she would have to bring this little boy back and give him into this place that did not appreciate the anointing of God anymore.

SARAH’S BARREN WOMB
This is not the only time that God had used a barren womb to accomplish his purposes.  After Adam’s fall and the degeneration of subsequent generations, God used Sarah’s barren womb. And it was through this lineage that the Messiah was brought forth into the world. Through faith also Sara herself received strength to conceive seed, and was delivered of a child when she was past age, because she judged him faithful who had promised (Hebrews 11:11). Through Sarah’s life we learn to wait for the promise of God. If God makes a promise to you, he will fulfill it. On another occasion God found a woman called Elisabeth, who also had a barren womb. After a period of 400 years of silence between the Old Testament and the New Testament, God used Elisabeth’s womb, barren and past the age of child-bearing, to bring forth John the Baptist—a voice to announce the coming of God’s Messiah. When Mary arrived at Elisabeth’s home, the babe inside Elisabeth’s womb leaped (Luke 1:41) and Elisabeth began to sing and glorify God. Mary joined the chorus and declared the goodness of God. Even Zacharias eventually burst into song! Oh, it’s amazing when you see it—the song that comes from a once barren womb now made fruitful! The rejoicing that hit Zacharias! This child was to be a voice that would announce the coming of the Most High (Luke 1:67–79)!

WAIT FOR THE PROMISE OF GOD
Jesus said, …wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me (Acts 1:4). There is a time and season that God has foreordained that the Holy Spirit should come. You cannot rush the promise of God. You cannot make it happen. It does not come out of the minds of men, nor from the ingenuity of human strength, but rather, it is something that God does through his sovereignty. However, before he does it, he has to have a people that are set apart for himself and who are willing to wait for him to bring about the answer. In Acts 2:1, the scripture says, …they were all with one accord in one place. They were there for a very specific reason because Jesus had told them to …wait for the promise of the Father (Acts 1:4). There were 120 of them in the upper room crying out like Hannah and Sarah for God to fill the emptiness within them and to empower them to stand in their generation. They were in one accord with God and his purposes. Suddenly, the sound of a rushing mighty wind came and God filled them: And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them (Acts 2:3). And they burst out of their barrenness and fear and stepped through the doors of this upper room into the marketplace where there were still angry people in the midst of the crowd. Yet on that day 3000 souls bent their knee to God. And the deepest desire of God’s heart and of their heart was fulfilled.

STEPPING INTO THE MARKETPLACE
Why is there a church such as Times Square Church in our generation? I believe with all my heart that it is because the Lord wants to fill this house and every house where the true gospel of Christ is being preached. He wants to fill men and women who gather together with his Spirit and send them into the marketplace with the power of God, and alive with the mind of God. The new life that has burst within you has not come from human effort. No! You have been touched by the Spirit of God and are stepping out of obscurity. Your life, your voice, your song, your eyes, your hands are a clear declaration that there is a Christ who rose from the dead and who sits at the right hand of Almighty God! The scripture says that …he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother’s womb. And many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God (Luke 1:15–16). Again Jesus declares, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8). God says, “When you have the cry for God in your heart, when you walk together in one accord, and when you are willing to be set apart for my purposes, then I am going to come to you, and I will fill and empower you to be witnesses for me.” God has a plan and purpose for this generation and desires that none should perish.

SAMUEL – ASKED OF GOD
And she [Hannah] said, ‘Let thine handmaid find grace in thy sight.’ So the woman went her way, and did eat, and her countenance was no more sad. And they rose up in the morning early, and worshipped before the Lord, and returned, and came to their house to Ramah: and Elkanah knew Hannah his wife; and the Lord remembered her. Wherefore it came to pass, when the time was come about after Hannah had conceived, that she bare a son, and called his name Samuel, saying, ‘Because I have asked him of the Lord’ (1 Samuel 1:18). The name Samuel means “asked of God.” Hannah went to an altar and received a word from God and the scripture says, She was no more sad (1 Samuel 1:18). Can you imagine the entire world around her asking, “Oh, Hannah, are you sure this is a good thing? Are you sure you want to give your child up to Eli who could not even raise his own sons in the fear of God?” But Hannah persisted. This was what she had cried out to God for. This was why she had borne a child. And Samuel, Hannah’s son whom she had yielded to God, walked closely with God. And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground (1 Samuel 3:19). Think of what happened to Eli’s house where a false representation of God had found root and had flourished; he died and so did his sons. A false religion will always ultimately produce death. But now look at the song that’s coming out of this vessel, Hannah, who was once barren and bereft of children. Can you imagine the rejoicing in her home as she returns thanks unto the Lord? Look again at her anointed song of praise. And Hannah prayed, and said,My heart rejoiceth in the Lord, mine horn is exalted in the Lord: my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies; because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none holy as the Lord: for there is none beside thee: neither is there any rock like our God. Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed (1 Samuel 2:1–3). God took the barren womb of a woman who cried out in desperation to him and at an appointed time, created new life within her. Like Hannah, you too can have a song of praise. God will bring new life in every barren heart  of those who call out to him because he wants to have a testimony in the earth. You will be that testimony. Hallelujah!

Carter Conlon
April 23, 2006
©2006 Times Square Church