God...the enemy?

Paul Stanley tells this story from his military experience: “As an infantry company commander in Vietnam in 1967, I saw Viet Cong soldiers surrender many times. As they were placed in custody, marched away, and briefly interrogated, their body language and facial expressions always caught my attention. Most hung their heads in shame, staring at the ground, unwilling to look their captors in the eye. But some stood erect, staring defiantly at those around them, resisting any attempt by our men to control them. They had surrendered physically but not mentally. On one occasion after the enemy had withdrawn, I came upon several soldiers surrounding a wounded Viet Cong. Shot through the lower leg, he was hostile and frightened, yet helpless. He threw mud and kicked with his one good leg when anyone came near him. When I joined the circle around the wounded enemy, one soldier asked me, ‘Sir, what do we do? He’s losing blood fast and needs medical attention.’ I looked down at the struggling Viet Cong and saw the face of a 16- or 17-year-old boy. I unbuckled my pistol belt and hand grenades so he could not grab them. Then, speaking gently, I moved toward him. He stared fearfully at me as I knelt down, but he allowed me to slide my arms under him and pick him up. As I walked with him toward a waiting helicopter, he began to cry and hold me tight. He kept looking at me and squeezing me tighter. We climbed into the helicopter and took off. During the ride, our young captive sat on the floor, clinging to my leg. Never having ridden in a helicopter, he looked out with panic as we gained altitude and flew over the trees. He fixed his eyes back on me, and I smiled reassuringly and put my hand on his shoulder. After landing, I picked him up and walked toward the medical tent. As we crossed the field, I felt the tenseness leave his body and his tight grasp loosen. His eyes softened, and his head leaned against my chest. The fear and resistance were gone — he had finally surrendered.”

That is the way it is when we surrender to God isn’t it? At first we see God as the enemy and we fight him, claiming our own territory and the right to our own lives. But in our woundedness, we finally see that we cannot conquer him, and the God to whom we surrender is not our enemy. He cares for us and heals us as he takes us captive.

Have a great day!

-Pastor Randy

A Powerful Little Illustration...

A professor in a world-acclaimed medical school once posed this medical situation -- and ethical problem -- to his students: "Here’s the family history: The father has syphilis. The mother has TB. They already have had four children. The first is blind. The second had died. The third is deaf. The fourth has TB. Now the mother is pregnant again, The parents come to you for advice. They are willing to have an abortion, if you decide they should. What do you say?" The students gave various individual opinions, and then the professor asked them to break into small groups for "consultation." All of the groups came back to report that they would recommend abortion. "Congratulations," the professor said, "You just took the life of Beethoven!" We believe this was first reported in an Ann Landers column.

The story reminds us all to "walk by faith today, not by sight."

Have a wonderful day!

-Pastor Randy

Sunday Wrap Up

Just a great day today especially tonight's service. Tonight was an encounter service! I tried my best to get people to come out tonight and many did, but many did not. The ones that came were blessed as God moved mightly especially in the altar service. The service last well over two and half hours and it was awesome.

Tonight I shared the following vision. I encourage you to take the time to read it and let the Lord speak to you. I defintely bear witness with it. I see God doing this today in His body.

Have a wonderful week!

-Pastor Randy


There is a terrific operation of the Spirit going on today to bring
the Sons of God into an absolute confinement to the perfect will of God.
This is the Day of His perfection, the day in which He is preparing the
channel through which He shall pour forth His Glory for all the world to
see. This channel is His Body in the earth, that glorious company of
people who are being conformed through much tribulation and fiery
tests to the image of the Son of God... The weapons of their warfare
are not carnal, natural weapons, but they are mighty weapons,
mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds. These are
those who shall "be strong and do exploits."

But before God can commit this great and tremendous ministry into
their hands, they must submit themselves to the discipline of the Lord,
letting Him truly be the Lord of their entire lives. We have long since
dealt with the question of open sin, but now God is dealing with the
inward rebellion of our own wills. This is a very real thing,
and is the work of the Refiner's Fire. To those who are going through
it, some of its aspects are horrible, but very necessary, and the end
result thereof is glorious as we are brought into absolute and complete
submission to the will of our Lord.


I SAW the KING'S CARRIAGE

On a dirt road in the middle of a wide field stood a beautiful carriage,
something on the order of a stagecoach, but all edged in gold, and
with beautiful carvings. It was pulled by six large chestnut horses,
two in the lead, two in the middle and two in the rear. But they were
not moving, they were not pulling the carriage, and I wondered why.
Then I saw the driver underneath the carriage, on the ground on his
back, just behind the last two horses' heels. He was working on
something between the front wheels on the carriage. I thought, "My,
he is in a dangerous place; for if one of those horses kicked or
stepped back, they would kill him, or if they decided to go forward,
or got frightened somehow, they would pull the carriage right over
him." But he didn't seem afraid, for he knew that the horses were
disciplined and would not move until he told them to move. The
horses were not stomping their feet nor acting restless, and though
there were bells on their feet, the bells were not tinkling. There were
pom-poms on their harness, over their heads, but the pom-poms
were not moving. They were simply standing still and waiting for
the voice of the Master.

THERE WERE TWO YOUNG COLTS in THE FIELD

As I watched the harnessed horses, I noticed two young colts
coming out of the open field, and they approached the carriage and
seemed to say to the horses: "Come and play with us, we have
many fine games, we will race with you, come catch us." And with
that the colts kicked up their heels, flicked their tails and raced
across the open field. But when they looked back and saw the
horses were not following, they were puzzled.

They knew nothing of the harness, and could not understand why
the horses did not want to play. So they called to them: "Why do
you not race with us? Are you tired? Are you to weak? Do you not
have strength to run? You are much too solemn, you need more joy
in life." But the horses answered not a word, nor did they stomp
their feet or toss their heads. But they stood, quiet and still, waiting
for the voice of the Master.

Again the colts called to them: "Why do you stand in the hot sun?
Come over here in the shade of this nice tree. See how green the
grass is? You must be hungry, come and feed with us, it is so
green and so good. You look thirsty, come drink of one of our many
streams of cool clear water." But the horses answered them not
so much as a glance, but stood still, waiting for the command to
go forward with the King.


COLTS IN the MASTER'S CORRAL

And then the scene changed, and I saw lariat nooses fall around the
necks of the two colts. They were led off to the Master's corral for
training and discipline. How sad they were as the lovely green fields
disappeared, and they were put into the confinement of the Corral
with its brown dirt and high fence. The colts ran from fence to fence,
seeking freedom, but found that they were confined to this place
of training. And then the trainer began to work on them, with His
whip and His bridle. What a death for those who had been all their
lives accustomed to such a freedom! They could not understand
for this torture, this terrible discipline. What crime had they done
to deserve this? Little did they know of the responsibility that was
to be theirs when they had submitted to the discipline, learned to
perfectly obey the Master, and finished their training. All they knew
was that this processing was the most horrible thing they had ever known.


SUBMISSION and REBELLION

One of the colts rebelled under training, and said, "This is not
for me. I like my freedom, my green hills, my flowing streams of fresh
water. I will not take any more of this confinement, this terrible
training." So he found a way out, jumped the fence and ran happily
back to the meadows of grass. I was astonished that the Master let
him go, and went not after him. But He devoted His attention to the
remaining colt.

This colt, though he had the same opportunity to escape, decided
to submit his own will, and learn the ways of the Master. This
training got harder than ever, but he was rapidly learning more and
more how to obey the slightest wish of the Master, and to respond
to even the quietness of His voice. And I saw that had there been
no training, no testing, there would have been neither submission
nor rebellion from either of the colts. For in the field they did not
have the choice to rebel or submit. they were sinless in their
innocence. But when brought to the place of testing and training
and discipline, then was made manifest the obedience of one and
the rebellion of the other. And though it seemed safer not to come
to the place of discipline because of the risk of being found
rebellious, yet I saw that without this there could be no sharing of
His glory, no sonship.


INTO the HARNESS

Finally this period of training was over. Was he now rewarded with
His freedom, and sent back to the fields? Oh no. But a greater
confinement than ever now took place, as a harness dropped about
his shoulders. Now he found there was not even the freedom to run
about the small corral, for in the harness he could only move
where and when his Master spoke. And unless the Master spoke,
he stood still
.

The scene changed,[slide 1] and I saw the other colt standing on the side
of a hill, nibbling at some grass. Then across the fields, down the
road came the Kings carriage, drawn by six horses. With amazement
he saw that in the lead, on the right side, was his brother colt, now
made strong and mature on the good corn in the Master's stable.
He saw the lovely pom-poms shaking in the wind, noticed the
glittering gold bordered harness about his brothers, heard the
beautiful tinkling of the bells on his feet. And envy came into his
heart. Thus he complained to himself: "Why has my brother been
so honored, and I am neglected? they have not put bells on MY
feet, nor pom-poms on MY head. the master has not given ME the
wonderful responsibility of pulling His carriage, nor put about ME
the gold harness.

Why have they chosen my brother instead of me?" And by the
Spirit the answer came back to me as I watched. "Because one
submitted to the will and discipline of the Master, and one rebelled,
thus has one been chosen and the other set aside."


A FAMINE in THE LAND

Then I saw a great drought sweep across the countryside, and the
green grass became dead, dry, brown and brittle. The little streams
of water dried up, stopped flowing, and there was only a small muddy
puddle here and there. I saw the little colt (I was amazed that it never
seemed to grow or mature) as he ran here and there, across the
fields looking for fresh streams and green pastures, finding none.
Still he ran, seemingly in circles, always looking for something to
feed his famished spirit. But there was a famine in the land, and
the rich green pastures and flowing streams of yesterday were not
to be had. And one day the colt stood on the hillside on weak and
wobbly legs, wondering where to go next to find food, and how to
get strength to go. It seemed like there was no use, for good food
and flowing streams were a thing of the past, and all the efforts to
find more only taxed his waning strength. Suddenly he saw the
King's carriage coming down the road, pulled by six great horses.
And he saw his brother, fat and strong, muscles rippling, sleek
and beautiful with much grooming. His heart was amazed and
perplexed, and he cried out: "My brother, where do you find the
food to keep you strong and fat in these days of famine? I have run
everywhere in my freedom, searching for food, and I find none.
Where do you, in your awful confinement, find food in this time of
drought? Tell me, please, for I must know!" And then the answer
came back from a voice filled with victory and praise: "In my
Master's House, there is a secret place in the confining limitations
of His stables where He feeds me by His own hand, and His granaries
never run empty, and His well never runs dry." And with this the
Lord made me to know that in the day when people are weak and
famished in their spirits - in the time of spiritual famine, that those
who have lost their own wills, and have come into the secret place
of the Most High, into the utter confinement of His perfect will,
shall have plenty of the corn of Heaven, and never ending flow of
fresh streams of revelation by His Spirit. Thus the vision ended.
____________________________________

INTERPRETATION of THE VISION

"Write the vision and make it plain upon tables, that he may run
that readeth it." (Hab.2:2). "Harness the horses: and get up, ye
horseman." (Jer.46:4). I am sure that many of you who can hear
what the Spirit saith to the Church, have already seen what God
was showing in the vision. But let me make it plain.

Being born into the Family of God, feeding in the green pastures and drinking of the many streams of the unfolding revelation of His purpose is fine and
wonderful. but it is not enough.

While we were children, young and
undisciplined, limited only by the outer fence of the Law and ran
around the limits of the pastures (that kept us from getting into the
dark pastures of poison weeds), He was content to watch us develop
into young manhood, spiritually speaking. But the time came to
those who fed in His pastures, and drank from His streams, when
they were to be brought into the discipline or "child training" for the
purpose of making them mature sons.

Many of God’s children today
cannot understand why some of those who have put on the harness
of God cannot get excited by many religious games and the playful
antics of the immature. They wonder why the disciplined ones run
not after every new revelation or feed on every opportunity to engage
in seemingly "good and profitable" religious activities. They wonder
why some will not race with them in their frantic effort to build great
works and great and notable ministries. They cannot understand
the simple fact that this company of saints is waiting for the voice
of the Master, and they do not hear God in all this outward activity.

They will move in their time, when the Master speaks. But not before,
though many temptations come from the playful colts. And the colts
cannot understand why those who seemingly appear to have great
abilities and strength are not putting it to good use. "Get the
carriage on the road," they say, but the disciplined ones, those in
God's harness, know better than to move before they hear the voice
of the Master. They will move in His time, with purpose and great
responsibility.

And the Lord made me to know that there were many whom He
had brought into training who had rebelled against the discipline,
the chastising of the Father. They could not be trusted with the
great responsibility of mature sonship, so He let them go back to
their freedom, back to their religious activities and revelations and
gifts. They are still His people, still feeding in His pastures, but He
has set them aside from the great purposes for this end of the age.
So they revel in their freedom, feeling that they were the Chosen
Ones with the many streams of living water, not knowing that they
have been set aside as unfit for His great work in this end of the age.

He showed me that through the chastising seems grievous for the
time, and the discipline hard to endure, yet the result with all the
glory of sonship is worth it all, and the glory to follow far exceeds the
suffering we endure. And though some lose even their lives in this
training, yet they will share alike in the glory of His eternal purposes.
So faint not saints of God, for it is the Lord that doth bring thee into
confinement, and not thine enemy. It is for thy good, and for His
glory, so endure all things with praises and thanksgiving that He
hath counted thee worthy to share His glory! Fear thou not the
whip in His hand, for it is not to punish thee, but to correct and
train thee, that thou mightest come into submission to His will,
and be found in His likeness in that hour. Rejoice thou in thy trials,
in all thy tribulations, and glory thou in His cross, and in the
confining limitations of His harness, for He hath chosen thee and
He hath taken upon Himself the responsibility of keeping thee
strong and well fed.

So lean thou upon Him, and trust not in thine
own ability and thine own understanding. So shalt thou be fed, and
His hand shall be upon thee, and His glory shall overshadow thee
and shall flow through thee as it goes forth to cover the earth.
Glory to God! Bless the Lord, He's wonderful! Let Him be Lord of
your life, friends, and complain not at that which He bringeth to
pass in your life.

PLENTY in THE TIME of FAMINE

For in the hour when famine sweeps the land, He shall feed by His
own hand those who are submitted to His perfect will, and who
dwell in the secret place of the Most High. When terror stalks the
land, those in His harness shall not be afraid, for they shall feel
His bit and bridle and know the guidance of His Spirit. When others
are weak and frail and fearful, there shall be those who shall be
strong in the power of His might, and shall lack for no good thing.
In the hour when the traditions of the religious systems have proven
false, and their streams have dried up, then His Chosen Ones shall
speak forth with the true Word of the Lord. So rejoice, sons of God,
that you have been chosen by His grace for this great work in this last hour.

The fence which kept the colts in their own meadows and their own
pastures mean nothing to the team in the harness, for the gates
open to them, and they go forth pulling the King's carriage into
many strange and wonderful places. They do not stop to eat the
poison weeds of sin, for they feed only in the Master's stables.
These fields they trample under their feet as they go forth on the
King's business. And so to those who are brought into absolute
subjection to His will, there is no law. For they move in the Grace
of God, led only by His Spirit where all things are lawful but not all
things are expedient. This is a dangerous realm for the undisciplined,
and many have perished in sin as they leaped over the fence without
His harness and His bridle. Some have thought themselves as
being completely harnessed and submissive to Him, only to find
that in some avenue of their lives there dwelled rebellion and self-
will. Let us wait before Him until He puts His noose around us and
draws us to His place of training. And let us learn of the dealings
of God and the movings of His Spirit until at last we feel His harness
drop about us, and hear His voice guiding us. Then there is safety
from the traps and pitfalls of sin, and then we shall abide in His
House forever!

Some Sunday Eve Thoughts

Its been a while since I have done a blog on Saturday. Usually I'm just so busy with meetings and sermon prep that trying to fit a blog in is just too much. However, I thought I would share a few thoughts before tomorrow's Sunday day of worship.

Last night's football game between Little Miami and Turpin was a touchdownfest. We came up on the short end 58-42. Gabe had a good game as he went 7 for 7 for extra points. He also had to debut as a punter because the starting punter got hurt. Gabe's first punt went about 35 yards into the wind punting from about the 4 yard line. His second punt was from the goal line. The snap rolled to him on the ground and seeing that the defense was about to pounce on him for a touchdown, he smartly turned around and kicked the ball in the end zone costing us two points instead of seven. Actually, it turned out pretty good. Our defense held them on their ensuing drive. And we took the ball and drove for a score before the end of the half.

On a very grave note, we had a boy that broke his back during the game. His name is Brad Riley and I ask everyone everywhere to please pray for this young man.

This week we received a traffic report regarding our website. It looked something like this...
`691 people visited our website within the last 28 days viewing over 2,000 pages.
`The most common pages viewed are the home page and the pastor's blog...by far.
`There have been visitors from the US, Canada, India, Peru, and the Philippines. The US visitors have come from 10 different states with the majority coming from Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.

So far, God has given me a very unusual message for Sunday morning. I think I will be sharing about a vision called "the Harnessed Horse." It's a powerful word from the Lord for everyone. Come ready to worship!

-Pastor Randy

Friday Countdown...

Wow, is this ever true. My prayer today is God raise up your prophets!

PROPHETIC PREACHING
-by A.W. Tozer.

If Christianity is to receive a rejuvenation, it must be by other means
than any now being used. If the Church in the second half of this
century is to recover from the injuries she suffered in the first half,
there must appear a new type of preacher. The proper, ruler-of-the-
synagogue type will never do. Neither will the priestly type of man
who carries out his duties, takes his pay and asks no questions,
nor the smooth-talking pastoral type who knows how to make the
Christian religion acceptable to everyone. All these have been tried
and found wanting.

Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must be
of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God and
has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I pray
God there will be not one but many), he will stand in flat contradiction
to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds dear. He will
contradict, denounce and protest in the name of God and will earn
the hatred and opposition of a large segment of Christendom.
Such a man is likely to be lean, rugged, blunt-spoken and a little
bit angry with the world. He will love Christ and the souls of men
to the point of willingness to die for the glory of the One and the
salvation of the other. But he will fear nothing that breathes with
mortal breath.

This is only to say that we need to have the gifts of the Spirit
restored again to the Church. And it is my belief that the one gift
we need most now is the gift of prophecy.

"Of the sons of Issachar who had understanding of the times, to
know what Israel ought to do, their chiefs were two hundred" -1 Chr 12:32.
A prophet is one who knows his times and what God is trying to
say to the people of his times....

Today we need prophetic preachers; not preachers of prophecy
merely, but preachers with a gift of prophecy. The word of wisdom
is missing. We need the gift of discernment again in our pulpits. It
is not ability to predict that we need, but the anointed eye, the
power of spiritual penetration and interpretation, the ability to
appraise the religious scene as viewed from God's position, and
to tell us what is actually going on....

Where is the man who can see through the ticker tape and confetti
to discover which way the parade is headed, why it started in the
first place and, particularly, who is riding up front in the seat of
honor?...

What is needed desperately today is prophetic insight. Scholars
can interpret the past; it takes prophets to interpret the present.
Learning will enable a man to pass judgment on our yesterdays,
but it requires a gift of clear seeing to pass sentence on our own day....

"Lord, I pray for that gift of prophetic insight. Move me beyond the
knowledge You've enabled me to gain through education, reading,
and study. I pray that I might lead as one 'who has seen visions of
God and has heard a voice from the throne.' Amen."

-SOURCE: www.sermonindex.net

Have You Hit Bottom Yet?

Isaiah 45:16-19 "All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced;
they will go off into disgrace together. But Israel will be saved by the LORD
with an everlasting salvation; you will never be put to shame or disgraced,
to ages everlasting. For this is what the LORD says— he who created the
heavens,he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth,he founded it;
he did not create it to be empty,but formed it to be inhabited— he says:
"I am the LORD,and there is no other. I have not spoken in secret,
from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob's descendants,
'Seek me in vain.'I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right."


As I read this scripture today for my daily bible reading, I thought of America and how our idols have fallen. Banking systems, homes, corporations,government programs, famous personalities, and I could go on and on. God basically tells Israel your idols will let you down, they will disgrace you. You can't count on them.

We are finding that out in America. I see so many people today who have had their props kicked out from under them. They've depended on these man-made idols for most of their lives...and now they've fallen and have no one to pick them up. But Almighty God tells Israel and you and I that He is "the everlasting one." That He is not hiding. That He is the Lord God. He speaks truth and He tells us that when we seek Him it will not be in vain. That unlike idols, He will hear us, answer us, and He will not fade away.

If you are struggling today, if you have hit bottom and you have no where to turn...let me encourage you to turn to Almighty God today. He is calling you. He doesn't mine if you are desperate. He won't hold it against you for ignoring Him in the past. He doesn't care if He is your "final straw." He is here for you...with open arms extended toward you...thats why Christ went to the cross and died for your sins...to give new life and hope to people who have been beaten, robbed, and destroyed by the god of this world.

Turn your life over to Christ today. Confess your sins according to Romans 8:8-10. Believe in your heart that Jesus is indeed the resurrected Son of God. Invite Him to give your new life. He will not disgrace you. He will give your life today and everlasting life.

-Pastor

Sunday Wrap Up

What a super weekend! I'm really tired and my back aches, but I really feel blessed from what I've seen God do this weekend. In case you didn't know it, a young lady named Julie came to Christ today. She actually came to the Fall Fantasy Wednesday. The encounter was awesome. Today's celebration service was one of the best ever. The testimonies were fun and inspiring. We will have Bo Dudley, the firefighter from Cleveland's testimony on the website video page tonight. It's really good...a must see. We will put a few others up too this week. We had three men saved in the pre-encounter session Friday evening. God set men free Saturday and filled many of the men Sunday with the power of His Holy Spirit. Like last spring, we also baptized men in cold lake water. Be sure to check out the baptisms of Bod Dudly and Jeff Garnica below. The transformation that takes place in men from Friday evening to Sunday afternoon is truly miraculous. Every encounter I am amazed at what God does in the lives of men who will set aside a weekend to pursue Him. Praise God! Get job Ken and the encounter team! Get some rest today. Everyone have a great week! I love you! -Pastor Randy