Victory Without Borders

 

In our ever changing COVID world, churches have been greatly impacted.  Online only.  Limited in-building services.  No singing.   Back to online only.  I have missed my church family!  Last night Victory Tabernacle kicked off our outdoor services.  We will be meeting at 6:00 p.m. on Sundays and 7:00 p.m. on Wednesdays.

 

It was so good to gather together once again!  I know God is everywhere and He has used this time to reach souls through online services - we have a brand new brother who heard the gospel online and was baptized a few weeks ago!  Still, it felt wonderful to be together.  Socially distanced by families and wearing masks, we sang and worshiped.

We had another baptism last night at the end of service!  God is still working!

What have your church services been like lately?

Baptisms!

The baptismal tank at New Life Pentecostal Church has been busy lately! Last night Pastor McGriffin presented certificates to those who have recently been baptized:

 But we weren't done! After service two more went down in Jesus name!

Many of those recently baptized are from the same Bible Study group. They fill up more than an entire pew at church!  Please help us pray for revival in the Hawaiian Islands!

The DNA of Apostolic Pentecostalism - Part 8

We left Hawaii after the first four lessons on our Spiritual DNA and Tuesday night was the final lesson. Pastor McGriffin did such a great job on this series. He really enjoyed teaching it and we enjoyed hearing it!

Leviticus 17:11 says, "For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul." The DNA is in the Blood.  We need the Blood of Jesus!

The Blood of Jesus cleanses us. 
1John 1:7 says "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin."

Sin infected our blood. We were born with Adam's diseased blood. We all need a blood transfusion. His Blood cleanses us from the affects of sin. We need to be rid of Adam's blood. 

Which DNA occupies your spiritual veins?

What is ruling your thoughts, actions, words, and motivating desires?

How can you be sure you have the right DNA?

You must have the right spiritual father and mother.  Galatians 4:21-26 teaches us that Ishmael was born of a bond woman - a man made idea. Salvation is too important to be born of a man made idea!  We must be born of God!  It can't come from earth or the traditions of men. 

1 John 5:1-6
"Whosoever believeth that Jesus is the Christ is born of God: and every one that loveth him that begat loveth him also that is begotten of him.  By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.  For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.  Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?  This is he that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth."

Keep His commandments - whether you like it or not.  You must crucify the flesh. His commandments aren't burdensome.  We have a love bond with the family. 

All Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus, but many don't experience the power. 

Many travel to Jerusalem each year to walk the Via Dolorosa, the stages of the crucifixion.  They walk by Golgotha and the empty tomb, but we cannot stop there!  Stay on the road that leads to the upper room and receive that power.  The Holy Ghost didn't fall in the tomb! According to 1 Corinthians chapter 15, Jesus was seen by more than 500 after his resurrection. But there we're only 120 who made it to the upper room. 

Romans 8:9-12
"But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.  And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.  But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh."

Righteousness equals right living and thinking. 

Philippians 3:10 "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death"

The cross has no power without the empty tomb. It would have just been another Roman execution. It also has no impact on your future without Pentecost. You cannot be stuck between the empty tomb and the upper room. It is Christ in you, the hope of glory!

You can't trace my DNA back to Adam and Eve. His blood changed my DNA!

It was a tremendous lesson and the power of God was in that place. A spirit of thankfulness and worship flowed among us. I thought of an old, old song that told my story:

Oh yes!  Oh yes! I'm a child of the King

And His royal blood now flows through my veins!

And I who was wretched and blind now can see

Praise God! Praise God!  I'm a child of the King!

We finished the service with one more having their DNA replaced. Tysor Hicks has already received the gift of the Holy Ghost and he completed his conversion when he was baptized in the name of Jesus!

November 18th ~ Happened This Weekend (Thanks a Day)

Everybody ought to go to Sunday School,
Sunday School, Sunday School.
The men, the women, the boys and the girls,
Everybody ought to go to Sunday School.

My earliest memories involve being at Sunday school.  I remember my teachers from the 2 and 3 year old class - Sis. Nettie Taylor and Sis. Irene Wilkinson.  The foundation I learned in Sunday school is what I stand on today.

Not just this weekend, but every weekend, I love being in the house of God!  For the first 27 years of my life I attended Truth Tabernacle in Fresno, pastored by Bro. Murray Layne and then Elder Vaughn Morton.  For the past 21 years I have been at Victory Tabernacle, Pastor Phil White.  I am so thankful for these three men of God.  Not once in my 48 years have I worried about the direction they have led.  I am safe here.  I can make it to heaven following men of God like these.

I don't know what God has in store this weekend.  We had 3 baptisms and one new one receive the Holy Ghost last Sunday.  I'm praying for more of that this weekend!

Putting Sin in Remission

There were so many great things that Bro. Kelly preached while he was with us.  Friday night he preached with such a burden to the young people of our church.  Young people who have been raised in the church, but are struggling like young people do.  He made it clear that it doesn't matter if you have been raised in the church, until you give your life to God, you are a sinner.  He gave a two word definition of sin:

Sin = I Will

Isaiah 14:12-14 says, "How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High."  The first sin, and every one since, was that of self will.

Repentance = Not My Will

When we give our will to God, that is true repentance.

He went on to talk about why we are baptized for the remission of sins.  When a person has cancer and they go through treatment, if the treatment is successful, they are considered in remission.  There might be a small sign that cancer was there, but the disease is no longer attacking and killing the body.  The longer the person goes without the cancer returning, the greater the odds of survival.

When we get baptized in Jesus name for the remission of sins, we undergo treatment for our sinful nature.  As long as we continue in treatment (prayer, fasting, reading the Word) our sins will stay in remission.  Bro. Kelly said that's why a saint of God who has lived this way for 40-50 years just seems to be unaffected by temptation.  They have put their sinful nature in remission!  None of us will ever be completely cured, but we can keep our sins in remission.

Think about a person who is brand new in the church.  They've lived 25 or 30 years in sin.  Their friends are still living that life.  Their families are still living that life.  Their challenges are great, their treatment has just begun.  But the longer they walk, the further they get.  Their sinful nature is being treated by the Great Physician.

The beautiful thing about God's treatment, as long as we stay hooked up, He will never fail.  The longer we stay hooked up, the longer our sins will stay in remission and our odds of making it to heaven are 100%.

Moving Forward

We closed our revival services last night - but revival is not over! We are sorry to see the Bellew family leave, but so thankful for how God used them to help our church. We also helped Bro. Bellew celebrate his 40th birthday - with a few "Over the Hill" gift and a new suit.

Bro. Bellew's message last night was about moving forward. To move FORWARD you have to have Faith, Obedience, be Ready, be Willing, have an Altar, and be Determined!

Our total visitor count for the revival was over 180!! Bro. Bellew encouraged us to keep this up - to have even more visitors in the next month. We had so many new people in the altars, praying, seeking God, being touched by His Spirit. That's the only responsibility we have for other souls - just bring them in and let God do the rest. We also had two more people baptized last night - twins, Juan and Carlos.

Results of Revival!

We had a great service last night! Bro. Bellew started his message asking, "Who does not have the Holy Ghost?" Several raised their hand. He then said, "Tonight, I'm preaching to you." His message was clear - what does it take to be saved. He talked about being baptized in Jesus name. He said if you have not been baptized, what are you waiting for?

Les and I have been teaching a Home Bible Study to Jose and Maylee Munoz. Last week Jose told us he was ready to be baptized. He talked to Pastor White on Sunday and he was trying to get as much of his family to come as possible. But after last night's message he didn't want to wait any longer!! Here he is getting baptized in the beautiful name above all names - Jesus!!


We also had a Spanish speaking man get baptized. I don't know his name and I didn't catch it during his baptism because Bro. Cortez did all his talking in Spanish. But it doesn't matter, Spanish or English, when the Name is spoken, it works!


We have now had over 130 visitors during this revival!

I've Been Buried in the Name of the Lord!

40 years ago today, three little Fultz kids stepped into the baptismal tank in Truth Tabernacle. We were still having church in what is now the school cafeteria. It was on a chilly night that our pastor, Bro. Murray Layne, consented to baptize us in the name above all names - Jesus! If I remember correctly, the boys went first. Then Debbie Lindley-Franklin and I were next.

Rick has just turned 10...


Rod was 7...


and I was 6...


I had been "baptized" many times in our swimming pool, but I knew what Acts 2:38 said and I wanted to obey! It's been 40 years, but I still believe that my sins were washed away that night and I'm so glad!

Sunday Morning Explosion!

We had great church this morning! During the song service and other preliminaries you could tell God was up to something. Bro. Jackson preached about becoming a new vessel. At the end of his message he urge anyone who had not been baptized in Jesus name to seriously consider doing so. Our baptistry was made ready and altar call took place...

First, Eric Wilson, a young man from our church was baptized. Then a Spanish speaking lady who has been coming for a while was baptized. While she was still praying, two others approached Pastor White about being baptized. Then one of our van riders got in touch with her father, who came and gave permission for her to be baptized!

That's right, we had FIVE baptized in the name of Jesus this morning!!!

I guess I should say afternoon, since church wasn't dismissed until about 1:30. But it was wonderful to stay and be a part of this great time! Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures to post - I was playing the piano the entire time. Can't wait to see what happens next...