IMITATION OR WORDS
In this message we will look at the difference between the real subject and the imitation of reality we frequently accept because of clever wordage. We will see the difference between teaching and preaching faiths. The month of February is special to Faith Walk Ministry because it is our anniversary month, and 2015 marks our 30th year of serving our Lord. I want to speak a bit about the ministry because it is appropriately named. To live by faith requires much more than words, and we are here to testify about the need for a personal connection with the Lord. Prayer is the usual mode for communication, but you have to be careful about how you pray. For some people--and I'm addressing Christians--prayer is only a collection of words. It's like making a robocall. There is no heart
in the words.
Satan is very aware of this condition, and uses the person's
misunderstanding of the personal connection with God to his advantage. Satan has miracle powers, too, and he can grant prayer requests so cunningly that the person doesn't realize who granted the request. This is why it's so damaging to pray by rote. Living by faith is more difficult than it may appear, as some people discover when they have extreme problems. You have to be aware of Satan's powers, or you could be tricked into unknowingly doing his will.
I'll get to the imitation part of the message shortly, but I need to tell a bit about the scope of our operation. No one at Faith Walk receives any salary or pay. They never have and never will. We were a three person dedicated ministry from day one, and now have some wonderful volunteers who assist us as we are long past retirement age (two of us). While much of our time now is spent in counseling and providing food and non financial help locally, our ministry reaches out to an uncounted group of people in many states and several foreign countries. We are able to do this because of the internet. We have developed into a sort of community center here in the countryside of rural New York. Area people know we are here to help, and that doesn't mean just with the Word of God.
We do not receive financial support on a regular basis. Because
a majority of the people we serve are poor, they contribute by bringing us food to distribute or things to share. Our ministry is more like the early church in Acts. A few people have stepped up to help us financially now and then by doing something outstanding such as paying the back taxes. However, there is no steady financial support. When local people have a need they know we will help because we have over the years developed rapport with various organizations and agencies. We have found that the carnal world is willing to help sometimes.
It is not unusual to have people show up unexpectedly and stay for a meal. Skeeter (Anita) is a great cook, and can make a delicious meal out of almost nothing. Having an operation like the early church in Acts is very uplifting, because people have to live by faith, not by carnal circumstances. If you have that FAITH, you have peace. God does come through, but He has His own timeline. We must learn patience. We have no pension, and all our savings from working until past retirement age in other fields has been used for the ministry, which includes a rescue animal operation and teaching opportunity through the animals. This is a great reducer for stress.
The animals have been a major part of the ministry, serving both
youngsters and adults. About half the 100 animals are rescues, and
include cattle, horses, peacocks, ducks, chickens, geese, cats, dogs,
pigeons and anything else homeless. Since 21 of these are cattle and
horses, it requires quite a quantity of feed, not to mention daily care. We work with animal welfare people, but receive very little assistance, and nothing financial-wise. We have a steady stream of visitors to see and sometimes work with an animal or two. We never have to chase a horse or cow to catch them; they show up immediately to see if you have a treat for them.
We have found the animals often are helpful in working with the growing number of people with psychological stress, both military
and civilian. For 30 years people have told us what we're doing couldn't be done, and we couldn't operate financially separately. They were wrong because we don't rely on the carnal world's method, which is money. Many churches have run into hard times because money was relied upon rather than FAITH. We need money, too, but rely on the Holy Spirit to move people to contribute to sustain the ministry. Counseling and all our services are done as servants to God, and require no fees. We are praying for God to rise up someone to replace us as we approach more limited ability due to age.
I hope I haven't bored you, but I wanted to point out you can do God's work without any guarantee of financial or other support. This leads directly into the subject headlined at the beginning of this message--Imitation or Words. It has been pointed out by scholars that a well versed (trained) person can teach any subject. This includes any faith and any scripture. When it comes to teaching about any religion, there has to be another connection. The teacher (pastor, professor, etc.) must have a personal connection to God in order to convey the power of that FAITH to the listener. If the pastor or teacher does not have a true personal connection to God, he/she is an imitation and not real. The teacher has to have the power. How can this happen?
We will go directly to I Peter 1:3-5 to see the first requirement to
receive the power of God, which Christians refer to as the Holy Spirit.
This is a cornerstone of understanding and so important that the only
unforgiven sin is denial of the Holy Spirit. In 1 Peter we see, "Blessed be
the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His
abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance
incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in
heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through FAITH for
salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."
The key here is the word "incorruptible." All mankind has the seed of corruption since all have been born after the fall of Adam and Eve. Christ is the only incorruptible ever. No other religion or FAITH has that cornerstone. Without a cornerstone, there is no building. You must have FAITH in the belief of Jesus Christ and the God of the Jews and Christians. No other FAITH will work spiritually. The God of the Jews and Christians is the only God who has the power of the Holy Spirit to do His work on earth.
Now please turn to 1 Peter 1:22-25, to see the second step necessary for Christ's kingdom. "Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever, because ...All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower fall away, But the word of the Lord endures forever." Carnal man is a temporary fixture in the world, and we have Christ's explanation in John 3:1-7.
Christ is speaking here to a Jew named Nicodemus. He was a
Jewish leader, probably a member of the Jewish supreme court we know as the Sanhedrin. Because it was not wise for a Jewish judge to meet with Jesus, Nicodemus went to Jesus under cover of darkness. Nicodemus had a burning question and an open mind, which is missing in many of today's Christians. He did not think he knew all truth even though he was well versed in Jewish law. Many Christians could learn from Nicodemus that no one separate church or denomination has ALL the truth and is better than the rest. If you believe that, you are in trouble. You are not listening to the Holy Spirit.
I'm not going to write all of 1 John 3, but will give you the absolute
truth in verse 7. You need to read all of 1 John 3, but especially pay
attention to verse 7. This is absolutely the cornerstone for salvation.
Verse 7: "Do not marvel that I said to you, 'You must be born again'"
Verse 6 reminds us that flesh is born of the flesh and spirit is born of the spirit. If you accept Christ's offer of salvation, and your acceptance is from the heart, you receive the Holy Spirit to guide and assist you. Your acceptance must be absolutely genuine, or you won't receive the Holy Spirit.
Now, back to the title of this message. The Holy Spirit is the power God uses to deliver His Word. I'm not trying to judge anyone, but if the teacher, preacher or pastor have doubts about the basics of any part of Jesus and the Word, he/she will not have the Holy Spirit to guide him/her in their messages or work. They will be no different than a teacher of any other FAITH, who in reality is speaking words that have no power. It will not be the genuine article under God. That does not mean their word can't create happenings--even miracles. But these happenings will not be through the power of the Holy Spirit. You have to be careful who you listen to, and have the knowledge they are the genuine article. Nicodemus assumed a considerable risk by asking Christ for the TRUTH. You may have to take some risk to know whether or not you're hearing an IMITATION or WORDS rather than the genuine truth through the Holy Spirit.
Rev. Walbear
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