Pastor’s Blog

Billy Graham (BGEA) an article from Charisma Magazin

Editor’s Note: In December of 1973, Billy Graham delivered a written message in Decision magazine entitled “The National Crisis.” Despite being published nearly four decades ago, the message contained in the excerpts below (edited for length) speak to the age-old problems plaguing the earth since the fall of man. And, the answer remains the same: Jesus Christ.
This past year the American people have suffered an emotional trauma that has had few parallels in our history.
Our newspapers and our television screens are bringing news of a hundred and one dangerous problems that are rocking the world. Each day seems to add to our already impressive number of crises here at home – an accelerating crime rate, mass murders, soaring drug use, rampant inflation, pollution, the breakdown of families, a jittery stock market – and the list could go on and on.
And the question that many Americans are asking is: What went wrong? What is wrong?
It is almost a paradox that our nation, with all the economic affluence for enjoying life, virtually leads the world in crime, narcotics abuse and immorality. As Americans we have at our beck and call all the necessary armaments for national security, but we are still insecure. We have all the material possessions deemed essential for happiness, but we are unhappy. Science has brought us close to a material paradise, but we also stand on the precipice of hell itself. Millions of Americans are happy on the outside, but deep down inside they know something is missing: they are lonely, empty and bored.
The supreme crisis that confronts us is neither political nor economic. It is moral and spiritual. And if we fail to solve this moral and spiritual crisis we may be doomed like the great nations of the past.
The spiritual problem is also an individual problem – it is one that rests with you and me. There can be and will be no lasting social reform until the individuals who make up society are reformed. The problems of society are caused by men and women in our society. We are a nation of individuals, and we are perilously close to reproducing the lifestyle of the people in the book of Judges in the Old Testament, of whom it is said: “Every man did what was right is his own eyes.” Judges 17:6
What is the answer to the crisis that faces us at this hour? The greatest mistake that we could make would be to fail to diagnose the illness and offer an effective remedy.
The name of the disease is sin. Our nation must seek again the way of God and walk in the law of God. This is the only answer ultimately to America’s problems. I am not suggesting that more interest in religion is going to save us, because many people in Jeremiah’s day were religious. And that is true today as well. For all too many of us, however, religion is merely a formality that has little effect on the way we live and act during the week. Only a vital, personal faith in the living God of the Bible can get to the root of our problems.
The great question is, “How can we rediscover the faith that was once a dynamic, revolutionary, life-changing force in American society?”
The answer is to be found only in Jesus Christ, the greatest revolutionary of all time. He was not concerned primarily with political or economic revolutions. Instead, he came to enter the lives of men and women and revolutionize the most basic and stubborn source of the problem – the human heart. This change of heart is what we need as a nation. This is what you need now as an individual.
Christ can and wants to revolutionize your life – your home – your community – the entire nation. But it will have to start with you.
Something vital and historic could happen to America … If men and women across the land will turn to God, it could have a profound effect of the future of this nation. The trend of our nation can be reversed. However, it will happen only as individual men and women reverse the trend of their lives by committing themselves to Jesus Christ.
I’m not asking you to turn to Christ in order to save America. I ask you to turn to Christ so that you can have purpose and meaning in your own life, so that you can find forgiveness before God, so you can have salvation and eternal life.
But I believe that in the midst of cynicism, discouragement and disillusionment, it’s time to believe again, it’s time to hope again, it’s time to sing again, but you can only do it, and the nation can only be blessed, if first you have peace with God.
It is my prayer that you will find that peace – not only peace with God, but peace inside and peace with your neighbor.

Can person go to heaven after taking their own life? This is a difficult question with all the different levels and complexities of death today. However, I will say I would not want to stand before God after I have taken my own life. Taking a life or murder is the ultimate crime against God.
Gen 9:6 Whoever sheds human blood,
by humans let his blood be shed,
Because God made humans in his image
reflecting God’s very nature.
THE MESSAGE

God is the giver of life. He created us in “his image reflecting God’s very nature.” Taking a life is the ultimate sin against God, whether it’s our life or someone else. When we take our own life, many times there is no time to repent. Therefore, that person’s final act on earth is a sin against God. The bible often calls this “dieing in your sin.”

If you are reading this blog and thinking about taking your life, please consult the Author of Life instead of listening to the demonic spirit of death. Satan wants you to spend eternity with him in hell. DON’T PLAY INTO HIS HANDS. Seek the Lord, read the scriptures – LET GOD SPEAK LIFE INTO YOU! God loves you and He will hear your prayer and changes the circumstances in your life. If there is sin in your life, repent. Jesus Christ will hear your prayer and rescue you.

Psalm 27:4-6
4  One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek:
That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
To behold the beauty of the Lord
And to meditate in His temple.
5 For in the day of trouble He will conceal me in His tabernacle;
In the secret place of His tent He will hide me;
He will lift me up on a rock.
6 And now my head will be lifted up above my enemies around me,
And I will offer in His tent sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.
NASU

Pastor Randy

Jim Graff of Significant Church Network shares the following statistics about churches in the United States:

6 percent of Americans attend a mega church.
34 percent  attend a church between 300 and 2000 in Sunday morning attendance.
60 percent attend a church under 300 in Sunday morning attendance.
88 percent of America’s counties and parishes are under 150,000 in population.
90 million Americans live in these counties (about a third of the population of the U.S.)

Jesus called us all to be “fishers of men.” All of us – all of His churches. Not keepers of the aquarium, we are all in the business of catching fish. Everything we do inside the church should be to reach people outside the church. Some think that’s the job of the big boats to catch most of the fish. But that’s not the way the fishing industry works.  It’s the small boats with just a few fishermen that catch most of the fish. Most of the large boats are used for cruise liners…boats of luxury and leisure. If we are not careful our larger churches can easily turn into the same and our small churches can think that what they do is insignificant because there not large.

In the book of the Revelation, Jesus was hardest on the large churches: the church of Ephesus and the church of Laudicea. He only commended and had nothing negative to say to one of the smallest churches of the seven – the church at Philadelphia.

The little church is vital to the church as a whole in evangelizing and discipling believers. Many small churches are doing a great job and are faithful in these areas.  Most of the time they don’t grow into larger churches because of building restrictions and they often become feeders of larger churches.  Yet, six out of every ten believers attend one of these churches and there are many, many more of these churches in our communities than the larger churches.

Jesus loves and is proud of the small church that is faithful in the small things.

Pastor Randy

Heading to Replenish today. The next three days is a great opportunity to be refreshed and at the same time pour into others. This is our third day of fasting to get ready for the encounter sessions at Replenish. I love the third day of a three day fast. It’s breakthrough day. I can since breakthrough in the spiritual realm even before it comes. God has a way of increasing my faith on the third day as well. I’ve seen God do some great things in my life on the third day of a fast.

If you are not practicing regular prayer and fasting, I would encourage you to start immediately. I used to use the excuse “Well, I have to be led of the Spirit to do so.” But not anymore. Jesus said in the gospels “When you fast…” He spoke as if fasting was to be a regular practice of his disciples. I personally believe in the power of fasting. If I went through my life and laid out for you the great things God has done for me during or shortly after a fast, you would believe strongly in fasting as well. Jesus told his disciples once “that some things can only come about through prayer and fasting.” I believe the words of Jesus. I believe there are hard things in our lives that can only be conquered through prayer and fasting.

I personally try to fast at least a tenth of the days in a year. I think God honors that. Some people like to fast at the beginning of the year. I personally like to fast one day a week and three days consecutively each month. I also believe that when you fast it should call for sacrifice and obedience. I think your fleshly desires must submit to your spirit (or “The Spirit’) when you fast. Abstaining from desserts, or certain drinks, or your favorite kind of food is not a biblical fast. There are many different kinds of fast in the bible but they do not include Lent-like fasts. Pastor Jentzen Franklin has some good books on fasting. I would encourage you to read up on fasting if you have never fasted much and would like to start the practice of prayer and fasting.  Your life in every way will be enriched greatly!

Have a great weekend. I will see you in God’s house Sunday!

Pastor Randy

This month of April is said to derive its name from the Latin verb aperio, which signifies to open, because all the buds and blossoms are now opening, and we have arrived at the gates of the flowery year. Reader, if you are yet unsaved, may your heart, in accord with the universal awakening of nature, be opened to receive the Lord. Every blossoming flower warns you that it is time to seek the Lord; be not out of tune with nature, but let your heart bud and bloom with holy desires. Do you tell me that the warm blood of youth leaps in your veins? then, I entreat you, give your vigour to the Lord. It was my unspeakable happiness to be called in early youth, and I could fain praise the Lord every day for it. Salvation is priceless, let it come when it may, but oh! an early salvation has a double value in it. Young men and maidens, since you may perish ere you reach your prime, “It is time to seek the Lord.” Ye who feel the first signs of decay, quicken your pace: that hollow cough, that hectic flush, are warnings which you must not trifle with; with you it is indeed time to seek the Lord. Did I observe a little grey mingled with your once luxurious tresses? Years are stealing on apace, and death is drawing nearer by hasty marches, let each return of spring arouse you to set your house in order. Dear reader, if you are now advanced in life, let me entreat and implore you to delay no longer. There is a day of grace for you now–be thankful for that, but it is a limited season and grows shorter every time that clock ticks. Here in this silent chamber, on this first night of another month, I speak to you as best I can by paper and ink, and from my inmost soul, as God’s servant, I lay before you this warning, “It is time to seek the Lord.” Slight not that work, it may be your last call from destruction, the final syllable from the lip of grace.  – Charles Spurgeon

There seems to be a lot of talk about “excellence” today in the church, especially among the 40 and younger crowd.  I have heard it said that we are to strive to do things with excellence. Some even say that “we were created for excellence.” That excellence in everything should be the goal.

So, I looked up the definition of excellence. It should be no surprise that it comes from the word “excel.” The word excel means to surpass others or be superior in some respect or area;  to do extremely well; to surpass; be superior to; out.

The definition for excellence is the state, quality, or condition of excelling; superiority. Something in which once excels.

Honestly, after looking up these definitions, the idea of excellence sounded pretty fleshly and down right worldly to me. According to these definitions, if we really believe that we were created for excellence, we are saying “I am created to do better than you; to be superior to you; to outdo you.” That doesn’t sound to Christlike to me.

You might be reading this and thinking No, Randy, that’s not what we mean by excellence. We mean excellence is do things to the very best they can be done; to do it with perfection.

Oh really? Let’s ask ourselves a few questions.

First of all, does that line up with the true definition of excellence? And secondly, in using your definition who decides when things are done to the very best they can be done? Who decides when they are done perfectly? Who decides what that standard is? It all sounds very subjective and it sounds like excellence would be based on comparing one performance with another or one person with another.

Galatians 1:10 says “Or am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ.” NASU

Using the dictionary’s definition or even this other definition, can we ask what is the biblical response to this idea of excellence is? Can we really do anything in the kingdom of God with excellence?

The answer in using the dictionary’s definition is a definite “no.” Romans 8:8 says “And those that are in the flesh cannot please God.” Christ never called us to strive to be superior or to do things better than others. He called us to serve others, to minister to others, and to esteem our brother or sister better than ourselves. He said by being last, you will be first. By dying, you can live. Nowhere in the scriptures are we as God’s people taught to Lord it over one another. That’s a product of a proud spirit and our prayer should be God deliver us as His people from a proud and ambitious spirit.

And what about the idea of doing everything to the very best or perfectly? As subjective and broad as that might be, should this be our standard as believers?

The truth is we are not taught that by Christ either. Christ taught us to have one standard and it was the same standard He had when He walked this earth – to please the Father. In everything we do and in who we are, we are called to please our Heavenly Father. Only by pleasing Him, can we be the best or do our best, or reach perfection. Pleasing Him through becoming more and more like Christ is God’s standard for our life, not any definition of excellence.

To me, this takes a lot of pressure off. Seriously, I can’t meet everyone’s expectations and standards of excellence. I only have to please one. He is my Saviour, my risen Lord, my Heavenly Father. I can truly rest today in knowing that He is pleased with me.

Have a great week!

Pastor Randy

Wow, I haven’t done a blog in nearly ten days. I would say I am due. Let me just throw some stuff out there tonight.

We had a great Men’s Chili Cookoff. Lots of great chili.  Lots of great men. Special thanks to four Hamiliton Township firemen who came out to judge the chili. Shortly after they arrived they were called out on an alarm. Fortunately, it wasn’t serious and so they were back about 30 minutes later. Dan Noth did a great job tonight organizing the cookoff. Dave Dayton took first place. Bill Merrill took second and Mark Bowers took third. Thanks to all the men who came and brought food.

On the fleshly side, tomorrow starts the NCAA basketball tourney. I love it. Always have going way back to the 70′s. I love watching college and high school basketball. I enjoy watching kids compete and grow as athletes and men. I admit if it wasn’t for God calling me into the ministry I would have wanted to be a high school or college coach. Even at 52, I love playing and coaching the game.

As most of you know, I have been a fan of Indiana (I.U.) since the early 70′s. I love Indiana basketball. The state really does seem to breed basketball players for whatever reason. It scares me that so many people are picking I.U. to win it all. Even the President today picked them. I think their talented enough, I am just not for sure they are tough enough. To win three straight four-team tournaments in three weeks, you have to be focused and resilient. It’s tough for any team to do and especially difficult for a team with a target on it’s back.

In closing, this is one of my favorite verses in competing in any sport or in life.

Philippians 3:12-14
Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. (NIV)

I love the idea of “pressing on to take hold (to seize)…” Then Paul writes “But this one thing I do…” Just listen to the focus there…”this one thing…” That’s the kind of focus it takes to be a winner in anything in life as well as in your spiritual battles.

And then Paul writes “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win…” Isn’t that powerful! That’s what it takes to be resilient, not looking back and “straining” and pressing forward.

What a recipe for success!

This is my coaching advice to you today. Practice Paul’s strategy. You will be a winner in Christ Jesus!

Pastor

In the Old Testament, people could not approach the altar with a lamb that was blemished or blind or lame. They had to bring their very best to the Lord.

What kind of time do you bring before the Lord in prayer? Is it your best time, your wide-awake time? Or, rather, do you come to God in the morning to pray about holy things with your mind full of what needs to be done that day? Or do you come to Him weary and tired after a busy day, dragging yourself into His presence?

Beloved, your mind and heart must be where your lips are! Isaiah spoke of the kind of “burnt offerings and sacrifices . . . accepted upon mine altar; for mine house shall be called an house of prayer” (Isaiah 56:7). Those who bring acceptable sacrifices are those who “join themselves to the Lord, to serve him, and to love the name of the Lord” (verse 6).

This acceptable sacrifice made at God’s altar is not a lame, halfhearted, sleepy-eyed sacrifice, a last-minute obligatory offering. Rather, it comes from a heart that is consumed with love for Jesus, one that constantly cries out, “God, I come to You today to know You. I want more of You!”

The Lord says of those who bring such sacrifices: “I will bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer” (verse 7). He will hear our prayers and bring us to a place of holiness, joy and power!

“Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart” (Psalm 119:2).

Once you have established a prayer habit and have shut out all distractions, God desires that you seek Him with all your heart: “But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29). – Written by David Wilkerson

I invite you to join us for Brooks Gibbs this Friday night at Kings Point. Brooks will be speaking at Little Miami Junior High and Intermediate schools earlier on Friday. Brooks will share on the topics of bullying, school violence, and other relative youth topics in today’s culture. The evening service will feature a youth band, the Little Miami Choir, the Kings Point praise and worship band along with special guest, Brooks Gibbs.

In my recent book, A Critical Time Out, I write about this generation of children and youth. I point out in the book that this generation may be the first that has not been brought up in a Judeo-Christian culture. One of the most telling statistics that underscore this thesis is that only 15 per cent of today’s children attend a church in America on any given Sunday (except for Easter and Christmas). In the book I ask if only a small percentage of children attend church, where will they learn and be exposed to Judeo-Christian teaching and truths? The answer is not the media, or America’s public school system, and sadly, not in the home either. The reality is if they are not taught these truths in America’s churches, they will grow up not learning the basic truths of the Bible that have guided and served as a moral foundation for our country and it’s citizens for over two hundred years.

This is why Brooks Gibbs and ministries like his are so important. He is being invited into America’s schools and he is able to share basic foundational Judeo-Christian truths especially in vital areas like how we should treat one another as human beings.

I hope you will join us Friday night as Kings Point. Please help us pray and fast Friday as Brooks ministers. This next generation could be at stake.

Be blessed,

Pastor Randy

At my first defense no one supported me, but all deserted me; may it not be counted against them.  But the Lord stood with me and strengthened me, 2 Tim 4:16-17, NASU.

The Lord spoke this to me today. He reminded me that He stands with me and strengthens me. You need to hear that today as well. It may seem like no one is supporting you right now. It might even feel like that everyone has deserted you. But like Paul, don’t count it against them. Forgive them. Pray for them. Love them and look to the Lord.

Lord, my prayer is that today you give strength to those who are reading this blog. May they receive and realize that you are with them…that you are enough. Thank you that right this moment, you are a personal God to me. You are with me, giving me your strength to be a overcomer today.

Thank you, Lord.

- Pastor Randy