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A Pastor’s Testimony of Renewed Joy and Power

“When You’re Burned Out, Wounded and Overwhelmed”
By Dr. Gregory R. Frizzell ©

When Paul Pickern so graciously asked me to write some articles for All Pro Pastors International, I was deeply humbled and honored. Having just written a research book on pastor’s prayer meetings, I have thoroughly studied today’s global ministries to pastors. There is absolutely no group as crucial as pastors and no ministry more powerful than All Pro Pastors International. They even have a ministry to pray for pastors which I strongly encourage pastors to use.
Because pastors are facing unprecedented pressures, I sense this introductory article should be a testimony of encouragement and practical help. It is the story of how God’s grace transformed my life and ministry at a time of devastating difficulty and impossibility. My earnest hope is that our experience of God’s grace and deliverance will be an encouragement to pastors today. Absolutely nothing is more important than encouraging and strengthening the Lord’s shepherds. Pastors are the enemy’s primary target and God’s primary means for spreading Christ’s kingdom. They and their churches are the spiritual soul and fate of our nation and world. Loving and uplifting pastors is a burning passion of my heart.
Having been blessed to work with persecuted underground pastors, I have witnessed how God gives incredible joy and power in even the darkest places. In today’s intense conditions, it is crucial for pastors to have a joy, passion and power that is truly of the Holy Spirit, not circumstances. We are now far past what academics, personality and programs alone can overcome. But while the early Church and Christian reformers faced even worse challenges than most today, they totally transformed their world for Christ. We too can trust in the risen Lord Who is “the same yesterday, today and forever!” (Hebrews 13:8) I pray this testimony brings glory to God and fresh hope to pastors and their churches.

A Story of God’s Grace in the Fire
“Be Careful What You Pray For”

We often hear the half-joking phrase, “be careful about praying for patience because you know how you get it.” While of course we definitely should pray for this important grace, it is among the more challenging of the spiritual fruits. Shortly after graduation from seminary in 1983, I unwittingly discovered another somewhat risky prayer. It was when I prayed “Lord give me some good experience for growth in ministry.” Well, the Lord definitely answered that prayer, though a lot different than I expected.
Just as I was considering a call to pastor a church with strong growth potential, I got a call from another church. It was to be the Associate Pastor/Minister of Evangelism in a church in a very high crime, declining area. Then shortly after they contacted me, the TV news erupted with a catastrophic scandal involving sex abuse allegations about their church run daycare. In that day, such a thing was virtually unheard of. There was devastating publicity on every TV station and newspaper for a six state radius. I thought “phew,” I am so glad I didn’t go there!
But surprisingly, the embattled church still wanted to proceed in trying to fill their staff position. They asked me if I would at least please pray about coming to be their Associate Pastor of Evangelism. Of course in my most spiritual voice, I told them, “Oh yes, I’ll pray about it.” Frankly, I thought to myself, that’s an easy one — I’m not going into a situation like that. No way! I just knew the Lord would surely have me to go to the much easier church where I could quickly reach more people. But when I actually prayed about it, the Lord definitely led me to go to the church in the intense battle. I wish I could say I was perfectly brave and noble, but I had some very deep concerns. I even told the Lord of many perfectly logical reasons why I shouldn’t go. But somehow, He just wasn’t buying my human reasoning. So, I told the church that I would come.
Ominously, even before I arrived on the church field more allegations erupted and soon brought additional arrests. Legal bills were exploding to shocking levels on top of a major church building debt. The surrounding community was hit with a shocking new crime wave and an even greater stream of people began moving away. But unbelievably, circumstances were about to get even much more intense. After just a few months as associate pastor, the responsibility to become their pastor suddenly fell to me. Though conditions seemed hopeless, the Lord was about to teach me that nothing is too hard for Him. But, it would require me to learn some lessons I really thought I already knew. It would also take five years of almost indescribable pain and battle.

Coming to the End of Our Own Strength

As the church entered into a continuous five year nightmare, the circumstances were far worse than I could ever describe in any article. In the first three years, the battles were so intense my life was actually threatened for trying to help “that” church. A seminary professor told me in forty years of teaching, he had never heard of anything so extreme. He said, it was essentially the “Chernobyl” of the church world. (Not exactly a title you desire.) Yet, the core people of the church truly loved their Lord, their church and their inexperienced young pastor. I owe those dear people an eternal debt of gratitude.
So for five years, we aggressively used the best evangelism, discipleship and growth programs in existence. I sought to faithfully preach the whole counsel of Scripture and we even had weekly church prayer meetings. Toward the end of the fifth year, church decline was bad enough that things were getting really desperate. As a last ditch effort we conducted a massive community-wide visitation campaign to over five thousand households. But with a rapidly declining community and constant negative news coverage, the church continued downward. Even after all of the intense efforts, we were seeing few people saved, rising disunity, very few visitors and continuing decline. Five years earlier we were four to five hundred in attendance, but had dropped to well less than two hundred and fifty.
The church was increasingly discouraged and so was their pastor. Though I could still preach and put on a fairly good face, I was seriously burned out, wounded and dry. I also began to deal with some painful ongoing health issues. Yet, I personally knew some persecuted believers who had incredible joy and evangelistic power in some of the darkest regions of earth. I also realized the early Church and Christian reformers had great joy and power even in the face of horrific torture and martyrdom. So I knew greater strength, joy and closeness with Jesus were definitely possible. Then what was wrong with me? I felt great condemnation and failure over my strong feelings of doubt, frustration and weakness. At that point, I seriously considered leaving the ministry. I actually took the air traffic controller test and passed with a high score. It was God’s grace alone that kept me from leaving. Once I committed to stay, the Lord gave me peace He would do something that would one day encourage other pastors in days of intense battles. With pandemics and growing persecutions, such days are now a reality for millions.

Three Life-Changing Revelations

As I sought the Lord for greater closeness, joy and power, He led me to do a very deep study of John 15:4-16, 1 Corinthians 2:1-4, 2 Corinthians 7:1, Acts 1:4-8, 4:29-34, 5:41 and James 5:16-18. In these texts, it became clear that abundant spiritual fruit and Spirit-empowerment flow only from deep closeness with Jesus, fervent prayer and full yieldedness of heart. As I further researched the leaders of great awakenings and persecuted believers, the Lord opened my eyes to three specific points of inadequacy in my walk with Christ. Though by today’s rushed patterns my prayer life might have seemed above average, it was definitely not sufficient by God’s standards in Scripture and historic awakenings. The Lord graciously helped me see three missing elements that ultimately made a vast difference in my life and church. I pray these insights will help fellow pastors as much as they transformed me.

First, I realized I was focusing so much on God’s love, I was neglecting the reverential fear of His holiness. As a result, I had settled for using some popular heart cleansing/surrender guides that were simply not complete enough to bring specific yielding in all key areas of sin and self. (Psalm 139:23-24; 2 Corinthians 7:1) The Lord helped me see that there were actually around seven areas I needed to yield fully and consistently. (Most cleansing/growth guides deal with only four or five general areas.) I also saw that full surrender to Jesus had to involve a continual yielding of “self, weights of hindrance and heart idols,” not just sin. (Matthew 16:24; Hebrews 12:1-2) I was discovering that Jesus wanted to be Lord of even our motives and secret thoughts. And while of course we are all very much a work in progress, we do have to at least be in serious, intentional progress.
I began to realize being “under grace” in no way meant I could marginalize ever-deeper growth and surrender. If the Apostle Paul needed to continually “press toward the mark” and “perfect holiness in the fear of God,” I surely needed it all the more! But I really didn’t have a clear enough handle on how to walk in that. The Lord was revealing that I needed to more fully revere His awesome holiness. After much prayer and study, the Lord led me to develop a seven category pattern of Scripture to pray through. There were twelve to fourteen Scriptures and issues for each major category. Bear in mind, this was to be a process prayed through over several days, not at one prayer time. It was to be a grace relationship of love and surrender, not a legalistic guilt trip.

Second, the Lord helped me recognize that my personal time in His word and prayer was stopping short of the relational abiding in Christ described in Scripture. (John 15:4-16) I realized many quiet time models either left out or marginalized two or three essential biblical elements of full surrender and empowerment in Christ. Many prayer patterns stopped at general confession (with little emphasis on specific repentance.) Most models further omitted any intentional time to meditate on God’s word and truly listen to His voice.
I also noticed many devotional patterns tended to focus more on personal desires and needs than God’s kingdom and righteousness. They were kind of a reverse of Matthew 6:33. More importantly, I sensed God wanted me to view time in His word and prayer more as truly experiencing a relationship than just doing my prayer and Bible reading. Though the changes did require some additional time, it wasn’t exorbitant, undoable or legalistic. Over the next several weeks I began to experience a major difference in closeness with Jesus.

Third, the Lord helped me more fully understand that all true growth and power flow solely from His grace and Holy Spirit-empowerment, not legalism or religious works. (Galatians 3:1-3, 5:16; Ephesians 2:8-9, 5:18) I knew as I embraced the deeper cleansing and yielding, I had to stay focused on my full acceptance by God’s grace in Christ. It was so freeing to realize God doesn’t convict His children to condemn, but to transform us by His grace and Spirit. So rather than dreading deeper cleansing and yielding, I knew I was to desire it out of love for Christ. (1 John 3:3, 5:3) So with these three biblical principles firmly in my mind, I began a twelve week focused journey of deeper surrender and more complete time in God’s word and prayer. It was the beginning of a relationship journey that would utterly transform my life, ministry and church!

A Wounded, Weary Pastor Renewed and Empowered

During the first few weeks, I slowly prayed through all seven key areas of cleansing and surrender. Those specific areas were: thoughts/heart focus, attitudes, words/social media, all relationships, sins of transgression, sins omission, yielding of self /weights and heart idols. Soon, a much greater revelation of God’s holiness gripped my heart. As the Lord brought deeper brokenness and godly sorrow, a reverential fear of the Lord became much more real. Over just those first weeks, the Lord revealed no less than eleven specific areas for confession, repentance and deeper surrender.
Several issues were things I had no idea were hindering God’s Spirit (i.e. confession without repentance, selfish motives, secret thoughts, people I had not fully forgiven, prideful ambition, desiring the praise of men, self-preservation, etc.) I found when I truly allowed the Lord to deeply search all areas, I saw things I would never have seen with the more brief, general patterns. But praise God, it was about grace, growth and empowerment, not condemnation and guilt! Above all, it was about embracing the life-long journey to ever-more fully know, love and revere the Lord. (John 17:3; Matthew 22:37; Ecclesiastes 12:13)
By the end of about nine weeks, I was becoming a very different person. Though many situations at the church were actually worse and my physical condition more painful, God gave me a joy and peace unlike anything I had ever known. He was teaching me that my peace, joy and love had to be in Jesus alone, not my personal, family or ministry circumstances. Though I have certainly had to re-learn and grow in that truth many times since, it was a huge turning point. My preaching was empowered like never before and God’s word came much more alive to me. Before long, the Lord was revealing some powerful new insights to help my beleaguered church.

Two Essential Principles of Spiritual Power

While I still had (and have) plenty of battles, pain and need for growth, God was opening my eyes to two key principles. First — it is impossible to experience full New Testament-type joy, power and intimacy with Christ without New Testament-type prayer and surrender to Christ’s Lordship. Second — we will never be any more full of the Holy Spirit, than we are willing to be daily emptied of both sin and self. While we experience it all by trusting in God’s grace and Spirit, we must nonetheless choose the continuous growth and yielding. There really isn’t a short cut and none of us ever outgrow the need to be perfecting holiness in both the love and reverence of God. (John 15:9-13; Philippians 2:12-13, 3:10-14) The Lord wants none of us to be in a spiritual coast mode.
As busy pastors, it can be easy to overlook this need and casually assume “oh yes, I’m already doing the cleansing and yielding.” Yet, we may unwittingly be doing a watered-down version rather than one of full biblical completeness and depth. That had definitely happened to me but I didn’t realize it. The truth is, the Lord wants to be taking all of us ever-deeper. No matter how long we’ve served God, there is always more to know of Jesus. (Philippians 3:10-14) In the many verses describing believers’ call to ever-deeper holiness and prayer, there is absolutely no hint that we can be casual or unintentional. (2 Corinthians 7:1; Philippians 2:12-13; Hebrews 12:14) But thank God, His grace and love are with us every step! Growing in Holiness is not a walk of condemnation, legalism or works that we have to endure. Rather, it is a relationship of grace we get to experience for God’s glory! (John 15:9; 1 John 5:3)

A Broken Church Revived and Empowered

As the Lord was transforming my own life, He then revealed the following two truths about my role as pastor. (1) It is impossible for believers to know, love and revere God fully if pastors do not clearly teach both His love and holiness. (2) It is impossible for churches to function in New Testament-type joy and power if pastors do not clearly teach and consistently call them to New Testament-type prayer and surrender. I realized that if I said (or implied) that a brief little devotion is all believers need, then that is all they will likely do. (And most won’t even do that.) In that moment, I knew what God wanted me to teach and preach for the next six months. So using the key Scriptures that had so transformed my life, I taught the more complete biblical patterns of abiding in Christ by His word, prayer and surrender.
First, I started by teaching my members to embrace more complete biblical times in daily prayer and Scripture. Though I was not asking that my peoples’ quiet times be unduly long, they would experience a pattern for deeper surrender, closer listening to God’s voice and prayer that was more Spirit-empowered. The goal was for their time in Scripture and prayer to be more a dialogue of talking and listening to God through His word. So for a few weeks, a core minority of my church transformed their patterns of personal prayer and Scripture. They would also seek to meditate, listen and apply God’s word, not just read it.
Second, I taught my people the seven element pattern for ongoing deep yielding of sin and self. While it was not some magic formula, it did provide a clearer biblical mark toward which we are all to be pressing continually. Indeed, how can people fully yield and daily “press toward the mark” if they really don’t have one that is clear and practical?
We also discovered that the seven elements of cleansings and growth were very practical for ongoing daily use (after the initial deeper focused cleansing.) By being seven categories, a believer could easily focus on one different life area each day. In that pattern, believers freshly surrender and grow in all key areas of life each week. Though it’s certainly not a magic formula, I have never found a better way to help believers continually “press toward the mark” and “perfect holiness in the fear of God.” And for sure, none of us will ever outgrow the seven biblical areas of cleansing and growth.

All God Needs is a Dedicated Remnant
(Judges 7:1-7)

As any pastor surely knows, it is usually just a small minority that will embrace deepest commitment to holiness and prayer. For my first few years of pastoring, I was much troubled that a majority of people seemed somewhat lukewarm about deeper prayer, repentance and soul winning. It was freeing when God revealed to me that He begins His deep working through a dedicated remnant, not the lukewarm majority. Leaders if we are not careful, it is easy to spend so much time catering to the majority, we fail to take the remnant to true New Testament depth and power.
While in my church it was only a remnant that responded to the call to deeper quiet times and surrender, I focused on deepening that remnant. And what God did through that small minority was phenomenal! Within about three months, some of my people were definitely praying both alone (and together) on a new level. The Lord was changing both our personal and corporate prayer patterns. And while answers to prayer often come quite slowly and gradually, in our particularly desperate need the Lord moved with merciful swiftness and power.
Though we had tried all the best growth programs and visited over 5,000 households in six weeks, the church was steadily declining. Yet as people began to pray on a deeper level, the Lord led several to pray specifically that He would “send laborers” into our church body. Some of us sensed God had given a promise from Matthew 9:37-38. Miraculously after a few weeks, several people just suddenly started visiting our church. And this was right in the middle of horrific publicity and a rapidly declining area.
The first Sunday when about seven walked the aisle to join our church, it was like a Red Sea miracle. In fact when the first ones came down the aisle to join, I almost felt like saying, “What do you want?” (I was so out of practice!) And as many more people joined in coming weeks, several literally said, “We want to go to work for God.” Just as He promised, the Lord was sending laborers and tithers into our struggling church! In truth, I think some of my people had more faith than their pastor. While answers to prayer definitely don’t always come fast, the effectual, fervent prayers of yielded hearts still avail much!

A New Passion and Power For Soul Winning

One crucial change was the difference that came to some marriages and family relationships. We also saw some remarkable healing in broken and strained relationships between church members. But an especially powerful change was a new passion to intercede and witness to lost people. Those who had gone deeper in prayer were definitely praying with greater effectiveness, fervency, faith and power. One particularly quiet shy woman began to fast and pray for thirty lost people. And though she had never before led anyone to Christ, she actually went to witness to most of the people on her list. Within six months, I baptized twenty-one of her thirty! For those months, the Lord probably used that unassuming little praying lady more than anyone. But the answers were just beginning.
Though our church had been praying for about sixty lost people for five years, only a very few had been saved. And as people began to pray with much greater power and faith, we saw forty-five of the sixty saved and baptized within nine months! One of our men began fasting and praying for a co-worker who was notoriously rough and violent. That rough co-worker was among those who were gloriously saved and became one of our most faithful witnesses for Jesus.
A Sunday School teacher had long been praying for a son who was drifting. For years there was no change except for the worse. But as her closeness and surrender went to another level, she said “my prayers are just different now. I truly believe God has shown me my son will be saved and become a minister.” A few weeks later, that young man gave his life to Christ. And you guessed it, for many years now he has been an ordained minister in Middle Tennessee.

Deeper Unity and Healed Relationships

As God’s moving increased, many church members at last saw wayward children restored, spouses saved and relationships healed. And though our people still didn’t all enjoy the same worship style or agree on all issues, God gave us a stronger love and unity anyway. And finally the legal and financial answers began to happen.
After five years of an intense legal battle, the Lord brought full court vindication and victory for the church and people acquitted. But then we needed another miracle. We faced over-whelming debt from over five years of legal fees. Once again through intense united prayer, God graciously moved and saved the church. The Lord led eight kind-hearted attorneys to forgive the church close to a million dollar debt. And one of those attorneys came to Jesus!
Dear pastors, while answers definitely don’t always come quick, God can yet move in even the darkest places and times. But, it still requires the effectual, fervent prayers of yielded hearts. (James 5:16) Regardless of new theories, programs, academics or strategies, these can never replace true heart-yieldedness and powerful united prayer. Yet if we are not careful, we can easily wind up placing greater focus and time on everything in the world except the one thing that brings full New Testament power. (Mark 11:17; Acts 1:8; James 5:16-18) And while it is certainly not the intent, a subtle form of spiritual inoculation creeps into our lives and churches. In “inoculation” we embrace a weakened version of something that keeps us from getting the real thing. There is little question this is a major unrecognized hindrance for countless busy leaders and churches.

Overcoming Today’s Spiritual Desensitization and Inoculation

Sadly, many well-meaning believers have unwittingly embraced prayer and surrender patterns that stop short of true biblical abiding in Christ’s fullness and power. Given society’s saturation with impurity and materialism, believers can also become “desensitized” to some common daily patterns that are seriously hindering God’s Spirit. And when the Spirit is hindered, believers are much more vulnerable to marriage and parenting failures. Because we live in a day when so few have seen true biblical revival and awakening, it is easy to become so accustomed to sub-normal patterns, we can begin to think that is all there is. We then fall into the unconscious trap of “measuring ourselves by ourselves” rather than God’s word and Spirit. (2 Corinthians 10:12) There is an important truth in a statement by late revivalist Manley Beasley. “We will generally have about as much of God as we’re willing to settle for.” (Jeremiah 29:13; Hebrews 11:6)
Though today is a sound-bite, cliffs-notes type society, fullest New Testament power and closeness just don’t come from sound-bite prayers and surface confession. Because of well-meaning efforts to give people something brief and simple, believers can quite easily get stuck in below average (or shallow) patterns. Thus with many, their spiritual life is a lot like trying to drive a car at Interstate speeds in first gear. No matter how hard someone might try, no one can travel seventy miles per hour in first gear.
Given the prevalence of overly-quick, surface devotions, it is a virtual certainly that many are experiencing an unintended form of “spiritual inoculation.” While believers will surely experience some joy and strength, it is often not the rivers of living water and powerful prayer Jesus intends for His people. (John 7:38; Mark 11:22-24; James 5:16) When people embrace weakened versions of prayer and surrender, they are hindered from experiencing the full reality of Christ’s fullness and power.
It is crucial for believers to realize there really is a major difference between a little devotional moment and God-seeking, heart yielding prayer times. And though believers may be filled with all kinds of intellectual Bible knowledge, doctrines and new methods, one thing is certain. None of us will ever rise spiritually above the height of our personal prayer life and depth of our heart surrender and closeness to Christ. (John 15:4-13; James 5:16) Yet by God’s great grace, deeper surrender and fullness are definitely not out of reach for even the busiest believers and pastors!

A Word of Grace and Hope for Pastors

In writing this testimony of my first church, I pray one thing is clear. All of the transformation was solely by the incredible grace, mercy and power of God. It certainly wasn’t some eloquent, impressive pastor because they didn’t have one. Though we aggressively tried all the programs and strategies of the day, they were not what turned the tide. And while we certainly “said” a lot of prayers, during the first five years, most were not quite the “effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous that avail much.” But in His marvelous grace, the Lord helped us see that James 5:16 has an opposite truth it is all-too easy to ignore.
Just as the “effectual, fervent prayers of the righteous avails much,” the ineffective, casual prayers of the unyielded avail little. This is almost surely a major reason so many have been “praying for revival” and so few churches have actually seen it. The Bible is clear that just “saying” voluminous prayers does not mean they are necessarily powerful. (Isaiah 58:1-6, 59:1-2) In His grace, the Lord was showing our church that prayers and surrender needed to go higher. Yet with some fairly simple and practical biblical adjustments, the Lord helped a broken, discouraged people move more into the flow of His grace and power. And though we were far from perfect, the Lord did a “surprising work of grace.” If He could move in a setting like ours, there is surely hope for those who now read these words.
More each day, my fervent prayer is to encourage and help pastors in the fiery assaults they now face from every angle. And I very much write as a fellow learner, not some exalted lecturer of others. In sharing my testimony of God’s grace in a broken church, I am mindful of the importance of accuracy and balance. So to be clear, I am definitely not suggesting God led us to some magic formula that guarantees quick answers and continuous growth. The precise timing and number of how God moves is always in His hands, not ours. Neither am I implying if we just pray and surrender enough, everything will be rosy and we’ll see miracles by the minute. That is definitely not the case. We still live in earthen vessels of flesh with persecutions and spiritual warfare ever-increasing. Yet as we cast ourselves on God’s grace, there is great hope in His mercy and strength. The Lord Jesus has not lost His power and can still do “surprising works of grace!”

Christ’s Great Desire to Strengthen Pastors

Above all else, I pray this article brings encouragement and hope to fellow soldiers of the cross. The last thing I desire is for any pastor to feel condemned or discouraged about their difficult settings or lack of growth numbers. Thank the Lord, He does not judge us by church size or growth patterns. In some cases, church members just will not respond to serious calls to deeper prayer and surrender. All we can do is faithfully seek to encourage and equip. The response is ultimately up to them. I am further convinced some of the greatest eternal rewards may well go to pastors who were never called to write a book or privileged to see explosive growth. God most rewards the faithfulness, humility and purity with which we serve in our own appointed places. In fact, among God’s greatest heroes of faith are some of our bi-vocational pastors. Though they may be called “part-time,” there is nothing part-time about the hearts and ministries of so many.
It is also true that some of God’s greatest pastors have at one time or another been viciously attacked, fired, falsely scandalized or abandoned. (Some examples are the Lord Jesus, the Apostle Paul, Jonathan Edwards, etc.) Obviously, none of these were failures! And sometimes, it is the next pastor that gets to see the church grow. Our call there was to plow and deal with hindrances. That too is surely no failure. In truth, plowing and sowing are often harder than reaping. But remember, our gracious Lord definitely notices and rewards “degree of difficulty and sacrifice.” (Mark 12:41-44)
And pastors, even when we have totally blown it and it is all our fault, remember the ignominious failures of several leaders in the Bible. Yet, the Lord still loved them and used many again! Even as I write these words, I have a sense some readers need the encouraging message of Psalm 24:16. “Though a righteous man fall seven times, he will get up.” If the Lord still loved and used Peter, there is hope for us. So please don’t stay down dear pastor! Great are the Lord’s compassions and His mercies are new each morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) And for pastors who may think “I’m just too far along in my ministry for major changes, God can still restore years locusts have eaten. And think of the key “old men” God picked and used in Scripture. I have seen several ministers of advanced years, experience a remarkable new work of grace.
As shepherds, the most crucial thing any of us can do is make sure we are truly abiding in the fervent prayer and surrender the New Testament describes. Sadly, I must confess there have been times since those early ministry years when I drifted back into what I call the “Martha Syndrome.” (Luke 10:38) And it always negatively impacted my life, family and church. This happens to us when (like well-meaning Martha), we get so busy trying to work for Christ and people, we don’t spend enough time with Him in prayer and total heart surrender. And just like Martha, we inevitably end up frustrated, vulnerable and spiritually powerless. The Lord is always as much (or more) concerned with our relationship with Him and what we are than just going through the outward actions of ministry. All of our works will be judged by what “sort” they are. (1 Corinthians 3:13)

Avoiding the “Martha Syndrome”
Modern Pastors’ Most Subtle Risk

Pastors, whether we are contemporary or traditional, reform or non-reform, charismatic or non-charismatic, the foundations of biblical prayer and surrender are equally non-negotiable for us all. If we are not mindful, the ministry itself can become as something of a false idol and mistress we place above closeness and full surrender to Christ Himself. The Lord is a jealous God who is grieved by over-focus or reliance on anything more than closeness and first love passion for Jesus. For Abraham, the key turning point was when God asked Him to sacrifice Isaac, his greatest love and promise. Pastors if we let them, even “blessings, ministry and outward success” can become heart idols that come ahead of God Himself. But thank the Lord, He is willing to renew us afresh if were turn to Him with all our hearts. (Zechariah 1:3)
Another vital key is for pastors to pray together and be partners, not competitors. That is why ministries like AllProPastors are so crucial. Absolutely none of us are designed to function as lone rangers! (And it would be arrogant to think that we are.) Frankly, I don’t believe I would have made it without a few special pastors who truly be-friended me. I would likely not be alive except for the personal friendship and prayers of Henry Blackably and T. W. Hunt. So as important as are activities, education and innovative programs, they can never replace powerful personal and united prayer with others.
There is actually one sense in which today’s unpresented explosion of education, innovative methods, ready-made sermons and strategies can become a subtle risk. It is the risk of emphasizing and relying more on these than on deep surrender, prayer and Holy Spirit-empowerment. Many pastors are even tricked into thinking “it is alright if my prayer life is kind of average because my main strength is preaching, pastoring, administration, or vision casting.” This is surely among Satan’s most damaging deceptions for today’s shepherds.

Distractions Bring Powerlessness and Vulnerability

Beyond question, too little time in prayer and surrender leaves pastors vulnerable to pornography, wrong relationships, and all other pitfalls. Fervent prayer also makes a huge difference in withstanding today’s unprecedented pressures upon marriage and parenting. The problem with the “prayer is not my main strength mindset” is that it is the exact opposite of the example and teaching of Jesus, the Apostles and virtually all leaders of historic awakenings. Since fervent prayer and surrender were definitely their priority practices, so too they must be ours! To do less is to do without God’s fullest anointing and power. Regardless of what some may think, we do not have a plan that is better than God’s.
After nearly four decades of researching historic awakenings and missions movements, it has never been more clear that fullest New Testament power and awakening must start with deeply cleansed, revived pastors. (Joel 2:17; Malachi 3:2-4; Acts 6:4; 2 Corinthians 7:1) As few before, our generation must re-learn the essential principle of the apostle Paul. Though he was a brilliant man of learning, he did not rely on high learning, leadership persona or persuasive words of men. His primary reliance was on the “demonstration of the Spirit and power.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-4) He summed it best when he wrote, “The kingdom of God is not in word (or talk), but in (spiritual) power.” (1 Corinthians 4:20) Regardless of the excellent new tools we are blessed to use, New Testament-type power still requires New Testament-type prayer, surrender and Spirit-empowerment. (Zechariah 4:6)

The Testimony From Then to Now

Though my first church never again saw quite the numbers of that initial strong move, God continued to do extraordinary things through deeper prayer and surrender. While we had little extra money, the Lord birthed a multi-state radio ministry and book distribution that ultimately went into many languages. Indeed, all that God has done in my life since, began from His grace in the faithful people of my first church. I will never forget their commitment. Then five years later in 1994, I contracted a devastating case of Lymes disease which was improperly diagnosed and treated. The illness did significant long-term damage. My doctor said I would likely need to go on disability as intense writing, preaching and missions travel would be difficult if not impossible.
As I prayed over this, I was begging God to heal me. And while in many cases He will heal, the Lord spoke through 2 Corinthians 12:9. It was where the Apostle Paul was begging God to deliver him from an incredibly painful thorn. But, the Lord told him “no.” He promised sufficient grace to give Him power in midst of pain and weakness. While I definitely did not want to hear that answer, I knew God could bring greater strength and fruit out of pain. So rather than healing, the Lord’s answer was to call me to still deeper levels of prayer and surrender. (And the truth is, we can always go deeper.) And though at that time I had never written an actual book, the Lord promised grace to write multiple books and spread them over key mission fields worldwide. In spite of many disappointments, battles, discouragements and struggles, God has been faithful to His word!
While, I have lived with pain and periodic bouts of extreme fatigue since 1994, there are now over forty books and resources on many mission fields. Solely by God’s hand, at least one book is printed in more than forty languages. And though doctors said extensive travel would be near impossible, the Lord has sent me nearly three million miles conducting over a thousand church and pastor renewal conferences.

God’s Strength in Our Impossibilities

Though better circumstances and healing can surely bring God glory, His grace can also be very real in our weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:10) If we walk in trust, His grace and joy are stronger than our circumstances. Though I have seen God’s gracious hand in forty years of ministry, I think the greatest joy is seeing the Lord work in prayer/renewal conferences in churches and pastors groups. The joy is actually seeing Christ’s shepherds and people face to face. For churches, our primary conference has been Going Deeper With God. With pastor groups, it is Principles of New Testament, Great Awakening-Type Ministry. And especially when ministering among persecuted underground pastors and churches, I have undoubtedly learned far more from them than they learned from me.
Because my heart passion is to help pastors and churches, I close this article with a mention of two practical books. The two Scripture-filled books are: How to Develop a Powerful Prayer Life and Returning to Holiness, or its later version, Return to Me Says the Lord. The book, Return to Me has appendices that are practical tools for effective daily prayer, full surrender and evangelistic intercession.
As readers might guess, these are the books God birthed from His gracious movement in my first church. The studies are specifically designed to raise believers’ level of prayer and deepen their surrender to Christ’s Lordship. They are about deeper intimacy, joy and power in Jesus. Above all, the studies are about glorifying God’s name and spreading Christ’s kingdom. The books are encouraging and practical for individual, small groups or church-wide growth and renewal. By God’s grace, people have donated nearly two million of these books in strategic mission fields.
In the US and Canada, we sell books for reasonable prices to make it easy for churches to use. The books can be obtained at www.frizzellministries.org for those in North America and Canada. Just go to our website and click on the “Ordering Resources” tab to find the particular books. For those outside North America, go to http://masterdesign.org/frizzellspecial.html. (Some of our other books are distributed only in the mission countries and are therefore not available on our website.)If I can help with information about a book or conference, it would be my deepest joy. Please feel free to contact me at info@frizzellministries.org.
As today’s darkness and persecution intensify, may God encourage, guide and protect all of His shepherds. It is and shall always be the most important calling on earth! As go pastors, so goes our churches. And as go our churches, so goes our cities, nations and the world. Let us determine to ever-abide in Christ and His word in us. In Him, we can “ask whatever we will, walk in joy and bear much fruit to the glory of God’s name!” (John 15:4-13)

To the Glory of God and Christ,

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“Why” Only Covid Lives Matter! (Part 1)

The most starling thing about Covid-19 since its beginning in 2020 is the disconnections between what we see on TV and a basic search for the facts.  Now before we continue to show how only Covid-19 lives, matter, I must first show that the total number of deaths, especially here in America, have been inflated and virtually manufactured.  These are bold claims, but honestly all we have to do is to look at two basic statements by the CDC, which is the Center for Disease Control here in America.  The CDC would certainly be most people’s go to source for actual facts on Covid, so listen closely.  The first piece of evidence came when the director of the CDC agrees that hospitals have a monetary incentive to inflate COVID-19 data or deaths.  He also went on to say that inflated numbers of certain diagnoses has already happened in the past with HIV / AIDS.  

 

Unfortunately, there are lots of reasons why this inflation has happened.  The first is that Covid shutdowns resulted in hospitals that were more than half empty.  On top of that, all elective procedures were canceled.  I have had two billing specialists for different hospitals that both confirmed that billing is down 70-80%.  Now imagine that your business is running on fumes, but there is the new diagnosis that pays at least $10,000 more than anything else.  Now imagine that there aren’t even enough tests to confirm this diagnosis, which makes a Covid-19 diagnosis less objective and more about subjective symptoms.  

 

Maybe this is why for a while it seemed that Covid was responsible for some new problem almost every day.  Almost like it had a literal mind of its own.  It should also be kept in mind that the validity of the testing itself has also been in question since day one, and that the current test we use was not the one we started with that took weeks to get results.  I had a nurse, who works in a contagious disease practice, say that they do not do Covid testing because the test is not accurate.  I have had nurses tell me that they have tested positive for two weeks, negative for the next week, and they go back to positive again a few weeks later. I have had several patients tell me that they received their Covid-19 test results when they were never even tested at all.  

 

All of these instances are why we have all heard how audits of Covid-19 deaths have revealed things like someone dying from a car accident, but still being listed as dying from Covid.  I have multiple patients report that the hospital specifically asked if they could diagnose the death of their loved one as Covid-19.  One patient says that their family was offered $5000 by the hospital to let them diagnose the patient with Covid.  These stories explain why routine audits of Covid deaths can have somewhere between 30-50% inaccuracy.  Here is one such article on the accuracy of Covid deaths, including deaths that had already been counted previously.

  • https://www.tri-cityherald.com/news/coronavirus/article246326410.html

 

Let’s look at the next piece of information to consider that also corresponds with the financial incentive to diagnose someone with Covid.  The CDC released the fact that 94% of COVID-19 deaths had underlying health problems, while only 6% died of the virus alone.  My first question was, well then if there was something else going on, then why did they diagnose them with Covid at all?  Unfortunately, we already answered why.  Money.  What also becomes obvious is that unless we have some pre-existing conditions, most of us have very little risk of dying from Covid.  

 

So, why didn’t they say what they really died from?  This is important because it allows us to make a differential diagnosis of the risk rate of each individual based on their pre-existing conditions, which we will detail shortly.  Unfortunately, we have a one size fits all prognosis for Covid, which is 100% fear, 100% of the time, and for 100% of us.  But as we will see, this is just not true.  So, we should already be asking ourselves, why are they trying to scare everyone?  What do they have to gain, and what is the hidden agenda?

  • https://www.christianpost.com/news/94-of-covid-19-deaths-had-underlying-health-problems-6-died-of-virus-alone-cdc-238680/?fbclid=IwAR0LkPG-WoKNBkm0pFEiF0U5r9DwTT4TM_5PLqafJhqf2MzWbpN9lb9nekQ

 

Certainly, death is scary enough without someone giving 24 /7 coverage of it, but how exactly does Covid fit into the bigger picture of death as a whole.  Whose deaths are we not being told about?  Obviously, we all die, but what I was shocked to discover is that not all lives are valued the same.  In fact, the following statistics reveal a startling truth, “that Only Covid lives matter.” (See worldometers.com as of 10/28/20) 

 

  • 1,011,981 Deaths due to Corona virus. 
  • 6,750,000 have died of hunger. (Based on around 9 million people die of hunger, according to the international relief agency Mercy Corps. That’s more than the death toll of AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis combined) 
  • 300,000 – 650,000 – Flu typically kills – https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2017/p1213-flu-death-estimate.html
  • 2.56 million people died from pneumonia in 2017 (Remember the best way to prevent pneumonia is to prevent the flu) – (source:  https://ourworldindata.org/pneumonia)
  • 629,427 – Deaths caused by contaminated water  
  • 31,807,452 – Abortions 
  • 733,156 – Deaths caused by malaria 
  • 801,522 – Suicides  
  • 1,008,976 – Road traffic accident fatalities 

 

These are the facts of what people are dying from and it is astonishing to think that suddenly, only “Covid-19 lives matter.” After all, there are much more significant killers that have shockingly simple and cost-effective solutions.  Now follow the money.  We have spent more than 6 trillion dollars just on a stimulus package to shut things down for 12 weeks.  Not to mention the economic impact of such a decision. This is a massive amount of money to spend just to delay the Covid-19 phenomenon.  When it comes to death, it is hard to talk about bang for the buck, but that certainly should be a part of the equation when it comes to helping people.  Let me give some examples of what I mean. For a few million dollars, we could eliminate anyone dying from Malaria, since there is already a cure that costs a few dollars per person.  

 

For hundreds of millions of dollars, we could have provided clean water to drink for every person on the planet.  For billions of dollars, we could have saved more than 6 times as many people from dying of hunger.  If we just stopped abortion, then 31 times as many lives could have been saved.  But what should be obvious at this point is that some lives don’t matter. In fact, some would say unborn babies aren’t even alive the day before their due date. Furthermore, if all lives matter, then why does no one care about the people that commit suicide?  The fact remains, that when we value one life over another in a general way, we are actually practicing some kind of hypocrisy or racism.

 

Now for the next bit of deception.  Remember, the flu and pneumonia are impossible to separate, so much so that the CDC now lumps them altogether with Covid-19. Of course, lots of people are jumping up and down and saying, “But Covid-19 is so much worse than the flu!”  This is true.  But this is all just word play, because the flu is the main reason someone gets pneumonia.  Pneumonia alone has killed 2.5 times as many people than Covid during the 2017-2018 pneumonia season.  So, between the two of them, (see the numbers above) they can easily kill close to 3 million people world-wide. This is almost three times as many people as Covid at the time this article was written.

 

So, these deaths are not unprecedented, then why does Covid take priority over every other disease we have seen in the modern era?  Why has no disease previously had 24/7 TV coverage, closed down the whole world, or caused us to alter our lives with masks and social distancing.  Yet, these same things can be argued to be appropriate for people who might catch the flu or pneumonia. This is clearly a double standard because it is saying that the only lives that matter are “Covid lives,” even though similar diseases kill more people.  These facts are why I am convinced that at worst, there is a dark deception being played upon the world. At best, hysteria has gotten completely out of control.  

 

Sadly, politicians, “never let a good crisis go to waste.”  It has not been a coincidence that all of the cities, counties, and states controlled by socialist leaders must be kept closed until after the election.  This is why when I mention these facts, I am usually met with the comment, “it is an election year.”  What this means is that America has become so divided that there is a group of people who would rather destroy America than to let the other party win. They are OK with lying, cheating and stealing to get what they want.  Unfortunately, they have succeeded at what their true goal is, which is dividing America.  Unfortunately, both parties are playing their part in the larger picture.

 

Why do I say that division is the main goal?  Because the old saying goes, “United we stand and divided we fall.”  As Christians, we hate to see America become divided, completely embroiled in bickering, and embracing hate or violence.  However, we still have the greatest freedoms and privileges of any citizens in world history.  Of course, we do have a host of problems, but division and hate are not how we move forward.  

 

Covid-19, like any other problem, must not be approached emotionally and irrationally.   Dividing us will only make things worse if not out-right destroy us.  This is the point where we have to fault the media.  They are the ones who need to be defunded for putting out a false message aimed at dividing us.  If there is anything that is negative or would destroy and divide America, they will cover it 24 / 7.  Unfortunately, the traditional media is not the only one that is involved.  

 

The movie, “The Social Dilemma,” provides us with a shocking possibility.  The movie perfectly portrays how individual tracking of everything we do is being collected by artificial intelligence, and used to control us.  AI’s continue to feed us only the polarizing things that we gravitate to and hold our attention. Determining what comes up in a search for each of us individually means that we are being manipulated without our knowledge. This is why the “fake news” has taken such a hold on America.  The final conclusion of the movie is that this kind of manipulation will eventually cause a civil war in America.  

 

While the writers of that film believed this to be an accident, I don’t believe that for a minute.  Foreign powers are also at play.  It has also been well documented the sudden influx of world-wide input on social media regarding our election.  By now, the situation should seem obvious, someone or something is trying to destroy America.  Who would like to destroy or divide America?  Some obvious possibilities are China, Russia, or the New World Order.  With China being the new #1 in the world, current political trends are saying that America must join a united Europe to balance that kind of power.  Thus far it would seem that Covid-19 is playing its part by bringing about division and financial ruin wherever it goes in the free world.

 

So, how do we fight this deception?  We fight this deception by adding the perspective of the cross, which is that all lives matter and are precious to God.  Obviously, people are dying every day, but people don’t actually know why or how we can help.  We have the opportunity to save lives and to show God’s love.  We cannot save everyone, but we can make strategic decisions about how to save the most lives we can.  Only focusing on Covid-19 lives has caused us to lose sight of the bigger picture.  We need to break this deception by representing those who have no voice in the media.  This is what Jesus would do because “God so loved the whole world.”  So, what is the bigger picture of our reaction to Covid?

 

Recently, thousands of doctors have written a letter to Trump to end the lock downs.  This is because 150,000 people are diagnosed with cancer each month.  Not getting that timely diagnosis will lead to their death. I recently had to go on blood pressure meds because I could not go to the gym during Covid shutdowns.  Even skipping routine dental care can lead to increased strokes and heart attacks. Virtually no one is talking about depression, alcohol abuse, drug abuse as some of the negative effects of Covid shutdowns. Some people didn’t even go outside.  This deprived them of vitamin D, which is one of the best nutritional preventions for Covid.  While this is the tip of the iceberg, it starts to become easier to see that we may be killing more people in one month than Covid has killed in 8 months.

 

If you still think you have been hearing the truth about what other doctors besides Dr. Anthony Fauci think, then ask yourself why you haven’t heard of the “Great Barrington Declaration,” This document was initially authored by doctors and epidemiologists from Oxford, Harvard and Princeton.  Since its inception, tis declaration has been signed by more than 35,000 medical doctors and health scientists from around the world.  The petition is to end lockdowns because they are causing “irreparable damage.”  They have specifically listed some of their reasoning to include: “lower childhood vaccination rates, worsening cardiovascular disease outcomes, fewer cancer screenings, and deteriorating mental health.  

 

All of these are leading to greater excess mortality in years to come, with the working class and younger members of society carrying the heaviest burden.” They also went on to say that “Keeping students out of school is a grave injustice,” because “We know that vulnerability to death from COVID-19 is more than a thousand-fold higher in the old and infirm than the young.” What is also shocking is that they also maintain that, “For children, COVID-19 is less dangerous than many other harms, including influenza.”  I’m still speechless that no one knows this.  What they are recommending is an approach they call “Focused Protection” because they believe that eventually the populations will eventually reach herd immunity.  

 

They recommend allowing those who are at minimal risk of death to live their lives normally so that immunity to the virus is developed as part of natural infection.  This will allow Covid to pass through a population in a shorter period of time, thereby lowering some of the risks to everyone.  Of course, we do need to take some significant protective measures for those who are at highest risk of dying from Covid-19.  So, the question is, “Why is it that these doctors’ opinions don’t matter?”  What am I really trying to say?  I am saying that the Covid cure is worse than the disease.  I am saying that only Fauci’s opinion matters, even though there are thousands of doctors that disagree with him. 

 

But keeping people from seeing their doctors is not the only way that we are killing more than we save.  Look at the increase in the cost of food since the onset of Covid.  Food prices have gone up at least 25-30%.  Now remember that 6-7 times as many people die of hunger than Covid-19.  Even the UN is not recommending more shutdowns for Covid because millions more are going to starve this year than usual.  Winning the battle against Covid is causing us to lose the war against world hunger. Currently, hunger is killing 7-9 times as many people than Covid-19.  Unfortunately, we are not allowed to talk about this.

 

Now think about how this verse, “My people perish for lack of knowledge.” (Hosea 4:6)  This is clearly the case here with Covid-19.  The truth is that no one in America has heard there are other possibilities with how to respond to Covid.  For example, Sweden never did shut down, and they did better than we did with much less death and economic impact.  Of course, Sweden did not take away all of the business away from the hospitals or  give a lot more money for a Covid diagnosis either.  Everyone was too quick to take a stimulus, as if there is such a thing as free money.  Once the option of a stimulus was announced, 9 out of my 13 therapists in my office decided to stay home because they can make more money. So, even the stimulus has bought most of us off and kept us from making too much of a fuss about the plan.

 

Borrowing from our children has also delayed the financial consequences of shutting down, but like all debt, it will be a bitter pill to swallow for our children.  But much of the goal with the Covid deception is aimed at destroying the world economy and specifically America.  People are losing their jobs, their businesses, their houses, and their cars even though they have no risk of dying from Covid-19.  They are literally being forced into bankruptcy because they aren’t allowed to work.  But the facts are that that most people under 40 have virtually a zero percent risk of dying from Covid-19, while people over 65 comprise 80% of Covid deaths.  

  • https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/older-adults.html

 

This one size fits all is not the way medicine is usually practiced. Imagine if we had to treat all patients like we did our elderly patients? Yeah, I am sure you get the point. In fact, it is this differential diagnosis that keeps a doctor from being charged with malpractice.  Besides age, the other big risk factors are issues with breathing or auto-immune disorders.  Being overweight, having diabetes, or heart disease are also factors. Age considering, if you don’t have one of these risk factors, then you virtually have a zero percent chance of dying from Covid-19.  So, why would the media be making 100% of us afraid, when less than 1% of us are going to die?  

 

Why would we destroy America or borrow money from our children over something with such a small risk for most of us?  Why is there so much disinformation about Covid-19?  Why is the media lying to us and why are both political parties capitulating with it?  Why are we being blinded from both science and the facts? Why are most people completely wrong about what their personal risk level really is?  This deception is exactly what is addressed in the following article that people are needlessly living in fear. Of course, we also need to keep in mind that there really are some who are at risk, and they too must be informed about this risk because their lives also matter.

  • https://www.franklintempletonnordic.com/investor/article?contentPath=html%2Fftthinks%2Fcommon%2Fcio-views%2Fon-my-mind-they-blinded-us-from-science.html&fbclid=IwAR0FOF0ED1H600UkjTl5OHj8bIlqIrVRBBQoGWuRDaxQ_ugHRbYoyjoPRuY 

Not only are lies the source of this conspiracy, but this is exactly what the Bible means when it says, “they have traded the truth for a lie.”  (Romans 1:25)  Disinformation has always  been one of the key techniques used by everyone from communists to Satanists to destroy America.  This is exactly what the movie “Disinformation:  The Secret Strategy to Destroy the West” brought out back in the late 80’s.  Russia’s plan to destroy the west involved starting all kinds of non-profit world groups aimed at putting out false information to under mind freedom, faith, and capitalism.  

 

Currently, General H.R. McMaster, who is the former National Security Advisor, has written a book called Battlegrounds, in which he affirms that the US is actually at war.  Not a direct war, but an information or cyber war driven by social media /operatives, and the internet.  His final message: America needs to wake up, catch up, and stop being so narcissistic.   What is also notable is that while he is not a fan of Trump, he refuses to talk about it because he recognizes that this is exactly what is dividing and destroying America.  It doesn’t stop there either because division is also what is destroying the American church.  There is a spiritual war for the truth!  Most Christians in the world are already experiencing heavy persecution and tribulation.  Unfortunately, the doctrine of the rapture has been used to teach the idea that Christians will never see any tribulation, but recent events rule this possibility out.

 

Even though there is going to be an escape (Luke 21:36) or rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:17) because Christians were not appointed to wrath (1 Thessalonians 5:9), it is time to realize that Americans are likely to experience some kind of tribulation.  We also have to face the fact that there is a growing population of Americans that actually hate their own country.  What is also obvious is that these complainers could easily go somewhere else where their ideal government already exists.  The reason they don’t is because none of these countries hold a candle to ours. Still, Americans at large are acting like we have no enemies, when we are actually the last of our kind. Unfortunately, no one in the free world has dared to even challenge the Covid narrative or even check the facts. 

 

Yet, with all of the deception, most of us still don’t actually believe it.  Just watch what happens when masks become optional.  Still, the financial damage has been done, and this alone is one of the best ways to destroy us.  As Christians who believe our Bibles, we have to know that America has to be severely hampered in order for the beast government to be formed at all.  In fact, the only reason the world is not fully communist right now is the United States of America.  Not one other country could stop Russia or China from invading them.  This is why the world as we know it is at total risk, and why Covid is a deception that is meant to keep us from focusing on what really matters.

 

How do you know that Covid-19 is a deception?  The first part of that answer is because the powers that be have engineered inflation of the Covid deaths by offering more money.  The second is that we are not being told about any other deaths except Covid-19.  The last is that 94% of the Covid deaths did not die of Covid.  But the greatest proof is how the average person has over estimated their risk of dying from Covid to a shocking extent. The following article shows how we are being blinded to the truth with regard to people understanding what their personal risk really is.  The study found that this deception is worse for democrats, partisanship (those who are biased for their own cause such as their dislike for the current president), and for people on social media. Read it.

 

  • On average, Americans believe that people aged 55 and older account for just over half of total COVID-19 deaths; the actual figure is 92%.
  • Americans believe that people aged 44 and younger account for about 30% of total deaths; the actual figure is 2.7%.
  • Americans overestimate the risk of death from COVID-19 for people aged 24 and younger by a factor of 50; and they think the risk for people aged 65 and older is half of what it actually is (40% vs 80%).

 

Source:  They Blinded Us from Science:  How Americans misperceive the risks of death from COVID-19 to a shocking extent.  

More Stunning Headlines

 

The 1% conundrum: How a simple but flawed math prediction by US Covid-19 experts caused the world to panic and order lockdowns.

 

Buried lead: New WHO estimate downgrades COVID-19 death rate by 3.8-7.7X

World Health Organization said Monday the agency’s “best estimates” indicate roughly 1 in 10 people worldwide may have been infected by the coronavirus — more than 20 times the number of confirmed cases, which is how they got to their 10% of the world population number.  

 

In America, 80,000 died of flu in winter of 2017-2018, but suddenly the number of flu deaths in the U.S. as of October 3, 2020 is only 6714. Why is that?  Did the flu suddenly stop killing people or were some of these Covid deaths actually due to the flu.

  • https://www.statista.com/statistics/1113051/number-reported-deaths-from-covid-pneumonia-and-flu-us/

 

Issues & Insights – The Big Surge in Coronavirus Deaths Is A Media-Fed Myth

“The grim milestones come quickly in the Sunshine State,” CNN reported. “The Florida Department of Health reported 156 new coronavirus-related deaths on Thursday, the most yet in a 24-hour period.”  Yet, Florida’s health department reports only 68 deaths that day. The most deaths occurring in a single day in the state is 101.  

 

Gateway Pundit – Coronavirus Study Confirms, with Exception of New York and New Jersey, Overall Mortality Not Much Different Than a Bad Flu Season.  

These two states accounted for up to 40% of the total deaths in the country.  This is because these other states aren’t sending COVID-19 patients into nursing homes.  Yet, if there was one thing we learned from Italy, since they are one of the oldest populations in the world, it was that old people are at risk of Covid.  So, who was responsible for making the decisions that led to this unprecedented loss of life?  The same people jumping up and down about how everything is the president’s fault.  I personally supported our president when he decided that Covid is not a one size fits all solution, which allowed for states, governors, cities, and counties to make their own decisions about how to respond based on their individual situations. The problem is that some states made their decisions, and then blamed it on the president.

 

‘Rather die from COVID than loneliness’: Seniors protest against coronavirus lockdowns

No one asked the senior what they wanted.  How many people died alone because someone wouldn’t let a loved one in to see them?

Masks

Masks are yet another part of the intrusion into our freedoms, and they too are dividing this country.  One of the first things I remember hearing about Covid-19 on TV was by a doctor who said, “There is nothing so silly as all these people wearing masks.”  Suddenly, everyone, including Fauci, changed their minds and gave in.  Of course, there are not enough medical grade masks to go around, so we are all just left wearing a piece of cloth.  Still, when I see someone wearing a mask out in the middle of nowhere or by themselves in a car, I cannot help but chuckle to myself because they are the “true believers.”  On the other hand, if you are the only person in the Wawa station not wearing a mask, you are going to get more dirty looks in 5 minutes then you will usually get all year. 

 

Unfortunately, trying to figure out how, when, and where to wear a mask is confusing because it changes everywhere, we go.  The sign on the gym says, “No Mask, No Entry, No Exceptions.”  Yet, once you scan your key card, everyone takes their mask off and works out like normal.  This is the same for restaurants that require you to wear the mask to the table, but then you can take it off.  One of the reasons we have enjoyed lots of water parks during Covid is because you can’t wear masks in the water.  However, the same dry theme park next door literally has hecklers throughout the park reminding everyone to pull their masks up over their nose. 

 

What is also interesting is that the actual laws requiring masks all seem to have clear exceptions, but that doesn’t seem to matter because most places do not allow for any exceptions.  This literally means many places are discriminating against people with health conditions.  Even more sinister is that we are quietly developing a Gestapo or “Secret Police” mentality.  Then there are the face shields, which are particularly useless because there is simply no filtration at all.  On the other hand, no one will give you a problem about a face shield because this is all part of the psychological warfare in making us become a faceless society.  A new world order is being imposed on us and our freedoms are being taken away.  I could have posted hundreds of articles about masks, but here are a few that speak to the situation.

 

Union says Ontario nurses can’t be forced to wear masks in flu season?

The question is, how did the nurses win this law suit? The answer is with overwhelming evidence.

 

New CDC Study Finds Majority of Those Infected with COVID-19 ‘Always’ Wore Masks

People diagnosed with Covid-19 were asked about their use of masks 14 days prior to catching Covid.  Here are their answers:  Never – 3.9%, Rarely – 3.9%, Always – 70.6% 

  • https://californiaglobe.com/section-2/new-cdc-study-finds-majority-of-those-infected-with-covid-19-always-wore-masks/

 

Mask Facts – By the American Association of Physicians and Surgeons

COVID-19 is as politically-charged as it is infectious. Early in the COVID-19 pandemic, the WHO, the CDC and NIH’s Dr. Anthony Fauci discouraged wearing masks as not useful for non-health care workers. Now they recommend wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are hard to do (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies). The recommendation was published without a single scientific paper or other information provided to support that cloth masks actually provide any respiratory protection. Let’s look at the data, and their conclusions?  

  • The preponderance of scientific evidence supports that aerosols play a critical role in the transmission of Covid 19.  If anything gets through, you will become infected.  Therefore, a mask must provide a high level of filtration and fit to be highly effective.  
  • A COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) particle is 0.125 micrometers/microns (μm); influenza virus size is 0.08 – 0.12 μm; a human hair is about 150 μm.  
  • All of this means that this virus is too small.  Surgical masks are loose-fitting devices and they aren’t effective at blocking particles smaller than 100 μm. 
  • Even a properly fitted N95 will only block particles down to 0.3 μm, but this thing is 0.125 μm. 
  • Consequently, there is virtually no mask on the market that can filter Covid-19.
  • Public health authorities define a significant exposure to COVID-19 as face-to-face contact within 6 feet with a patient with symptomatic COVID-19 that is sustained for at least a few minutes (and some say more than 10 minutes or even 30 minutes).
  • The chance of catching COVID-19 from a passing interaction in a public space is therefore minimal.
  • Source:  https://aapsonline.org/mask-facts/

 

A cluster randomized trial of cloth masks compared with medical masks in healthcare workers.

Conclusion:  cloth or non-medical masks increase risk of infection, which is what we are all wearing.

 

These 12 Graphs Show Masks Do Nothing to Stop Covid

  • https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/29/these-12-graphs-show-mask-mandates-do-nothing-to-stop-covid/

 

The Real Reason for Covid-19?

If Covid-19 is not worse than the flu / pneumonia was in the 20`7-2018 flu season, then what is really going on here?  If we really could save more lives by opening up and encouraging people to see their doctors, then why are we closed down?  If 94% of people who died of Covid didn’t die of only Covid, then why isn’t the main dialog here about what else did most of those people have?  If we are really interested in just saving lives, then why don’t we save the lives that we easily save for just a few million dollars? The answer to all of these questions is because Covid is not about saving lives, it is about creating fear and chaos. The question then becomes, why chaos?  This is where I would like to introduce the idea of “Order out of Chaos” or as it is said in Latin, “Ordo ab Chao.”  

 

This is a motto directly attributed to the Masons, who also happen to call themselves an order.  Specifically, the Thirty-third Degree of the supreme council of the Scottish Rite of Free Masons. Whether it is the Masons, the Bilderberg’s, the Illuminati, or the New World Order, most people have to accept the fact that there is a group of people in the world that believe humanity is going to destroy itself if they don’t intervene.  There is too much global warming, weapons of mass destruction, and tampering with mother earth, so we must all be controlled.  These are the same 62 people in the world that Bernie Sanders referred to in the 2016 election as having more money than 3.6 million of us.  

 

What Bernie forgot to mention is that he works for those people.  In fact, the only people that these super rich people actually fear is the American middle and upper class.  That is why wiping out classes of people is exactly what socialism and communism are all about.  The Hegelian Dialectic is another form of manipulation that can be used to accomplish an agenda.  In its simplest form, the Hegelian Dialectic simply says, “if you want to do something, create a problem where the natural solution to the problem is exactly what you wanted to do in the first place.” 

 

If we are a Christian, looking for signs of the return of Jesus, then we should all be looking for the development of a one world government.  The Bible calls this government the Beast in Revelation and the Divided Kingdom in Daniel.  In each case, this government has ten horns or ten toes. Curiously, the United Nations has divided the world into ten regions.  This New World Order appears to be developing around ancient Europe in the form of the EU.  This is also important because according to Daniel, the last Kingdom is supposed to have iron, which was thought to be some type of revival of the old Roman Empire.  However, what should be obvious is that the biggest obstacle to a one world government is the United States of America.  

 

One must admit, after looking at this final beast government, that it is very similar to communism, with the exception of a deep state religion.  Again, the only reason the world is not communist right now is the USA.  No other countries can actually defend themselves against Russia or China.  Sadly, millennials and now generation Z are quite open to socialism, which is a form of communism.  Yet, the reality is that communism is the greatest evil the world has ever seen because it has killed over 100 million people that we know of.  (A good movie to watch about the dangers of the socialist agenda is by Dinesh D’Souza called Trump Card)  So, why do we not hear of this evil?  Why do we hear more about the Holocaust, slavery, or how we wiped out the Native American’s?  

 

While America has tried to spread freedom and capitalism around the world, it really hasn’t worked.  We really are one of a kind. Yet, the biggest delusion of most Americans is that we do not know we are not number one in the world anymore. Who did we borrow money from when we needed money? It was China. Beijing has 21 times as many skyscrapers as New York City. How much longer are the entitled people of America going to continue to say, “in the richest country in the world, why can’t we afford to do _____?”  Yet, no country can spend more than it makes. No country can continue to have massive trade deficits forever.  No, one day, the Prodigal child will run out of their fathers’ money, and this is what is going to happen to America.  

 

The only great hope that we have is that when this happens, America will remember its’ spiritual Father.  Unfortunately, the idea of nationalism or loving our country has turned into an insult, when it used to be a cry to arms.  Yet, the entire world is dependent upon us for its freedoms. Think about how rich America would be if we didn’t have to defend ourselves.  Think about what the world would be like if China played by the rules, and didn’t steal everyone’s technology.

 

A Recipe for Destruction

There are two main ways to destroy any country without ever going to war. The first is to divide the people within it, and the second is to destroy it financially. Both of these can be accomplished with chaos, and that is why they are both happening simultaneously as we speak. We have never seen a more intense and violent divide between Americans. We have never seen such large-scale riots and destruction of whole cities in America. They are using the same strategy as the communists who divided the people based on the “haves versus the have nots.” The only difference is that now they are using racism as well.  They have 24/7 coverage by 95% of the media all saying the same thing.  

 

Even the police have become a target. Not only is our society being divided, but our national debt is out of control.  What most people do not know is that our national deficit is held by the Federal Reserve, which is actually privately owned.  This is extremely disturbing because I have never told myself that I owned my house until I paid it off.  So, we don’t own our country anymore. In fact, the more debt we have, the less of it we own.  These same people own the IMF or International Monetary Fund.  They are also the same people that own the mortgages on our houses or our cars.  The other great uncertainty is who are these people, and what do they want in return?

Chaos and Control 

It is very clear that we are in chaos, and now we can see the new level of control that our government now requires.  We have been forced to borrow 6-7 trillion dollars, shut down our businesses, stay home, wear masks, can’t go to church, can’t sing in church, keep away from everyone, and for sure don’t touch anyone.  This is the tip of the iceberg with what the New World Order wants.  The next level of control involves being penetrated and marked.  They want access to our bodies so that they can monitor and control everything we do:  what we can buy or sell, how much currency is in our accounts, and even what our DNA looks like.  

You heard that last one right. I have been saying now for over 12 years, that the Mark of the Beast is not just going to be a computer chip or tattoo, but a genetic marker that changes our DNA.  I first got this idea after listening to a Bible prophecy series by Thomas Horn.  The scariest thing about changing our DNA is that it would change the image in which we were created, and the dimensions of God’s temple. What must be obvious to all of us is that God was the one who wrote our DNA, and then He called it good.  Changing what God wrote is blasphemy according to our Bibles.  Changing our DNA is changing whos’ son we are and who our Father is.  It changes our seed, our very identity, and who we are related to.  

PART 2 COMING Thanksgiving Day November 26th !

 

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HONDURAS – SOIL MINISTRY EFFORTS FOR 2020 AND BEYOND


Current project is to help over 200+ churches in Honduras.

Providing assistance to the people in their area, to keep them safe at home and productive for their families.

(SOIL Ministry is a ministry partner of All Pro Pastors International)

EVANGELISM, MISSION OPPORTUNITIES, SEMINARY COURSES

• Church Administration – Video & Internet Series

• Master Life – The Disciples Personality

• Bible Training Center for Pastors (10 course pack)

• G.O.A.L.S. Mentoring – 13 week course

• Experiencing God – Knowing and Doing the Will of God

• Project – Saturate Honduras

• Love Is A Hunger Designed by God – Marriage Seminar

CHURCH WIDE COURSES

• English as a Second Language – ESL

Church Wide Studies

• CIVICS (Honduran & USA)

• HISTORY (Honduran & USA)

MEDICAL MISSIONS – Surgical Teams last conducted in Tocoa, Colon

If you have some time in your schedule I would love to talk about joining this effort. A great way to spread Goodwill while assisting the USA with the immigration issues, while doing it with compassion.

https://www.globalgoodwillambassadors.org/serviing-others-in-love-honduras

Anthony Ponceti, Th.D.
Global Goodwill Ambassador
Soil Ministry Honduras
All Pro Pastors International
anthonyponceti@aol.com
(863) 370-1080
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West Virginia

West Virginia

WEST VIRGINIA

 

Matthew 9:36 “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no sheperd”

 Pastors are the under-shepherds, charged in caring for the sheep, but who cares for the pastor?

Our vision is to see those shepherds unified together through a Covenant of Prayer that brings all denominations, cultures, races and pastors together in action, and that pastors have relationship betwee them selves of trust, oves and determination to save their community and make disciples for Jesus Christ and the Kingdon of God!

All ProPastor International Mission Statement

John 21 “Jesus spoke to Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me and commissioned him three time to (Feed my sheep)”

 All Pro Pastors International ministry is to empower Pastors to become Champion role models for all

People through personal encouragement, challenge, accountability and achievement, and to bring unity to the “Body of Christ” through love, trust, prayer and personal relationships, that by this our Lord Jesus may say: “well done y good and faithful Servant”.

But who feeds the shepherd?

All Pro Pastors International benefits include:

  • Weekly Encouragement
  • Fresh Ideas for Pastors
  • Tech Trends for Churches
  • Training and Education
  • Science and The Bible
  • Special Christian Movie Premiers
  • 24/7/365 International Prayer Network

All Pro Pastors International resources include:

  • BlessEveryHome.com
  • Saturate USA
  • Game Plan for Life
  • National Center for Life and Liberty
  • Restoring Hope Global
  • Mike Williams Ministry
  • Liberty Pastors/Reclaiming America for Christ
  • SkywatchTV
  • Christian Businessmen’s Connection
  • Champions Table

 

All Pro Pastors International vision:

  • Pastors will work together in their community to save the lost and make disciples
  • For all Christian Churches and pastors in the community will unite regardless of their race or denomination
  • Pastors will establish relationships of love and trust between themselves
  • Local Churches and Pastors will stop criticizing on another and state loving one another
  • Leaders of the denominations will work together with purpose to reach every community for Christ
  • Pastors to have a Kingdom attitude and heart
  • Pastors marriages and families to be strong, healthy and holy. To be examples of Christ
  • Pastors to pray with their spouse every day
  • That strong Pastors will step forward to establish “Champion Tables” as leaders in every community
  • The Body of Christ, the Church, to become passionate about praying and will develop the discipline to pray each day with intensity and intentionally
  • That Pastors “Fast and Pray” with accountability and encouragement to one another with confidentiality
  • That anyone who call themselves a Christian will serve and hour God with their life, words, actions, thoughts, attitudes and above all “LOVE”
  • Our National leader will turn to Jesus and become committed Christians
  • All Presidents, Prime Minister and Heads of State will use the Bible as the standard of governing
  • That our Governmental leaders will call for fasts and prayer to be held at their governmental headquarters
  • For Pastors to be called to every country’s capital to pray in unity repenting and worshiping Jesus
  • That Christians will vote where and when allowed for candidates who are committed Christians
  • For Israel and their people to accept Jesus as their Messiah and Savior
  • For All Pro Pastors International and the Pastors Center to fulfill its Mission and Vision
  • For provision to come into this ministry so that there is more that enough to reach the entire world with this mission and for the gospel of Jesus Christ to be shared to all people
  • That the 24/365 Prayer Network will have pastors and leader’s sign-up quickly and honestly to faithfully pray
  • That our hearts will have forgiveness for one another for years of racial and cultural division and criticism
  • For a great move of the Holy Spirit to move through the land with a great demonstration of power
  • For all Christian married couples to pray together every day showing compassion for each other before God
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America’s Great Awakening- “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God!”

The following article was written by Steve Strang in 1975 for the first edition of Charisma Magazine. It is a brief history of the American Great Awakening in the 1700″s and a summary of what some say was the most powerful message ever preached in America. (We will let you decide that for yourself) Our great country is in a great time of turmoil and struggle but some of us still trust our Almighty God can save souls, change lives, give hope and mend broken hearts. Read this tremendous article and be inspired and just maybe share it with a friend who needs to know the truth.

By Steve Strang-Fifty years before a Lexington minuteman fired the shot heard around the world, another revolution began that shook the American colonies.

It was a spiritual revolution which historians call the Great Awakening. It was marked by waves of religious enthusiasm as preachers like George Whitefield traveled the seacoast from Maine to Georgia, preaching that sinners should repent.

American history’s most famous sermon—”Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”—was preached in 1741 by Jonathon Edwards at the height of the great revival.

History records that sinners repented by the hundreds. Taverns closed as whole towns repented. Often people were so moved by conviction they trembled and shrieked and fell to the ground moaning and begging God to forgive their sins.

Edwards writes about a young woman in his congregation who was so convicted of sin she declared that “it was pleasant to think of lying in the dust all the days of her life, mourning for sin.”

The preaching about turning from sin and the importance of salvation over the rituals of the state church in places like Massachusetts, was important in the light of history.

The result of the revival, which continued strong for 15 years and the effect of which continued for many more years, was to establish early in American life the importance of a man serving God as his conscience, not the state, dictated.

Thousands of newly converted people were forced by their churches to leave because their new convictions about the importance of salvation often threatened the existing ecclesiastical power structure. This fostered the growth of new churches like the Methodists and toppled any hope of one denomination becoming dominant and becoming the American state church.

Some historians consider the Great Awakening a major turning point in American history, yet it is frequently overlooked. While the national remembers its 200th anniversary this year and next, the Christian community can be inspired by remembering one of the greatest revivals on this continent.

The Great Awakening, besides being a major spiritual renewal, did much to foster a feeling of independence in the colonies and helped wipe out the class structure brought to the New World from Europe.

It also fostered education and several major universities like Dartmouth, Princeton and Brown, had their genesis in the revival. In addition, it stimulated missionary work among the Indians and slaves.

Historian Monroe Stearns wrote: “The Great Awakening’s essential purpose was to fulfill the royal law of love—to cause men to serve not themselves but one another and to join in an effort to improve society. The vision it revealed of the social good led to a challenge of the rulers of colonial society in America and into the discussion and activity that produced the movement for independence.

The Great Awakening has been, however, relegated to relatively minor role by most historians who view it as only emotional hysteria that they say has characterized revivals throughout our history.

The truth is, however, that despite emotionalism that characterized some of the Great Awakening from 1720 to 1760, it was the first great move of God on this continent and was the first of many revivals that have come to America since then.

To understand the importance of the revival and its impact on America, it’s important to understand the religious and social structure of the day.

Many of the early immigrants to America came because of religious oppression in Europe.

The French Huguenots were the first Protestants to flee to America. In 1562, more than half a century before the Pilgrims arrived at Plymouth Rock, a small group of Huguenots arrived in Florida in present day Jacksonville, hoping to escape the massacres of Charles IX of France. But within months, their settlement was destroyed by an agent of Philip II of Spain. Not one Huguenot survived.

In 1620, the English Separatists among them soon headed for Rhode Island with Roger Williams looking for religious freedom the Puritans did not give them.

The Pilgrims were followed in 1656 by the early Quakers who, being unwelcomed in New England, settled in New Jersey, then in 17682 in Pennsylvania.

By the early 1700’s, group after group of other Protestants seeking freedom from European intolerance began to arrive.

Of course, not every new settler in the new world came for religious liberty. Many came for economic and political opportunities not available to them in Europe. But many of the immigrants did come to worship God as they saw fit.

This desire for religious liberty and their deep faith in God was all that strengthened many of these early colonists to brave the perils of the American wilderness.

But after a few decades the original closeness to God that drove the early settlers to seek religious freedom was replaced by the coldness and rituals of the churches the settlers established.

This is what Theodorus Frelinghuysen found in 1720 when he was sent by the Dutch Reformed Church in the Netherlands to minister to Dutch settlers in New Jersey.

Frelinghuysen was a member of the Pietists who believed the power of the Holy Spirit could only be felt because it worked on the heart, not the brain. They put no emphasis on complicated church doctrines, but on having a “change of heart,” and becoming one with God.

Frelinghuysen preached that in order to be a member of the church and take communion, one must be born again. He caused quite a stir among the young and the poor who readily responded to his message.

The established, more prosperous members at first resisted, then began to become converted. Within five years his congregations had so increased and so many people had become converted, other ministers began inviting Frelinghuysen to preach at their churches, hoping for similar results.

Frelinghuysen greatly inspired a Presbyterian minister, Gilbert Tennent, and worked with him, breaking down denominational walls.

While Tennent and Frelinghuysen were preaching in New Jersey, Jonathon Edwards was causing a stir in New England with his sermons.

When he became minister in 1729 of the church of Northhampton, Mass., he found a generation of New Englanders who had grown up in spiritual confusion and who didn’t know how to be saved.

In addition, the churches of that area were controlled by the wealthy merchant class—the same people who controlled the government and who oppressed the people.

The Puritan Church had for many years preached salvation, but as the merchants began to seize control, more liberal ministers began to say salvation was not necessary for church membership.

Edwards resisted this trend, and preached faith in Christ was necessary for salvation. He began to see results.

In 1734, after five years at the church, he reported “a concern about the great things of religion began…to prevail abundantly in the town, till old and young, and from the highest to the lowest…Scarcely a person has been exempt, and the Spirit of God went on his saving influences…in a truly wonderful and astonishing manner.”

Word of the revival spread up and down the Connecticut River valley and by May, 1735, 25 towns had experienced similar awakenings.

The revival subsided until 1739 when a 24-year-old minister from England named George Whitefield began to preach in the New York area.

Whitefield had come to America in 1738 to establish an orphanage in Georgia.

Whitefield was such a magnificent speaker that many people came to hear him merely because of his speaking and acting ability.

He frequently preached on streets or in open fields.

Benjamin Franklin, who heard him in Philadelphia, estimated that Whitefield’s voice was so powerful 30,000 people could hear him at once, because he repeated key sentences four times—once in each direction.

Whitefield was so eloquent at raising money for his orphanage, that Franklin wrote he left his purse home on purpose when he went to hear him. Still, he had in his pocket several pieces of copper, several silver dollars and five pieces of gold.

“As he proceeded,” Franklin wrote, “I began to soften and concluded to give him the copper. Another stroke of his oratory made me ashamed of that, and determined me to give him the silver; and he finished so admirably, that I emptied my pocket wholly into the collection dish, gold and all.”

The Great Awakening was not without its problems, however.

Often when people felt convicted of their sins, they thrashed about on the floor, moaning and shrieking. Emotionalism was so widespread that it turned off many who had not been touched in their hearts with the Gospel message.

Rev. Jonathan Parsons of Lyme, Conn. wrote that some converts acted as if “the joints of their limbs were loosed and their knees smote one another…Several stout ones fell as though a cannon had been discharged and a ball had made its way through their hearts.”

One lady, Sarah Sparhawk, of Marlboro, Mass., was “like one deprived of her reason” and “was brought home (from church) by some young men. She often lay there crying out, screaming and striving much in her fits for an hour or two.”

Trances, visions, and something called “the jerks” became commonplace.

The opposers of the revival were led by Charles Chauncy, pastor of the old First Church in Boston. He objected to the “preaching of terror” and the “bodily effects.” He attacked the whole movement as a dangerous explosion of emotion.

Edwards saw the extremes of the revival, but still considered the Awakening a “surprising work of God,” and stedfastly defended it. He said the excesses of emotion were “enthusiastic delusions” or “impressions upon the imagination.”

He thought, however, that to oppose the revival as some ministers did, was evil. The “prevailing prejudice against religious affections at this day, in this land” was caused by none other than Satan, Edwards wrote.

He warned the critics of the revival that “for persons to despise and cry down all religious affections, is the way to shut all religion out of their own hearts, and to make thorough work in ruining their own souls.”

There were other great preachers in the revival. John Wesley, father of Methodism, was one. He preached in Georgia a number of years, and had an impact on the life of George Whitefield. But mostly Wesley’s influence was limited to England where a similar revival was taking place.

Samuel Davies, a Presbyterian, spread the revival to Virginia in 1748 where he had to get a license from the governor to preach.

The Anglican clergy opposed this non-Anglican in Virginia and took him to court saying he had no right to preach. The issue went to London in 1753 for a verdict and Davies won in 1755. It set a precedent for religious freedom in the colonies.

As the Great Awakening began to subside people like Davies continued to spread it until the 1750’s.

The Awakening had a long-run effect on education, social and moral structure of America for many years. But its main impact—and this should never be forgotten—was spiritual.

Men’s lives were changed when they encountered a personal faith in Jesus Christ. Despite the emotionalism that accompanied the movement, many new converts were made, and these converts had a different way of living.

Jonathon Parsons wrote of the new converts that “bitterness and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking seemed to be put away from them, with all malice…Rough and haughty minds became peaceful, gentle, and easy to be entreated… Their faith worked on love, and discovered itself in acts of piety towards God, charity and righteousness toward men and sobriety toward themselves.

That’s what true revival is all about.

Editor’s Note: The following are sidebars that appeared in the original edition of this article.

John Wesley

The founder of the Methodist Church, John Wesley, was a methodical man. While at Oxford University, he scheduled his intellectual activity by the clock-meditating perhaps from 11 a.m. to noon on the Calvinist doctrine of predestination and from noon to 1 p.m. on the doctrine of free grace. He and other students, including George Whitefield (below) worshiped together in what some students ridiculed by calling “Holy Clubs” or “Methodists.”

Early in his ministry, Wesley was sent to minister to the convicts sent to Georgia colony. He traveled throughout the colonies and England a total of 200,000 miles—by his own estimate—traveling by foot, by horseback and carriage to preach an estimated 40,000 sermons in his 87 years.

His brother, Charles, during his lifetime wrote about 6,500 hymns, many of which we sing today, like “Love Divine, All Love Excelling” and “Hark, the Herald Angels Sing.” When a man once said he wished he had a thousand tongues to sing the praises of Jesus, Charles wrote “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing!”

Another time, when a bird fell onto his window while being chased by a hawk, Charles wrote the most famous of his songs, “Jesus, Lover of My Soul, Let Me to Thy Bosom Fly.”

George Whitefield

The Great Awakening’s most rousing speaker, George Whitefield, is said to have been able to stir crowds just with the way he said “Mesopotamia.” The great English actor, David Garrick said, “I would give a hundred guineas if I could say ‘Oh! Like Mr. Whitefield.”

In Boston, such a revival swept the town while Whitefield was there that the Rev. John Webb wrote that “the very face of the town seemed to be altered” and that the taverns were as empty as the churches were full, for “about a year and a half after Mr. Whitefield left us.”

In one sermon, Whitefield is said to have cried, “Father Abraham, whom have you in heaven? Any Episcopalians? No? Any Presbyterians? No? Have you any Independents or Seceders? No? Have you any Methodists? No, no, no? Whom have you there?”

“We don’t know those names here. All who are here are Christians.” Whitefield would quote the answer from heave. Then, he would add: “Oh, is this the case? Then God help us, God help us all, to forget party names, and to become Christians in deed and in truth.”

Jonathon Edwards

Historians record that Jonathon Edwards was a small, frail man who preached in a quiet monotone, without gestures. He was also one of the greatest intellectuals American society has produced.

Edwards pastored in Northampton, Mass., when the Great Awakening broke out. Like other preachers during this period, he began traveling to nearby churches. The reason – there were so few converted ministers that those who were saved were in great demand as the revival spread.

It was on the road that Edwards preached a sermon that historians say is the most famous in American history – “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” It is said he preached it as a last-minute substitute for another preacher at Enfield, Conn., on July 8, 1741.

Historian Monroe Stearns credits Edward’s sermon with ending the superstitions of the Middle Ages and initiating the concept that man is responsible for his own happiness through coming to God.

The sermon had a great impact the day it was preached. The congregation shrieked and groaned and cried out “Oh, what shall I do to be saved.” It got so bad, Edwards stopped his sermon to ask the people to be more quiet.

The 76,000-word sermon is still studied by seminary and Bible college students. An excerpt follows:

“Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God”

Deuteronomy 32:35

-Their foot shall slide in due time.-

In this verse is threatened the vengeance of God on the wicked unbelieving Israelites, who were God’s visible people, and who lived under the means of grace; but who, notwithstanding all God’s wonderful works towards them, remained (as verse 28)voice of counsel, having no understanding in them. The expression I have chosen for my text, “Their foot shall slide in due time,” seems to imply the following things, relating to the punishment and destruction to which these wicked Israelites were exposed.

  1. That they were always exposed to destruction; as one that stands or walks in slippery places is always exposed to a fall. This is implied in the manner of their destruction coming upon them, being represented by their foot sliding.
  2. It implies, that they were always exposed to sudden unexpected destruction. As he that walks in slippery places is every moment liable to fall, he cannot foresee one moment whether he shall stand or fall the next; and when he does fall, he falls at once without warning.
  3. Another thing implied is, that they are liable to fall of themselves, without being thrown down by the hand of another; as he that stands or walks on slippery ground needs nothing but his own weight to throw him down.
  4. That the reason why they are not fallen already, and do not fall now, is only that God’s appointed time is not come. For it is said, that when that due time, or appointed time comes, their foot shall slide.

Application

The use of this awful subject may be for awakening unconverted persons in this congregation. This that you have heard is the case of every one of you that are out of Christ. That world of misery, that lake of burning brimstone, is extended abroad under you. There is the dreadful pit of the glowing flames of the wrath of God; there is hell’s wide gaping mouth open; and you have nothing to stand upon, nor anything to take hold of; there is nothing between you and hell but the air; it is only the power and mere pleasure of God that holds you up.

Your wickedness makes you as it were heavy as lead, and to tend downwards with great weight and pressure towards hell; and if God should let you go, you would immediately sink and swiftly descend and plunge into the bottomless gulf, and your healthy constitution, and your own care and prudence, and best contrivance, and all your righteousness, would have no more influence to uphold you and keep you out of hell, than a spider’s web would have to stop a falling rock.

Were it not for the sovereign pleasure of God, the earth would not bear you one moment, for you are a burden to it. The creation groans with you; the creature is made subject to the bondage of your corruption, not willingly.

The sun does not willingly yield her increase to satisfy your lusts, nor is it willing a stage for your wickedness to be acted upon. The air does not willingly serve you for breathe to maintain the flame of life in your vitals, while you spend your life in the service of God’s enemies.

The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked. This wrath towards you burns like fire. He looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire. He is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight. You are 10,000 times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours.

There is no other reason to be given why you have not gone to hell, since you have sat here in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful, wicked manner of attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell…but that God’s hand has held you up.

God seems now to be hastily gathering in his elect in all parts of the land; and probably the greater part of adult persons that ever shall be saved, will be brought in now in a little time, and that it will be as it was on the great out-pouring of the Spirit upon the Jews in the apostle’ days; the election will obtain, and the rest will be blinded.

Therefore, let everyone that is out of Christ, now awake and fly from the wrath to come. The wrath of Almighty God is not undoubtedly hanging over a great part of this congregation. Let everyone fly out of Sodom. “Haste and escape for your lives, look not behind you, escape to the mountain, lest you be consumed.”

My Notes: Our historic past is undeniable. It is what brought our young colonists together to form a united group later to be called the “United States of America”. The fiery messages that warned of a burning hell is seldom heard today because of the grace and love message that is what we love to hear. I am thankful that we serve a God of love and forgiveness, however remember those who reject Him are sadly lost as Jonathan Edwards preached. Our prayer is that you trust in Jesus Christ as your Redeemer and Savior.
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The Give and Take Marital Love Test

A successful marriage is a give and take relationship, with each person doing as follows:

90% giving and 10% taking = 100% success

 

Here are ten questions to ask yourself when testing your ability to give and take.

 

(1) Are you willing to give silence when your spouse needs a little quiet time

(Proverbs 5:1-2)?

 

(2) Are you willing to give your spouse the benefit of the doubt (Proverbs 2:2)?

(3) Are you willing to take a rebuke or correction and let it rest unchallenged

(Proverbs 3: 11-12)?

 

(4) Are you willing to take on the extra chores during a time when you know your

spouse if feeling stressed, sick, or tired (Ecc. 4:9)?

 

(5) Are you willing to give positive words of encouragement (I Thes. 5:11)?

 

(6) Are you willing to give time to spend with your spouse – alone, without interruptions

(Eph. 5:25)?

 

(7) Are you willing to give your spouse the courtesy of “please” and

“Thank-you” (I Cor. 13:5)?

 

(8) Are you willing to take a “time-out” when a disagreement appears to be overheating

(James 1:19)?

 

(9) Are you willing to give a compliment (Col. 4:6)?

 

(10) Are you willing to take criticism?

(A) Be careful starting a sentence with “you never” or “you always” (Prov. 25:11).

(B) If you give more – the take becomes easier.

(C) If you must criticize, do it lovingly.

 

Listen, if you could not answer yes to all of these questions, please take heart. Marriage is a growing process, a “marathon,” not a “sprint.” As each of you grow in your willingness to give and take, you will grow closer together. “Be gentle and ready to forgive, never hold grudges (Col. 3:13 TLB).

 

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Nimrod and the Return to Babel

The end of the Sumerian poem Enmerkar and the Lord of Aratta is mostly missing, but it appears that Enmerkar ultimately triumphed over his rival. Other stories suggest that Enmerkar, who I believe was the biblical Nimrod (I make that case in my book, The Great Inception), later marched the army of Uruk to Aratta and conquered it.

This is consistent with archaeological evidence of the Uruk Expansion, which covers the period from about 3500 B.C. to about 3100 B.C. Although scholars usually downplay the violence that created the world’s first empire, Uruk spread its influence as far away as northwest Iran and southeastern Turkey. Pottery from Uruk has been found are more than 500 miles away from the city. To put it into context, Uruk at its peak controlled more territory than Iraq under Saddam Hussein.

This was not always a peaceful endeavor. An ancient city called Hamoukar in northeast Syria was destroyed and burned by an army from Uruk sometime around 3500 B.C. Scholars have identified the origin of the army by the pottery they left behind. Hamoukar was overwhelmed and then burned by attackers who used clay bullets fired from slings to defeat the city’s defenders. Strangely, what appears to have been a trading post from Uruk outside the city was destroyed, too, suggesting that maybe the men sent by Uruk to keep the locals in line had gone native.

That was how the kingdom of Nimrod obtained materials like jewels, copper, silver, lead, gold, timber, wine, and other things that were scarce in the plains of Sumer.

Of course, there is no way we’ll ever know for certain that Nimrod was Enmerkar, and that he was responsible for the Uruk Expansion—which is a nice way of describing the process of conquering everybody within a two-month march of home. Artifacts from Uruk are found everywhere in the Near East, especially a type of pottery called the beveled-rim bowl. This is significant because it offers a glimpse into the way the society of Uruk was organized.

Scholars have found that the society just before the Uruk period, the Ubaid culture, became more stratified as people moved from rural settlements to cities. The Ubaid civilization produced high-quality pottery, identified by black geometric designs on buff or green-colored ceramic. In contrast, around 3500 B.C., the Uruk culture developed the world’s first mass-produced product, the beveled-rim bowl.

The beveled-rim bowl is crude compared to the pottery from the Ubaid culture, but archaeologists have found a lotof them. About three-quarters of all pottery found at Uruk period sites are beveled-rim bowls. Scholars agree that these simple, undecorated bowls were made in molds rather than on wheels, and that they were probably used to measure out barley and oil for workers’ rations.

The way they were produced left the hardened clay too porous to hold liquids like water or beer. (Yes, the Sumerians brewed beer. Enki’s alternate name, Nudimmud, is a compound word: nu = “likeness” + dim = “make” + mud = “beer.” One could argue that Enki is the spirit of our age.)  The bowls were cheap and easy to make, so much so that they may have been disposable. At some archaeological sites, large numbers of used, unbroken bowls have been found in big piles. Basically, these cheap bowls were the Sumerian version of Styrofoam fast-food containers.

The concept of measuring out rations implies an employer or controlling central authority responsible for doling out grain and oil to laborers. It’s not a coincidence that the development of these crude bowls happened alongside Uruk’s emergence as an empire. After the flood, which we theorize marked the end of the Ubaid period, people again gravitated to urban settlements where they apparently exchanged their freedom for government rations.

It looks like that’s how Nimrod and his successors, including Gilgamesh, controlled their subjects—moving them off the land and into cities, keeping a tight rein on the means of production and distribution of food and resources.

Now, it’s possible we’re reading more into the evidence than is truly there. It could be that the beveled-rim bowl was nothing more than an easy way for people to carry lunch to work. Will future archaeologists conclude that Americans were paid in carry-out hamburgers because of the billions of Styrofoam containers in our landfills?

Still, given the unprecedented growth of the Uruk empire between about 3500 B.C. and 3100 B.C., it’s not going too far to speculate that the use of mass-produced ration bowls was a symptom of the stratification of society under the rule of Nimrod/Enmerkar and his successors. As in the Ubaid culture, citizens of Uruk found themselves working for hereditary leaders—kings, who justified their rule as ordained by the gods.

As an example, the Sumerian myth Enki and Inanna tells the story of how the divine gifts of civilization, the mes (sounds like “mezz”), were stolen from Enki by the Inanna and transferred from Eridu to Uruk. Enki, always ready for a romp with a goddess, tried to ply Inanna with beer. She maintained her virtue while Enki got drunk, offering her gift after gift as his heart grew merry and his mind grew dim. When he awoke the next day with a hangover, Inanna and the mes were no longer in the abzu. The enraged god sent out his horrible gallu demons (sometimes translated “sea monsters”) to retrieve them, but Inanna escaped and arrived safely back at Uruk, where she dispensed the hundred or so mes to the cheers of a grateful city. Enki realized he’d been duped and accepted a treaty of everlasting peace with Uruk. This tale may be a bit of religious propaganda to justify the transfer of political authority to Uruk.

One more thing:  We mentioned earlier that archaeologists at Eridu have found 18 construction layers at the site of Enki’s temple. Some of those layers are below an eight-foot deposit of silt from a massive flood. The most impressive layer of construction, called Temple 1, was huge, a temple on a massive platform with evidence of an even larger foundation that would have risen up to almost the height of the temple itself.

Here’s the thing:  Temple 1 was never finished. At the peak of the builders’ architectural achievement, Eridu was suddenly and completely abandoned.

… the Uruk Period … appears to have been brought to a conclusion by no less an event than the total abandonment of the site. … In what appears to have been an almost incredibly short time, drifting sand had filled the deserted buildings of the temple-complex and obliterated all traces of the once prosperous little community.i

Why? What would possibly cause people who’d committed to building the largest ziggurat in Mesopotamia at the most ancient and important religious site in the known world to just stop work and leave Eridu with the E-abzu unfinished? Could it be…

“Come, let us go down and there confuse their language, so that they may not understand one another’s speech.” So the Lord dispersed them from there over the face of all the earth, and they left off building the city. (Genesis 11:8-9, ESV, emphasis added)

To the Sumerians, and later the Akkadians and Babylonians (who knew him as Ea), Enki was the supernatural actor with the most influence on human history. He was the caretaker of the divine gifts of civilization, the mes (at least until he was tricked by Inanna), and he retained enough prestige for powerful men to justify their reign by claiming kingship over his city, Eridu, for 2,500 years after the city around the temple complex was abandoned.

For one moment in human history, Enki induced a human dupe—Nimrod, the Sumerian king Enmerkar—to build what he hoped would be a new abode of the gods, the bāb ilu, to rival Yahweh’s mount of assembly. It was to be the heart of a one-world totalitarian government.

Yahweh put a stop to it. But as George Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

The sin of Nimrod is being repeated today by the globalist movement, which is slowly but surely leading us back to Babel.

i Safar, Fuʼād; Lloyd, Seton; Muṣṭafá, Muḥammad ʻAlī; Muʼassasah al-ʻĀmmah lil-Āthār wa-al-Turāth. Eridu. Republic of Iraq, Ministry of Culture and Information, State Organization of Antiquites and Heritage, Baghdad, 1981.

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“How to Heal the Body”

As Pastors we often separate ourselves from having TRUST for anyone! WE put ourselves on an island guarded by a moat of hungry sheep! Sometimes our spouse and family are farther away than the sheep. The enemies SATAN and FLESH has caused many to buy into a culture of division! Pastors compete with each other so often while our enemies wreak havoc! Please continue. 

 

In America there are more than 250 Denominations recognized by the IRS(The World has many thousands). Throughout the “Church” in America the differences of Denomination, Doctrine, Race, Culture and Social Status has caused great division. According to the many Pastors as a group and particularly within the same denomination do not Trust one another. Sadly the Body and “Pastors” also still struggle with Racial Prejudice and Segregation. As Pastors we are taught how to build a “Castle”, more commonly called the Local Church.

IMG_3034.JPGThe Simple Solution:

Diligently Strive to Transform our Differences into Wholeness in the Body! (One Body with many parts working together to grow the Kingdom) Develop a “Kingdom Culture”! This is the culture when Pastors in a community agree to attack the enemy as one Army and one Body in love, trust and power! It is the mindset of bringing the Lost to the Kingdom and allowing the Holy Spirit to direct them to the right “Church Fellowship”. Pastors Need each other! We must find Pastors to establish True Relationships of Trust, Accountability and Encouragement across all barriers and walls. We suggest that every Pastor make a commitment to find Three other Pastors-different denomination, race, and culture “if possible” and meet with them EVERY WEEK for about 1-2 hours to talk as real men about real issues.                                                                                                                                    20 If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. 1 John 4:20 NAS

The Results: The Body is quickly Healed! More lost will be brought into the Kingdom of God. Communities will see what being “Christian” really means. Your “Church Fellowship” will benefit because you get refreshed and re-fired every week. Many Pastors say that their “Messages” become more powerful. Your Wife will be Thrilled because she will be spending more time with her Husband and not her Pastor. You will develop trusted friendships to share things that only another Pastor can understand. You will finally have a place to unload without fear of betrayal. You will personally grow because you have embraced accountability. You will learn more about the “Body”…… a lot more! As we build these Friendships with Trust and Encouraging Accountability the Body also comes together and is held tightly together by this bonding also! The community will become shaken. When Pastor’s come together publicly and regularly in love and relationship it overflows to congregations and communities. Note: Pastor’s Marriages, Ministries, and Lives have been saved by starting these weekly Champion Tables! (Just ask Me)                  

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“God Day” Celebration in Orlando Florida Introduced to the World!

Throughout the world there are many one day special celebrations set aside from Presidents Day to Secretaries Day, from Mothers Day to Fathers Day. The list is countless. We are excited that Pastor Joshua Fowler and a team of visionary Pastors and Christian Leaders in Central Florida have been charged by God to start a “God Day” celebration! You may ask, why “God Day”, isn’t every Sunday supposed to be God’s Day? Yes it is, however this “God Day” is a time of bringing unity to the Kingdom Body by demonstrating God’s love.

It stands out as a “Day” for pastors to show everyone in Orlando, Central Florida and the World what can happen when the Body of Christ (the church) works together. This very special day is bringing pastors and churches together to touch their community by putting thousands of shoes on children who are in need. It also is a day of new beginnings, new beginnings of friendship and care that touches these little ones as Jesus tells us to do. Different denominations, races and cultures have come together to minister to the children in Orlando Florida, many of whom have never owned a brand new pair of shoes. A New pair of shoes will be placed on each child’s feet by a local Pastor or Christian volunteer.

We pray that this will be a huge success and Orlando embraces the opportunity to recognize and celebrate our creator and lord, Jesus Christ!

Pastors we applaud you and your obedience to the Holy Spirit who put this on your hearts. Please take this opportunity to embrace one another as God’s leaders and Ambassadors publicly and wholeheartedly and let this unity continue through each and every day.

We are praying for you and that many lost families will be brought to know Jesus and receive His everlasting love!

The “God Day” celebration is officially on December 12th starting with a “Declaration” from 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM.  Followed by a Global Awakening Ministers Congress on Friday the 13th from 9:00 AM-9:00 PM  and Saturday December 14th is the big shoe distribution, a  United Demonstration of The Father’s Love!

To get involved or learn how to plan for your church to get involved contact :  www.godday.com. 

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Thank You Pastor!

Thank you Pastor for loving me when I am unlovable. Thank you Pastor for listening when no-one else will. Thank you Pastor for coming to my side at 3:00 AM when I was at my worst. Thank You Pastor for preaching God’s Word without compromise. Thank you Pastor for being a “Man of God” worthy to be followed. Thank you Pastor for picking me up every time I fall. Thank you Pastor for showing me how to love my wife. Thank you Pastor for feeding my family when we have no money. Thank you Pastor for teaching our church how to love one another. Thank you Pastor for teaching me to lead. Thank you Pastor for renewing my vision. Thank you Pastor for giving me hope. Thank you Pastor for encouraging me when you never knew how much it was needed. Thank you Pastor for teaching me how to love my children God’s way! Thank you Pastor for for not quitting when our church gave you a hard time. Thank you most of all for telling us about Jesus and His never-ending Love!

Pastors everywhere,  thank you for working 24/7  tirelessly, always giving, always smiling, always faithful, always strong!

You are our Champion for Jesus!

We love you!

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Jesus and Moses had one, What about you?

Pastor, what is it that you struggle with? Is it depression because everything is so hard and no-one helps or cares? Is it the secretary because she is always smiling and starting to look too good, or is it the lady who you are counseling and you should never be alone with!!? Is it the “power” you have over people as the leader and you like it , oh so much? Do you have a strong desire for more titles and prestige so more people will go wowwwww? Is money causing you to slip away from God’s way? Are the attitudes of people driving you to quit or compromise? Are the sheep biting you and your spouse and you feel like the sacrificial lamb? Do you feel like striking back? Is the church your mistress and your wife is ready to leave you?

Pastor, the enemy is like a roaring lion seeking to devour YOU! You need to stand firm and stand strong and perhaps get a couple of brothers to hold your arms up. Moses had Aaron and Hur to hold his arms up during the battle. Jesus even took Peter, James and John  off regularly for private times. As a Pastor and a man we all need to have an inner group that we can lean on.Men we can TRUST!  We need accountability daily, weekly, monthly, etc. We need each other to help us fight the good fight and not give in to the flesh or satan’s trickery. A good encouragement group will save you!!

A good accountability group is not afraid to question about any of the above issues and challenges. It will face these and more with you head-on. A great accountability group will go much deeper than is comfortable and walk with you through the onslaught of hell if necessary! Accountability is not to be feared but to be embraced! As Pastors we need strong accountability. We need to be questioned and drilled by our Trusted brothers in order to be the men of God we should be.

It is the Pastor who men and women see that set the standard of morality and character. If you tell off colored jokes or listen to them, then it must be okay. If the Pastor doesn’t return calls or is late to meetings or texts during worship, then must be okay.  If the Pastor doesn’t “date” his wife or show her attention in public then that must be okay too. If the Pastor has wandering eyes… well lets not go there because this is a plague in most churches among men and women!

However, if the Pastor shows his wife genuine love and attention for all to see and he is prompt and considerate in everything,  everyone will follow suite. If he worships in worship and stays clear of the appearance of evil this too will become the standard. When the congregation sees a loving, considerate man with high moral character and uncompromising values this will bring life to the messages you deliver!

It is the accountability group that helps hold us to the standards that we set and demand of ourselves. A great accountability group can help you raise the bar to another level and help you hold it up. It is brothers who link arms with you and you are never never never alone. If you have heard the phrase “they will take a bullet for you”, this is what a great group brings you.

This is why we call All Pro Pastors accountability groups “The Champions Table” . It is a place that Champions are made! It is where we step out of our box as Pastor and embrace challenging accountability by brothers we love and trust! It grows us into the” Man of God” we preach about becoming.

Pastor, what do you struggle with? The many issues we listed above are real and you know they are. The question is what are you willing to do about it? My prayer is that today you will reach out and start an accountability group today and if it happens to be a “Champions Table” we will do everything possible to support you. The Champions Table is safe and life saving. Join one today.

Blessings,

paul

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A Champion Pastor from Nigeria Testifies

The Champions Table is a place that Pastors can be encouraged and feel safe. As Pastors we feel the same challenges and issues that all men have. The family can easily become left behind with the demands of a church. A marriage can quickly become damaged and broken by the bites of sheep and and goats. It is critically important that the Pastor’s family be encouraged. The Champions Table gives us the support and accountability that we need to be great Husbands and Fathers. Our wounds can be anointed and our spirit lifted.

Pastor Tom Wright and Ann have come to the USA from Nigeria to Pastor and lead. Listen closely to their short testimony.

We believe every Pastor needs a place to unload their burdens each week and be refilled and refreshed.

Become a Champion today. Start a Champions Table!

 

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