Victory In Jesus!

THIS IS THE WAY TO VICTORY!
Last night I visited a church where the pastor made a comment that kind of disturbed me. He said that it looks like the Christian Church is on the way out with the seeker friendly, religiously tolerant, non-offensive gospel (no preaching about Hell, Repentance and the coming Judgment upon all mankind) that is being preached today. When He said that, it was with a smile, and he said, “but that really doesn’t matter to me…Because it means that the fulfillment of prophecy and the consummation of all things is at our doorstep.” He jumped up with a leap of joy and shouted, “folks, you should be excited! That means that Jesus could come at any minute and gather His Church to Himself!” It made me realize that our eschatological view point determines to a large extent as to what our Christian walk will be like.

Those with the pie in the sky “I said the prayer and I’m going to be raptured out of here before it gets ugly” mentality seem to have little or no concern for the Course the Church of Jesus Christ is taking. “Repent for the Kingdom of God is at hand” has really no significance for people like this. I know that if I knew my wife was committing adultery on me, it would tear me up. How must our Lord feel to see His Church embracing another Gospel other than the one He came to bring to us. The person who has bought into this mentality says “No matter how hard you try, you will never get to the place in your life where you will have victory over the sin in your life.” Yet the Word of God tells me that I have victory in this life:

1Jo 5:4 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.

I have FAITH that I can walk in victory over the temptations that come my way in this world, because I am no longer of this world. I am a child of the Most High God, and I am a citizen of His Kingdom. Because I am a child of the Most High God, I have a compassion for the way the world is going. My Father hasn’t changed, and my Savior hasn’t changed either.

He loves the world so much that he sent His Only Begotten Son to pave the Way for me to have eternal life. But of course, it isn’t only about me. It’s about “Whosoever”. He loves me so much that even while I was lost and wallowing in my sin, He died for me…But it isn’t only about me. It’s about all of the “whosever’s” in this world. His Word says that He isn’t willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. Because I am His child, I don’t want to see any one perish as well.

His Word tells me that Sin has no more dominion over me.

Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
15 What then? shall we sin, because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid.
16 Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?
17 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.
18 Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

Although I am tempted on a daily basis, I have been equipped and enabled to resist that temptation by the Holy Spirit Who dwells in me. Of course, my flesh fights against the Spirit, and sometimes the fleshly desires win momentarily, but the Lord has given me a spirit of repentance and a desire to become increasingly more like Him. I haven’t yet learned to walk in sinless perfection, but I really WANT TO! I am going to keep on pressing forward. I am going to fight against sin. I am going to continue to strive to lay aside that sin that so easily besets me (Heb 12:1), and look to those men and women of Faith who lived a persevering life in obedience to God (Heb 11) as my examples. According to Paul, and the Spirit of God Who dwells within me, I am no longer a servant of sin, but rather a servant of obedience. In verse 17 of Romans 6, I am reminded that I WAS the servant of sin, but I have obeyed from the heart the teachings that were delivered to me through the Word of God and His Spirit. With this in mind, let us consider what Jesus, our Lord and Savior had to say about His servants.

Mat 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
43 But know this, that if the goodman of the house had known in what watch the thief would come, he would have watched, and would not have suffered his house to be broken up.
44 Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh.
45 Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them meat in due season?
46 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.
47 Verily I say unto you, That he shall make him ruler over all his goods.
48 But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming;
49 And shall begin to smite his fellowservants, and to eat and drink with the drunken;
50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of,
51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Notice what it says in verse 50 concerning the evil servant. The Lord of that servant will come when He is not looking for him….That’s a serious verse…How many people have I met on the streets who have bought into the gospel that says “once you say the prayer, it’s all over. All you have to do is wait for the rapture.” They are eating and drinking with the drunken and smiting those who stand for Righteousness and Holiness.

….With the heart man believes unto righteousness. Romans 10:10.
To have the mentality that the pastor had is to make the Word of God of none effect that promises us “If my people which are called by my Name shall humble themselves and pray, and seek my Face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear their voice from Heaven, forgive them their sins, and heal their land”. There is a harvest out there. Everyday,I find souls that desires to know the Truth that is in Jesus Christ. God is NOT on our timetable and the United States of America isn’t the Biblical gauge of when He will come. He really wants His people to be His lights to a lost and dying world, and to live a life that reflects His Concern and Compassion for the Lost and for the Church.
I realize this e-mail probably raises many theological questions…but my intent is to just let you know that if we call ourselves Christians, we simply need to be about Jesus. I don’t know when He is coming. But I do know that His Church in America has gone a long way from where she needs to be. I don’t rejoice over that. I’m not excited about it. We need to pray. Pray that the Lord will give the Church ears to hear what HIS SPIRIT is saying to the Church! Repent.
I love you all…
Pastors Don & Sabrina Eskine
No Cross No Crown Ministries,
New Orleans,La
“The Church Without…….Under Open Skies”

ALL YOU NEED IS ONE CHRIST!

We're The Church Baby!

From A Friend!
When we leave an area, I wonder about those who we will be leaving behind, and how they will fare in the care of the local Church and the shepherds that tend the flock of Jesus Christ. Will they find Christians who want to just be among their circle of friends, or will they find Christians who will be anxious to go in the midst of the enemy, and draw the sword to lay their lives down for those for whom Christ died, rescuing them from the snare and the pitfalls that stand in their way, showing compassion to those who know no compassion? Will they find pastors who are interested in enlarging the flock for the wages and the prestige they may receive for their eloquence of speech and their plush sanctuaries, or will they find shepherds who will truly leave the 99 to get that one scrawny runt of a misfit lamb that is more of a challenge than any of the 99 who prefer to remain in the fold?

I believe the Lord showed me that although there are ministers of the gospel who are more interested in building their own kingdoms there are some pastors (even among those who do the "office hours" type of ministry that I have picked on so much) who are reluctant to be a part of a real move for unity in the Church because they are genuinely concerned for the flock that the Lord has entrusted to them. They labor in love for the flock that the Lord has given to them, are aware of the false doctrines that are so prevalent in the Church, and they jealously guard their congregation from what they believe are wolves. If we are to have a true revival in this land, we need to learn to trust the Father with those souls He has committed to us. We can’t afford to be jealous of our pulpits. Jesus said the world would know we are His disciples by the LOVE we have one for another. If we have been effective in discipling those who the Father has entrusted to us, we can have confidence that they will remain in Him.

Jesus spent three years with the disciples. He taught them through practical application of the Word and through his lifestyle how they should live their lives. In that period of time, He instructed them in the WAY of God. He poured His Life into them, and then He poured out His Life for them. When it was time to release them (and I believe if we are about equipping the saints, there will come a time when we must release them into ministry - see verse 18 below), He could rest in the fact that He had done what was required to disciple those whom the Father had given to them. And release them He did. He released them into the care of the Father, and He prayed that they would be ONE as He and the Father were ONE. If we live a life of authentic Christianity and teach the Word of God with a mind to equip those that the Lord has given us, they will be able to have their eyes wide open and they will be able to discern the false from the True. Our job is to make disciples, to baptize them, and to teach them (by word and example) to obey ALL that the Lord has commanded us. One of the things He commanded us was to GO and preach the Gospel.

If we have taught them not only in word, but by our lifestyle to Love the Lord God with all their heart, with all their soul, with all their might and all their mind, then we have taught them the importance of service to God. If we have taught them not only in word, but by our lifestyle to love their neighbor as themselves, then we have taught them the importance of ministry to others. Then when it is time to release them into the world as ministers of the gospel, we can release them with confidence to the Father. As I reflected on his, the Lord brought to my mind many people who I have ministered to over the years in one way or another, and How He has kept MOST of them in His Way (Jesus had Judas). He’ll lead them to the right shepherds. And I will always be just a phone call away if they need to talk. If there are members in your church who have been there for years and they are still not in active ministry, then the pastor and the other ministers of the church have missed the Purpose of God, which is to equip the saints for ministry. It was when the disciples were in ONE ACCORD that the Holy Spirit fell. I have no doubt that every one of those disciples had been equipped for ministry. Pastors, equip your people and send them out. Teach them to Love God. Teach them to love their brothers in sisters in the Lord, regardless of their denomination. Trust the Lord to keep them. He will.

Joh 17:6 I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.
7 Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee.
8 For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me.
9 I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine.
10 And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them.
11 And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.
12 While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled.
13 And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves.
14 I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.
17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
18 As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world.


J….!

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