The first commitment is to know Jesus and give our lives over to Him completely. Salvation is a commitment, a putting of our lives into His hands. The initial work of salvation is Christ's work: "For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God" (Ep.2:8). However, the walk with Christ is a continuous walk, a developing discipleship. The moment Christ becomes your Savior, He should become your Lord completely.
The second great commitment is to your marriage (if you are married). Next to your relationship with God, your next most important relationship is to your spouse. The state of marriage is very conducive to all that can be known of human happiness. Conflicts in a marriage are not altogether a bad thing. Remember, where there is growth, there will be conflicts. But this is where too many people rush into the divorce courts.
Within these two great commitments, to Christ and to your marriage, lies true freedom and joy. Paul tells us that many things happen in our lives so that "...the life.. of Jesus might be made manifest in our body." This is true of both good and bad events in life. When things are going great, we can testify to the goodness of God in our lives. When there are challenges in our lives, people are looking at us to see how we handle those situations. Will we continue to conduct our lives with integrity and Godly character, or will we respond with a secular human reaction?
TROUBLED, NOT DISTRESSED. PERPLEXED, BUT NOT IN DESPAIR! (11/07/07)
"We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair" (II Cor.4:8). This statement is true on various levels. First, we know that in this world, we are face with various troubles and perplexing situations. There are a lot of distressing and frightening issues all around us. Just turn on the news for five minutes and you know that that is true more today than ever before. Yet for the child of GOd who is resting in His presence, we can have peace in the midst of the storm. No matter how stormy life is, we know that their is fullness of joy in the presence of the Lord and there is peace that passes all understanding in the pages of His Word.
UNDEVELOPED FAITH MUSCLES! (11/4/07)
Faith in the life of a Christian is very much like natural physical muscles in the human body. You must exercise it in order for it to be strengthened. One issue that really concerns me in the Body of Christ is it's lack of understanding of what faith is and how it works. Unfortunately many Christians have underdeveloped faith muscles. Most Christians are more concerned about their "image" than their true spiritual strength. Many believers want to look good, but very few actually do what it takes to become spiritually fit. However, it is faith that moves the hand of God on our behalf. Just as in physical strength, proper nutrition is important also. Spiritually, our nutrition is the Word of God. So, go to a good Word Church, study your Bible daily, and begin training to develop your faith muscle.
HALLOWEEN, HARVEST FESTIVAL, OR REFORMATION DAY? (10/31/07)
It has been my conviction for the past three decades that Christians should not celebrate Halloween at all. Halloween is a holiday that glorifies everything that is evil in the spirit realm. It is celebrated by highlighting things that create fear in the hearts of people. This is just the opposite of everything that Christianity stands for.
Most evangelical churches have also come to this realization and have started celebrating a made-up non-existent alternative to Halloween which they usually call their Harvest Festival or simply Harvest-Fest. The problem with Harvest festivals is that they are nothing more than a christianized form of Halloween and they really celebrate nothing in themselves. They just are designed to give children of Christian homes an alternative activity and still get their bags of treats.
When I realized that the most significant event in modern Christian history took place on October 31st, I decided to start celebrating that on this day instead. On October 31st, 1517, Martin Luther nailed his 95 thesis to the cathedral door, sparking the great movement known as the Protestant Reformation. Nearly every denomination can trace it's roots to this event and the revelation that Martin Luther gained about salvation by grace through faith.
So every October 31st, for at least the past 10 years, I have celebrated Reformation Day. I have celebrated it in different ways each year. But I have focused on reminding people of the events and biblical principles that started the Protestant Reformation. This Reformation Day celebration can be a principled alternative to Halloween, but with a real reason to celebrate, instead of a christianized version of what the world does.
WARNING FOR LAST DAYS FALSE TEACHERS! (10/10/07)
Paul warned us that just before Christ's return, there would be false teachers with false doctrines. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables" (II Tm.4:3). It seems like not a month goes by without me hearing another one of these false doctrines being promoted within a body of legitimate Christians. The later it gets on God's calendar, the more we need to know His Word well and stay in fellowship with sincere Bible-based, Spirit-sensitive Christ-followers, and stay connected within a strong Word of faith congregation.
SMALL BEGINNINGS! (9/27/07)
Never think that what you are doing for the Kingdom of God is insignificant. Never have the attitude that if you don't reach large groups, you have little importance in His church. It's important for us to understand that we never start at the top. "Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase" (Job 8:7). You start at the bottom and take one step at a time. Do the task that God puts before you, and never despise small beginnings. You'll never know the end result until you step out in faith and put God to the test. Your faith grows every time you step out. If you don't have the faith to believe God for a loaf of bread to feed your family, you certainly won't have faith to believe God to move a mountain - not yet. But continue ministering God's Word in what ever forum He provides. Those few lives you are reaching now, may produce the next Billy Graham, Oral Roberts, Kenneth Hagin, or Joel Osteen.
GOD'S PARADIGM! (8/29/07)
As it has been discussed in many of our meetings, our view of what a church should look like is not like all the other churches out there. It isn't even like the other Word of Faith models out there. It really doesn't matter what the Mega-shift of society and culture is, what matters is what the Lord is saying. He magnifies His Word above His Name (Ps.138:2). I know that God uses a lot of people in small home meeting groups, but my experience is that most people will not come to those. Especially in this metropolitan area, most people get home too late in the evening, and when they do get home, they feel too tired from work to go out in the evening to a Bible Study or Prayer Meeting. Most people in this area are only available for church on Sunday morning. That is very unfortunate, but I believe that it is the reality.
But none of the churches in this area (inside the beltway) resemble the Book of Acts, nor do they teach the Word of Faith. So there is a major void here. But I am going very slow because am seriously seeking to follow the leading of the Lord. All I want is His will and I believe that the vision that He planted in my spirit for this area is part of that. God's paradigm, as outlined in His Word, is not outdated, and that is what I will continue to stand on, the best as I understand it.
LCU COUNSELING COURSE DELAYED BY ONE MONTH! (8/27/07)
Due to some last minute changes in the LCU Counseling program, our Counseling courses will be delayed by one month. We will plan on starting our Counseling classes in October, 2007. For details, please contact ken@3john2.org. Thanks.
HAPPY SEVENTH BIRTHDAY, KENNY! (8/13/07)
Happy 7th Birthday, Kenny!
THE ABIDING LIFE VISION MOVES FORWARD! (8/12/07)
The main burden on my heart is for God to raise up a church in this area that will make the teaching of the Word of God, especially the Word of Faith, their primary focus. We have too many churches that want to entertain people, in order to make people feel good, but sidestep the biblical purpose for the church. The first purpose for the church (the assembly of believers) is to "continue steadfastly in the apostles doctrine (teachings)" (Acts 2:42).
Fellowship and prayers are mentioned in that verse also, but our number one purpose for meeting together is to build a solid biblical foundation in God's uncompromised Word of Truth, not to be entertained or to be made to feel good. The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword, and sometimes, frankly, it cuts into our soulish area in ways that don't make us feel so good. It will cut into our traditions and pre-conceived ideas in ways that will sometimes make us feel rather uncomfortable.
Entertainment and feeling good about your church is great. But when a pastor says that he wants to make his church enjoyable to everyone who comes in, and that the whole service will be no longer than one hour, it doesn't sound at all like a church that I'd want to be a part of. I could be wrong, but it sounds to me like it'll be just another church presenting watered-down 10 minutes sermons, sandwiched between various forms of entertainment.
Our vision includes starting a strong Supernatural Word of Faith congregation within the "inside the beltway" area of Northern Virginia. One of the purposes of this new church is to grow strong supernatural Word of Faith individuals who'll turn their worlds upside down for Christ and impact their cultures in an unprecedented way. I am convinced more than ever that this vision is on the right track and we need to aggressively push toward it's full fruition. We will certainly begin Sunday services within a year. I will share more on Wednesday. I hope to see you all there
UNITY IN THE BODY! (8/11/07)
"Fulfill ye My joy, that ye be like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus." (Phil.2:2-5)
God is calling the church to unity. He wants us to work together in harmony, functioning as a healthy body. Throughout the Scriptures, we see the power of God manifested through unity. In the early church we find the people in one accord concerning the cause of the Gospel. The word "accord" is mentioned eleven times in the Book of Acts alone. In every passage where gifts or ministries are mentioned, unity is greatly emphasized. The local congregation must unite behind a common vision.
NEW LCU CLASSES AT EEC! (07/07/07)
On Thursday, we began LCU classes at the Ethiopian Evangelical Church. Pastor Ted Kelemwork, a graduate of both Rhema Bible Training Center and Life Christian University, began teaching the Excellence in Character course. As our "Annandale Campus" of LCU enters it's 6th year, we will be teaching courses at three different locations this fall. Details are at www.3john2.org.
INDEPENDANCE DAY ON THE SOUTH LAWN! (7/6/07)
Last Wednesday, my family enjoyed the awesome opportunity of spending the evening on the South Lawn of the White House, as invited guests of a friend of ours who works for President Bush. This is where we watched the fireworks. The President, several members of his family, and some staff members, came to the balcony of the White House and waved at those of us on the South Lawn. Before the evening was over, we all sang Happy Birthday to the President, who turned 61 on Friday.
REGULAR WEEKLY MEETING TO START NEXT WEEK! (7/5/07)
Next Wednesday, 7/11/07, please remember to set aside time to come to our Abiding Life Gathering at the home of Russ and Jill Wells. It will be the first of our weekly gatherings. God is preparing to do something special with this group of believers. I will continue on the general theme of His Daily Benefits (Ps.68:19; 103:1-3), but I believe God is leading me to take it in a slightly different direction. On July 11th, I would like for us to celebrate communion together. But first, I will share from Scripture how communion, and all it represents, is a significant part of His Daily Benefits. I hope to see each of you, your family members, and your invited friends, on the 11th. God bless you.
THIS WEDNESDAY PRAY FOR OUR NATION! (7/2/07)
This Wednesday, I trust that each of you will have a relaxing and enjoyable Independence Day. But I would like to encourage you to set aside time to intercede in prayer for our nation and it's leaders. Now, more than ever, we need to take serious Paul's instructions to Timothy to pray for those who are in authority. As well as what God tells us in II Ch.7:14, "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land." I urge you to make the decision today to pray for those in authority over you, on every level. Pray for your employer, pray for your spiritual leaders, and pray for your governmental leaders. Pray the President, his advisers, and all of your governmental representatives.
LAST WEDNESDAY WITH HORACE DRUMMING! (6/30/07)
Last Wednesday, we were blessed by a timely message from Horace Drumming pertaining to the importance of giving God our best, in every aspect of our lives. The teaching from Pastor Horace Drumming was great. He spoke on how we each should endeavor to give 100% for God. He expressed that every night he examines his heart and his motives and asks himself if he has truly given his best to God that day. It was an inspiring testimony of many awesome things that God has been doing. It was encouraging to hear of the many ways that God had used Pastor Drumming, his congregation, and the Faith Chritian Fellowship International organization over the years. Our group was small, but the offering was generous.
ABIDING IN THE VINE (6/24/07)
I've been meditating lately on John 15, Psalm 91, and other Biblical references to ABIDING. I just keep thinking there is a lot more there than what we've yet to grasp. We have all heard that expression: home is where the heart is. In other words your true home is in the place that you love the most. The place where you desire most to be. The place your heart is abiding. There is certainly a lot of truth to that saying, both in the physical sense and in the spiritual sense.
We each need to make sure we continually are abiding daily in the Vine and we are being nourished by Him continually. This isn't something that anyone can do for you. Each of us individually must come to the conclusion that nothing in life is more important than pleasing God, abiding in Him, and obeying Him. Every aspect of our lives should reflect our love for God and His life abiding within us. Everyone around us, throughout the day, should be able to notice that we are Abiding in the Vine.
As we enhance our relationship with God, we find ourselves desiring to be around other believers who are also abiding in the Vine, seeking to enhance their relationship with God also. Our Abiding Life Gatherings are to be such a place of nourishment. I believe that each of us have the same spiritual goals and ambitions. We each want to draw nearer and nearer to Jesus. We each want to draw more and more from His strength. These gatherings are to be a time of celebration, worship, the Word, and continual Abiding in the Vine.
A CALL TO SONSHIP! (6/19/07)
The teaching on "sonship" is a reference to the passage in Romans 8:16 which states, "as many as are led by the Spirit, they are the sons of God". The word for "sons" is the Greek word "Whe-os", which is a reference to fully matured sons. These are the sons who have acquired substantial maturity and are able to take on much of the responsibility of the household. The message of sonship is a message of urging Christians to "grow-up" and to become more like our eldest brother Jesus Christ Himself. Jesus was the perfect example of sonship. He, being the firstborn and the pattern son, demonstrates perfected sonship for us. When we are truly walking in our full sonship status, we too will be demonstrating the works of Jesus in our daily lives and ministries. Scripture declares that as He is so are we in this world (I Jn.4:17). True sonship means to be like Jesus and to experience the reality of the Word of Truth being demonstrated in us and through us.
FEEDBACK REQUESTED CONCERNING GATHERINGS (5/23/07)
All of you who attended will agree, we had a great time of ministry and fellowship last Wednesday. Our numbers, though still small, were about double the usual count. You gave generously, and we were able to bless our guest speaker, Rod McLain, with a good offering. We will be gathering again one week from today, and I'll be sharing about the promise of healing in Scripture. I encourage you to come and expect God to meet your need. Be available for God to use you in your gifts. I will probably send you another e-mail at the beginning of next week to remind you of that meeting.
But at this time, I primarily want to get some feedback from those of you who have been attending these Wednesday meetings. What do you believe is the next phase? Do you sense any guidance from the Lord as to when and/or where we enter the next phase. Do we continue, every other Wednesday, or every Wednesday, or are we ready to start Sunday services? We've been meeting every other week since the beginning of the year. In January, February, and March just a few of us were meeting every other Saturday at Sangam Indian Restaurant in Arlington. Since the beginning of April, we've been meeting every other Wednesday at the home of Russ and Jill Wells. Last Wednesday we were blessed by the powerful ministry of Rod McLain, as he shared about healing and miracles, and he stressed the importance of patience in this walk of faith.
Are we ready, beginning in July perhaps, to meet every Wednesday evening, or even every Sunday morning? As for myself, I do believe that this is the direction the Lord is taking us. I am just not sure if the timing is right to accelerate the pace. As we move forward, it is important that all members find their ministry role and function within this expression of the body of Christ. I would like to get some feed-back from the regular attendees within the next few days, either in person, over the phone, or through an e-mail, if possible. Thanks and God bless you!
A GENEROUS GOD OF ABUNDANCE AND BENEFITS! (5/2/07)
We serve a very generous God of abundance, blessings, and wonderful daily benefits (Mt.6:33; Jn.10:10). God has determined to equip you with more than enough to fulfill your destiny (Ph.4:19). He has purposed to allow each of us to live a life loaded with many blessings (Ps.68:19). He wants to bless you abundantly so you can be a blessing to others (Ps.103:2; 116:12). There are benefits IN THIS LIFETIME for following after God. This is evidenced by the lives of all the great men of God in Scripture. All the promises are "Yes" and "Amen" (II Cor.1:20). But we must realize that this abundant flow of daily benefits and blessings is not automatic. As you are well aware, you receive daily attacks from human, worldly, demonic forces (Eph.6:11; I Tm.3:6-7; II Tm.2:26). God's people are destroyed because of a lack of knowledge (Ho.4:6). But God's people are also destroyed through disobedience(Josh.1:8; Ec.12:13; Lk.6:46; Jn.14:15,23). As we learn to walk in faith and obedience, we'll find ourselves partaking of those daily benefits and the flow of generous blessings.
THE PILLAR OF TRUTH! (4/9/07)
A person of godly Christian character knows who he is and where he stands. Truth and truthfulness remain foundational pillars of life. The day you determine you're going to love truth, God's Truth, and truthfulness, you've taken a giant step toward building godly Christian character and integrity. There is only one way to extricate yourself from the mire of disobedience and rebellion. You must rise above it by listening to God's Truth rather than your own perspective. It is not possible to walk in godly Christian character without a life long commitment to speak and live by truth. To be known as a person of truth and truthfulness will benefit you greatly in life. You have to realize that there is a difference between reality and truth. Truth never changes. No matter what argument you might have against the Word of God or against an authrority who comes to you with the Word of God, the Word is still the Truth.
ABIDING LIFE GATHERINGS AT A NEW LOCATION! (4/4/07)
Begining next Wednesday, 4/11/07, our Abiding Life Gatherings will begin meeting at a new day, time, and location. We'll be meeting at the home of Russ and Jill Wells in Falls Church, every other Wednesday, at 7:00pm. The Wells home is located at 2350 Brilyn Place, near the intersection of North West and Great Falls Streets, on the north side of Falls Church. If you live in (or near) the "inside the beltway" area of Alexandria, Annandale, Arlington, Falls Church, or McLean and desire for God to use you to help create and build a strong Full Gospel / Word of Faith congregation within this area, please join us.
UNDEVELOPED FAITH MUSCLES! (3/29/07)
Faith in the life of a Christian is very much like natural physical muscles in the human body. You must exercise it in order for it to be strengthened. One issue that really concerns me in the Body of Christ is it's lack of understanding of what faith is and how it works. Unfortunately, many Christians have underdeveloped faith muscles. Most Christians are more concerned about their "image" than their true spiritual strength. Many believers want to look good, but very few actually do what it takes to become spiritually fit. However, it is primarily faith that moves the hand of God on our behalf. Just as in physical strength, proper nutrition is important. Spiritually, our nutrition is the Word of God. So, go to a good Word Church, study your Bible daily, and begin training to develop your faith muscle.
IF GOD SAID IT, I BELIEVE IT, THAT SETTLES IT (2/18/07)
God has given us many promises in His Word. But the way to get them applicable in our lives is through faith. As long as we are not sure that God meant what He said, those promises will go unrealized in our personal lives. We have to come to the conclusion that God meant what He said, therefore I will believe them so they can become realized in my life. There are many promises to the believer given in Scripture, such as healing, prosperity, protection, guidance, wisdom, spiritual gifts, etc. We each must claim each of these promises for ourselves individually in order to activate them in and through us. "All the promises are 'yes' & 'amen' " (II Cor.1:20); Our beginning premise must be that "God magnifies His Word above His Name"(Ps.138:2) which means there is absolutely no higher reasoning above Scripture. Not our traditions, not our logic, not our experience, not our pastors, peers, family, or friends. Again, if God said it, that settles it. Further, there are several Scriptures that tell us that He watches over His Word to perform it (Jer.1:12; 1:10; Ez.12:25). And we are assured from God that His Word will accomplish what He declares and He watches over it to see to it (Is.55:11). Jesus and His Word is One. If there is any part of the Word of God that isn't true and relevant for today, how can we accept any of it? Once we are settled on the fact of the supremacy of the Word of God, then we can look at some of the promises that He has given to us there and know that He meant what He said.
CONCERNING HEALING AND HEALTH! (2/10/07)
Healing and health have always been seen as the will of God in Scripture. "Beloved, I wish above all things that you prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers" (III John 2), "...by whose stripes we were healed..." (I Pe.2:24), "...who fogiveth thee of all thine iniquities and healeth thee of all thine diseases..." (Ps.103:2). In Exodus, God is called Jehovah Rapha, the Lord our healer. In Psalms 107 & in Proverbs 4 we read that meditating on His Word brings healing. In the Gospels we repeatedly read that "He healed them all!" The Bible has a lot to say about health. Healing the sick is a central theme of the entire Bible, from cover to cover. It was certainly a central theme in the ministries of Jesus Himself as well as His disciples in the Book of Acts. It is important that each of us learn about the Covenant that God made with us. If the healing promise isn't true, how do we know the eternal life promise is true? If we are sick, we don't have to wait until we get to Heaven to receive our healing. The Kingdom of God is now "at hand" and is even "within you" (Lk.17:21). Healing the sick is part of the Great Commission here on Earth (Mk.16:17-18). The "formula" that we use for salvation is the same formula that we use for healing or any other promise in Scripture. "...the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rm.10:8-10). So once we find the promise in Scripture, we must believe it with all our heart and speak it out of our mouth. At that point, it doesn't matter if we "feel" any different or not, we must cling to the promise that He has done what He promised He'd do. "...when you pray, believe you receive..."(Mk.11:24). "This is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (I John.5:4).
LCU @ CNV! (1/28/07)
Life Christian University will begin offering faith-focused seminary courses at CNV,every Monday evening, 7pm-10pm, beginning February 19th. The regular price for each course is $160, but they are available to CNV members for half price at only $80 each. Life Christian University is fully accredited and each course is worth 3 credit hours. LCU is a member of the Accrediting Commission International, the world's largest non-governmental school accrediting association. ACI is the accrediting authority for thousands of students in hundreds of schools. The courses that we plan on offering over the next four months are "Principles of Faith", "Excellence in Character", Biblical Finances", and "Divine Healing". For additional information, go online to www.lcus.edu (main campus) and/or www.3john2.org (Annandale Campus). Feel free to call (703) 867-3615 or send an e-mail to ken@3john2.org.
