Saturday, December 28, 2013

10 Reasons Why We Water Baptize In Jesus Name

Ten Reasons Why We Water Baptize In Jesus Name


1.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because he has instructed us to... (Matt 28:19)

2.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because there is no other name that can save us...(Acts 4:12)

3.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because he has the name above every name...(Phil 2:9)

4.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because for the remission of sins...(Acts 2:38)

5.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because there is miracle working power in his name...(Acts 3:6)

6.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because it is a commandment of God...(Acts 10:48)

7.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because we take on his name as a bride takes on her husbands name...(2 Corinthians 11:2)

8.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because it is proven to be biblically RIGHT...
(Acts 2, Acts 8, Acts 10, Acts 19)

9.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because he has all power and authority in heaven and earth...(Matthew 28:18)

10.) We baptize in the name of Jesus Christ because we Love Jesus...! 
(John 14:15)

Authored by: John W. Jenkins

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

There is Power in Unity

United We Stand.

 I am sure most of us are familiar with the phrase, United we stand and Divided we fall. This phrase has been used in mottos from nations, states, and songs. The concept is, that unless the people are united as one, then it will be easy to destroy them.

This is also in direct contrast to another phrase, Divide and Conquer, which is a combination of military, political, and economic strategy of gaining and maintaining power by breaking up larger concentrations of power into smaller concentrations of power making it less difficult to conquer.

The idea of being a united people and standing, or being divided and falling has it root in the Bible.

Mark 3:22-26
22 And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
23 And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24 And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25 And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand
26 And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.

As you can see from Jesus' own words there is Power in unity!

Psalm 133:1-3 
1 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity.
2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, That ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard: That went down to the skirts of his garments;
3 As the dew of Hermon, and as the dew that descended upon the mountains of Zion: For the LORD commanded the blessing, Even life for evermore.

David is telling us how precious it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. He compared unity to the holy anointing oil that was poured upon Aaron , the first priest, and which anointed the tabernacle.

We can also find that Unity was an absolute necessity of the Apostles and their work for the Lord.

Acts 1:12-14
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olive, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women , and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

There is POWER in Unity!

Matthew 18:18-20
18 Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
19 Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. 
20 for where two or three are gathered together in my name. there I am in the midst of them. 

Acts 2:1-4 
1 When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them
4 And they were all filled the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The Holy Ghost comes in Unity!

Acts 2:46-47
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

There is Revival in Unity!

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
9 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour.
10 For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow; but woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another to help him up.
11 again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone?
12 And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

There is Strength in Unity!

Romans 12:16-19
16 Be of the same mind one toward another. Mind not high things, but condescend to men of low estate. Be not wise in your own conceits.
17 Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men.
18 If it be possible, as much as lieth in you, live peaceably with all men.
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.

The Apostles lived in unity, and they instruct us to do the same.
Let's endeavor as a Church to live in unity, so we can Win Our World For Christ!

Created by: Sis. Brittany Jenkins
Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church














Thursday, December 5, 2013

What books will be open?

"And whosoever was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:15). In order to avoid spending a eternity in hell, your name will have to be written in the Book of Life. The Bible explains how the Book of Life is used on Judgement Day.

What is the book of life? According to Wikiapedia, "In Christianity and Judaism, the Book of Life is the book in which God records the names of every person who is destined for Heaven or the World to Come."


A bold instruction from God we should complete while on earth is to, "... Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost" (Acts 2:38).


What should we do after these steps? "Therefore, brothers and sisters, use more effort to make God’s calling and choosing of you secure. If you keep doing this, you will never fall away. 11 Then you will also be given the wealth of entering into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2:Peter 1:10-11). Live your life on earth for God. Give God the glory in all of your works. Spread the gospel and keep His commandments.

What books will be open?


Word of God: "He that rejecteth me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). God has given us a blue print to live by while on earth and it is called the Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth). If we follow them, we will go to heaven. If we disobey them, we will go to hell. 

Thoughts: "Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;) 16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel" (Romans 2:15-16). Our hearts will tell us one thing and our mind will tell us another. Even though these thoughts are kept within us, God still knows them. Let the Holy Ghost help you purify your thoughts.

Words: "But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment" (Matthew 12:36). Every word that we speak will be judge. Regardless if the words are at work, home or in church. God knows every word we speak. Make sure the words you choose are pleasing to God.


Book of Life: "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life:" (Revelation 20-12a). We all have a life on earth and it is up to us on how we live it.

Gospel: "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned" (Mark 16:15-16). Spread the news of the Gospel. The people who believe in Christ will be baptized. It is our freewill.

Works: "and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works" (Revelation 20-12b). All of the works we complete on earth should be used to glorify God. 


Those who are written in the Book of Life are those who kept Gods commandments. If that includes you, then you'll be in the first resurrection and rule the earth with Jesus Christ for 1,000 years (Revelation 15:2; 20:4-6). The choice is yours to make.


Created by: Jocelyn Jones



Monday, November 18, 2013

The Lurking Lion

1 Peter 5:8-9
"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world".


Have you ever watched how lions stalk their prey? It's amazing, they are extremely patient, waiting in the brush or high grass. Watching. Sometimes they will sit in the high grass for hours, picking out which calf would be the easiest to attack. I witnessed this form of hunting from the window of my apartment one day.

 It was the neighborhood stray cat, I watched as he climbed up a tree and crept slowly on its branches. There was no doubt in my mind what he was up to, the constant chirping of birds seated above him had caught his attention and he looked like he could be a little hungry. The birds had no idea of the lurking danger, they just carried on about their day flying in and out feeding their chicks and building their nest. I watched for over a period of 30 minutes as the cat sat low and hunched down on a branch almost as if he was lounging, yet his focus would shift periodically toward the chirping birds. He was waiting for the right opportunity. I didn't wait around to witness his attack, for lack of time, but I surely took some notes on his stalking technique and it was quite biblical in explanation. 

We should not be ignorant of the wiles of the devil nor his devices. He has tactics that can be spotted by the spiritual eye, which is why we should always stay in tune with the leading of the Holy Ghost. The bible says that the things of the Spirit are spiritually discerned, they cannot be discerned by the carnal mind, we must seek the mind of God to stay relevant in this spiritual battle.

The Apostle Peter gave us two keys to spot out the devil.

Soberness: The state of being clearheaded, levelheaded, or not drunk.

With our adversary the devil walking about, we cannot afford to be caught off guard. The sober mind is the avenue the Holy Ghost will work through, he will bring discernment. The mind that is not sober is unfit for warfare and will easily become a prisoner of war. The cares of this world, neglecting spiritual disciplines, or riotous living will render you weak and vulnerable which is the type of prey the "Lion" seeks after. Satan cannot contend against the sober minded saint. 

Vigilance: Watchfulness, to be awake, or to give strict attention.

We must keep watchful for possible dangers or difficulties. The vigilant saint cannot be caught off guard, this proactive approach is designed to anticipate all attacks. The word of God already gives us warning that our enemy is seeking whom he may devour, so we must be on the lookout not only for ourselves but for those around us. Paul exhorted the elders of the church in Ephesus to. "Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood". 1 Timothy 4:16

This "taking heed" or "being attentive to" was what the Elders or overseers were to do while feeding the flock, as Pastors over God's flock Elders are to be vigilant enough to perceive the attacks of satan.

"Be Sober, Be Vigilant". While we are out grazing, enjoying the abundant life that the Lord has given us, be mindful that as long as we are on this earth our adversary is seeking to kill, steal, and destroy. We should endeavor to shun all distractions that destroy our inhibitions and cloud our spiritual vision. Take a look at the picture of the lurking Lion, this is a reality for us. You are the Water buffalo in that picture! Satan is quite literally walking about, watching and waiting, he does not sleep. Use these two keys in your warfare against him, satan cannot catch nor contend with an obedient and spirit filled saint.       


Authored by: 
MIT. John W. Jenkins


   

Monday, November 4, 2013

Don't Give Up What God Has Given To You.

Matthew 13:44-46
"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure hid in a field; the which when a man hath found, he hideth, and for joy thereof goeth and selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls: Who when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all he had, and bought it".

The kingdom of heaven is most precious. We, the Church are the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said the kingdom of heaven comes in without observance. It comes in unaware, for the kingdom of heaven is within you! (Luke17:20-21).  We are God's Kingdom, we have received his Spirit. The Holy Ghost, we are the temple of God.

We have found the hidden treasure, we have received the Pearl of Great Price.

Jesus purchased this Pearl for us with his own blood, he purchased our very lives. By giving up his earthly, natural body he has freely given us this great treasure, this wonderful gift. The Gift of the Holy Ghost. The Gift of Eternal Life.

  Jesus has given his church 9 gifts of the Spirit.

      1. The gift of Wisdom
      2. The gift of Knowledge
      3. The gift of Faith 
      4. The gift of Miracles
      5. The gift of Healing
      6. The gift of Discerning Spirits 
      7. The gift of Prophecy
      8. The gift of Tongues
      9. The gift of Interpretation of Tongues
"Don't Give Up What God Has Given You"
The Word Of God Warns Us!
"What shall it profit a man to gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul"?  Mark 8:36-37

Jesus said to seek first the kingdom of God, and he will give us what we need in this life. (Matthew 6:33)

Be not deceived by the world, by fame and worldly popularity. Don't be envious when the people of the world have new houses, new cars, or expensive clothes. Don't envy the rich man's riches, for they shall pass away. They can not buy what Jesus has given to us, not with all the money in the world!

In Luke chapter 10, Jesus was visiting with his friends; Lazarus, Martha, and Mary. As Jesus began to teach, Mary sat at his feet and listened to his words.

But Martha, though she also loved Jesus, made herself busy by preparing a meal for Jesus and their other friends, and when Martha saw Mary at the feet of Jesus, she went and asked Jesus to tell Mary to help her with the meal.

Jesus spoke to Martha and said: Martha, Martha you are troubled about many things ( the cares of the world) but Mary has chosen what is better, and it shall not be taken away from her. Hallelujah!!!

Mary chose Jesus. She chose the treasure that is hid from the world. She wanted the pearl of great price. Mary chose the Kingdom of God.

Mary chose the good part!

Friends, choose the Good Part! Choose Jesus!!


Created by: Sis. Brittany Jenkins
Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church



Monday, October 28, 2013

The White Throne Judgement

The Great White Throne Judgment is a trial, set in the future, for all people who have rejected God's call to salvation. Every person who has lived upon earth and has refused to accept God's way to redemption from sin, will kneel before their Creator at this time, and acknowledge that He is God--that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Who will not inherit the Kingdom of God?
1 Corinthians 6:9 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

Who will not enter into the Kingdom of God?
Revelation 21:27 Nothing unclean, no one who does anything detestable, and no liars will ever enter it. Only those whose names are written in the lamb’s Book of Life will enter it.

The Book of Life is a record written by God before the creation of the world, listing people who will live forever in the kingdom of heaven. It contains the names of God's elect. They will experience no condemnation or judgment. They are not among the dead, for they are alive.

Our physical actions may appear to be good works to those around us, but our thoughts in our minds and the feelings in our hearts are seen by God. 

Proverbs 12:22 Lips that lie are disgusting to the Lord, but honest people are his delight.

Mark 7: 21 Evil thoughts, sexual sins, stealing, murder, 22 adultery, greed, wickedness, cheating, shameless lust, envy, cursing, arrogance, and foolishness come from within a person. 23 All these evils come from within and make a person unclean.”

Matthew 5:28 But I can guarantee that whoever looks with lust at a woman has already committed adultery in his heart.

1 John 3:15 Everyone who hates another believer is a murderer, and you know that a murderer doesn’t have eternal life.

What will appear at the White Throne judgement?
Revelation 20:11-15 I saw a large, white throne and the one who was sitting on it. The earth and the sky fled from his presence, but no place was found for them. 12 I saw the dead, both important and unimportant people, standing in front of the throne. Books were opened, including the Book of Life. The dead were judged on the basis of what they had done, as recorded in the books. 13 The sea gave up its dead. Death and hell gave up their dead. People were judged based on what they had done.14 Death and hell were thrown into the fiery lake. (The fiery lake is the second death.) 15 Those whose names were not found in the Book of Life were thrown into the fiery lake.


The "dead, small and great" refers to those who have lived throughout history and, regardless of their stature or position, died without acknowledging and accepting The Lord Jesus' payment for their sins. All remains of these deceased will be raised and united with their souls so that they can stand in a resurrected form before the Great White Throne. After death, the soul continues to exist. Before the resurrection, the soul of the believer is in the presence of God awaiting eternal reward. The soul of the unbeliever is in hades awaiting final judgment.

During our time on earth we have a choice! You can either be a child of the God or a child of the devil! 
1 John 3:8 The person who lives a sinful life belongs to the devil, because the devil has been committing sin since the beginning. The reason that the Son of God appeared was to destroy what the devil does. 9 Those who have been born from God don’t live sinful lives. What God has said lives in them, and they can’t live sinful lives. They have been born from God. 10 This is the way God’s children are distinguished from the devil’s children. Everyone who doesn’t do what is right or love other believers isn’t God’s child.

We were all sinners! There is a choice that can be made while their is breath in our bodies! 
1 Corinthians 6:9 Don’t you know that wicked people won’t inherit the kingdom of God? Stop deceiving yourselves! People who continue to commit sexual sins, who worship false gods, those who commit adultery, homosexuals, 10 or thieves, those who are greedy or drunk, who use abusive language, or who rob people will not inherit the kingdom of God. 11 That’s what some of you were! But you have been washed and made holy, and you have received God’s approval in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.

There is no neutral area. There is right and wrong, there is life and death and there are blessings and curses. While God has created us in His own image and loves us all the same, He also gave us all a free will. With that free will, we each have to decide whether to choose God and eternal life with Him, or we turn our back to Him and choose eternity in The Lake of Fire. As parents, we love our children unconditionally, yet as they grow into adulthood, we cannot choose their path in life (even as much as we might sometimes like to). And that is the same way we all are as God’s children. He yearns and aches for us to choose Him, but He will not force us to.

On judgement day will you be innocent or guilty? Will your name be in the Book of Life or will you be cast into The Lake of Fire?

Created by:
Sis. Jocelyn Jones
Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church

Monday, October 21, 2013

The Half-Hearted Effort

Persistent Faith
by C. A. Brewer

A popular gospel song from the past states, "Prayer is the key to Heaven, but faith unlocks the door." While there is certainly truth in these words, something else could be added.  It is not feeble faith or wavering faith that opens the way into the presence of God.  It is bold, persistent faith that makes the difference.  It is often knocking at the door over and over until the answer arrives.
     Persistent faith is like the widow petitioning the unjust judge day after day until he became bone weary of her coming.  Unrelenting faith is like Elijah on top of Carmel praying "until"---until his servant saw the cloud the size of a man's hand, the portent of a mighty downpour on a desperately dry land.  Importunate faith is like the man who went to his friend's at midnight and pounded on the door until he received the three loaves he needed.
     Motivational speakers of our day often encourage their listeners to persistently believe in themselves, instructing them, "You can do anything you want to do." The truth, however, lies not in what we want to do on our own.  It lies in what we will believe God to do in and through us.  Jesus said, "If ye have faith as a grain of a mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (Matthew 17:20).
A half-hearted effort will never bring the complete victory God plans for His people.
Those who seek to know God for the value of the relationship itself, who obey His Word in good times and bad, usually develop a passion for God that casual observers can never understand.  That passion compels them to follow the voice of God even when He demands things that seem pointless or unnecessary.  It is as if they, like Jeremiah, have a fire burning inside that demands to be freed and they can shout with the prophet, "But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not" (Jeremiah 20:9, NKJV).  That passion forces entrance into a realm where service and obedience become passageways into holy places not accessible by humanly constructive means.
Our half-hearted ways not only effect us, but they effect others in the body who depend on each member to move in the same direction.. We must strive to have more then temporary gains and victories as a body due to those who may not be as whole hearted as you.  It is obvious in the result how much passion was used during the process.  How strong is your passion for the up building of God's kingdom? 

"And the man of God was wroth with him, and said, Thou shouldest have smitten five or six times; then hadst thou smitten Syria till thou hadst consumed it: whereas now thou shalt smite Syria but thrice" (II Kings 13:19).

We can stay focused on the task at hand and refuse to give up.  Life offers little too those unwilling to struggle.  God's promises do not apply to those who will not fight to receive them.  Steadfastness and determination are essential for every Christian's success.

God hates bland disinterest.  "So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth" (Revelation 3:16). A passionless believer simply going through the motions may be blessed because of God's covenant with his fathers, but he will have no spiritual heritage to pass on to his own children.  At best his victories, like Joash's, will be temporary pauses in the enemy's march to total authority.  Every believer should earnestly pursue a passionate relationship with God.

Authored by: Sis. Joy Jones

References: Davis, Richard. Lessons from History for Christian Living. Spring 2013 Hazelwood: Word Aflame Publications, 2013. 42-44. Print.

The Wandering Witness



As one reads through the Scriptures, we find that Abraham is a very prominent figure throughout, whether we read about his life directly in Genesis or he is being referred to by the Apostle Paul in his epistle to the Roman congregations, his life is impacting. We often pull lessons from the obvious things of his life, such as his call to serve the One True God, or the sacrificing of his promised son, but what about the background events, such as his consistent wanderings throughout the land of Canaan? Is there any significance in it? The answer is yes, there’s significance in the whole of Scripture.
            After the call of Abraham by God, then named Abram, he was called to leave his familiar and stable living, to a life of wandering throughout a land he didn’t know and wasn’t familiar with (Gen 12). Some of the various places he pitched his tent while in the land were Shechem, Beth-el, Egypt, and Hebron, and one only needs to look at a map of the land to see that these can be quite a distance on foot. But what’s so significant about this? Although the Scriptures themselves don’t give much background information or details of the in between, the Jewish Oral Law (Torah, body of traditions passed down from one generation to the next) does. It is said that it was in these places that Abraham did his witnessing for the Lord. It was in the places of rest that he taught about the One True God to the people of the land who worshipped idol gods, and from this witnessing he made many disciples. In other words Abraham was God’s witness to the people of that land, and it was in their hands to either accept or reject the message. Now let’s look at the days of Jesus
            As we read about His early ministry, we find that He also did a lot of traveling, mainly around those towns in which He was close to and grew up around, as well as down to the southern parts of the country (Mark 4-6). During His travels, He too was a witness of the Father (The Spirit) and of His ways. Where ever He found Himself, He sought the opportunity to witness and teach about the Good News (Gospel) of what was at hand, the coming kingdom, such as the woman by the well (Jn 4) or the curious Pharisee Nicodemus (Jn 3) or the famous Sermon of the Mount (Mt 5-7). Jesus too, like Abraham and so many in between, found unbelief and opposition to the message or indifference, with people being comfortable where they were and not seeing the need to change (Jn 6-7). So what am I getting at? Well I’m glad you asked.
            Many times we feel very unstable in our day-to-day journey’s, in such unstable times, we may feel like we can’t keep a job, or stay in one place as long as we’d like to, but take comfort that you are walking in the same foot steps of our forefather’s and our Savior. The Scriptures testify of Abraham “It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God” (Heb 11:8-10 NLT). So even in his wanderings, Abraham had faith that God had a place prepared for him, even if he didn’t know where that might be. In his wandering’s, Abraham, probably unknowingly, fulfilled New Testament teaching when we were instructed to “ Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
 “So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring its own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today”(Matt 6:33-34 NLT).
            In this life, in these times, things may feel very unstable for the faithful, we may feel like we’re always in transition, or like our Lord who said “But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head” (Matt 8:20 NLT), but we can take comfort that He’ll provide for us. Yet in our wanderings in this life let us be a witness to all that we meet in our journey, teaching them about the One True God and His Salvation, and fulfill the Words of our God and Savior. In doing so we can directly identify with both our forefather Abraham in being a witness to the culture around us in our wanderings and our Savior who stood on the message He was given to be a witness to even in a culture that felt that they knew and lived for God the way He wanted them too. It's okay to be a wandering witness.
            “Behave wisely toward outsiders, making full use of every opportunity- let your conversation always be gracious and interesting, so that you will know how to respond to any particular individual” (Col 4:5-6 CJB)

Authored by:
MIT. Christopher Bateman
Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church

Monday, October 14, 2013

Passion for souls

"Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest". John 4:34-35
Some of you may have great ambitions to do great things for God or to do wonderful exploits for the Kingdom of God. To have a reputation as one of the "greats" like the Apostles and Prophets. A desire of every true believer is to be used by The Lord on some level. We want to do great things for God because we figure that it would bring him glory and honor through these wonderful works. To an extent it does, but I want to look at this from another angle and say that God doesn't need you to perform miracles for him, people do. 

People need things from God, not the other way around. God's desire is to dwell with his creation so it's only proper to meet the needs of the people he loves. That's the reason souls are saved and miracles are released, It's simply because of the unconditional and unchanging love of Jesus Christ.



A burden and love for souls has to be the second greatest driving force next to Loving God in any ministry. Without this burden for souls your ambitions for doing great exploits and works for God is at extreme risk. Pride, doctrinal error, and a whole host of various sins will be birthed out of bad motives. All of our motives must be grounded on the right foundation. It's is my belief that with any great work there must be someone that has a heart and burden for the saving of souls exemplified by Jesus in the opening verse. That is where the need is, and where there is a desperate need miracles will happen. There is a great misconception about the word "minister" floating around. The word means servant, so my question is, who are the servants serving? Without a doubt we serve God but how do we do that? Let me remind you of this one kingdom principle. 


Mark 10:43-45 "..but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."
I am convinced that the greater your ministry, greater service, greater the love, greater labour, and suffering is required of you. The mindset of this world is that the greater the ministry the greater the celebrity and popularity and in consequence the less work and love you have to show others by reason of your elevated social status. Such pride should not be found in any of God's Churches.

There was a discussion about healings in the church at our recent prayer service, our Pastor asked the question, "why do you think the church does not see healing on a consistent basis?" Many of the saints gave great answers. Some said that there needed to be more unity, some said that unreconciled relationships is the cause, some said that the church has put God as a plan "B" and doctors as plan "A", and others said that luke warmness as well as entertainment has stolen our attention away from God. All of those answers were great. My answer to why the church as a whole does not see consistent healing miracles is that it "could" be possible that we don't need it because God often works in areas of need. We have become so blessed that we are almost independent when it come to our needs, we can take care of them ourselves "almost". But that kind of cultural mindset can be detrimental to a God centered Kingdom. Surely we need to acknowledge him in ALL of our ways. Yet there are some things God will not do for us, we should strive to be temperate in all things to achieve a balance so that we do no quench the Spirit of God by trying to outwork him or by becoming so slothful in life that we refuse to perform any work. 

So I pose this question to you. What would happen if soul winning become just as important as eating? What if we craved after winning souls like we do our next meal? God did not call us to be lords over his heritage nor to be side show gospel entertainers. God has called us to be laborers in his vineyard. Great things happen when we take on a great burden for the work of God in total submission and obedience unto him. God bless.

Authored by:
MIT. John W. Jenkins
Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church  

Monday, September 30, 2013

Come and See


Come 
            And 
                       See..




John 1:35-39

35  Again the next day after John stood, and two of his disciples;
36  And looking upon Jesus as he walked, he saith, Behold the Lamb of God.
37  And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus.
38  Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou?
39  He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.


Jesus asked, "What seek ye?" They answered, "Master where dwellest thou?" 
Jesus answered, "Come and see." 


John 1:45-46

45  Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of  Nazareth, the son of Joseph. 
46  And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see. 

Here Philip told Nathanael, they had found the Messiah. Nathanael asked, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Philip answered, "Come and see." 


Today, Jesus is calling out, saying "Come and see. Come dwell with me; I in you and you in me! Come see that the Lord is good. Come and see that my burden is light. Come and see my yoke is easy. Come and see; that I will give you rest for your soul."


John 1:51

51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of  God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.

Jesus answered, "Ye shall see."  We the Church are calling out to the lost. Come and see the glorious salvation of the Lord.


In John chapter 4, There came a woman of Samaria to Jacobs well. Jesus came to the city of Samaria, he was tired so he stopped to rest at the well, while his disciples went into the city to get food. Around noon the woman came to the well to draw water, and Jesus spoke to her.

"Give me to drink." And she said; "How is it you being a Jew ask of me to give you drink?" For the Jews had no dealings with the Samaritans.

Jesus answered her and said; If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

The woman saith unto him, "Sir, thou hast nothing to draw with, and the well is deep: from whence then hast thou that living water?"  Jesus said, Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

The woman said, "Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.
Jesus said, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
The woman answered, " I have no husband."
Jesus said, Thou hast well said, I have no husband: for thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband: in that saidst thou truly.
The woman said, "Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet."

The woman departed into the city and called all the men of the town and said. "Come and see a man who told me everything I have ever done. Is this not the Christ?"


Today, Jesus is still saying "Come and see. Come taste of the Lord, see that He is good!"

David spoke in Psalm 27:13

I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Matthew 5:8

Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.

1 John 3:2 

Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

Come and  see.




Created by: Brittany Jenkins
Last Days Ministries Apostolic Church