Explain that dark generations will be condemned …

We live in dark times. In these times, the people around us have chosen a lifestyle that dishonors God. Unfortunately, we are all too familiar with the dragging of such disgusting habits into the worship and fellowship of God’s people today.

In real life, we realize that these people are much less godly and much more worldly than they profess to be. So what are we supposed to do? We can go along to get along. Or we can continue to walk closer and closer to the king of Kings and Lord of lords. We can want to imitate, and seek to become more like Jesus every day.

Sobering as it is, at the judgment seat of king Jesus, witnesses from across the ages will stand and give testimony as to why we should be rewarded or condemned by the way we did our lifestyle. Lifestyle is what reveals what’s in our hearts, we become a video for all to see, hear, and to testify about.

We do not want to be thrown away into the Lake of Fire with this generation of wickedness. Today is the day we decide again to stand for what is right, for what the King teaches us, for what our God desires of us: To live holy, to live justly, to live graciously in this present world.

How about you? What are your thoughts?

Posted in Discipleship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Don’t waste time away from the teaching when it is live …

Distraction is one of the devils greatest, and most effective tools against us! Every time there is a gathering, there is much to be done. If you have the gift of servant, you know exactly what happens inside your soul. There is food to prepare, there are things to get done, and you are constantly seeing the list of needs, instead of what is needed most. It’s not that you are wrong, it’s just that your timing is not right. And the devil wants to make full use of your goodness.

Jesus clarifies. Martha was preoccupied because she was a server. Mary was focused because she knew that those things could be done after Jesus finished talking. This is what the discipleship life is all about. While the servers get distracted God wants us to focus on the teaching, the training, the growth He wants to pour into us.

In gatherings around the globe, Lucifer seems to reign in this area. Today I’m calling you to set aside the serving when the pastor or teacher or disciple is teaching, training, disciplining. Focus on the words of God. Focus on understanding what God is trying to tell you through the messenger. Focus on understanding so you can apply. This is what wisdom is. Wisdom doesn’t waste the moment of training so that they can rearrange chairs or get the lunch ready.

If you will pour your self into this one truth, you will discover a whole new level of intimacy with God this week. Resist the temptation to serve when the messenger of God is speaking. Sit down, open your Bible, take out your notepad, and pray this short prayer: “God, speak to me!”

What do you have to say about this?

Posted in Discipleship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Disciples realize that receptivity, or lack of it, to their message by a people means ….

Consider what this really means! So often the messages rejected. To those people, there is a huge reality, the reality of eternal loss. But for those who accept our message, there is the exaltation of being in heaven forever!

Imagine, all that is said in revelation, 21 and 22 becomes part of the eternal life of those we reach out to. Remember, it’s not about you this week. If you already have surrendered to King Jesus, then you know, and will delight in the presence of Jesus as your king and God for all eternity.

But for those who have yet to hear, it is time for us to reach out this week. No one wishes the Lake of Fire upon anyone if their hearts are right with Jesus.

What are your thoughts?

Posted in Discipleship | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

The Temptation to Territorial Power

Disciples of King Jesus understand that the temptation to territorial power is greatest when we are weakest and that the Devil has been handed the Realm of the Middle Eastern Authority (and more) to give to anyone who will worship him! (See Mark 4.6)

We are watching the collapse of Empires right now as the Devil is being handed the Realms of the UK. more and more of Africa, and footholds in the USA.

Make no mistake. Lucifer declared himself and his intentions to our King a long time ago: “I will give you their splendor and all this authority, because it has been given over to me, and I can give it to anyone I want. If you, then, WILL WORSHIP ME, all will be yours.”” (Luke 4:6–7, CSB)

Satan is the Great Liar and the Mask He uses these days is Isalm. “Allah is Jehovah,” is his great deception. It sounds just like his plan: “I will make myself like the Most High.”” (Isaiah 14:14, CSB)

THE ONLY WAY to overcome is through prayer and fasting. “And when He had come into the house, His disciples asked Him privately, “Why could we not cast it out?” So He said to them, “This kind can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting.”” (Mark 9:28–29, NKJV)

Check out Isaiah 58. This chapter describes the kind of fasting God desires—not merely a ritual of self-affliction or outward display, but a fast that leads to JUSTICE and compassion. It emphasizes actions such as LOOSENING THE CHAINS OF INJUSTICE, SETTING THE OPPRESSED FREE, sharing food with the hungry, welcoming the homeless, and clothing the naked.

Spiritual warfare is fought like this: “For although we live in the flesh, we DO NOT wage war according to the flesh, since the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every proud thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, and we take every thought captive to obey Christ.” (2 Corinthians 10:3–5, CSB)

IT’S TIME TO FALL ON OUR KNEES AFRESH AND STOP PLAYING CHURCH! Before it’s too late!

Posted in Discipleship, Ministry, Missional | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Do You Possess Salvation Through King Jesus?

What an amazing gift! Have you surrendered to King Jesus, aligned yourself to Him and His cause, thanked Him for forgiving your sins when you didn’t even deserve it, and started following Him on The Path of Peace and Serenity? DM me if you have a desire to do so!

Posted in Discipleship | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Quarrels Indicate a Faith Community (Relationship) Is Damaged!

Listen as Rabbi Sha’ul (The Apostle Paul) explains to the splintered Corinthians …

Nevertheless, brothers, I call on you in the name of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah to agree, all of you, in what you say, and not to let yourselves remain split into factions but be restored to having a common mind and a common purpose. For some of Chloe’s people have made it known to me, my brothers, that there are quarrels among you.” (1 Corinthians 1:10–11, CJB)

Unfortunately, too many relationships – too many Churches – are splintered into factions. And we have to admit that one of the core reasons is the old American saying, “It has to be MY way or the highway!” meaning if I can’t be the boss I’m leaving! Such an attitude is sin!

So today, let’s work in our own hearts to restore ourselves to …

  • Agreement for King Jesus (10)
  • Wholeness with the others (10)
  • Having a common mind (King Jesus’) (10)
  • Having a common purpose (The Holy Spirit’s) (10)
  • Harmony (11)

Let’s make 2025 a year when we look more and more like our King and less and less like our old self!

Posted in Church Health | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Happy New Year From All of Us!

As we restart our website today, we want to thank you for your love and support. Due to technical issues with our computer and database, we have lost connection to many. We are working to remedy those, and we thank God to be back!

Our theme verse for the year is above. Let us encourage you to download the meme, memorize it, and internalize the verse. It is the Promise of King Jesus that brought Kate into my life and so much more. (More about that as the year unfolds.)

For now, we say: PRAY BELIEVING, and watch God work in 2025!

Posted in Adundant Life, News | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Am I A Good Leader In God’s Eyes, Part 2 

(Leadership For 2025 & Beyond! series)

  • If we want things to change for the better, then WE will have to change for the better!

This is what the Lord has been telling us through His Vision for 1stSBC Gardena, CA, USA given to our Lead Pastor John Ward. Please read it here …

“By the Lord’s leading, five years from now First Church will be a Spirit-filled church led by an active, dedicated leadership team.

The entire body will be active in sharing the Gospel, winning people to Christ, and making new Christians welcome in a growing, maturing church.”

The 5-Year Vision God Gave to Pastor John Ward

Revealed to leaders on June 11, 2023
1st Southern Baptist Church, Gardena, CA, USA

Because of the vision God gave to Pastor John, we will focus on our individual and personal leadership at 1stSBC Gardena, CA USA in the coming years even more BECAUSE everything rises and falls on our personal leadership!

What areas do you need to change in order to accomplish the vision God has given you and your team?

Please share below your thoughts!

Posted in Discipleship, Leadership Blog, Vision | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Am I A Good Leader In God’s Eyes, Part 1 

(Leadership For 2025 & Beyond! series)

  • We are the way we are because WE are the way we are!

What Does That Mean?

As I was reading through our reading schedule last month, I ran across a chapter in Isaiah that the Holy Spirit wouldn’t let me leave. Kate will tell you I hovered over it for hours over several days while we were home in Tororo, Uganda. 

The more I poured over it the clearer God was about continuing the transformation of my life for Him as a Global servant of the Great Commission with King Jesus! 

As this passage moved through me repeatedly, I reflected on the reality we studied for 6 months in the Warriors’ Study at 1stSBC Gardena, CA USA. For 6 months, we walked through Genesis and dealt with so many issues necessary to fulfilling the Dominion Command of Genesis 1.28. The lesson was clear: God wants all of His children to “take dominion” of their sphere of life and beyond!”

As we then moved into June we saw the reason for the Dominion Command: Jesus calls us to make disciples of all peoples starting where we are and stopping once we’ve reached the whole planet! We are in month 4 of that study in the book of Acts! These 10 months have been life-changing for me!

And as I read through Isaiah 32, it was like the Holy Spirit said to me: Listen, adapt, align your attitudes and choices to model what I share with you here so that you can fulfill both the Dominion Command and the Great Commission. 

THE POINT: Once we listen, adapt, and align our attitudes and choices to model this kind of leadership, we can lead others to fulfill both the Dominion Command and the Great Commission.

So, will you join me in changing, improving, and becoming what we need to be in order to fulfill both the Dominion Command and the Great Commission? Great! Let’s dive in! with our next post! 

Please make sure you are getting all notifications by SUBSCRIBING on the Home Page. Click here so you don’t miss a single one of these leadership-enhancing posts!

Disclaimer: This series is about ALL and ONLY about our personal leadership. If we CANNOT lead ourselves, we will never make an impact in our homes, our marriages, our families, our neighborhoods, our communities, our county, our state, our country, or our world!

See you for the next installment!

Posted in Discipleship, Leadership Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Every Dying Church does not respond to …

  • The disease inside
  • The danger outside

THINK ABOUT where you have fallen from, and then TURN BACK and DO AS YOU DID at first. If you don’t turn back, I will come and take away your Church. Revelation 2:5 CEV

HOW DO YOU TURN BACK?

The Lord said: Israel, if you really want to come back to me,

1. GET RID OF those disgusting idols (horoscopes, ouija boards, fortune tellers, psychics, etc).

2. Make promises ONLY in my name, and

3. DO what you promise!

THEN all nations will praise me, and I will bless them.Jeremiah 4:1-2 CEV

#GlobalMission

Posted in Church Health | Tagged , | Leave a comment