In his book, The Power of Prayer, E. M. Bounds wrote, “We are constantly on a stretch, if not on a strain, to devise new methods, new plans, new organizations to advance the Church and secure enlargement and efficiency for the gospel. This trend of the day has a tendency to lose sight of the man or sink the man in the plan or organization. God’s plan is to make much of the man, far more of him than of anything else. Men are God’s method. The Church is looking for better methods; God is looking for better men.”

God is not looking for new or novel ways to reach our world for Christ.  The only way the Church can succeed in impacting our world for Christ is through people who have been radically saved and changed by the awesome power of God in their lives.  So why then are we making so little of an impact on unbelievers?  I believe that part of the reason is because we have fallen into the trap of thinking that reaching people is dependent upon our intellect, our persuasive arguments, our innovative methodology, our charisma, etc., you get the idea. The only thing God needs to make an impact on our world for Christ is men and women who are wholly dedicated to Him. Again, Bounds wrote, “What the Church needs today is not more machinery or better, not new organizations or more and novel methods, but men whom the Holy Ghost can use—men of prayer, men mighty in prayer. The Holy Ghost does not flow through methods, but through men. He does not come on machinery, but on men. He does not anoint plans, but men—men of prayer.”

You see, we are the key.  We need not be the smartest or most gifted speaker to be used by God, but we must definitely be the most dedicated to God’s use.  We must be filled to the overflowing with His presence, His power, His personality, and His passion to save the lost, and the only way to do that is through spending time with God in prayer. 

When I was a young man serving as minister of music at a church, I began to notice older couples who had lived together for years as husband and wife.  I could easily have put each of these couples together without anyone ever telling me who was married to whom, because they looked alike, thought alike, and acted alike.  The striking similarities were due to the fact that they had spent so much time together that they had actually become one in body, mind, and spirit. The same is true for the person who has walked and talked with God through years of consistent and constant communion with Him in prayer.  As we spend time with God in prayer, we become one with him in heart, mind, and spirit.  We think like God thinks, we act like God would want us to act, we talk like God would have us talk, and we love like God would have us love.  You see, we are God’s message, and we are God’s method.  But the key to being used by God is by becoming like Him, and that my friend only comes by much prayer.

Jesus put it this way: ⁴“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. ⁵“I am the vine, you are the branches; he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15: 4 – 5)

Let’s become people that God can use to build His kingdom by abiding in Christ through constant and persistent prayer.

Do you remember the energizer bunny commercial. He keeps going and going.  That”s how I felt this last trimester at William Carey University. I just finished up the winter trimester and it was the most challenging semester I ever had in my life.  Iit was sometimes frustrated with late nights of studying and writing papers I knew it would be hard to finish, but I knew I had to finish strong, because in James chapter one it tells us to persevere and finish strong. Let me ask you a question: when things happen in your life, do you finish strong? This semester I challenge you to finish strong!  The Word says it’s going to be hard and I speak from experience that it is true. So in closing remember to be strong and finish strong.

In Christ Bro Will

1 John 3:16

¹⁶This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

I am always amazed at how much Christ loves us ALL!  I couple of years ago, I worked at a home for at-risk youth.  I honestly had no idea how much love (the correct kind of love) and discipline (the correct kind) these kids needed.  These youth came from all different backgrounds:  drug abuse, physical abuse, sexual abuse, verbal abuse, neglection, and the list just goes on and on.  Through working with these youth, sometimes they would take their frustrations and anger out on me.  Let me just inform you…1 year before working with these youth, I worked as a repo man.  So I’ve been cussed and screamed at:  no big deal!  Well, when some of these youth would take their frustrations and anger out on me (for nothing I’ve done except try to love them) I heard words I didn’t hear as a repo guy felt my ear drums build so much pressure that I really thought they might just bust!  One day I was dealing with this one youth that I spent a lot of time trying to break through to him.  At one point I thought:  I think I’m making a difference in this guy’s life.  Well this particular day, this guy blew up on me like a bomb in an elevator!  I felt every muscle in my body begin to strain, my fist begin to clinch tight, and my head feel like it was going to explode when all of the sudden something made me think of Christ!  Immediately, my ears did not hear this kid anymore and my thoughts began to think of speaking to my Savior (Jesus).  I can remember saying:  “Jesus, you have to remove me from this situation before I hurt this kid.”    Well, He did just that!  He removed me from the situation by this kid getting so frustrated with me ignoring him that he ran out of the house…thankfully!!!  As the rest of the day went on, I thought about my Savior and His love.

Jesus laid down His life for me, but He also laid down His life for this youth and other people just like him.  He laid down His life for the people that were screaming in His ear, cussing Him, and telling Him they wanted no part with Him!  He still loved them enough to die for them, even though they hated Him!  I began to think about if I truly had pity on these youth as they were in need of the correct kind of love and discipline in their lives.  I asked myself, “Am I showing these kids the love that Christ shows to me and to everyone else?”  My answer was no.  At this point, I began seeking to show these kids the love Christ showed me through my actions both when they would blow up on me and when they wanted to be my friend.  I’m proud to say that even to this day:  almost 3 years later, I still talk to these kids.  Yes, they still disappoint in a lot of ways.  However, I know I still disappoint my Jesus too, but He still loves me!  Make a difference in someone’s life by  showing them the love that Christ shows us all!

When I was in junior college I did a research paper on social networking. It was kinda interesting that what people were posting on their facebook or MySpace.  We can be the light and Salt of the world on Facebook and MySpace.  I found out in my research that colleges and places of employment check social networking to see who you really are, so be careful of what you post on the Web.  Remember we are the light of the world.

God Bless Bro Will.

—
Will Parsons Ministry Intern

A while back I was studying Jesus’ parable of the dragnet found in Matthew 13: 47 – 50.

⁴⁷“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a dragnet cast into the sea, and gathering fish of every kind; ⁴⁸and when it was filled, they drew it up on the beach; and they sat down and gathered the good fish into containers, but the bad they threw away. ⁴⁹“So it will be at the end of the age; the angels will come forth and take out the wicked from among the righteous, ⁵⁰and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

My thoughts immediately began to go back to my “growing up” days on a farm where we raised catfish.  As I thought about what Jesus’ was saying, God began to formulate the following story in my mind.  I hope it will motivate all of us to be more aware that time is drawing near when those who are Christ-followers will be separated from those who are not followers of Christ.  We need to try to bring them into the kingdom of God before it is too late!

The Parable of the Fish Pond

Life was really great in the pond.  The water was deep and wide.  The fish had freedom to swim and explore the limits of the pond to their heart’s content.  They had learned all about the pond.  They knew every inch of it, but no one really knew what lay beyond the surface or past the water’s edge.  Sometimes they even speculated about the unknown beyond the surface. Continue reading The Parable of the Fish Pond