Unbelieving Believers

I read a challenging piece recently by Dr Bernard Etta when speaking of the 7000 prophets who had not bowed the knee to Baal (1 Kings 19.18); he said. "I have no respect for such prophets who lived in a nation taken over by Idolatry and evil but chose to remain silent. Not bowing to Baal is good, but not enough to transform a society or nation. True prophets confront the idolatry in the land and speak again sin in both high and low places with a vision of taking back the nation for God. You don't need 7000 prophets to change a nation, just one true prophet is enough."

A little similar to today's church I believe, 'and the love of many will wax cold.' 

They say they are believers but when it comes to issues of sin and righteousness and judgement they are cold and silent. 

It has been said "all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing," (often attributed to Edmund Burke but disputed) how true it is.  Burke also said, "Nothing is so fatal to religion as indifference."  

If 7000 prophets who had not bowed the knee to Baal had spoken up, how different might the situation have been. If millions of 'so called' Christians learn to live with evil in the world and around them in their community instead of denouncing it and setting aright the ills of society, what will be the outcome of the Jezebels?

 

Today we have professing believers filling church pews with no moral fortitude, Jesus said, "These signs shall follow them that believe" Mark 16.17 our churches seem to be full of those with only the "DO NOT DISTURB" sign around their necks, dare we say that many of our churches are filled with unbelieving believers? 

To believe in Christ is to follow Him and be His disciple; "I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father." John 14.12

Are we doing the works? 

Are the signs following? 

Are we expecting the signs to follow? 

or have we just become humanitarian tolerants? 

The words of Christ command obedience, if obedience to His way is not there, are we in fact His disciple at all? 

Society will always have its malevolent, those intent on their own perverted gain at the expense of good morals and judgement, its wicked, evil and sinister plotters to bring down anything that is upright, moral, good or godly for it is an affront to them, for they desire to remove any semblance of righteousness or God from their lives, for then (in their minds only) their is no account to give to God.

It is encumbent upon us to heed the warning given by God to Ezekiel, “Again, when a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before them, they will die. Since you did not warn them, they will die for their sin. The righteous things that person did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for their blood. But if you do warn the righteous person not to sin and they do not sin, they will surely live because they took warning, and you will have saved yourself.” Ezekiel 18.26/27

Society in many nations (not restricted to western nations) is crumbling for lack of absolute values, where everything is questioned and many outcomes are questionable, it behoves those that have the truth that delivers (and has delivered for thousands of years for those that follow it,)  peace, stability, prosperity and godliness to share it with those of the community hellbent on destroying righteousness in society and themselves along with it to a torturous hell for those who reject God.  

Don't let your religion crumble around you for lack of attention to it.

Dr Howard Sands is the International Director of Beautiful Feet Task Force, is available as a speaker for churches, outreaches, business & missions.

For more details or to book Howard for your college, church or event see how to frame an invitation here.

If you would like to assist BFTF in its mission to equipping African and Asian ministers with the word of God to empower their own generation you can donate to BFTF here.

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"There are only two things, God & Violet Crumble."

I heard an interesting statement in church today, 
"There are only two things, God & Violet Crumble."

Now that is not what Pastor Ian said, its what I heard. He said, "There's only God and nothing else matters."  My involvement in advertising for so many years took that slogan that Violet Crumble made famous "Nothing else matt...." and interpreted it in my brain to the Violet Crumble product in Ps Ian's statement, (maybe it had something to do with winning a Picnic bar in answering a question in one of Ps Ian's famous church quizzes). Therefore there is not just one thing, there is God and then if nothing else matters there is Violet Crumble.  Video ad

How our brain works is a fascinating thing, word / product / image association.
What is the image that comes to your mind when I say Africa.
Well that depends on what things to do with Africa have made an indelible impression on your mind, let me not put images into your mind of what it may be in your mind (we're all different), but allow me to share with you an image, impression and concern in mine when I hear of or think of Africa. (I have already done 6 missions trips to 4 African countries)

I think of thousands of ministers passionate for the gospel message of Jesus Christ that saves to the uttermost even the worst of sinners, I think of some difficult situations from rural villages  to major cities,  I think of humungous gatherings of people hungry for the gospel truth, I think of leaders crying out for help on how to teach their congregations that Jesus has already won their victory. For most, they know it but they don't know it. I mean they have heard it, they even give a mental assent to the truth of it but they themselves don't know how to live in it so how can they impart the revelation of truth of it to the congregations. They are hungry for revelation knowledge of the word that will sustain them.

On the other hand I also think of many churches where the pastors are almost worshiped, they adore adulation, sitting mightily on throne like chairs before their congregations and having their members do everything for them; gaining at least three titles is tantamount to dictatorial rule and as a consequence substantial financial gain, these doctrinally shallow leaders keep their people in the same shallowness so that their position in the pecking order is not disturbed, it just too good being adored and having everything materially conceivable even through many of their congregations are often struggling to put food in their children's mouths.

Whilst there are people in every country and from every walk of life that abuse privilege Jesus showed us a form of leadership not like the world, he demonstrated and taught servant leadership. Paul the apostle of Bible writings was first of all a persecutor of the church than an advocate of it. He received revelation of who we (the church) were in Christ, that other disciples who were disciples before him said, "some of Paul's teachings are hard to understand." Yes they are, for they are not to be understood with the soul/mind but with the spirit. Paul said these things are spiritually discerned.

My heart and passion is to help people become spiritually minded enough to receive the revelation of who they are in Christ, that they know how to live in it daily, that they don't need to be lording it over others but can in true humility help believers to have the confidence in Christ for every situation that He intended for us. When you mention Africa to me, the picture I see is of thousands of leaders receiving understanding of what Christ has done for them and how to both appropriate it themselves and release others into the freedom it brings for them.

To this end Beautiful Feet Task Force is again ministering in Africa the revelation of Jesus Christ to hundreds of pastors and leaders. I expect there will be all types there, some there for good intent and others for selfish. Some there who are healthy strong servant leaders and others who have not yet realised that releasing people into their destiny actually releases you into yours.

I'd like to take you on this journey with me, sadly for this trip you can only come in prayer, in giving and virtually, (we will be posting to facebook as much as possible during the trip - Follow here)

From 23 October 2015 Ps Howard will be heading to Bamende, Cameroon as one of many guest speakers of Dr Bernard Etta at the '40th Anniversary Global Convocation' along with guests from many parts of the world.

Then its on to Cape Town, South Africa for the jointly organised 'Kingdom Advancement Leadership Summit,' hundreds of leaders from Southern Africa particularly are expected to attend.

After this, BFTF with the Pheonix Ministers Fraternal are hosting 'Leading Without Limits' in Durban, South Africa.

During these programs and many local church functions Ps Howard will be (with others) helping many hundreds of leaders lift their revelation of who Christ is in them, what He has done for them and what He wants to do through them.

The church in Africa is growing much faster than the western church and yet the need for sound teaching and revelation of who we are in Christ has become greater than ever because of rampant poor, shallow and wrong teaching that has kept many bound in law and limited knowledge of the freedom found in Christ.

Will you help bring freedom to thousands through supporting hundreds of leaders across Africa with revelation knowledge.



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DON'T WAIT FOR MIRACLES, INITIATE ONE!

I came across this blog this week on Africa Network BFTF from one of our members and thought is worthy of repeating here.


Do your BEST and God will do the REST! You can't expect God to do his part, when you fail to do your own part. Miracles are workable; the scriptures speak of the working of miracles. Instead of waiting for a miracle, you can initiate one by doing the right things via the right principles.

God's intervention is not an excuse for irresponsibility, nether is God a patron for the passive, nor heaven an asylum for failures. You either do something with your time, energy and resources or you rot and rust away.

God did not create the heavens and the earth by sitting down and claiming promises. He stepped out of eternity into time and worked for six days (Six thousand years in human calculation) and rested on the seventh day.

In Genesis 2: 8, God did what most of us have never done: He planted a garden. Most of us want to eat fruits, but we don't want to plant a garden.

A generation that believes in prosperity without principles, success without work, Privileges without responsibilities is a cursed generation.

It's time to get up! If you sleep, your life would slip off. To be seasoned, you must reason. To have worth, you must embrace work, not as punishment, but as opportunity to shape your destiny. Convert your confession into a profession; it takes just that to reach the ultimate of your potential. 

See you there!  

DrBenard Etta