Being exposed to the phenomenal work being done in China with the biblical concept of, “House Church” made a great impact on me. Upon my return home, I researched a group that began in China around 1980 called “Three Self Patriot Movement”. This was an effort to found Christian house churches after the Cultural Revolution. Today the leaders and authorities of this massive body of believers (80 million house churches) are answerable directly to the Communist Party. This in time has spawned many underground house churches who are hungry for the pure word, as well as genuine apostolic ministry. There greatest need at this time is for teachers. These people already congregate in homes by the thousands. I was reminded of the account in Acts 2 & 3 where Peter and John went daily to the Temple for prayer and went house to house to minister the word, break bread together in fellowship and in prayers.

Acts 2:46-3:1 (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 the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. (Acts 3:1) Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.

Seeing the boldness on these beautiful people to worship and praise God while meeting in secrecy and under threat of safety will mark me for life. Most all of these precious souls would never hope to meet in public buildings, nor is there intent or desire to ever hang an organizational sign on them. Most only go on a first name basis for the protection of others. God alone knows the true number of saints there and I doubt there will ever be an attendance record kept. One’s motive would surely come into check as we in America have placed so much emphasis on buildings and extended great effort to incorporate organizational names to our structure. I now possess a greater vision of how the Lord wants to work through his church in America, as well as in the earth. From this day forward I am taking a fresh look at all my ministerial involvements, as well as personal motive and making adjustments where necessary to better serve the kingdom of God.

Our Lord Jesus spoke about the parable of the fig tree, showing that when the tree put forth its TENDER BRANCHES you can tell that summer was very near, using the illustration from nature to show how we could tell about HIS COMING. I am lifting the example from the setting to speak about TENDER BRANCHES.

Having a TENDERNESS in us is the first stage for the next level of GROWTH. Growth only occurs when the branches are YET TENDER, what a challenge to all of us. Maybe the progress and growth many of us are desiring has not come, due to the fact that TENDERNESS is not working in us, so that the next STAGE can happen. There is a time when the branches must be TOUCH AND HARD; that time is WINTER. The branches HARDEN to brace themselves against the HARD, COLD SEASON called WINTER. Hardships of winter include the terrible cold, fierce winds, and various animals foraging for food.

It is alright for us to have HARDENING, OR TOUGHNESS, which is needful in TIMES OF TRIAL, WINTER, AND COLD EXPERIENCES. Once the trial is over, we must allow God to SOFTEN us again, so that through being TENDER, we can experience a new level of growth and fruitfulness.

In the natural world, when winter is over, the branches do NOT REMAIN TOUGH, there comes to it THAWING AND TENDERNESS; the same thing must happen in us. We must PERMIT GOD to SOFTEN US, so GROWTH may happen, for NEW GROWTH ONLY HAPPENS WHEN WE ARE TENDER…. Remember, SUMMER prepares us for the next season, which is a TIME OF HARVEST; each stage is connected to the next. We must not become BITTER, HARD OR CRITICAL, but we must SEEK TO BE MADE TENDER after trials and tests. As soon as its branches become TENDER, it PUTS FORTH LEAVES. Ask God to help you to be balanced between TOUGH AND TENDER, for your next stage of GROWTH is determined by the condition of the previous one….

Ships have rudders! And there is a very good reason why ships have rudders attached because, as with life, any number of things can happen to knock a sea-faring vessel off course.

When a ship embarks from port, the navigator and/or captain have a definite and predetermined destination in mind. The vessel is set upon a heading that will ultimately bring it safely to harbor in the desired seaport, but from port to port, corrections will be made in the heading so the ship can stay the course. Corrections are not made because of some miscalculation, but rather because winds, tides, currents or some obstacle has forced the ship off course.

Staying the course does not mean that a vessel never gets off course, but when it does veer, corrections are implemented to bring the ship back to proper bearings. Apparently the Apostle Paul understood this principle and realized how it applies to spiritual life. Paul’s own testimony states, “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:” (2 Timothy 4:7)

The Apostle did not claim to have kept the course, but he was very adamant in his acknowledgment that the course had indeed been finished. This text seems to imply that certain things may happen which cause a life to get off course, but the course can still be finished. The wise man noted in Proverbs 24:16, “a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again”. Paul’s assertion that he did “keep the faith” evidently supplied the enabling ability for him to rise up again so that he could “finish the course.”

Winds

When winds of adversity blow a ship off its desired heading, only the determined faith and vision of the Captain will continue to bring it back on course. Winds do blow, and that is one of the reasons why ships are built with rudders attached.

“But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.” (Matthew 14:24)

Like the wind described by Matthew, it seems as if most of the winds in life are “contrary”. A contrary wind is not necessarily a wind from hell. Any wind that is trying to push the ship in a direction other than the desired port is a contrary wind.

Winds usually come in the form of influence. People, circumstances, temptations, old habits or any other areas of life that serve as a center of influence, can become a contrary wind.

Winds of adversity and resistance must be met with an intentional resolve to persevere. If allowed, contrary winds will cause even a large vessel to stray. Contrary winds are faced almost every day. Resistance is a fact of life for any spiritual pursuit, and it seems especially so in the area of prayer. Diligence is the catchword for spiritual accomplishment. God does reward those who seek Him faithfully.

“But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

Tides

“…and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.” (Matthew 13:22)

The “care of this world” would be an all-inclusive description of the tides of life. Daily life abounds with concerns that ebb and flow. If not met with determined strategy, the cares of day-to-day life, though varying, will cause us to become unproductive in spiritual pursuits.

Changing tides are an accepted part of the routine in sea travel. Varying tide patterns from one port to another, although sometimes a bother, are considered to be part of the process of ocean voyage.

Tides are an expected, even a predicted occurrence of life. Although expected, tide patterns must still be calculated into the scheme of navigation. If tide variations are not properly evaluated, they will have devastating effects on the final destination of any sea-faring vessel.

Tides represent the normal routines of life. Although not sinful in and of themselves, the routines that many people follow in daily life are very capable of creating environments that are not conducive to spiritual growth. Something as simple as working overtime, having to work on a rotating shift, or even summer break from school, if not properly considered and planned for can bring a prayer-life to a grinding halt.

Currents

Popular fads, world events, tragedies of life, and other such unexpected but temporary happenings that incite emotional reactions fulfill the definition of currents. It is so easy to be swept into the fray of a strong current, being pulled completely off the desired heading. Often, because of the strength of the current, it is a struggle to get free of its affect. It is possible to be totally aware of the current and how it is changing the direction of spiritual growth and yet feel helpless to be freed of it on our own.

Currents of life usually create a situation where a “life-guard” is needed. “Life-guards” are those people that God places in our life to assist us in overcoming currents and who help supply spiritual direction and insight. God never intended for His children to be self-sufficient. Prayer partners should be sought for and established so that in times of crisis a lifeline can be attached to provide greater security during the voyage. Prayer partners become sounding boards, confidants, and enablers that help us in the recovery process, which also includes the re-establishing of a proper spiritual heading.

Obstacles

Natural elements of normal life produce the greatest amount of spiritual resistance. But natural elements are not the only source of spiritual resistance. Circumstances, other people, or demonic spirits often create obstacles in our path, which can cause us to veer off course. At times, certain obstacles produce situations that necessitate a brief, but intentional, departure from the established route for safety’s sake.

Shallow water, one of the more obvious concerns of sailing, is most often a concern only when leaving or entering a harbor. As a ship nears a new port-of-call, the captain naturally pays special attention in guiding the vessel, keeping it in the deepest channels possible. But, every good sailor understands that shallow water can also be of grave concern on the open sea. “Shallow water on the open sea?” some may question. The seasoned seafarer responds with a resounding “yes”, knowing that every underwater mountain range can present eminent danger. Careful observation exposes a sobering revelation: “Many great lives and ministries
have been side-tracked (some permanently) and even destroyed during or near mountain-
top experiences.” Victories so often produce an intoxicating affect, which has proven to efficiently debilitate righteous judgment.

God is inviting His elect now as He invited the Prophet of old to come into the waters where it is deep enough to swim. (Ezekiel 47:5) Shallow water is a far too perilous place for a child of God to weigh anchor. The Psalmist understood the desire of God to bring His people into the depths of the Spirit realm;

“Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.” (Psalm 42:7)

The ocean floor is thoroughly littered with sunken vessels that must be avoided at all cost. A simple glimpse of ships that have failed in their attempt to complete the voyage is one of the most discouraging sights any seafarer could ever see. Every sunken vessel, regardless of the cause, looms as a dreary reminder of what any ship’s fate might be.

A great hindrance to the spiritually cautious, who dare to seek the deeper things of God, is the memory of others who tried, failed and were ultimately lost to the sea. The knowledge of fallen comrades should never deter the venture from taking place, but ought to serve as buoys, marking the dangers along the journey.

Certain trade routes are at times strewn with debris and hazards such as icebergs. Most of the devastation that occurs from these perils is a result of what cannot be seen rather than what appears to be the obvious danger. Comprehending the immense jeopardy of the unseen will assist in navigating safely around and through the perils of life.

One of the more discouraging aspects of ocean voyage is the day to day monotony between ports-of-call. Leaving home port is exciting; a new adventure is underway and many positive changes rapidly take place. It is easy on the outset of the trip to see the benefits of the voyage. However, it is difficult, if not impossible, to fully appreciate the progress being made when physical landmarks can no longer be seen.

Embarking upon a daily commitment of early morning prayer is a life-changing decision. In the beginning of any new spiritual endeavor, many changes quickly occur which enhance the resolve to continue. But after the initial experiences of change, staying in the process becomes somewhat tedious when the changes seem to slow down or stop altogether.

It is extremely important to remember that a prayer-life is not an event but rather a continuous journey. A Prayer Voyage will bring us into numerous harbors where great spiritual treasures are introduced into our lives. While in port, being laden with spiritual gifts and cargo, it is easy to stay encouraged about the benefits of living a sacrificial life of early morning prayer. However, those trips between ports, which appear to be uneventful and unfruitful, are the times we must be careful to “keep the faith.”

Winds, tides, currents and obstacles seemed to have all come to visit at one time. My life had been bounced from one wave to another for weeks on end. Every schedule had suffered, and my prayer time was so battered that I felt totally ashamed to even approach God. After all, those who knew me well considered me as some sort of an authority on the subject and practice of prayer. “Mr. Prayer”, as I had been dubbed by more than a few, had been virtually prayerless for days on end.

I am still not sure whether guilt or desperation convinced me to press on in prayer that morning, but whatever it was, I am eternally grateful that I did. I was busy explaining to God all of the things that had hindered my early morning prayer time and begging forgiveness when God arrested my attention. I saw a vision before me of a graph. On the graph about halfway down on the extreme left side (which was labeled west) appeared a line. The line came from the west and continued approximately a quarter of the way across the graph. As I beheld this sight the voice of the Lord spoke to me and asked, “Which way is the line going?”

After careful examination of the graph I answered, “From west to east.” “Does it always go from west to east?” the Lord inquired. “No” I said, “sometimes it drops toward the south and at other times it peaks toward the north, but over all it goes from west to east.” “Exactly” replied God, “This is a graph of your prayer-life. At times, your prayer drops off a bit. Still, at other times your prayer-life excels, but overall you are heading in the direction that I have called you to go. When you fall you keep getting back up and that’s all I require from you.” God continued, “You have been whining about missing a day. I am from everlasting to everlasting, what is twenty-four hours to me? I created the day for you, so quit whining, get over it and get busy praying!”

I now have a better understanding of Paul’s statement. I may not always keep the course, but as long as I can keep the faith, I will finish the course. Should I veer off the proper heading and for whatever reason neglect my time of prayer, a new day dawns. And with each new day comes a new Nautical Hour, where I can discover how far I have drifted off course and what corrections I need to make to get back on course, because, I intend to “finish my course”.

The Lord Jesus seemingly went to great lengths to challenge the hearers of that day to do EVERYTHING possible NOT TO FIND THEMSELVES LOST FOREVER. In our present day, many folks attending church seem to act and think that being LOST is not REALITY and that GOD IS JUST TOO GOOD to allow such a thing to happen. I warn all of you; God will not forsake HIS PROMISE OF FAIR JUDGMENT over HIS OWN KINDNESS. It is very evident that God wants all to be SAVED, but He is not going to CHANGE THE RULES for a generation that thinks it can LIVE LOOSE OR UNGODLY and still be READY FOR HIS COMING.

My heart is greatly moved as I watch the SPIRITUAL LEVEL of some seem to DIMINISH FURTHER, and with no sense of SHAME OR FEAR. The longer one lives a certain way, the easier it becomes to believe that GOD MUST NOT CARE, but I WARN YOU as best I can; GOD IS NOT MOCKED, SIN WILL BE DEALT WITH. I am issuing a CRY for all of us to seek the FACE OF GOD for a RENEWAL AND REVIVAL within our own hearts and spirits. We must again get INFUSED WITH HOLY FIRE AND ZEAL if we plan to be whatever God has designed for us to become. Do not be fooled over the fact – NO BIG SINS have been done – for we all can EASILY DRIFT into a level of UNGUARDED, LOOSE LIVING.

Recent events have challenged me to EXAMINE my DESIRES, LEVEL OF DEDICATION, and my own WILLINGNESS to make any and all CHANGES needed. I cannot afford to allow the shame level of some to IMPACT my drives and desires; I must be SAVED no matter what. Both HEAVEN AND HELL are real, the possibility of going to either place lies within each of us, TRADITION, BIBLE KNOWLEDGE AND LONGEVITY will not be the DETERMINING FACTORS, our CONNECTION to GOD and our pouring out of our lives for HIM WILL BE…. We all can have more KNOWLEDGE than we apply into our actual living; we must SEEK GOD UNTIL something moves us into PROPER CHANGE. While this world laughs its way into Hell, and some joke about it, GOD IS DEAD SERIOUS, DO NOT END UP LOST, PLEASE….

Yes, I will consider! In fact, in the light of much mercy, sarcasm melts with the heat of God’s love. If I am to really ‘consider’ the person that threw the hurtful remarks, I must ponder, think, and take some time. Consideration even tends to courtesy and compassion for the sharp-tongued offender! How much do they hurt? What level of frustration plagues their day? Have they cried their deep tears lately?

But how do I move into this area of compassion quickly? Is this easy? Ha! Not at all! For when the stinger finds its target, the sarcastic version, “Just consider the source…” becomes the automatic balm and Band-Aid to sooth the hurt. However, when immediate prayer adorned by the Gospel reaches that height wherein dwelleth righteousness, sarcasm can be swallowed up of victory as the love of God is shed abroad.

It is all about the mind and the discipline thereof. The Word of God renews our minds. Therefore, ordered steps in His Word draw the heart to heights above the stinging reality of common offenses. The climb is steep and arduous twisting through self-justification and surface pain. Yet, the view from the top is tremendous!

You see, for a month now The Bible on CD has been playing in the car radio. Just that day, reading of the passages had stirred the Word and its memory into my heart. That is how God was able to get through my hurt to the true meaning of the word ‘consider’. When the offence came, my heart began to race, and I could feel the color drain from my face. I had to start climbing quickly. Deep breath! I did not want to cry in public, and my lips were beginning to quiver. Then The Bible memory lived in me for an instant and the power of Jesus and His Holy Word changed things!

By faith I know He tries my heart. By faith, and deep breaths, I saw His eye of guidance in that moment of pain. Now, oh mind, allow the mustard seed to become the shield.

For what does it matter that offenses come? Is it not to afford us growth opportunity? Is it not just one more chance to please Jesus? So then, when verbal stings hit the mark, and the old familiar “fight/flight” kicks in, take a deep breath and let consideration, faith, and resolve propel our steps upward.

Furthermore, let the time between the strike and the victory be shorter and shorter enabling us to forget self and enter into a fuller life of Divine Service.

For when words are used hastily, the speaker usually knows it or God will show them later. So, what really matters is not the offense, but, yea, our reaction to it, for that is what catches God’s attention. When words offend me, I want Jesus to smile at my reaction, not frown.

With each breath and consideration of the other, God’s grace increases and his smile, hopefully, broadens. Besides, thirty years from now, what does it matter; that little old sentence thrown like a javelin? Hmmm? David ducked. So must we. Please, consider the source.

1. It will create a strong sense of urgency and purpose. Urgency is the true igniter behind purpose, and all progressive planning and action. Urgency motivates people to be willing to make changes, moving out of their comfort zone.

2. It will be bigger than your present ability and resources. Just ask the twelve apostles when Jesus told them to feed five thousand men, plus women and children, with two small fish and five loaves of bread. (Matthew 14:16)

3. It will require risk that will challenge the leader’s faith to its limits. Where there is no risk, there is no faith!

In the church, leadership is not just a right, but a responsibility that carries with it eternal consequences. Because of this, every leader must be sure that evangelism is the primary function of the church they are leading.

Leaders must also be sure that the various methods and processes being used by their local assembly, to both reach and to assimilating new people into the body of Christ, are current and relevant to the generation it is serving. Simply doing something because it worked in the past will not be sufficient for this present day.

~ Asking the Difficult Questions ~

In his best selling book Good to Great, Jim Collins devoted an entire chapter on what he called… Confronting the Brutal Facts. His research team logged over five years and fifteen thousand hours examining one-thousand four hundred and thirty five different companies. By the time the final cut was made, only eleven qualified for making the leap to what Collins called a Good to Great company

Their primary research was to see if similar key components existed, causing some companies to excel in the market place, while their competitors stayed mediocre at best. Though each of the eleven qualifying companies were very different in product and service, research clearly showed that each of them had leaders that were not afraid to look reality in the face and ask the difficult questions.

It is necessary for doctors to ask questions they would rather not ask when trying to determine the diagnosis of a sick patient. Thank God the airlines are willing to open the dreaded black box to find answers every time a plane crashes to ensure the safety of the next flight. These two examples alone represent millions of lives that have been saved from illness and tragedy simply because accepting failure was not an option. Being willing to ask the most difficult questions, then confronting the evident truth, without losing faith, has always been a major part of any thing that is progressive and successful.

No forward thinking man or woman of God should ever be afraid of questions. Neither should we be afraid of the answer, regardless of what it may require of us. Never forget how the one we call LORD responded after asking a very difficult question that HE really knew the answer to before He asked. HIS response was… not my will but THINE be done! (Luke 22:42)

Since there is no greater tragedy than for souls to go into eternity without being born again, I would like to offer a few questions for your prayerful consideration.

· Do you really want the will of God regardless of what that may cost you?

· Are you willing to make whatever adjustments are necessary (church or personal) to effectively fulfill your God given purpose?

· Does your local community even know your church exists?

· Does your current service times and format give you the best opportunity possible to reach the unchurched people of your community?

· Does your current church or personal calendar give room for evangelism?

~ It’s not Rocket Science ~

While there are exceptions, the growth (the addition of new babies being born into the church) of our church is usually a pretty good indicator as to just how effective we are being. If new people are not being added to the church, then as Collins so clearly points out, we must be willing to face the brutal facts of our present situation and realize something needs to change.

Evangelism is not rocket science. Neither is it some deep theological mystery. We just need to be willing to face the facts! Most of us are far too busy doing stuff that has little to no eternal value or importance. Our plates are full with so much religious activity that robs our time and energy from doing what really matters. This is true from the highest level of our fellowship, right down to our own individual schedule. As stated in our last article, I believe it is one of the greatest challenges we face in the Twenty First Century.

Whenever something new is added to our schedules, regardless of what it is, something else has to go or what we are supposed to do will greatly suffer. This is exactly why knowing what matters most to God, and having the discipline to make the adjustments necessary, is one of the most important responsibilities of leadership.

~ Prayer and Evangelism ~

So… let us get specific. What does really matter most to God? Jesus clearly gave us the answer.

Mark 12:28-34 (TEV)

Which commandment is the most important of all? Jesus replied… Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength… Love your neighbor as you love yourself… There is no other commandment more important than these!

* Love God… Prayer is the act of worship that reveals our Love for God.

* Love People… Evangelism is the act of service that reveals our Love for People.

As simplistic as that may seem, Jesus said they are the two most important commandments of all. Love, regardless of if it is towards God or people, is not just emotion, however, it is shown by what we do… and doing requires time!

The Twenty First Century Church must have the time needed to do the things that are most important. Leaders at all levels of the church must, by example, be willing to remove any non-essentials from theirs, and the church’s, schedule to make time for evangelism! If the church does not, it will remain busy doing religious things, but her spiritual womb will be barren. Barren wombs only produce empty altars, empty baptisteries and empty pews in the kingdom of God , consequently enlarging hell! Evangelism must be on purpose!

~ The NEED for Urgency ~

John P. Kotter in his book Leading Change said that establishing a sense of urgency is one of the most important aspects to effectively influencing people toward change. It is impossible to study the teaching of Jesus without recognizing that is exactly what HE did to prepare the apostles for a new paradigm called world evangelism. That thought was totally foreign to the Jewish mindset. We could easily list numbers of scripture references that prove this. Jesus knew that people would never be willing to give their all for a cause, regardless of how noble, unless they felt a strong sense of urgency and purpose.

The presence of apathy, which is the opposite of urgent, is a sure sign there is an absence of purpose. Like vision, purpose must not only be communicated as possible, but necessary. The urgency to obey God is the faith that produces the miracle needed. The absence of urgency is one of the primary hindrances to effective evangelism. Whenever there is an absence of urgency to connect people to Jesus, there is, without question, an absence of purpose.

~ Function or Purpose ~

We should never minimize what that young church of new converts accomplished in the first century. Without any type of modern technology they evangelized their entire world, and did so under some of the most difficult adversities. Without the use of any type of telecommunications, the apostles effectively communicated to their young congregations that the power they had been given, when they received the baptism of the Holy Ghost, carried with it a greater purpose than its personal blessing. Their love for God ignited their love for people. Because of this, personal evangelism was their passion. Somehow, they understood that evangelism was not simply a program or function of the church… it was, and still is, the very purpose the church exists.

~ A Fresh Calling ~

Everything we do must point us back to that same fervent passion for evangelism. The entire church worldwide is being called to a fresh enlistment for active duty. Rising out of the grass roots of the church is a new army of young men and women who are willing to give everything, if necessary, to fulfill God’s purpose on the earth today. They are answering a fresh calling from God to this generation to become an aggressively active, and mobilized army unified around one central vision and purpose. The field remains the world, but the world to you and I start in our own communities. Where ever there are people, the church is called to go there!

~ Motto or Mission ~
The Whole Gospel to the Whole World is more than an organizational motto printed on church signs, letterhead, and brochures. It is the Mission Statement of the Apostolic Church ! The days of passive, non-assertive Christianity must die and be given a permanent burial. It is time for the leadership of every local church to aggressively mobilize its constituency and reestablish the purpose for their existence. The urgency of the hour is screaming out of the darkness. The light of the gospel of Jesus Christ is its only hope and the very purpose the church exists! Next Issue… Evangelism in Three Phases.

It was through the medium of writing the Apostle Paul reached a continent in two years. The North American continent can be reached by the same method if we will embrace the vision of the power of the pen. When the Lord began to unfold his vision of writing his Word in local newspapers, the possibility of reaching multitudes in months was so vast, it was overwhelming to my normal reasoning capabilities. He had taught the multitudes by the sea long before he filled the Upper Room with the Holy Ghost experience. He had taught the people how to live, how to forgive, how to treat their enemies, and how to love the Lord God with all their heart long before the Holy Ghost fell.

He spoke of multitudes, of nations, and of peoples. Our vision is sometimes greater for the Foreign Fields than for the fields outside our doors. My question to him in prayer in 1995 had been “Lord, how shall we reach so many in this nation in so little time?” Because he is faithful, he gave the answer. He opened the door to writing in our County newspaper. He began to give the columns with the Word he wanted them to read. His Word came over and over again. The months turned into years. Now ten years later, he is still speaking. My soul has been so deeply moved by his vision, I wanted to share it with everyone I could in every state of our nation. .Then in April 23, 2003, he gave the following dream to reaffirm his purpose. His confirmation of the dream was as unusual as the dream. We must remember “His ways are not our ways and his thoughts are not our thoughts…”

In the dream, I was standing in the middle of a fleshly plowed field. On each side of me were fields of corn ready for harvest. The fields were vast. The corn that was ready for harvest appeared to have been ready for some time. I was speaking with my mother, whose father and mother were pioneers of the Apostolic faith. I was telling my mother I felt something on my head. As I reached up and began to part my hair, there were grains of corn that began to fall to the earth. She stretched forth her hand to help me get the grains of corn off, but as we pulled the corn off, many more grains of corn appeared in their place. I said to her “they must have fallen from the sky.” The Lord showed me the writings for the newspaper columns and the books he has given are full of grain being planted within this late harvest. He showed me as we publish the truth, he will give the increase.

The dreams of Joseph came to mind, and as I looked for my journal to write the dream down, on the front of the journal were these words; “And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing.” The scripture goes on to say “And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase….” Ezekiel 34:26

Weeks later, at my workplace in the Courthouse, a quiet young woman across the hall told me she had dreamed a dream about me. She is a very humble person, with a beautiful spirit. She told me about a freshly planted field in the dream. She said I appeared with handfuls of seed. She said everything I was planting was coming up green, but she couldn’t get her seed to do anything. She went and got a pitcher of milk and poured it upon her seed, and it began to grow. I instantly thought of the “milk of the Word” in I Peter 2:2 “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby.” As I walked back into my office, I casually asked a co-worker who does much gardening, “Have you ever heard of pouring milk on seed to get it to grow?” She answered with this, “my mother poured milk on pumpkin seeds to make them grow.” God always confirms his Word. His words to Jeremiah were as this “See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant.” Jeremiah 1:10

The Lord always gives a strategy for taking the land. Throughout his Word his strategies consisted of many things, including milk and butter in a lordly dish in the book of Judges. One war was won by singing, and one city was taken by marching around it. We can affect our nation through their newspapers. Through the united effort to take our nation by writing, every single Apostolic church in every corner of this nation can be involved. I quote from the following because it confirmed so much regarding this vision. From the fields of Africa to my tiny town in Missouri , came our missionary, Bro. Poitras. As I saw the following words in his book on Evangelism, my heart soared! I quote from his book these words; “Publish the Word in your region; “And the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.” Acts 13:49 He quoted R.A. Brott in his booklet “Principles of Personal Evangelism, saying this; “It is my opinion that in this channel lies the greatest potential of world evangelism.” Does that include our nation, the United States ? Of course it does. Bro. Poitras told this story; “Just before China was taken over by the communists, one communist officer, talking to a missionary named John Meadows, made this revealing statement: You missionaries have been in China for more than a hundred years, but you have not won China to your cause. You lament the fact that there are uncounted millions who have never heard the name of your God. Nor do they know anything about your Christianity. But we communists have been in China less than ten years, and there is not one Chinese who does not know…has not heard the name of Stalin, or something about communism. What missionaries have failed to do in a hundred years, we communists have done in ten. We have filled China with our doctrine. Now let me tell you why you have failed and we have succeeded. You have tried to win the attention of the masses by building churches, missions, and schools. But we have printed our message……we will drive you missionaries out of the country, and we will do it by the means of the printed page.” And that is exactly what happened. Bro. Poitras quotes the words of a grandson of M. Ghandi as he spoke to an American audience; “Missionaries taught us to read, but the communists gave us the books.”

Tracts may or may not be as effective in our nation as they once were, and we must remember computers are not in the hands of many. The newspaper, however, will continue to be read as long as it is printed, by everyone from all walks of life. Most read every page of every issue, and a minimum of two read each issue. Watch in your town or city as they reach for them at the newsstand. Watch as they tuck the newspaper under their arm and proceed to their workplace. Watch as they pick it up from their yards and carry it inside. The Word of God can indeed be published in this nation if we will embrace the vision. We have the finest writers, anointed with the Holy Ghost, and filled with the treasure of the truth of this glorious gospel. Given the wisdom of the Lord to write the truth in love, we can reach our nation. We must teach them again regarding the “the first principles of the oracles of God (the milk of the Word)”, spoken of in Hebrews 5:12. This is a new generation. Will we see results immediately, maybe not, but the seed will have been planted, and God is faithful. He will see that the seed is watered by another, and then he himself will give the increase. Bro. Poitras called them the “paper preachers.” I sincerely believe God is raising up writers within our churches and anointing them to work the fields of America in this late hour.

Soon after the Lord gave me the vision for the newspaper, our local editor came to my office with a publication from the Amy Foundation. It was a plan to disciple our nation through newspaper columns. Since that year the Foundation has united Evangelical churches all over this nation for the distinct purpose of reaching our nation with the Word of God. How much more should we embrace the vision? The editor told me my name came to him when he opened the packet at the newspaper office. Then the Lord prompted this editor to copy a list of all of the newspapers in my state, including email addresses and submission information. There are hundreds, even thousands of newspapers in our nation. The hand of the Lord is mighty. He will tear down strongholds we never imagined. We can be sure of this, there will be a harvest. His Word encouraged his people to “pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth labourers into his harvest.” St. Luke 10:2

We can indeed be the paper preachers of this nation! I know it works because I have seen tremendous changes in those who have read his Word over the past ten years. In the past few years I have seen common men and women become anointed writers of the Word of God. He is with us! God bless you as you pick up your pen, and head for the battlefield, for the pen truly is “mightier than the sword.”