From The Desk Of The Pastor
Topic: Famine
Great Famine
By: Bishop. Michael W. Neal., D.D., Ph.D.
When we talk of Famine we think of a great shortage of food, we read in the word of God about great Famine in the land (Luke 4:25) But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land. Even in today’s times we hear of Famine in the countries around the world, and even in the USA we have shortages of food. Famine is a great problem, for with out food we will perish from hunger.
But it is not this kind of Famine or hunger I am speaking of, I am referring to a great hunger and famine for the word of God! (Amos 8:11) Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD: (Amos 8:12) And they shall wander from sea to sea, and from the north even to the east, they shall run to and fro to seek the word of the LORD, and shall not find it. There are many speaking OF the word of God but ask your self’s’ what are they really saying? The True word of God the word spoken with Power and with the spirit (The Holy Ghost) is going to be very, very rare! Jesus him self said in (Luke 4:4) And Jesus answered him, saying, it is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. If the words that are spoken do not have Power and the spirit then they can not and will not be filling for the soul of Man kind. With out the True word of god the Inter-Man (The Spirit) will get weak and Die, not having the food it needs to survive.
For anyone who has fasted (Gone without food & Water for the word of God) knows how week the body can get when it goes without food and water for a time. The Inter-Man can not be seen or touched but it is very real, it can not endure without the Spiritual food that God gives unto his chosen ones (Children). The world is at a state today that the word of God has spoken of, that Right will become wrong, & wrong will become Right.
The true word of God is so hard to find being taught & Preached. Preachers have become just “Public Speakers” and not the Lights and Sheppard’s of the Flock of God. Letting Fornication, Lying, Homosexuality, freely go on in their Churches’ (The Buildings). These souls need to be told that what they are doing is Totally against the word of God and not just padded on the back and told “What every you feel like doing do it” God will understand.
I am here to tell you “It is NOT! All right with God!” (2 Timothy 4:3)For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; Not Enduring Sound Doctrine is a Great Famine!
There are People that will go from church to church trying to find a Teacher & Preacher that will tell them that what they are doing is Ok, they do not realize that they are pushing the “Full Plate of Food” From God away for an “Empty Plate”.
The Famine is all around us; we see and hear it daily some will go all day and not even think of God, not until something happens in their life’s then they will say “Help me God” the Lord has to be on our mind “All time” not just part time, or as needed!. (2 John 1:9) Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. (2 John 1:10) If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:(2 John 1:11) For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. We can not continue in this Famine, pushing the Doctrine of Christ the word of God away.
The Apostle Paul said it best in (Galatians 1:8) But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:9) As we said before, so say I now again, if any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. (Galatians 1:10) For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.
If you will notice that Paul felt it so Impotent that he even repeated him self, even in those early days of the Church, and went on to say “If I Yet Pleased Men, I (We) Should NOT! Be the Servant of Christ”! We can not Please God when we Push him away, and say things like, God understands, or that does not apply for today’s world. God and his word have not and will not change. (Malachi 3:6) For I am the LORD, I change not; when God put on this body of Flesh he “Nailed” all the excuses to the cross.
But as bad as the world has become the word of God tells us that it will get worse, and the Famine even greater, (2 Timothy 3:1) This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. This world has even changed the meaning of some of the words we used to use into something to fit today’s world. And yes even changing the very word of God so it does not talk so much in a “Male” Gender. If we speak against “Gays” (The Homosexual meaning of the word) we are, or will be accused of a “Hate” crime, even though the word of God speaks against it in many ways. We see the Famine coming closer and closer every day, ask your self if the Bibles were to be taken away, or get to the point where they do not even have the wording that we still know today, do you have enough of the word of God in you to keep the “Plate Full” to feed the Inward man?
Jesus told us that he is the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35) and Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. Would it be nice to have enough food in our houses to never have to go to the store again? and to eat what we wanted when we wanted it? If you Find the word of God and Keep the word of God in you then you will have all the “Spiritual Food” you will need to feed the Inward Man in the Days of the Famine. If we have the “True” word of God in us when the evil days come we will not be fooled! (Mark 13:22) For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect. Do Not! Be with out the “Bread of Life” and be sure to find and get the
Right food, eating spoiled food does not taste good; neither does the wrong teaching and preaching of the word of God. Only when we “Seek” & “Find” the Lord Jesus will we have the Proper Food (Jeremiah 29:13) and ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. The Cry is going out “There is a Famine” coming Please do not be caught with out your “Plate Full” and be in “Hunger”!
“The Little Member”
By: Bishop. Michael Neal., D.D.
From Text: (James 3:5) Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold how great a matter a little fire kindleth!
{Dictionary Meaning: way of speaking: somebody's manner of speaking}
Intro
As a child we often heard of words like “Tattle tell” & “Big Mouth” or maybe “Sticks & Stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” but as we all know that “Words” will and can hurt and even “Kill” we will get to the “Kill” part a little later. The little member is, if you have not guessed by now, is the “Tongue” other wise know as “The little Red member behind the white pearly gates”. Something that is so little but can cause such great harm, (James 3:6)
And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. (James 3:8) But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Have you ever noted that as we speak our whole body will follow with the “Tone” of our speech whether it be in anger or in an act of Love!
It can control how our body behaves in all manner of speaking. It can spew out “Hate” or “Love” “Evils” or “Good” if hate or evil it will cause the whole body to become defiled, and set a blaze of fire within us that can NOT! Be tamed or put out.
Let’s start with some of the “Evils” (Romans 3:13) Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; we must note here that the word “Sepulchre” means (Burial Place for the Dead) so the throat which the tongues resides is become a container of things that are dead and have no life and the tongue a means of deceit and the lips them self’s has the poison of asps (A asp is a very deadly Snake).
Now we have all heard how our wife’s and women love to “Gossip” but men too love to do the same just in a little different way. As we begin to talk about someone (Not present), things can start to get out of hand, you know what I am talking about, standing out side of Church on Sunday morning just before service or after service, talking about “Sister Jane” or “Brother John” and before you know it that poor brother or sister has gotten so deeply buried that it is going to take a lot to dig them out.
We all know what they called “Back Biting” or “Back Stabbing” now we are getting into the “Killing” of the Brother or Sister see; (Proverbs 16:27), we have talked about them so much that we have “Killed” them (No not in the Physical” but in the “Spiritual”), see; (Proverbs 18:21).
We have put them down so much with our Lips and tongue that they become dead to the people around him / her and they do not even know what has happened.
(James 1:26) If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. If we say we are a
“Christian” (Or Christ Like) but backbite, backstab, and kill our brothers’ and sisters’, we know this must NOT! Be so. If we let these things become a part of us then our “Religion” or our Christ Like ways are Void. (James 3:10) Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. (James 3:11) Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? (James 3:12) Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Either a vine, figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh? We can not be a Christian and talk about our brother or sister to the point we have killed them in the site of the saints of God, see; ( Proverbs 26:20-21).
It is impossible to be both “Good” & “Evil” we can not go to an “Apple” tree to pick “Oranges” we can not be both a “Christian” and “Sinner” at the same time, (Matthew 7:16) Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7:17) Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (Matthew 7:18)
A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. We must have the same “Spiritual Fruit”, other wise that will lead to the killing. The tongue can spit out many lies on each other that lead up to the Murder of the brother or sister. One of the first things we need to do as becoming Christians is to follow what Jesus lived (1 Peter 2:22) Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth:{ “Guile” (deceitfulness)}, Jesus when he spoke had full control of his tongue, he spoke the “Truth” he spoke no “Lies” nor did he try to “Deceive”.
Lying does two things; 1) It is Sin, 2) It Kills the person the Lie is told on. The other thing that “Little Member” does is “Boast” we have all listened to people talk about themselves much higher than they should, putting themselves up on a pedestal, trying to impress others that they are someone other than what they really are, see; (Jude 1:16) & (2 Peter 2:18). Then there is the other kind of “Killer” of words that the “Little Member” does and this one really is a Big one, the “False Preachers & Teachers” that are more “Public Speakers” than “God Called” Preachers. We see so many on TV, and in our churches that just speak from the word of God but do NOT! Preach or Teach THE! Word of God. These people are “Killing” the People and leading them down a long and dangerous path. Some have great words and speak well and they have people following them for the words that there Tongue are speaking are “Luring” and “Seducing”.
The Apostle Paul stated in (1 Corinthians 12:29) Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Are all workers of miracles? It seems these days that everyone is a Preacher &/or a Teacher. Paul also stated in (2 Timothy 4:3) For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; so this “Poison” from that “Little Member” is very Deadly, for it not just Kill’s one or two, it “Kills” Many.
The people believe the words that they are hearing are “True” and that they will be lead to the “Kingdom of God” and NOTHING! Could be further from the “Truth”! So we see some of the great damage that this one “Little Member” can and does Cause! But we have a means of escape from that “Little Evil Member” we read that this member “NO MAN CAN TAME” and no man can, But the Lord and savior Jesus Christ can! (James 3:1) My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. As we see what James is saying that we can not control or be the Masters over our self’s or our members, and he goes on to tell us the only way that we can get the “Victory” over this “Member”
(James 4:7) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded. You will see that James said the first thing we need to do is “Submit” to God we can NOT! Resist first or we will find our self’s in the “Condemnation” that he was speaking of in (V.3:1). We must submit to God and then and Only then we will be able to “Resist” the Devil and put that “Little Member” under Control, and know that the words “Coming out of our Mouths” are of God and not “Us”! (Romans 6:13)
Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. So we see now some of the things that this little “Member” can and does do, Lying, Boasting, Backbiting, not mentioned are Profanity, Jesting and Joking the Bible says which are “Not” convenient, see; (Ephesians 5:4) & (Proverbs 15:2), Vain talking, blasphemy, and the Greatest “Killing” . from the time God made Man & Woman he gave us this “Little Member” to use for “Communicating” with one another, it can and should be used to praise our Lord & God, to express Love to one another, to Preach & Teach the “True” word of God, and not used as a “Weapon” or “Debasement” and “Tearing” down of one another. These are some of the ways the “Little Member” should be used to speak in Truth, Praise, Uplifting of the Saints, speaking in humility, Love,
Speaking the word of God as “He” says and not “Us”, keeping the words that we speak, see; (Numbers 30:2).
We see that we as mere Men & Women can not “Tame” or “Control” this Little Member, only when we “Submit” to God then and only then, by God’s Power we can bring this Member under control and have the “Little Member” Tamed! And put out the Fire it has kindled! “If you have a ear to hear, let you hear”