Keep On Keeping On

Earlier today I was out shopping with my kids at our local mall. We passed one particular store where my son knows there is an elaborate toy train set that he loves to play with. He asked me if he could play with it before we left the mall and I agreed. A few minutes later he asked again…and again and again and again. The entire time we were in the mall his incessant requisition persisted until finally I stopped procrastinating the inevitable and I said, “Okay let's go play with the trains.” He was elated. As we were walking towards the store he said, “Dad, I just keep asking because I REALLY want to play with the trains...can I have a drink?”

I know that I am not the only parent who has a persistent child…they all seem to come with this built in quality. But believe it or not, it does not annoy me. In fact I think we could all learn from this…Jesus seemed to think so.

In Matthew chapter 7:7&8 Jesus is teaching about asking, seeking and knocking. But it is important to note that the Greek implies continued action which is why the Amplified Bible translates it: “KEEP ON ASKING and it will be given you; KEEP ON SEEKING and you will find; KEEP ON KNOCKING and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who KEEPS ON ASKING receives; and he who KEEPS ON SEEKING finds; and to him who KEEPS ON KNOCKING, [the door] will be opened.”

Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. Keep on keeping on. It sounds a lot like my son asking to play with the trains and asking for a drink and asking for…well…everything. Interestingly enough, in the next verse (v.9) Jesus says, “Or what man is there of you, if his son asks him for a loaf of bread, will he give him a stone?” Here we see that Jesus uses this type of persistence in the context of exactly what a child would do.

It suddenly occurred to me; children are persistent because they have to be. They are dependant creatures. The younger they are the more needy they are and as such, in order to survive, they must master the skill of persistence. My son asks incessantly because he sees me as his only source. If I don’t give him water, he’ll go thirsty. If I don’t give him food he’ll starve. I am his source of shelter, of clothing, of protection, of recreation, of everything. He is persistent because he must be so to survive and he has every right to be.

In fact the word “ask” found in Matthew 7:7 is the Greek word “aiteō” which means “to make a demand upon something due.” My son comes to me without hesitation or apprehension. He asks with a righteous audacity. He is not discouraged or put off in the least when I don’t immediately meet his request…he simply asks again. Each time he asks he expects to receive just as the time before. It is incredibly simple and trusting…I would say it is a wonderful example of faith.

But the older we become, the less people are willing to give us what we need simply for the asking. We must win our bread and climb the ladder of success. In order to survive, we must lose our dependency and master self-sufficiency. As we become self-reliant we hate to ask for anything. We don’t want to be pushy or presumptuous. If we must ask for something, we do so with timidity and are loathed to ask a second time.

So many people make the mistake of approaching God with this dignified, grown-up demeanor. They make cautious, but eloquent requests; logical and reasonable. If they don’t see an answer right away they assume that it was not God’s will, and they leave it at that.

But the prize goes to the ones who are bold enough to take hold of heaven with reckless confidence. I am not talking about arrogant presumption, but child-like assurance. Leave your incredible intellect, your proud rationale and your deceptive self-assurance at the door. Come to terms with your utter and total dependency upon your Father. Understand that your sonship is the only grounds upon which you can approach God in the first place. As a son it is your righteous privilege to ask and God’s divine pleasure to answer. Therefore, ask with audacity, with confidence and with persistence. Keep asking like a child asks a father for bread. Keep knocking like the widow with the unjust judge. Keep seeking as for a pearl of great price. Push through resistance like the woman with the issue of blood. Lean into the Word like a man walking against the wind. Clamp down on his promises like a pit-bull with a T-bone…place a demand on what’s yours. Give Him no rest day or night until His answer breaks through like a pent-up flood and makes your desert to blossom like a rose. If the answer doesn’t come immediately, don’t be discouraged or frustrated…with expectancy and trust just lift your eyes to the hills, and ask, ask again. Keep on asking. Keep on seeking. Keep on knocking. Keep on keeping on until you receive…and you will in Jesus name!

James 5:16 ~ The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

Jeremiah. 29:13 ~ And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

Matthew 11:12 ~ …the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force.

~ By Daniel Kolenda

GREAT QUOTES!

When I asked my Facebook friends to contribute to a list of their favorite quotes a couple of days ago, I received an avalanche of replies. I have posted some of the best ones here along with a bunch of my own favorites. The quotes having some evangelistic application are especially appropriate to this blog, so they are listed first. If you contributed a quote that didn't make it on the list, it may have something to do with the length. When it comes to great sayings, remember Shakespeare’s rule; “Brevity is the soul of wit.” Enjoy!

“God sends no one away empty except those who are full of themselves.” ~ DL Moody

“I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light” ~ John Keith Falconer

“The Gospel is like water; no man invented it, yet no man can live without it.” ~ Reinhard Bonnke

“We talk of the Second Coming; half the world has never heard of the first.” ~ Oswald J. Smith

“In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been.” ~ Robert Moffat

“Many of us are hunting mice - while lions devour the land.” ~ Leonard Ravenhill

“Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” ~ C. S. Lewis

“If you want to catch fish, don’t throw your net into the bathtub.” ~ Reinhard Bonnke

“Miracles are a retelling in small letters of the very same story which is written across the whole world in letters too large for some of us to see.” ~ C. S. Lewis

"Avoid a sugared gospel as you would shun sugar of lead. Seek the gospel which rips up and tears and cuts and wounds and hacks and even kills, for that is the gospel that makes alive again. And when you have found it, give good heed to it. Let it enter into your inmost being. As the rain soaks into the ground, so pray the Lord to let his gospel soak into your soul." ~ Charles Spurgeon

“The Gospel is not an alternative, it’s an ultimatum.” ~ Reinhard Bonnke

“Faith is a leap into the light, not a step into the darkness.” ~ Reinhard Bonnke

“Jesus did not die for pastors to have a well paid job. Neither was He raised on the cross just to raise our standard of living. He died to seek and to save those who are lost.” ~ Reinhard Bonnke

“The Gospel is ‘Good News’, not ‘Good History’, because when it’s preached, it happens.” ~ Reinhard Bonnke

“Every man dies, but not every man truly lives.” ~ William Wallace (Braveheart)

“We who preach the gospel must not think of ourselves as public relations agents sent to establish good will between Christ and the world. We must not imagine ourselves commissioned to make Christ acceptable to big business, the press, the world of sports or modern education. We are not diplomats but prophets, and our message is not a compromise but an ultimatum.” ~ A.W. Tozer

“When you do business with people you need money. When you do business with God you need faith. Faith is the currency of the Kingdom of God.” ~ Reinhard Bonnke

“Each generation of the church in each setting has the responsibility of communicating the gospel in understandable terms, considering the language and thought-forms of that setting.” ~ Francis Schaeffer

“Every man gives his life for what he believes. Every woman gives her life for what she believes. Sometimes people believe in little or nothing: One life is all we have, and we live it as we believe in living it, and then it's gone. But to surrender what you are, and live without belief--that's more terrible than dying--more terrible than dying young.” ~ Joan of Arc

“Every generation needs regeneration.” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

“Those who forever seek the will of God are overrun by those who do it.” ~ Reinhard Bonnke

"Give me one hundred men who fear nothing but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not whether they be clergyman or laymen, they alone will shake the gates of Hell and set up the kingdom of Heaven upon the earth.” ~ John Wesley

"Till sin be bitter, Christ will not be sweet." ~ Thomas Watson

“God is righteous in making the sinner righteous." ~ Joseph Prince

"There is no pit so deep that His love is not deeper still." ~ Corrie ten Boom

"…People who do not know the Lord ask why in the world we waste our lives as missionaries. They forget that they too are expending their lives... and when the bubble has burst they will have nothing of eternal significance to show for the years they have wasted." ~ Nate Saint

"Some wish to live within the sound of a chapel bell; I wish to run a rescue mission within a yard of hell." ~ C.T. Studd

“I can get more out of God by believing Him for one minute than by shouting at Him all night.” ~ Smith Wigglesworth

“The devil will let a preacher prepare a sermon if it will keep him from preparing himself.” ~ Vance Havner

“A man who does nothing never has time to do anything” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

“The worst thing that can happen to a man who gambles is to win” ~ Charles H. Spurgeon

“Too many church services start at eleven sharp and end at twelve dull.” ~ Vance Havner

“Fear not the path of truth for the lack of people walking on it” ~ John F. Kennedy

"A man can no more diminish God's glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word, 'darkness' on the walls of his cell." ~ C S Lewis

"The world has lost the power to blush over its vice; the Church has lost her power to weep over it." ~ Leonard Ravenhill

“Do. Or do not. There is no try.” ~ Jedi Master Yoda

"You can redefine your external world by an internal experience with the love of God." ~ Bill Johnson

"Christianity was never meant to be defined by its disciplines, but by its passions." ~ Bill Johnson

"People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing - that’s why we recommend it daily." ~ Zig Ziglar

“When you're born in fire, smoke will never do." ~ Leonard Ravenhill

"It is better to be divided by truth than united in error; it is better to speak truth that hurts and then heals than to speak a lie; it is better to be hated for telling the truth than to be loved for telling a lie; it is better to stand alone with truth than to be wrong with the multitude." ~ Adrian Rogers

“Sitting in the garage won't make you a car, and going to church won't make you a Christian.” ~ Joyce Meyers

"The Holy Spirit is in me for my sake, but He is on me for yours." ~ Bill Johnson

“If you mess with the church, you mess with another man's wife” ~ S.J. Hill

“Nearly all men can stand adversity, but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power.” ~ Abraham Lincoln

“I will not permit any man to degrade my soul by making me hate him.” ~ Booker T Washington

"Don't ever take a fence down until you know the reason it was put up." ~ G.K. Chesterton

“The sting of any rebuke is the truth.” ~ Ben Franklin

"Rules without relationship breeds rebellion" ~ John Nuzzo

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.” ~ Edmund Burke

Thoughts on Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett and Life

Today was a busy day for news outlets around the world. It began with the sad passing of Farrah Fawcett; the beautiful actress from Charlie’s Angels, after a three-year battle with cancer. Her death was eclipsed, however, this afternoon, with the shocking and unexpected death of Michael Jackson who had a sudden, massive cardiac arrest. Both celebrities died today; June 25, 2009.

Everyone seems to have an opinion of Michael Jackson’s controversial life. Whether they hate him for his bizarre and contemptible behavior with children or worship him for his extraordinary musical talent, there is a gushing of emotions from all sides. I think that these expressions are little more then pretenses for deeper emotions that people feel, but no one will admit to.

You see, there is something about a person’s death that makes us all feel a bit of our own mortality. For most people it’s an awkward sensation best dealt with by focusing on the deceased rather then on our own impermanence. But the more we focus on them, the more aware we become of our own life’s vanity.

The lives of Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson were so huge, so important, so publicized and so…meaningless. In the end we can reduce their entire existence to a few memorable moments or unusual accomplishments that, in all honesty, don’t matter. So Michael Jackson had the best selling album of all time…who cares? So Farrah Fawcett won a People’s Choice Award…what difference does it make? Now that they are gone, the world will spin on with seamless continuity. Except for a few songs, and pictures it will be almost as though they were never here to begin with. If you stand back and read their obituaries in the larger context of the world and of what matters, there is an overwhelming sense of utter meaninglessness.

People would do well in moments like these, to drop the facades, pause, and consider their own impermanence. Most of us will never make the evening news with our passing, but just imagine for a minute that you did. Imagine that CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS & FOX were all running marathon coverage of your death and talking about the significance of your life. Imagine that they had to put your entire earthly existence into a one-sentence caption or a front-page headline. What would it say? Better yet, what would you want it to say? What one purpose would make your entire life worthwhile…to you? What if we all sat down and wrote out our own obituaries the way we would like them to read and then we lived our lives in such a way to fulfill that purpose?

I have been thinking about this a lot today. After tossing around a lot of different ideas, including a lot of good things, I was not satisfied. Even to live my life for the sake of the lost or for the sake of evangelism was not good enough. Finally I found it. It’s simple and maybe a bit generic, but when I think of it, I am filled with a sense of purpose, of meaning and of fulfillment. If you had to sum up my life with one statement, I would want it to be this, “Unto the glory and praise of God”.

~ By Daniel Kolenda (www.danielkolenda.com)

Waiting for the Rapture??

I heard a minister recently talking about the rapture and trying to make the point that every prophecy necessary to the return of Christ has already been fulfilled. One of his points was that the Gospel has already been preached in all the world according to the promise of Jesus in Matt 24:14 (And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.), “Now” he said, “We’re just waiting for Jesus to come back.”

If you are one of those standing in line waiting for the rapture like a ride at Disney World, consider these statistics on world evangelism that I have collected from a variety of sources. As you read these keep in mind that in the United States there is 1 ordained minister for every 200 people. Yet…

- For every million unreached Muslims there are less than 3 missionaries.

- In Afghanistan there are 17 million people, 48,000 mosques…but not a single church.

- In Turkey there are 44 million people, but less then 200 Christians

- In India alone 500 million people have yet to hear the Gospel

- 30% of the world’s population (more than 2 billion people) have had virtually no exposure to the Gospel.

- The New Testament has been translated into the mother tongue of over 80% of the world’s population. However the remaining approximately 20% will require over 5,500 new translations.

Jesus said, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations” (Matt 28:19). The word, “Nations” is “Ethne” in the Greek meaning ethnic people groups. Yet…

- There are an estimated 6,700 unreached or nearly unreached people groups.

- The countries with the most unreached people groups in descending order; India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh.

- 98% of all unreached people groups are located in the “10/40 Window”.

THE GREAT COMMISSION IS STILL UNFULFILLED! Oswald Smith said, “We talk of the Second Coming; but half the world has never heard of the first.” Regardless if you are “pre-trib”, “post-trib”, “mid-trib” or some other “trib”, we must all confess that there is something desperately wrong with this type of doctrinal philosophy that makes us happy to escape with our own hides while the world burns and billions of people are lost. Where is the heart of Jesus in that? “…that none would perish, but that all would come to repentance.”

Here’s some food for thought; Jesus died more then 2,000 years ago. If it was God’s ultimate goal to rapture us all out of this “old god-forsaken world”, then why are we still here? What are we still waiting for? One person told me, “Jesus is building my mansion in heaven.” Really? It took him 6 days to create the entire cosmos, yet he’s been hung up with your “mansion” for 2,000 years? Not likely.

Heb. 10:12, 13 says, “but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, SAT DOWN AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD, waiting from that time onward UNTIL HIS ENEMIES BE MADE A FOOTSTOOL FOR HIS FEET.” Since we are his hands and feet, then He must be waiting for…us. If He is waiting for us, and we are waiting for him, it would seem we are at an impasse. This is why Jesus told his disciples, “GO” into all the world and preach the Gospel. No more waiting and debating…just Go and PREACH.

“In the vast plain to the north I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been” -- Robert Moffat


Above picture: Christ for all Nations Crusade in Mubi, Nigeria - February 2009 - Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke preaching. To see the full reports from these meetings CLICK HERE

~ By Daniel Kolenda (www.danielkolenda.com)

A Word for the United Kingdom - THE TIME IS NOW!

My wife and I are preparing to be in the U.K. July 9-13 for a highly anticipated time of ministry there. The following is a word that the Lord laid on my heart for the U.K. For more information about our visit; dates and venues please visit http://www.cfan.org.uk/events/. I've also included a little treat at the end of the post...enjoy. United Kingdom...THE TIME IS NOW!

Esther was a young Jewish woman that was born as a minority in an oppressive society into a broken family situation; the odds were against her right from the start. But virtually overnight, Esther went from rags to riches, from poverty to the palace, and became the wife of King Xerxes I, making her one of the most powerful women in the world. 



Irony seems to fill the pages of the book of Esther. Just as a Persia has unknowingly crowned a Jewish queen, the king's vizier, Haman, is plotting a diabolical scheme to exterminate the Jewish race through a bloody genocidal slaughter. There is only one Jew in the land who is in a position to intervene on behalf of her people...Esther.

Perhaps the pleasures of the palace had begun to intoxicate Esther. We see in chapter 4 that she begins to struggle with what course of action to take though it should be obvious. It would be a tragedy for her to rise from the gutter to palace only to lose her head in a misguided attempt at heroic glory, she thought. Taking this matter to the King was a risk of everything that she had...including her very life. Perhaps a more subtle approach would be best. Maybe she should just lie low and continue to be a good friend of the King and if an opportunity presented itself, she could plant a seed in his heart on behalf of her people without jeopardizing herself. After all what good would she be to anyone if she were dead?

In Esther 4:13, Mordecai (Esther’s cousin), sensing her internal struggle, sends to her this stern message: "Do not flatter yourself that you shall escape in the king's palace any more that all the other Jews. For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance shall arise for the Jews from elsewhere, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows but that you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion." In other words, Mordecai said, Esther, You have been placed in the position you are in because you are a strategic part of a divine purpose that is much larger than yourself. If you try to protect your position at the expense of the divine purpose, God will drop you and replace you. Had Esther chosen to try to protect herself at the expense of her people, God's purposes would still have been fulfilled, but she would have been the one destroyed.

In July, I will be traveling to the UK with a great sense of urgency. Over that last few months I have sensed in my spirit that the UK has reached a critical inflection point. We need a spiritual revolution: a Holy Spirit tidal wave, an unleashing of supernatural intervention…and I believe that the time has come. This is not the time to keep silent. This is not the time for watered down methods and seeker-sensitive, friendship evangelism. If we ever needed something radical, reformational and revolutionary it is now. God has placed His church in a strategic position and will use His fire-infused people to push back the darkness. This mandate is not an incidental auxiliary to our “real” church activities and programs. It is the very purpose that we exist on the earth. We have come into the kingdom for such a time as this and for this very occasion!

God's purposes roll through the earth like a freight train that cannot be stopped. The most dangerous place in the world is in the way of those purposes. If you doubt this, just ask Pharaoh. If God can’t use your church, He’ll find another one. If He can’t use you, He’ll find someone else. The question is NOT, “Will God accomplish his purpose?” the question is, “Will you have the unparalleled privilege of partaking in the highest honor of man - the reason you were born and the reason you were saved - to assist God in the fulfillment of His purpose in the Earth. Leonard Ravenhill once said, “The opportunity of a lifetime must be seized during the lifetime of the opportunity.” I believe that this is the UK’s moment in history. If we miss it now we will live with eternal regret. That’s why I want to stand shoulder to shoulder with you and seize it for Calvary’s sake. The time is NOW!

~ By Daniel Kolenda (www.danielkolenda.com)

A MUST READ FOR FATHERS IN MINISTRY!

Many preachers lose their children while rescuing other people’s kids. I have prayed, “Lord, don’t let me win the whole world and lose my family.” I feel like the Lord showed me one of the reasons why this happens so often and how to avoid it. It is especially applicable to those in ministry, but the principle is true for all parents. I want to share it with you this Father’s Day.

Imagine being the son of a prostitute. This is the stigma that Jephthah carried all of his life. The rest of his brothers were all legitimate children that had no intention of sharing their inheritance with a bastard son. So they kicked him out of the family and he fled – face red with shame – to the land of Tob. The rejection of his childhood produced within Jephthah an insatiable desire to prove himself. His background meant that he had to try a little harder, be a little better and stand a little taller then normal people if he wanted to break even. His ambitious predisposition led him to quick success in Tob. He became a mighty warrior, renown for his valorous exploits. He became popular and powerful and infamous, but in spite of all his success there was a gnawing void in his heart left over from his childhood. He wanted more than anything to be accepted by his father and by his brothers. For them to accept him, as the rest of the world had done, would have been the greatest honor of all and the crowning gratification of all his life’s ambition.

One day Israel’s trouble became Jephthah’s moment of opportunity. Ammon was making war against them and Jephthah’s brothers, afraid for their lives, sent him this message: “Jephthah, Come and be our captain, that we may fight with the children of Ammon.” Jephthah had waited for this moment all of his life. He had fantasized about what he would say to his brothers in such an occasion. “Didn’t you hate me?” he asked, “and expel me out of my father’s house? Why have you come to me now when you are in trouble?” He went on to make a deal with them. “If you bring me home again to fight against the children of Ammon, and the Lord delivers them before me, will you make me your leader?” And they swore it would be so.

Everything that Jephthah had wished for, hoped for and dreamt about was now completely within his grasp. All he had to do was win one more battle, and he was willing to do anything for this victory. After making all of his military preparations, he decided to cover all his spiritual bases as well. He went to the Lord and made a vow, “If you will give the Ammonites into my hand, then whatsoever comes forth from the doors of my house to meet me when I return in peace from the Ammonites, it shall be the Lord’s, and I will offer it to him as a burnt offering.” Notice how many times he uses personal and possessive pronouns, “my hand”, “my house”, “ meet me”, “when I return”, “I will offer”, etc. To Jephthah, this was all a very personal matter. This was about Jephthah’s honor. This was about Jephthah’s name. This was about Jephthah’s vindication, and reputation and compensation. He was willing to pay any price for victory. But he had not considered who would pay the ultimate price of his self-ambition.

Verse 34 says, “When Jephthah came to Mizpah to his home, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrel and with dances! And she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter. And when he saw her, he rent his clothes and said Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low, and you are the cause of great trouble to me; for I have opened my mouth [in a vow] to the Lord, and I cannot take it back.” Jephthah was compelled by his vow to offer his daughter as a burnt sacrifice. But he sacrificed her not on the altar of the Lord but upon the altar of his ego-driven ambition. Even here we see that it is still all about Jephthah. His daughter is about to die because of his stupid vow, yet he says, “You have brought ME very low and are the a great cause of trouble for ME…”

What is so sad about this story is that this terrible tragedy was so senseless. God had long ago promised to give all these Canaanite nations into hands of Israel, for His own name’s sake. Jephthah failed to realize that this was not about him at all…it was about God’s name, God’s glory and God’s reputation. This battle was the Lord’s, and the Lord had already decided to give him the victory. Had Jephthah only had this revelation, his daughter would not have been sacrificed on the altar of self-ambition.

Many fathers today (especially ones in ministry) can easily make this same mistake. Many are so driven by a desire to succeed or even a desire to “build God’s Kingdom.” We can easily forget that this is not about us…it is about Jesus. Ministry is difficult and there is a cost for those who would answer the call of God, but there is a difference between obedience to God’s calling and ego-driven, self-ambition. When the latter is the driving force behind any father, the cost will almost always be his children and his marriage. I have seen this many times.

H.B. London told the story of a young boy who wanted more than anything to build a tree house with his father. The boy longed for the attention of his father who was always busy with more important things; business meetings, balancing checkbooks and working on the house. One day the boy was involved in a terrible accident and lay dying in the hospital. The father sat at the bedside of his dying son choking back the tears when his son turned to his father and said the last words he would ever hear…words that shattered his heart into a million pieces, “I’m sorry Dad,” he said, “it looks like we won't get around to building that tree house after all.”

How many fathers have sacrificed what is precious on the altar of the urgent. How many have surrendered their children at the shrine of work, success, money, leisure or ambition. I am sure that kids can sense the difference between our wholehearted obedience to God and our selfish aspirations and if we are wise, we parents will also recognize the difference. Jephthah should have laid his ego down on the altar, but because he didn’t sacrifice that part of his personality, he ended up making a far more painful sacrifice…his only child. Listen to this word of wisdom men of God; if you are driven by a desire for success, fame, money or popularity, you will pay for it with your family. But I believe that if we will lay down our egos and recognize that the battle belongs to the Lord, we will ultimately realize the same level of lasting fruit and true success that we would have and then some. But what’s more, in the end, when God has given you a truly satisfying and fruitful life, you will still have somebody to celebrate it with…your family.

God Bless you this Father’s Day and give you wisdom as you follow His calling.

~ By Daniel Kolenda (www.danielkolenda.com)

What's Your Lucky Shamrock?

I just heard a news report out of Bernalillo, New Mexico where police interviewed a man who had been involved in a bizarre single car accident. When they asked him what had happened he told them that he had swerved off the road and wrecked his car while trying to attach a lucky shamrock emblem to his key ring. I guess it’s official…lucky charms aren’t so lucky (although the edible ones are very yummy☺)

Most of the “gods” in ancient heathen religions were hardly more then a lucky shamrock. They were personifications of some particular thing; usually a human interest, passion or fascination, in which people put confidence and trust. For instance there is Hike, the god of magic and medicine. There is Imhotep the god of science and thought. Thoth is the god of wisdom. Eros is the god of passion and lust, Ares is the god of war…and the list goes on and on.

Our ancestors served these patron gods and goddesses and then trusted them for help, provision, safety and protection, but they were terribly disappointed. Gods of war were smashed in battle. Gods of prosperity were abandoned in famine. Gods of health were forgotten in sickness. You may notice that nobody worships these gods anymore. In the end they found them all to be as worthless as a lucky shamrock because they could do nothing to help them when it really mattered.

If we are honest, we will admit that modern man has not advanced so far beyond these superstitious ancients. While men may no longer bow at the altar of Eros, they still worship their lust and passion with religious zeal. While there is no longer a temple to Imhotep, people still worship science and knowledge as though they were divine…perhaps now more then ever. While most people don’t know the name of Hike, many trust the doctors prescription more then God himself. We are all serving something, worshipping something and living for something.

When Daniel was thrown into the Lions Den in Daniel chapter 6, the Bible says that the next morning King Darius came and called down to Daniel to ask him this question, “O Daniel…is your God, whom you serve continually, able to deliver you from the lions?” (Dan. 6:20)

Babylon was a land of many gods; gods of war, of sex, of power and of money. These gods had beautiful temples filled with golden artifacts. The idols that represented them were ornamented with precious jewels that were polished until they sparkled. Yet in the moment of trouble, when it came down to the wire, there was only one thing that really mattered. Darius wanted to know, “…is your God whom you serve continually, able to deliver you?” Perhaps we should ask this of all the things we are serving. In the end will your money save you? Will your doctor save you? Will your lust, your pride, your warring or your intelligence save you?

Daniel replied to the king, “My God hath sent his angel, and hath shut the lions' mouths.” David said in Psalms 37:25 “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread.” In Psalm 36:5 he says, “…your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Paul says that all of God's promises in Christ are “Yes and amen”. Billions throughout history have attested to His utterly dependable faithfulness and power. It's no wonder He's still around when the other "gods" have all faded into the oblivion of ancient history. I can personally say with great confidence that Jesus has never failed me. I proved his faithfulness over and over and I am sure that I can trust him.

What are you living for today? Where is your passion? Where are you investing your money? Where are you spending your time? In what have you put your trust? And then the most important question: in your moment of need, when it really matters, can you trust in your god to save you? If not I suggest you trade your lucky shamrock for a real God.

~ By Daniel Kolenda

Pass the Salt Please!

I've just finished reading a fascinating article in the June 22, 2009 edition of NEWSWEEK. The author, Fareed Zakaria, is tackling the multi-faceted complexities of the recent, international economic meltdown. The article addresses many challenges within capitalism, democracy, the financial system and government regulation. But what intrigued me most is the conclusion that this secular columnist reached. “What we are experiencing is not a crisis of capitalism”, he says, “it is a crisis…ultimately of ethics.” It goes on to say, “No system - capitalism, socialism, whatever - can work without a sense of ethics and values at its core. No matter what reforms we put in place, without common sense, judgment and an ethical standard, they will prove inadequate. We will never know where the next bubble will form, what the next innovations will look like and where excesses will build up. But we can ask that people steer themselves and their institutions with a greater reliance on a moral compass.”

Imagine that…the world is crying out for a “moral compass”. Let the nation whine about the right-wing fanatics who cling to their guns and religion, but it turns out…we NEED a moral compass after all. We need a sense of ethics. We need a voice of conscience.

Maybe our modern, seeker-sensitive, friendship evangelism approach has been wrong all along. All this time, we've been concerned with not “shoving our beliefs down people's throats” and being tolerant and not seeming fanatical. We've worked so hard to assimilate in the culture and tried so hard not to annoy the world when that is exactly what they have needed from us. A patient may whine when the doctor stabs him with the needle but in the end the patient prefers the needle to death by some terrible disease. It seems that the world needs our annoying, prophetic voice of conscience after all. If we don't provide it, they are going to point their fingers at us and ask, “Why didn't you speak up?”

Jesus said in Matthew 5, you are “the light of the world”, “a city set on a hill” and “the salt of the earth”. We have a Divine assignment to be the world's voice of conscience. Some statistics place America's Christian population as high as 224,457,000…that's nearly 85% of the nation claiming to be “Christian”.

Jesus went on to say in Matthew 5, “If the salt has lost its taste [its strength, its quality]…It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men." If America has an ethics problem then I would say that means that it also has a Church impotency problem. Can it be that we are not doing our job? Have we lost our saltiness? What good are we if we are not confronting and influencing the moral climate of our land?

The article ends with this statement, “We are in the midst of a vast crisis and there is enough blame to go around and many fixes to make…but at heart, there needs to be a deeper fix within all of us, a simple gut check. If it doesn't feel right, we shouldn't be doing it…” This is where I disagree with Mr. Zakaria. I'm afraid that this “gut check” approach simply doesn't work. All the ways of a man are right in his own eyes (Prov. 21:2). Everyone's “guts” have a different idea of what is right. But perhaps a gut-check is in order for those of us who call ourselves Christians.

It's always easy for would-be prophets to talk about all the problems with “the Church”, but what about me personally? What am I doing to influence society? Is my light shining? Is my voice being heard? I hear people shouting for civil-rights and animal rights and women's rights, but where is the voice shouting for WHAT IS RIGHT? It's time to get salty; to wake up, stand up and speak up; to be a city on a hill, a light in the darkness and a voice of conscience in a wicked world.

~ By Daniel Kolenda

The Case of The Purple Polka-Dotted Elepotamus

By Daniel Kolenda

He’s half Elephant, half Hippopotamus, all purple and sports bright yellow polka dots…he’s the Purple Polka-Dotted Elepotamus. Some people say that he doesn’t exist, but I challenge them to prove it. It would be impossible to conclusively certify the non-existence of such a creature with scientific certainty, no matter how obviously ridiculous it may seem. In order to do so, one would have to be able to observe every inch of every corner of the entire cosmos all at the same instant.

This is what is referred to as a “Universal Negative”. Simply stated, it is scientifically impossible to prove the non-existence of anything…if this is true in the natural world, how much more in the invisible world of the supernatural. Perhaps this is the reason that there have been so many supposed "gods" in the world throughout history.

How could one prove that the Baals of the Old Testament, or the Titans of Greek mythology or the ornate idols of the Egyptians were not really gods at all? How could you prove that there are no divine personalities that reside in the oaks, rocks and rivers as alleged by ancient pagan religions? How could you prove that there are not thousands of Gods or even millions as believed by the Hindus? THERE IS ONE WAY.

If you could find someone who could see everything, even what is invisible, in every corner of the cosmos all at once, he would not be restricted by a finite power of observation and thus able to confirm a Universal Negative. Fortunately for us, we know just such a person. He is omnipresent...meaning that He is everywhere at once and nothing is hidden from His eyes (Jer. 23:23, 24). But what’s more, He is also omniscient...meaning that He is also all knowing and of infinite understanding (Ps 147:4,5). This One who is everywhere present and knows everything there is to know asks, “IS THERE A GOD BESIDE ME? YEA, THERE IS NO GOD: I KNOW NOT ANY.” Isaiah 44:8.

Dear searching soul, listen to the creator of the universe who has sees all and knows all and save yourself the pointless frustration of a life filled with endless, futile searching. He has examined the furthest reaches of the universe and, explored under every rock and tree. He has investigated the deepest depths of the Marianas Trench and scaled the highest peaks of Mt. Everest. He says, "I've looked everywhere. I've seen everything. I know the every answer to every question and yet I don’t know of any God beside me. There is no other God...trust me, I've looked.”

His infallible testimony is all the evidence I need. I may not be able to prove the Universal Negative of the Purple Polka-Dotted Elopotamus, but one thing is conclusive; there is no other God besides our God.

Final Meeting in Spain - Iglesia Salem

Sunday I had the privilege of preaching in one of Spain's best churches and definitely one of its largest; Iglesia Salem, pastored by Rev. Marcos Vidal, a well known worship leader and minister, who also interpreted for Evangelist Bonnke and me in the crusade meetings. I could see that the message was really touching many hearts...some wept through the entire service. Because of time constraints I was unable to pray for the sick in that service, but still I heard wonderful testimonies. One precious woman told me that she was mostly deaf in both ears, but she could only afford one hearing aid. As I was praying for the sick in the crusade meetings both ears popped open completely. She was not wearing the hearing aid and spoke of it as something from her distant past even though it had been an indispensable part of her life just two days earlier. It is these testimonies that make the trip worth while. I look forward to our next visit to Spain.

Spain Shall Be Saved!

I've just finished preaching the final service of our campaign here in the bullfight stadium in Madrid, Spain. As I was going up to preach I started to feel drops of rain. I was not sure if I would be able to make it to the altar call, but as I got into the message the rain stopped...PTL!

The message went out strong and clear to the thousands gathered in the stadium as well as unknown thousands more that watched live via TBN throughout Europe. The response was again overwhelming. As the people were streaming forward by the hundreds, one young local evangelist said, "I have never seen anything like this in my life."

We heard a testimony of a man who was on his way to commit suicide when he saw one of the posters for the meeting. He came to the service last night and was dramatically born again.

One lady said that she had never been in a service like this before, but last night she had a dream in which she clearly saw me and the stadium. Tonight she received her healing along with many others including many deaf ears that were opened.

One young boy said that he was deaf in his left ear. He came forward when I gave the altar call and after he had received Christ suddenly his ear popped open...he was healed. I would say he received a double miracle tonight.

Another young boy was brought up by his cousin. Both of his feet were twisted and pointing inward. During the prayer he told his cousin that something was happening to him. She looked at his feet and realized that they had straightened out. He demonstrated his healing on the platform, and she said she had never seen him walk like that before. What a dramatic conclusion.

Tomorrow I will preach in Spain's largest church before heading home. I look forward to returning one day for another mighty harvest. Spain shall be saved!

Good News in the Bullfight Stadium

Last night we had quite a fascinating cultural experience. We were able to attend a bullfight in the very arena where the Gospel campaign was held tonight here in Madrid, Spain. I told the people tonight as I stood on the arena floor that I am glad they removed the bulls before sending me into the ring. Our struggle is not with flesh and blood, but we wield the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God and we have come to cut down every demonic stronghold through the preaching of the Gospel.

Tonight was the first evening of the evangelistic campaign, and we were so blessed. I preached on Romans 13:14, "Put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ" and when the altar call was given the people poured in from all sides until there was no more room...and still they came. Although there are many religious people here, religion has never saved a soul...only Jesus saves. At the altar I was touched to see so many people weeping tears of repentance. I am sure that salvation had begun flowing through that stadium before the prayer of salvation was even prayed.

Then mighty miracles began to happen. One woman came to testify with both of her children who were deaf. Jesus healed them BOTH tonight! They were all so overwhelmed by the miracle. As they held each other and wept the people shouted for joy...what a mighty God we serve! There was an extraordinary sense of presence of the Holy Spirit on the platform that seemed to impact every person on it...including myself. We are not in Africa now, but we are seeing the same results - salvation, signs, wonders, miracles and healings.

Tomorrow morning will be the final FIRE Conference meeting, and then tomorrow night will be the final crusade service...we are all looking forward to hearing Evangelist Bonnke preach the Gospel like no one else can.

FIRESTORM USA

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