I’m going to preference this entry with this statement: Yes, I know I am only 30 years of age at the time as this writing, however I have been ministering for 18 years at this point (and still going), I have also walked this salvation walk for 25 years (and still walking and practicing the principals and fundamentals of a true Christ-like walk). I am no where near perfect however I am pushing for perfection in Christ. I’ve come under some tremendous teaching of the word of God from Bishop Clark to Bishop Griffin. I’ve been through numerous denominations from Cogic to Baptist to Non Denominational. I’m very well-traveled through out the east coast and mid-west and have heard a number of preachers, pastors, prophets and evangelists teach on a number of subjects. I give all of this info not as a pat on my back or to say look what I have done but really to say I am well qualified on the subject matter that I am about to speak.
With that said, I’ve noticed a severe problem with in the Kingdom of God. There has become a lack of our purpose as a body of believers. We have latched hold to every kind of message while leaving out the most important message of all. Now before you all get riled up and bent out of shape, I am not opposed to the prosperity message nor any other message that God has given a man or woman of God to preach. My problem is prosperity won’t get you into heaven, love messages won’t get you into heaven (it’ll keep you out if you lack it, but not get you in), forgiveness won’t get you in, the only thing that will get you in is the blood of Jesus Christ. We have stopped teaching salvation. In some churches you can go an entire service without even hearing the name of Jesus. This has become a severe problem. We have even gone so far as to twist the reason He (Jesus) came to this earth but not telling the full story. Yes He came to show us how to love (the 2nd greatest commandment: Love thy neighbor), Yes He came to show us sin has no power or authority over our lives, but don’t forget most of all Jesus Himself said the Son of Man is come to seek and save them that are lost (Luke 19:10). In John 10:10 I am come that they might have life, and they may have it more abundantly. If Jesus said these are the reasons He has come how can we say any different. How can we call ourselves walking in His shoes and we aren’t walking in His purpose. Yes Love and Forgiveness have its place, but understand you win them with love, they don’t get in because they love. There are millions of people everyday that die and go to hell (yes I said they are in hell) that have show love, compassion, and forgiveness to people. Those principals are only showing the attributes of Jesus and are important but if you aren’t covered by the blood of Jesus, if you haven’t repented of your sin and asked Jesus to be your savior according to Romans 10:9,10 then your ability to love and forgive is voided because Jesus said no man can come to the Father accept through Him (John 14:6).
I write this because we have gotten so comfortable as a body of believers with our ineffective messages that aren’t helping those that need it most. Yes you help meet the need (food, clothing, shelter, etc) as you have the ability but nothing is more needed than the salvation of their souls. What happened to the salvation message? I’m not even talking about preaching hell, fire, and brimstone. I’m just talking about letting people know there is a better way, that their life doesn’t have to be the way it is. I’m talking about telling people the sacrifice that Jesus made for them collectively and individually so hell wouldn’t be their portion but they would be able to dwell all the days of their lives with the only one who can and will truly love them unconditionally. We have preached love and they have gone out the doors the same because the love message is for the believer to show them what they need to do to win. We preach forgiveness and yet no one’s life is changed or made different because forgiveness is also for the believer to cause them to give out what Jesus gave to them (forgiveness) allowing them to realize the same grace God extended you is the same grace you need to extend to others (Matthew chapter 18). Believer ask yourself when is the last time someone truly got saved at your church? I’m not talking about someone got up and just recited after someone else the sinner’s prayer I’m talking about truly accepted Jesus and you began to see a desire for change in their life. When is the last time you or your church made a true spiritual difference in the lives of others? Why has salvation become a dead message where we politically correctly talk around it but not about it? How can the people hear unless someone preaches (Romans 10:14)? If we the ones who know (or are supposed to know the way) don’t teach and preach to those that don’t how then can we expect them to be able to come in? Someone had to tell you about Jesus and his sacrifice of blood and life on the cross, why would you assume others don’t need that same message. We’ve gotten to a place where we assume that everyone has heard about Jesus and the cross and that is not the case. Everyone has not heard, everyone does not know!
Allow me to say this while I am at it. Preaching and teaching the end time message that Jesus is returning is not effective if we haven’t first told them that Jesus has left and why He left in the first place. Telling them we are living in the end times and you need to accept Jesus does no good if you don’t tell people why? Why do I need to accept Jesus? What does the end time mean to me? It means that if you have not accepted Jesus; the one who sacrificed His life for our sin that we were born into in order to give us a chance at redemption and to give us a chance to be placed back in right standing with God which is our rightful place, hell is your final destination. Jesus stepped out of heaven and was born perfect just simply to be made a perfect, pure, and permanent sacrifice for our sin, He was born just to die a bloody excruciating death on a jagged old rugged cross. He went to hell so that you don’t have to , took the keys of death hell and the grave so that you don’t have to feel the sting of it. Ascended back to heaven to sit back by His Father’s side and with the promise to return for those who have accepted Him and Him only as Lord and Savior. The end time message doesn’t matter if you don’t make it till He comes back and even if you do if you aren’t saved (born again) then you still won’t’ see heaven. I promise you this above everything else we preach, we need to make sure there is a big dose of salvation and sanctification (the process after salvation) taught. For only through that shall a person enter in the Kingdom of God.
If you have read this and have been touched and know that you are not saved, know that you have never accepted Jesus into your life as your savior please aloud say this prayer (it doesn’t matter where you are or what you are doing, you don’t have to wait to come to church to say it you can be saved right where you are at): Lord Jesus, I come to you a sinner. I come to you unclean. Lord Jesus, I believe that you were born. That you lived. That you ministered. That you were crucified and died for my sins. I believe that you rose 3 days later and ascended into heaven and are soon to return for me. Lord Jesus, I repent of and all sin that I have committed, wash me, cleanse me, and fill me. Lord Jesus save me today. I believe that you have heard my prayer and I am now saved. I believed that you have accepted me as your own as I have you. I thank you Jesus for as of this day I am now no longer a sinner but I am saved and covered by your precious blood. I am saved, I am saved, I am saved.
If you have recited that prayer and truly meant it I say welcome to the kingdom of God, you are now a brother, you are now a sister in the family of Jesus Christ. Welcome, from this day forward your life will never be the same again. Don’t let anyone, no friends, no family, no one take away from you what you have received simply by believing and confessing Jesus Christ. You may still be tempted to do things you used to do, things that are not pleasing to God but don’t worry keep claiming you’re saved. You are walking through the sanctification process. You are saved nothing else is needed for your salvation. You are saved and God will help you with your struggles in this newness that you have. Find a good church home (not on tv, but go to a church) and get under a good pastor and hear the word of God that your faith can be strengthened. Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God (Romans 10:17)
If you have any questions or comments please feel free to email me at jesse.jones@highpraiseministries.com. Remember as always, Grow in God’s Grace and Abide in His Love!
