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Archive for February 2020

Pentecostal Driftwood Dealers

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Pentecostal Driftwood Dealers

 

Driftwood was once a strong growing limb connected to a tree trunk. It received its nourishment and source of strength from its roots. But, something happened that forever changed its appearance and characteristics. The harshness of the wind and sea forever marked it as unsuitable for residential or commercial construction. Lumber Yards do not sell driftwood.

Now and then, in coastal areas, a passerby may spot a store that seems to specialize in driftwood.

As a rule, the best that one can expect it to be now is a space filler or maybe an ornament. It can be painted, sprayed, bleached, washed, stained, and overlaid, but it is still what it is.

Most of us look at its unusual formations and decide whether or not it’s something we would like to look at all the time. Occasionally, pieces are picked up by some and taken home. Sometimes, a piece of driftwood is used as decoration on the lawn or flower bed.

If a cottage is located on a beach and a storm brings driftwood on the property, it’s next residing place is the county dump. Or, at best, dried out and used for firewood.

Driftwood dealers are unusual at best. The strangest driftwood dealers of all are the… Pentecostal Driftwood Dealers.

Some Pentecostal Churches seem to have a custom of keeping all the driftwood that appears in their pews. At best, it only fills space.

 

But, What Do You Expect To Build Out Of Driftwood?

 

Do those Pentecostal Driftwood Dealers ever wonder or ask where the driftwood came from, or why it detached itself from its source? Do they ever trace its back trail and call the former pastor? No? Why not? Sadly, some Driftwood Dealers play finders keepers.

 

Driftwood Has Also Been Called:

  • Flotsam
  • Jetsam
  • Debris
  • Wash-out
  • Wreckage
  • Junk
  • Trash
  • Waste
  • Scrap

And, about sixty more names on https://www.powerthesaurus.org/driftwood/synonyms

 

Pastor… Is This The Material You Expect To Use To Build Your Church?

 

How can you better your congregation by taking in someone who left their home church because they had a problem with Holiness or Standards?

Why let someone who has a problem Submitting to their Pastor’s Authority influence your congregation?

Warning!!! Their past Moral problems may easily continue.

 

If you expect driftwood to once again become connected to any root system you will be disappointed. You do know that what floats in, may also float back out? Is it the need for numbers that drive you to take in whatever you can regardless of the cost?

Are you so dishonest and unscrupulous that you never pick up a phone and call their former pastor? Or, even ask for a letter? Your greed for new members cheapens your ministry.

Who was your pastor? Why weren’t you even taught the basics of ministerial ethics? What keeps you from just sending the driftwood back to where it came from or let it continue on its way? Are you happy being known among your brethren as a Driftwood Dealer? Good men will question that about you, and if you persist, they may also question other things about you as well.

Ministerial ethics doesn’t carry any particular color of fellowship card. One is either ethical or not ethical at all. How can you consider yourself ethical when you keep what is not yours?

 

God Has A Problem With Those Who Keep Their Neighbors Sheep When It Strays Into Their Pasture.

 

Lev 6:1  And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

Lev 6:2  If a soul sin, and commit a trespass against the LORD, and lie unto his neighbour in that which was delivered him to keep, or in fellowship, or in a thing taken away by violence, or hath deceived his neighbour;

Lev 6:3  Or have found that which was lost, and lieth concerning it, and sweareth falsely; in any of all these that a man doeth, sinning therein:

Lev 6:4  Then it shall be, because he hath sinned, and is guilty, that he shall restore that which he took violently away, or the thing which he hath deceitfully gotten, or that which was delivered him to keep, or the lost thing which he found,

Lev 6:5  Or all that about which he hath sworn falsely; he shall even restore it in the principal, and shall add the fifth part more thereto, and give it unto him to whom it appertaineth, in the day of his trespass offering.

Lev 6:6  And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD, a ram without blemish out of the flock, with thy estimation, for a trespass offering, unto the priest:

Lev 6:7  And the priest shall make an atonement for him before the LORD: and it shall be forgiven him for any thing of all that he hath done in trespassing therein.

 

 

*If God Required Gopher Wood For The Building Of Noah’s Ark…

*If He Demanded That Acacia Wood Used In The Construction Of The Tabernacle…

*Then Know That The Lord Is Particular And Will Not Build His Church Out Of Driftwood!

 

God Detests Driftwood Dealers.

Neighbor Pastors Detest Them As Well.

 

Sir? Are You A Pastor According To God’s Heart, Or Just A Driftwood Dealer?

 

 

Written by Martyn Ballestero

February 14, 2020 at 7:28 pm

Posted in Christian Living, God's House, Holiness, Leadership, Pastors, Submission, Visiting Other Churches

Soooo!

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Guest Blog

by

Pastor Dennis Morris

 

 

Soooo!

 

A few years ago I was looking for a Jeep to put a plow on for our church lot, I called Eld. Vanslyke to ask what model he had and he said, “Why don’t you buy mine?” So I bought a Jeep from Eld. Vanslyke. When I got it home I found the floor under the passenger seat had a rusty hole big enough to throw a Coon through and when I took the seat out to fix it, the seat was held in with two vise grips. By then I’m laughing my head off. I called him to kid him and when I told him about the floor, he said “Sooooo?” I didn’t get it till mentioned the vise grips and he repeated his first answer, “Soooo?”
Then I got it! I wanted a short Jeep, I got one! I fixed it and it worked great!

Thusly “If we want Salvation, God provides it! If the life around it has a hole in the floor and jury-rigged seats, Soooo? Just get busy and adjust life to fit salvation!

There’s an old saying, “Gettin’ old ain’t for sissy’s!” Well, living for God ain’t either! God isn’t looking for trained soldiers he wants servants that will serve in whatever circumstances He calls them into. He doesn’t just save the able, but He will enable the saved!

The question is not, Can we be saved? The question is, Will we have the intestinal fortitude to use and apply what God gives us to get the job done? He did promise to throughly furnish us to do good works!

Eden was ideal, a paradise, but the tempter was still able to sneak in and cause a problem! God provides all things good but we need to realize that a covenant requires two and both have to keep their part of the bargain. All God required of Adam and Eve was don’t eat from that tree! Easy as pie! Not forbidden fruit pie either… What did they do? Got themselves kicked out of paradise. PLEASE don’t think if you had a perfect environment, it would be a cinch to live for God. The Flesh is flesh, get the whiff? By the way, if you want to be a missionary don’t bother to put Eden on your application as a place you’re willing to go. It had to be relocated because of a lack of interest.

The ark didn’t smell good and probably wasn’t comfortable either but nobody jumped out! The main reason for the ark was to save Noah and his family not to be a luxury touring vessel. For them to file a complaint because it was uncomfortable would have been ludicrous, to say the least. IT SAVED THEIR LIVES, PEOPLE! Mission accomplished. By the by, the animals were kept to save their lives, too. God really wants us to be saved, also. He’s got all the bases covered, trust Him.

The scriptures about the “Great House” let us know everything isn’t perfect there either. (VESSELS OF DISHONOR… really?) If we want to be saved, we can, in spite of the flaws and bad smells. Some of the responsibility for cleaning up the mess in the house is up to us. Could be if we sniff around a little bit we might discover the problem is us. It does say to qualify as a vessel of honor we need to purge ourselves. That’s clean up! Don’t dirty yourself and complain that something stinks. Don’t be the problem. Be part of the solution. It’s a GREAT HOUSE! Be thankful you’re allowed in the door.

Paul said to stay in the ship and live! They didn’t like it and some doubted and complained, they were battered, soaked, saltwater chafed, hungry and thirsty but everyone survived! Not too shabby Paul!

Even the group Jesus assembled had complainers, jealousy, animosity and the worst, there was a traitor! Yes, One of the disciples that Jesus chose was a bad apple but it didn’t stop Jesus or the Apostles from completing the mission they were called for. Oh, Instead of calling Judas a bad apple, I should’ve called him a “Forbidden Fruit“!

 

Soooo, in spite of the flaws and bad smells! This God idea called the Church works!

Though life sometimes can be difficult the Scripture still says “Let us go on unto perfection“!

I mean, after all, we are all just a piece of work… in progress!

 

Written by Martyn Ballestero

February 9, 2020 at 9:53 pm

Posted in Christian Living