A LOOK AT OURSELVES
This week I have been looking back on the past two and a half years. It is a review that I do every once in a while just to check myself and to make sure I am being true to my calling. Welcome everyone to your 24/7, week long, online church service. I cannot stress enough that everyone is welcome in this place.
I would ask you to not look upon this message as a teaching or preaching message. Rather, consider it more as a church business meeting – a review of how we got started, what our original purpose was and what it is today. Hopefully, if we are consistent, the purpose of this ministry has not changed. We just want to help somebody.
The idea of this online church ministry was first given to me near the end of 2007. We had been living and attending a home church in Tennessee. We decided to move back to Florida. My long time calling to preach and share the gospel of Jesus Christ was fired up and focused during our year of residence in Tennessee. As we prepared to move back to Florida, I was wondering in what direction God would lead me. I knew his calling was for sure and very real. No doubt about that. But, how would it manifest itself? Would I be preaching as an evangelist in churches and meetings? Was I to start a home church such as we had just left? Good questions, but no clear direction at that time.
I did know this, my passion to see people saved, healed and delivered was at an all time high. I knew God was going to use me to help others, but did not know exactly how. Reading Romans Chapter 10:13-14, I began to see God’s roadmap for me. Remember my passion? That all, that is everyone, must have the opportunity to be saved and have eternal life with God and his son, Jesus Christ. Romans 10:13-14 states:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher?”The apostle Paul was presenting to the church at Rome and also to us, the church of today, what the problem is. All that call upon God will be saved. But, if they know nothing or very little of God or his son, Jesus Christ – how can they even know how or why to call on him? The answer is – they need a preacher of the gospel of Jesus Christ to help them understand who God is. Yes folks, preachers are still needed and used by God today just as in the days of old.
As I contemplated the need for people to hear a solid preacher, who teaches by Bible and not opinion standards, God dropped the idea of an online church into my heart and spirit. My heart and spirit received the idea. My brain did not. Somewhere and somehow in my spirit, I knew this would be a very effective way to reach people for Jesus. My brain, however, said it would not work – very simply because I knew nothing about computers or the internet. The obvious conclusion for me to draw was that this idea was not God’s, but my own foolish idea. Boy, was I wrong! As much as I dismissed the thought, the more it kept popping up.
The battle between my spirit and brain was constantly ongoing. One thing I did do during this time was to keep preparing to share God’s Word with others by reading and meditating on God’s Word daily. All through 2008, the battle was on. The more I dismissed the internet, the more it would come to mind. God began to show me how we could reach people all around the world, at all levels of faith, just by preaching out of the Bible regarding his son, Jesus Christ. Any teaching of Jesus based on any other thing than the Bible, is false teaching.
I began to realize how many people work on Sundays and are not able to attend church. God also showed me that many people were spiritually hurt by false doctrine or unethical preachers while attending church. They did not want to be ruled by man’s opinion about God, they just want to know God. Also, there are people who have seen Christians preach love and exercise hate. That my friends, is called hypocrisy.
In 2009 I began to express to my wife the thoughts I was having. I have to tell you folks, as supportive as Vicki is today of our online church, it was obvious to me she had the same doubts and concerns that I had. Finally, I decided this idea was of my own making and not of God. The decision was made to no longer contemplate on starting an online church service, period. That was my decision, church, but God had other plans.
He would constantly, day and night plant thoughts of helping others (including you) by the sharing of his Word and love for you. And guess how? By way of the internet. Now I understand I have taken a long time to lay down this foundation of our ministry for you. I just wanted you to see how much thought, consideration and self-examination went into the formation of your 24/7, week long, online church.
In August of 2009, I went to dinner with a friend of mine by the name of Justin Rocque. Justin is a computer whiz who now owns his own computer repair and training service. As we were in conversation I told him of what I felt God wanted me to do. I also told him that I had no idea of how to accomplish what God desired of me. So, I was just not going to do it. Justin looked right at me and said “I know how. If you believe this is what you need to do, let’s go back to your house and I will set it up for you.” And just like that, God showed me if I would just be willing to serve him, he would provide the way. That night was August 2, 2009. And by the way, Justin still helps us today.
The Spirit of Wisdom Ministries was launched. I cannot get over the goodness of God. I want to repeat to you the exact words of our first posting – very short and very much to the point. This is what we posted. You can check it out for yourselves in our message archives. We started by saying – Welcome to the Spirit of Wisdom Ministries. We went on to say this blog is designed to be an “online church.” I will share the Word of God with you. I will relate how the Bible is the Word of God and how it relates to today. I will strive to make it interesting and truthful. I will not give you my opinion unless noted as such. This site is at this very moment being created and more information about me and this ministry will be forthcoming. God bless all who look at this site.
There you are folks, the first posting of August 2, 2009. We have strived to stay true to our first message. Our first and foremost goal is to share the Word of God with you and to lead people to Jesus. Our desire today, as it was then, is to show how the Bible relates to our everyday living. The Word of God is always up to date, regardless of the generation it is read in. We have always attempted to be interesting and truthful. Everything we teach or preach is based only on the Bible. There is no greater truth than that. Our opinions on subjects are always noted. And by the way, our opinions are not gospel, the Bible is!
We will continue this message in two weeks. Next week, we will be presenting a repost of a former message. A message entitled – Be a Decider, first given in October 2009. That is what our online church is all about, folks. Inspiring you to decide to put God and his son, Jesus, first in your life. Then, on March 25th, we will continue our review of your online church. Great things are ahead of us church. Let’s explore them together. After all, God has provided this online church just for you.
God Bless You
Bro. Bob
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