Author: Pastor Carroll Parish

CALLED INTO MINISTRY

I am the youngest of eight children. Our family were sharecroppers – meaning we lived on someone else’s farm while sharing in the expense and profits of the enterprise but doing all the work! During the summer break between my junior and senior year of high school, I went to Baptist Bible College in Mayfield, Ky. My brother, John, was an instructor there. The school had male students, most of whom were 30 years old and above. They were using me to see if someone out of high school could successfully pass the course. I had no desire to be a preacher. I had my brother John who was a pastor, an uncle who was a pastor, a brother in law who was a pastor and I figured that was enough for one family! Anyway, after about two weeks of classes, I felt that the Spirit of God was dealing with me about becoming one! I talked to my brother, and he suggested I continue to be open to what God might be saying to me.I put a fleece before the Lord. If this particular thing would happen, I would consider it to be a confirmation of what I was hearing in my spirit. It happened exactly as I prayed! That was almost 56 years ago!

HOW IT ALL GO STARTED

My brother, Dr. John T. Parish, preached on a Sunday morning at Our Savior Baptist Church in January 1981. One of the deacons, Joe Hardy, asked if he would be interested in becoming their pastor. He said, ‘no’ but I know someone you might talk to. That person was me. I was pastoring in Paris, Tn. Joe called me to come speak on a weekend. As a result of that weekend, and further conversations on the phone, the church called me as Pastor even though I kept telling Joe I was not interested in pastoring in Louisville. To get him to quit hounding me about it, I told him I would pray about it. A couple of weeks later my wife asked if I had prayed about going to Louisville, and I said no. She said, ‘you told Joe Hardy that you would.’ I asked her if she had prayed about it and she said she had. I asked, ‘what did the Lord say?’ Her response was ‘yes.’ I prayed about it and got the same answer! We moved the last week of May 1981 and I was the Senior Pastor for 21 1/2 years. Since that time I have served as Teaching Pastor and my son, Tim, has been Senior Pastor since January 2003.

WE MOVE TO LOUISVILLE

We came to Louisville in May 1981 to pastor a small church called Our Savior Baptist Church which was composed of Spirit-filled people that had retained the name Baptist. Near the end of 1981, we changed the constitution and by-laws to conform to a charismatic church structure. As we were thinking and praying about the name for it several possible names were suggested. We finally settled on New Life Church. The week following, one of our members Leta Hardy, told me the following story. Before I came the church had an interim Pastor, Dr. Rod Buckson. The church had been struggling to stay together and at the conclusion of a service Dr. Buckson prophesied that ‘out of the ashes of Our Savior new life would come.’ We had heard correctly in choosing the name New Life Church! Since that time the church has grown in number, impact in the community, and around the world seeing the hand of God meet human need! To God be the Glory!

INNER CITY MINISTRY

We had a couple who were members of NLC who felt led to go to Youth With A Mission in Elmsprings, Arkansas. When they finished the course and returned, they, along with some others, felt called to do ministry in the inner city of Louisville. As a result, the inner city ministry was born that continued from 1990-2000. We bused the kids into rented facilities and had children’s church with them one or two nights a week. The seeds of the Gospel were sown and we began to see fruit from it. We believe there will be continuing fruit as the years go by.

BUILDING BUILDINGS

When we came to Louisville in May 1981, the church was meeting in the women’s club in St. Matthew. About 9 months later we rented a house on Browns Lane. We had services there for about a year. At that time we were averaging about 100 people on Sunday mornings. From there we moved to a Seventh Day Adventist Church for a few months before moving to Zachary Taylor Elementary School. While there we purchased the present property on Goose Creek Road. We purchased 8 1/2 acres that had been a small farm.

The local banks were hesitant to lend us money because we had never borrowed money before and had no credit rating. We raised the money to pay off the land and used a church finance company, by selling bonds to church members and others in the community, to build the first three buildings.

As the church continued to grow, we saw the need and felt led by the Holy Spirit to build a new auditorium. It was started in June 2006 and was occupied in August 2007. We also purchased the house on either side of the auditorium which gave us slightly over 11 acres.

RADIO AND TV MINISTRY

While pastoring in Paris, Tn. I began a ministry on 52 cable stations across the USA. I brought that ministry with us when we moved to Louisville. We went on WBNA channel 21 here in Louisville and for many years were on Sky Angel satellite broadcasting The Word program that covered all the contiguous states in the USA.

After getting to know Dr. Lester Sumrall, he invited me to put our program on his short wave radio stations. He had five of them that covered 90% of the earth’s population. We did that for two years.

Some Stories from our Ministry in Paris, to give some more background and context to the Ministry.

When we pastored in Tennessee, there was a young man who was the son of a family in the church who drank alcohol and used drugs that we had been praying for. I had told him that when he was ready to turn to God I would come and pray with him. One night about 2 a.m. he called and asked me to meet him for he was ready. I met him in the parking lot of a grocery store. When I got in his truck I discovered that he was drunk and angry at me for getting his parents involved in our charismatic church. He threatened to shoot me with his 45 caliber revolver which he pulled from under his seat. I talked him out of doing that. Then he took his hunting knife from his belt and threatened to stab me to death. I talked him out of that. Then he threatened to beat me up, again I talked him out of that. I answered a number of his questions about life in general. By that time it was about 4 a.m. I asked him if he was ready now to submit his life to the Lord and he said “yes.” He was born again, delivered from demon spirits, and filled with the Holy Spirit! He asked me to follow him home because he did not think his parents would believe him when he told them what had happened to him! I agreed that they probably would not believe him. He woke them up and told them what had happened and at first they could hardly believe it but I affirmed that everything that he had said was true. They cried, shouted, and praised God! That young man when to Bible school and became a useful disciple of Jesus! To God be the Glory!

While we were pastoring in Paris, Tn. one of the young ladies in the church began to have emotional and mental distress. At a Women’s Aglow meeting she came forward for prayer. The guest speaker, and some of the other ladies present, began to pray for her. They said she had a demon and were trying to cast it out with no success. Several of the ladies went for lunch at the home of one of the members of our church and afterward again tried to cast this spirit out with no success. The lady, in whose house they were, called me to come to help them. After praying and rebuking the spirits for a few minutes, I recognized we were getting nowhere and I backed away to pray alone. After about 5 minutes I had a short vision, it must have lasted about 2 seconds. In the vision, I saw this girl with her boyfriend in a mobile home. It was on a Thursday at 3:30 p.m. and I also saw the house number on the outside. The mobile home was blue and gray on the outside. I saw them in the back bedroom having sex. I immediately joined the group and declared what I saw in the vision. She said, ‘who told you that?’ I answered the Holy Spirit and when I rebuked the spirit, it came out instantly and she was set free! Praise be to God!

In early 1978 two other men and I went on a mission trip to Mexico. One night after teaching I was praying for people in a prayer line. After I prayed in English, the missionary would interpret it into Spanish. I had never studied Spanish and only knew 3-4 words of it. Suddenly while laying hands on a woman in prayer I began to speak a language I did not know. I noticed the missionary was not saying anything. After the service, I asked him about it. He said that I spoke perfect Spanish, and since he knew the lady, he mentioned that the things I said in prayer to God for her were exactly what she needed! Later in Guatemala on the same trip, it happened again! It has not happened since. When I pray in my prayer language (glossa) I may pray in one of several different languages. Some sound oriental, others American Indian, and others sound different than any language I have ever heard, perhaps a heavenly language (1 Cor.13:1). God can do much more than what we think He can do! Let us not try to put Him in a theological box, He just might jump out and do it anyway!

In preparation for our 40th anniversary at NLC, we discovered this from our church bulletin of May 16, 1982.

NEVER AGAIN

1. Never again will I confess “I can’t” for “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Phil.4:13

2. Never again will I confess unmet needs or poverty for “My God shall supply all my needs according to His riches in glory.” Phil.4:19

3. Never again will I confess fear for “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, and of love and of a sound mind. ” 2 Tim.1:7

4. Never again will I confess a lack of faith, for “God has given to every man the measure of faith.” Romans 12:3

5. Never again will I confess weakness for “The Lord is the strength of my life.” Ps.27:1 Also “…for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” Neh.8:10

6. Never again will I confess the supremacy of Satan over my life for “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.” 1 Jn. 4:4

7. Never again will I confess defeat for “God always causes me to triumph in Christ Jesus.” 2 Cor.2:14

8. Never again will I confess sickness for “With His stripes, I am healed.” Isa.53:5 “Himself took my infirmities and bore my sickness.” Matt.8:17

9. Never again will I confess lack of wisdom for “But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God.” 1 Cor.1:30

10. Never again will I confess worries and frustrations for I am “Casting all my cares upon Him who cares for me.” 1 Pet. 5:7

11. Never again will I confess bondage for “Where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty.” 2 Cor.3:17

12. Never again will I confess condemnation for “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

MISSIONS

Since the church has been in existence it has budgeted and given at least 10% of its income to local, national, and international ministries. Over 40 of our members have gone through training at Youth With A Mission in Elmsprings, Arkansas, Nashville, Tennessee, Orlando, Florida, Kona, Hawaii, and other places.

Because of this, after praying for an avenue to start a YWAM base in Louisville, Andy Landers, who was known by a number of our members who had ministered with him in Arkansas, approached Tim about renting our buildings to them to establish a base in Louisville! They started in 2007 shortly after our new auditorium was finished.

In addition to YWAM outreaches, the church has sent ministry teams to Haiti, Nigeria, Niger, South Africa, Ecuador, and many other nations.

HISPANIC MINISTRY

One of our beliefs is that a church in any setting should be reaching those of various nationalities, and racial people groups. Several years ago, a hispanic group approached us about renting our gym on Sundays to hold services, which they did for several years. Now, the founding pastor of that group is on staff at NLC and is in the process of establishing several hispanic works in Louisville!

CHURCH DISCIPLINE

There have been a few occasions when it was necessary to do church discipline when all other means had been exhausted. Most of them have occurred when relationships went beyond the boundaries.

Once we had a small group leader who was also a counselor on a crisis hotline. He talked several times with a lady who called in and the relationship got out of hand. The leadership of the church confronted him and but he refused to repent. We, therefore, had to relieve him of his position.

On another occasion, we had a Sunday School teacher who had an affair. When his wife found out about it she came to see me. I went to him and he refused to repent so he was no longer allowed to teach the class anymore.

At a night service, we had a visitor stand up at the end of a praise song and began to prophesy judgment upon the church. She said a number of things that were totally erroneous. I stopped her and told her to sit down which she did. After the service, she followed me to my office and proceeded with the curses on the church. I told her to leave and never come back. I reminded her that the curse causeless would not come. I refused it and told it to go back where it came from! I haven’t heard from her since.

Church discipline is the responsibility of the leadership of the local congregation, divine discipline is left up to God Himself.

PASTORAL TRANSITION

Around 1995 I was teaching at Ecclesia College in Elmsprings, Arkansas. One evening before a night class, the director, Oren Paris, and I were having dinner. We were talking about leadership issues when he said, ‘to have long-term success you must have a successor.’ I had previously been thinking about that topic and when he said that it strongly resonated within me. My son, Tim, and his wife, Marlene, were finishing Bible College. After much prayer, we invited them to move to Louisville so that he could be my associate pastor. Initially, he had no interest in being a pastor because he thought he would be a missionary.

He serviced seven years as my associate. Around 2001 I began to sense that I should transition the church to him. We began to get him involved in our Elder meetings and he started preaching more on Sundays. After we made the transition we looked back at the preaching schedule for 2002 and discovered that he had preached 26 out of the 52 Sunday services.

We made the transition the first Sunday in January 2003. The people accepted him with open arms. He has done a tremendous job. I have remained on staff as a Teaching Pastor, as well as an Elder.

The Bible is composed of different types of writings. For example, we have history, poetry, prophecy, and other writings. Yet, the Bible itself claims divine inspiration (2 Timothy 3:16-17). When one begins to examine the available manuscripts, it is found that 99.5 % are in total agreement. Those that disagree have to do with different spelling, and arrangement, and other markings. When compared with other ancient writings none compare with the Bible.

Christians know the truth of the Bible because they have experienced the reality of God as manifested through Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Answered prayer, healings, signs, and miracles also confirmed the veracity of the Bible (Mark 16:20, Galatians 3:17, Hebrews 2:3, 6:17, 2 Peter.1:19).

So, the Bible was given by divine inspiration and confirmed by many witnesses. Now it behooves us to apply it as God intended. And that brings us to realize that the Bible speaks of several different covenants that were in operation at various times for different reasons.

THE COVENANTS

The Noahic covenant preserved the human race during the time of the flood and is for all time as testified by the rainbow.(Genesis 9:14-16)

The Abrahamic covenant was established by God to Abraham and His Seed (Galatians 3:16) to establish a nation through whom Messiah would come. The assurance given is Faith (Genesis 15:6). The New Covenant has its roots in the Abrahamic covenant.

The Mosaic covenant came out of the Abrahamic covenant which was established to reveal Messiah through types and shadows because the people living under this covenant did not have the Spirit of God living in them as we do today under the New Covenant. The Mosaic covenant was time-limited. It was operative until Jesus was revealed (Luke 16:16). The moral law of God revealed in the Mosaic covenant is still true, but the ceremonial law is not – it was given in types and shadows which have now been fulfilled in Christ (Matthew 5:17).

The New Covenant is the one we live under today. It far exceeds the requirements, provisions, and blessings of the Mosaic covenant. Perhaps the greatest advantage is that Jesus lives in the redeemed spirit of believers today. To get a better understanding of this, read Hebrews 7-10 and rejoice that you ARE living under the New Covenant!

SO HOW DOES ALL THIS HELP US?

When reading Scripture we need to see to whom it was addressed and understand what covenant they were living under. Too often we do not do this and misinterpret the meaning of the passage.

Here is a very obvious example: a few years ago I was listening to Christian radio and heard a Pastor say that God had wings with feathers. He was attempting to exegete Psalm 91 where it says, “He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings, you shall take refuge, His truth shall be your shield and buckler,” This was possibly written by Moses who understood God being outside us doing something for us.(Exodus 33:22) Obviously, God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent, immutable, transcendent, imminent, and can do as He pleases, but always keeps His word! He can reveal Himself in ways outside us but the primary way He reveals Himself today is within the spirit of the redeemed.

Another Scripture that is often misused is 2 Chronicles 7:14 which says, “If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” Numerous times I have heard this quoted at prayer meetings where the ‘my people’ was taken to mean Americans! This was given by God during the Mosiac covenant and has no specific reference to anyone but Israelites at that time. BUT can be used correctly by any person who has made Jesus their Lord by meeting the conditions!

JESUS CHRIST IS LORD! No person nor anything we can create is capable of being Lord in our life! It is as lifeless as the false gods of the heathen nations in the Old Testament.

Jesus’ Lordship will be recognized by all in the future. Philippians 2:9-11 says, “Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”

Recognizing Jesus’ Lordship is what gets one born again. Romans 10:9-10 says, “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.”

Even though one is born again that does not mean that he is instantly spiritually mature. Growth is needed in many areas. 1 Peter 2:2 says, “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby.” Peter further said in 2 Peter 3:18, “But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” The Apostle Paul indicated the need for believers to grow when he said in Ephesians 4:15, “But speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head – Christ.”

An old cliche says, ‘He is Lord of all or He is not Lord at all.’ I think the previous verses, and many others, prove this to not be true. One is a spiritual infant when he is first born again. He needs to be taught the Word of God, he needs to learn to worship, he needs to be discipled in spiritual realities.

CARNALITY

Paul dealt with carnality in the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 3:1-3) as well as those in Colosse (Colossians 3:1-17). These were believers that by now should have been much more spiritually mature than their actions showed them to be.

One can be a believer, truly born again, but still need to grow. This should only last for a short period of time. When one is born again he is “translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God” (Colossians 1:13), he has been blessed with “all spiritual blessings in Christ” (Ephesians 1:3), he has been given “all things that pertain to life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3-4). While all of these are his positionally in Christ he may not have learned how to appropriate them into daily life. This is where the Body comes into operation. This is why the Ministry gifts are useful (Ephesians 4:11-16). Fellowship with other believers in a local church congregation is also very helpful.

BECOMING WHO YOU ARE

All of us need to know who we are in Christ, and who He is in us. The best place to learn these things is in the New Testament – Romans 1 – Revelation 1. There are 168 things that the NT says you are and possess in Christ. Read these books, make a note when you find wording such as “in Him” or “In Whom.” Until we know these things we will never attain the spiritual stature that is needed in all of us.

OBEDIENCE

Part of the great commission in Matthew 28:19-28 requires this. “Go, therefore and make disciples of all the nations (people groups), baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe (obey) all things that I have commanded you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end (consummation) of the age.” Recognizing Scripture as the final authority and obeying it is something that many of us have not been taught to do! Why? Most of us do not like to be told what to do! We want to be in charge.

About three decades ago we had a couple in the church who had a young son. The parents were training him to obey what they told him to do. One day he responded ‘I just want to do what I want to do’! This is applicable and descriptive of many of us today.

The more obedient we are to Jesus and His Word the greater His Lordship will be seen in us.

Yahweh is a covenant-making and keeping God. He gives His Word and keeps it! But after the Fall the recipients of His covenants have been fallen individuals who have not kept the conditions of His covenants.

In this article, I want to look briefly at Five major covenants so we can get a better understanding of the covenant that we are living in today.

ADAMIC COVENANT

While not specifically called a covenant in Genesis, yet the five-fold mandate given to Adam has the earmarks of a covenant. Genesis 1:28 says, “…be fruitful and multiply, fill the earth and subdue it, have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

This reveals the will of God for all of mankind. It had a condition that they were to obey. This is a mandate that is still operative today.

NOAHIC COVENANT

Because Adams’s descendants became excessively wicked and disobeyed God, He determined that He would destroy the wicked and start over with Noah who was an upright man. Genesis 6:18, Genesis 9:1-17 gives the basics of this covenant. The promise God made to never destroy the earth again by flood is still in force today.

ABRAHAMIC COVENANT

Through Abraham God established a nation of people, Israel, and a covenant that not only included that nation but anyone else who received Abraham’s seed, Jesus, as their Lord (Galatians 3:16, 29).

To get a better understanding of the Abrahamic Covenant, read the following Scriptures:

Genesis 12:1-3, Genesis 15:1-21, Genesis 17:1-27, Romans 4:1-3, Romans 4:9, 12-13, Romans 4:16, Romans 9:7-8, Galatians 3:6-9, Galatians 3:14,16, 29.

The Abrahamic Covenant is the foundation on which the New Covenant is based.

MOSAIC COVENANT

The Mosaic Covenant was a covenant made with a nation of people that God intended to use to advance His kingdom. Many of the actions required of them were to be types and shadows of Messiah’s coming and the Cross which would provide eternal redemption.

I fear that many today get caught up in the feast days, holy days, and pageantry and fail to realize that these were all pointing in some way to Jesus and the New Covenant. No requirements of the ceremonial law, which were part of the Mosaic Covenant, are in force today. They were fulfilled in Jesus. The moral law given under the Mosaic Covenant, since it emanates from Yahweh Himself, is part of the New Covenant. Promises made to the nation of Israel, which have not been fulfilled, will be kept either under the New Covenant or in eternity future.

NEW COVENANT

Read the following Scriptures and rejoice that you are living under the terms of the New Covenant!

2 Corinthians 3:14, Hebrews 7:22, Hebrews 8:1, Hebrews 8:6-10, Hebrews 8:13, Hebrews 9:6-15, Hebrews 9:18-22, Hebrews10:16-18, 29, Hebrews 12:24, Hebrews 13:20-21.

We, believers in Jesus today, need to familiarize ourselves with the finished work of Jesus on the Cross. We have a better covenant than the Mosaic Covenant established on better promises.

There are a number of things that I am glad about in the New Covenant. Perhaps the greatest one is that God through Christ lives IN us! Colossians 1:27 “…Christ in you, the hope of glory.” “Greater is He that is in you…” 1 John 4:4. We can recognize that God as the creator is greater than His creation but that He not only is with us but lives in us. This should change the way we see everything. Not the least is how we pray. We do not pray to a God who is far off, whose attention we much get by external means, but one who is closer to us than our next breath!

We should study the New Testament from Romans 1 – Revelation 1 and see all the things that have been provided to and for us in the great salvation that Jesus purchased and has given to us. These things are not things we must wait until we get to Heaven to enjoy, but provisions that are for today!

Blessings!

By Pastor Charles Simpson

Psalm 11 raises an important question: “If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3). The verse prior tells us that the righteous are under attack. So, not only are the foundations removed, but those who stand up on those foundations are being attacked. So what will the righteous do? Verse 5 tells us that the Lord tests the righteous and verse 7 tells us that He is watching the righteous: “His eye is now upon us.”

Here in the United States, the last half of the Twentieth Century witnessed the erosion of our cultural and even Church foundations. Rejecting biblical truth, reinterpreting the Constitution, banning prayer and Bible reading in schools, making abortion legal, removing barriers against homosexuality and now transgenderism, are just a few of the changes that many of us have witnessed. And if you still hold to the foundational truths, you have become the target of hostility and even violence. We are entering a new season; what will we do?

Some churches and constituents will “go with the flow” and be evangelized by the secular culture. Some will fight against the culture, often with attitudes that do not reflect Christ. Some will just hide and hope for better days or the next election. Each person will have to decide how to respond.

What is Our Foundation?
I love the old hymns “Christ the Solid Rock” and “Rock of Ages.” These hymns and others remind us of the “Sermon on the Mount” which Jesus concluded with the example of two men; one built his house on the sand, the other built his on the rock. We know the result of each. Both faced a storm, but the house on the rock stood while the other was washed away.

Jesus reminded His hearers and us, that those who heard His words and did not obey them would be like a house on the sand. Those who heard His words and did them would be like the house on the rock. For Israel, the storm came in 70 A.D. and many were destroyed. Is a storm coming to us? If so, what must we do?

I suggest that we study His words in Matthew chapters 5-7. His words were, and ARE THE ROCK. He is the Rock that is speaking to us. I also suggest reading the book of Acts to see how His disciples came to understand and do what He said. The disciples came to understand that their hope was not in politics or religion; it was in Christ and following His guidance (see First Corinthians 3:11).

It is impossible to adequately summarize the Sermon on the Mount, but I’d like to point out some of what Jesus said. Bear in mind, this is how we are to behave in preparation for the storms of life and in the storms.

Matthew 5:1-12 tells us the attitudes, mindsets, and behaviors that He will bless such as humility, grief over the storm, discipline of strength, hunger for righteousness, and enduring persecution with joy. He says that if we keep a pure heart we will see God. Amazing! We urgently need to see the God Who sees us.

Here is some of His other guidance: Don’t seek revenge; give more than required; love your neighbor and your enemies; don’t worry about your life; don’t condemn others; keep on asking and knocking on “God’s door.” You will be known by your fruit (what you produce and do), and build on the ROCK. I will add, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33). What is the kingdom of God? I will let the Apostle Paul answer that critical question. It is more than a hope for the coming millennium.

The Kingdom Of God
The Apostle Paul tells us in Romans 14:17, “The kingdom of God is not meat and drink, but righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.” Bear in mind that the Kingdom—with its righteousness, peace and joy—is in the Holy Spirit. Yes, He is the same Holy Spirit that anointed and led Jesus; and, the same Holy Spirit that filled the disciples at Pentecost. In the Holy Spirit is righteousness, peace and joy. It is and will be the Holy Spirit that takes us to the Rock and gets us through the storm with RIGHTEOUSNESS, PEACE, and JOY!

Kingdom Righteousness
Let me be clear that righteousness comes by faith in Jesus and His righteousness, not our own. That being true, the Holy Spirit within us produces the righteousness of Jesus in our lives. Righteousness is a morally upright life—a right relationship to God and man. It is having the law of God written in our hearts (see Jeremiah 31:33-34; Romans 2:15). Faith in Jesus means that we obey what the Holy Spirit is telling us and what He has told us to do in Holy Scriptures.

I am glad for the historical, Orthodox creeds, but real faith takes doctrine into daily life. Doctrine is more than theory; it is our way of living. The mere reciting of a creed will not prepare us for life’s storms, but obedience will. It is our obedience and way of living that will be tested (see First Corinthians 3:9-17). Hebrews 11 is the great chapter on faith and it records what they did that the writer says “obtained a good report.” James tells us that faith without works is dead (see James 2:14-26). Why? Because lip service to faith will not prepare us for the future. Isaiah warns against drawing near to God with our lips when our heart is far from God (see Isaiah 29:13). Obedience comes from the heart.

Though I am deeply grateful for the grace and mercy of God, and I am personally indebted, there is often too much presumption and relying on “cheap grace.” It seems there is often too much dead, not living, faith. That produces a false righteousness or self-righteousness. True faith obeys. Yes, through faith we are counted righteous and through faith and grace we produce righteous acts. It is both our faith and acts that are being and will be tested in the storm.

We do not want to be like the mythical Rip Van Winkle who slept through the revolution and woke up twenty years later in a world he did not recognize. That is happening to many Christians now. Righteousness is a right relationship to God, family, and neighbor which prepares us for what is ahead (see Exodus 20:1-17). So, the government of God is righteous, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. Can we have all of that in the midst of the storm? The answer is yes!

Kingdom Peace
There are many things that help us to have peace, such as focusing on the positive, counting our blessings, mental discipline, and avoiding conflict. But that is not what Kingdom peace is. Kingdom peace is the peace of God or peace that is God’s own peace. Imagine God’s own peace! God’s peace is not worked up, it comes down as we surrender to His reign in our lives. The direct evidence of complete trust and obedience is peace.

My dad used to say that “anxiety is a mild case of atheism.” Anxiety cannot change the future, but it ruins the present. True peace is not circumstantial. It can be received on the mountain top or in the valley, in poverty or wealth (see Philippians 4:11.) It is the peace that supasses our comprehension (see Philippians 4:7). It is divine and divinely given; it is a gift from God. I love the hymn lyric that says, “When all around my soul gives way, He then is all my hope and stay” (from “Christ the Solid Rock”). And there is another song that I love and used to sing with my friend John Duke,who is now with the Lord, “Peace, peace, wonderful peace, coming down from the Father above.”

Can we have God’s own peace in the midst of this storm? Absolutely, if we will ask, then trust Him with all our hearts, and do not lean on our own understanding (see Proverbs 3:5). When we receive His peace, then we are ready to receive something more and really wonderful!

Kingdom Joy
I love joy and I hope that we all do. But joy is difficult to fake. It is deeper than the brain because it is unexplainable; it is God’s own joy! His joy is our strength (see Nehemiah 8:10; Psalm 28:7). Yes, that is true especially in difficult times. God laughs at what He sees ahead that we don’t see yet (see Psalm 2:4; 37:13). But He gives us a touch of His laughter so we can laugh with Him if we trust Him.

Many years ago, Psalm 126 became my personal Psalm: “Then our mouths were filled with laughter and our tongues with joyful shouting. Then they said among the nations, the Lord has done great things for them. The Lord has done great things for us and we are glad.” The Psalm goes on to say, “Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He that goes forth weeping, bearing precious seed shall doubtless come again rejoicing bringing his sheaves with him.” What a great promise!

Joy is our strength for the preparation and our reward for the labor. It keeps us steady in the storm and mystifies our enemies. It is contagious to others and encouraging. Horace and Ann Vinson have been my dear friends for 55 years. They have been through a lot as we face age together. When we fellowship, there is a lot of laughter and joy, even as we face our age. Joy helps us get on through life. Real joy is always just below the surface and down in the belly, ready to break out in roaring laughter. I find it difficult to write this for wanting to laugh out loud! Praise God for His joy!

Jesus said that we could have joy, even in persecution (see Luke 6:22-23). Paul and Silas rejoiced after being beaten and put in prison. Their joy brought the jailor to Jesus, and then the jailor rejoiced! Joy is the sign of victory and is most contagious.

The Unshakable Kingdom
Yes, foundations are being tested. We are in a storm, but there is a firm foundation that is vital! His kingdom is unshakable (see Hebrews 12:28). I believe God loves us and as our heavenly Father; He tests us and disciplines us in order to mature us and prepare us for whatever is ahead. “Love” that does not prepare us is not love at all.

I encourage us all to draw near to Him with our hearts and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit. Remember, the kingdom with its righteousness, peace, and joy, is in the Holy Spirit. By God’s grace, wisdom and strength, let’s meet at the Rock!

In Him,
Charles Simpson

Article by my brother, Dr. John Parish

WISDOM FOR DAILY LIVING

“Wrong Proposition =Wrong Conclusion”

Proposition: The moon is made out of green cheese. Corollary truth: The moon reflects the light of the sun. Conclusion: Therefore the moon gives off a green light. Observation Reality: The moon gives off a yellow light. Where did we go wrong? The original proposition was wrong–the moon is NOT made out of green cheese.

Proposition: New Testament Prophets are the same as Old Testament Prophets. Corollary truth: Old Testament Prophets were moved by the Holy Spirit and wrote Old Testament Scriptures, and were held accountable to be 100% accurate. Conclusion: Therefore New Testament Prophets are moved on by the Holy Spirit to the level of speaking the word of God equal to New Testament Scriptures, and must be held to 100% accuracy. What is wrong with this picture? There are no more Old Testament Prophets! According to Jesus Christ, John the Baptist was the last one. “For all the Prophets and the law prophesied until John.” Matthew 11:13 There are New Testament Prophets, but they do not write scriptures. The New Testament was written by Apostles, not prophets. New Testament Prophets do not prophesy with the same 100% accuracy, “Thus saith the Lord.” And are not held to that same level of accountability. New Testament Prophets, along with the other ministry gifts, are given for the perfection (maturing) of the church, for the edification of its members, until the body comes into the unity of the faith.(See Ephesians 4:11-15) New Testament prophets do not speak “Thus saith the Lord”. New Testament prophets must be willing to be judged by others. (Can you imagine Moses, Isaiah, or Daniel having to be judged?) “Let the prophets speak two or three, and let the other judge. If anything be revealed to another that sits by, let the first hold his peace. For ye may all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all be comforted. And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.” (I Corinthians 14:29-32) “Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.” (I Thessalonians 5:20-21). Holding fast to the good means not holding fast to that which is not good. New Testament prophecy must be judged. New Testament prophecy is a great blessing to the church. “But he who prophesies speaks unto men to edification, exhortation, and comfort.” (I Corinthians 14:3). But Old Testament Scriptures that were speaking to Old Testament people about Old Testament prophets do NOT apply to New Testament Prophets. Amos 3:7 “Surely the Lord does nothing unless He reveals His secrets to His servants the prophets.” (Amos 3:7) (“…Believe His prophets and you shall prosper.” (II Chronicles 20:20) Wonderful scriptures that apply to Old Testament prophets. So why is this so important that we distinguish between Old and New Testament Prophets? We are seeing Prophets doubling down on some prophecies by saying they gave a “Thus saith the Lord”. They are saying things like “God said it, and God cannot lie!” God cannot lie, but if it doesn’t come to pass, God didn’t say it! A New Testament Prophet said it! Taking every word of a New Testament prophet as God’s Word equal to the scripture is where the mistake is being made. Bro. Kenneth Hagin taught this distinction between Old Testament and New Testament Prophets. I wish we had listened to him!

Not everything in life is equally important. Some things are more important than others. This is true about what we think and believe. Nowhere is it more important than what we believe about God and spiritual things. However, sometimes the way we believe and talk would not cause one to know that we believe this.

For your consideration, I suggest we give some thought to the following:

Core or Central Beliefs

God – Jesus.

Salvation by grace.

Resurrection.

Authority of Scripture.

These are things that we see as foundational to a belief in God, the Bible, Jesus Christ, and His great salvation provided to us through the Cross. If one does not believe these things, there is room for doubt about salvation.

Secondary Beliefs

Gifts of the Spirit.

Water Baptism.

Miracles.

While we believe each of these things, and think they are very important we do not see them as necessary for salvation through the blood of Jesus.

Tertiary

Creation.

Escatology.

Who wrote Hebrews or Isaiah.

Political beliefs.

Again, we may believe all these have importance in our lives, but they are not things that should divide us in the Body of Christ. Yet, as in the Corinthian Church, many such beliefs were allowed to divide that church because of their spiritual immaturity. And I fear that it is happening now in the Body of Christ in our day!

So, what can we do about it?

Lay aside, as much as possible, our preconceived ideas of God, His Word, etc., and begin to read and study it as if we were reading it for the first time. Establish a relationship with the person of Jesus Christ. Spend some time and get to know Him from His ministry on earth from the four Gospels. See how He did things during His ministry. Then go through the books of Acts and see how the early church responded to His word to them. Spend some time in prayer fellowshipping with Him daily.

Let’s get beyond what separates us through an emphasis on the lesser things and put emphasis on the greater truths that can unite us as the Body of Christ. We can put whatever emphasis in our local church as we feel so led, but we can go beyond the things that divide us to work with other believers who may believe some things differently than we do for the sake of the world around us.

In our pastors’ prayer group in Louisville, we have ministers who hold different beliefs on the secondary or tertiary issues but believe the core truths of the Bible, therefore, we are able to work together in a broad sense. And, this can work in each local church as well,

For example, in the local congregation, you may have someone who has a very conservative take on political issues and someone else sees the same issues from a more liberal viewpoint. Yet, they can worship in the same church in peace if each of them sees their views as less important than the central beliefs the church holds. But the moment someone puts their political, or any other belief as necessary for fellowship, then division has set in which can have tremendous negative effects on the whole congregation.

Something to think about!

When Jesus will return is a topic that has been discussed for centuries. There are varied beliefs about this subject with different ones being in vogue at different times. What I would like to do with this short article is give some definitions of terms that might help us get a better idea about what we individually believe about His return.

DEFINITIONS

Rapture – comes from the Greek word harpadzo meaning to catch or snatch away found in 1 Thessalonians 4:17.

Revelation – comes from the Greek word parousia meaning coming, presence, or revelation found in 1 Thessalonians 4:15 (and other places).

Millenium – means 1000 as in 1000 years found in Revelation 20:2.

Pre-millenial – before the millenium.

Post – millenial – after the millenium.

A – millenial – no millenium.

Tribulation – period of time when great trouble is coming on the earth. Some say it will be 3 1/2 years while others say 7 years. More about this later.

Wrath of God – when God will pour out His wrath on the ungodly at some point before the Millenium. This period of time is thought to last 3 1/2 years.

VIEWS

Premillennial

At various times and places throughout the centuries, one of these views has been the predominant one. At the present time, in evangelical circles, the premillennial belief seems to be the one most people hold onto. This belief says that Jesus at some point is coming back before the millenium. Some believe in a secret rapture that may occur at any time before any further end-time events occur. Some people believe He is coming before the tribulation & wrath of God, while others believe while He is coming back before the millenium but either in the middle of the seven years or at the end of the seven years.

The most common of these theories is that Jesus will come in a secret rapture, then the tribulation will occur, followed by the wrath of God, then His parousia when He sets up His kingdom.

This belief says that regardless of when Jesus comes again He will set up His earthly kingdom in its fullest expression for all eternity.

This is a fairly modern belief having been emphasized since about 1827 by John Darby and made more common by the C.I.Scofield study bible.

Postmillennial

This view was more prominent in countries and times where Christians suffered persecution. However, in many places it is gaining once again as an important view point.

The major tenet is that Jesus will return after the Millenium. At which time He will establish His kingdom.

A millennial.

Many liturgical churches hold to this viewpoint. Its basic belief is that there is no literal millennium. Statements of Scripture that might be taken as literal should be understood as figurative. That God at some point will establish His kingdom in ways we do not yet understand.

While I believe these topics are good discussions to have, I do not believe they should be used to break fellowship over because none of us have the final answer on any of it!

Where am I in all this? I would identify with being premillennial, either mid-tribulation but am leaning toward the post-wrath of God position. I have often said I am basically a pan-millennialist meaning I believe everything is going to “pan” out as the Father wants it!

At this time of year, many of us make a new year’s resolution. It is often about losing weight, being a better person, getting out of debt, buying a house or car, etc. Too often those resolutions only last a few days and the person goes back to behaving like they always have. Is there a better way to make important changes in our life? I suggest there is.

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary of the English Language says a resolution means “a fixed purpose or determination of mind, as a resolution to reform our lives.” This sounds like a good definition, however, the problem is not with the definition but the lack of commitment to do what is resolved to be done! Many of us change our mind as often as we change our clothes!

Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary says to commit means, “with the reciprocal pronoun, to commit one’s self, is to do some act, or make some declaration, which may bind the person in honor, good faith, or consistency, to pursue a certain course of conduct, or to adhere to the tenor of that declaration.”

Years ago, there was a saying, “my word is my bond,” that was taken seriously in business transactions and life in general. However, it appears to me that many in our day have long ago forsaken such actions. To them, their word means very little so when it comes to making a resolution or telling a friend that they will do a certain thing, they feel very little need to actually carry through on what they said.

When Webster says that in making a commitment one is binding himself in honor and good faith to pursue a course of action to adhere to what he said, it is more than words but a strong determination to carry out what he said. And here is where the ‘rubber meets the road.’ When resolutions fail, it is most often that we merely said words, and have not made a commitment to actually carry it out.

So, how can we make a resolution that is actually kept? Give some quality thought to it before you make it. Are you willing to carry through on it regardless of the cost? When you make the resolution known to others, are you putting your honor on the line and become willing for them to hold you accountable for it? If so, you will probably keep it. If not, it may be broken in a matter of a few days.

Our Christianity should positively affect every area of our life, our words, thoughts, attitudes, and actions. Because we often do not allow it to do so, our witness to others is adversely affected.

I am glad that many of the laws and principles incorporated in the founding of the United States of America were based on Biblical truth. But that alone does not make us a Christian nation, either then or now.

It concerns me that both then and now many of us confess to being Christian but fail to live the lifestyle one would expect from such a declaration.

THINGS THAT SUGGEST WE HAVE MUCH ROOM TO GROW

1. Greed for finances and things it will allow us to possess to the detriment of advancing the Kingdom of God.
2. Failure to grasp basic truths of the New Testament such as, loving the Lord supremely and our neighbor as ourselves.
3. Placing customs above Scriptural mandates, such as Christmas and the way it is celebrated which has nothing to do with the incarnation of Jesus. OR Easter which has nothing to do with rabbits, eggs, etc. but the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus.
4. Preaching a watered-down version of the Gospel to win the world which is powerless to do so.
5. Misusing Scripture to soothe our conscious when the Holy Spirit convicts us of our waywardness from the plain statements of the Word of God.

SO, WHAT SHOULD WE DO ABOUT THESE THINGS?

1. Read, study, and meditate in the Scriptures – specifically the New Testament.
2. Work on renewing our mind to New Testament promises.
3. Declare in prayer that we humble ourselves before the Lord and seek His face and direction.
4. Recognize that the church is not a building but an organism that needs to gather in small and large groups for worship, instruction, fellowship, and ministry.
5. Realize that we are not of the world system but have been sent by Jesus into the world to proclaim His Kingdom.

At least, that is the way I see it!