scottsholar

     Today, as my wife and I sat under a Canary Island date palm beside Lake Apopka (Newton Park, Winter Garden, FL), I told her about my Bible study earlier this morning. I had been studying Mark chapter five today, and she made a comment that really “rang true” for me.

     This chapter deals with the episode of the man who was demon-possessed that Jesus encountered. Mark writes, “And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes. And when he was come out of the ship, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit, Who had his dwelling among the tombs; and no man could bind him, no, not with chains: Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. And always, night and day, he was in the mountains, and in the tombs, crying, and cutting himself with stones. But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, And cried with a loud voice, and said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of the most high God? I adjure thee by God, that thou torment me not. For he said unto him, Come out of the man, thou unclean spirit. And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country. Now there was there nigh unto the mountains a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, (they were about two thousand;) and were choked in the sea. And they that fed the swine fled, and told it in the city, and in the country. And they went out to see what it was that was done. And they come to Jesus, and see him that was possessed with the devil, and had the legion, sitting, and clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid. And they that saw it told them how it befell to him that was possessed with the devil, and also concerning the swine. And they began to pray him to depart out of their coasts” (Mark 5:1-17).

     As I was relating this passage to my wife, I said, “Isn’t it amazing that after Jesus had done this miracle and cast the demons out of the man, the people of that place asked Jesus to leave?” And my wife said this, “the same thing is going on today.” And you know what, she’s right!

     Most of the people of the world don’t want to be “bothered” with Jesus. He is too much of an intrusion in their lives, and they would rather go on living just as they are. “Lord, help our nation and our world to be changed and to want to encounter you.”

Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

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     In the 11:15 am worship service, today, at Faith Assembly of God, Orlando, there was a special presence of the Lord that descended. It was tangible. You could feel the Holy Spirit at work; it was a special time of experiencing the touch of the Lord!

     Pastor Carl Stephens preached on worship, and he changed the order of the service to accommodate an intense time of adoration of God. The service opened with two worship songs, a few announcements, then, Pastor Carl went directly into his sermon. Then, afterwards, we were led back into worship by Pastor Matt Perkins. And for about an hour and fifteen minutes, the church responded in worship in song, prayer and praise.

     This, truly, was a revival-type atmosphere. This type of visitation by Jesus doesn’t come along very often. When it does, “you don’t want it to end.” I guess that’s what heaven is going to be like.

     Although I am thankful for the time spent in five institutions of higher learning and the four degrees earned, not all who taught me were full of wisdom. Maybe the better phrase is that they were lacking in “Godly wisdom.”

     For example, in my last class in seminary, two days before I graduated, and in the waning moments of that class, my professor made this statement, “I do not believe that Jesus is ‘the way, the truth and the life.’” I was flabbergasted, to say the least. I could not believe that he would utter such a thing in a Christian seminary, but he did. It “floored” me. Even if I had thought that (if I had been him), I wouldn’t have said it in public.

     On this theme, Jesus held a famous conversation with his disciples. “When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 16:13-17).

     I don’t know about you, but I want to be proclaiming Jesus’s Lordship in these last days before He comes and not declaring the opposite. The Bible says that we are going to stand before Him (Jesus) one day, and if we have denied Him, He will deny us. My prayer is that I would be diligent in proclaiming the truth that Jesus is the only way to God.

Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

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     For those who call themselves “Christian,” there is one thing that is desired more than any other: to hear these words from the Lord, “‘Well done, good and faithful servant’” (Matthew 25:23). This, above all other things, will the be the ultimate achievement for the Christian, and the consummation of a life well-lived.

     But how is this to be accomplished? How will one be welcomed into heaven by the Savior? The answer to that question lies in the statement of Jesus itself. One must be good; one must be faithful; one must be a servant.

     Specifically, one must be good but not in the sense that “we work our way into heaven.” “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9). “Good,” here, means as in one of the fruit of the spirit: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).

     Secondly, one must be faithful to God. There is no substitute for this. The half-hearted and “lukewarm,” I fear, won’t hear those words from Jesus.

     Lastly, one must be a servant to others. Jesus, again, is our example. Jesus told us, “‘Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many’” (Matthew 20:28).

Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

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     Thirty-eight years ago today, May 27, 1975, I gave my life to Jesus. It was, and still is, the greatest day of my life. For if I had not given my life to Him, I wouldn’t be alive this morning.

     My family and I were living in White Lake, NC (pictured above) during this time. I was twelve-years-old and just finishing the seventh grade. I was one of those “rebellious preacher’s kids” that you have probably heard of.

     But even though I had rejected Christ many times before, He still kept drawing me to him. And on this particular night, I couldn’t sleep because of the Lord’s constant and soft knocking on the door of my heart.

     So I got up off the bottom bunk as my little brother slept on the top one, and I found my parents who led me to the Savior. It was a glorious night; one that I will never forget. My life would change radically, and I thank God for His amazing grace, mercy and forgiveness.

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     About five years ago, I was introduced to a passage of Scripture that, previously, I had not been exposed to that often. Jesus said, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force” (Matthew 11:12, KJV). Jesus, a few verses earlier, had been giving the account of the greatness of his cousin, John the Baptist. But what does Jesus mean here?

     Once again, the Amplifed Bible gives a great interpretation of this verse. In this version, it says, “And from the days of John the Baptist until the present time, the kingdom of heaven has endured violent assault, and violent men seize it by force [as a precious prize—a share in the heavenly kingdom is sought with most ardent zeal and intense exertion]” (Matthew 11:12, AMP).

     Our entrance into heaven won’t be by accident or happen nonchalantly. It will take great effort according to this verse of Scripture. “Lord, help me to seek the kingdom of heaven with ‘most ardent zeal.’”

Scripture quotations from The Authorized (King James) Version. Rights in the Authorized Version in the United Kingdom are vested in the Crown. Reproduced by permission of the Crown’s patentee, Cambridge University Press.

“Scripture quotations taken from the Amplified^® Bible,
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission.” (www.Lockman.org)

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     Five years ago last night, I finished thirty-three consecutive nights of revival services (April 14, 2008 to May 16, 2008). It was one of the greatest times of my life. I wouldn’t trade anything for it.

     I would “end up” attending fifty-eight nights of this six-month revival, here, in the heart-of-Florida. People would come from all over the world (approximately 300,000) for this outpouring from God. It was to be a life-changing event for me.

     Specifically, before this time, I needed direction from the Lord. And, out of this “great awakening,” would come a thirty-six-thousand dollar scholarship to seminary (which led to an M.A. in Christian Ministries). Also, Jesus led us to the church that we are now attending due to this revival (we are now leading the evangelism ministry of this church). Overall, God did some amazing things during the Spring and Summer of 2008. To God be the glory!

     But when I would invite people, during this time, to come to the services. I wouldn’t say, “come and see people being healed,” or “come see people get saved or filled with the Spirit.” I would say, “come and experience the power and the presence of God.” That is what would draw me back night after night: the power and presence of God!