Kirk Gilchrist

So much is happening around here – it’s virtually impossible to write about and to keep up with. Think on these things with me:

• We’ve had 6 Baptismals (we have another one in the Spanish Church this month!) this year alone. We estimate we have baptized over 100 New Converts.
• This last week – 6 Brand New Converts at Operation High Life
• Leah and her Group are constantly working on seeing kids saved, filled with the Holy Spirit and now they have two incredible Fundraisers to raise the funds for Kids Life and Life Town – We want to use Life Town as a full time Day Care to help kids and their families
• We have gone into the schools (with them asking us!) and given messages during school hours with great success. They are now asking us to teach classes on Parenting – so we need to get the Class Room Wing completed!
• Operation High Life at Three Local High Schools – TI, Watertown and Indian River
• Every Service people are experiencing God and being set Free – The Testimonies and reports keep coming in – every week we are told how someone else was set free and touched by God.
• Healings in every sort – check out the webpage at newlifenny.com – we try and track them – but can’t keep up!
• Every Week – new visitors that call us “home”.
• Great things happening in our Life Groups – the last Men’s Breakfast at the Taylors I had the great privilege of leading a man to the Lord.
• All kinds of things happening at the Prison Ministry – Every Ministry is doing great!
• We give out bread, special offerings, and help the poor and needy in incredible ways!
• I could go on and on and on…………..Coffee Bar, Hospitality (we’ve had at least 4 reports of people getting saved at the door as they walk in due to the “love they feel”), our great ushers; and great teams all over the place! We have over 100 Volunteers helping here at New Life.

God is simply moving! Let’s be aware! If I said to you that last week I walked into a morgue and raised 6 people from the dead – you’d go nuts! Well, the blind are seeing, the deaf do hear and the dead are being raised. I saw it last Wednesday Night at the High School and I see it daily! You get it?

With that all in mind, we must finish this building! So, we are having a Special Offering time next Sunday, June 13^th. Please come prepared to give. We only need 150K to finish the whole project. Every dollar matters and I know there are some “Big” Givers out there as well. Be led by the Holy Spirit – but be led! God is on the move and this is our day and our shot at changing this County. It is happening – let’s simply get on board with our giving and our tithes!

It’s a great time to be alive!

I find one of the most amazing sections of Scriptures to be Matthew 5, 6 and 7 in which we find the Sermon on the Mount. It is here that Jesus gives us the Beatitudes; the truth of what murder, adultery, and an eye for an eye really mean; the necessity of loving our enemies; the Lord’s prayer and then we come to Matthew 7. Here Jesus tells us that we shouldn’t judge others and need to remove the plank from our own eyes. What plank we may ask? How about whether we are poor in spirit, are meek and merciful? How about if we thirst for righteousness, love our enemies and actually give to those that may sue us. This is the Kingdom message, which often is totally a contradiction to what we see in Christian circles. He then tells us that the narrow path is actually those that live this kind of life and that the broad path is those that are critical and harsh in their criticism. In the midst of all this He says that we can tell whether someone is “sheep minded” by the fruit of our lives. How often are we those that find fault or how often are we those that look for the greatness in others? That’s the context and the implication. So, I began inspected my own life first and then the life of others. I realized that many purport some kind of great wisdom (or even minimal wisdom) and rarely (if ever) lead anyone to Jesus and disciple no one. That’s not great fruit by any means. I looked at myself and decided I must also come under that microscope. Do I lead others to Christ? Do I disciple others? Do I serve and give and care for the need of others before my own? These are real questions we must answer and there is a reason……..By their fruit we will no them and By our fruit we can know us. It’s a great sermon preached by the greatest of all preachers. Perhaps we should assess and ask………wheres the fruit?

Over the years I have heard and read so many reports of Revival. I have heard for over 30 years now that Revival is coming. It’s like the unending promise that never comes. It truly has become hope that has made the heart sick. I’ve also heard and read it said that Revival looks like this……repentance, turning back to God, Holiness and certain other attributes. First, we must understand that Jesus said Revival is ready. He actually warned us against saying its for the future, that its ready right now. Imagine that!  I don’t disagree with many of the attributes people write revival will look like in the least, but I often ponder that perhaps it could be very different. In fact, very Jesus like. Jesus said that the thief (Satan) comes to rob, kill and destroy and that He came to bring life and that more abundantly. The wording means a life that is superior, unsurpassed and extraordinary. Can you imagine if we just took Jesus as the example? The blind would see, the lame would walk and there would be two other attainable attributes I believe we miss. We would deeply love God’s Creation and be super happy about it. Yeah, that’s right – joyful – in fact abundantly joyful people. Too often Christians are accused of being unhappy and having “no fun”. The truth is that if we fell in love with His Creation because He gave us this earth and we understood His marvel at Creating it and therefore looked at every aspect of His Creation as a prized jewel for us to treasure and cherish. Perhaps we’d have a very different life. A much more joyful one in my opinion. And can you imagine what the earth would look like with joy filled and overflowing Christian lives. Maybe, just maybe the world would look on and say I want to be like them! And get this…..if that happened……hmmmm……Revival! Perhaps the enemy has robbed us one of the great attributes that can actually win people – a life that exudes the life of Jesus who walked into sinners homes, hung out at weddings, enjoyed His creation and actually mourned when they wouldnt live a life full of wisdom from His heavenly Father. In my humble opinion that’s what Revival looks like – and if we fell that deeply in love with Creation and God’s opinion of it (that includes us individually) then perhaps the other truths fall in line with it – and we would repent, turn back to God, and be a much more Holy people. Any way you cut it -it would be a great place to be. Love you all!

Ok, Ok, I said that for affect and didn’t finish the sentence. God is Crazy about you! I actually can’t even begin to describe how deep God’s love is for you, but let me just highlight a few thoughts. Have you ever considered the idea that God called His Creation good? And the ramifications and meaning of that little statement. This is not Kirk talking about a good golf shot or your Mom or Dad saying you did good in school. This is the Almighty God looking at everything He had done and with His wording calling it good…..and then very good! Can you think that through with me? Let me tell you how good it was and how good it would become! It was so good that He also understood that His son would one day have to die the most horrific death on a cross for you and I. It was so good that this same son would hang upon the cross totally brutalized and say to His accusers, “Father Forgive them, for they know not what they do”. It was so good that He created you with every part of His purpose in mind. It is so good that He loves every little part of you – yes, He’s crazy about every small and minute portion of your Being. He Created the trees, the grass, the rivers and streams; the mountains and its peaks and valleys; every fish of the oceans and every fish of the lakes; every tiny detail of every part of creation; every color of every flower; every flower with every color – get the point! It’s remarkable! And in the midst of all that He looks at you and says…….you’re my favorite. Let me leave you with this thought today….meditate on it. You are God’s favorite and He loves you best! God is Crazy in love with  you!

Yes, you read that right. God is the problem. The reason being is we keep creating a God after our own Image rather than a man after His image. It’s starkly different and as for me and my house – I so want the reality of Jesus. I mean……..think about it. If we want to judge and hate others – we just create a God that does. If we want to be soft – we just create a God that does. Think of the Adulterous woman caught in the act. What is your emphasis on Jesus words? “Go and Sin no more”……if we want that kind of God. “Neither do I condemn you”, if we want that kind of God. Get the point? The truth is that He is all of that and more. He is the God that died for His enemies – that washed the feet of His Judas (betrayer) – that prayed and had relationship with the Father. He is the God that does not hate – nor spew! In fact, I’ve come to believe “Obama” is a swear word in many Christian circles. How tragic. How sad and how so very unlike Jesus.  I find one all consuming thought in this regards, however. Jesus came to reveal it all to us. He told us He would point to the Father and show us what the Father is like. Hence we have our example and knowledge of who God is and what God is really like. I know, I know……some would say – well look at what He said to the Pharisees – let that form your Doctrine as well. I shall and I do. Thats the point. He was really ticked off at religious people who made their converts “much more a disciple of Hell”. That’s His words to the Pharisees – as well as many others. It convicts me and it challenges me. So, my suggestion. Start by doing a careful read of the Gospels and dispel your preconceived ideas of who you want Jesus to be. Just let Him be! Then read a great book called, “The Signature of Jesus”, by Brennan Manning. Then investigate your heart and life and say to the Lord honestly – I just want to be like You! Do it without Agenda and see what God – the real God – can do! Love you all!

2 Chronicles 7:14 – If my people who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will heal their land.

There it is! National Health Care – God’s way – I believe in National Health Care. However, don’t you think it would be wise to examine the verse and see if there is something we might be missing. Let’s look at it:

1. We must be humble. Wow! Startling news to many of us. I find James 3:13-18 to be an interesting read of Scripture. It is there we find the Wisdom of Heaven. In cursory reading you will find that God’s wisdom is pure, peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy, and without partiality. I wonder if we examined every word we speak and every attitude we have if that kind of wisdom is found there. The truth is that any wisdom that does not contain these truths is not Heavenly, but earthly, sensual and demonic according to the Bible. Let’s start the examination there.

2. We must pray and Seek God. This is the hour in which we were born for. It is the greatest time to be alive. But, whats the point if that is without God’s Almighty Power? What’s the point if we take the promised land and God doesnt go in with us? The Scripture is clear – Seek the Lord and He will be found! We absolutely need to tap into the Creative understanding and power of the Holy Spirit and let God lead us into His truth. It is then we will have real and new creative ideas and answers.

3. The Church world must turn from its wicked ways. I find it so alarming that we are afraid to admit we are dark in our sin. All of us! That is Romans 3 – there is none righteous – no not one. And yet, we get into this frenzy of saying ones sin is darker than ours. Or look at that National Leader and how he fell while we talk behind his back and throw our arrows. How appalling! We ALL must turn from our own wicked ways – gossip, slander, Movie watching (if its wrong stuff), porn, back stabbing, critical attitudes and words, anything and everything – the verse is for ALL of us. If we do….then look at the promise.

The promise is National Health Care – maybe, just maybe we (the church) are missing something on the focus of what we are doing and need to apply this verse so that President Obama might be relieved of his pressure. I say that with no malice – I mean it!

Now that’s National Health Care I’d vote for!

Recently, I heard a preacher say, “no one preaches on the cross anymore”. I keep wondering who these masked men and women are. I honestly don’t know of one preacher who doesn’t preach on the cross. Yes, you read that right – not one! If you would, for a few moments, let me expand our understand of the cross. What is the cross? The cross was and is a picture of how we should live. Jesus said, we must deny ourselves and take up our cross. That’s very direct and very critical doctrine for us. But what does that mean? Examine it with me. The cross was a man named Jesus who on one single night had five trials. In those trials they spit on him, slapped him, mocked him and ridiculed him. At one point the Roman Soldiers were commanded to beat him 39 times with a Roman whip with glass tips. It would rip into his flesh and take out huge portions of his body. They most likely hit his face, his legs and yes, even his face. The Bible says he was marred more than other man. In fact, he was so beaten we are told he was unrecognizable. They also placed the crown of thorns that buried itself into his flesh and inflected terrible pain and blood that most likely ran down his face and into his eyes. Then the pounding of the nails into his hands and his feet. The stretching of his ligaments and bones as the Romans would force his body into the Cross position. It was there we understand the Cross. It is here we can understand what it means to deny ourselves and only here. He looked down with those blood soaked eyes at those that were still accusing him and said, “Father forgive them for they know now what they do”. That is the Cross my friends…….

This is an interesting question, and one I just became aware of. Recently some people have linked the 7 Mountain teaching to Dominion Theology. I couldn’t disagree more. I’m actually not sure why someone would believe in such a Doctrine. Dominion Theology basically teaches that ultimately through power and influence of the church we can take the Nations back and somehow present them to God. There is a major problem with this kind of thinking – such as – read your Bible. We know that in the end every nation will gather against Israel. We know that in the end it will be hard to find faith on the earth. We know that in the end times many different catastrophic events will take place that will not allow for Christian nations – yet alone in certain cases – much faith. That is clear Biblical truth and doctrine. So, what do I believe? I believe the church was called and is called to help the earth. We are called to have influence every place that we go. I believe that Christian kids raised properly and with the gifting s of knowing how to work, think by the power of the Holy Spirit; understand how to be on time and listen to their bosses; and understand Kingdom finances can and will be those that change every environment they find themselves in. I believe the same for adults. We are Kingdom people with a Kingdom mind – that can be earth changing and shattering. However, that does not mean more than what the Bible makes clear. With that in mind, maybe we should call it 7 places of influence, or 7 different areas of culture change – or better yet – The Kingdom! My two cents worth…….

There seems to be this ringing “righteous” statement made against the Body of Christ. It is back slidden, or lukewarm, or somehow not fulfilling its purpose. You also hear, “no one preaches the cross, or about hell” and on and on it goes.

Well, I’d like to ask you a question that you would think through with me. Who?

Who are these masked men and women? I talk to hundreds of pastors and I honestly don’t know of one single preacher (or Christian for that matter) who doesn’t preach this or believe this. Not one! In fact, what I see out in the Body is a lot of people with issues and problems – who in spite of their problems are still striving and working and giving and believing in Jesus with all they have! Shouldn’t that be honored as such?

I also know there is an Accuser of the Brethren – his name is Satan – and he wants believers to join his attack. May we resist the temptation to do so and instead value and esteem God’s beautiful Bride. As a great friend of mine once preached – “it is the Beautiful Body of Christ”. The attack, to me, is just way too cheap and way too easy. I see greatness in the Body!

I find it interesting how we can simply buy into the Devil’s lies because we don’t think through an issue or really consider it both Scriptually and sensibly. Many times we can sound so “holy” by saying statements such as “its not about numbers” and actually be outside of true Holiness and the truth of the Scripture.

Actually, it is about numbers and the Scripture reminds us of that often. For example, 5000 were fed; 4000 were fed; 3000 were added to the church and a whole book called the book of “Numbers” in which the children of Israel were numbered by God!

The Bible says that God is not willing that any should perish and I can tell you that the Devil and all of his demons know its about populating Hell with numbers. We should all be striving for incredibly large churches knowing that this represents Believers who actually know and believe that Hell is a reality. That people who do not know Jesus will spend an eternity there and we want to vacate Hell and make Heaven full of our friends, co-workers, family members, etc. Numbers equate to souls and they do matter! Let’s bring the Kingdom to earth!