NorthGate Church

The Sustainable Christian Life

12/17/2009

I recently read quote by Mark Twain in a popular magazine saying; “Having lost sight of our goals we redouble our efforts.” It is peculiar to the human condition that after finding them at great cost, we then reject the truths which our efforts have revealed. An example would be the 70 year experiment of socialism in the Soviet Socialist Republic. By 1990 the weight of its bureaucracy crashed in an instant. It left a gaping cultural and economic hole in its aftermath. Its failure can be completely attributed to the discounting of human nature. This mistake fails to calculate that man is unredeemed and totally self centered at his heart. And no amount of pressure from outside himself will be able to repress that flaw for long. For this reason Socialism is not sustainable. No amount of redoubling our investment of time resources and manpower can cause it to be otherwise.

Some say it is the desire to be free which ultimately led to the collapse of that empire. This is only partly true. It was and is and will always be the fact that man requires self determination and that my friend is the eternal nemesis to every form of government and philosophical stance which exists. It is also the bane of Christianity.

Self determination is exalted by our form of government because it doesn’t suppress the will of man rather, it harnesses the forward motion of greed and we call it productivity and industry. Our form of government promotes the idea of self gratification and names it the pursuit of happiness. It builds upon the fact that if the people can be convinced that they are in need of something they have a manifest destiny to obtain it no matter what it costs in the lives of others to get it.

Our “by word” for this kind of economy is Consumerism. As long as there is more need than supply of that need then there is an opportunity to accumulate wealth. And consume is what we do best in our nation. It seems to be a much better form of government than all others because everyone seems to benefit by it. President Reagan called it the “trickle down” effect. This idea is at the heart of what keeps us from rebelling just as did the citizens of the Soviet block countries. Everyone can prosper at some level but in the final analysis this form of government is also unsustainable. No democracy has ever survived long because no matter how credible its doctrine and economy.  Greed will be its failing and will outstrip its core strengths and plunder its strongest elements.

Case in point would be the recent stock market crash which could have become our swan song as a major economy. I was not surprised at all that major companies had over estimated their value. Powered by greed which robbed millions of their savings and ultimately their jobs, they too crashed under the weight of an unsustainable economic philosophy.

Our United States of America, which I hold dear and precious, the land of the free and home of the brave is actually an anomaly among the histories of great civilizations!  It has come closer to sustainable existence than most other attempts at popular government. Yet it too will pass into history. As long as there is the notion of a government “By the people, for the people and of the people” we will have people problems. I am not knocking our achievements nor our value to the whole human race. I just know that no matter what the present status of men who govern themselves the outcome will be the same.

Enter the Kingdom of God. The reason for the early and great success of our country lies in its foundation.  The men and women of our heritage made their blood and bounty a sacrifice to the notion that a man must be free to worship his God without the constraints and dictates of hereditary or religious powers. Whether it be the hierarchal church or the hereditary monarchies, each had imprisoned people under a slavery which chaffs the very nature of Man. From the Magna Charta to the US Constitution we have carved out the idea of inalienable rights of the individual! Freedom is a God thing. However, what we have is not the freedom that God has offered. No Government can give you that. Our forefathers of the American Revolution knew this to be true and made it clear that they intended to establish a Republic not a Democracy in the sense that is known today.

In the Republic only the mature, educated, Christian or moral equivalent, could be voted on to govern. Along with the Bible, elections were the feed stock of every sermon from every pulpit. No thought of what is called separation of Church and State was ever entertained. Pastors were men of valor and integrity never wavering in an indecisive purgatory over moral issues.

“There is no King but Jesus” was the most used motto of the revolution! The cry of man to worship freely has been subjugated in our history books by the cry for “Liberty or Death”. The fact that every man could pursue His sovereign God in the way his faith determined is the foundation that has made America stand as long as it has stood. Even today God remembers His martyrs of faith though their descendants are unappreciative of their sacrifice.

The Kingdom of God has come and with it follows the only sustainable authority structure. The rule of Christ within the man trumps the rule of human Philosophy from without! Until men are convicted of their sin and futility of self determination or any other form of dominion, they will fail utterly.  Let us not redouble our efforts to revive a proven failure. Let us regain the sight of our goals. “To live is Christ to die is gain!”

This series of articles will explore what a sustainable Christian life looks like and I hope you will be encouraged and inspired to make Jesus and the Kingdom of God the foremost authority in all of your thoughts and actions.

Aluta Continua!

Ken

pastorken thoughts

Believe it or not everything you are currently experiencing is but a cloud passing momentarily over the brightness of the Sun. After its passing we forget its sorrow and pain as we wash in the brilliance of our life giving star. If you are suffering from illness or financial weakness, If, you are undergoing grief from the death of a loved one or from the breakup of a marriage take heart this day will pass. Our hope is in the completed work of Christ. From Gethsemane through Calvary our Lord has provided sustaining hope. All things that pertain to life and godliness is provided for us. Healing and restoration is but a heartbeat away. All that remains in the way of hope is our willingness to embrace the death of Jesus as atonement for our suffering. If we know of this great gift we should act in gratitude to take it into ourselves and not delay the work of deliverance that was given freely on our behalf. Let us move out of the shadow of that passing cloud and rejoice in the light that we have. At the Cross we were given entrance into the very throne room of Grace. The Power of the sacrifice is not diminished by our circumstances. Even death is swallowed up in life. Divorce is eclipsed by forgiveness and mercy, Grieving and all its accompanying ailments of depression and exhaustion are handled by his own tender mercies and He bears them up out of your soul. Yes this God of ours is mighty to save us from all afflictions. On the day we will be required to commend our spirits to him and enter the realms of glory there will be no thought of grief and sorrow. Only Joy and rejoicing in a cloudless Eternity. Selah! Enjoy the SON! PK

pastorken thoughts

Come Holy Spirit

The Prayer Room Project is a chance to press in to where the Holy Spirit is  moving in Salisbury.  This is  outreach, a practical step in loving as Jesus loved. The prayer for revival and renewal in Salisbury paves the way and softens our hearts toward the lost, the hurt, the dying, and the blind.   Today Jesus has reminded me that the Prayer Room is for the lost in Salisbury, and with that reminder I feel a wave of the Father’s love and an upswelling in my Spirit. I hope you get a chance to come and join us on the wall as we pray for revival in Salisbury.

jason thoughts

     Fasting has opened my eyes and my heart to a whole new level of intimacy with the Father. I don’t do it well or as often as I could. I often times break my fast after only a couple of hours. I have yet to grasp the power and grace that He offers through fasting. I often struggle to get there, but this I know, in fasting I draw near to my Father. In fasting, I become sensitive to things of the Spirit. In fasting, my heart opens to others. I fail miserably at focusing on the Lord in a fast. I fail at keeping a prayer before Him through the whole thing, and I think this is good. My fasting is not to beg or force the Creator of ALL to do my bidding. I am not proving to Him that I am worthy, I am going to where I can meet Him. This is a fundamental shift in my perceptions of who He is and my relationship with Him. I look at Jesus at in the end of Mathew chapter 3, God opens up the heavens and speaks audibly to all around that “this is my dearly loved Son, who bring me great joy.” Jesus hadn’t done anything on record yet. It is after this that Jesus goes into the wilderness to fast. I am excited about the coming 21 day fast in January and I have started fasting on Wednesdays to prepare myself for a deeper encounter with my God. I may not make it all 21 days, who cares… but I will draw near to the living God in a way I never have before.

jason thoughts fasting

Here are some teaching notes from Kenneth Koontz

Doubt and Unbelief

11/10/2009

Word up!

We know that we are to live by faith in God not Faith in Faith

Faith has several enemies and two of them are everyday struggles for each believer.

We know God is pleased by a person who has faith (Heb. 11:6).

God will work miracles on behalf of a person who has faith (Matt. 9:22, Luke 18:42).

God limits or even refuses to work in a person’s life when that person’s faith is weakened by doubt or unbelief (Mark 6:5, James 1:7).

Doubt

Diakrino.

Strong’s definition:

1. To separate, make a distinction, discriminate, to prefer.

2. To learn by discrimination, to try, decide, give judgment, decide a dispute

3. To withdraw from one, desert

4. To separate one’s self in a hostile spirit, to oppose, strive with dispute, contend

5. To be at variance with one’s self, hesitate, doubt

Description: Uncertainty on what to believe.

Cure: Enough information to make a firm decision on what to believe.

Mat. 21:21

Jesus answered and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith, and doubt (diakrino) not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig tree, but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done.

Mark 11:23 For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt (diakrino) in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

Acts 10:20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting (diakrino) nothing: for I have sent them.

Acts 11:12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting (diakrino). Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house:

Romans 14:23 And he that doubteth (diakrino) is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.

James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering (diakrino) . For he that wavereth (diakrino) is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.

Diakrino is What Eve experienced in the Garden. Her information was challenged by the information of Satanic deception. Doubt arises to limit or eliminate you from the favor of God.

Another hindrance to faith is Unbelief.

Unbelief

Apistea.

Strong’s definition:

1. Lacking confidence in the performer, unfaithfulness, faithless

2. Want of faith, unbelief

3. Weakness of faith

Description: Doubting God’s willingness or ability to alter the circumstances one is in.

Cure: Repentance (i.e. choose to believe)

Usage in KJB: Unbelief 12

Mat. 13:58 And he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief (apistea).

Mat. 17:20 And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief (apistea): for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Mark 6:6 And he marveled because of their unbelief (apistea). And he went round about the villages, teaching.

Mark 9:24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief (apistea).

Mark 16:14 Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief (apistea) and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen

Romans 3:3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief (apistea) make the faith of God without effect?

Rom. 4:20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief (apistea); but was strong in faith giving glory to God.

Romans 11:20 Well; because of unbelief (apistea) they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not high-minded, but fear:

Romans 11:23 And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief (apistea), shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again.

1Tim. 1:13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (apistea)**.

Heb. 3:12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief (apistea), in departing from the living God.

Heb. 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief (apistea).

Apistea is a form of unbelief which allows challenges to the promise f God such as rejecting His promise of healing in deference to a doctors report. The only answer here is to make the right choice and repent of your unbelief.

Apeitheia:

Strong’s definition:

1. Obstinate, rebellious, refusal to believe, apathetic.

Cure: Repentance (i.e. reject what the person has come to believe)

Usage in KJB: Unbelief 12, disobedience 3

Romans 11:30 For as ye in times past have not believed God, yet have now obtained mercy through their unbelief (apeithei):

Romans 11:32 For God hath concluded them all in unbelief (apeithei), that he might have mercy upon all.

Eph. 2:2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience (apeithei):

Eph. 5:6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience (apeithei).

Col. 3:6 For which things’ sake the wrath of God cometh on the children of disobedience (apeithei):

Heb. 4:6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief (apeithei):

Heb. 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief (apeithei).

Heb. 4:6 We see they entered not in because of unbelief (apeithei).

Heb. 4:11 Let us not fall after the same example of unbelief (apeithei).

Apathei is difficult form of unbelief since it involves a person’s unwillingness to act upon what is clearly known to them to be true. These people have hardened their heart to the word and will often even rail against what has been clearly revealed to them.

Some of the worst enemies of Christ are those who were with Him but chose to judge certain aspects of what he said or did. In so doing they set themselves as an enemy of His purposes and His will. This opposition is not overt as much as it is resistance or pulling back.

Apeithei promotes an environment of apathy among the culturally and ethnically Christian. Nominalism is the resultant phenomenon.

Thomas, Blog Admin thoughts

Since my first months as a believer I’ve known that God would take me to the nations. It was not my plan to agree with Him yet as I grew in Christ each prayer brought me nearer to his purposes. My first trip was to Mozambique and South Africa. Famine and war had practically wiped out an entire generation of people over a vast geographical area. My job was to do famine relief and to share the Gospel where ever I could. I was transformed by the open receptive hearts and minds of the people I met. I gained a perspective which has never left me. I saw that one person motivated by Love and empowered by the Holy Spirit can change a nations destiny as easily as changing one persons destiny. It is a privilege to be a witness for Christ in any environment. However to be on the thrusting edge of the Sword of the Spirit and acting in a capacity outside your own abilities or knowledge is fulfilling and fruitful. I recommend that all new believers train on the edge!

Stretching beyond the comfort zone is where a permanant passion for Christ and for the lost become etched upon our inner man. Last year I completed my 30th mission trip to Israel. In those few days in total we have seen the work of the Lord in salvation and in opening up of the Arab churches to the realization of their role for the evangelization of the Muslim world. “God is not restrained to save by many nor by few”! All it takes for Christ to save is for you to say yes to the calling to step out beyond your natural reach and take the Harvest in your hands.

On Saturday the 21st of March Michael Mitchell and and I are leaving for a 3 week trip to Burundi and Uganda Africa. God has made a divine relationship come alive between us and the churches and ministries in this region. We will be teaching, preaching, and ministering  daily in central locations. Most of what I have to share is directed toward leadership of the church. We are also having revival services in Bujumbura. I am believing for 1000 souls to be saved and for men and women to be delivered from their sins and sicknesses.

We ask for your prayers and support sepecially during these three weeks in Africa. We need wisdom and guidance, Traveling mercies and protection and provision for our families and the Church in Salisbury. As you intercede you enter a partnership with us as we get to be on the thrusting edge of the sword of the Spirit.

Thank you all.

If you have any comment or question about what we are doing or plan to do in mission for the future. Please reply and let’s revelate together.

All of Jesus for every nation!

Ken Koontz, Pastor, NorthGate Church

http://northgatechurch.org

Thomas, Blog Admin thoughts

We have heard these in some of the old charismatic circles in reference to getting things or in speaking “Faith” over what it is we need. What would happen if we took this way of thinking in another direction? What if we used it as a tool in the Evangelistic emphasis that we are in the midst of here at Northgate?

What is this principle “name it claim it “based on anyway? I believe it comes from the book of Mark 11:23-24:

…if we say unto this mountain be removed and cast into the sea and don’t doubt in your heart but believe what you say you can have what you say. I tell you, you can pray for anything and if you believe that you’ve received it you will have it.

Let me say that I believe that this scripture is the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth to be stood on and lived out. The only condition to this promise would be in James chapter 4:1-2 we don’t get what we want because our motives are wrong. What if our motives could be the same as Gods motives?

What would happen if we named a friend or a coworker that we know needs Jesus? We could claim them for Christ, maybe even put there name or picture up on our refrigerator and begin to claim them for Christ each time we see there picture. We could begin to tell everyone that we are close with that we are claiming this person. Don’t you think that this is the will of God that we would believe for?

What is my point? We know that prayer is one of the main ingredients for the Gospel to be effective so lets pray and believe with a name and a face attached.

Be encouraged today knowing that God is more excited about answering our prayers than we are about asking.

Michael Mitchell thoughts Blab it, Claim it, Grab it, Jesus, Mark 11:23-24, Name it

How many of us are in the daily struggle of trying to love someone who makes your blood boil, frustrating your expectations and generally resisting any of your efforts to be nice? Hmmm!(: Although we are called to love one another we often replace that command with “tolerate one another”. If we reserve our hearts from real, tangible, life giving love, we fall into a pattern of “Eh whatever!” when we think of or see that person. Love requires all nine gifts of the Spirit and an unbending resolve at times.

Our brother Martin from Liberia shared his testimony at my FLAME conference last weekend. While he watched his friends heads were severed and bodies mutilated. His family members were raped and killed and his church decimated during the civil war. While laying in the blood of his friends he came to a very unexpected plateau of Christian maturity. When they put the knife to his throat he felt only compassion for these men who were so evil. He found himself loving their souls. God intervened and made him a witness to these tragedies. Later He even led the same man who held the knife into glorious salvation and forgiveness of sins.

This kind of Love is of such a nature as could only be a gift from God. It is the same gift that Jesus used to forgive those who were nailing him to the tree. It is the same gift that all of us have been given. It is the LOVE that defines salvation. It is the LOVE that surpasses love! The Greek word is “AGAPE”! It is the molecular structure of God! God is Agape! Forgiveness is the conscious, deliberate operation of this LOVE. Agape exceeds human love by as much as the Sun exceeds a speck of dust in shear mass.

Who can identify with this gift? The answer is that we all can identify with Gods love. We are indeed a product of His forgiveness! The deposit that we have of agape is all sufficient for every challenge to it.

Loving God’s idea is loving men’s souls with God’s Love! Horrors of war and the depravities of lost men are overpowered by the character and nature of our heavenly Father. Working through us God, saves the man who is otherwise unreachable.

Knowing this and coupled with the testimony of men like Martin, I am a bit embarassed by our seeming inability to love and forgive those who only give us an inconvenient, sometimes offensive moment. Truly, the Lord was on point when he said; “There is no greater love than this, that a man should give his life for his friend.”

Well I am challenged. How about you!

Thomas, Blog Admin thoughts You are loved!

Welcome to our blog site.

It seems that everything is happening all at once these days and we really need to communicate clearly and efficiently. Hopefully this blog will promote unity with insights and discussions. Thanks for participating.

I was praying the other day and The Lord prompted me to think about Honor and the various ways it is woven into the fabric of our lives. A word came to me and I want to share it with you. “What we do not honor we will abuse!” In my eyes and in the scriptures I see that Honor is the lens through which we must perceive Gods word. Without honoring God and his revealed word we have no vision or insight. Neither do we have access to the promises of God. To Honor God is to embrace his purposes for our lives. To honor our own covenants with other men or with our spouses is to exalt Gods nature and character in the world.

Few know honor and its reward but for those who do practice honor there is a feeling of great expectations and hope for the fulfillment of the promises of God.

Unfortunately what and who we do not honor will fall into the category of neglect and abuse. What we dishonor is used as a resource for selfish gain and the fulfillment of the lust of the flesh.

What are your thoughts about honor?

Thomas, Blog Admin thoughts Have a wonderful day in Jesus!

We at NorthGate Church are excited about this new opportunity to spread the word of God worldwide. This blog provides teaching and equipping through fresh revelation from the leaders of NorthGate. I hope you take advantage of this recourse as it readily available. You may subscribe to this blog through the RSS button to your right and get the current message as soon as it is posted.

2 Thessalonians  3:1  Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may run swiftly and be glorified, just as it is with you,

Blessings

-Blog Admin.

Thomas, Blog Admin thoughts