Jesus is still the answer!!

Its been a long time since I have posted anything on my blog, and I honestly can say that I have missed it. My family and I are still pastors of Newport Pentecostal Church of God and I am thankful to be able to call it my home. Since my last post there have been many battles, storms and trials that we have faced and I wish that I could say that each one turned out for the best, There are many battle scars, sleepless nights, tears shed, but also some of the greatest victories have been won and the largest giants have been defeated. I have one central theme in my spirit today and its the title of this blog. "Jesus is still the answer" 

The Lord has been so good to me and my family that I can shout just knowing that God has brought us through. The enemy has tried his best to kill, steal, and destroy, but today I'm still standing because of Jesus. He is my rock, my fortress, and in him will I trust. This past year I have seen multiple people saved, healed from all manner of sickness, demons cast out, multiple people baptized in the Holy Ghost, and many other miracles that Jesus has done. Every day is an opportunity to see what God is gonna do next for and through his people. The church is growing each week, with new faces and new life. We have placed new people in various positions in our church to carry forth ministries like Sunday School, Men's & Ladies Ministry, Youth and Children's Ministry, and more than one of our associate ministers are going to receive their credentials with the Pentecostal Church of God. I am excited that God is doing a great work at Newport PCG. One of the greatest things that we have seen in our church is the opening of Impact Youth Center where there is a youth worship service every Friday night. Each of our teens that attends regularly to these services have been baptised in the Holy Ghost and our goal is to see each teen filled with the same power and also to outreach to other teens in the community. Jesus is still the answer!

In closing today I want to encourage those that are still in the battle to keep standing on the promises of God, because the Lord knows how to bring you out of your circumstance. You may have made mistakes and even failed God (I know I have) but you are not the only one that has fallen short. Keep your eyes on the cross of Jesus Christ and he will see you through. I will be writing more often, so please check back as often as you can. If you live in the Newport area and are looking for a Full Gospel, Spirit-filled, Pentecostal Church, then please visit us this week at Newport PCG. We are located at 205 Ray St. (Behind the former USA Drug) you may also visit us on our website at www.newportpcg.com There is also a youtube channel with our messages from our services, just go to www.youtube.com and search Newport PCG. I pray that you will be blessed, Jesus is still the answer!!

"No One Left Behind"

 

 

Its been over a year since my last blog, and I apologize for the long delay. My family and I have been through so much this past year, and I am so thankful to know that Jesus walked beside us every step of the way. My friends, we are entering into a season of change in the ministry, and in our personal lives.With the everchanging society and culture that we live in, the church needs to prepare for the greatest manifestation of God's power that this generation has ever seen or ever known. The time is soon approaching for the Rapture or Ressurection of the church, and we will forever be with the Lord Jesus Christ. This has been stirring in my heart for some time, that many in the church world today aren't really prepared for the rapture and just as important, they dont know how to truly lean on Jesus Christ to supply their needs.

Our country is on a downhill spiral of apostasy, and the time is fast approaching when people great and small will have to know how to trust the Lord with every aspect of their life. Its time that we get prepared to meet Jesus with our lives, just being half committed to the Lord will cause us to be slothful, and lukewarm in  reguards to our relationship with the Lord. Jesus is coming back for his Bride, not a girlfriend, or an acquaintance, or a good friend. A blood bought, spirit-filled, on fire, rapture-ready church whose eyes are on Christ and whose message is Christ and him Crucified!!

At Newport PCG, we have adopted a new soul-winning campaign called "No One Left Behind"  I am so excited about the moving and operation of the Holy Spirit thats moving in our ministry and the people are getting ready to meet Jesus. I encourage every Christian to deposit this in your heart, that we need to use all means necessary to win souls for Jesus Christ. Its our calling and commission to do all we can to make sure that there is "No One Left Behind". If you are reading this and you know that you are not ready to meet the Lord, then please contact us through our website or even better, come to church this Sunday or Wednesday and experience for your self the life-changing power of our Lord Jesus Christ!     May God Bless You!  Pastor Jay

Life-Changing Power in the Cross!!

1 Corinthians 1:18 (KJV) ¹⁸ For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

I was thinking about how Jesus has changed my life and what great things he has done in our ministry here in Newport. The Lord is definitely touching lives and changing hearts. Each Sunday and Wednesday I anticipate what God is gonna do next. As thinking about what to write, the Lord laid this scripture from 1 Corninthians on my heart, and it is the center point of what I believe and preach to our church people. The Cross of Jesus Christ is the theme of the Word of God and its the only message that will set man free. From the fall of man in the Garden of Eden up until a new born baby born in the last few minutes, the only way to restore fellowship between God and Man is to place our faith completely in Christ and him crucified. Every person that has been born, came into this world in original sin and so the only way to enter into fellowship with a Holy God is to have our sins washed away by the blood of the Lamb. In the Old Testament of the Bible, man tried to be holy by the Law of God that was given to Moses, through the keeping of rules and ordinances. It was then we realize that no matter what man did, he absolutely could not keep God's Law. However, the Law of God reveals to us the very nature of God which is Jesus Christ. In the OT, God gave specific instructions to Moses on the Tabernacle and the offering of sacrifices which would be a temporary covering for the sin. The Blood of goats, and bullocks would be a type and shadow of what Jesus would do at the Cross. When Jesus came to earth, he laid aside the expression of his deity to take on the form of man. In his earthly ministry, he never broke the law of God thus becoming, as John the Baptist would say "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world." I have come to realize that the words of John 3:16 are so true "For God so Loved the world, that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believe on him shall never perish but have everlasting life.  My friend that shows us that Jesus paid a price that we could not pay. I did not deserve this abundant life he has given me and I surely could not earn it. But my faith in what Jesus Christ did at the cross, reassures me that when I leave the portals of this life, that I will crossover into a land with no pain and sickness, nor any tears will fall from my eyes. I just want to praise my God for his excellent greatness.
     In our church there are a variety of people that God has changed  from the person they use to be into a man or woman of God. I have had the privilege of watching drug addicts and alcoholics transformed by the power of God. Prostitutes, Gays, and Lesbians have been set free by the blood of Jesus. The Lord has fixed marriages, and healed many from physical and emotional abuse in the home. I thank God that I have been able to see multitudes healed from cancer, diabetes, hepatitis, back problems, headches,and many more sickness and disease. If you try to tell me that God is not a miracle worker, then you are to late, because I know who Jesus is and what he has done. The Preaching of the cross is foolishness to the world and those who choose not to believe, but I tell you the truth when I say it is the power of God. Believe on Jesus today and he will change your life. Dont try to add to what Jesus has already done at calvary. Its not the cross plus fasting, or the cross plus tithing, or the cross plus baptism. Jesus said while he was hanging on the cross, IT IS FINISHED. Amazing Grace how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind but now I see!!!!!!  Believe on him today!!

Only Jesus!!

I am sitting in the den tonight with my family listening to the sounds of booming thunder and large rain drops falling on the sliding back glass. The lightening is flashing every few seconds and my children are on edge because the loud tornado sirens are going off every few minutes. The thoughts have come to my mind that inspite of how bad these storms are, there is a greater power in Jesus Christ. When I see the evidence of the exsisting storm, it reminds me of the storms in life that I have faced time and time again. The Lord Jesus has been with me through every battle and every storm that me and my family have faced. In Mathew 14 we find Jesus's disciples on a ship in the middle of a terrible storm. The wind was blowing and the small ship was being tossed about in the raging waters, the waves were crashing and the disciples cried out with fear. The scripture tells us in verse 26 that Jesus came walking to them on the sea. The disciples were troubled because they thought they had seen a spirit approaching them, but when Jesus spoke to them he said (BE OF GOOD CHEER, IT IS I BE NOT AFRAID) The Peter was commanded by the Lord to walk out to where Jesus was and he did as he was told. In the midst of the storm Peter had an experience with Christ that no other man has been able to do. Peter walked on the water,but when he took his eyes off Jesus he began to sink. In the moment of great despair,  Peter shouted "LORD SAVE ME" !!!!!  Jesus stretched out his hand and pulled Peter up and together they walked on the water back to the boat. Then in verse 32 the wind ceased as they returned to the ship, and the other disciples began to worship the Lord Jesus Christ.  Only Jesus can turn your storm into a time of worship, Only Jesus can turn your trial into a supernatural encounter with God, Only Jesus can save you when your drowning in fear, Only Jesus can speak to your winds and waves and cause them to cease. Only Jesus can help when you shout "Save Me"   ONLY JESUS!!

Sometimes Life Just Happens

    

      I was thinking about my life and the experiences that I have faced through the years and many of those were some of the best that I could ever ask for. In light of this post, I also want to say that there have been many hardships that I have faced in my past that brought me to where I am today in my relationship with Jesus Christ. Sometimes Life Happens!! There have been some things in my life that caused me to hang on to Jesus with everything I had. I will say to all that read this, there will be a time when the only solution to your circumstance is Jesus Christ. There will be times when your best friend wont have the answer, the prayer team is not available, the Pastor is tied up and the only thing you have is your relationship with God.
      I am reminded in the book of 2 Kings Chapter 4, a widow woman had lost her husband, and he was one of the son's of the prophets under the leadership of the prophet Elisha. She called for Elisha to help her and in the Old Testament if a person wanted to hear from God then it came through the voice of the prophet. There wasn't a bible sitting on the bookshelf or a website to log on to for help. As a matter of fact, the creditors had come to take away her sons to be slaves and work off the debt that was left be her husband. Sometimes Life Happens!! The woman did what she knew to do, she turned to God in a time of crisis. Elisha asked, "what do you have in thine house" she replied that all she had was a pot of oil. A pot of oil represented the presence of God (The Holy Spirit). Sometimes my friend all you have to rely on is the presence of God in your life. Elisha told her to go and borrow vessels from all the neighbors and bring them in the house and shut the door with her family. My friend, as a child of God you will have days when you need to shut off all of the outside influence and get in a prayer closet and shut the door, where its just you and God. Elisha told her to pour out the oil in the vessels, and she did as the prophet told her (Obedience ) and began to fill those vessels from only a small pot of oil. As long as there was an empty vessel, then there was a flow of the oil (spirit). To those who will empty themselves out of this world, then God will always pour out his spirit into your life. God is looking for a vessel to put his spirit into, are you a vessel that God can use. Sometimes life happens and you will find yourself  in a place when you just need God and nothing else.
     What I love about this bible text is that the woman took the oil and paid her debt, provided for her house, kept her sons from being slaves. What this is telling us is that in Christ there is freedom for your family, food on the table, shelter over your head, joy in your heart, salvation for your soul. All you need is in the oil (His Presence). Sometimes Life Happens!!

The Heartbeat of God!!

I was thinking today about the ministry and the wonderful things that God has done for my family and our church family. I could go on and on about the miracles I've seen and the power that I've experienced since I got saved. Every person has experienced the grace and power of Jesus Christ in some way or another, but its not enough to just see his miracles and feel his power, because even that can turn into ceremonial routine.  Its my desire as a christian to have the heartbeat of God.
   Now these are just my thoughts and opinions, but it seems when a person has had a heart attack that the whole body is affected by it. Many times there is terrible pain in the chest with a shortness of breath. Lifting and pulling is very limited and a person has to stop vigerous activity and climbing. The days following a heart attack there will usually be a a change in a person's diet and the amount of food consumption on a daily basis. Sometimes the signs leading to or just after a heart attack will cause a person to have a pace maker or some kind of medical device to regulate the heart beat. The heartbeat being off course can and will affect every aspect of a person's life no matter what age they are, and the conclusion is that when the heart stops beating that life on earth will then be over.
   As these thoughts run through my mind, I see some similarities between the heartbeat and our walk with Jesus Christ.  The bible describes David as a man after God's own heart. The bible does not speak this way of any other man in the entirety of the Word of God. However, we as Christians should desire to be the heartbeat of God. What I mean is that every aspect of my christian life needs to be so natural its as a heart that beats in perfect time and rythmn.  When the heart is properly functioning then life will go on day by day, if my faith is properly placed in Christ and him crucified, and his desires become my desires then my spiritual life will continue to grow. Children of God should be so in tune with God that the enemy couldn't tempt us or try us in a way that makes us stumble. When we have the heartbeat of God, when god speaks to us, then we automatically obey his voice without question or reservation.  What I am saying tonight is that Christianity, obedience, praise and worship, prayer, study, fellowship, all aspects of this life should be as natural as a fully functional heart. I am a follower of Jesus, I dont have to be told to go to church, I wont be found at the clubs or the bars, i wont be found using fowl language, I dont have to be told to pray and to worship God, it has become more and more natural everyday of my life!! The heartbeat of God!!!

My Thoughts on the Gifts of the Spirit!!

I was thinking about a message I heard preached a few years ago entitled Charismatic Witchcraft. The content of the message was disturbing yet so true and relevant to the times we live in. The sermon was dealing with the mis-use of the nine gifts of the Holy Spirit as listed in the 12th chapter of the book of 1 Corinthians. It told how people would use the gifts of the spirit for their personal gain or to manipulate and control people into a way of living or thinking. Many times these methods of false prophesy and heresy would attribute to the greed of the preachers and the money they could scam off the people.  As a Pastor and Presbyter I have met many people in our section and I am beginning to see a trend among many Pentecostal and Charismatic churches. What is being revealed more and more is the mis-treatment of the gifts of the Spirit and the order in how they should be used in the house of God. I have been told so many times that this brother or sister came up to me and told me while I was praying that God said this or God said that. So I always ask, was the Pastor present when this was going on or how did it make you feel? Many times the person who received the so-called word from God is left feeling confused or even angry depending on what was said.  I want to encourage any spiritfilled beliver to pray for deeper levels of discernment and try to remember that the gifts are to edify the church and should not be 20 different private interpretations every time the alter service is going on.  If a lay person feels prompted by the spirit to operate in a gift of the spirit, especially one that would be directed to another individual, then the laity should always go to the pastor first and not just whisper in someones ear. If its a true word from God, then the Pastor or minister will bear witness and give the  green light. Its using wisdom to go by 2 corinthians that out of the mouth of two or three witnesses let every word be established. One common mistake I hear a lot is that when some people are giving out these so called words from God is they say I FEEL like God is saying this!!!! The operations of the spirit are not based on feelings or thoughts that pop up in your mind. You have to yield full control to the Holy Spirit and let him talk through you, and not lay your personal interpretation on stuff that comes to your mind. My final warning is to watch for red-flags. If in your church or meeting the same person is going to people and giving them a word all the time and the pastor is never involved and the only ones that are getting these words are younger Christians, then most likely the prophet is self-proclaimed. Therefore avoid such nonsense. Another red-flag is that if a word from God does not confirm something that is already in your spirit. In other words it should never catch you off guard but it will be a reflection of what God is already dealing with you about.  These thoughts are simply my opinion based upon my experience as a pastor and someone who has had the priviledge of being used in some of these giftings. I give Glory completely to Jesus Christ and its only because of him that I am able to speak of the things of God. You are welcome to disagree with my viewpoints on the use of the spiritual gifts, but I think we can agree that they must be used decently and in order. Glory be to God!!