(People often wonder where pastors get their sermon ideas. Personally, I may be talking to someone or overhear something on TV, or a phrase will pop into my mind, or read something, and I’ll have the subject or title of an article. The Lord then gives me the gist or the body of the message. It happened again. I was talking to someone on the phone the other day and she mentioned that the airport road was “under construction”…that was it! Enjoy!) 

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This is the time of year when there is a lot of road construction under way. It seems that no matter where you are going, inevitably, one of the roads you need to travel is under some type of repair or construction. Of course, when you live in the northern area of the United States, these types of jobs are seasonal. By the time fall rolls around, there is little time left to finish before the snow flies. A lot of the time, things have to be torn down before they can be built up…we have even seen where the crew must drill tunnels through a mountain, or under a river in order to get where they must go. The contractor has a plan in mind before starting the project, and most take months or even years to complete. (Our county has been working on our section of an interstate, for 30 years)! Either way it does not happen overnight. It takes time to prepare, and to root up some things, before new things can be laid down. In whatever situation, before we get to the “under construction” phase, we must begin with the “under destruction” phase. 

The Bible is a very practical book. It addresses every facet of human life, if we take the time to search it out. As in our “construction” illustration, we humans must first go through a pruning or purging stage, before anything new can be developed within our character. At times it is painful and we feel as if our flesh is being “destroyed”, which, of course, it is. 

                                                          Under Destruction:  

Jesus said in John 12:24, “Unless a corn of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit”. Because of Christ’s death AND resurrection, many others can live the eternal life with Him! Likewise, we must die to selfishness and absorbency in our own ideas, before we can grow into the image of Christ who is deep within us. It is time for us Christians to get through our own personal growing-up process, and get prepared for these last days the Bible warns us about. Our freedoms, way of life, and most likely our very country, are rapidly heading toward destruction.

We are heading for perilous times in our beloved America. Our prophets have been sounding the alarm for years. Our culture is killing our children in more ways than one, and our government is rapidly turning anti-Christian. Novices drunk with power are now at the helm of this ship of state. We have charismatic orators who are master web-spinners and blinded fools lap up their clap-trap. However, in spite of all the pats and promises, judgment is coming to America. God MUST deal with America or apologize to Israel. Whom the Lord loves, He chastens, and our land and people are no exception.  

Israel lost their homeland because of leaving their love for God. They turned to other gods and were enslaved by their enemies. Israel was dispersed from 70 AD until 1948. This nation, who was founded by God Himself, threw away their heritage and homeland by leaving Him; they took up with all kinds of evil practices. America is following suit. When we don’t learn from the past, we are doomed to repeat it. Why can’t the American church see what is coming? It is obvious we have become fat and lazy, and taken God’s grace toward us for granted. We stick our heads in the sand and wait for it all to blow over. We have even traded our good common sense for a delusion. In all our wisdom, we have become fools. However, God always has a remnant. There are those who pay attention to the watchmen on the wall, as few as there seems to be right now. Beside the watchmen, we have the pray-ers…those who keep intercession going up before the throne of God around the world, 24/7. There are yet many pastors who have not compromised the Gospel of Christ for wealth, fame or power. We still have teachers who use their opportunities to sound the alarm, and teach the uncompromising truth of God. America has many godly parents who raise their children in the ways of Jesus Christ despite all odds. There are dedicated evangelicals who are casting the net of salvation and holiness out over the school children and teens. Many church goers also visit and minister to the elderly, the sick, and the dying, and lead them into salvation, understanding the Word and even healing.

The third phase I see in our current church age is: 

                                                             Under Authority 

I started this article in August, but couldn’t get the fullness of it until this week. I guess it wasn’t God’s time, because I have never been able to write until the Holy Spirit anoints me to do so. Just a couple days ago, when thinking about this last phase, the words, “Bride School”, popped into my mind. At first I thought it a bit whimsical, but the more I mulled it over, it seemed the perfect description! Coming under authority is like preparing for our Heavenly nuptials. We are the Bride of Christ, and we are in preparation, much like the ancient beauty rituals that Esther endured before her marriage to the King of Persia (Iran).  

Our version of the perfumed baths is to wash ourselves daily in God’s Word. This is how to get spiritually prepared for our Bridegroom, and to gain maturity and wisdom to help others. The next thing to do to prepare for our wedding is to change our diet. Jesus had to tell his disciples to launch out into the deep. Even today, we aren’t fishing deep enough. So many Christians have gone to church all their lives, yet do not know the Word. They are still surface feeders! Many are content to eat soft foods, because they are too lazy to chew! After almost 3 years with Jesus, His inner circle had to be told to go deeper where the meat was. 

Bride School is to prepare us to be more like Jesus. He should be mirrored in us. When people look at us they should see Him. There is a story about one of the great fathers of our faith, who was traveling on a train. A little child walked up to him and said “Mister, are you Jesus”? I find that so inspiring!

Proverbs 23:7 says, “As a man thinks, so he is”. The Word also tells us in 1 Cor. 2:16 that we have the mind of Christ. This means that whatever our ideal is, determines what we strive to become. We become captive to whatever captivates us. This is very important to keep in mind when turning on the TV or PC. As children we used to sing “Be careful little eyes what you see”. I still sing that to myself, especially when News programs come on! Phil. 4:8 tells us to think on things that are of good report. God wants us to seek understanding. When we do that, we will hate the false way, because we will know it is false.

So where is the Church today? The saints are looking ever upward while journeying on their way. We keep one eye on the sky and the other on the earthly path before us. It is true there is much to cause alarm in this present world…insane and evil people are often in control with their bombs pointed toward America, and many are located within our own borders. We do not hide our heads in the sand, but the devil’s plans do not need to be our focal point because we know our God is in control. The Bride’s responsibility is to keep our lamps filled with oil, and our wicks trimmed. We are seemingly in the Laodicean Church age, which Jesus calls lukewarm and warns it to repent in Rev. 3. We MUST pray for an awakening in the Holy Spirit for a last-day’s revival. We have to have one more great evangelical thrust through the churches so that we can evangelize America and the world. At the same time we must pray for our leaders, to make decisions according to God’s plan, that we may finish our work in freedom. It is very possible that the church as a whole will not turn back to God, so God will do as He has always done…work with the remnant. It is my personal belief that only the over-comers will meet Christ in the air when that Trumpet sounds. Someone said that Jesus will ask,”Do you know me and who did you bring”!

A teacher said she was praying one morning and while thinking of all the horrors happening around the world, she said, “God how can you let this happen”? The Lord said He was looking for people to send to take care of it. I knew exactly what God meant. I had once read that a spirit needs a body to do its work, be it an evil spirit or the Holy Spirit. Much like an earthly marriage, we cannot be married to Christ in name only. We must give ourselves to Him daily. WE are His hands and feet. Jesus was the physical manifestation of God on this earth, and now we are, because Christ lives in us. Somebody once said we are His “earth suit”! In our morning devotionals, we must ask Jesus to use our hands our feet and our tongue to glorify His Holy Name. Every day, we are given a 24 hour span in which to make a difference! The old-timers used to call it “putting feet on your prayers”. I thought they meant to go out and do what you had just asked GOD to do, and to me that was a sign of unbelief. But I was young in Christ and what I DIDN’T know filled volumes! The Apostle Paul said that “we only see in part, and know in part”. It takes a lifetime of apprenticeship to graduate from Bride School, but it will be worth it all when we see Jesus.

Several years ago, the Goodman family recorded an inspiring toe-taper called,

“What a Happy Time”. The chorus sums up exactly how many of us feel. It goes as follows: 

What a happy time will be, when we all get home

Over on the crystal sea, never more to roam.

In the homeland of the soul, where the joy bells chime,

Singing while the ages roll, what a happy time!  

Even so, come Lord Jesus…AMEN! 

God Bless You All,

Pastor Moser

September, 2009 

In lieu of “Word Of Wisdom” today I’m adding “A Personal Note”. 

As explained, I began September’s article in August, and was out of “sync” with the Holy Spirit at that time. A lot has also happened in this month of October…it is almost halfway through and we have had 2 weddings, 2 birthdays, and 2 deaths. We’ve also had folks with marriages and finances in crisis, and several with illness, within my personal circle. Please pray for these concerns. Thanks so much, and feel free to pass along your requests…my prayer partners and I are faithful to pray for all.