The Power of the Spoken Word

We all know that words have power.

Some words are action words, are powerful when sounded out, and describe a dynamic event. 

I'm really referring to the power of a faith filled  spoken word. 

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: (Deuteronomy 30:19 KJV)

We all have a choice every day to speak into existance blessings, or curses. 

Everyday I see and hear people talk about how sick they are or how this is going wrong or that is going wrong. While you may not feel well, you may be hurting, or there may be certain circumstances that are not optimal at the moment, I strongly discourage anyone to breath life into those things by giving them to the spoken word.

Anything that is not of God is of the devil. Period.

When the spoken Word of God goes forth, it never stops, it reverberates through the atmosphere, so it is vitally important that we weigh carefully what comes out of our mouth. When someone is expecting to hear a Word from God their heart is wide open ready to receive, so we must be careful that no ungodly spirits hitchhike on those words and enter that persons heart, defiling their spirit. 

Case in point: A preacher is having an adulturous affair, yet continues to preach over the pulpit. That spirit of adultery hitchhikes on his spoken word as his congregation soaks it up into their hearts. Now that spirit has defiled the church and adultery breaks out among members. Bro Rayford Strange told me this and it is so profound.

This is what happens when we don't live what we preach over the pulpit. 

This also explains why music has such a profound affect on our world. This music that celebrates sex, drugs, alcohol, partying, and treating women as objects to be used and discarded, has defiled the spirits of teenagers and adults alike. Even woman have allowed these lyrics to defile them and they gladly give themselves away to the closest male like a dog in heat, not realizing the damage they are doing to their souls and minds.

The spoken word is quite possibly one of the most powerful tools we have outside of prayer. 

Blessing or curse.

You life is falling apart, your relationship is failing, your health isnt what it should be, your finances are in a drought. What words were spoken to manifest these things?

The Word says if you have faith enough, you can just speak to that mountain and it will move. Some are satisfied with thinking about speaking and a figurative mountain will move. That is not enough for me because I have seen the power of God manifest. If the Bible speaks of moving a mountain, I shall speak and see a literal mountain move rocks, dirt, dust, and all!

Knowing that, why are you not speaking to these other areas of your life that are less than wonderful? 

Are you living in obedience?

Are you living a consecrated life?

How can you have power over darkness and sickness when you cannot even control your own flesh? 

If you are living in sin and not repenting daily, chances are very good that you have found the source of your problems. 

Get back to living for God. Pray, fast, study, dress in a modest and holy manner to keep your flesh in subjection. 

Dont speak something into existence that is not for the glory of Jesus or the Kingdom. 

Control your speech and do not breath life into sickness, anything that can be used by the enemy to derail you or separate you from God.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. Put away from thee a froward mouth, and perverse lips put far from thee. (Proverbs 4:23-24 KJV)

My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord: and let all flesh bless his holy name for ever and ever. (Psalms 145:21 KJV)

Jesus Bless you!!

Bro Shad

 

Getting over the Hump

You have to be able to self-motivate to be a soul winner. 

It's not always skittles and unicorns and there are lots of 

times when the only thing making you go out is obedience to the Word, because you don't always feel like it. There have been so many times that I could have let the enemy win. It is a battle of the mind that you absolutely MUST win. 

Common mental soul winning roadblocks:

1. Nobody will help me-  Get over it, grow up and go it alone. Paul spent alot of time alone in his missions spreading the gospel.

2. I can't afford it- It is free to talk so open your mouth and let Jesus tell you what to say. Also, the Bible tells us not to worry about food, shoes, or shelter. Just go and trust that the Lord will be faithful to your physical needs, and He will.

3. Nobody ever comes to church when I invite them. 

    I can tell you two things here. First, pray that Jesus will direct you to specific people that need Him and your numbers will improve. Second, you plant. Just plant. You are obeying Jesus by witnessing, so He has to draw them, not you. Just keep going.

4. I'm too shy. Seriously? I'm not so it is hard for me to understand this, but I have a solution. Go to vistaprint.com, spend $10 and order 250 business cards with your name, email, number, and church number. Include service times. On the back place 3 key scriptures that will be helpful for someone in need. Then all you have to do is hand it to someone without going through the whole "witness" thing. Although I will remind you that we are all called to witness, so I'm shy is not a valid excuse to Jesus.

So turn off the tv, put down the video game controller, turn your back on the flesh, and get serious about changing the world and doing great things for God. Dont be a fair weather Christian. 

Witnessing and seeing people come to church and finding Jesus is the most rewarding experience ever because it is truly Biblical.

Go get em, it's what you were created for!!

Thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make you a ruler over many. Matt 25:23

A Call to Repentance

It has been a long day. I had to come home and hit my knees and touch God on behalf of the many people I saw coming and going at the surgery center in Austin while I was waiting for my friend to have work done.  It breaks my heart that people are so comfortable with themselves, not knowing, or willing to know that there is so much more to life than wandering around aimlessly thinking that they are in control of their lives. The Word says, "if any man be ignorant, let them be ignorant" (1 Cor 14:38), but there has to be something that will move these people to repentance. There are so many that acknowledge that Jesus died for us , but their belief stops there. There is a price to pay. Jesus' crucifixion shows us that there will always be a price to pay for sin, and although He paid it, He did it so that people could come to Him, ask for forgiveness,and have their sins washed away in baptism by taking His name. Not so that they can go about their business thinking they have no responsibility to repent, walk with Him, and ignore his instructions. Many are ignorant of the Word, or choose to only listen to the scripture that eases their conscience, or make them think they are safe. Oh that the scales would be removed from their eyes! Television programs have made millions producing shows about zombies, but those are the ultimate reality shows, as hundreds of millions of walking dead occupy this earth today unaware of where they will spend eternity. Jesus requires so much more from us as a people, yet very few are willing to "stand in the gap" (Ez 22:30). He said that a man is to "take up his cross" (Luke 9:23) and follow him. That is a call to action, a commandment, not a request. What will it take? Even "believers" are being misled by people that chose the wide path in order to grow churches. Jesus added 3000 people to His church in one day, based solely upon the same doctrine that I preach; the original Apostolic doctrine that Jesus taught and commanded that we follow. He said it, that should be enough, yet the traditions of men have clouded people's thinking, and they question and argue with the Word of God because it does not fit in with their lifestyle or what they think that religion should be. Anyone who is serious about walking closely with God, should be praying and studying this post in order to make sure that I am in the Word . He said in Mark 14:49," I was daily with you in the temple teaching, and ye took me not: but the scriptures must be fulfilled." Jesus said, I told you what God said, but you ignored me. Nevertheless, I must die for you.

Don't ignore this post. Ask God to open your mind, to give you understanding and discernment.
Could Shad be right?
Is there a "more excellent way?" (1 Cor 12:31)
Is the Bible real?
Psalm 12:6 The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times.

Isaiah 55:11
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.

People worry that they are being told that they have "been doing it wrong". It does not matter. What matters is where you go from this point forward. That is your flesh talking and playing mind games. Do not let your flesh win.
2 Corinthians 10:5 [Full Chapter]
Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;

He is calling you today. Answer the call. Repent, be baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ today, and you will be filled with the Spirit of God as promised by the Word.

Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

Don't wait another second, it's time to get serious, and follow the One who gave everything that you might have eternal salvation.

Act on your faith!!

Winning & Keeping New Converts

Are you a soul winner? 

Do you have a burden to see people baptized and filled with the Holy Ghost?

Can you step out of your comfort zone and be the witness that Jesus requires?

     We are to be witnesses by our walk, allowing people to see the way Jesus has changed us. It this enough? 

    I say no, and I will tell you why. There is no doubt that Jesus was perfect. He was the manifestation of God the omnipresent being, God in the flesh, and God the Holy Spirit, so He was not even able to be imperfect. The Gospel's record many healings, and miracles that He performed. He could have very easily, and by all accounts, did manifest the perfect walk, but He didn't stop there did He? 

     When approached by Nichodemas, He witnessed to him and gave him detailed instructions in how to be saved. Nichodemus had already acknowledged that Jesus was the Son of God so he no doubt admired His ministry. Jesus could have taken the compliment and moved on, but He wanted the soul of the lost. 

    When Jesus spent time with the Apostles and disciples, He told them not only how to be holy, but He instructed them to go make more disciples and go win souls.

    It is by this evidence that I make the statement that soulwinning is a requirement to see Heaven.

    He commanded us!

    What is soul winning and how do we know when we have win a soul for the  Kingdom?

     When you have personally compelled a person to repent, be baptized in Jesus name, and they receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, you have won a soul. 

     Is discipleship soul winning? No. Discipleship is retaining the new convert and instructing them in the walk of the Christian, after they have been won.

     

    Let's say you win someone to Jesus, they have been instructed on the requirement of salvation,  they come in, follow the steps and are saved. Then for some reason they don't stick, and do not

maintain their walk. Are you responsible for their soul? Yes and No. Once they have been instructed and made the choice, they are accountable, not you. You cannot force someone to stay. 

     What is important is what happens between the time they are won and the time they decide to leave. This is where the Yes comes in.

     Birthing a new babe into the Kingdom of Jesus is a glorious and life changing experience. It is as Apostolic as you can get. When we bring them in and fail

to immediately connect with them, and begin the discipleship process, we begin the process of aborting those babes, thereby setting them up to fail, then Yes you are responsible.

     Every church body or Pastor should have plans in place that specifically identify the roles of who will disciple the new converts. The saints who fill these roles need to be aware that discipleship is a full time job that cannot be properly handled only on Wednesdays and Sundays, so they must be willing to sacrifice their time and have a burden for these people.

     In order to properly connect with a new convert, one should be prepared to go to the new convert's home during the week and have that person over at your home to begin the bonding process. Shared meals, phone calls, daily texts, and weekly Bible studies on off-church days is absolutely essential. 

    So this is where I ask you.  Are you really prepared for the task? 

    If we ask Jesus to lead us to the hurting and the lost, yet fail to honor Him when He sends them, what have we accomplished? 

    If we do not handle this job properly, we can ruin them for future Apostolic churchs that Jesus may lead them to.

    As an Evangelist, and through my calling, I am required to win the lost. I am able to disciple new converts, but that is not my ministry because I am subject to go when Jesus says go, leaving a new convert hanging in the balance. My ministry entails winning them, and handing them off to the Pastor who disciples them personally, or assigns a capable saint that will begin the discipeship process. When this saint makes the connection, they then have the opportunity to come in contact with friend's and family members of the new convert and win them.

     Many churches today are just revolving doors because we do not have plans in place to minister to the needs of, or disciple the new converts. 

     We take for granted that our lives revolve around the Kingdom, and should give careful consideration to the fact that new converts still have their old schedules, or old habits, and have to literally be retrained to live for God.

God Bless,

Bro Shad

    

    

Who are you really? - A blog about "Catfishing"

  Who are you really?   

     Every Pastor or man of God should have his congregation read this article. Today we will be discussing "Catfishing". I am going to go into cop mode for a minute and try to help protect our Saints from online con artists or scammers.

     Catfishing is defined as someone who pretends to be someone they're not, using Facebook or other social media to create false identities, or a persona that readily identifies with yours in order to connect with you.
     Why would someone do this? With the advent of social media we are now able to meet new people from around the globe. We are able see what is going on in other people's live's, celebrate with them, grieve with them, pray with them, or just see what they ate for breakfast. lol.  This platform gives us a larger outlet in which to speak freely about what matters most to us. Many times that is our family,God, our work, and our hobbies.
     While this is fun, entertaining, educational, and many times edifying, it also opens the door for those with less than honorable intentions. We unknowingly post intimate details about our lives, that people can pick up on, take note, and use to establish a profile of what we may be looking for in a friend, mate, or someone to witness to.
     This person will then find a way to make contact with you, either directly and indirectly, and start the process of building a relationship or friendship with you. Many times this isn't a quick process, because the more time they take getting to know you, the more time they have to get you to trust them. Once they have your trust, they know that you are essentially putty in their hands.
     Those that are sick, elderly, lonely, or emotionally vulnerable are apt to be victimized the most.

     These people are very good at what they do, perfecting their craft in prison many times. As a police officer, I dealt with all types of people. By far the hardest to read were drug addicts and career criminals. Why? Because they are so convincing in their mannerisms and the details, that they can fool even the sharpest of people. It takes a lot of digging and careful attention to detail to be able to see between the lies and get to the truth.
     As Apostolics we have several of the following traits that attract this type of con artist and criminal:
1. We are open to new people. It is our job to befriend new people, look past any flaws and try to lead them to Jesus.

2. We trust other Apostolic's because we believe that they have the Holy Ghost in them which should prevent them from being purposely dishonest. So when someone says they are Apostolic, we automatically open the door to them.

3. We operate in a relatively small community so we know  a lot of the same names of people, even if we have never met them.

4. We want to walk as Jesus walked, which leads us to help people that need help.

     So how do these traits make us vulnerable? 
     
     We meet someone new on Facebook, and they are well versed in the Word. This begins the process of us dropping our guard because we think "surely someone that can speak this eloquently about the Word of God  must be true". They have studied us in detail so they speak on topics that hit close to home to us, further lowering our guard. They start "name dropping". Bro So&So told me this, I went to Bible college with Bro John etc. Well of course we recognize those names as people of honor and character, so why would we question this con artist if he/she rubbed elbows with an anointed man or woman of God. If they trusted them then we must also. Right? Not so.

     I would like to think they we have the gift of Discernment that would raise a red flag, and we do. Many times this person will say something in passing in a telephone conversation that doesn't seem right or contradicts an earlier statement, but we write it off as an honest mistake. This is in reality, the Holy Spirit poking you and telling you to think, pray, and see it for what is it. Lies. The reality is that this con probably has multiple people they are conning and cannot keep their stories straight.

     Catfishing is not illegal that I am aware of, but it is no doubt a sin, and when it is committed with the intent to defraud, it is no less than a one way ticket to hell.

Psalm 105:15, Saying touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm.
     
     Many times this verse is used in reference only to the five fold ministry. In reality this verse covers any Saint that has the anointing of God on them, even if they are not currently working in that anointing. So when someone comes along and cons a Holy Ghost filled believer, they have not only committed the sin of lying, but they have gone against the direct Word of God.

    So how can you protect yourself from being "catfished"?

1. Pray that God points people out to you that are out to harm you, and be available for His response.

2. Pay attention to detail.

3. Check references. If this person tells you that they are preaching at a certain church, or know certain people, check it out. Call these people or places. If you cannot reach them in person, consider it a huge red flag. There is no harm in verifying because it is important that you know who you are dealing with. Why would you want to unknowingly want to fellowship with an evil person?

4. Google them. You can learn so much from doing a Google search. Many counties and states have their court documents online, and you will easily be able to see prior criminal court cases or this person's online fingerprint.

5. Check their pictures on their profile and look at the pictures that they post closely.
     A. If their family picture's never lock them in at specific place, but are very general, be wary. Examine every detail of the picture. Ask yourself if that picture was purposely taken in an obscure location.
     B. If they rarely post photos of themselves involved in activities (face uncovered), be wary. The whole point of being on social media is to share, so it is very rare that someone does not at least occasionally post a photo of themselves doing something. 
     C. When they post a picture that seems suspect, Google it also using Google images.
            1. Example: If someone posts a picture of their "trip to the donut shop" and it includes a picture, Google donut shop pic. Take a minute to look through those images, and most likely you will find that same picture that they used when they Googled the same thing. lol.

6.  If they always have drama. They will undoubtly always have a tragedy in their lives. They are gauging your responses to various situations, and when you respond in a certain way, they have you on the hook. You are being baited.

7. Never, never, never send someone any gifts or money that you do not know personally, cannot verify their story, or that you are not absolutely 100% sure is genuine. If you must send money, send it to a physical address. If you send money via Paypal, DO NOT send it as a gift. Send it as "goods and services". This will allows you to get your money back from Paypal when you find out that you have been scammed. If someone asks you to send it as a gift only via Paypal, that's a huge red flag.

     Social media is fun, I love it, and I have literally grown a ministry using it. However, if you are not extremely careful, you will be "catfished". There are many kind, wonderful, and hungry people out there waiting for you to connect with them, but you must be aware of the darker element that lurks in the shadows also.

Do your homework, don't be lazy, use the Holy Ghost as your guide. A few minutes online doing your research can save you some heartache and probably some money.

God Bless you,
Bro Shad









 

    
   

When to walk away from a regular Bible study

This is really for those of you who have spent many hours teaching Bible Studies and the student never really connects, or you are beginning to feel like they are taking advantage of you. Part of being a soulwinner is having a burden to help people. Unfortunately, there are some that may keep you around, not for the Word that you bring, but for the other things you may be providing to them. This is a short article explaining why it is okay to walk away from those people without guilt. 

Okay so everybody knows that I love teaching Bible studies. Some of us would go forever if we could and not look back. 

Can two walk together, except they be agreed? (Amos 3:3 KJV)

If you have spent time with someone, taught them the Word, the necessity of salvation, and everything they need to know, let them make the decision. We cannot keep chasing after people if they refuse to decide which direction they will go. If they are not willing to be a new bottle for new wine, we cannot force them for the Word says that you cannot put new wine into an old bottle, else it will break and the wine runneth out. Once we have given of ourselves, our time, money, and energy, we must be able to recognize when it is time to dedicate our time to those that are hungry. 

And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. (Matthew 10:14 KJV)

     We love giving sacrificially, but when it becomes obvious that we are being taken advantage of, we must be able to walk away and spend our hard earned money on those that really need it and appreciate it and you. When you become a means to an end, you have ceased to become an effective witness.

     Even Jesus was rejected in Nazareth after He taught. He didn't try to stay and convince people, He left and went to Capernaum where "they were astonished" by His doctrine. There are too many hungry people out there for us to spend time "kicking against the pricks". The point is, if you have done everything you know to do, and can honestly say that you gave it your all, there is no guilt or shame in walking away.