This was the first picture I took for my Neglected Caroline series.
I often wonder, why did it end up here? It was once, a fine working boat.
Did it require more effort and money, to keep seaworthy, then the profit it had generated? Was it the age or health of the craft?
I wonder as I look in the mirror, Lord, why am I here?
Oh, to be preserved and protected
An older post- we must learn to please God, instead of asking to be pleased.
Dear Democrats,
I was sadly not surprised, to see your juvenile performance at the SOTU, last evening.
Our last President could of had 8 years of prosperity and peace, instead, he chose to spend his time deviding rich from poor, black from white, law officers from those they protect.
If your policies were not so wrong headed, our Country, would not have needed, Donald Trump to save us from the third world path we were on.
If you can not Honour our first lady, stand for our National Anthem, rejoice for prosperity and low unemployment.
You are a special kind of childish fool.
You lost the Election and I believe last night you lost what little mind you had left.
Say Good Night, and God Bless America.
1 Timothy 2:1-3 (KJV)
“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.”
Sad story here
Exodus 17:4
“And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.”
I cried unto the Lord. “What must I do, these people reject Your Truths. They are almost ready to stone me.”
Yes, it is true.
If You called me to lead? I am a lost. If You called me to teach? I am failing. If You called me to serve? I have missed the mark, of Your high calling.
If You called me to see? I am blind. To hear? I am deaf. If You called me to care? I am torn asunder.
Since You brought me to this UMC, my focus, my zeal, my calling has evolved. I used to invite the lost to come to the Spirit Filled Fellowships, I attended.
I find myself discouraging people from coming to this Church. Why?
I believe they are Saved and love the Lord. That should be enough. I wish it was.
They lack the Love, Joy and Peace, that is evident in the Spirit Filled, Saints. They know not what is missing. Because it is Spiritually discerned.
It could be me, my fault. I am a bull, in a china shop.
I push. I prod. I beseech. To to touch hearts, to open minds, to change lives, is not in me. I need You.
If Your Holy Spirit is teaching me? I am failing the course.
Lord please, “What shall I do?” I believe I am here in obedience. To learn, to grow to become, …
What? A joke?
The people are satisfied, happy, content where they are. They have zero desire to change.
Show me Thy Way, Oh Lord. I must have Your anointing in my life. To allow You to make a difference. Amen
Thanks for visiting.
bill theunfetteredpreacher cote
Know you are loved.
In my original post on the Leper, my primary concern was not knowing God’s will.
The Church today, believes God can, as did the Leper, but we still do not believe His will.
Many other things went on in these Scriptures. Jesus had just preached the Sermon on the Mount.
Great multitudes followed Him. The Leper came and Worshiped Him.
Worship:
We call our Sunday Morning Service a Worship Service. Is it?
Worship
Homage rendered to God which it is sinful (idolatry) to render to any created being (Ex. 34:14; Isa. 2:8). Such worship was refused by Peter (Acts 10:25,26) and by an angel (Rev. 22:8,9). Eastons Bible Dictionary
Worship, is a realization of who God is; Our Creator, Saviour, Teacher, Helper, the source of our Power.
We need to stop, acknowledge the Lord, recognize Him as our all in all. Sing Him love songs, Scripture songs, bow our heads, lift up our hands, ask Him into our lives.
Be still, and know, that He is God.
If you looked up Worship, in Strongs Concordance, you would find, one of the meanings is to fall down, to fall to your knees.
This is how the Leper approached Jesus. Knowing Jesus could heal, knowing not, that He would.
Yet, he Worshiped.
Jesus said, He would, He touched him…. He healed him, immediately….
We are Saved immediately, when we repent and ask. We receive the Baptism of the Holy Spirit, immediately, when we ask.
We need to learn to walk in Salvation, and also how to pray in the Spirit.
He heals us immediately, He never ran a hospital, and neither should we.
He was told to be quiet and go to the Priest, for ritual cleansing.
He was too excited, spilled the beans, Jesus, then had to go into hiding.
Matthew 8:1-4 (KJV)
“When he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him.
And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed.
And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.”
Mark 1:40-45 (KJV)
“And there came a leper to him, beseeching him, and kneeling down to him, and saying unto him, If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus, moved with compassion, put forth his hand, and touched him, and saith unto him, I will; be thou clean.
And as soon as he had spoken, immediately the leprosy departed from him, and he was cleansed.
And he straitly charged him, and forthwith sent him away;
And saith unto him, See thou say nothing to any man: but go thy way, shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing those things which Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.
But he went out, and began to publish it much, and to blaze abroad the matter, insomuch that Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.”
Luke 5:12-14 (KJV)
“And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him.
And he charged him to tell no man: but go, and shew thyself to the priest, and offer for thy cleansing, according as Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.“
Saints, an older post, full of truth.
My prayer is, you lack nothing, in your walk with God.
“This beginning of miracles:” John 2:11-16
The last time I wrote on these Scriptures, my point was, Jesus’s age, (30), after Baptism, and Temptation. (As a child, I thought He was one also).
He had Disciples, Andrew, Peter, James, John. Phillip and Nathaniel.
He displayed Words of Knowledge, (He knew who would join Him, He saw Nathaniel under the fig tree).
Words of Wisdom, (He changed Peter’s name, He knew he would be a leader).
Discerning of Spirits, (Along with the Word of knowledge, He Discerned who would be Faithful).
The Disciples, had been following and learning of Jesus. They began to believe on Him, AFTER seeing the Working of the Miracle, of Water to Wine.
This was a manifestation of His Glory.
Today, we do not see the miraculous often in the Church. Much like in His home town, we are impressed, when a few sick folks are healed.
While He marvels at our UNBELIEF.
The Creator of all that has been created, and, we choose to believe He no longer does, or will do Miracles.
Somehow, we act as if, the best used by date, has past.
We believe He could, but not, that He would.
One other problem, it wasn’t yet, His time, but, Mom asked, so He delivered.
Some pray to Mary, expecting her to intercede, for us.
Missing the truth, that it is Jesus, who we must rely on. They miss the point, it is NOT WHO ASKED, that matters.
IT WAS THAT HE ANSWERED.
She demonstrated the Gift of Faith. He had not said He would do as she asked, while she told the servants to do as He directed.
He answered, because, HE SAW HER FAITH.
I question if He sees or recognizes, Faith in our lives. Do we act like we believe He will answer?
Do we know His will on the matter? Do we do what is needed to touch Him?
When the Disciples wondered why they could not cast out a demon. He answered, “This kind can come forth by nothing, but by prayer and fasting.” Mark 9:29
We hardly know how to pray, as for fasting? What, Denying ourselves? Not fashionable.
Fasting and Prayer:
The Psalmist, persecuted by his enimies, prayed for them.
Psalm 35:13-14
“But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.
I behaved myself as though he had been my friend or brother: I bowed down heavily, as one that mourneth for his mother.”
Daniel, understanding, the Prophecy of Jeremiah, sought the Lord, declaring Israel’s sin.
Daniel 9:3
“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes:”
Anna, a prophetess, an old woman, in the Temple, recognized the Son of God.
Luke 2:37
“And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”
When you pray, do you wish to see results?
Do you understand God’s will? Are you walking in obedience?
To build His Church, we MUST, seek His Power. We MUST, know His Will. We MUST, Walk in Obedience.
“You have not, because you ask not.”
James 4:2
“Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.”
“ONLY BELIEVE”
John 2:1-11(KJV)
“And the third day there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee; and the mother of Jesus was there:
And both Jesus was called, and his disciples, to the marriage.
And when they wanted wine, the mother of Jesus saith unto him, They have no wine.
Jesus saith unto her, Woman, what have I to do with thee? mine hour is not yet come.
His mother saith unto the servants, Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.
And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews, containing two or three firkins apiece.
Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,
And saith unto him, Every man at the beginning doth set forth good wine; and when men have well drunk, then that which is worse: but thou hast kept the good wine until now.
This beginning of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested forth his glory; and his disciples believed on him.”
Luke 7: 11-16
“And it came to pass the day after, that he went into a city called Nain; and many of his disciples went with him, and much people.
Now when he came nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow: and much people of the city was with her.
Like David, in and out, among the people. 1 Samual 18:16.
“But all Israel and Judah loved David, because he went out and came in before them.”
Mark 6: 56. “And whithersoever he entered, into villages, or cities, or country, they laid the sick in the streets, and besought him that they might touch if it were but the border of his garment: and as many as touched him were made whole.”
And when the Lord saw her
“Hear, ye deaf; and look, ye blind, that ye may see.” Isaiah 42:18
Many cannot see… Baptist.. prove true?
“He who created us without our help will not save us without our consent.”
Augustine
he had compassion on her,
Moses. Change. – Mark 8:2
“I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat:”
Blind, sick, lame
and said unto her, Weep not.
Spoken word… Power… I can do, shepard, fervant, God said… it was so… it was good
And he came and touched the bier:
He TOUCHED, as many as Touch Him.
and they that bare him stood still. And he said, Young man, I say unto thee, Arise.
And he that was dead sat up, and began to speak. And he delivered him to his mother.
And there came a fear on all:
and they glorified God, saying, That a great prophet is risen up among us; and, That
God has visted his people.”
I would love to write a book. The problem is, I hate to waste time, building to my wonderful conclusions.
I am there already. I’ve studied the Word, I know the Truth. I want to just show you the Scriptures and have you jump on board.
That apparently doesn’t work. Every Christian book I open, it seems to take 5 chapters to get to the meat, and it’s over cooked.
I am not built that way. So who would read it?
No one….
Had a great time yesterday, sharing scripture with a customer. He was a Baptist, and clearly did not believe, that Tongues are for today.
He told me things I did not know. Catholics, Mormons, Jehovah Witnesses… ect all spoke in Tongues. (?)
He said that these false religions are claiming the same gift as Penticostals, so the Gift of Tongues, was not of God.
He said Catholics aren’t Christians, which promoted this question. How do you become a Christian?
Repent, Believe and Confess Jesus, as Lord and Savior. Sorry, I grew up a Catholic, they believe this.
Now, they truly have error, works not faith, praying to Mary… ect…
But, they have the main question down, is God so small, He would keep them from Salvation, because they believed the bad Doctrine of the Church.
You are calling for more than Christ did.
We all have errors in our Denominational beliefs, we don’t understand the Doctrines of Laying on of hands, or Baptisms.
Never mind the Gifts of the Spirit. I believe those who teach against the Gifts of the Spirit, (all of them), are doing great harm to the body.
Paul said in 1 Corinthians 14:
~ to desire spiritual gifts,
~ he that speaketh in an unknown tongue speaketh not unto men, but unto God: for no man understandeth him; howbeit in the spirit he speaketh mysteries. (This is our prayer language)
~ He that speaketh in an unknown tongue edifieth himself; (prayer language)
~ I would that ye all spake with tongues (prayer language, but in Church interpret)
~ Even so ye, forasmuch as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the edifying of the church.
Wherefore let him that speaketh in an unknown tongue pray that he may interpret. (Must interpret in Church, not in prayer language).
~ For if I pray in an unknown tongue, my spirit prayeth, but my understanding is unfruitful. (Prayer)
~ What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also. (Public)
~ I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: (Prayer)
Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue. (Public)
~ Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit in malice be ye children, but in understanding be men.
~ If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God. (Public)
~ And the spirits of the prophets are subject to the prophets.
For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
~ But if any man be ignorant, let him be ignorant.
Wherefore, brethren, covet to prophesy, and forbid not to speak with tongues.
Let all things be done decently and in order.
In the early Church, all spoke with Tongues, some in prayer others in public.
It is the first Gift of the Spirit given and is available to all who believe.
In Matthew 25, the Talents are the Gifts of the Spirit, the Lord didn’t leave us money till He returns, but the Gifts, to build His Church. (Don’t bury them).
When we have Denominations teaching against the Gifts, I believe it is close to Blaspheming the Holy Spirit.
James 1:17
“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.“
Instead of looking for reasons to reject God’s Gifts, we should be searching the Scriptures to see if they are true.
They are for today, to build His Church.
An older, build your faith post
For quite sometime, the Bible has been alive and new to me. It seemed that I could preach or teach from every verse I read.
For the last few months, it has not been the same. I seem to be in a time of Faith building.
The Lord isn’t comforting me, by holding me in His arms.
He is still there, but just out of reach. He wants me to know, consider, and understand, that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him.
Will I continue to set my face like flint to seek Him? Or settle for what and where I am.
I believe we all come to this cross road. (often) We must deside to push through, or settle, get comfortable where we are.
He tests us, like He tests all the Saints, I am thankful He hasn’t tested me like He did Abraham.
No, it’s is just a test of my desire to become more like Him.
I believe in a God of Power and Might, who would save, set free, and heal all who come to Him with a heart the hungers for righteousness.
The God of Signs, Wonders, and Miracles.
I will not be at peace, until I experience His Power in my life.
Deuteronomy 32:4
“He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he.“
His promises are Yea and Amen to those who believe.
I Believe…. use me, oh Lord. Amen
https://theunfetteredpreacher.com/2016/12/06/if-thou-wilt-theunfetteredpreacher/
An older post revisited. Build your faith, read of the Miracles of Jesus once again. Find the reasons for them. What should we be learning?
I will put you in remembrance:
We believe on/in the Lord Jesus Christ. This gives us much comfort, we know:
• we are not condemned:
• we have everlasting life:
• we have power to become the sons of God:
• Jesus promised, the works that I do shall he (who believes), do also; and greater works than these shall he (who believes), do;
It is good to believe in or on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is the power of Salvation.
It is good to believe, the devils also believe, and tremble.
Is it enough?
I thank God for His promises, to know Salvation, the greatest gift we received.
We know who holds our future, that it is better than our past.
Yet, this isn’t enough. The people of God are in a war. Sickness, Financial shortfalls, Worry, Concerns, lacking both Joy and Peace. Yet, we believe.
What do we believe? We believe in God, but do we believe God.
Deuteronomy 1:32
“Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God”
The Lord had delivered the Hebrews from bondage, had for two years, fed and clothed them, promised them a land of milk and honey.
He promised they would conquer the giants, the unbelievers who lived in the land, would be destroyed. The land, would be theirs.
Then He told them to enter the land, to take the land and live there in peace.
“Yet in this thing ye did not believe the Lord your God“
Saints, the Church has a problem, we believe in, but we don’t really believe God.
Jude 1:5
“I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.“
We have been saved, yet we believe not to enter into His promise. We struggle with the truth that my God shall supply all my needs.
I shall not want, the Lord would have me prosper and be in good health, even as our soul prospers.
Folks it is important to know and claim the promises of God. To pray them, believe them and walk in them.
When the Hebrews, refused to enter the promised land, the book of Hebrews, said they had an evil heart of unbelief.
Is it any different for us, when we do not believe His promises, for supply, health, peace and joy?
When we refuse to study His Word, and ask the Holy Spirit, to teach and guide us to ALL TRUTH.
I pray you will search the Scriptures, see if they be true. Amen
A strong body and a strong mind, is desired, to accomplish our daily tasks.
We must exercise physically, if we would strengthen our bodies.
(My Doctor told me I would be in better shape, if I dug ditches, rather than sitting at a piano all the time). Who can argue with that.
I avoid exercise like it was the plague, then wonder why I am fat, dumb and happy. (Well, at least the first two).
Then there is this, at 1 Timothy 4:8
“For bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things, having promise of the life that now is, and of that which is to come.”
Almost my motto, lol.
I love to search the Word. Whether it is a word search, people search, or subject search.
This is how I exercise my mind and spirit.
A few weeks ago at our Tuesday Morning men’s meeting, my friend, Pastor Nelson Hopkins, brought up Hebrews 6: 1-3.
“Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,
Of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, of eternal judgment.
And this will we do, if God permit.“
Leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ:
This just doesn’t seem right. Leave the principles of the Doctrine of Christ?
It’s appears, we are leaving our Salvation, but it is not. The writer is telling us that the Principle Doctrines are the Milk of the Gospel.
We must know them, live them, love them, and then move on to the Meat of the Word.
The only hitch is, a lot of Christians can not move on to the Meat, because they are unaware, that they have only been fed the Milk, and not even all of that.
Most Christians know and believe we are saved by Faith and not Works. The best definition of Faith for me comes from Hebrews 11:6
“Without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.“
We must believe He Is, not used to be, used to do, or God doesn’t do that, or speak to us anymore.
NO, NO, NO,… GOD IS.
He Is a very present help in times of trouble, He Is able to do above and beyond what we ask, think or even imagine.
He Is our Shepard, we shall not want, He will supply our needs,
Do we believe He Is? He said in John 14:12-14.
“He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.
And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.
If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.“
I see very little evidence in our Churches that we believe He Is able to do, that which He promised.
We should be experiencing Signs, Wonders and Miracles. We aren’t. Why?
We do not believe He Is.
I believe we know that first principle, we are Saved by Faith and not Works.
We must go on to the others, so we can go on to the Meat of the Word.
My Surprise?
I have spent most of my Christian life, with Full Gospel Saints.
The joy, peace and love of the Lord was so easy to see in their lives. I could go to any Full Gospel place of Worship, and enjoy the presence of God.
My Surprise?
Churches and their Saints who are not Baptized in the Holy Spirit, with the evidence of speaking in Tongues.
Worship, in some Churches, come close to bringing down the Spirit. The Love of Christ is evident.
The peace and joy are foreign entities, though. They do not recognize that the absence of the Spirit.
Spiritual things are not understood, without the Spirit’s presence.
They are not taught the Scriptures concerning the Spirit, because they DO NOT UNDERSTAND THE SPIRIT.
I went to a big Baptist convention, about 5,000 in attendance. We heard good messages on Repentance, Regeneration, Salvation, Sanctification, ect…
Then the last speaker,…
I believe he blasphemed the Holy Spirit, he ridiculed speaking in Tongues, there by denying the Power of God.
I will point out this man was paralyzed from the neck down. I fear this doesn’t give him license.
Most Non-denominational Churches, admit the Holy Spirit is real, yet, there is no evidence of his presence.
They can not teach something they know nothing of.
What Surprised me is they DO NOT WANT TO KNOW, SO THEY NEVER WILL.
That is why the Church does not grow. It is dying because the know not the Scriptures and deny the power of God.
When I was saved, I wanted all God had for me. Why don’t they?
That is My Surprise…
The Church has toiled, worked to build the Kingdom of God. With mixed results.
Many Churches, hold their own, at 30 to 60 attendees. The faces change, the numbers remain the same. Why?
The Pastors know and love the Lord. The people are saved and on the way to heaven.
Yet, nothing changes. There is no desire to fast, pray, to change how we live, what we do, how we Worship. (Our Church Services).
If we would look in the Word, believe the Word, Walk in the Word, we would experience change.
Luke 5:5-6
“And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.“
Will you do things God’s way? Or will we continue doing things our way?
We have toiled all the night:
and have taken nothing:
Nevertheless, at Thy Word,
We will try again, your way.
when they had this done,
They had caught,
a great multitude of fishes.
We could bring great multitudes into the Kingdom, if we would just do it in the Power and direction of the Holy Spirit.
Amen
theunfetteredpreacher 