A Mighty Fortress Is Our God: The Reformation is a celebration of who God is.

A Mighty Fortress Is Our God:  The Reformation is a celebration of who God Is.

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

We might not agree with everything that Martin Luther espoused, such as his anti-Semitism. However, we can agree with him and the word of God that we are saved by grace and should live our lives in faith.

Luther loved to praise God and wrote many hymns.  His most famous hymn is “A Mighty Fortress is our God.”  Most of us learned the English translation by Fredrick H. Hedge.  That translation was published in 1853.   The hymn is based on Psalm 46.

Psalm 46:1-3 (NKJV):
¹  God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
²  Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
³  Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling.

Let’s celebrate the Reformation, the knowledge that we are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9), with renewed hearts proclaiming that God is our refuge and our strength and in Him we need not fear.  What a powerful word for today.

A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He, amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great, and, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

Did we in our own strength confide, our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side, the Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be? Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth, His Name, from age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.

And though this world, with devils filled, should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim, we tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure, for lo, his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.

That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours through Him Who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go, this mortal life also;
The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

What We Should Be Celebrating on October 31

What We Should Be Celebrating on October 31

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

As Christians, many of us have become so caught up in whether or not or how we should or shouldn’t celebrate Halloween that we have either forgotten or have never learned what is important about and worthy of celebration on October 31.

On Oct 31, 1517, Martin Luther (then a Catholic monk) posted his 95 Theses (or

statements) on the door of Castle Church in Wittenberg, Germany. This act started

the  historical movement known as the Reformation. The Reformation was the great rediscovery of the good news of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.  Ephesians 2:8-9 (NKJV):

⁸ For  by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

Although, Reformation Day is more commonly celebrated in the Lutheran Church,

Martin Luther should be celebrated as a hero of faith by all Christians. The Protestant churches that many of us worship in today are the result of Luther's efforts to restore the gospel, salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, to the hearts of Christians.  The Catholic Church, as well, went through a major reformation during the ensuing years. 

Therefore, Halloween is a time for us to war in the opposite spirit by celebrating our covenant in Jesus Christ and turning from the ugliness, the wickedness, the witchcraft that the world celebrates.  It is a time to celebrate life in Christ rather than death.  It is a time of walking in faith instead of seeking out fear.

May we, like Luther, courageously stand for the truth, light and life in the Body of Christ.  

Today, nearly 500 years since the time of Martin Luther, it is time for another Reformation.  Let’s boldly place these theses on the door of the Temple, the hearts of Christians:

Unity in doctrine; diversity in worship—Let’s stand together in the knowledge that our sin has separated us from God, that God the Father sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to the Cross to pay the penalty for our sin, that Jesus died, was buried and rose again and that He is coming back for those who have, by faith, accepted His sacrifice.  Let’s then allow believers to worship in spirit and in truth whether it is with pipe organs or guitars and drums, formal liturgy or flowing in the Spirit, or classical or contemporary music, or an eclectic, yet spiritual, mixture of all.

Repudiation of “progressive” Christianity—Progressive Christians believe that the Bible is no longer relevant and must be reinterpreted for our time.  Basically, progressive Christians do away with salvation by grace, the Ten Commandments, and the Cross, and become gods unto themselves.

Denunciation of Replacement Theology—Replacement Theology states the Church has replaced Israel in the heart of God so we can just forget that nation and its people.  Believers in Replacement Theology don’t understand that when the Lord makes a blood covenant with a people and pronounces that covenant as lasting forever that He means “forever.”  Those who choose Replacement Theology also choose to ignore Romans 11 which teaches us that we, as Christians, have been grafted into the olive tree that is Israel. 

October 31 is a day to celebrate the courage of a man who stood for the truth of the gospel.  It is, likewise, a day to reaffirm our commitment to biblical truth.

Warring in the Opposite Spirit

Warring in the Opposite Spirit

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (NKJV)
³  For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh.
⁴  For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds,
⁵  casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,
.

I often caution others, “When you are in an argument or confrontation with others, don’t allow them to drag you down to the level of anger, sarcasm and bitterness.”  Remember that the coolest head usually prevails. 

We fight anger with peace, falsehood with truth, ignorance with knowledge.  God is calling us to fight the war against Christianity with the fruit of the Spirit.  “Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV)
²²  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
²³  gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.” 

As we are coming into the final days of what has developed into an especially acrimonious political campaign, it is imperative for the Body of Christ to arise, shine and display the glory of God that is within us. (Isaiah 60:1)  Railing against lies stirs up negative emotions.  Praying for truth to be revealed and proclaiming truth in love will set us free. 

Mark 4:22 (NKJV)
^“22 For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret but that it should come to light.”  Let’s join together and cry out to God for everything that has been hidden to be revealed, that all secrets will be brought to light.

Let’s walk in the light of Jesus rather than the darkness of hatred, anger and bitterness.

Proverbs 10:12 (NKJV) “Hatred stirs up strife: but love covers all sins.”

Proverbs 15:1 (NKJV)
¹ A soft answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

Let’s prayer as St. Francis prayed:

Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love.

Where there is injury, pardon.

Where there is doubt, faith.

Where there is despair, hope.

Where there is darkness, light.

Where there is sadness, joy.

O Divine Master,

grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled, as to console;

to be understood, as to understand;

to be loved, as to love.

For it is in giving that we receive.

It is in pardoning that we are pardoned,

and it is in dying that we are born to Eternal Life.

Resting in Hope

Resting in Hope by Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Psalm 16:9

Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.

God fed the Israelites manna for forty years.  When the wilderness years were over, the manna ceased, but the provision of God continued.  Our God is Jehovah Jirah, the God who provides.  When we forget that, we act out of our fear rather than out of our faith.  Our nation’s current financial crisis has caused many believers to forget our Lord’s ability to provide.  We panic rather than pray.  We despair rather than hope. The crisis appears to be overwhelming, but “with God nothing will be impossible.” (Luke 1:37) We can rest in His hope.

Matthew 6:31-33 (NKJV)
³¹ Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall

we wear?'
³² For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all

these things.
³³ But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be

added to you.   

The key to resting in hope is seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.  

God’s provision is not limited to food and clothing.  He has provided us with salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. When we examine the definition of two Greek words translated as “salvation”, we find that salvation means deliverance, safety, healing, health and prosperity.  If salvation meant only that we will have eternity with our Lord, it would be enough to cause us to live always in hope.  However, our God is a God of abundance.  Not only does salvation insure our eternity, it insures our today. 

We need deliverance and healing from fear, hopelessness, and despair.  We are conscious of the war of terror that is being waged on the international front.  We are not so aware of the war of terror that is being waged in our own hearts.  The news media reports what is happening in the world, but can offer no solution or hope.  Even most believers have resolved to expect the worst. 

How can believers reconcile what we see and hear around us with God’s word that He delights in us and has a future and a hope for us?  We must walk in faith according the promises of God.  Philippians 4:19: “And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”  Do you need faith?  God will supply it.  Do you need hope?  God will supply it.  Is a solution to our nation’s needs available?  Yes, and God has it.

When we forget the promises of God and vote out of fear, we elect more fear.  In the upcoming elections, it is vital that we move from that platform of fear and vote for people with Godly values.  

As consecrated, regenerated believers walking in His righteousness, let’s intercede before the throne of God on behalf of our nation.  Let’s declare His promises and rest in His hope.

Father, we are thankful that when we walk in Your righteousness, we can trust in Your provision.  We receive Your wisdom and Your hope.  We pray for the decision-makers of our nation that they, too, will seek Your wisdom.  I covenant with You to cast my ballot, not out of what the media and others perceive as my need, but out  of what You have eternally established as my path to a life of peace and hope. Amen.

The Parable of the Corn Stalk

The Parable of the Corn Stalk
By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Ephesians 1:17-18 (NKJV)
"that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints."

Knowing that God desires to give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, my attention was alerted early in August this year when I noticed a stalk of corn coming up at between the edge of my lawn and the driveway. My neighbor feeds corn to the squirrels, and I am sure that one of the squirrels planted the kernel. However, when a stalk of corn starts growing in my yard, my spiritual ears open up. My maiden name is Corn. That stalk seemed to call me and to intrigue me.

My husband and I decided to let it grow. It didn’t grow very tall. It was growing in the shade of a tree, in soil where it is difficult to grow even grass, but it grew in spite of its adverse environment and late start. We didn’t expect much from it. The neighbors joked about wanting the corn crop from it because it probably grew from their seed. Little did we know that the corn stalk was an overcomer. It was determined to bloom where is was planted.
I backed over it one day. Actually I backed over one of the leaves that it had carelessly let drape onto the driveway. When I examined the damage, the stalk was bent to the ground, but not broken. I left it alone. A few hours later, the stalk was standing upright. It was a bit crooked near the bottom, but it was erect.
The first lesson of the corn stalk came into my spirit. (2 Corinthians 4:7-9) "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show us that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed."
This scripture is especially encouraging as we sense satan’s determination to secularize the world and make Christianity obsolete. We, like my corn stalk, may be a bit worn, frayed and bent out of shape, but we are still standing and the gates of hell will not prevail against us.
I examined the corn stalk again on the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the evening of September 16. I was delighted to see that it had produced a ear. A second ear appeared 10 days later on Yom Kippur. I felt that the Lord was telling me that if we walk in obedience to Him, we will have a double portion of the fruits of the spirit in the coming year, a double portion of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23)
A friend of mine who knows more about farming than I (which is basically nothing), examined the stalk in amazement. "Lonnie," said he, "this is hybrid corn. The seed produced by hybrid corn rarely produces any fruit. " My hybrid corn stalk not only produced fruit, but a double portion of fruit.
From this experience I feel that God has a message for His church as a whole and especially for those of us who have entered that time of life when our white hair is a sign of wisdom. "Remember that it is not the seed in the ground, but the seed in the fruit of the stalk that is significant. This is your time. It may appear to be late in season just as the growth of the corn stalk was late in season, but it is not late in My timing."
The Lord is saying to us, "Because you have endured, because you have overcome much, you have become resilient and capable of flourishing in a difficult place. You are drought resistant because out of your innermost being flow rivers of living water (John 7:38)."
Then the Holy Spirit reminded me of the following passage:
"Psalm 92:12-15 (NKJV)
¹² The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree, He shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.
¹³ Those who are planted in the house of the LORD Shall flourish in the courts of our God.
¹⁴ They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing,
¹⁵ To declare that the LORD is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him. "
May the living water of Jesus Christ flow from our innermost being and a double portion of the fruit of the spirit be manifest in our lives.

　

The Last Great Day--A Day of Praise

The Last Great Day

By Rev. Lonnie C. Crowe

Leviticus 23:33-36 (NKJV)
³³ Then the LORD spoke to Moses, saying,
³⁴ "Speak to the children of Israel, saying: 'The fifteenth day of this seventh month shall be the Feast of Tabernacles for seven days to the LORD.
³⁵ On the first day there shall be a holy convocation. You shall do no customary work on it.
³⁶ For seven days you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation, and you shall offer an offering made by fire to the LORD. It is a sacred assembly, and you shall do no customary work on it.

            The eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles is often called “The Last Great Day”.  This year it begins at sunset on Sunday, October 7.

            During the days of the Temple in Jerusalem, on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles, the high priest, with priests and thousands of worshipers, marched from the Temple to the Pool of Siloam, filled a pitcher with water and went back to the Temple Mount.  The high priest then poured the water onto the altar. This action was accompanied with prayer for the early rains that would come during the winter months and provide water for the barley and wheat crops.       What does this picture for us?

              Water from the Pool of Siloam was “living water” because it came from a free flowing stream.  “Living Water” is a picture of the cleansing ministry of Christ. Note the following scriptures”

--Jeremiah 2:13 (NKJV) “For My people have committed two evils: They have forsaken Me, the fountain of living waters, And hewn themselves cisterns--broken cisterns that can hold no water.”

--John 7:37 (NKJV): On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink.

--John 7:38 (NKJV) “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water."

             The Last Great Day is a special time appointed by God to pray for the rains to prepare the land for the crops next season. Many areas of the world have experienced extreme drought conditions. Let’s join together in the Holy Spirit and pray, “Oh, Lord our God, we pray for the living water both in the natural and in the spiritual to quench the thirst of our dry land and our dry souls.  We desire to drink of You so that out of our innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”

Living water, representing our Lord, removes the curse:

✟From the land—famine caused by lack of water

✟From spiritual dryness—famine caused by the lack of the Living Water of the Word of God.

✟From physical ailments—our bodies are from dust of the earth.

            The Last Great Day is also called Simchat Torah, rejoicing in the Word of God. This is day to join with King David in praise for the Bible.

● Psalm 12:6 (NKJV).”The words of the LORD are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.”

●Psalm 56:10 (NKJV) In God (I will praise His word), In the LORD (I will praise His word).

              Remember that Jesus is the Word.  John 1:1 (NKJV) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

            Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:26 that we are cleansed by the washing of the Word. “Thank you, Father, for the Word of God, the Living Water, that cleanses us.”

            The Last Great Day occurs on the eighth day of the Feast of Tabernacles.  In the Bible, eight designates new beginnings.   As this time of celebrating the Lord’s appointed fall feasts comes to a close, let’s praise Him for all the new beginnings we have experienced and all the new beginnings yet to come.  It is a new year in the Lord, a time of renewed commitment, a time to prepare for the harvest to come, a time to delight in His Word, a time to look forward in hope which is the evidence of things not yet seen.  (Hebrews 11:1)