This Morning - The Lord Held Me Up While I Preached

“It is my opinion that tens of thousands of people, if not millions, have been brought into some kind of religious experience by accepting Christ, and they have not been saved.” -- A.W. Tozer

This morning I awoke just before 10:00AM and prayed a little. Still the presence of God is still very dim to me. Nonetheless, I left around 10:30PM to attend the church service. I got there just after 11:30AM. This morning what was being taught on was Gods grace. There were many solid truths preached. However, something is wrong when you preach 45 minutes on grace and out of that about 1 minute on sin, law, righteousness, judgment, holiness, repentance, justice. I'm not being critical for the sake of being critical, God is my witness, but how can someone repent if they aren't told to repent? Not once was the word repentance or anything of that sort, used. If it was, it was so unnoticable that I didn't hear it. I heard numerous times that God accepts you just as you are this morning. What I perceived was that God accepts me with all my bagage, that He loves me just the way I am and if I come to Him, He will give me grace and I will begin a journey. No, the truth is, you knock on the door and Jesus Christ says leave your bagage out there, lest you die! "Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:2).

I heard one woman on the stage, with a spotlight on her, saying something about the presence of God being there this morning. Well I guess I didn't notice He came through the door! I sensed no presence of God this morning and I don't think that God dwells in entertainment centers. Leonard Ravenhill often used to say that "entertainment is the devils substitute for joy" and I agree with him.

When will men understand that the only way to live, is to die and to be crucified with Christ! Jesus Christ is not some "cherry on top of your world." The truth is, is that if you aren't crucified with Him and if He hasn't given you resurrection life, If Jesus Christ is not whom you serve with all your might, whom you obey because you love Him, than your life is nothing more than a "dung hill," and all that you do and have ever done will be nothing more than dung being added to your heap of dung.

Now, with that said...last night I met with Malcom, Elias and Angelo. Malcom preached as usual and for the first time, I preached as well. The Lord held me up last night. We all got into one-on-one conversations and passed out tracts. After we got back to the church just after 10PM, we all prayed and gave thanks to God. Elias and Angelo left, but I went with Malcom to Los Olas. The wickedness and sin that was there, I've never seen in my life! Perhaps for 2 or 3 miles you have bars and strip clubs. Hundreds upon hundreds of people walking up and down being entertained! Enjoying the pleasues of sin for a season! Getting drunk and lusting! Words cannot describe the wickedness that was at this place.

Malcom and I passed out tracts and spoke to a few people. I spoke to one man who told me he'd been thinking about spiritual things on his way down there. He was sincere as I could see and I told him that perhaps God brought him down here to meet with me. I brought him through the Law and revealed the grace of God in Jesus Christ because he was humbled and wasn't justifying anything but agreed to being guilty before God and deserving of hell and was concerned about it. I asked him what he was doing down here, because he had mentioned before that he used to go to a Calvary Chapel and was a Christian. He told me he had fallen into rough times and so I told him that there are false conversions and true conversions and told him to pick up his bible and read and obey it and God wouldn't ever let him down.

We left Los Olas and I got home around 1:00AM, tired and exhausted. May God be glorified.

http://www.paulmcgrade.com/Preaching1-Paul.mp3

*Here is the audio clip of me preaching last night for the first time. (Malcom saves me a few times when I run out of steam.) Thanks be to God for holding me up.

A servant of the most high God,
A son by Jesus Christ,
Paul Mcgrade

A Meeting - Advice On Salvation

Last night I met with a few others to discuss the very basics of Evangelism. We then passed out 200 tracts and I spoke with 10 people using the Law to bring the knowledge of sin and then told them the gospel of Jesus Christ and told them what they must do to be saved. When I got home, I read "Why stand afar off, O LORD? Why hide yourself in times of trouble?" and the LORD knows this is the cry of my heart. For Him to come in His majesty again. For Him to come in His glory once again.

This morning in private prayer, the presence of God was very dim to me and isn't as illuminated to my soul as times past. Oh! How I long for Him to shed abroad His love in my heart once again! How I long for Him to shine His countenance upon me again.

Allow me to share something with you about salvation. Its found in Psalm 10:14:

"...The helpless commits himself to You."

Become helpless, loose everything that you can lean upon, your health, your confidence in long life, your sanity, your happiness, your family, your education, your job, your comforts, loose even your own life and be poor in spirit and you will be helpless. You will have nothing to help you and as a result you cry out to God to save you and to give you life and He comes in majesty and glory and grants you the new birth. What are the results of this supernatural birth? As a flower blossoms naturally, you effortlessly commit yourself to Him entirely. You stay helpless always and you cannot ever help yourself. Apart from Him, now that you've been born again, you know you can do nothing and you rely upon Him to breathe! Become utterly helpless and find eternal life!

A servant of the most high God,
A son by Jesus Christ,
Paul Mcgrade

A Refreshing Walk - Attended A Church Service

I want to keep this journal as clean as possible and not write vain words.

Approximately 6:15PM tonight I began to walk to a church I've never attended before, but have been wanting to for the last few months. It was raining and I could have driven but decided not to intentionally. It was, at some times pouring and at other times drizzling. The sun shone beautifully and a rainbow left in the sky, brought to remembrance the flood. Walking in the rain seems foolish, but how refreshing it is to feel the rain poured on my head from God. To feel the rain drops and see the sun beaming at me in glory and the blue sky and the fresh air in my lungs, how glorious simply this is! But how much more God will shine in majesty and glory in eternity!

I got to the church just after 7:00PM, wet, but refreshed. I know how important it is to be with other Christians. I love to be with brothers and sisters who love God and want Him alone, esteem Him above all and want to be most satisfied in Him. Who delight in serving Him and obeying Him. I'm grieved with the careless lukewarm in the churches however and with the false teachers who trifle with the Bible and with God. They must have never read that they must give an account to God one day.

The service at this church is from 7:00PM to 8:00PM every Wensdays. The scripture for tonight was Psalm 56. Before I attended this service, I made sure that I was going as a little child to hear this pastor teach, however not without discernment. Discernment is critical and necessary lest you find yourself in hell. I don't know what to make of the service tonight, time will tell I guess. I plan, according to the will of God, to attend every Wensday.

So a bit after 8:00PM I walked home again amidst the stars of the night and the black sky and the streetlights, with a thankful heart to God and trusting Him.

Glad Tidings Of Good Things

Its 1:38AM and I'm tired. Tonight I went with 5 others to the beach. Last week was the first time I went, this is the second time meeting together and passing out tracts, preaching, and speaking with people. This week was wonderful, we had a short prayer meeting before we went to the beach around 8:00PM.

We spoke with various people, Malcom preached, we all passed out tracts. I spoke with 3 kids about sin, the law, helping them to understand why Jesus Christ died for them. Once I brought the law to them and then summarized it up as "We broke the law, Jesus paid our fine" it clicked and it made sense why Jesus Christ died for them.

Everyone was either passing out tracts or speaking with people. Malcom was the only one who preached. I must say, the prayer meeting was so sweet. Praying is beautiful and glorious when you are communing with the same God of the Bible.

"...How Beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!" -- Romans 10:15

Ravenous Wolves In Sheeps Clothing

I highly enjoy writing useful things. Things that will be profitable and aren't written for the sake of writing it. So allow me to write on something important. First lets look at Jesus' words:

"Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in your name? and in your name have cast out devils? and in your name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess to them, I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity." -- Matthew 7:21-23

There are certain professing ministers of God, children of God, but in truth, are children of the devil. These children of the devil, are very deceptive like their father. They draw people to themselves and show signs and wonders and to the amazement of the people, they believe and say that "this man is truely a son of God". They think because they see the signs and wonders that the false minister must really know God. They are deceived as Eve was, seeing things "pleasant to the eyes" and biting in.

When sincere men and woman come to these children of wrath, in hope of being healed, receiving something by the miraculous. Or perhaps they come to these ministers, simply to learn truth. Now these men may teach some solid doctrine, many will even publicly declare, "Lord, Lord". Perhaps even 100% of their teaching is true. Yes, hear me clearly. A child of the devil can even teach truth, He can even do mighty miracles, mighty works in the name of Jesus Christ.

How easy for a minister of Satan, to deceive many! With truth in his lips, miracles under his feet, who can discern that he is a ravenous wolf? Ah! I will give that answer, but first hear the proverb, "For the Lord gives wisdom: out of His mouth comes knowledge and understanding."Who can discern and see right through a snake? Who can pierce a soul with His eyes and burn right through a heart? The Lord. Hear wisdom: "Not every one that says to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven."

You may wonder than, how it is these false ministers do there miracles if they aren't real Christians. Well remember, the magicians in Egypt, how they imitated some of the plagues. Surely if a magician can seem to appear miraculous, surely these false ministers are nothing more than magicians themselves, disguised in sheeps clothing, but are inwardly ravenous wolves. They never knew God, therefore, they rightly hear, " I never knew you: depart from me, you that work iniquity."

So how is it that we can wake up out of deceit? How is it that those who are deceived can escape the claws of Satan and discern what is true and what is not in this case, with ministers who do signs and wonders?

Well first off, know that you can't know if someone is a real Christian by there signs and wonders. As we have seen, magicians can perform signs and wonders and still not be Christians, but really children of the devil. So make it a habit of not looking for signs and wonders, to be evidence of a real Christian.

Second, cry to God for wisdom and discernment.

Thirdly, realize that it is 'he that does the will of my Father which is in heaven," that will enter the kingdom of heaven. Is this minister doing the will of God? This will be hard to find out, do not make it a duty to find out either, rather hear these words of Jesus:

"Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. You shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them." -- Matthew 7:15-20

Notice Jesus says, "You shall know them by their fruits.....Wherefore by their fruits you shall know them." Not by anything else, but by their fruit, this is one of the 'litmus tests', if you want to call it that, how you ought to know whether someone is a real Christian or not. Do not be deceived! Do not be deceived! "He that says, I know Him (Jesus Christ), and keeps not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." -- 1 John 2:4

In conclusion, bind Jesus' words in Matthew 7:15-20 around your neck and never let them forsake you. Remember them and study them. It would be even good to read the book of 1st John.

A servant of the most high God;
A son by Jesus Christ;
Paul Mcgrade

Purposed To.....

Well, I have purposed to no longer wear myself out by unnecessary means. Last night, I felt I had no strength, tired, burdened by various doctrines, sermons, books, frustrations, and evil. Yet, "it came to pass" that I prayed and the Lord was my Helper. I prayed and He was my Strength. I prayed and my burdens were lifted. I prayed and He opened up my understanding. I prayed and felt a calm, a sense of peace and His love for me, though I don't deserve His kindness to me. I thank God for all things, knowing that "all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

Now by unnecessary means, I mean mostly by sermons & books. As it stands right now, I have 30 books in my room, which most, I haven't even read a page out of, but intend to read them. Now those books which I want to read touch upon hundreds of different things. There is a discontentment in me, a desire to buy more books, when I should understand all the books that I have now and eat and digest them well, take time to read them thoroughly, not rushing them, but reading them over and over if it takes me my whole life.

According to my Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary one of the Greek words for covetousness, is pleonexia, which literally means, "a desire to have more". Now, I will not say, that is definitely what covetousness is, due to my lack of understanding to the Greek and Hebrew language. Though I will live with a good conscience, if I should have no desire for more, but rather to have a zealous desire for God, to be most satisfied in Him and most contented in Him. To not be shaken and stirred by desires for more.

Now, what strongly wears me out is searching through thousands of sermons and trying to hear the best ones, trying to digest it all, on top of books and on top of the Bible. How tiresome and weary it is to me, to study sermons and books and the Bible at the same time. So my purpose now is to not listen to sermons (not in the strict sense, but rather in a laid back one, lest I wear myself out by doing that) and get one of my books, get my Bible and delight myself in the Bible, meditate over it, and read my book.

I must say though, prayer is vital, it is needed to live and a Christian cannot live unless He prays.

Psalm 23

The Lord is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures: He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul: He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

A Novelty!

"One of the greatest things a young Christian can do is to make a lifelong practice of reading the English Bible systematically from Genesis to Revelation over and over again." -- Paul Washer

In roughly 3 months, I'll be 17 years old. By that time, will I have wasted it? Will I have let 3 precious months slip right through my fingers, to never see it again? Paul Washer also wrote these words, "Every day that you give to the reading of God's word will eventually add up to years of study and a wealth of biblical knowledge. Every day lost will reduce the size of that final treasure." So to begin to make it a lifelong practice, I have come up with a reading plan. Starting at Genesis and ending at Revelation. Infact, I started reading Genesis 3 days ago and I've already read through the first 36 chapters. At least 11 chapters a day is the plan. Because the Bible has 1,189 chapters, that means in 109 days, of reading 11 chapters, I would have read the whole Bible for the first time, in roughly 3 months! Now if I read more then 11 chapters a day, obviously 109 days will shrink lower. I might also say that reading 11 chapters usually takes from 1-2 hours.

The entire article written by Paul Washer that I've quoted from can be found at http://blog.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendID=104260034&blog
ID=162096802&MyToken=f8bda254-6204-4640-85c8-0f7b3504324c

Paul Washer has been one of the biggest influences that has shown me real Christianity. He currently serves as the director for the Heartcry Missionary Society. A link can be found in the links section.

Listen To Modern American Christianity By Paul Washer

The Crucified Life?

Well, living in modern times, it is much harder to write a old fashion ink/paper journal. I've tried and can't ever seem to get my thoughts on paper before I'm off writing a book, which is frustrating, tiring, and simply wears me out. I've been using computers for the last 7 years and never once have I considered starting a blog. I'll say that I was inspiried to write a blog after seeing how simple they are. How finally, I can have a "journal" if you want to call it that, to help me gather my thoughts together.