Changing the Heart and Brain- A Spiritual Process

The purpose of this chapter is not to reduce the Gospel plan of salvation to a scientific explanation, but rather to show there is an actual physical change in the individual.  The steps of salvation are in a sequence that are important to bring about a change in the individual.  The plan of salvation starts in the mind.  Conviction is a process that starts one thinking about their wrong actions.  An individual must first realize they are a sinner.  Repenting is a change of the mind.  How we think is how we act.  To change those actions, we must repent.  Changing the mind will change our belief system, bringing about a new person. 

When Paul said we would become a new creation in Christ, he was correct.  Salvation brings about a physical change as much as a spiritual change.  Looking at the scientific research that has taken place and the discoveries of how the heart and brain works are proof of Paul’s statement.

Neuroscientists have discovered the strategy for rewiring the brain.  Contrary to popular approaches, this strategy involves more than just positive thinking or working hard.

In fact, there are pathways that must be activated in order to create new neural networks in the brain.  There are a few principles from the science of the brain that successfully activates these pathways.

First, the act of thinking sets in motion a chemical reaction in the brain similar to plugging in a string of lights.  As you think about something no matter what, you turn on the string of lights related to that topic.

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: Proverbs 23:7

Second, the more you think, feel and act the same way, the faster the lights turn on and the brighter they glow.  The longer the same action takes place, the faster the response.  We have trillions of brain cells, resulting in millions of strings of lights correlating with our habits in all areas of life.  The best explanation of this process is “neurons that fire together wire together.”  That is why the more you lie, the easier it is to lie the next time.  It soon is to the point you will have a hard time unraveling your own lies from the truth.  One pathway alone is not enough to rewire your brain.

Prior to taking action or deciding on something, you do so using your conscious mind.  Yet our lives are filled with different actions at every moment; those actions are not always a result of your conscious decisions.  Your subconscious mind plays a major role.  Actions controlled by your subconscious mind are beyond your control.  Your brain has been wired to act based on your prior thinking, feeling, and actions.

When you were first learning to drive a car, you were taught a sequence of events.  Your focus when first learning was on adjusting the mirror, fastening the seatbelt, adjusting the seat, putting the key in the ignition, starting the car, checking what is around the car, putting the car in gear and driving.  As you become a skilled drive, your subconscious mind registers your action, and you drive without making a conscious effort. You automatically avoid obstacles, change lanes, pass cars all while listening to music and talking with your passengers.  As your proficiency increases your driving process becomes natural, and your decisions are automatic.

As you gather the knowledge, you are wiring your brain to automatically act a certain way.  If your experiences are repeated, your beliefs and actions are wiring your brain to act to reinforce those beliefs and actions until they become automatic responses.

Your behavior is driven by the subconscious mind or how your brain has been wired.  When the subconscious mind takes control, your conscious mind is unaware you responded to the subconscious stimuli.

The way you have wired your brain will determine how you behave.  There are triggers that turn on our “string of lights”-- our thinking, feeling, and actions will determine how quickly we react to situations.  You go through many experiences and incidents in life, but few incidents touch your subconscious as your belief system. When you experience incidents that involve your belief system, you are overpowered, and your response is without your control.  

Paul in writing to the Church of Rome in the 7th chapter explained what happens when our brains are wired for sin.  Paul starts out by saying sin is the ruler and he is the slave.  In his conscience mind, he wanted to do good, but the subconscious mind controlled his behavior.  He said I want to do good, but I am not the one doing the evil.  Paul was not making a conscious decision he was acting on his subconscious mind that was wired for sin.  In his conscious thoughts he wanted to do good but his subconscious mind he was a prisoner of his past thinking, feeling, and actions that were programmed by sinful actions.  He goes on to say; I see another law working in my body. That law makes war against the law that my mind accepts. That other law working in my body is the law of sin, and that law makes me its prisoner. What a miserable person I am! Who will save me from this body that brings me death?  I thank God for his salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord!  So of my (conscious) mind, I am a slave to God’s law, but in my (subconscious mind) sinful self I am a slave to the law of sin.

We all have our idiosyncrasies. Whenever an experience, positive or negative has touched us, it has a major input on how we are wiring our brains. Since the thinking, feeling, and action will vary from person to person, different people respond to the same stimuli in a different manner.  There are some sins that do not have any influence on some people while others are in chains of bondage that seem unbreakable.

How does this knowledge help to understand the act of salvation?

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. 2 Cor.5:17

Change begins with you making a choice to change, and that starts with being humble enough to realize that the events of your life are the direct product of your belief system and decisions.

The first step is repentance.  Repentance is properly understood to mean a change of mind--a change of the intention from wanting to sin to not wanting to sin--that results in a change in action. It involves the decision to make a change of behavior and/or attitude about something. 

It is important to realize that the brain must be re-wired in order to change your behavior.  Repentance is the changing of the mind.  Our brain must be rewired to see a change in our behavior.  The mind must become a new creation, old thinking, feeling, and actions must pass away.

The next step in salvation is belief.  Our belief system must change.  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

When you change what you think, say or do in response to an event or situation, you change inner emotional states. As emotions are molecules that transmit the “what” to fire and wire” messages, whenever your felt experience of event changes, accordingly, this physically restructures the gray matter of your brain.

There are many who will testify to the fact their life was bound by addiction that controlled their life but when they came to Christ and accept His salvation old habits were gone. 

Research has found even deeply entrenched behavior problems, such as addictions, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have been shown to respond to treatment that follows proven methods of rewiring the brain by altering current thought-response patterns.  However, there is more to salvation than just “rewiring the brain.”

One question that goes unanswered is how was the brain wired for sin?  You do not teach a child to lie, steal, or hurt someone; they instinctively know how to do these things.  Why?

Traditionally, the study of communication pathways between the head and heart has been approached from a rather one-sided perspective, with scientists focusing primarily on the heart’s responses to the brain’s commands. However, that communication between the heart and brain actually is a dynamic, ongoing, two-way dialogue, with each organ continuously influencing the other’s function. Research has shown that the heart communicates to the brain in four major ways: neurologically (through the transmission of nerve impulses), biochemically (via hormones and neurotransmitters), biophysically (through pressure waves) and energetically (through electromagnetic field interactions). Communication along all these conduits significantly affects the brain’s activity. Moreover, our research shows that messages the heart sends to the brain also can affect performance.

There is much that is written about the heart of man.  In scriptures we are taught:

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Mark 7:21 - For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

Romans 3:10-18 - As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 1:21 - Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

Psalms 51:5 - Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

It is not the brain that conceived the knowledge and actions of sin, but rather the heart.  Many believe that the heart is spoken of in the scripture as symbolic of the emotions of man.

Ezekiel 36:26 - A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.

Psalms 51:10 - Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart [is] deceitful above all [things], and desperately wicked: who can know it? 

Jeremiah 17:10 - I the LORD search the heart, [I] try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, [and] according to the fruit of his doings.

Matthew 5:8 - Blessed [are] the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

Ezekiel 11:19 - And I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within you, and I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh:

Proverbs 4:23 - Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it [are] the issues of life.

Hebrews 4:12 - For the word of God [is] quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and [is] a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

James 4:8 - Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse [your] hands, [ye] sinners; and purify [your] hearts, [ye] double minded.

Proverbs 21:2 - Every way of a man [is] right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.

Psalms 34:18 - The LORD [is] nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Proverbs 3:5-6 - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart, and lean not unto thine own understanding.  

 Here is what researchers have found about the heart.  This only verifies what the scriptures have said all along.

“A small group of cardiologists joined forces with a group of neurophysiologists and neuroanatomists to explore areas of mutual interest. This represented the beginning of the new discipline now called neuro-cardiology. One of their early findings is that the heart has a complex neural network that is sufficiently extensive to be characterized as a brain on the heart.  The heart-brain, as it is commonly called, or intrinsic cardiac nervous system, is an intricate network of complex ganglia, neurotransmitters, proteins and support cells, the same as those of the brain in the head. The heart brain's neural circuitry enables it to act independently of the cranial brain to learn, remember, make decisions and even feel and sense. Descending activity from the brain in the head via the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the ANS is integrated into the heart’s intrinsic nervous system along with signals arising from sensory neurons in the heart that detect pressure, heart rate, heart rhythm, and hormones.

The anatomy and functions of the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and its connections with the brain have been explored extensively by neuro-cardiologists. In terms of heart-brain communication, it is generally well-known that the efferent (descending) pathways in the autonomic nervous system are involved in the regulation of the heart. However, it is less appreciated that the majority of fibers in the vagus nerves are afferent (ascending) in nature. Furthermore, more of these ascending neural pathways are related to the heart (and cardiovascular system) than to any other organ. This means the heart sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. More recent research shows that the neural interactions between the heart and brain are more complex than previously thought. In addition, the intrinsic cardiac nervous system has both short-term and long-term memory functions and can operate independently of central neuronal command.”

The heart is the first organ to form during development of the body. When an embryo is made up of only a very few cells, each cell can get the nutrients it needs directly from its surroundings. But as the cells divide and multiply to form a growing ball, it soon becomes impossible for nutrients to reach all the cells efficiently without help. The cells also produce waste that they need to get rid of. So the blood and circulatory system, powered by the heart, together form the first organ system to develop. They are essential to carry nutrients and waste around the embryo to keep its cells alive.

The neural output or messages from the intrinsic cardiac nervous system travel to the brain via ascending pathways in the both the spinal column and vagus nerves, where it travels to the medulla, hypothalamus, thalamus and amygdala and then to the cerebral cortex.

Had the existence of the intrinsic cardiac nervous system and the complexity of the neural communication between the heart and brain been known sooner there would have been a clearer understanding of the heart-brain connection.  Understanding the heart/brain connection is vital in understanding the plan of salvation.  When the scriptures speak of the heart/mind it is not symbolic but the reality of how man is created.  Even researchers agree that the connection between the heart and brain tell us what makes each of us a whole person.

Having a pure heart and a mind fixed on Christ can restore a sinful person back to their rightful relationship with God. You always have the option, once you realize this, to choose the thoughts, emotions, actions you want to express in your life.  All automatic thoughts, emotion- or action-patterns that cause guilty in your life are based on misguided understandings, mostly subconscious, between your heart and mind.  This is from the old hard wiring of the brain.

It is important to see a transformation of the mind.  Paul understood the importance of changing the mind, “. .be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”Rom. 12:2

Repentance is changing the mind, certain thoughts or behavior patterns must change so you can clearly see what is true and what is not true. That is why the prophet said, You will keep in perfect peace the mind [that is] dependent [on You], for it is trusting in You. Is.26:3

To consciously shift your focus on something opposite from what your brain has been automatically trained to do to ensure your survival will require you to come at this with determined force, to understand and accept that this will be quite a challenge, incredibly so.  We grow in our Christian experience.  Daily we take up the cross and follow Christ. The process of repentance is the process of changing how our brain is wired.  We change our behavior by changing our thinking, feeling, and actions.  We have been admonished to have the mind of Christ.

To see a change in the way we think and act is to have a clear vision of what we should prioritize and value. To the extent you have a clear vision of your life and what you most value, your heart and mind subconscious galvanizes, and sharply focuses, your emotional energy to create thoughts, ideas, and actions that align with your highest yearning changing how your heart and brain changes your long-term behavior.

It’s not an option. It’s how your brain is designed to work. You need a clear vision of what you really want, who you want to be, what you’re willing to do and not do, clear enough so you can see it, preferably involving most or all of your senses, that is, you picture it, taste it, smell it, hear it, and feel it as if it were already a present reality—in other words, Faith.

When your vision is a passion, the part of your mind that is in control of forming and breaking habits, the subconscious, is more quickly persuaded to let go of and replace the patterns that have been causing problems. To influence change, you must gain the cooperation of your subconscious mind. You need the vision to energize your mind and body and focus the direction of change. You can achieve what you want, more easily and effortlessly, when your conscious and subconscious mind works together toward common goals.

This no doubt the reason many who start to follow Christ give up and fail to see a change in their thinking, feeling, and actions.  Their behavior has not changed.  They have not worked out their own salvation with fear and trembling.  They have not counted the cost of following Christ.

Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.2Cor.7:10

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine HEART that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9

The toughest work is repentance because it’s the actual changing of behavior. You have to perform another behavior instead of the old one. Once you recognize that you are a sinner, and why the cycle of sin is re-occurring, you now have to replace the old behavior by giving your brain new things to do. This is where the change in brain chemistry occurs, where you are creating new neural patterns, with your new mindset. By refusing to be misled by the old carnal nature.  Action seals the deal. When you consistently take action, going opposite the emotional response you used to respond with to a triggering situation; you are consciously self-directing changes in your brain. These changes will make it increasingly easier for you to train yourself to respond, for example, with relative calm and confidence to a situation that is normally triggering for you. The more you exercise a Christ-like behavior, the more likely your subconscious mind will integrate it as a learned pattern that becomes more and more automatic.   

Eventually, old thought patterns and intense emotional responses fade in intensity, and your brain is not high jacked by the old nature. You’ve developed the capacity to accordingly maintain an optimal emotional state of mind and body. Extensive studies say that, when you determinately decide to change your mind, you cause physical changes to your brain.

 It has been scientifically shown that the brain is structurally altered by changes in your behavior patterns. You can put off the old ways of thinking patterns and old limiting beliefs by the transforming power of Christ.  Salvation offered by Christ is truly a change in our thinking, feeling, and actions.

The Great Awakening or the Great Falling Away?

I was just reading a post concerning the Great Awakening that is coming. It is a hope that I am in agreement with, we need a revival in our churches today but I am doubtful that it will occur.  There are many who teach that in the last days there will be a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit.  This is based on Joel’s prophecy of the last days.

“It shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants, I will pour out My Spirit in those days. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth: blood and fire and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and awesome day of the LORD. And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the LORD has said, among the remnant whom the LORD calls.” (Joel 2:28-32)

 Is this a prophecy that has already been fulfilled?  Jesus told his disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they would receive power from the Holy Spirit. They sought the promise and tarried until the Holy Spirit came upon them in the upper room.  Peter explained this visitation of the Spirit as being that which was prophesied by Joel (Acts 2:16).  14Peter…said to them, “Men of Judea…let this be known to you…15these are not drunk, as you suppose…16but this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.” (Acts 2:14-16)

Peter said that the outpouring of the Spirit would happen in the last days (Acts 2:17). The last days began with Jesus’ death, resurrection, and ascension and will culminate with Jesus’ return. The New Testament writers used the phrase “in the last days” five times and in two different ways.

                1. In Acts 2:17 and Hebrews 1:2, “the last days” is used to refer to the early church.

                2. In 2 Timothy 3:1 and 2 Peter 3:3, it refers to the generation in which the Lord returns.

James 5:3 could be used in either way.  14Peter…said to them, “Men of Judea…15these are not drunk, as you suppose…16But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: 17‘It shall come to pass in the last days, says God, that I will pour out of My Spirit…’” (Acts 2:14-17)

 (2 Thessalonians 2:3-42 Thessalonians 2:3-4). Some man is going to style himself as greater than God, pretending to be God—and people will believe him. Why? Because:“The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this reason, God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie” (2 Thessalonians 2:9-112 Thessalonians 2:9-11).

The “man of sin” posing as God will be performing supernatural acts with the help of the devil, deceiving all those who have rejected God and putting himself in a position to be worshipped by the world.

Revelation 19:20 Revelation 19:20describes this powerful religious leader as “the false prophet who worked signs” in connection with the political leader called the “beast.” The False Prophet is the same as the one called “another beast” in Revelation 13:11Revelation 13:11, who performs miraculous “signs” (verses 14-15). He is also the leader of the false church (“the harlot”) in Revelation 17:1-5Revelation 17:1-5. He is also referred to as “another horn” who will “persecute the saints of the Most High, and shall intend to change times and law” in Daniel 7:8Daniel 7:8, 20-22, 24-25.

In looking at the New Testament writers, we find a warning about those who will depart from the faith in the last days.

1 Timothy 4- Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; 3 Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

There are many today who call themselves Christian but have never had the transforming power of salvation.  They are professors of salvation without being a possessor.  They hold to the name without being born again.

2 Timothy 3- This know also that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

This is an excellent description of many within the church today.  The doctrine that excuses sin in the lives of Christians has destroyed the power of salvation to live holy and godly lives.

Jude gives this warning of the end times in chapter 3.  Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Peter gives us this warning of the end times in chapter 3.  This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.

Will there be a great worldwide revival as so many teach today?   If not, will there be a falling away of believers as we near the return of Christ?  I also know some people that say that both will happen.  So which is it?

First, I want to say I do not believe in a great worldwide revival as many teach it today.  Does that mean I’m against revival?  Of course not.  I just don’t see it in scripture the way it is taught.  I’m concerned that we have had a blending of teachings about the End Times that is not based on the Scriptures. The Great Awakening sounds good, but the problem is that the Bible paints a very different picture.

Those who teach that there will be a great worldwide revival in the last days have a very different Eschatological  view than I do.  Many of them are Preterist.  Preterits is a Christian eschatological view that interprets some (partial preterism) or all (full preterism) prophecies of the Bible as events which have already happened. This school of thought interprets the Book of Daniel as referring to events that happened in the 2nd century BC while seeing the prophecies of Revelation as events that happened in the first century AD. Preterism holds that Ancient Israel finds its continuation or fulfillment in the Christian church at the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70.

The term preterism comes from the Latin praeter, which Webster's 1913 dictionary lists as a prefix denoting that something is "past" or "beyond." Adherents of preterism are commonly known as preterists. Preterism teaches that either all (full preterism) or a majority (partial preterism) of the Olivet discourse had come to pass by AD 70.

Historically, preterists and non-preterists have generally agreed that the Jesuit Luis de Alcasar (1554–1613) wrote the first systematic preterist exposition of prophecy - Vestigatio arcani sensus in Apocalypsi (published in 1614)—during the Counter-Reformation.

Many of them are also Postmillennial in their teachings as well.  Postmillennialism holds that Jesus Christ establishes his kingdom on earth through his preaching and redemptive work in the first century and that he equips his church with the gospel, empowers her by the Spirit, and charges her with the Great Commission (Matt 28:19) to disciple all nations. Postmillennialism expects that eventually the vast majority of men living will be saved. Increasing gospel success will gradually produce a time in history prior to Christ's return in which faith, righteousness, peace, and prosperity will prevail in the affairs of men and of nations. After an extensive era of such conditions Jesus Christ will return visibly, bodily, and gloriously, to end history with the general resurrection and the final judgment after which the eternal order follows

Postmillennialism was a dominant theological belief among American Protestants who promoted reform movements in the 19th and 20th century.

I try to be a realist when I look at the condition of the world and Church. I do not believe that we should sit by and wait for the “Rapture” to take us out of our problems.  It will do us no good to become a "gun and grocery Christian."  We are not to hide the light of the Gospel nor are we to throw up our hands and give up hope.  While worldwide revival sounds nice, it does not fit the warnings given by the New Testament writers.

2 Thessalonians 2:3 “Let no one in any way deceive you, for it (the Day of the Lord and our being gathered to Him/rapture) will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction.”  This verse says that there will be a time where many will fall away from the faith before Christ returns.

Matthew 24:10-12 “At that time many will fall away and will betray one another and hate one another.  Many false prophets will arise and will mislead many.  Because lawlessness is increased, most people’s love will grow cold.”  Jesus made it very clear that the opposite of revival will be the norm.

Revelation 13:3 “I saw one of his heads as if it had been slain, and his fatal wound was healed.  And the WHOLE earth was amazed and followed after the beast.”

Luke 18:8 “when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?”

2 Timothy 3:1-5 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.  For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power”

2 Peter 3:3-4  “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?”

1 Timothy 4:1 “But the Spirit explicitly says that in latter times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons..”

Revelation 13:7  “It was also given to him (Antichrist) to make war with the saints and to overcome them, and authority over EVERY tribe and people and tongue and nation was given to him.”

In the Revelation of Jesus Christ chapter 3, we are given a warning concerning the day in which we live.

And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.  Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:  I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.  As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.   Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him, and he with me.  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

This does not sound like there will be a worldwide revival.  It is a call to repentance, and there will be those who will answer the call.  There are many who are accepting the message of the Gospel around the world. There are those who are experiencing the transforming power of salvation.  There are those who are turning from their false religions to find the peace in their soul that only Jesus Christ can give.  Yet, within the Church today there are those who continue to practice sin, deny the power of the Blood of Jesus Christ to destroy the works of the devil in their lives, and live ungodly lives without thought to the consequences.

My advice is to make sure that your personal salvation has been secured in Jesus Christ.  That you know in whom you have believed and are persuaded that Jesus Christ is able to keep you in the midst of trials and tribulations of this life.  Know what you believe.  Know the historical background of what you are being taught.  Just because it is popular and many are following after the teaching does not make it right.  The mission of the Church has not changed we are to make disciples and spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We have been commissioned to carry out message of salvation regardless of a worldwide revival or a falling away from the faith.  It is our duty to remain faithful to Jesus Christ.

Financial Debt Impacts Your Spiritual Life

Our nation is in a financial crisis. The national Debt is almost 20 trillion dollars; some say this number could go as high as $200 trillion dollars.  What should concern every Christian is this national attitude toward debt has impacted the mission of the Church and the spiritual life of the believers.

The number of congregations around the United States with significant debt is growing every day.  Too often this debt hampers the church from paying its staff properly, maintaining its buildings adequately, or funding its programming sufficiently. Church debt is nothing more than making the work of the LORD slave to the lender.

The problem is many Christians are not aware of the serious consequences that follows when churches and we as individual Christians go into debt. We are culturally so accustomed to debt that we feel no resistance to getting a loan for a house, a new car, a new washer, and dryer, or a new TV set. Everywhere in the world around us are people taking out loans. Our whole economy would collapse without credit. Government is borrowing, industrial corporations are borrowing, and private individuals are borrowing. Credit has been used in this country to the extent that the USA, the richest country in the world, is now the biggest debtor among all nations. Because of our cultural background, we find it quite natural to borrow money. If we lack the funds for a certain project, we believe that it is not wrong to get a loan, as long as we can make the monthly payments. This is what the financial institutions have told us all along. 

Most churches, unfortunately, have no different attitude towards debt. In this matter, even “Bible believing churches” go with the cultural flow. Church leaders think that they do God’s will when they finance building projects through loans. Usually, church members do not question this practice, because the individual members have taken out loans themselves to buy a house or a car.  There is certainly no economic advantage to a congregation servicing indebtedness.

Debt does not glorify the LORD.  Debt does not grow our Faith. Debt does not provide Freedom to do the work of the LORD.  It is time to show Christians how to have freedom from debt.

 The Bible has a lot to say about money. Of the 38 recorded parables of Jesus, 16 deals with money or possessions. In the Gospels, one out of ten verses (288 in all) deal directly with the subject of money. The Bible offers 500 verses on prayer, less than 500 on faith, but more than 2,000 verses on money and possessions.

Perhaps the reason the Bible puts such an emphasis on money is because, in Jesus’ words, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:21 Your heart follows your treasure. If you put your treasure in the things of this world, your heart will be in this world. If you put your treasure in the kingdom of God, your heart will be there. Since your heart and your money are so intimately bound together, it is crucial to your spiritual life to study what Scripture teaches about money.

The teachings of the Bible are in opposition to the world’s perspective:

Freedom (from bondage to greed and debt). The world says, “I want more, and I’ll go in debt to get it.”  The Jesus said Take no thought what you will eat, wear, or your shelter; I will provide.

Integrity. The world winks at cheating and dishonesty.

Faithfulness. The world is marked by irresponsibility.

Generosity. The world says, “Hang onto it!”  Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.

Because your attitudes toward money are closely tied in with your heart, I’ll probably offend you at some point in this series! If I do, before you get mad, please stop and consider that: (1) This stuff applies to me as well as to you.  (2) It may be God, not me, stepping on your toes. If it’s just me, I apologize. Feel free to disagree with me. But if I’m true to Scripture, please don’t shrug it off. God calls us all to be doers of the Word, and there are few of us who need to grow on this important topic.

This morning I want to speak about debt both financial and spiritual. The Bible speaks about the importance of staying out of debt.  Paul's charge to us in Romans 13:8 to owe nothing but love is a powerful reminder of God's distaste for all forms of debt that are not being paid in a timely manner (see also Psalm 37:21). At the same time, the Bible does not explicitly command against all forms of debt. The Bible warns against debt, and extols the virtue of not going into debt, but does not forbid debt it is a free choice. In the process of deciding whether or not to go into debt, to borrow or not to borrow is not the question; rather, the real question is: whom do I want to choose as my master, Jesus or the lender? Why?

1. Because the lender is our master (Proverbs 22:7); and

2. We can serve only one master, Jesus or the lender (Matthew 6:24).

So, the adverse spiritual impact of choosing to borrow is to choose the lender as our master rather than Jesus Christ. Now, this does not mean that Jesus is not our Savior if we borrow. We could borrow all of the money in the world, and it would not divest Jesus of being our Savior.

We must recognize that Jesus wants to take us far beyond just being our Savior. He wants us to make Him, and not the lender, our Master. If we do not think the lender is our master, just miss a payment or two!

As Christians, we have been given the promise by Jesus, But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness and all these things will be added unto you.  Matt. 6:33. The things He is talking about are food, clothing and shelter, the necessities of life.

Many have failed to understand that money will buy a bed but not sleep; books but not brains; food but not appetite; finery but not beauty; a house but not a home; medicine but not health; luxuries but not culture; amusements but not happiness; religion but not salvation; a passport to everywhere but heaven.

Debt is about much more than money. Being in debt can lead to a number of other emotional, psychological and spiritual issues.

The average American has $15,950 in credit card debt, and 39% of Americans carry credit card debt month to month, according to CreditCards.com. Meanwhile, the average college student will graduate with a whopping $40,000 in student loans — and those who pursued graduate or higher degrees, switched majors, or went back to school may owe significantly more. In fact, about one in five borrowers owes $50,000 or more in student loans (and 5.6% owe more than $100,000), according to a Federal Reserve Board survey.

Round it out with car loans, mortgages, medical debt, personal loans, and other obligations, and it’s safe to assume that most Americans carry some kind of debt. That debt affects different people in different ways. There is no common tolerance of debt. While one person may suffer anxiety over just $1,000 of credit card debt, someone else may not have thought twice about his debt until he saw his student loan and credit card balance top $200,000. Regardless of the type of debt or the amount, here are some of the common issues associated with debt straight from the devil’s toolbox.  Not only do these apply to financial debt they also apply to our spiritual life.

 Depression and Anxiety-

Research has shown a correlation between carrying debt and any depression and anxiety associated with it. Studies have found that those who struggle to pay off their debts and loans are more than twice as likely to experience a host of spiritual and emotional problems, including depression and severe anxiety.

Jesus tells us not to worry, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Anxious feelings can arise with an array of triggers, such as constant worry about money, experiencing immense feelings of being overwhelmed with no end in sight, and hopelessness. Studies also indicated that 29% of people with high debt stress also report severe anxiety.  High amounts of debt are associated with higher rates of stress and depression.  Men and women with higher risk credit behavior were more likely to report depression symptoms.  This is an indication that you are not walking by faith.  You have put your trust in your own abilities rather than letting God supply your needs.

 Bitterness

Bitterness is known in the Bible as spiritual poison, and a means by which many are defiled (Hebrews 12:15). It is the source of countless spiritual and physical problems in millions of lives today. The Bible tells us that MANY are defiled by the means of bitterness. Bitterness can be tricky to recognize because it's not a symptom or visible on the surface like anger usually is. Many, claim that they aren't an angry or hateful person, but that's not what bitterness is all about. Bitterness is an underlying problem that doesn't always manifest on the outside but dwells in that person's system.

 Bitterness is a root!

Hebrews 12:15, "Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled."

Debt is rough on anyone — especially when it encroaches on your marriage, or family and is a means for the root of bitterness to start to grow. A spouse may resent the other as a way of coping with debt. It isn’t uncommon to blame your spouse for coming into the relationship with more debt, losing a job, or not making enough money, or spending habits that may have led to debt.

In fact, arguments about money are the top predictor of divorce. Large amounts of debt have severe effects on a household’s spiritual well-being.

It’s not just our spouse that become targets of bitterness.  You might also resent your employer for not paying you enough money or not giving you a raise. You might resent family members or friends that are financially dependent on you or are otherwise affecting your financial health. If you’re a young college graduate, you might start to blame counselors and parents for not fully explaining the effects of student loans.

And in reality, many opt to resent themselves and the decisions they made that led them into debt. Whether it was excessive spending, opting out of health insurance, a poor career decision, or something else, it isn’t uncommon to look back with regret.  This attitude hinders your spiritual growth.

 Denial

No, it’s not just a river in Africa. It’s a way of fiscal life in Washington D.C., where politicians have let almost $20 trillion in national debt pile up and seem to think the bill will never come due.

Consumers don’t have the luxury of endless deficit spending, though many act as if they do. They spend compulsively while ignoring their deteriorating condition. They put off dealing with problems until some outside event – credit denied, threat of foreclosure, legal action, harassing phone calls from debt collectors – forces a change.

Some of the symptoms of debt denial are:

Underestimating how much you owe.  I am not a bad person.

Leaving bills unopened or just stuffing them in a drawer.  Ignoring your spiritual condition does not change your debt you owe to God.

Opening a new credit card when your old one is maxed out.  Making changes in your life-style does not help. Turning over a new leaf will not pay the debt.

Telling yourself that everyone is in the same situation.  It is true all have sinned, but some have accepted the gift of salvation.

Such behavior just leads to more debt as interest charges and late fees pile up. But ignoring reality is a handy defense mechanism for the brain. It’s a way to rationalize mistakes and protect your ego. The problem is reality always sets in.

While some people feel debt weighing on them like an albatross, others try to block it out completely. It’s very common to be in denial about your debt, despite the constant reminders and overdue notices you might receive. Unfortunately, even if you’re able to ignore your debt completely, it will only offer temporarily relief, if any — and it often leads to more and more debt piling up.

The same is true with the spiritual debt.  We cannot ignore what we owe to Jesus Christ for the price He paid for our salvation.  We owe a debt that we cannot pay, but He was willing to pay the debt for us if we accept His gift.

Denial can manifest itself in not opening bills and bank statements that come in the mail, stuffing bills and late notices in a drawer and forgetting about them, not answering the phone when you suspect it’s a creditor, or simply choosing not to deal with the debt.  Again, when the Holy Spirit comes calling reminding us of the debt we owe to God for the sins we have committed, that debt will not go away because we ignore and refuse to answer the call.

Staying in denial of your debt can also increase the amount you owe in a few ways. Not paying or dealing with bills can result in late charges and possible interest rate increases, and if you’re only making the minimum payments on debts with interest, your balance may still grow higher as interest accrues.

If you fail to pay your spiritual debt to God, your sins will continue to add to your debt.  You can deny the fact you owe a debt to God, but the wages of sin shows the seriousness of your debt-eternal death.

Worse, denial can lead you deeper into debt as it facilitates further spending. You may be in denial about just how severe your debt really is, or look the other way to rationalize purchases you can’t afford; debt-forming habits die hard.

 Stress

Debt and stress go hand in hand. With a mountain of owed money weighing on your mind, it’s natural to worry about how you’re going to deal with that debt and whether you’ll ever get out from under it.

Having substantial debt can also increase your stress level at work since a job loss would be even more catastrophic to your financial position. And anytime you’re required to spend money, even on simple things like food to eat or gas to get work; it may cause further stress.

People dealing with debt are more likely to report health problems. And it shouldn’t come as a surprise, but studies also indicate that the higher your debt-to-asset ratio is, the higher your likelihood is of experiencing stress and depression.

Stress caused by debt doesn’t just affect the way we work and our day-to-day activities. That stress can also strip away the benefits of events that would normally be positive.  Stress that comes from debt can eliminate all happiness you get from spending money. So, splurging on a new pair of shoes, an electronic device, or a dinner with friends — which ordinarily would increase your levels of happiness — is actually replaced by more stress because of your debt.

When we are stressed, we are not focused on the LORD but rather our debt and how to pay the bills.  This does not help us in our spiritual growth. 

 Anger and Frustration

Debt is hard to accept regardless of our own personal journey into the red. However, it can be especially frustrating and infuriating when it was somewhat beyond your control.

It’s one thing to be dealing with debts that were beyond your control. You may be dealing with debt from credit card purchases that brought joy to your life, such as vacations, shopping trips, and dinners out.

Deal with debt from unforeseen events such as a job loss, divorce, identity theft, a death in the family, major repair to a home or car, or unforeseen medical bills creates frustration. In fact, 56 million adults are struggling to pay medical bills, and these medical bills are the number one reason people file for bankruptcy.  What’s more, the debt can weaken your spiritual life allowing the anger and frustration to drive you away from the protection of the LORD.

According to Romans 13:8 we are to owe no man anything but to love him. How can debt be pleasing to God when it causes us to owe a man something other than to love him, and the lender to be our master rather than Jesus? We cannot, but He still loves us regardless.

Jesus came to set us free. He does not want us to be in bondage to other men, for then we will not be free to serve Him. It is our relationship with the world, sinful impatience, and covetousness that cause us to deny our God ordained heritage of freedom and make the lender our master in the place of Jesus. We cannot serve both God and man (Matthew 6:24).

In the process of deciding whether or not to go into debt, to borrow or not to borrow is not the question; rather, the real question is: whom do I want to choose as my master, Jesus or the lender? Why?

1. Because the lender is our master(Proverbs 22:7); and

2. We can serve only one master, Jesus or the lender(Matthew 6:24).

So, the adverse spiritual impact of choosing to borrow is to choose the lender as our master rather than Jesus Christ. Now, this does not mean that Jesus is not our Savior if we borrow. We could borrow all of the money in the world, and it would not divest Jesus of being our Savior.

We must recognize that Jesus wants to take us far beyond just being our Savior. He wants us to make Him, and not the lender, our Master. If we do not think the lender is our master, just miss a payment or two!

It’s unclear who first said, “Money can’t buy happiness.” Whoever it was, they probably weren’t staring at a tall stack of bills and an empty checking account.

Money can’t buy happiness, but it is the only thing that will pay those bills. Doing that may not trigger an endorphin rush of happiness, but it sure beats the alternative.

It’s hard to imagine anyone feeling joy over not paying their bills. Perhaps there is psychiatric condition that causes people to enjoy bankruptcy proceedings, but nobody’s found it yet.

Having enough money to pay all our bills allows us to provide for our families, plan for the future and enjoy our leisure time.

Not having money restricts our choices and wreaks emotional havoc on our psyche. Borrowing money to pay those bills leads to debt, which can lead to all sorts of problems that have nothing to do with accounting and everything to do with psychology.

Debt serve as a constant, agonizing reminder of the negative events that brought it about in the first place.

 Regret

Looking at a pile of bills and seeing that total debt amount can, without a doubt, lead to regret. You may have regret over the purchases you made, not saving enough money, and other poor financial choices.

In the spiritual side of this regret is not have accepted Jesus Christ’s offer to pay your debt sooner.  You may regret the life you lived that now has consequences that will impact you the rest of your life.

 Shame and Embarrassment

Like it or not, money and material possessions are often associated with success in our society. If you’re in debt, it’s no surprise if you feel embarrassed or ashamed about it. You might feel embarrassed that you aren’t making enough money, that you didn’t manage your money properly, or that your compromised financial position is preventing you from living the life you want.

Debt is often a taboo topic, and most don’t want their family and friends to know they’re struggling with debt.  Most Christians are hesitant to talk about their credit card debt. In turn, this attitude can lead to more debt, since we may still try to portray a debt-free image. We’ll say yes to expensive nights out, buy gifts for friends and family that we can’t afford, and continue to try to keep up with spending habits of others.

As Christian, we should encourage one another to stay out of debt.  We should not judge success by acquiring material things but rather the simplicity of life without debt. 

 Fear

You may grow to fear repercussions that sometimes accompany debt. If you’re struggling to make payments toward your debt, you may fear eviction or foreclosure on your home, bankruptcy, your utilities getting shut off, or debts going into collections.

You may also fear losing your job, or that some other unexpected twist, such as your car breaking down, is going to destroy you financially.  Debt can also lead to other fears: fear of what happens next, fear of never getting out of debt, and fear of how it will affect your relationships.

 The joy of having our sin debt paid in full is as important as having our financial debt paid in full.  It is important that our spiritual life not be held in the bondage of financial debt.  If we are to be free to carry out the work of the LORD we need our lives to be free from the bondage of debt.

The Day of Revival Is Past

I grew up during a time when the church had revivals twice a year- spring and fall.  They were two weeks long.  As time went by they were only one week in length, then just a week-end.  The name changed from “revival” to special services.  Today, you would be hard pressed to find a revival service being held in any given community.  If there is a “revival,” you will find that a popular speaker “evangelist” has been retained along with the best musicians available at that time to conduct a week-end meeting called a “revival.”  These meetings are put together by a group of organizers and not a group of praying agonizers.  We have reduced revival to a method.

The American church is a large building with an enormous budget, special programs, trained leaders and specialized ministries but still no move to renew fellowship with God.  There are seminars on personal evangelism, revival, and how to conduct a campaign.  But still no revival.

The church has adopted the entertainment of a Hollywood production, but they have no song in the heart, no joy in salvation, no transformation of the soul.  We have replaced the experience of salvation with the hyperactivity of “churchy” business.

Our church leaders are power hungry and covet top positions within the denomination.  They place a greater value on the large churches and ignore the small church.  We have trained our ministers to become executives.  Leadership positions are for the rich and influential who have degrees from the best universities.  We have forgotten that it is God who calls men and women into the ministry, not man.
As a church, we are power-hungry and covet top positions as if we are climbing a corporate ladder. We place value on large churches and forget the small church.  We hire our ministers from the best universities with the best business degrees.  We have forgotten our theology and adopted a world view of religion.  The Church has lost the message of the transforming power of salvation from the bondage of sin to a message of “you are a good person.”

 Where are the brokenhearted believers who weep through the night over our spiritual bankruptcy?  Where are those who like Paul say, Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved? 2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. Romans 10:1-4

A true revival brings us to the end of ourselves. It takes us to the foot of the cross where we lay down our hopes, dreams, and ambitions. Instead falling at the foot of the cross, we waste countless hours begging for money or selling CD’s to make sure the “work of God” will continue. What we need to do is beg God to forgive us of our backsliding, strip us of love of the world that has enveloped our souls.

It has been said that "God does not answer prayer; He answers desperate prayer." Jesus comes to those who are desperate for Him.  The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

The reason I believe that most of us never experience a move of God is simply that we feel we have need of nothing.  Jesus said, Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: 18 I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

We have been blessed with money and no longer need the power of God.  The glad song of salvation is gone from our hearts, as well the desire to have Jesus Christ rule our heart and soul.  We have missed the point of the material blessings given to us by God to bring the message of salvation to a lost and dying world.  We have the prosperity but also the pollution that it often brings.  Our materialism has left us content without God.

Our nation has been without revival, and our spiritual condition has deteriorated to the point of apostasy.  Only when we become desperate for a touch from heaven, and no longer trust in the arm of the flesh will we see a revival break out in our churches.  It is not the size of the church that matters is the depth of spirituality that matters.  Those who are hungering and thirsting after righteousness.  We do not need the powerful motivation speaker or the praise band; we need those who will walk in humility, cry aloud and rend their hearts so that God will receive the glory He alone is due.  We need a revival among the people of God.

My fear is that we will be like the parable of the Ten Virgins, we will only have enough oil to barely make it to the wedding.  Let us band together and pray that the LORD will stir our hearts, open our eyes and bring us back to the joy of salvation.

The Death of Evangelical Christianity

I am considered to be a pessimist by my wife and a few others.  I can easily see the worst in any situation.  In fact, I look for the worst-case scenario in every situation.  One area that I see little hope for is the Evangelical cause of Christianity. I don’t believe that American Evangelicals know what the Gospel is anymore. The Gospel is not feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing shelter to the homeless, and giving health care to the sick.  The Gospel is about transforming the life of a sinner to a follower of Jesus Christ.  The evangelical Christian has forgotten the mission of the Church. The results of changed lives will cause us to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, provide shelter to the homeless and health care for the sick but that is not the primary mission of the Church.  The mission is to proclaim the message of repentance and follow in the footstep of Jesus Christ who is our LORD and Redeemer.  Our message is the salvation of man from the bondage of sin through Jesus Christ.

The message of the Gospel is quite simple and is easy to understand. The problem is that many so-called evangelical’s leaders have become a bunch of hireling scheming swindlers. They preach a gospel of health and wealth because they know that is the "gospel" people want to hear.  They realize that if they were to preach the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, they would no longer have their fine houses, cars, and bank accounts.  They cannot preach the Gospel because it would require not only their hearers but they themselves to come to grips with their spiritual need.

Many "Christians" today are Constitutional Christians, they are in the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness.  They believe the American dream is the Christian life.  The concept of financial success is presented as an important part of God's blessing to His followers.  The evangelical message has been lost to a social gospel that denies the need for a spiritual change in the life of people.  While the Gospel of Jesus Christ demands the death of self, the new message is the exaltation of self. 

If we were to live the Gospel we say we believe, every single aspect of how we conduct our lives would be radically altered and there would be such a change in our lifestyle that those around us would not recognize us as a modern Christian causing the people around us to take notice of a new spiritual life that they have never seen.  The sad message given by the Church today is we Christians are indistinct from the world.  We live in the world and have become part of the world.  We cannot separate ourselves from the "one thing thou lackest."  We are not willing to take the step that will give us power with God. As Paul wrote to Timothy, there are those who will heap to themselves teachers who will say what we want to hear.

The problem with the American Evangelical Christian is they have come to love the world they live in.  They will not risk the loss of being able to keep up with the Jones, putting their children in private schools, enrolling their children in the top sports teams and running in the accepted social circles. They are not willing to sacrifice their friendship with the world to have the spiritual life in Jesus Christ.

Do I think the American Evangelical Christian will change? No. When people love the world more than they love the LORD, it is hard to see any change that will take place.  The bondage of the world has become so strong that making the sacrifice to throw off the chains of bondage is too much to accept. Until a revival of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ is accepted and the real mission of the Church is acted upon I fear the bondage of the world will continue to destroy the Evangelical branch of Christianity.