There is much out there in the pulpits of our land that is not the truth and is thus bringing people into bondage and not setting them free. For a list of many of the things that are being preached and are contrary to the Scriptures go to www.ralphhoweministries.com and go to the resources section and look for “Eleven Words for 2011” and go to page 4 – Doctrines of Concern.

Recently there has been a major controversy over Rob Bell (author of “Velvet Elvis”) and his current book on love that pushes the heresy called Universalism – everyone goes to Heaven when they die, no one goes to Hell. Not new but just as dangerous as it has always been. I remember a bishop I once worked under who believed this and caused many to fall into error.

There is another new storm cloud on the horizon – does not have a name yet as far as I know but dangerous none-the-less. Not an official anything but there are churches – belonging to apostolic networks – teaching this non-truth that brings people into bondage. Ready – here it is. “The Holy Spirit trumps Scripture.”

In other words, if you believe that the Holy Spirit has revealed something to you and so it is a “the Lord would say…” and yet it does not line up with the revealed will of God as see in the pages of the Bible this is quite alright because what the Holy Spirit is saying today trumps Scripture or overrides the authority of the Word of God, the Bible.

Welcome to Hell – hell in the Church. As soon as people’s subjective experiences become the main authority for what we believe and what we allow or disallow – we have left the ranks of sanity and entered into a living hell. We have again entered a time such as found in the book of Judges where “every man did what was right in his own eyes.” Or as many in our current world believe: “If it feels good, do it.” We have removed the foundation – the rock – upon which the Church and individual lives are to be built – the authority of the Word of God. We have entered the realm of many traditional churches where tradition and church authorities trump the authority of Scriptures.

When Scripture no longer has the authority in the Church – when something objective is replaced by something subjective – then we can no longer declare the Word as truth and as the revelation upon which to build life. We can no longer say “this is the way” because it might not be – depending on your revelation. The certainty of the basic doctrines of the faith is removed and we can chose any way we want … and base our lives on anything that we think the spirit may have revealed to us personally. That will certainly be hell and will take many to Hell after they die.

Jude 3 tells us that we must earnestly contend for the faith once delivered to the saints … Jesus and many of the New Testament writers warned us that in the last days many will be deceived and fall away. They were right.

Everywhere I go I speak on the need to incorporate evangelism into the way we live as believers.

First, we need to understand it is not an option – it is a command to every believer. I am amazed at how many Christians have made a conscious decision to not evangelize and tell others of the faith. Every believer is called to tell others about their faith in the Lord and the need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Secondly, I comment that this is not a program or an event – that it is simply the way we live – a lifestyle. We don’t add evangelism on to an already busy life; another activity we need to be involved in. We incorporate evangelism and winning the lost into what we are already doing as we go about our daily life. If we are going to the football game – buy a second ticket and invite a non-believer to go with you. Thirdly, we will be held accountable for what we have or have not done when we stand before the Lord on Judgement Day. Fourth, we need to be evangelizing supernaturally – using the gifts of the Holy Spirit to win the lost.

In spite of teaching this in various ways and every opportunity I have few are rising to the worldwide challenge of winning the lost. Why? Good question and one I believe we need to answer for ourselves – in the stillness of our own hearts. Maybe we just can’t be bothered – a love problem. Maybe, we are not sure we know how to – an information problem. Maybe we just can’t be bothered – a rebellion problem. Maybe…

I have been thinking about this a lot. Let me give you what I hope are some valid insights.

First, you have to believe the Gospel. If a church isn’t about Gospel saturation, it won’t be about Gospel proclamation.

Second, you have to establish your identity – that’s a big one. Most churches don’t believe we are all on mission. Churches need to re-establish that we are all apostolic people (sent out ones) of God – spreading the Gospel is an imperative, not an activity.

Third, we need to learn to take ordinary things and just do them differently. Invite a non-believer to be involved with you in your “activity.”

Fourth – too much of church is about putting on a lot of extra activities, but that just pulls people away from everyday mission. So, we need to cut back on all the meetings and activities we do in the church that away what little time we actually have, focusing that time on internal matters instead of on the lost.

And if you are a leader of the church, you have to lead by example and be on mission too, engaging in the everyday lives of others who don’t know Jesus. Set a daily example.
These things will turn the ship around so that the Church will begin to be going in the right direction and will begin to see the lost saved on a regular basis. The change will take time and is a somewhat slow process because it is really a basic life change we are asking people to make and a complete change in the DNA of most churches.

What you do for a living is suppose to be a ministry for the Lord. What you do day-in and day-out at work is what the Church calls a vocation. It is the call of God on your life being lived out in your everyday world – where you work and where you live.

The word “vocation” is not used often in non-Catholic circles. However, it is a powerful word that comes from the same root as “voice” and so denotes the hearing of the divine call on our lives. Listen carefully: beyond knowing that God has a purpose for our lives, most of us spend little energy seeking our vocation, especially in light of how the needs and sufferings of others might inform how we use our gifts for divine purposes.

Shane Claiborne writes, “There are plenty of people who are miserable in their jobs, for they have not listened to God’s call. And I would add there are many Christians who are not fulfilled in their spiritual lives because they have no sense of their gifts or purpose … (this) leads to emptiness and burnout.” (Page 138 – The Irresistible Revolution).

I was sitting with some young people the other day – there are three young men I meet with weekly on a one-to-one basis whenever I am in the city. And, the conversation turned, as it often does, to what they want to do with life and decisions that need to be made regarding their future – schooling, job changes, life partners. Without knowing it these three young men are actually looking for their “vocation” or the voice of God in their life and a word or a sense of direction regarding their future. They hear the voice of others – friends, family, father, and other familiar voices – but they absolutely need to get on their knees and hear the voice of their Heavenly Father and discover His purpose and His plan for their lives.

This was also very evident while in Ohio a week ago and spending a full day with a young man I am discipling and mentoring. As we drove around looking at the countryside and enjoying a sunny day – as well as viewing the devastation of a tornado that ripped through his town the night before – we spoke of many things during our five hours together. However, looking back all of them dealt with this idea of “vocation” or knowing the voice of God in life so as to become all that you were designed to be and being the best you that you can be. Then, add to that, the call on each life to do a certain thing for the Lord. Vocation!

The problem with many today is that they literally think more of “vacation” then they do their “vocation” and thus live for their day off, long-weekends, and annual weeks away to relax and unwind. Yet, in spite of having so much they are still unfulfilled and seeking more and more to fill the inner emptiness and the void that exists for meaning and purpose, and for self-discovery.

These essential foundational qualities of life can only be found in stillness and silence as we seek God and His vocation or calling on our lives. And, it is unique and different for every one of us – because it arises out of who we are and each and every one of us is unique and different from all others. It is time for believers to take time to discover who they really are “in Christ” and whom God has made them to be so that they can then discover what He is calling them to do with their gifts and abilities.
The world and the Kingdom of God will be changed by those who focus on their vocation and not their vacation or time off work. It is a season when God is calling believers to be who He created them to be and to become world-changers.

A week ago I returned from my 4th Apostolic Rountable held in Elkhart, Indiana. As I mentioned yesterday, it was a powerful five days for me – for my life and ministry – and much was accomplished for those present but also for the Kingdom and for our understanding of the ministry of apostles in the Kingdom.

While in Celina, Ohio my last night (Tuesday) I met with two young men (Kyle and Aaron – brothers and university students) and shared a great evening with them and their grandparents in whose home I was staying. I am discipling Kyle with daily contact via text messenging and through Skype and was simply getting to know Aaron and seeing where the relationship might go. A powerful night when the Spirit of God blew mightily and a fresh wind of the Spirit was experienced.

Since our meeting that night I have made further contact with Aaron and he has agreed to be in touch with me regularly. So, a late night (early morning) to bed after four powerful days when the Spirit of the Lord blew in fresh and new ways, powerful ways.

Just in bed after such a powerful night and a storm came up in the distance. Shortly the rain and wind were growing in intensity. Over my head was an open window and when the blinds on the window began blowing and were at 90 degree angles to the window I knew this was more than a regular storm by a lake. It was a tornado. A great and mighty rushing wind came blowing into the place where I was staying and it instantly reminded me of Acts, capter two and the day of Pentecost and Acts, chapter 4 where the house shook after prayer… this house was also violently shaking.

After quickly getting dressed and running to the basement with the others the storm ripped through. It did not damage the house I was in but it certainly shook it a lot. However, the F1 tornado did touch down in the small town of Celina where I was. The next day, after a night of more storms, wind and rain, I was meeting with Kyle for the whole day before returning to Dayton and flying home and we drove and viewed some of the damage. It was a very powerful and destructive storm with great damage done by the wind. Pictured above – one of the many commercial buildings totally destroyed by the force of the wind. Of course, many homes were also severely damaged. Not my first tornado – but a definite lesson in how uncertain life is and how quickly things effecting life can change without notice or warning.

I had just had a very powerful time at the roundtable where the wind of God blew through and changed my life and ministry – my understanding and approach to apostolic ministry, the way my ministry is to function from this time onwards, what God is calling me to accomplish here and overseas, as well as where and how my ministry fits into the wider picture of what the Lord is doing in His Kingdom. A powerful, spiritual wind had blown through and shook the building (my life and ministry) – to the very foundations.

Then, a physical wind came and shook the building where I was staying (again, without damage) and yet damaged so many other buildings. I was reminded that much in the world and the present-day church will be seriously destroyed by the wind of the Spirit as it moves through – often coming without notice. There is fresh wind of the Spirit moving in the Kingdom and it will shake much that now is and totally destroy all that man has built. Like a mighty rushing wind it will shake each believer, every church, and all non-believers to the very foundations of their lives and people will either experience tremendous spiritual insight and change (as I did at the roundtable) or terrific destuction of what is held so close and dear and yet of no eternal significance (as those in the path of the tornado experienced).

The Bible states:
“So don’t turn a deaf ear to these gracious words … one last shaking, from top to bottom, stem to stern. The phrase ‘one last shaking’ means a through housecleaning, getting rid of all the historical and religious junk so that the unshakable esentials stand clear and uncluttered.” (Hebrews 12:25-27 The Message Version).