Feed the Soul

Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

It is true that these days the Lord is pouring His spirit out all over the land, as referenced in Acts 2,17, “‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. It is amazing to see all the people coming to Jesus. It is quite unbelievable that so many people are martyred in Nigeria and Armenia and places untold, and that I do not know about. I hear these things and have noticed how American Christians are relatively safe and unpersecuted. Jesus warned the apostles that they would be persecuted and hated, and killed in the end, for His sake. And where am I? Would I do the same? The answer is yes. Jesus teaches us that the greatest love someone could have is to lay their life down for their friends. I believe that to be true.

I am not special in any way or set apart in any way; there are millions of devout believers, priests, and deacons, and pastors all around the world, who minister the word of God. Their work and their knowledge and experience are beyond what mine could be in this lifetime. I suppose I could say that what is the same, is the desire to serve Jesus, and in doing so we would serve those who are poor, and needy, widows, orphans, those who are in jail. That is why our ministry was founded, is to do that work.

I know that to move forward in my life with any sense of security you might say, or safety is to have Jesus. There is nothing else. Where will we run to when things go bad? When you've made terrible mistakes, terrible decisions, and have to suffer the consequences? Where do you go? In certain situations you may find yourself in, family turns their back, friends turn their backs - those whom you thought loved you - don't. Jesus is always there, waiting for you to open the door of your heart, to let him in. Then you begin the healing and the dying, so that you may live; dying to the old ways of living, to the passions and lusts of the flesh.

Instead of feeding the flesh, feed the spirit - feed the soul. As Jesus teaches, One does not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Matthew 4,4. Die so that you may live. In order to do this, we have to take some measure of discipline so that we are able to maneuver and operate in the world, in such a way, that our interaction with it is limited, at least our interaction with those who do not believe in Jesus, or in His word, or will not accept His peace. If that is the case and you must interact with them, cloak yourself in the light of Jesus, the love of Jesus. Stand on a foundation that is His word and His commandments so that you are not prone to temptation. Safely make it back to the people who do believe and live such as you do, which is in the light of Christ, the light of the Lord.

So let us then make a plan for each day and live each day in a disciplined way so that the work from the world is done and that you can live and stay in the light, and never succumb to the desires of the flesh, so that your heart remains in God. Remember as Jesus tells us, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” Matthew 16,24.

Thanks be to God!

Yours In Christ,

Brother Michael