Polyester Faith - Virgin Wool Faith

Written by Johnny Israel

Two churches that I am personally acquainted with are currently in a building fund raising project. One church has taken on a huge debt, (Polyester Faith), and the other church has chosen to be debt free (Virgin Wool Faith) by raising the full capital for their building project. We’ll start with the polyester faith first.

Polyester Faith

First, let’s describe the term polyester faith. Polyester is a cheap synthetic oil product that is mainly used in clothing and plastics. The 1970s was the notorious years of discounted polyester suits, pants, and shirts. Stores such as Wal-Mart, Kmart, J.C. Penney, and most cheap discount stores sell polyester garments. The poor and indigents are synonymous when it comes to cheap, shoddy polyester clothing.

This polyester church (RCC) consists mostly of poor indigents that do not have a pot to cook in and a plate to eat off. Approximately 100 people attend this church on a weekly basis. Out of their 100 parishioners, 70% are indigent street urchins. Out of the other 30%, less than 20% of those support the church financially. This particular church meets every Sunday in a local movie theater at an enormous weekly cost to the church. Three years ago, the church sold its original church building for approximately $250,000, in which all the money has been spent foolishly on renting the above-mentioned movie theater, and other non-essentials to the church’s financial good. The money now spent, the church is broke and barely able to pay rent, and unable to meet its financial obligations.

Last November, RCC agreed to purchase an old three story building at a cost of 1.5 million dollars, which sits in the middle of an old abandoned car lot. The building itself is planned to house a small restaurant and meeting place for their youth. The problem is the church is broke, with very little income to barely meet their current needs. According to their agreement with the lender, RCC must first raise $300,000 dollars within 90 days. Since November of last year, the church has barely raised $5,000 dollars, yet they foolishly believe that they are in the Lord’s will.

Is it God’s will to obligate so few people with such an enormous debt without any financial resources? Most financial consultants would advise RCC leadership that they are sailing into turbulent waters. It is never the Lord’s will to strap his people with heavy financial burdens, especially in these trouble times. Would this pastor tell a financially strapped parishioner to go out and buy a new Cadillac, and the Lord will meet the obligations? That would be ridiculous, if not insane. Then why would this pastor take on a huge financial burden without first having the resources to meet the obligations? This is nothing but cheap polyester faith, deceiving them into believing they’re in God’s perfect will. This church is headed for disaster. Most likely RCC will not be around by the end of 2008.

Virgin Wool Faith

Virgin wool is 100% pure wool. It is the finest of all garments. This is where CEVF enters in.

CEVF’s pastor is a meticulous man for details. This man of God was once an administrator of a Christian school, whereas part of his job was overseeing the school’s budget. CEVF owns a church building that houses 600 people. They have out grown their old church, and now are in a building fund raising project. To date CEVF has raised nearly $900,000 dollars. Their goal is to sell their old church, which is estimated to be around 2.5 million dollars, plus to raise another 2 million for their new church. The church currently meets at a local high school for their Sunday services, while maintaining the old church for offices. The rest of the church is rented out to a day school; this money is going toward their weekly church operations.

This pastor refuses to burden the church with huge debts and enormous financial obligations. He has rather decided to go debt free, therefore relieving the church body from an unnecessary inconvenience. He has recognized the importance of being debt free, and the liberation of financial bondage placed on the church. This pastor is a wise man, who is building a solid foundation of financial freedom. While RCC continues to needlessly struggle financially, CEVF continues to prosper under the direction of an astute church leader.

Both pastors are good, decent servants of Christ. Both men are hard working, honest, and faithful, with a vision for Christ. However, the first one is on a destination of financial failure; the other one has chosen the path to financial success and freedom. Surely this is virgin wool faith. CEVF will be around for many years to come.

Alternative Health Care

Written by Johnny Israel

For some years a now a blood clot (thrombophlebitis) coagulated in my left leg, between the knee and ankle. The heart pumps blood through the arteries to the skin and tissues throughout the body. Deep vein thrombosis (throm-BO-sis), or DVT, is a blood clot that forms in a vein deep in the body. Blood clots occur when blood thickens and clumps together.

Most deep vein blood clots occur in the lower leg or thigh. They also can occur in other parts of the body. A blood clot in a deep vein can break off and travel through the bloodstream. The loose clot is called an embolus. When the clot travels to the lungs and blocks blood flow, the condition is called pulmonary embolism (PULL-mun-ary EM-bo-lizm), or PE.

A few months ago, I came across “Your Health Today” a weekly cable television health show hosted by Doctor Richard Becker and his lovely wife, Cindy. (Doctor Becker’s website is http://www.bioinnovations.net.) As it happen a viewer called in to get advice from Doctor Becker on thrombophlebitis. Doctor Becker counseled the caller to immediately take Omega 3 oil, along with other supplements. As I listened to the doctor’s wisdom, I decided to follow the same advice.

After two weeks of taking Omega 3 in the form of fish oil, the swelling and pain in my leg abated. At one point the pain associated with the swelling and lack of blood flow in my leg was so horrendous that a local doctor recommended immediate surgery. That was on the same day I had to good fortune to come across “Your Health For Today”.

Since then, I have religiously taken a good multivitamin, along with supplements of A, B12, C, D, E, Oregano Oil, Garlic, Zinc, Magnesium, Folic Acid, Milk Thistle, Ginkgo Biloba, and a few other minerals, and nutrients. I also bought a professional juicer. I daily juice vegetable juice and or fruit juice. Then, I made a change in my diet. Refined sugar, bread, and dairy products, are no longer part of my daily staple. My current diet consist of 60%Vegetables and fruit. This has made a wonderful difference in my body. My energy level is returning to that my youth; my mind is clear and strong, as well as, I am losing weight.

I am a firm believer in the health benefits of vitamins and nutrients. Contrary to the pharmaceutical companies’ persuasion that vitamins do little in the way of promoting good health, more and more medical doctors are advising patients of their health benefits.

It seems clear that pharmaceutical drugs do more harm than good. The dangerous risk factors of death are a proven fact. Just listen to any television drug commercial. The side effects are endless. Common sense tells us that vitamins and health supplements promote the same medical benefits as pharmaceutical drugs, without the dangerous side effects, Then why not choose alternative health care over drugs?

Kings and Priests Before God

Written by Johnny Israel

"And He has made us kings and priests unto His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever." Revelation 1:6 KJV

John the revelator wrote this scripture passage while living in exile on the Greek island of Patmos, an island in the Aegean Sea. Historians tell us this legendary Apostle of Faith is the author of First, Second, and Third John, as well as the Book of Revelation, also known as “The Apocalypse of John.”

It is no coincidence that John refers to the Body of Christ as kings and priests. The word king is interpreted as “one who rules a wise kingdom; the word priests is interpreted as “a person having authority.” Luke 10:19 declares, “Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing by any means hurt you.” All through the four Gospels, Christ taught his disciples they possessed awesome power in His name. He sent them out to heal the sick, cast out demons, and to raise the dead.

Paul the Apostle said in the Book of Ephesians 2:6…”and He made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:” Paul was instilling in us Believers that even though we are in the world and not of the world, we are not weak in power. Paul reminded us Believers, that we are already seated with Christ in glory and authority. The Church was birth in the power of the Holy Spirit. It was this mighty power of the Holy Spirit that the disciples performed monumental miracles. In the Book of Acts, Peter and John were brought before the religious zealots and severely beaten for their faith. After their release they prayed, “And now Lord, behold their threats: and grant to your servants, that with all boldness we may speak your word, by stretching forth your hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the Name of your Holy Child Jesus.” Acts 4:29-30

Notice they prayed for boldness to speak the word by God stretching forth His hand to heal. The Word refers to the Believers as the Body of Christ. As the body of Christ, we are God’s hands on the face of this earth. They Word says, “You shall lay hands on the sick and heal them.” Just as the Devil needs a body to work through to accomplish his evil deeds, God also requires a body move through to perform the power of His Word, and that body is the Believers. While this statement may anger preachers, it nevertheless is true, God’s power is limited to the faith of the Believers. Nothing happens without the Believers first submitting to the Word by allowing the Holy Spirit to move through them.

Unfortunately, today’s Believers are constantly bombarded with candy-coated sermons from the pulpit with doubts and unbelief. We are often told, “If God chooses to perform miracles through His Word, then the choice is up to Him.” What a foolish statement. Smith Wigglesworth, the mighty man of God once said, “If the Spirit of God does not move, then I will move the Spirit.” Wigglesworth knew that God and His Word are one. That the anointing of the Holy Spirit comes through Word obedience; and most of the time obedience goes against the tradition of pulpit teachings.

The Apostle John reminds us that we are kings and priests, that we are people of authority and power. We are not “old shoes” for Christ, but rather we rule as kings and priests in command of lives circumstances. It is time for the Body of Christ’s return to its rightful position of authority. The Believer is called to change the world; and not become slave to the world’s circumstances. The Word tells us in Revelation, “As He is now so are we.”

Called to Preach, But Not Anointed

Written by Johnny Israel

Years ago, in the seventies, I had the privilege of meeting, C.M Ward, (now deceased) a nationally and internationally recognized author, pastor, preacher, and evangelist. C.M. Ward was a man in constant prayer that loved studying the Word. In the mid seventies, he was responsible for leading the Assemblies of God Church in a national revival, where thousands of young people gave their hearts to Christ. During this powerful revival period, the Assembly of God organization grew mightily in numbers; it was through this man’s direction, the Assembly of God churches were forced to build newer and much larger church buildings all across America to accommodate the mass of young people attending services.

Whether by radio, television or the pulpit, this great man of God never closed a sermon without giving people an invitation to come to Christ; and come they did in masses. God’s hand was on this great man through the power of the Holy Spirit. In other words, C. M Ward was an anointed preacher that often encountered, what is called a, “chamber room” relationship with Christ. He was always in prayer, always in worship, always in the Word, and always ready to lead any person that came across his path to Christ.

C.M Ward has long been deceased. His memory of greatness has long been forgotten. Over the years, new Church leaders have come and gone. What once was a religious institution of faith and power has been replaced with contemporary complacency, the flames of revival fire has long simmered Luke warm, its embers of Holy Spirit power are covered in a heap of present-day humdrum. Sadly, in their efforts to attract people to the Church, preachers all across this nation have willing surrendered their anointing for a more fashionable “social club” where one size of faith fits all. The Church’s protocol is come as you are, don’t bring your Bibles, we won’t embarrass you with a public proffer to receive Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, and please note, for your comfort, donuts and coffee are served in the foyer of the Church.

The world is in chaos as never before. Around this world people are fearful of what the future holds for them. Rogue nations are murdering their citizens at an alarming rate, and the threat of a pandemic disease, such as the Bird Flu, is close at hand. There is that possibility nuclear weapons can fall into the hands of religious hate mongers that are bent on the destruction of the free world. Yet with all the world’s troubles at our doorstep, the Church has traded God’s anointing for a mere morsel of coffee and donuts. Its candy-coated sermons are soft peddled to its members as spiritual atonement to the gates of Heaven.

It will take God’s anointing to raise the Church from the trash heap of contemporary socialism she is buried beneath, if she is going to survive the troubling times ahead of her. The Lord’s anointing and power comes through prayer, worship, and an intimate relationship in the Word of God. Unfortunately, today’s Church offers little prayer, is far from worship, and proffers little revelation of the Word, and has never experienced C.M Ward’s chamber room relationship with their Heavenly Father. They are called to preach, but not anointed.