Our local assembly is committed to proclaiming the truth and building the body of Christ worldwide. Nearly 25% of our annual expenses are for outreach efforts beyond our local church. Over the years, we have spent millions of dollars on travel, printing, mailing, duplicating and broadcasting. We believe it is part of what we are to do. Freely we received; freely we will give.

We have sent ministers out to pastor churches overseas. The pastors of our church have logged many miles in nearly 50 years. Untold thousands of tapes, CDs, DVDs, letters, emails, and phone calls have been used to build up the work of the Lord.

My mentor, Bro. Lloyd Goodwin, taught that a grain of corn, planted anywhere in the world, will grow corn. He said that the message and order of the body of Christ, planted anywhere, will grow the body of Christ. We have not tried to build an African body in that continent, an Indian body there, and other national groups with their own culture, their own order, their own songs, etc. There is only one body. The order, the spirit, the messages, the songs, and the worship in every church should be very similar to that found in every other church – anywhere in the world.

Today, we see some of the results of years of effort. The message and order of the body has taken hold in other countries. Some of their ministers now are coming to the decadent West, to preach and establish the work here in America and Europe. The gospel does not just flow from one place, but there is to be a seamless network of ministers and saints, interacting on a global basis, for the greater glory of God.

This issue of The Gospel of Peace contains some excerpts of messages preached in an international convention in Mbale, Uganda. There are photographs of that trip, as well as a subsequent trip into India, and the nations of Botswana and South Africa. Perhaps it will be helpful for us to understand that the Lord has opened many doors and we cannot refuse to reach out to those who are hungry for the true way.

It is not just our church. Many brothers in the healing body of Christ are seeing the Lord open opportunities for them to reach out in South America, Asia, Africa, and countries other than the USA. I believe this is the will of God.

We have so much to do locally. The local church needs to be nurtured, fed, and blessed. There are many in our communities we have not reached with the gospel. The restoration of the order and message of the early church must continue. Our congregations need to be encouraged to continue to overcome sin. But in our local efforts, we should not forget to reach out beyond our borders, and walk through every door the Lord opens.

One of the end-time prophecies in the Bible says: “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” Daniel 12:4. It can be interpreted several ways, but I believe many in the body of Christ will travel back and forth – not in just one country; but globally. Truth will be spread to every nation. It isn’t just pastors, but many saints will be a part of this networking. Save some money for international travel – the rewards outweigh the cost.

If you cannot go overseas for the Lord, you can give financial support to those who do. You can certainly pray. Many brothers and sisters in third-world countries are in desperate straits; living in hunger and poverty, and in fear of disease, crime, and political unrest. Some are in danger just because of their faith. They, too, are part of us. We should feel their need, and spend serious time in prayer for them.

The local church is called an elect lady by the Apostle John. She is called a body, the body of Christ, by the Apostle Paul. The New Testament, therefore, compares a local church with a human body; specifically, a woman. This local assembly is not a storefront mission, or a newly-planted work. It is an established church, with all the benefits and detriments associated with age. This elect lady has the wisdom of experience, the accumulated knowledge of years of Bible teaching, and the spiritual understanding that comes with those years of operating in New Testament order.

All of those are benefits of the years. But the detriments of aging can also affect this elect lady. Just as a human body weakens and gets frail in its advancing years, even so a church can lose vitality and zeal over time. Every assembly has the potential to become lukewarm. The warning of Revelation 3:15-16 is that if a church becomes lukewarm, it will be spewed out.

An assembly becomes lukewarm whenever a significant portion of the saints become lukewarm. A church is not a building; it is a group of people who have been called out of the world, and called into the body of Christ. There are ten signs to tell if you are losing the fire of your zeal for the Lord. You have become lukewarm when:

1. Prayer ceases to be a vital part of your life.
2. Your love to read and study the Bible ceases, and you are content with the knowledge you already have.
3. Compassion and love for others grows cold.
4. Sports, recreation, entertainment and vacations become a large and necessary part of your thinking.
5. Acquiring money and goods is more important than acquiring the things of God.
6. You carry bitterness, anger, or hard feelings toward other saints, and murmur against them.
7. You watch morally-degrading movies, TV, web sites, and read morally-debilitating literature.
8. You find yourself adapting contentedly to the world’s lifestyle.
9. The slightest excuse seems sufficient to keep you from doing your spiritual duty.
10. Church attendance, especially midweek prayer services and Sunday night worship, is no longer important enough for you to make the effort to be there.

The danger of lukewarmness, of course, is that if you don’t repent and become zealous for the things of God, Revelation 3:19, the Lord will spew you out; or if enough saints become lukewarm, He will remove the candlestick. Elsewhere in this issue, we have a feature article on the effects of aging on an assembly. But here, we sound the warning trumpet: be sure you aren’t becoming lukewarm in your passion for serving the Lord.

Churches and movements have represented the present move of God, grown lukewarm and cold in less time than has passed from the calling of William Sowders to today. The early church became apostate in less than 100 years. Iniquity destroyed every church the Apostle Paul built – in just a few years after his passing. How long was Corinth or Ephesus a shining beacon of truth and godly order? 40 years? 60 years? How long has your church been a part of the body of Christ? It is hard to keep a “candlestick” assembly in existence as part of the true move of God for more than a couple of generations. What the first generation fights for, and the second generation builds, subsequent generations often lose. Hopefully, the feature article in this issue will help to identify the issues of an aging assembly, and point out the biblical remedies that can be employed.

Really, the message of the prophets – all of the prophets throughout the Old Testament – was a call to the people to obey the Lord. Exodus 19:3-8 is a good example of His call to obedience. That’s all God requires: obedience. See Jeremiah 7:23; 11:4, 7. But again, God asks this because it is for our good. Deuteronomy 28:1-14 is a summation of the blessings of obedience.

Holiness is living a life in conformity to the commandments of the Lord. It is being obedient to our Lord. Romans 8:13 says we are to mortify the deeds of the flesh. Another way to translate that verse is to say that we are to put to death the misdeeds of the body. Note, however, that this can only be done through the Holy Spirit. Without this source of great spiritual strength, there can be no mortification. But it is not all done in the Spirit – there is a work we must do as well.  Mortifying the deeds of the flesh means to destroy the strength and vitality of sin. How do we do that? This requires two things.

First, there must be a conviction that living a holy lifestyle is the commandment of God for our lives. This conviction is not just general, but it must be for specific sins in specific areas of our lives. This is important, for Hebrews 12:14 tells us that without holiness, we will not see the Lord. We develop these convictions from exposure to God’s Holy Word. We can become accustomed to the world around us. It is an evil world. Even though we are Christians, the world around us is constantly trying to conform us to its value system.

The warning of Romans 12:2 is: Don’t let the world squeeze you into its own mold. It is through God’s Word that our minds are renewed and remolded, and our values are made new. Jesus said, “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:21.

Obedience is the walk of righteousness. But we can only obey His commandments if we know them. God’s Word must be so thoroughly fixed in our minds that it becomes the dominant influence in our lives. Think about this: What is the dominant influence in your life right now? Is it the influences of Madison Avenue, or Hollywood, or Sports or anything of this present generation? Or is your life influenced most greatly by the Bible?

David said: “Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin.” Psalms 119:11. This is one of the greatest weapons in our arsenal. Let God’s Word condemn the wrong we are tempted to do. The choice to obey necessitates that you know the scriptures. You must know God’s will so you can choose God’s will. As I said, you develop convictions by bringing God’s Word to bear on specific situations in your life.

But, someone may say, the Bible does not cover every single situation. There are no scriptures condemning cigarette smoking, or earrings or motorcycles, or many other situations that crop up in this life. True; but there is a biblical method that employs four questions, based on three scriptures. If you ask these four simple questions, you will know what your conviction should be regarding any situation that presents itself.

Question One. Is it helpful – physically, spiritually and mentally? See I Corinthians 6:12: “All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient.”

Question Two. Does it bring me under its power? Again, I Corinthians 6:12: “All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.”

Question Three. Does it hurt others? I Corinthians 8:13: “Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend.”

Question Four. Does it glorify God? I Corinthians 10:31: “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

So, it takes conviction to be obedient to the Lord. There must be a conviction that living a holy lifestyle is the commandment of God for our lives. But that, alone, is not enough.

Second, in addition to conviction, there must also be commitment. It takes commitment to put to death the misdeeds of the body. Romans 8:13. Jesus said in Luke 14:33 that if you do not give up everything, you cannot be His disciple. Ask yourself, “Am I willing to give up this item or practice that is keeping me from holiness?” Many fail at this point. They feel they’d rather dally with sin, trying to play it a little, without getting in too deep.

The command of Colossians 3:5 is: Put to death whatever belongs to your earthly nature. God doesn’t do this all for us magically. Yes, we receive power from the Holy Ghost, but we must employ that power to bring into obedience every thought. According to II Corinthians 10:5, we are to be casting down wicked thoughts,  and bringing our thoughts into obedience to the teachings of the Bible.
In James 4:7, that apostle said we are to submit to God and resist the devil. Is that so much to ask? Sure, it takes effort. II Peter. 3:11, 14 admonishes us to employ our will; make every effort – to be spotless and blameless. Your dependence on the Holy Ghost does not mean you get to do nothing. You have responsibility to make every effort. The Holy Ghost won’t drag you into an unwilling obedience. No, the Holy Ghost gives you the power to obey.

You cannot say you lack the power or ability. If you sin, it is because you choose to sin, and not because you lack the ability to say no to temptation. Don’t say you were “defeated” by sin. “Victory” and “defeat” are not the best words to use when talking about overcoming through progressive sanctification. You weren’t “defeated;” you were just “disobedient.” It is better to use terms such as “obedient” and “disobedient” rather than terms like “victorious” and “defeated.”

When you say you were defeated by sin, you are saying you succumbed to a stronger force. You are subtly denying your responsibility for the choice you made. But when you say you were disobedient, that places the responsibility for sin squarely on your shoulders. You may have been defeated, but the reason you were defeated was because you chose to disobey. There is no point in praying that the Lord will help you rise above a certain sinful habit in your life, if you are not willing to make a commitment to say no to the temptation.

Christianity is a religion of obedience. There are dire consequences for not obeying. The warning in II Thessalonians 1:7-8 ominously states that the Lord will take fiery vengeance on those who obey not the gospel. And Romans 6:12-18 points out that we now live under obedience. Let’s live a life of holiness. That is, let us live in obedience to the will and the Word of God. As Peter said in I Peter 4:17, we in the house of God should obey the gospel.

There is so much that is wrong with modern churchianity. Most churches operate in a way that is not biblical. We want to follow the pattern of the Bible. Modern religion is need-based. That is, churches are constantly introducing plans and programs to cater to the whims and perceived “needs” of the people. Do not misunderstand me: the true church of Jesus Christ will meet your needs. But do not confuse “needs” with “wants.” The true church is not need-based; it is God-focused. We are not just here to cater to your needs; we are here to worship God!

Modern religion is man-centered. But true religion is redemptively-centered. It is not all about you; it is all about Him! It is not all about what the church can do for you, as much as it is about what God can do for you. And, it is about what you can do for God and for His people. The church exists not only to serve you; but also to give you an opportunity to serve God by serving others.

Modern religion is consumer-driven. But true religion is scripturally-prioritized. Our members are not consumers in the pew, looking for bargains and value for their purchase. They are here in obedience to the Word of God. They come to find out what the Bible says about our salvation, how we are to live our lives, and our hope for the future. Then we go out and live a life of worship.

Modern religion is culturally-defined. But true religion is biblically-defined. Modern religion follows the latest trends in psychology and sociology as much or more than it follows the Bible. It is very trendy, technologically-savvy and media-oriented. But true religion looks to the Scriptures and the Holy Spirit.

The choice is either accommodation or confrontation. We can either accommodate the spirit of the age or we must confront it directly. There is no in-between.

The consumer church is made up of people who are “consuming” the church’s products without connecting with the other members in a meaningful way. Really, we should come to church to interact with the community of believers and experience the transforming power of the Spirit and the Word.

Consider this important point: modern churches are a collection of people acting independently; but a biblical church relates as a community. A community develops when individuals in the church experience deep, caring, relationships; social connections; and a strong personal commitment to the church’s mission.

Consumerism is about “me”. Community is about “we”. We are not just to consume; we are part of the church in order to create. We create worship; we create an atmosphere of caring concern; we create love and humility and service.

Our quest is to do something extraordinary for the Lord. We don’t want ordinary religion. We want to go beyond the ordinary.  Why settle for ordinary religion when you can restore the true church of the New Testament? Ordinary religion is preaching without the power of the Holy Ghost. It is a feel-good message of syrupy love, rather than the confrontation that comes with preaching the truth. Ordinary religion is one hour a week in a church building rather than a life-transforming experience with Jesus Christ and His own ransomed church. Ordinary religion is going to church; true Christianity is taking church with you wherever you go.

We issue an open invitation to all to join our quest. It is the adventure of a lifetime. It will provide joy in the midst of tribulation, thrills that outshine all disappointments, and the opportunity to lay up treasure in heaven.

“The followers of Brother William Sowders, the Israel of God in our day, must close ranks, experience a healing, before we will be in shape to face God’s enemies out there. But peace among us will only come when the war among us is over.”

At the time, many of us did not believe or see how there could be a healing of the fractured and divided groups that were once a united fellowship. But this man of God just kept preaching that message. Later, he began to repeatedly say, “A healed beast necessitates a healed body; not the entirety but a remnant of the whole.”

We are living in historic times. The war among the divisions of the body of Christ is over. Not everyone is ready to lay down their armor, but God has moved in the lives of so many ministers and saints. Continued division and bickering is unthinkable. But it wasn’t that way just a few short years ago. God is working.

Brother Narain Richard, Brother John Githinji, and myself recently visited Brother Billy Brown’s church in Houston, Texas, and Brother John Budd’s church in Sebastapol. The gracious manner in which we were received attests to the healing of the wounds. Recently, eight of our pastors from Africa attended the Shepherdsville Camp Meeting. Brethren from other branches of the fellowship have been attending and speaking in our meetings.

Communication, contact, and visiting are occurring. Long-severed friendly relationships are being restored. Amazingly, this is not being done through politics or chance for advancement. Each party is taking significant risks. But the Lord is speaking, and someone must hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

Every movement that God has raised up to be His people in the last 2,000 years has drifted off the foundation into apostasy. The powerful churches the apostles built in the first century were destroyed by the “mystery of iniquity”. 2 Thessalonians 2:7. Religious Babylon was raised on the ashes of the truth. Great reformers stepped out at times depending on God, but their movements drifted into institutional harlot daughters. What about our fellowship, the body of Christ?

Are we destined to fail? We would, if the Lord tarries. See Luke 18:8. But time is on our side. The Lord is healing and restoring His church. There is still a great work to do. Some men and women may fail, and even assemblies may fail, but the body of Christ as a whole will not fail. It has a destiny foreordained in the plan of God. May God help us to see His will, and be a part of His end-time work.

While we were in Texas, Brother Richard preached a message analogizing the history of the body of Christ to the story of Isaac’s wells in Genesis 26. When Isaac’s servants dug the first well, they found springing water. Genesis 26:19. The center column reference says the Hebrew would be better translated as “living water.” During the time of Brother William Sowders, we had living water in a wonderful fellowship.

The next well was called “Esek”, or contention, because there was strife between the people. Verse 20. As a fellowship after the death of Brother Sowders, we moved from living water to contention. The third well was enmity, called “Sitnah”. Verse 22. We are at a time where there is room for all and no strife. it is an exciting time as we see peace, communion, friendship, and fellowship.

Isaac did not stay there, however. He moved on to dig yet another well. The first wells were re-digging that which his father Abraham, had dug. See verse 15. Isaac moved on beyond his father’s wells to dig his own. Verse 32. There he built a city. Verse 33.

We need our own well. We cannot just restore what our fathers had – as wonderful as that was. We need to move on, to dig our own well, sufficient for our time and build our city. It must be a city set on a hill and a city of refuge. May God help us to heal the wounds of the past and go forward into the future He has appointed for His people.

What kind of sermons did Jesus preach? Most modern preachers refer to the writings of Paul – using them even more than the words of Jesus, Himself. And Paul’s words were inspired of God. And all scripture is truth and profitable. But our message should be Jesus’ message. Our preaching should sound like His preaching. He was perfect; He was a master of everything He attempted. No man can ever preach as well as Jesus; but every church should ring with the sound of a minister who is diligently trying to preach the same message that Jesus preached.

What did Jesus preach about? Are His messages still pertinent today? Was His gospel some syrupy message of a pseudo-love that does not demand change? Or did His message confront people, and point out their sins? Did He cover up their short-comings and arrogance, or did He demand that they repent and change?

What is the message that men of God should preach today?

Jesus was not a popular preacher 2000 years ago. I am not sure He would be popular today. Most modern preachers would not let Him preach in their pulpits. Christianity has drifted so far from Christ’s message and His style. His Gospel would seem strange, even foreign, to the churches of today.

Jesus was very kind and compassionate with the poor; the downtrodden, and the sick. He reached out to help those who were hurting, and afflicted. He was a gentle shepherd seeking those who were lost and in trouble.

Jesus was very demanding of His disciples. He asked them to sacrifice all that they had to follow Him. He promised them no earthly treasure, no comforts of life, no fame or fortune.

Jesus was very stern with the self-righteous leaders of His day. He gave the Pharisees and Sadducees a hard time.

Jesus was known for His boldness and authority. Matthew 7:28-29. He was not afraid to confront the Pharisees in public. Matthew 23:13-33. Jesus made a whip and cleansed the temple. John 2:15-16. Not many preachers today are noted for such boldness and fearlessness.

Jesus taught a message of forgiveness that was astonishing to His disciples. They were to forgive 70 times 7. Matthew 18:22. (The Jewish Talmud had said to forgive seven times in the day.) Jesus said to forgive your brother 490 times in a day. That is more than 30 times each waking hour, or an average of once every two waking minutes.

How long does it take you to “get over” an offense? How long does your anger burn before you can think clearly, and forgive? Can you get over one offense and be ready for the next one in two minutes?

People get tired of forgiving. They can take one offense, or two, or maybe even several. But when the same person offends repeatedly, we find it hard to keep forgiving. But Jesus said to forgive the same person – every two minutes! That is a message that should be preached in modern pulpits.

Jesus preached that many would call Him Lord, and even do wonderful works, but i would be unacceptable to Him. Matthew 7:21-23. He rejected praise from those who taught false doctrine. Matthew 15:7-9. He taught of virgins who lose out on the opportunity to enter in. Matthew 25:1-12. That is a message that should be preached in modern pulpits.

The ministry of Jesus was one that demanded change. he preached repentance and conversion. He confronted sin, and demanded confession and turning. Only those who put the work of the Lord first were going to inherit life. Has the message of Jesus changed? Are modern preachers preaching the same message?

Jesus was a straight shooter. he didn’t coddle wrong. he was merciful to those in need, but had no patience with the smug, the self-righteous, and those who though they had it made.

May the Lord help us to preach bold, life-changing messages – like the message Jesus preached when He walked this earth.

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Her life was a testimony. She was always busy about the Lord’s business. Every assembly needs at least one like Sister Charlotte. We will miss her. She welcomed the saints into her home, she transported them where they needed to go, she traveled to meetings to support her pastors, she gave in the offerings, she served the Lord consistently, simply and without hypocrisy.

Commitment to the Lord and His church is getting to be a rare thing. Jesus condemned an evil and adulterous generation, and condemned a faithless and perverse generation, Matthew 12:39; 17:17, what would He say about our generation? Brother Lloyd Goodwin’s last message was an admonition to the church to become more committed. But commitment to the work of the Lord is rare.

When the Lord returns, will He find faith on earth? Luke 18:8. Dedication and commitment are a choice, and not a convenience. Servants don’t have the luxury of serving their Master just when it is convenient. But those who have been faithful servants in this life will hear Him say, “Well done.” Matthew 24:21. Sister Charlotte Verwers has joined the “great cloud of witnesses,” Hebrews 12:1, that we are to use as our examples, and we are to now run our race. Wherever we are, we can find opportunities to serve the Lord, and to be faithful to Him.

Are you as committed to the Lord and His church as you were five years ago, or ten years ago? If not, why not? Are your children gorwing up to be less committed than you have been? If so, why? Something is wrong when we are less dedicated and zealous than we used to be. And we have a major problem if the succeeding generation is less faithful than we have been. We must do something now to assure that the church has a future.

When Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan and into the Promised Land, the Lord miraculously parted the waters. Joshua had one man from each tribe pick up a rock from the bed of the river, and then assembled those rocks for a monument. he did that to teach succeeding generations the things that God had done. “When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? Then ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land.” Joshua 4:21-22. God’s people must be kept in memory of the great works of the Lord in the past.

Fathers are to teach their children the truth of the Lord. Isaiah 38:19. There are some important things “which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.” Psalms 78:3. We must pass on this vital knowledge to the coming generation. “We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done. For he hath established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children: That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children.” Verses 5-6.

Every one is an example. 1 Timothy 4:12. You are either a good example or a bad example. Is your life worthy of emulation by those who are younger than  you?

We are also to live in hope of the return of the Lord. Prophecy is important to us, because we live in the time when much of the Bible’s prophetic promises will come to pass. We should not shun prophecy as hopelessly complicated and difficult to comprehend. instead, we are to understand the plan of God for the future, and make that knowledge known to others.

“And the Lord answered me, and said, Write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.” Habakkuk 2:2-3. The Lord wants someone to make the prophecies of the Word of God plain and understandable.

In this issue of The Gospel of Peace, we have a series of articles on Bible prophecy. Every child of God should understand his or her future. God has a plan and a time to work. He has a conclusion for the plan of redemption. he will restore paradise, and beyond paradise to all creation. He will ultimately and finally deal with evil.