Freedom!

 First I want to thank all of those who have given and are giving to help us with the cost of our new van because of my accident in the Midwest.  My prayer is that God will Bless you for your generosity.
 

FREEDOM!
(Romans 5:1-10)

 As we celebrate our American Independence, let us think for a moment about our Freedoms.  Our freedoms did not come without a cost.  I’m reminded of a time in my youth, while sitting in an American History Class, in the 10th grade of High School.  The war in Vietnam was going strong.  My history teacher Mrs. Hawn made a statement that I never forgot.  She told the class that Freedom gives us the right To Do As We Should, not as we please.

 The blood of so many has been shed upon the soils of foreign nations as well as our own homeland, yet how many of us fail to consider this sacrifice?  How quick we are to forget those who have paid the ultimate price!  How quick we are to complain and then sit back while others die for what we enjoy!  Our Freedoms are not rights to be abused.  We have not been given the Freedom to do what we want at the expense of Righteousness.  We have not been given the Liberty to choose our own way at the expense of doing what is right. But, everywhere we look, we see freedoms being violated, abused and sacrificed.
 
        Today’s text tells us, “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.” Our Freedoms cannot be separated from God, for it is He who ultimately gave them to us.  Our Freedoms will only be enjoyed in relation to our acknowledgement of the Lord.  The further we move from Him, the fewer our Freedoms become until they ultimately cease to exist.

 We also must consider another Freedom – Spiritual Freedom.  Only those who are rightly related to God can experience this Freedom.  Everyone who rejects Christ as savior is enslaved to sin.  True Freedom comes only when a person puts his faith in Christ.  Jesus said, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32).  What Is Truth?  Jesus stated, “I am the way, The Truth, and the Life.” (John 14:6).  Freedom from Sin and Condemnation comes only through Him; He paid the ultimate price.  “If the son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36). 

 So I encourage one and all, as we celebrate our Independence and rejoice over our freedoms, let’s not take them for granted.  Also, as Born-Again Believers in Christ – Let’s not take our Spiritual Freedoms and Liberties for granted either.
Freedom – Freedom – Freedom

 True Freedom only comes from God…May God Bless you one and all is my prayer.
 
His For Souls,
 
Bro. Randy Davis

The Drought in Christ’s Church

It is May and we have just left Ohio, Kentucky and are now in Michigan where we continue to Preach Revival Meetings and encourage Churches and Pastors.  God has really blessed us and it has been wonderful to see the hand of God in the meetings.

 It is now Spring and you can see the flowers, crops and vegetables coming into bloom.  The greatest enemy to crops, flowers or plants is a drought where there is no rain or nourishment.  It’s the same way when there’s a drought in Christ’s Church Today…

THE DROUGHT IN CHRIST’S CHURCH

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt has lost his savour, wherewith all it be salted?
It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.”  (Matt. 5:13)

 I believe that the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, not only in America, but also around the world, has come to a crisis of having lost it’s effectiveness to stop the advancement of corruption and evil.  If we were what we ought to be in God’s eyes and if we were as effective as God wants us to be, then sin and evil could not advance.  We cannot continue to blame everyone else.  The blame belongs at our own doorstep, the Church of Jesus Christ.

 God gives Joy unspeakable and full of Glory, this is His blessing when we take certain steps.  Why does the Bible say in (Matt 5:3), “Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit?”  This verse is talking about brokenness.  How can the poor in spirit, they that mourn, and the meek be blessed?  It is because God says…To this man will I look.  God’s eyes look beyond the thousands walking and leaping and praising God but have NO BURDEN…God watches millions who worship NOT IN TRUTH, but to be seen of men.  God looks at them in dismay.  God has to break us until we have NO PRIDE, OR CONFIDENCE IN OURSELVES.  It is a Joy to be broken before God but we must not be satisfied to stay there.  We have to take the next step. 

“Blessed are they which thirst and hunger after righteousness, for they shall be filled.” (v.6)  Filled means to be satisfied.  If you find a man in a time of severe drought that is hungry and thirsty, and you give him a million dollars, that man will not be satisfied.  That man will only be satisfied when he has that which he is thirsting after.  NOTHING WILL SATISFY you until God makes you righteous.  If you hunger and thirst you’re going to be made righteous.  You will receive the only thing that will quench that thirst and take away your hunger and satisfy you.  This is Righteousness imparted by God.  I am not talking about righteousness imputed, there’s a great difference.  This context here has nothing to do with righteousness imputed…where at the moment of faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 4:5).  But (Matt. 5) is talking about righteousness imparted.  God’s righteousness is seen in our lives when we’re made righteous.  Are we hungering and thirsting for God to make us righteous?  When we are made righteous by God do you know what will happen to the Church?  They will be able to forgive so that we can be forgiven (v.7).  Also as a result of God’s righteousness we are pure in heart (v.8).

The next thing that I see is a peace coming among God’s people. [Peacemakers] (v.9).  I have the ability to go to my worst enemy and embrace him/her and fall on my knees and beg him/her to be at peace no matter what it cost me.  As God sees us being merciful and making peace, then will persecution come suddenly.  “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake.” (v.10)  And all who will live godly lives in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim. 3:12).  We cannot escape it because we are the salt of the earth.  It doesn’t matter that we are persecuted because sooner or later they’re going to get saved, because their hearts are so condemned.  They will see our good works because we are the light of the world that is showing the way.

As a result of righteousness imparted by God, we realize that Jesus Christ did not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it in our lives.  Some folks say to me we’re no longer under the law but under grace.  This is the dispensation of Grace.  Most folks who say that to me end up in disgrace.  Christ said…”I haven’t come to destroy the law but to fulfill it…IN YOU…It is through God’s righteousness imparted by His Grace and Mercy in and through us.  It is not by rigid discipline but by Him writing the Law of God upon my heart and by the Holy Spirit, that I can then live the standard.  I don’t memorize and think “Thou shalt not” and say, Thou shalt not do this.  I don’t do the forbidden thing because it is not by my own effort…For this is God’s righteousness imparted.  This is God’s liberty, the liberty of the Law in Christ Jesus.  It’s an amazing liberty not a bondage of the Law.  When we find God’s righteousness imparted into us, through us, then it is not our own righteousness.

In case you thought that the Law was destroyed through Christianity, let me tell you that the standard is ten times higher in the New Testament than in the Old Testament, and we can live it!  Of course, I am talking about the Fruits of the Spirit.

The law says you must not kill…this is how I want you to live and you’re going to live it. Be angry and sin not, whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer in my eyes.  Any anger that comes into our lives must be righteous indignation and anyone watching can see nothing else but holiness in our reaction to that which we are offended.  In time of deepest offense we will be Christ-like because it is caused by righteous indignation and this will condemn hearts and condemn us.

Matt 5:23, 24 says “ Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remember that thy brother hath ought against thee; Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.”  God desires love before sacrifice.  The righteousness imparted by God [Fruits of the Spirit] gives us the ability to forgive any wrongs we have with our brother first, and then to offer our gifts.

This righteousness imparted gives us the power not to look at any man or woman with lust.  Your husband or wife should be all that you desire or want.  We can be holy by God’s Grace.

I assure you, ninety percent of divorce will stop when Revival comes.  The Church needs to live the message, and preach the message instead of writing volumes to just deny it and try to explain it away or find psychologists to deal with it…No…GOD DEALS WITH IT…

When we find Righteousness of God [Fruits of the Spirit], we don’t have to swear…Just let our yes be yes and our no be no.  Every man looking at us with our integrity will not require more of us than a Yes…If the Church Is The Salt Of The Earth then we need to end this drought in Christ’s Church so that evil and sin will no longer advance.

There is such a need today for all of us to be more like Christ.  There is a need for the Church of Christ to be a Bright Light in a dark and sinful world. 

Please continue to pray for the ministry that God has called us to; with Small and Struggling Churches.  We are constantly praying for you and your ministries as well.  Let us also not forget to pray for one another. 
May God continue to have His divine hand upon your life and ministry is my prayer.

Love & Prayers in Christ,

Bro. Randy Davis
(Psalms 126:5, 7)

April, 2008 Prayer Letter

As you read this newsletter, I am preaching in meetings out in the Mid-west, Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and I will be in Michigan in May…

 As I drive along these country roads for miles, you can see the fresh plowed fields where the farmers have planted seeds of corn.  It is time to plant seeds of corn.  I thought about that and am reminded when I was a boy and planting corn as well; we always got our hands dirty in our Garden.  It’s impossible to plant seeds and not get your hands dirty.

PLANTING SEEDS AND DIRTY HANDS
(Matthew 13:3-9)

Notice with me in this parable the different conditions of the soil.  1. The Wayside Soil (v.4), 2. The Stony Soil (v.5), 3. The Weedy Soil (v.7), and finally 4. The Good Soil (v.8).  Notice in God’s Word that it was all the same dirt…The only difference was the way the soil was prepared…and that’s what made the difference in each situation.  And so, it is with the human heart.  We are all made of the same essence, but we are conditioned by different influences and environment that have shaped us.

 As we look also in (v. 19) at the wayside soil, this is the unresponsive heart…This person just sits there and hears the Word of God time and time again and has no time for the Gospel, no time for no one but themselves and their own selfish desires…Their hearts are hardened.

 I remember walking through rows of corn as a boy.  In between the rows of corn was hard dirt that was packed down by walking on it all the time.  The purpose of walking on the same path of dirt was so we wouldn’t disturb the virgin soil around the corn.

 So was it in Palestine and this is what Jesus was telling His disciples in this parable.  Along the wayside, there were paths that went around the field, that were heavily traveled and dirt was packed down.  Birds would come and take the seeds that fell on this hard soil before it had a chance to germinate or the winds would blow it away…

1. The sower is the Christian,
2. The seed is the Gospel,
3. The field is the world, 4. The soil is the human heart.

So this is the person who has no time for spiritual matters.

 As we look in (v.5) we see the stony heart or the superficial heart…The seeds were not planted deep enough, so when the sun came out the plants would die and wither away…They had no root in themselves, this is the professed Christian…Those who claim to be God’s Children for awhile…but there’s no spiritual fruit (1John 2:19).  Not everyone in our midst…is of us…

 Thirdly, as we read (v.22) we see the weedy soil which is the worldly heart…This person still has a lot of the world in them.  They are more concerned for the things of the world.  A double-minded person…They try to serve Christ and self too.

 They know a lot of facts about Christ but they don’t know Him personally.  There is only one road that leads to Eternal Life and the Bible tells us, “Narrow is the Way…”
Now I would like for you to see with me the enemies…
The Shallow soil in (v.7) here the weeds were the worries of the world.  My friend’s weeds will grow.  Even spiritual weeds will grow but they will not bear any fruit.  True Christians will show and bear fruit.  And you won’t have to get on your hands and knees to look for them either…They’ll stand out among the weeds.  You will be able to spot them by their lack of fruit.

 In (v.6) the sun is the affliction and persecution.  Again these are those who planted their seeds in shallow soil.  The minute that troubles or persecution come along, they fall away.  They have no root in themselves, as we see not only in (v.6) but also in (v.21).

 In (v.4) birds are the evil one [Satan] and in (v.19) this is the person with a hard heart.  The three enemies are…The World, The Flesh and The Devil.

 Jesus is telling the disciples that you will face resistance.  That is will not be an easy life or an easy walk.  That there will be shallow short-term converts, there will be double-minded people, the hardness of the road, and the shallow soil.  The aggressiveness of the weeds will frustrate the efforts to grow good crops…But my friends God will till the soil of the most stubborn heart.

 But then there’s the Good Soil, as we see in (v.23).  This is the receptive heart…This is the field that is plowed, been prepared and is ready to receive the seed of the Gospel.  This is the heart that is ready to receive the Lord Jesus Christ.  Without plowing or cultivation, there is NO SALVATION FRUIT…The ultimate test of Salvation is bearing fruit (Matthew 7:17-20).  Only good soil and plowed dirt from a good cultivated ground can produce fruit.

 As sowers, we are called to broadcast the seeds of the Gospel.  Even if some fall on unprepared soil, there will always be wayside soil, shallow and rocky soil, and weedy soil.  But also my friends, there will always BE GOOD SOIL.  It only needs the right seeds thrown on it.

 A farmer knows if he wants corn next year, he has to plant and replant corn every year.  If he only thinks of this year, then next year he will not have anything to eat.

 It’s the same with planting the seed of the Gospel.  If we just plant seeds this year, there will not be any growth or increase in the harvest for the Lord Jesus Christ. 
I am so afraid that too many of us today, for too long of a time…Have clean hands.  We need to get our hands dirty.  We need to plant some seeds.

 You know my friends you can never create a seed you can only reproduce the original seed.  The original seed of the Gospel was created by the Lord Jesus Christ and we can only reproduce that seed.

 We cannot preach another Gospel, or another Christ or another way.  There is only one way, only one Gospel and only one plan of Salvation.

 Planting Seeds And Dirty Hands…Let’s get busy and reap a harvest for the Lord Jesus Christ.
 
His For Souls,
 
Bro. Randy Davis
(Psalms 126:5, 7)

March, 2008 Prayerletter

I was recently preaching in a Revival Meeting in New York during the 2nd week of December.  Between all the snow and ice, I felt God really blessed the meeting.  The pastor and I were discussing the sins in Christian’s lives and the absence of holiness from our pulpits and congregations in many Churches today.  I am NOT talking about discipline or self-righteousness.

 So God has impressed upon my heart to talk about the doctrine of holiness, this month…

THE STIGMA OF BEING HOLY

“I speak after the manner of men because of the infirmity of your flesh.  For as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness and to iniquity unto iniquity; even so now
yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.”  (Romans 6:19)
 
There is no doubt that holiness is both the aim and the goal of religion.  But I for one, have NOT met many Christians who have set the mark or even reached the goal that they can properly be identified as holy.  The Truth IS…We will NOT be completely holy [Conformed to the image of Christ] until Christ returns and we get our glorified bodies.  But we can still do much better than we are now.

 And yet I am of the opinion that despite all of this, even the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ, it is difficult, if not impossible to find anybody that is holy as the Bible teaches us.  Please stay with me.  I am not talking about self-righteousness.  I want to talk about this issue because I am concerned about what appears to be an absence of holiness and Christ-likeness and an absence of those who are themselves holy within the Institution of the Church as we know it.

 It disturbs me that we have come to the 21st Century and what folks are most likely to find in the Church is not holy Christians [Christ-like], but instead a peculiar contradiction.  Those are folks who prefer to be Christians of the generic kind without any requirement for living Christ-like.

 It bothers me that many times we who are supposed to represent Christ-likeness or holiness, who say that we have been convicted and converted [Born-Again] to a lifestyle that is suppose to be holy and more like our Savior.

 It bothers me that even though God’s Word speaks of holiness and defines holiness and requires holiness, that not many preachers are not preaching about holiness and Christ-likeness today.  And as a result not many Christians are living in the path and pattern of holiness.  In fact, just to talk about holiness causes some folks to be uncomfortable.  It causes others to get nervous while others are turned off by it.

 You are aware, of course, that this matter of holiness is not my idea.  Holiness and [Christ-likeness] is not an option.  The Bible teaches us that God’s people are, by definition, a holy people and a holy nation: “Sanctify yourselves and therefore, be ye holy: For I am the Lord you God.” (Lev. 20:7)

 Psalms says that the place of Worship is at His Holy Hill.  The Scriptures teach that the Temple of God is Holy.  Paul told young Timothy that God has called us with a holy calling.  God’s Name is Holy.  Even the Word of God which we preach from was written by holy men who were inspired by the Holy Ghost.

 So at the Biblical level it is a clear concept that holiness and holy are to be part of the Christian life.  This note on iniquity and holiness, which comes from an aging Apostle whose days are indeed numbered, does not, I will admit, usually provide proper kindling for preaching fire.  And yet, here is Paul writing from Corinth with love to those whom he says are “Called To Be Saints.”

 To these, the unclean, the impure, the defiled, the dirty, the weak and the wicked, to these Paul says:  YIELD YOUR MEMBERS SERVANTS TO RIGHTEOUSNESS UNTO HOLINESS.  What Paul is addressing here is the manner by which sinners can escape the power of sin.  It is here that Paul reminds us in (V.23) that the wages of sin is death.  Paul is saying that once a man is converted, he is no longer what he was.  The converted man was once a servant of sin, but now that he has a brand new walk in Christ, we are no longer servants of sin but servants of righteousness.

 After Salvation [New Birth] the change of moving from what I used to be, is achieved by yielding ourselves to the Holy Spirit.  Holiness is not something that we do, but something that the Holy Spirit does as He conforms us to the image of Christ.

 In other words, one does not just stumble upon holiness.  Paul insists that if you seek or desire the Fruits of the Spirit, then you must decide to give up, to surrender, to yield your bodies “Servants of Righteousness.”  “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.” (Romans 12:1)

 Holiness is not about what you wear; Holiness is about how you walk with God.
 Holiness is not about the Cross that your wear; Holiness is about the Cross that you bear.
 Holiness is not about the Bible that your carry; Holiness is about the Bible that carries you.
Holiness is not about how well you preach; Holiness is about how well you pray.
 Holiness is not if you are an officer; Holiness is if you are a witness.
 Holiness is not about the quantity of your tithe; Holiness is about the quality of your Christian life.
Holiness is not about how high you can jump; Holiness is about how well you serve God when you come back down.

 The Holy Spirit is not power to be used, but He is a person to be yielded to, so that you might be used.  Holiness is not something that we do, but something that the Holy Spirit does in us and through us.  If God is Holy, then His children [Born-Again], believers, and His Church along with those men of God who lead them should be as well.  This only happens when the Holy Spirit gets more of us in every area of our lives.

 Please, don’t think that I think that I have arrived in any way.  But I am saying that all of us have room for improvement.  Let’s make a decision that we’re going to live our lives and lead God’s People to be more Christ-like so the we might bring Honor and Glory to God our Father.

 I encourage you and I too pray for one another that we might strive to live holy lives and be more like Christ.  To put Christ first in our lives that we might show others how God manifest Himself in us that others will desire the Holy Spirit working in their Christian life and not grieve Him.

 This decision begins by each of us denying self and pleasing God, instead of denying Christ and pleasing ourselves.  May God Bless You is my prayer.
 
A Servant Of The Lord,
 
Bro. Randy Davis
(Isa. 40:31)

February, 2008 Prayerletter

“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray,and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”  ( 2 Chronicles 7:14)
 
 As those in New England and the Midwest deal with all the ice and snow, I am blessed by preaching Revival Meetings in the warm and sunny states of Georgia and Florida.  Not that I’m rubbing it in.  Anyway it is already February and we are now in the beginning of another year.  2007 is behind us and 2008 is ahead of us.  I am so burdened concerning all the Pride and Selfishness over God’s people and over us as a Nation.

SERVING OTHERS AND NOT SELF
 
 I am so sad over the bickering, bitterness and fighting among God’s people who are so caught up in serving self instead of serving others…
 America, God Still Loves You!  I am so very grateful for the privilege to be able to worship as we please as we do here in the United States of America without worrying about someone looking over our shoulder.

 Come Sunday, we gather to Worship as we see fit, and I’m thankful for that.  However, here in America, we take for granted the freedoms that we have.

 Folks around the world complain about the United States.  As well, we complain about ourselves.  But America is still the greatest place on earth.  To listen to the politicians and the Presidential debates you might think that it is not true.

 The very fiber of our great nation is being destroyed from those who are among us, not from any outside enemy. 

 Because of greed and neglect in our Godly and Moral Character, we see folks who have it all, and yet they are on the verge of losing it all. 

 Why?  Because the only God that is worshipped today is the God of Self, Self-will, Self-pleasures, self-esteem and self-worth. 

 Sometimes we are so busy serving self; we have no time for right or wrong or for helping our fellow mankind.

 President Woodrow Wilson once stated…America was born a Christian Nation for the purpose of exemplifying to the Nations of the World the principles of Righteousness found in the Word of God.  I believe that no people or Nation has ever conquered those who serve God.

PRAYERS TO GOD
 
 Now is the time for prayer once again. We must take a stand for God by lifting up our eyes and seeking God’s face to grant us His Grace and Blessings.

 Government will not solve the problems of a degenerating society, Only The Prayers Of God’s People can make a Nation what it is meant to be…

 In the Bible [Word of God] in ( 2 Chronicles 7:14) it says…If my people [that’s you dear Christian] not just for Israel.  Which are called by My Name will humble yourselves.   [Get rid of our Pride].  And Pray [Communicate with God].  And seek My face [Making God first priority in your life].  And turn from our wicked ways [Repenting Of Sin].  Then will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

 We as God’s people or as a Nation cannot enjoy the wonderful blessings of God until we repent as a people and as a Nation. 

 This year we face the great responsibility of choosing our Next President.  No matter what Party you belong to we first must repent so that we may have the Blessings of God.  We cannot continue in our sin and expect God to bless us as a Nation. 

 Instead of us crying God Bless America we should be praying with a broken heart.  “God Please Forgive America.”

 Preachers and Christians alike must see the need of this great Nation, it is not only who is President but What God do we serve…The God of Self or the God of Heaven.

 This year in 2008 let’s make it a year where we as God’s People will once again get a hold of Heaven so that He may forgive us and heal our land.

 Please let us pray one for another and encourage one another as we lift up one another in Prayer.  May God continue to have His divine hand upon your life and ministry is our prayer.
Love & Prayers In Christ,
 
Bro. Randy Davis
(Isa. 40:31)

January, 2008 Prayer Letter

 I finished up the year in New York, New England and by being home for Christmas with my Family and Church Family as well.  I had planned to spend the month of November out in the Mid-West preaching in meetings in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and New York.  Unfortunately, my trip was cut short due to severe back problems.  But I was allowed by the Lord to finish my meetings and be home for Christmas.  Later this month I will be leaving to preach meetings in Maryland, Florida and Georgia as I suffer through the winter, [snow and ice storms] in the beautiful warm weather in the South.  Not that I’m trying to rub it in.  Enough of the small talk let me give you what God has laid on my heart.

A TRUE WITNESS OF THE SAVIOR

“But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
 
How today we need true witnesses of the Lord Jesus Christ.  God promised us Heavenly Enduement for witnessing.  In our own strength, we would not –could not serve as Ambassadors for Jesus Christ as we should.  In order to boldly proclaim the Truth to a lost world, we need special power from on high.

 The command of the Lord was to tarry in Jerusalem, and to abide around the promise of the Father.  THEY WERE NOT TO PRAY FOR IT, BUT WAIT FOR IT, OR ABIDE.  The Holy Spirit could not be poured out until the Son had taken His place in Glory.  He had told them (John 7:38-39) they should be reservoirs of the Holy Spirit, but not until He was Glorified.  First…they were to wait.  Nothing can be accomplished in Spiritual Things until God’s time comes.  Obedience is the first requisite in the life of faith.  Every promise of God is certain.  Waiting implies preparation.  No time is lost that is spent in waiting upon God.  Second…they were to be anointed.  The Power of the Holy Spirit was to come upon them.  There was no doubt about the Power.  He came upon each one [everybody].  There was conscious enduement.  Third…they were to be witnesses.  The whole purpose of the anointing was clearly set forth.  This was done for their own satisfaction.  Not that they might feel good; not that they might be puffed up, but that they might serve.  They were to be set apart for testimony concerning the Crucifixion, Ascension and coming of the Lord.  Fourth…the extent of their field of service was the world.  What a message! What Power! What a field! What a blessed privilege!
 
YE SHALL BE WITNESSES…As believers in Jesus Christ; we are to be Witnesses of His Person, His Work, His Saving Power, His ability to give Victory over sin in the life.  But sadly many professing believers today ARE POOR WITNESSES.  They are good witnesses of the world and all that it offers but poor witnesses of the Savior who delivered them from the power of the god of this world.  The Bible is full of good examples and bad examples of witnesses.  Consider Daniel and his 3 Hebrew friends.  They held true to their convictions by not defiling themselves with the food and drink of the Babylonians (Dan 1:3-20).  They testified, through their godly obedience to the Lord, of the goodness and Power of their God.

 Dear Christian the Lord is entitled to a clean-cut testimony from the lives of His followers; and the needy world is also entitled to the testimony of God’s Power to sustain His followers in their separation from the things which defile and demean.  WHO ELSE CAN TESTIFY AND WITNESS FOR HIM if we who are redeemed by His precious Blood and exalted to the position of sons of God, FAIL HIM?  The test of Daniel and his friends was a 3 year test, and they stood it and proved the rightfulness of their claim.

 Oh, that the Church would once again rise to the privilege which is hers, and be able by the lives of her members, to be saying…“HERE IS THE PROOF”

 Notice…again in our text today that God is not asking us to be Witnesses; WE ARE HIS WITNESSES to a lost world.  Are we accurately representing our Savior and testifying of Him.  Are we standing out from the world as a light in the midst of darkness?  None of us is all that we should be or all that we could be.  This is the beginning of a New Year.  So, let’s decide that in 2008 that we are going to strive to be true witnesses of our dear Savior.

 How I weep, and how my heart is heavy over Christians today among us who’s Witness does more harm than good.  I encourage not only praying for yourselves but for one another as well.  We all need a fresh start and this year is a good time to do so.

 May God continue to have His divine hand upon your life and ministry is my prayer.
Love & Prayers In Christ
 
Bro. Randy Davis

December, 2007 Prayer Letter

MAKE FULL PROOF OF YOUR MINISTRY

“Preach the Word; Be Instant In Season, Out Of Season; Reprove, Rebuke, Exhort With All Longsuffering And Doctrine.”

“But Watch Thou In All Things, Endure Afflictions, Do The Work Of
An Evangelist, MAKE FULL PROOF OF THOU MINISTRY.”

(2 Timothy 4:2, 5)

 Thanksgiving is behind us and it’s almost Christmas.  I have just returned from 5 weeks of meetings in Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.  God Blessed in such a wonderful way as we had the opportunity to make new friends and fellowship with some old ones as well.  But we’re now back in New England and soon it will be time to be at our home church with our Church family to enjoy Christmas with them once again.  I am only at Mountain View Baptist Church at Christmas with the exception of preaching a Revival Meeting or a few Wednesday nights.

 But, back to my thought…Making Full Proof Of Your Ministry…At the end of the year in December I personally examine our ministry and our usefulness in our service to our dear, precious Lord.  Paul tells us that “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.” (V.7) and them he tells us in (V.8)  “Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and NOT TO ME ONLY but unto ALL THEM also that love His appearing.”

 It is not my purpose to judge another man’s ministry; however, in examining my own ministry over the years, I have observed some things.  The fact that Paul received his reward was based on the truth that he finished the course and kept the faith.  This means that God approved of his ministry.

 No matter how burdened I am to see God accomplish some great things each year, I must first ask myself is this [My Burden] or is it God’s burden.  If we are not careful we will spend a lot of time, effort, money and energy on our own burdens.  We end up misleading our people and them we battle with failure and discouragement.  Some things that we try to accomplish are great ideas, but because we have great ideas does not mean that God is behind it.

 The first lesson we have to learn is, if God is in it,  then He first prepares the people’s heart, then He gives them a vision and them He prepares the way to accomplish it…”Come unto Me, All Ye that Labor and are Heavy Laden, and I will give you rest.  Take My Yoke Upon You, and Learn Of Me; For I am Meek and Lowly in Heart; And Ye Shall Find Rest Unto Your Souls.”  (Matthew 11:28, 29)

 If we are not careful we will overburden ourselves and God’s people with our own plans instead of prayerfully seeking God and waiting on Him.  If we are not careful, we will become prideful of our position, our education and our ability.  God has blessed me with several gifts and so I must constantly guard myself against depending on my abilities instead of God’s Ability.  We are just empty vessels of clay that God wants to use for His honor and glory.  I constantly ask myself, am I using God or is God using me?  If we are not careful we will spend time building a name for ourselves instead of a Name for Christ.  Paul also struggled with this spirit of pride and we are no different.  He tells us…“For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.” (Romans 7:14).  John the Baptist also tells us “I must DECREASE, He must INCREASE” (John 3:30). 

We too can allow our burdens to Weigh us down when we try to accomplish our own ideas instead of God’s Will and Plan for our ministry.  Jesus tells us “For My Yoke Is Easy, And My Burden Is Light.”

 (Matthew 11:30).  When we allow God to carry the burden of our ministry then we can rest in Him because we can do it IN HIS STRENGH…

 I am in no way implying that all the problems in our ministry are of our own making.  What I am saying is that we are only instruments in God’s hands.  We must be like the clay and yield to the potter if He is going to be able to make us useful.

 Before I finish, let me say another thing that I find myself asking, am I measuring my ministry by other men’s ministry?  Too many times pastors and preachers are always talking about new methods, this idea and that idea.  Not that this is bad in itself, but we must never forget that the Holy Spirit of God has called you and ordained you that you may accomplish His Purpose, as He sends you out to the field to accomplish His Work.  If we are to do that then we must always be sensitive to His leading.  He knows the area, the people’s heart and He also knows your heart.  We must allow HIM to use us for His Honor and Glory.

 If we are not careful, out of our frustration, we will try to gain a crowd instead of allowing God to change folk’s lives.  God is still a Holy God and His Will is for us to be holy as well.
 
The measure of a ministry is not out of bricks, stones and beautiful buildings, but out of the spiritual lives of God’s People.  God uses us to accomplish His purpose in the lives of the precious folks that He has entrusted to us, under our care and His watchful eye, it will Give Full Proof Of Our Ministry…because when it’s all said and done…GOD WILL GET THE GLORY.

 It is my prayer as we end out this year of 2007 and head into 2008, that we examine our own ministry and make the necessary changes that God would approve of.  May God continue to have His divine hand upon your life and ministry is our prayer.

A Servant Of The Lord,

Bro. Randy Davis
(Isa. 40:31)

November, 2007 Prayer Letter

As I travel across the United States and also Canada, I have visited and preached in many Fundamental Baptist Churches.  I have listened to Pastors talk about building programs and also building their people.  Sadly enough, too many pastors fail in this area.  I do not claim to be any expert in building the Church of God.  But having been in the ministry for 43 years, I have learned a few things, many times, from my own mistakes as well as from the mistakes of others.  I ask you to be patient with me as you read this Newsletter…

CONCERNING THIS HOUSE

“Except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord
keep the city the watchmen waketh but in vain.” (Psalm 127:1)

 The first thing I want to tell you is that we all know that everybody will not help in the building of the house. And the reason for that is not that they are all stubborn, not because they’re evil, or because they’re vindictive, the reason is that a whole lot of folks have “bandwagon religion.”  They want to wait and see what happens before they commit themselves.  They want to keep their options open.  They always want to stay away from the possibility of failure just so they can say, “I told you so.”  But when Victory comes around, they’ll be the first to say, “I was with you all the time.”

 The second thing I need to tell you concerning this house is that it is a house.

1. The Church is a house, designed as the dwelling place of God.
2. The Church is a house, the residence of the people of God.
3. The Church is a house, a frequent landing pad for the satellite of the Holy Spirit.
4. The Church is a house, not a country club for the rich.  It is a house for those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.
5. The Church is a house.  It is not a sanctuary for intellectuals and the ne’er do well.  It is a house where all men and women are equal at the feet of God.
6. The Church is a house.  It is not an exclusive club, but an inclusive fellowship.
7. The Church is a house.  It is not a place for sanctimonious sewing circles and socially acceptable tea sipping.
8. The Church is a hospital for the sick, a saving center for sinners and a lighthouse for the lost.  The Church is a house.

 And when a new meeting place is built, it must be as an aid to Worship and not the object of Worship.  The building, choir, leaders and pastor are an aid of worship but not the object of worship.  God alone is to be worshipped here.  Not the place, not the structure, not the stones, not the name, not the history, not the heritage, and not the land.  God alone is worthy to be praised.  The Church is a house.  It is God’s house.

 First thing you must do is walk in His Statues.    You cannot build God’s House where there is no discipline.  Apostle Paul told the Corinthian Church that all things must be done decently and in order.  God has some standards of conduct. 

“He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doeth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with they God.” (Micah 6:8)
 
 Not only must you walk in His Statutes, but God told Solomon, you have to “execute my Judgments.”  We don’t like that word Judgment, but I’m persuaded by the Holy Spirit that God has a Word of Judgment for the Church.  Jesus went down to the Same Temple that Solomon was building and found money changers robbing from the poor and stealing from the blind.  Jesus said to them, you forget this is a house.  And it’s My Father’s House.  It is My House and My House shall be called a House of Prayer.  But you have made it a den of thieves.  If we’re going to stay away from the Judgment of God, there had better be some prayer in this House.

 Unless the Church is a praying Church, we stand under the Judgment of God.  So I hear God telling Solomon, “If you want to build this House, walk in My Statutes, execute My Judgments and then follow my Commandments.”  God still has a Commandment for the Church.  You still want to know what the Commandment is.  Jesus told His Disciples one day.  “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.” (John 13:34, 35).  “By this shall all men know that ye are My Disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

 You cannot build a Church where there is no love.  “Though I speak with tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.” (I Corinthians 13:1).

 Before you can build a soul winning program you must first build the foundation for one.  If we have no love and concern for one another in the body of Christ then we will not have any for lost souls either.  When we in the body of Christ have real genuine love for one another and more concern for each other than ourselves, then the lost world will want what we have. “The Love of Christ.”

 As I look back over the years, I’m amazed how seriously I took myself and the storms I faced.  God uses the storms to humble us and to build character in us and make us more Christ-like.  How seriously we take ourselves…!  Have we forgotten “Give no thought for tomorrow?”  Have we forgotten “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

 It really is His Church.  He builds it and protects it wither with us or without us, and no matter what the storm or battles, His Will is always achieved.  So Solomon built the house and finished it.  He didn’t just start it, he finished it.  He didn’t just break ground, he finished it.  He didn’t just talk about it, he finished it.  I tell you Church lets finish it.  Like Nehemiah on the wall.  Don’t come Down, let’s finish it.

 My God give us all wisdom and guidance as we let Him use us to build His House…Then we bring Honor and Glory To God Concerning This House.  May God bless you one and all is my prayer.

Love & Prayers In Christ,

Bro. Randy Davis
(Isa. 40:31)

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October, 2007 Prayer Letter

“Weeping may endure for a night, but Joy cometh in the Morning.” (Psalm 30:5)
 
Well, it’s October and the weather is cooler, the heat is gone for a season and the kids are back in School and Mom and Dad can catch their breath.  This month we have a Revival Meeting with our Home Church and our Pastor.  This is always such a special time for me.  I have such a love and heart for our Church Family.  As I look out my study window in New England, the leaves are beginning to change their color from green to colors or red, gold and bright yellow.  Sort of like the calm before the storm. 

The average pastorate is only about 18 months today.  As we minister to Small and Struggling Churches, as dear precious men of God pour out their hearts to me along with tears of frustration, my heart goes out to them.  They’ve been in the Storm So Long…When caught in the midst of a storm a minute seems like an hour and an hour will seem like an eternity.

 Every day seems so endless in a storm; every night knows no termination to the death of its darkness.  Patience is a word that loses its meaning.  We cannot see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Therefore, we doubt if the tunnel has any end.

 Many times in the midst of personal pain and suffering they have to preach in a storm.  Some have told me that they were away from their pulpits for a short time.  Only to return to the real world and minister to those who were similarly suffering.  What could they say?  The hours had become tedious and tasteless.  They have no enthusiasm; no fire no apparent power for preaching.

 Months later, feeling the pressure of subtle reverse in the Church program in general and sensing their  own inability to deal with their own destiny and date with death…They needed to share their feelings.  They needed to communicate their hurt.  Some pastors have sought to share this with their people in an attempt “to preach it out.”  Only to find themselves in rising grief, struggling to preach In A Storm…

 “For His anger endureth but a moment; but His favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but Joy cometh In The Morning.” (Psalms 30:5)  This is a word of whispering hope that shouts its confidence.  It is a testimony of a man who knows what it is to be in Sorrow’s Valley and who has himself lingered in the very “Shadow of Death.”  This is the record of one who has been stained by the indelible ink of sin and now is able to rejoice that his sin has been forgiven and his iniquity has been pardoned.

 David says that Morning is coming, but many pastors say to me, “what I want to know is, when do I get there?”  Maybe if I know how long I had to wait, it would help me to make it through the night.  We’re living in a time when it is night…Socially, Morally, Personally, and Spiritually.

 It is Spiritually Night…The deepest night in my soul is when I realize that the Church is not Church like it used to be.  There’s something strange and unsettling in a church when folks would rather applaud than say Amen…There’s something Spiritually wrong when Church Organizations spend more time planning social events and activities than they do in praying in prayer meetings.  There is something Spiritually wrong when we want to sit 3 hours in front of a television, but can’t sit 30 minutes through a Message From God.  How Long Is The Night…?

 Discouraged pastors say to me, “I’ve been waiting for Joy for a long time…How long is the Night?”  That might be a strange question for a preacher to ask.

I know there’s a better day a coming…But how long is the night?
I know that one day that every day will be Sunday.  But how long is the night?
I know God moves in mysterious ways His wonders to perform…But how long is the night?

I know all things work together for good for those who love the Lord, But how long is the night?

I know that Jesus Christ is near by to comfort and cheer me just when I need Him most, But how long is the night?

I know there’s a bright day somewhere, but how long is the Night?
 
He that endureth to the end shall be saved.  If you want to know, how long is the night…It’s not long.  The same God Who closes the curtain of the night also opens the curtain of the morning.  How Long? Not Long!  He promised to wipe away every tear from your eye…How Long? Not Long!  In fact it will be soon one morning when life is o’er, we’ll fly away.  Then we too can say…

Good Night, Sorrow!
Good Night, Sadness!
Good Night, Sickness!
Good Night, Pain!
Good Night, Heartache!
Good Night, Death!

Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning!
 
The pastor who seeks to preach through a storm should not expect those to whom he preaches to understand, be empathetic, or in any way be affected by his personal crises.  Such an expectation is not reasonable because those who sit in the pews are caught in their own personal storms, which seems to be of far greater importance [at least to them] than the pastor’s.

 Read the 23rd Psalm afresh for yourself.  It talks about death.  We never get over death, but we can get through it.  We can go through it to the green pastures of a satisfied spirit and a wholesome understanding of the eternal purposes of God for our lives.  We can preach through a storm and in the end, our cup runneth over.   A quote from Charles Wesley…

Hid me, O my Savior, hide,
Till the storms of life be past;
Safe in the haven guide,
O receive my soul at last!
 
The storms in life cause us to depend totally upon God and lean upon His bosom of sweet rest and completely trust Him with assurance that “Joy Cometh In The Morning.” 

Pastor, if you’re not going through a storm at this time they are coming.  There is no such thing as life without storms.  It is only by the Grace of God that we are able to Preach Through The Storm because we have no idea How Long The Night will be, but we can be assured like David…That Joy Cometh In The Morning.

 You are on my mind, in my heart and in my prayers.  May God continue to have His divine hand upon your life and ministry is my prayer.

 A Servant of the Lord,
 
Bro. Randy Davis

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September, 2007 Prayer Letter

Fall is upon us and the beautiful summer we’ve had is coming to an end.  I have taken the time during July out of my busy schedule to have some greatly needed physical therapy on my left shoulder.  My body as well as our van is starting to show some wear and tear for driving to preach meetings in Small and Struggling Churches the past 3 years.  We’ve put on 117,000 miles.  Praise the Lord!

 Anyway during my time of therapy to repair my shoulder, I thought about our responsibility to folks that we pastor in our Local Churches.

 How long has your Church been here?  Pastor, how long have you been in your Church?  Does the Church still stand where it did 20 years ago?  And, does the Church still take a stand under all the pressures?  Because that means that a Responsible People are driven by a Power much greater than themselves…from within…

PREACHER AS A REPAIR MAN

(Isaiah 58:12-14)  “And they that shall be of thee shall build the old waste places:
Thou shalt raise up the foundations of many generations; and thou shalt be called,
THE REPAIRER OF THE BREACH.  THE RESTORER OF PATHS TO DWELL IN.”  (Verse 12)

Notice the two words a) repairer  b) restorer.  The Preacher As A Repair Man.

 Today manufacturers make products; if the products are broken they replace them with new things.  Or, they sell their products with extended warranties.  Nobody repairs anything anymore.  It is so hard to find that Old Maytag Repair Man, because they just don’t make them like they used to.  The same goes for Pastors… 

They just don’t make them like them like they used to…So many men of God have fallen by the wayside over the years and no longer stand on the Word of God.  We don’t need anything new or different.  We need to stand on the Same Old Truth, the Same Old Book, and the Same Old Power of the Holy Spirit of God.  Pastor, you need to continue to stand firm and give your folks what they have always heard and what they need to hear.
 In this day and age so many pastors want to do something new something different something exciting.  They want to do something that’s never been done before.  They want to say something new that’s never been said before.  They want some new method that hasn’t been tried before.  By the way, that’s how we end up with New Bibles which aren’t even Bibles at all and that’s why we wind up with methods that don’t work like the old ones did.

 But the Word of God says…We don’t need something new, but that we need to Restore and Rebuild and also point folks to the Old Paths…Read (Acts 17:19-23).

 First…we need to Redig the Wells of our Fathers.  Read (Gen 26:14-19), Isaac did not dig any New Wells.  He redug the wells of his Father Abraham.  The picture here is what the Spirit of God does whenever we get back to God.  Isaac didn’t dig any new wells and he didn’t try to find any new Spirit.  But, he went to the same Spirit of God that his Father had.  He didn’t try looking for anything new or different.

 We don’t need to find a new Spirit like the Mormons, the Charismatic’s or the many other cults have found.  We need to get back to the One’s Our Father’s had. 

 But I want you to notice with me that we are to redig the Old Wells of our Father’s Faith.  We are to go back to the prayer closet, go back and spend time with God.  We are to go back to the Word of God.

 The Philistines have stopped up the wells with New Bibles instead of God’s Word which was given to English-Speaking People in the Authorized King James 1611 that our Father’s used.  Just plainly use the Word of God.

 Second…we don’t need any New Altars.  Elijah did not need any new altars when he had a standoff with the prophets of Baal.  Instead he repaired the old broken down altars of God.  Read (IKings 18:30).  An altar is the place of Worship and the place of sacrifice.  The Bel-hive’s broken down altars were worship of television, worship of sports and worship of pornography while the prayer closet and the Word of God have been neglected. 

 Third, No New Walls…In Nehemiah chapter 3 we find the word [Repair] 33 times.  Repair the Wall Nehemiah.  God’s looking for a REPAIR MAN.

 I am not to build New Walls but I am to Rebuild the Old Ones with the same specs and standards that our Father’s built.  I’m talking about Ladies dressing like ladies, Men looking and dressing like godly men.  I’m also talking about godly music and not opposing the opposite sex unless we’re married to them.  I’m talking about no single dates for our young people.  But Preacher you’re Old Fashioned…NO, I’m Not…I’m A Repair Man…There’s nothing New here.  I’m talking about High Standards and redigging the wells of our Fathers and Rebuilding The Altars of Worship that our Father’s had built.  I’m talking about re-establishing and repairing the Walls that have been broken down and destroyed by the Babylonians.

 You know I’m not supposed to be out looking for whole-hearted people to be a blessing to my church but, I am SUPPOSED TO REPAIR THE BROKEN HEARTED.  Read (Isa. 61:1).  As a preacher I am NOT TO FIND some New Truth that nobody’s ever heard of.  I am to Remind you of the Old Truths that our Father’s preached.  Read (ITim. 4:6).  God’s People are so hungry today for The Old Truths so they can be fed and encouraged out of the gems of God’s Holy Word over and over again.

 We have too many preachers today young and old alike, who want to do something New.  Who want to blaze a New Trail instead of restoring the Old Paths.  We just need to get back to the Old Time Religion with a New Look, a New Hope, and a Fresh Vision WITHOUT TRYING, something New.  We need to Refresh that in our hearts and minds today.

 You know being a REPAIR MAN can be a tedious job but it must be done.  We need to get back to the Old Paths to redigging the Old Wells, restoring the Old Altars, Rebuilding and Restoring the Old Walls of Separation.

 Today many Men have either gone liberal or left the ministry all together.  They are Not Willing to be a Repair Man for Almighty God.  God help us preachers to be constantly aware and to realize that we are to be REPAIR MEN and to be Faithful to do the work that God has called us to do.

 Read (Isa. 58:12).  Let your challenge today in the History of Your Church as Pastor TO BE A REPAIR MAN FOR THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND FOR THE GLORY OF GOD.
 May the Dear, Sweet, Precious Lord Jesus Christ continue to have His divine hand upon your life and ministry, is my Prayer.
 
A Servant Of The Lord,

Bro. Randy Davis
(Isa. 40:31)
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