How God entirely sanctifies His children

Many people object to the word “entire” in the doctrine of entire sanctification. Others work diligently to convince people of the process of sanctification or the personal efforts/accomplishments of the individual necessary for sanctification. I want to examine that sanctification is entire, instantaneous and by grace through faith alone.

Continue reading “How God entirely sanctifies His children”

Dear Pastor,

What good is it for us to preach and teach the people of God if we do it with nothing more than human words, opinions, and stories?

The Bible says that Jesus taught as one with authority. The people woke up and took notice that something was different about Jesus’ teaching. I once heard that it was a sin to bore people with the gospel of Jesus Christ. We all know that as preachers of the word there are times when people fall asleep in our messages (don’t worry they did with the apostle Paul too!) but the question is whether there is power and authority in our words.

Paul said that he knew God had truly chosen the Thessalonian church when the message Paul preached came with “power, deep conviction and the Holy Spirit” (see Thessalonians 1:5) One of the former general superintendents of the church of the Nazarene once instructed that if they had even 1 Sunday where they didn’t sense the power of the Holy Spirit moving on the hearts of people they would fast and pray until that anointing of God would return.

So today, I would ask, beg and plead that before you and I get into the pulpit to preach one more message, we would seek the Lord on our knees. I invite you to seek the anointing and unction of God that would bless and overflow through the delivery of the message He has placed on your heart. Furthermore, I would beseech you: let the Word of Christ richly dwell in you and in the messages you share, for when we share His gospel and His Word by constantly pointing people to what the Bible says, God will abundantly bless that as He watches over His Word.

In closing, let’s you and I pray and seek the face of God, turning from any wickedness in our own hearts, pleading the blood of Jesus over our lives and His church and then share wholeheartedly, unashamedly and boldly the gospel of Jesus! God is able to save completely, the people just need to know the power and authority of God’s gospel and His Word and furthermore the power of His Holy Spirit that even now is present to save, heal and deliver!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us!

Mike Johnson

Dear Pastor,

Today and this week you and I get the privilege of going about our Father’s work! We are invited to participate in kingdom living and kingdom serving. What we are doing is so much more than leading meetings, organizing events or planning ministries. We are operating as agents of the Lord’s grace and mercy, inviting people to receive and walk-in the fullness of God!

Remember that the ministry we do we do by the power of the Creator at work in us. The same power that spoke life into existence is the same power that serves to compel and propel us in ministry. Furthermore, the same authority that dispatches angel armies is the authority that you and I have to operate in. It is the authority to tear down strongholds and build up His people and His kingdom.

Remember, this week that you have the power of the Creator and the authority of the King on you and at work in you. Let us both live and serve accordingly!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us!

Mike Johnson

Dear Pastor,

Remember this day whose you are!

You are a child of the King. You are a co-heir with Christ Jesus. All that the Father has is yours. You and I are to rule and reign with God over all creation. We are invited to live in His presence all the days of our lives and then throughout all eternity. You and I are not orphans. We are not left to fend for ourselves or to figure it all out or to come up with everything that we need. Rather our gracious, benevolent, all-powerful Father offers to us a mighty inheritance. This inheritance includes the riches of His mercy and love, but also the riches of His healing and power, and the riches of His wisdom. God is even now giving us everything we need for life and Godliness.

Today, God is giving us wisdom to deal with church troublemakers, patience to serve in difficult assignments, mercy and grace to share with everyone who has a past, and love to pour out on the seemingly unlovable.

Today, God is giving to us strength for the day, His peace to make us steadfast no matter the winds and waves around us, and His acceptance into His presence. God is giving to us creativity to help with complicated circumstances, His words in order that we might affirm and exhort, train and lead, and His beauty as the life-giving source for our very existence.

By His blessings and by bringing us into His family and making us heirs of the promise, you and I (as Christians and as Pastors) have everything we need in Him. So today, please remember (and may we never forget!) we are children of the King and we need to act like it! We need to live and operate and serve and lead as if we have all God’s power and authority, His righteousness and holiness, His wisdom and direction, His provision and protection at work in us and around us at all times. If we don’t act that way then why would we say we believe it and why would we ever preach it?

Praise be to God that He is who He says He is and He does what He says He will do and we can walk in that victory!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us!

Mike Johnson

Dear Pastor,

Thank you so much for doing what matters. In this life, there are things that are fun, annoying, distracting, temporary, difficult, rewarding and much more, but you and I both know that what you are doing really matters. You are investing in eternity. You are keeping your eyes on the unseen rather than the seen because what is unseen is eternal.

Week in and week out when you pray with people and teach them about the eternal, all-powerful, holy and only-wise God, you are inviting people to focus on what matters most. We know that this day will come to a close, the building we are currently worshiping in will one day cease to be, the books we are reading will one day be burned up, but the souls we are pointing to the Father are eternal souls who have an eternal destination in store for them after this life is over.

Let us remember (when the tediousness of church administration or the frustration of church politics or the hurt of church gossip and backbiting and complaining seems too much to take anymore) that the reason we are shepherding God’s flock is so that in the end, their souls may be holy and blameless before God. If they know Jesus and have received His salvation, the other stuff won’t matter.

This week, make sure to work on what matters most (the eternal!), and when the minutia or trouble of ministry seems overwhelming, hold to the fact that when it’s all said and done ministry done in the name of Jesus, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls, really does matter most!

Christ is with us, Christ is in us!

Mike Johnson