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YOUR SOTERIA® AT WORK THE STORY Of SOTERIA® {so-tay-ree’-ah} Greek for SALVATION, DELIVERANCE, & HEALING JESUS is the fix for ‘06! The Church of Jesus Christ is exploding tremendously all over the world, except in North America. Statistically the church in America hasn’t grown in the last 50 years. Oh, there are many new churches but that only means those who had been attending church, and their offspring as they die, are finding new ways of expressing church. They are simply leaving the old traditional denominations and moving into new sanctuaries. This leaves old traditional sanctuaries with the remaining wrinkled, and the new sanctuaries with boomers who need loud music. That’s what splits most churches into old and new, loud music. But so far as real growth is concerned, not! There is such a battle in those churches to bring in new people. They all try to be “relevant” and even “seeker friendly”, but mostly they’re concerned with paying the mortgage on the structure and it’s contents. I’ve recently met Pastors that receive over $250k year in salary, and benefits are extra. How many people does the congregation need to manage and pay for organizations like this? “Build it and they will come” is the statement of faith I hear many of them state. So, they begin their struggle to meet the monthlies and do whatever it takes to find finances to cover their dreams. Isn’t this a little backwards? I know, it’s been discussed before. I know, I’m not supposed to use the same tactics many other preachers use to get your attention and into your pocketbook. That is a “look at what they’re doing wrong” message so you can feel good about giving to our ministry. I know, it’s time to stop using that angle as a message period! So, I’ll declare what it is we should be doing and let God’s Word do what it is supposed to do. Mathew 6:33—Seek first the Kingdom of God and all these things will be added unto you! What does this mean for ALL of us? In Luke 7:22 Then Jesus answering said unto them, Go your way, and tell John what things ye have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the gospel is preached. In other countries all over the world this is happening on a daily basis. In America our main function in church is to at least come to the point where we want to find our calling instead of calling everyone names. We have to get to the original structure and the way it was done when the Master Himself taught us while here on Earth. We have to simply go out and heal the sick, feed the poor, save the lost, then disciple them. What is missing? What is the structure? Jesus is missing. Jesus is the structure. If Christ were to attend every Sunday morning service in every church in America simultaneously, what do you think He would say to each and every congregation? “What are you doing sitting here? The Kingdom of God suffereth violence and the violent take it by force!” Jesus would immediately begin to clear out the sanctuaries and form teams of people to go to hospitals, city parks, nursing homes, hospices, and even shopping and resort centers to save the lost, feed the poor, heal the sick and broken hearted, and care for the widows. He would send them out, at least two by two, to do the work of the ministry instead of sitting around hearing about it every week! Oh, you say, we do the work of the ministry when we have time. And, we need to come to Sunday meetings to worship the Lord and have “family”. Well, I say, what better way to worship than to heal or deliver someone from sin. Sickness is sin. It’s a form of godlessness that has invaded the temple of the Holy Spirit. It should be kicked out just as Jesus did it. con’t. JANUARY 2006 © Soteria Ministries 2003 EDITION 4 Vol. 1 Our SOTERIA At Work is a monthly publication to inform and enlist everyone to work out their Salvation by Loving others and living a disciplined life unto CHRIST! WORD FOR THE MONTH WE ARE HIS BODY—Rom 7:4 Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, [even] to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God. 1Cr 12:27 Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. Eph 4:11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: Eph 4:13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ: 1Cr 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost [which is] in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? Fall into your place in the body! Take your stand where I’ve called you to work and be satisfied with the anointing and appointing I have given you in this hour. Remain steadfast and faithful to do the work of the ministry you have been given with all your heart and all your mind. Let others do their part so each is in alignment and agreement with the order I have set for this hour. Follow me, keep yourself pure, and watch what I will do with my body this day as I move steadfast across the Earth to redeem my children unto myself!