Pastor’s Pen

“And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”

St. John 14:13

Jesus gave us the power of attorney, that if we ask anything in His name, He will do it. That may sound too good to be true, but we must understand that we are submitted to His will. Therefore, we must ask according to His will. Now, the good thing is that it is His will to save, heal, and to bless us in all things that are pleasing unto Him. And He does so for the glory of the Father.
God does not get glory out of our sickness, or our lack, or our failures: But rather out of our victories, and answered prayers. He will not withhold any good thing from them who walk uprightly before Him (Psalm 84:11). So, He gave us the power of His name to meet our every need. Hallelujah! Jesus is Lord!
Now, we also must have faith to receive our petitions that we ask for. Someone has made the statement, “If doubt comes knocking at your door, send faith to answer it.” Child of God, ask and you shall receive, seek and you shall find, knock and the door will open (Matthew 7:7). Don’t give up, God wants you to be blessed.

Love,
Pastor Larry

Pastor’s Pen

“I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;”

1 Timothy 2:1-3

Once again, I wish to thank the River of Praise church family for making a way for us to be at the 79th General Assembly of the Church of God in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Please pray for the Church of God that His will and His blessing will remain strong on our denomination. That we will see this great end time harvest come forth and the gospel preached in all the world for the glory of our soon coming King.
Prayer is essential to the accomplishment of the ministry. We are facing the greatest challenges of all time. It is not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, saith the Lord of host.
I call upon every believer in the River of Praise, rise up, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might. Stand and refuse to allow anything to hinder you in this hour. For we are the chosen generation to finish the work wherein He has called us. Amen! And glory to His name.

Love,
Pastor Larry

Pastor’s Pen

“Now the Lord is that Spirit: And where the Spirit
of the Lord is, there is liberty.”

2 Corinthians 3:17

We celebrate Independence Day on this 4th of July. To me it means we celebrate freedom
and liberty, and I suppose it means we are not bound by any other government ruling over us. We are our own Nation.
George Bernard Shaw wrote: “Independence? That’s middle-class blasphemy. We are all dependent on one another, every soul of us on Earth.”
William R Inge wrote: “Christianity promises to make men free; it never promises to make them Independent.”
In Webster’s Dictionary it means, “Not subject to the control of others. Free; self-supporting.”
Having said all that; I know this, I am very dependent upon my God, my Saviour, and my Creator. It is God that blesses me, provides
for me, cares for me, and without Him we are nothing. Through Jesus Christ His Son, He is my everything, and my all in all. Praise be unto God, forevermore. Amen!
Psalms 9:17- “The wicked shall be turned into Hell, and all the nations that forget God.”
Thank you Lord Jesus, for in you we are free and whom the Son sets free is free indeed. God have mercy I pray, and bless America again.

Love,
Pastor Larry

Pastor’s Pen

“By faith Moses, when he was come to years, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter; choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season;”

Hebrews11: 24 & 25

Moses had a choice: He could accept the sonship of Pharaoh’s daughter and possible kingship of Egypt, or renounce sonship and suffer the afflictions of God’s people: But one day inherit the riches of Christ. Thank God he chose to live for God.
We all have to make a choice at sometime to live for God and suffer persecution, or to enjoy sin and its pleasures that will only last for a season. Then be lost for eternity. It seems to me, to be a no brainer. Yet, so many live for the now and fail to prepare for the future.
Yes, there is pleasure in sin, but only for a season. Once the season runs out, it’s time to pay the piper. And in most cases sin only leaves you with emptiness, sorrow, and regret. I have lived in my youth in sin, and since for Christ my Lord and Saviour; and I can tell you living for Jesus is truly the best life anyone can have. Christ gives us peace, joy and a true reason to live. In Him there is fullness of joy. Once you have tasted the goodness of the Lord, nothing else will satisfy. Praise God, Jesus came to give us life, and life more abundant.
There is a Heaven to gain, and a Hell to shun. Choose Jesus, you will never regret it.

Love,
Pastor Larry

Pastor’s Pen

“Horror hath taken hold upon me because of the wicked that forsake thy law.”

Psalm 119:53

The Psalmist is so disturbed by what he is seeing by the ungodly that surround him, so much so that he feels horrified. Is that not what we are experiencing today? If we are not moved by what we are seeing, it is a sign that you lack inward Holiness.
Acts 17:16 – Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, His spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. Are we so numb to the wickedness around us, that nothing moves us anymore? Is that why people no longer have a desire to attend church? A lazy man can lay around and do nothing while his house lies decaying, and never be bothered.
We are surrounded by a world that is heading toward hell and destruction; while the church lies empty. Would to God, I could wake you from this horrible nightmare. Jesus is coming. Are you ready? The tribulation is knocking on our door: Do you not care?
Heavenly Father, I pray someone will read this and come out of their slumber; in Jesus name. Amen!

Love,
Pastor Larry

Pastor’s Pen

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God.”

1 John 3:1

Praise be unto God our Heavenly Father, for giving us unmerited love. Romans 8:14 states, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (verse 15) For we have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. And again: St. John 1:12 – But as many as received Him (Christ), to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. Praise the Lord for all that the Father through His son Jesus has done for us.
We give praise, honor, and glory to God for His unspeakable gift. I pray for all our dads that are with us today, that the Lord will bless you with peace, joy, and love. May your children bring you joy, and their hearts be filled with goodness and grace, even as our Heavenly Father has given us all things to enjoy.
Our world is in need of Father’s that will take resposibility and be a Godly example for their children to look up to: And provide for their household to the best of their ability. The scripture says that if a man doesn’t provide for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel (1 Tim. 5:8).
Let us rejoice today for the love of our Heavenly Father. Happy Father’s Day! Amen!

Love,
Pastor Larry

Pastor’s Pen

“…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

The disciples seemed to be more interested in the signs of the times, than they were expecting the baptism of the Holy Ghost, which Jesus had just commanded them to wait for and receive (Acts 1:4). (v. 6) For they asked Him: “Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the Kingdom to Israel.” (v. 7) And He said unto them, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power.”
So it seems today, that the church is more interested in the signs of the time; than they are in being empowered to reach the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ and see the harvest of souls come forth.
I will say that it is important to know the time that we are living in. But it is more important to have the power of the Holy Ghost to reach our generation now, while we still have time; than to know the day and the hour of our Lord’s return. For Jesus gave us power to be witnesses and to impact our world, and turn the world upside down for His glory; so that all may know Jesus is Lord over all, and He is the only hope for the world.
As we celebrate Pentecost Sunday, may I encourage you to seek the Lord and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And may God give us the greatest harvest of all time. In Jesus name, Amen!

Love,
Pastor Larry