Thoughts Higher Than Mine_Living Word Chronicle

The Urgency to Preach the Gospel to Souls Perishing in the Cold Waters of Sin and Death

By Moses Hightower

Behold the way of the world and note its devastation to come. All that is in the world is the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Man has gambled all that he has and thrust it into a ship of self-confidence that is propelled by his own lust and pride. His calamity looms on the horizon lurking in the cold dark waters of death. His own deceitful heart blinds him. The darkness of his own heart does not provide him with a vision of clarity; therefore, death remains hidden in the waters of his own sins. With full confidence in self and the achievements propelled by his pride of life, man journeys further into the waters of death without me. Go and preach the gospel of Christ, for it is the only light that can enable man to see. Man is detached from me. He must be connected to me. Man must be reconciled unto me, the true light. I must reach them. I have chosen the gospel as the means by which they are reached. Only the light will enable them to see the icebergs of cold love in the waters of sin all about them. They are headed on a collision course with these icebergs. Remember the Titanic.

Time is short. The laborers are few. I am sending more laborers into the harvest to carry the light of the glorious gospel unto perishing souls. Arise and go preach. The hour is late and time is spent farther than you perceive. Arise and go preach the gospel everywhere to every creature. Do not allow the great falling away of brothers and sisters to affect you or your zeal to win the lost. Do not be distracted from my purpose, which is to seek and to save those who are lost. If you could have been on the Titanic and beheld the perishing souls who did not have lifeboats as a refuge, then you would understand the urgency of the hour. Familiarize yourself with the history of the Titanic, and you will have a different view of your purpose. Come away with me in the spirit, and behold the people of that ship screaming as the terror of death grips them with its cold teeth of surety. Behold the fear on their faces. I have sent you with the lifeboat of the gospel. Will you carry it to them, or will you stand detached from the purpose as they perish without a lifeboat?

Go and preach the gospel. Souls are perishing while you are waiting to make the decision to obey. You must redeem the time, for the hour is much later than you perceive.

CONFIDENCE IN SELF, DEVASTATION, DISTRACTION, LUST, PRIDE, AND WORLDLINESS

By Aaron Stickel

I behold the way of the world and note its devastation to come. All that is in the world is the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. Man has gambled all that he has and thrust it into a ship of self-confidence that is propelled by his own lust and pride. His calamity looms on the horizon lurking in the cold dark waters of death. His own deceitful heart blinds him. The darkness of his own heart does not provide him with a vision of clarity; therefore, death remains hidden in the waters of his own sins. With full confidence in self and the achievements propelled by his pride of life, man journeys further into the waters of death without Jesus. I will go and preach the gospel of Christ, for it is the only light that can enable man to see. Man is detached from the Lord. He must be connected to him. Man must be reconciled unto God, the true light. He must reach them. God has chosen the gospel as the means by which they are reached. Only the light will enable them to see the icebergs of cold love in the waters of sin all about them. They are headed on a collision course with these icebergs. I remember the Titanic.

Time is short. The laborers are few. Jesus is sending more laborers into the harvest to carry the light of the glorious gospel unto perishing souls. I will arise and go preach. The hour is late and time is spent farther than I perceive. I will arise and go preach the gospel everywhere to every creature. By grace, I will not allow the great falling away of brothers and sisters to affect me or my zeal to win the lost. By grace, I will not be distracted from the Lord’s purpose, which is to seek and to save those who are lost. If I could have been on the Titanic and beheld the perishing souls who did not have lifeboats as a refuge, then I would understand the urgency of the hour. I will familiarize myself with the history of the Titanic, and I will have a different view of my purpose. I come away with God in the spirit and behold the people of that ship screaming as the terror of death grips them with its cold teeth of surety. I behold the fear on their faces. God has sent me with the lifeboat of the gospel. I will carry it to them; not stand detached from the purpose as they perish without a lifeboat. I will go and preach the gospel. Souls are perishing while I am waiting to make the decision to obey. I must redeem the time, for the hour is much later than I perceive.

By Don Grigsby

Don and Linda Grigsby

RE: RHEMA - The Urgency to Preach the Gospel to Souls Perishing in the Cold Waters of Sin and Death

Sin's cold and icy fingers form icicles in the heart where fires of faith should burn. Sin fills life with the tragic icebergs of destruction that will tear the hull from the vessels that are lured into its path. Many people think that they are indestructible and seldom think of the frailty of life. Only when they are confronted with its steely grip in sudden death of a loved one does it cross their mind. Eternity is rushing toward us. Teenagers and children are suddenly snatched into eternity. We are fools to think that we have tomorrow in our hands. We need to be in the hands of the One who holds tomorrow. Skeptics and cynics may laugh, but every soul needs to make their calling and election sure. We cannot hide from the utter urgency of the mission before us. The gospel is the only ship that will take us to safe harbor. It will take us though the icy waters of destruction into our desired haven. The hour is late. We must launch out to sea for those who are lost in sin's storms.

By Moses Hightower

Much vanity is in the world. Let no one deceive you with vain words. Go from the presence of those who speak with vain words. The wrath of God will come upon these children of disobedience. Do not be a partaker with the children of disobedience. You are no longer in darkness. You are light in me. Walk as a child of light. Have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. Whatever is manifested is light. It is time to awake out of your sleep and slumber. Arise from the deadness of your traditions. I will give you true light.

By LWWC Confession Writers

Much vanity is in the world. By grace, I will not be deceived with vain words. I will go from the presence of those who speak with vain words. The wrath of God will come upon these children of disobedience. I will not be a partaker with the children of disobedience. I am no longer in darkness. I am light in God, and I walk as a child of light. I will not have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but I will reprove them. All things that are reproved are made manifest by the light. Whatever is manifested is light. It is time to awake out of my sleep and slumber; therefore, I arise from the deadness of my traditions. God has given me true light.

By Don Grigsby

RE: RHEMA - Love's Awesome Display of Mercy Prevents the Fist of Judgment

Psalms 145:9 declares that his tender mercies are over all his works. Mercy announces the dawn of the morning in the face of the sundown of judgment. Judgment would have crushed a crumbling world into dust and ashes. Mercy takes the waters of compassion and turns dust to clay. Clay is lifted by the fingers of the potter on the wheel of purpose. Vessels of mercy are formed to pour out the love that judgment would bury in its graveyards of condemnation. Our focus is never on the beating that the fist of destruction could place on Nineveh. God circles his throne with the incense of mercy. Burning fires of Sodom never made the heart of God glad. Even when God destroyed the earth in the flood, there was pain in his heart. Calvary answers the demands of judgment with the spoiling of the execution chamber of sin. Fear of death was always a silent guillotine that was over the head of every person that had not known the grace of God. Love in the flesh threw away the chains and torture tools of condemnation on resurrection morning. Hands of mercy are reaching for the hands of those brutalized by the torment of fear. Today is the day of deliverance from fear of death. Penalties of eternal pain have been replaced by the pardon's palace. We live as the children of the King of love in the pavilions of praise.

By Moses Hightower

(Continued)

Behold my cross of judgment for you again. Behold my blood for your redemption again. Behold my sufferings for you.

274. Will you remain a captive when such an expensive offering has been given for your freedom?

275. Will you remain a spiritual pauper when such extraordinary riches have been laid up for you in a kingdom that cannot be conquered?

(To Be Continued)

February 3, 2007

By Marco Mendoza

Lord, I behold the way of the world and note its devastation to come. I understand that all that is in the world is the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life. I thank you for the grace that you given me not to gamble all that I have and thrust it into a ship of self-confidence that is propelled by my own lust and pride. My soul is relieved because you have delivered me from this lifestyle that would lead to sure calamity lurking in the cold dark waters of death. I am indebted to you because you have not allowed me to be blinded by a deceitful heart. Gladness has filled my heart because you have removed self-confidence from me and the achievements propelled by pride which would have caused me to journey into the waters of death without you. By grace, I will go and preach your gospel, for it is the only light that can enable man to see. I acknowledge that man is detached from you, and I praise your name because you have allowed me to be connected to you. You have reconciled me unto you, the true light. I thank you for reaching for me. I appreciate the gospel that you used to reach me, and I am renewed today because you have given me the light that will enable me to see the icebergs of cold love in the waters of sin all about me, so that I do not collide with these icebergs. I remember the Titanic.

I bless your name for bringing me awareness that time is short and that the laborers are few. I rejoice because you are sending more laborers into the harvest to carry the light of the glorious gospel unto perishing souls. By your enabling power, I will arise and go preach. I give you thanks for the realization that the hour is late and time is spent farther than I have perceived. Grace will cause me to arise and go preach the gospel everywhere to every creature and will not allow the great falling away of brothers and sisters to affect me or my zeal to win the lost. Your loving-kindness will cause me not to be distracted from your purpose, which is to seek and to save those who are lost. O Lord, I envision being in the Titanic and beholding the perishing souls who did not have lifeboats as a refuge, and it has brought an understanding of the urgency of the hour. I will familiarize myself with the history of the Titanic, and I will have a different view of my purpose. I give you praise for allowing me to come away with you in the spirit to behold the people of that ship screaming as the terror of death grips them with its cold teeth of surety. I behold the fear on their faces, and it has rekindled a new desire to seek the lost within me. It is an honor that you have sent me with the lifeboat of the gospel. I will carry it to them and not stand detached from the purpose as they perish without a lifeboat. The gospel will be preached. Souls are perishing; I have made up my mind to obey. With your grace, I will fulfill the purpose to redeem the time, for the hour is much later than I have perceived. It brings solace to my soul to know that you did not let sin's cold and icy fingers form icicles on my heart where the fire of faith burns. I acknowledge that sin fills lives with the tragic icebergs of destruction that will tear the hull from the vessels that are lured into its path.

I worship you for the grace that reminds me that I am not indestructible, but it grants me understanding of the frailty of my life. Only by your grace will I not be confronted with its steely grip in the sudden death of a loved one for it to cross my mind. Eternity is rushing toward me. I want to always be ready. If teenagers and children are suddenly snatched into eternity, I would be a fool to think that I hold tomorrow in my hands. I am grateful to be in your hands, for you are the One who holds tomorrow. Skeptics and cynics may laugh at me, but I am determined to make my calling and election sure. I choose not to hide from the utter urgency of the mission before me. Your gospel is the only ship that will take me to the safe harbor. My soul is rejoicing because it will take me through the icy waters of destruction into my desired haven. The hour is late, and I am grateful that you have given me the opportunity to launch out to sea for those who are lost in sin's storms.

RE: PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING - February 3, 2007

How shall we escape if we neglect the great salvation that has been so graciously given to us? Neither is there salvation in any other name but the name of Jesus. Except a man be born again of the water and the spirit there is no salvation. We have escaped the lust in this world by the divine nature that has been given to us by the gospel that we received at the true church. Many truths such as these resonate deeply in the true believer when they focus on the great deliverance that they were afforded by the power of regeneration. We will never take these foundational truths and ever-living principles for granted. We live in a lukewarm spiritual world at best. All around us the love of many is waxing cold. Scoffers and skeptics are on every corner mocking the fervent intensity we have for the kingdom. Let them laugh, for God will be laughing at their calamities when they come. Our praise is like the incense that is continually flowing toward heaven for his deliverance and daily grace in our lives. This keeps us from becoming a casualty of a careless attitude in this hour.