No One Walks A Tightrope By Accident.

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment


I’m not much of a thrill seeker, but I did get coerced into zip lining once, at Niagara Falls, of all places! Two of my sweet friends were doing it, and I wanted to appear brave, so I did it too. It was actually super fun and energizing, but not really much of a risk. I definitely would not have done it if I had thought there was a smidgen of a chance that I could fall. I hadn’t intended to zip line that day. The opportunity just presented itself, and I took it with no preparation or forethought.

Click Here To See a Really Cool Video Of Me Zip Lining Niagara Falls!

Many, many thrill seekers had done it before me. Many, many were doing it along with me, and many, many have done it since I did. People were lined up to have the experience, and those lines of people have been refreshed thousands of times since my zip lining experience.

It takes no forethought to go along with the crowd.

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TIGHTROPE WALKING…now that’s a different thing all together. Tightrope walking takes focus, balance and self-discipline.


FOCUS

No one just decides to go walk a tightrope one day, unless it’s a pretend one in the back yard. It takes a deliberate intent. If you want to be a tightrope walker, you must learn the techniques involved. Not because they will make you look better, but because they will save your life…if you’re a tightrope walker.

“Search the scriptures; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.” (John 5:39)

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15)

 

BALANCE

Walking a tightrope involves a great deal of continual balance. Many times you will see a tightrope walker or slackliner using a long pole for balance. This helps the walker center himself and balance from his core. Lest you think balance is an insignificant thing, just remember that one misstep to the right or left will likely end in you plummeting to an untimely end…if you’re a tightrope walker.

“Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.” (Philippians 4:5)

 

SELF-DISCIPLINE

Tightrope walking is serious business. It’s not for the faint of heart. Once you’re walking, from your first step to your last, you must remain disciplined, applying every single thing you have ever learned every moment of the journey. Although you may have had many coaches who have given you great advice, when you’re walking the rope, it’s you calling the shots. You making every decision. You feeling every nuance of the tension in the line, and the direction of the wind in your face. You, who must control every stray thought and temptation to give up. I mean…where would you go once you quit…if you’re a tightrope walker?

“Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” (Matthew 7:13-14)

Why Must I Sneak Up On You To Tell You The Truth?

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

There’s some crazy disrespect going on  in the world. You don’t need me to tell you that to know it’s true. While that has always been the case, it’s worse than ever before. Seriously. There was a time, not too long ago, when if a man or woman of God spoke, respect was given from saint and sinner alike. Sadly, that’s not the case today.

There are multiple levels of crazy disrespect. There’s the I’m going out today and mow down a bunch of innocent people with an automatic weapon disrespect. There’s the I’m going to shoot as much of this nasty substance into my veins to see how it makes me feel disrespect. There’s the I’m going to fill my life with as many distractions as possible so I don’t have to deal with the reality of eternity disrespect. Then there’s the I’m going to smile while you’re telling me about how to be saved from this crazy disrespectful world of sin, and then go on about my merry way because you just need a crutch for your simple life, and I’m far superior in my thinking to put any credit into what you’re saying kind of disrespect…Taking care of this last one is often the key to not escalating to the the first three levels of crazy disrespect.

WHY ARE YOU SO SUSPICIOUS?

Not everyone is out to get you. Some people are truly concerned about your spiritual wellbeing, not just what you can do for them. Some people are trying to build a relationship with you in order to let you know there’s a place for you in the Family of God. Does that mean they have an ulterior motive, and you shouldn’t trust them? On the contrary, it means you are valuable to them, and they truly care about you. It is in your best interest to run to that godly relationship, and not away from it.

WHY ALL THE GAMES?

What does all your allusiveness accomplish? Why is it important for you to avoid every serious conversation with that godly person who is trying to make a connection with you? Why make them feel like they have to come up with ten new ways to interact with you to bring your relationship to a point where you can have a real conversation about the things of God?

If a truly godly person is pursuing a relationship with you, it’s probably because they have a personal mandate from God to do so. Do you think they enjoy being put off, disregarded, insulted and ignored? Wouldn’t be it better to just sit down and have a real conversation about your spiritual wellbeing? That’s their only objective…your spiritual wellbeing.

WHO DO YOU MAKE TIME FOR?

In a week’s time, who do you talk to? Who is important in your life? Your spouse. Your children. These are understandable.

What about your co-workers? Your employees. The grocery store cashier. Your boss. Your coach. Your gym manager. Your flight attendant. Your Uber driver. Seriously. Don’t you understand it’s hurtful when you will have a more meaningful conversation with any of these people than me, someone who is truly concerned about where your life is heading, and has the answer to fix it?

WHO IS PURSUING YOU?

The person who is pursuing you may not actually be me, but there’s someone. See their face in your mind’s eye. Notice how sincere they are. Notice how they try to mask the hurt when you either won’t make time for a simple conversation about God and His Word, or when you put them off with a drummed up excuse.

That person is not saying they are better than you, holier than you, smarter than you or worth more than you. Just the opposite is true. They are saying they were once in a fat mess of lostness, but God sent someone to find them. They want to be that someone for you.

“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” (Proverbs 11:30)

 

Time Keeps On Slipping, Slipping, Slipping Into The Future.

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

I had been out of the office for two weeks due to various travels. When I sat down at my desk, I noticed my calendar still showed March even though it was now April 1st. As I tore the top sheet of paper off, I thought how fast time passes these days.

Time. It’s wrapping up quickly. Truly. Even as I continue working on this one article, another two months have come and gone. I’m tempted to take another photo of my office calendar, but the original one confirms the point I’m attempting to convey. Time doesn’t stop for any one person or generation. It just keeps rolling forward until, one day known to God, it will be no more.

“Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.”

Each of us is only allotted a certain number of days. Unfortunately, we don’t get to know that number. In an age where medical knowledge has increased exponentially, it isn’t uncommon for people to live to one hundred years or more. Still, every day we hear of people who die suddenly in accidents or a disease that lurked in their bodies, unseen. Sometimes people die for no apparent reason.

Scripture tells us that we are allotted 70 years, and if we live to 80, those extra years are likely to be full of sorrow. This allotment of years is a general lifespan, but truly, life and death are in God’s hands, not ours.

“For all our days are passed away in thy wrath:
we spend our years as a tale that is told.
The days of our years are threescore years and ten;
and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years,
yet is their strength labour and sorrow;
for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
Who knoweth the power of thine anger?
even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.
So teach us to number our days,
that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” (Psalm 90:9-12)

To a child, 70 to 80 years seems like an eternity. Those of us who have more decades behind us than before us realize how fast those years pass. Time is a tool that we have to serve God with. We can  let it pass without observation, letting decades pile up behind us, or we can be mindful of its passing, and harness it for a purpose.

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HOW ARE YOU SPENDING YOUR ALLOTMENT OF  DAYS?

Are you using your allotted days for God’s glory, or your own? For God’s purpose, or your own? Are you spending your days seeking only happiness, or to be beneficial to the Kingdom of God? Are you concerned about experiencing and accumulating, or pursuing your God-given Calling? Have you deadened your conscience with substances and thrills in order to quiet the small, still voice of God’s Spirit beckoning you to a life of purpose? When you come to the end of your days, which could be any day now, will you be embarrassed by how much more you could have done for God?

TICK TOCK SAYS THE CLOCK

It’s so easy to get caught up in living day to day that we forget the passing of time. Likewise, it’s very easy to get caught up in living in the flesh that we forget about eternity. However, just because we go about our days with no thought for what comes afterward, doesn’t mean it’s not coming. Every time you see a new calendar page, or hear the tick tock of a clock, let it remind you to use your days wisely, because the day is coming quickly when you’ll have to give account for what you did with each of them.

“And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.” (Revelation 20:11-12)

How Bambi The African Elephant Disproves The Theory of Evolution

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment
Bambi the African Elephant. Photo Credits: https://www.memphiszoo.org/

I went to the Memphis Zoo with my grand boys yesterday. They were smitten with all the animals, but the rhinos were definitely at the top of their list. The elephants are always my favorite. They are surprisingly agile for their size, super smart and live a very long time, especially in captivity.

One of the elephants we saw was Bambi, pronounced “Bom-bee.” This sweet girl had no tusks. She had never grown any. The elephant keeper explained that Bambi, and many tuskless elephants like her, are the result of mankind affecting  nature in a negative way.

Elephants need their tusks to break tree limbs, and strip them of their bark to eat. Because Bambi doesn’t have tusks, she has to resort to other less efficient means of working her food. The possibility of Bambi having a baby with tusks is slim because she carries this defective gene.

In the wild, poachers kill elephants for their ivory tusks. Hence, the healthiest and most genetically superior animals are killed, and the genetically weakest animals survive. The result is a lineage of animals with genetic abnormalities who have to learn to survive the best way they can, yet never with the maximum potential of earlier predecessors.

THE THEORY OF EVOLUTION

This got me to thinking about the theory of evolution. This theory claims that all animals came from a single cell creature. (which would have had to become “alive” at some point, but I digress.) Through millennia  of eons past, these living organisms split to become multi-cell organisms, then simple reactive creatures, and finally, intelligent animals, capable of making decisions and forming relationships…

LET’S THINK ABOUT THIS

  • In the wild, African Elephants are being poached for their tusks. The elephants that remain produce a lineage that is weaker genetically, and are less superior in health and physical ability.
  • A defective cell cannot produce a healthy cell. Hence the presence and power of cancer.
  • Any living thing that is genetically defective will produce offspring with less genetic integrity, not better.
  • An organism or creature that wasn’t strong enough to make it to the next level of maturity, would not then produce a stronger offspring the next time around. It would continue to produce weak offspring which would not survive. The so called “evolution” process of that lineage would cease at that weak point.
  • Have you ever heard the saying, “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link?” This is so true, because it’s at that point of weakness that the chain will break under stress. The same is true for any living organism. It is only as strong as its weakest cell. It’s at that point of cellular weakness that the organism will “break” under stress. 
  • We even see this same digression in human family lineages. The likelihood of a biological family with a genetic disorder passing this defect on to their children is probable.

CONCLUSION 
Millions of years of cellular defects can in no way produce the vibrant, healthy, intelligent creatures that we see in our world today. On the contrary, the magnificent menagerie of creatures we see today are only a shadow of the perfection that God created only six thousand years ago. That’s right. In only six millennia, BECAUSE SIN ENTERED INTO THE WORLD, every generation of living organisms has declined in intelligence and beauty.

God created the earth, every plant and animal, as well as the first man and woman in perfection. Had they not sinned, they would have lived and reproduced in this perfect state forever. When they did sin, however, DEATH began to work in their bodies. As a result, everything and everyone must suffer death at some point. 

“And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.” (Genesis 1:31)

“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:” (Romans 5:12)


The entrance of poachers’ influence into Bambi’s genetic lineage can be compared to a disease or natural obstacle that would hinder the growth and maturity of any living creature. Until Jesus comes back for His people, and sets this sinful world aright, humanity and every other living thing will continue in a state of decline, not in a process of evolution to a higher form. Let’s put our trust in Him instead of a theory full of weak links.

Leave me a comment to let me know what you think. 

Warm Regards, -Pat

 

The Possibilities and Pitfalls of Bookstores For Christians

~ Pat Vick ~ 2 Comments

I love bookstores. Truly. I could hang out in a bookstore for a whole day and be perfectly happy. I was in a McKay’s recently, which is a used bookstore that I enjoy frequenting. As I browsed the divisions of book genres, I realized how much information this generation has at our fingertips. (We won’t even talk about the internet here, but save that topic for another post.) Unlimited information isn’t always a good thing, however.

“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.” (Philippians 4:8)

POSSIBILITIES

When I walk the aisles of a bookstore or library, I see endless possibilities. Limitless information, instruction and adventure.

Want to learn how to crochet, paint with oils, or the art of origami? There are books for that. Want to immerse yourself into another culture, see the Blow Holes in Tonga, or learn about the weightlessness of deep space? There are books for that. Want to learn a knew language, figure out how to fix the dishwasher, or acquire the how to of a new start up business? There are books for that. Want to read about the horrors of the Holocaust, the biography of Florence Nightingale, or the memoirs of Elie Wiesel? There are books for that.

Truly, the possibilities for learning and experiencing are limitless. Readers are Leaders, and leaders are readers. If you want get a step up on any topic, as well as life in general,  there’s a book for that.

PITFALLS

Unfortunately, there are also many pitfalls when sifting through the shelves of a bookstore or library. Not every option is godly or beneficial to your life’s journey, and many are terribly destructive.

Options vs Distractions

Call me weird, but when I walk down the aisles of bookstores, I’m acutely aware of the enormity of choices. Anything you want to learn about is right there within reach. (Much like the internet) In fifteen minutes of browsing bookstore shelves, I can find enough distractions to sidetrack my life’s purpose for years. I’m looking through the Christian Living section one minute, and then I’m four aisles over, and absorbed in a book about the plight of the Blue Bumble-footed Wildebeest.

The struggle is real. More options necessitate more personal convictions. Satan will use anything to get you sidetracked from your calling.

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Truth vs Error

Another real issue with having so many reading options (Much like the internet) is the possibility of not being able to tell Truth from error. Again, you’re scanning the shelves in the Christian section of the bookstore. You’re in the “safe zone.” Unfortunately, not everything that is marketed as  Christian is.

True readers consume a lot of material. Yet, it’s never wise to do so without checks and balances, God’s Word being the standard. If you don’t consume as much, or more, of God’s Word than you do of other material, how will you know what is true and what is not? No matter what or how much you choose to read, the Word of God should be your foundation and  litmus test for everything else you read.

So many options of reading material, and not enough grounding in God’s Word, can lead to a shipwrecked life.

Holy Spirit vs Familiar Spirits

In most public bookstores and libraries, there are sections of books that every Christian should steer clear of. It is usually labeled as Religious, Spiritual or New Age. Trust me; Not everything that is spiritual is from the Holy Spirit, and not everything that is religious is Truth.

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The very first book that I can remember checking out from a school library was called The Witches of Worm. It was about a young girl who found a pitiful, orphaned kitten, and brought it home. The kitten ended up being a Familiar Spirit (even though this term wasn’t used in the book) It was possessed by a demon, which the girl interacted with. I was seven or eight years old, and this was my first introduction to witchcraft. I had checked this book out of my elementary school library…Just think how much more blatant and wicked spirits are that are attached to the books in a public bookstore or library forty-five years later.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:” (1 Peter 5:8)

Evil spirits attach themselves to books, and are carried along into people’s lives and homes as they are passed from one place and person to another. Many times, the authors and/or publishers of such books actually “pray” curses over their material before setting it loose into an unsuspecting world. At the very least, readers will pick up spirits from the households and lifestyles of previous book owner/readers.

We must take care of the material that we consume. It becomes a part of us just as surely as the natural food we eat. To live an overcoming life, we must also be aware and take responsibility for what we bring into our homes. Books, music, games, magazines, movies…all of it should be held suspect until it is vetted through the Word and Spirit of God.

HOUSE CLEANING

If you are a  Christian, and are experiencing unfounded fear, anxiety, nightmares or any type of ungodly supernatural manifestations in your home, you need to do some house cleaning.

Spend some time removing every item in your possession that does not promote true godliness. Once you’ve done what you can, ask the Lord to show you anything else that might be tucked away unseen, or that you have forgotten about. Ask Him to show you anything that has an evil spirit connected to it that you wouldn’t have ever considered.

Once you feel that your home is thoroughly purged of unholy items, pray a prayer of repentance. Ask the Lord to forgive you for bringing unholiness into your home and possession. Ask Him to forgive you for subjecting your heart, mind and soul to things contrary to His Word. Ask Him to break any and all connection between you and ungodly spirits of darkness. Pray in Jesus’ name.

Anoint yourself, or ask your Pastor, to anoint you and your home with oil, praying a fresh hedge of protection over your mind, your life, your home, and your vehicle.

CHOOSE WISELY 

Lastly, start fresh, and choose wisely. There are many, many books that promote Truth and Holiness. Don’t just walk up and down the aisles of a bookstore, and pick indiscriminately. Let prayer, the Holy Ghost and the Word of God be your guide.

 “And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen.” (John 21:25)

Hey, Friends! I’d love some feedback on this topic. What are your experiences with ungodly bookstore choices?  Warm Regards, -Pat

Repentance Is Death To Self

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment


Have you ever done something that you knew was wrong, and been sorry while you were doing it, knowing you would do it again? Me too. That isn’t repentance. True repentance (the kind God will forgive your sins over) is not just being sorry, but turning away from sin. True repentance stops the offending action.

WHY ISN’T BEING SORRY GOOD ENOUGH?

We must empty ourselves of our SELF, and give ourselves over to God’s SELF.

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If I’m still living for I and ME, even if I’m sorry for it, then I haven’t repented. I must die to self. That means that no matter how much I enjoy or want something, I have to give that over to the will of God.

As Christians, we throw around the phrase, “Be Born Again” quite often. The Apostle Peter, who Jesus gave the Keys to the Kingdom, explained this process:

”Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)

We can only be Born Again if we have died. Not physically, but spiritually. We must die to our own will and desires, putting God’s Will above our own.

WHAT DOES DEATH TO SELF LOOK LIKE?

When it comes time for a caterpillar to transition to its next phase of life, it will weave a cocoon. There’s nothing appealing or attractive about this cozy little spot. It’s purely functional. While wrapped tightly inside it’s self-spun coffin, an amazing metamorphosis takes place at its cellular level. The caterpillar doesn’t just put on a butterfly costume, it BECOMES a butterfly. It is changed.

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Before its change, the caterpillar was probably quite happy and content doing caterpillar things. Crawling, chomping green leaves and basking on branches in the warm sunshine. What would make it want to end all that and die to self? Because God has put something deep inside of that little creature that longs for more. It doesn’t even know what that more looks like, but it instinctively seeks it out, and does whatever is necessary to achieve it.

NEW BIRTH IS NEW LIFE

When the butterfly comes out of its place of death, it is reborn with silken wings of splendor. She cautiously stretches them out to their fullest expanse. What are these lovely appendages for? It begins to press them ever so gently up, down, in, out…There…Did you feel that? Lift! That never happened while she was in her caterpillar body. Something…or Someone…is calling her out to the edge of the limb and even further. Should she? Dare she? She must see what’s beyond where she’s been before. She takes a breath and steps out past the solid branch, trusting her new wings to carry her…and they do.

She looks down from her new vantage point as she soars high above all the other caterpillars that haven’t spun their cocoons yet. They think they are living, but she knows differently. She can FLY, and it was only made possible by dying to SELF.

AN INVITATION

You may be thinking that your life is awesome, and you don’t want anything to change. Trust me…You do. Because what God has in store for you is so much more amazing than what you have ever experienced. Like the caterpillar living its best life can’t fathom what it means to have wings, you can’t fathom what a life given completely over to God will look and feel like.

HOW DO I GET FROM HERE TO THERE?

That’s the tricky part because no one can do it for you. Just as the caterpillar must weave its own place of dying, you must take whatever action is necessary to die to self. You alone know what is in your heart. You alone know what you need to turn away from. You alone know what you need to ask forgiveness for.

Start with one strand. Think of everything you can that you have done against Gods’ Word and Will. Ask Him to forgive you for it. Think of everything that you plan to do that is against His Word and Will. Ask Him to forgive you for it. Commit to Him and yourself that no matter what, you will live for Him. That means His Will takes precedence in your life.

When you have woven enough strands of repentance tightly around your bare soul, the process of transition will begin. God will take your sincere repentance and change you from a caterpillar to a butterfly. You will be able to begin your new life from a fresh vantage point because it comes with WINGS.

“I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Luke 5:32)

 

 

Five Reasons That We Don’t Pray Like We Should

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment


How can something so beneficial as talking to your Creator be so challenging? Seriously…Why is it so hard??? We talk to our family members. We talk to our friends. We talk to our co-workers. We talk to the person who brings our groceries out to the car at grocery pickup. We talk to bill collectors. We even talk to ourselves. Why do we we make such a big deal about making time to talk to God?

“And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden. And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.“ (Genesis 3:8-10)

REASONS TALKING TO GOD IS SO CHALLENGING

1. Isn’t it obvious? The first reason talking to God is such a challenge (at least in our minds) is that He’s God, and we’re not. Really…How do you speak to the Creator of everything? Fortunately, our God created us to have relationship with Him. Just like all those other people we converse with, He desires us to spend quality time talking with Him and listening to Him.

In the Garden of Eden, before sin entered into the world, God came and communed with Adam and Eve on a regular basis. As long as they were in a right relationship with Him, talking to Him wasn’t a problem. It was the most natural thing in the world.

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2. The second reason that talking to God is such a challenge is that we are fearful. Sometimes fear comes from knowing that we deserve punishment for sin. Sometimes fear comes from satan, who is always trying to separate us from God. Sometimes fear comes from simply not knowing the nature or will of God which can only come from spending time in His Word. It becomes a never ending cycle of not knowing.

3. The third reason that talking to God is such a challenge is that we often have sin in our lives. Sin separates us from God. The moment Adam and Eve sinned, their spirits were separated from relationship with God. In order to come back into a right relationship with God, we must repent of any and all sin. Once we are free from the bondage of sin, we will feel the freedom to draw near to God again.

4. The fourth reason that talking to God is such a challenge is because of busyness. The lifestyle of our generals much different than those who lived in Bible times. In the last 100 years, electricity was discovered. This changed everything. For almost 6,000 years, when the sun set and darkness fell, people went to bed. Today, humanity never stops moving. People work at all hours, day and night. Our lives are so full, that we fail to make time for a real relationship with God.

A person has to have a true love for God to push back distractions and seek His Face. If it’s not done first thing in the morning, it rarely gets done.

5. The fifth reason that talking to God is such a challenge is because of disinterest. We have left our first love. Here is some honesty. Sometimes, we’re just not that into Him. We see a relationship with God and Kingdom living as old-fashioned, archaic, outdated, boring, and something to pursue when we’ve done everything else that we want to do with our lives. Oh, we wouldn’t admit to feeling that way, but our actions prove otherwise.

“Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” (Revelation 2:4-5)

THE QUESTION

Why don’t you talk to God as you should? Which one or more of these reasons apply to you?  Do you feel like He’s unapproachable? Are you fearful? Do you have sin in your life? Are you to busy? Are you disinterested, and just not that into Him?

Be honest with yourself. every one of these issues can be corrected if you truly want to have sweet communion with God. He created you for relationship with Himself.

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20)

What If Church Isn’t What You Think It Is?

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

WHAT YOU THINK CHURCH SHOULD BE Most people think church is a building. A place to go. A weekly check in point. A social gathering to be seen, mix and mingle. A time to pull out the Good Book and talk to the Man Upstairs. Perhaps you equate church with Potluck Sunday or Dinner On The Ground.

WHAT YOU WANT CHURCH TO BE

Most people want church to fill in the gaps of their already hectic lives. They want to add church to whatever they’ve already got going on. It’s not Biker Church, Cowboy Church, Sports Club Church or any other aspect of your life that you want to add the word “church” to.

WHAT CHURCH IS

Church isn’t a what; It’s a who. It is the ECCLESIA: The Called Out. The church is a people who have responded to the call to come out of the world into the Kingdom of God.

“Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.“ (2 Corinthians 6:17-18)

Church is coming OUT and AWAY from previous lifestyles, cultures and beliefs INTO the culture and Kingdom of the Living God. It is a MAJOR change. A new way of THINKING and LIVING.

  • Church Is Apostolic.

Jesus left His Church in the hands of his disciples, who came to be known as Apostles. He left them with instructions on how His Church should function. It is impossible to have true Church in a way other than the way the Apostles had Church. You can find a very detailed account of the first generation church in the Book of Acts. (of the Apostles) If the Apostles believed it, preached it and lived it, that is what Church should be.

-The Apostles’ teaching and lifestyles included the necessity of the New Birth (Repentance, Baptism in Jesus’ name for the remission of sins, and the infilling of the Holy Ghost evidenced by speaking in unknown tongues.)

-The Apostles’  teaching and lifestyle included signs, wonders and miracles done in Jesus’ name.

-The Apostles’ teaching and lifestyle included the belief in the Oneness of God. This meant very specifically that God, who is a Spirit, manifest Himself in the son to become the sacrifice for our sins. They believed this to their death and in the face of much persecution.

-The Apostles’ teaching and lifestyle included consistent fasting and prayer to subdue flesh and stay in communion with God,

-The Apostles’ teaching and lifestyle included extravagant worship.

-The Apostles’ teaching and lifestyle included the belief in Jesus’ second coming to the Earth to set up a natural Kingdom.

-The Apostles’ teaching and lifestyle included the belief in the Rapture or Catching Away of the Church to be with the Lord forever, at which time they would be changed from mortal to immortality.

-The Apostles’ teaching and lifestyle included the belief in Jesus’ Millennial Reign -When Jesus returns for His Church, He will rule and reign from Jerusalem for one thousand years, and we will rule and reign with Him.

  • Church Is Oneness.

The early Church was totally, 100%, unequivocally believers in the Oneness of God. When early converts were Born Again, they left their beliefs in multiple gods behind them. They came out from these idol worshiping beliefs of the surrounding heathen nations to believe in the one, true, living God whose name is Jesus. The erroneous doctrine of the trinity did not even exist and take root in the Church until the Nicene Council in 325 AD. Until this time, the early Church only baptized in the Name of Jesus Christ, not in the titles, father, son and Holy Ghost.

  • Church Is Pentecostal.

No matter what sign is on your church building, the early Church was Pentecostal. Before denominations were a thing, when Believers were simply called “Christians,” they all experienced the fundamental infilling of the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in tongues. Pentecost means fifty. It was the Holy Day that occurred fifty days after Passover. It is God’s Holy Day that commemorates the giving of the Law to the children of Israel on Mount Sinai. On this day in Acts (of the Apostles) 2, God’s Holy Spirit was poured out on Jesus’ followers. They all spoke in languages unknown to them as evidence that they had been filled with the Holy Ghost. To be the Church is to have this Pentecostal experience.

  • Church Is Holiness.

The early Church didn’t try to fit Jesus into their way of living. They forsook everything about their former lives that was contrary to godliness. They were serious and persistent about rooting all sin from their lives. They didn’t have a list of rules to check off. They simply shed everything that related to worldliness: Lifestyles, culture, language, wardrobe, habits, vices, excesses, passions, pursuits, hobbies and pastimes. They walked away from it all into a life of service to Jesus.

BE THE CHURCH

Hopefully, what you want church to be, what you think church is and what church truly is has come into clear focus. One thing is for certain. Church will never be more or less than the example left by Jesus and His Apostles. Church isn’t a what; It’s a who. Be the Church.

Warm Regards In Jesus’ Name,

~Pat~

 

My Way Or The Highway

~ Pat Vick ~ 1 Comment


I see people all around me living their lives like there’s no tomorrow. Like there will be no repercussions for their life choices. Like there is no Heaven or Hell, and no Eternity. I’m not referring to people who have never known the Lord, but people who have.

I didn’t know the Lord until I was an adult. Even though I attended church off and on, and would have called myself a Christian, and yes, I even loved Jesus, I was lost. I had never experienced the biblical New Birth that is found in John 3:3-8, and Acts 2, 8, 10 & 19.

Before I was born again, I was terrorized by fear. The spirit of fear, to be specific. Thankfully, I was also followed closely by a spirit of conviction from the Lord. Satan will terrorize and condemn you, but the Lord Jesus will convict you.

[bctt tweet=”Satan will terrorize and condemn you, but the Lord Jesus will convict you.” username=”patvickdotcom”]

Conviction is a wonderful thing, even though it doesn’t feel wonderful at all. It’s God’s mercy drawing you to repentance. I felt conviction strongly even as a very young girl, long before I knew what to call it.

So I’m wondering…where in the world is conviction today? I look around, and people are living for self. That’s not new. But again, I’m not talking about people who don’t know the Lord. I’m talking about people who do. People who have repented of their sins, been baptized in Jesus’ saving name, and been filled with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. People who have lived holy. People who have witnessed to others, and taught Bible studies. People who have faithfully pursued ministries, and gone on mission trips. People who have spent hours in dedicated prayer, and days of fasting. People who were once delivered from the bondage of sin, and have consciously decided to walk back into the darkness.

“There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” (Proverbs 16:25)

I have made my share of bad choices since coming to the Lord. I have also had sin in my life, and had to repent all over agin. I can tell you that there is no peace outside the will of God. So, when I see people who were once living for God, but are now living for self, I’m wondering how they sleep at night. How can a person who knows right from wrong, holiness from sin, Truth from deception, live for years as if it’s “My Way or the High Way?”

[bctt tweet=”There is no peace outside the will of God.” username=”patvickdotcom”]

No matter how many days, weeks, months or decades you live for self, God is calling you to live on the High Way. No matter how much fun you are having, there is coming a day when you will stand before God and give an account for your life. Hopefully, you will have come to repentance before then. At any rate, when you stand before Him, you will know for certain that every minute you spent out of His Will was a complete waste of time, energy, health and life.

I beg you. I beseech you. I implore you…Listen to the voice of conviction. Repent and start traveling on God’s High Way.

“And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness;
the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein.” (Isaiah 35:8)

 

I Have An Idea! What If You…?

~ Pat Vick ~ Leave a comment

”And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15)

 

What if you minimized, or even excluded, everything in your life that distracts you from your true calling?

What if you began to focus all your time and attention on what will last for Eternity?

What if you severed, or at least distanced, relationships that were harmful to your spiritual health?

What if you spent time every single day talking to the Lord about His will for your life?

What if you actually asked Him to guide your decisions throughout the day?

What if you realized that what the world calls success is only temporary?

What if you began to purposefully align your thoughts with the Word of God?

What if you stopped allowing people who don’t live according to God’s plan to guide your life choices?

What if you started digging into the Word of God for yourself, and learned what He says is required for salvation?

What if you began to care more about what God desires for your life than family, friends or co-workers?

What if you got up every morning and decided, “I’m going to live for God today?”

What if you repented of the sins that are separating you from God?

What if you asked a Man or Woman of God to baptize you in Jesus’ name?

What if you asked the Lord to fill you with the Holy Ghost, evidenced by speaking in other tongues, just like the Bible describes?

What if you chose to sanctify yourself unto the Lord, and live a Holy lifestyle?

What if you prayed and fasted to know God’s will for your life?

What if you stepped out in faith, and did the thing God is asking you to do?

What if you did what you know is right so that you could lay your head down at night and sleep peacefully without fear of not waking up?

What if you lived in a way that caused you to be excited about going to Heaven?

What if you decided to be a true Christian?

Blessings For Your Day!

-Pat
You may also email me at PAT@PATVICK.COM.  I usually am able to reply within 24 hours.

As always, feel free to let me know your thoughts in the comments section of any post.

 

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