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A Plea to God’s People and a Plea to God Almighty

Updated: August 30, 2016

“Do not be conformed into the image of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” “The Holy Spirit will lead you into all truth.” “God’s Word is Truth.” “The Holy Spirit will take what is mine (Jesus) and declare it to you.” “I desire obedience and not sacrifice.”

The reason apostasy is so rampant and is increasing among churches, among Christians, is that so many of us have neglected the Word of God in its entirety. We know the Gospel as it pertains to us individually, but we neglect Genesis through Revelation as the whole counsel of God, not searching out God’s plan of redemption, not searching out and understanding our own weakness and God’s provision for it, not searching out and understanding the strategy and tactics of our spiritual enemy, nor the tools of our warfare and how to use them effectively. “My people are destroyed (perish) for lack of knowledge.”

We are being told by the world and the spirit of Antichrist at work in the world what we should believe, and how the world defines Christianity and God’s love. The world DOES NOT know AGAPE, and it cannot know AGAPE (Greek for God’s sacrificial perfect love) because the world is not of God and is under the influence of the evil one. It only knows EROS (Greek for LUST). “The natural man cannot please God… and the natural man cannot accept the things of God’s Spirit but considers them foolishness, and the natural man cannot understand the things of the Spirit, because those things are only discerned by the Holy Spirit.”

Receiving Agape, requires repentance based on conviction by the Holy Spirit according to personal revelation of God’s Word. Without God’ Word and faith in it, there is no repentance. Without repentance, there is no transformation.

Repentance means we change our minds and direction about what the world says and what our feelings say, and INSTEAD line our will up with what God’s Word says is right, in opposition to what our feelings (EROS) and the world are telling us.

LORD God, Almighty, forgive us! We are so easily distracted, and to our own destruction! We have neglected your Word, and have failed to obey your ways O God! Have mercy on us, and help us turn from our wicked ways. Grant us discernment O Lord! Strengthen our weak wills by your Holy Spirit, and help us to recognize our deep need for the pure milk of your Word and to partake of it NOW, while it is freely available. We are perishing for lack of knowledge! You O God are not willing that any of us should perish, but that we all would turn to repentance. O LORD, raise up men and women who know you and know your Word, and grant them boldness to proclaim truth and to preach your Word, and teach the whole counsel of God, empowered by your Holy Spirit, that many would hear and believe and repent and be saved in these perilous times. O God hear!, O God forgive!, O God have mercy!, O God act!

Military to Ministry

by Dane Gay

Updated: April 24, 2015

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Last year while out to dinner, I had a chance to speak with a young Airman who was training to be a Pararescue Jumper (PJ). As we spoke, the conversation turned to my taking classes for a bachelor’s degree in Theology and plans to attend Seminary, as well as my many years of service in ministry at multiple churches. The Airman was curious to learn more about my having been a Marine and my transition into ministry. He later emailed me for further details.

His main question was about being trained to be aggressive and demonstrate power, and that he thought that would be incompatible with being a disciple of Jesus Christ. Here is what I told him, based on my personal experience:

I was in the Marine Corps for 7 months and was honorably discharged as a PFC (E-2) with disability in 1989. Basic training in the Marine Corps is designed to make every Marine a capable combat rifleman, without exception. While we were trained to be aggressive and exhibit power when in combat, we are taught discipline, honor, courage, etc. The training instills in Marines a confidence that comes through in our demeanor, but we are taught to be very disciplined and not be aggressive unless the situation warrants it, especially when dealing with civilians or non-combatants.

There are aspects of military training that are very compatible with ministry and serving the LORD, and there are things that are not compatible and have to be discarded. In fact, there are many things about serving the LORD that I learned best while I was in the Marine Corps. However, the one main thing that had to be discarded and must continually be prevented from taking control, is pride. I am continually learning that humility is actually more powerful. Servant leadership, submission to authority, developing others, caring about people and doing what is best, but not always what is wanted or liked, are all part of the calling.

There are so many biblical examples, especially our Savior Jesus Christ, Creator God, who became a suffering servant and submitted Himself to the will of God our Father in Heaven, in order to demonstrate true humility without compromise, servant leadership, biblical discipleship. The Centurion and Cornelius are two great godly examples in the New Testament. David and his mighty men are great examples from the Old Testament. (If David had followed God’s command for Kings found in Deuteronomy 17:14-20, he would not have fallen with Bathsheba and been guilty of her husband’s death). Since we are all children of God through redemption in Jesus Christ, we are all best served in taking those principles to heart in order to be effective servant leaders who follow Christ.

Like Christ, in this life we are to be suffering servants by the leading of the Holy Spirit, so that having proven to be faithful, we will rule with Christ after the resurrection. (See Matthew 25:23, and Joseph’s entire life in the Old Testament)

Revival of the Islamic State

by Dane Gay

Updated: August 31, 2016

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Must see video by Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills about the history of the Islamic State.

Being Fruitful

by Dane Gay

Updated: September 23, 2014

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Have you ever picked up a piece of fruit and taken a bite, only to find that the inside is rotten? I love bananas, and when I go grocery shopping, I usually bring home a bunch of them. I try to inspect them carefully, looking for any bruising, and generally pick a bunch that are still slightly green because I know that they’ll ripen by the time I start eating them. A few times, I’ve peeled that last banana and have taken a bite, only to find that it’s mushy, the center is brown and has started to rot. It’s not pleasant.

In the same way that we examine fruit at the market in order to get the best and avoid the bad, we are to examine ourselves to make sure that we are producing good fruit by the Spirit of Christ, and not rotting on the inside. In 2 Corinthians 13:5, Paul challenges each of us to examine ourselves to see whether or not we are in the faith, and whether or not (the Spirit of) Jesus Christ is in us. So it is possible to determine of ourselves, whether or not the Spirit of Christ is in us. We can examine our own thoughts, as well as our own actions and compare them to how we are expected to act according to the Scriptures, especially the New Testament. In Matthew 7, Jesus said that ‘a good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit’ and that we would know true and false servants of Christ by their fruit (e.g. their actions and the results of their actions.)

WIth that same concept in mind, Jesus further develops the idea by using a grape vine and it’s fruit as an example of our relationship with him. In John 15:1-8, Jesus states that he is the “true vine” and that people are the branches. Jesus makes it clear that people are to both abide in Jesus, and allow him to abide in them. Our salvation and security comes from abiding in Jesus, for it is from him that we receive abundant and eternal life. According to Jesus in verse 6, if a person (branch) doesn’t remain in Jesus, he or she will be cast into the fire and are burned. This is a clear reference to the lake of fire that burns forever and ever. In verse 9 Jesus tells how to remain and abide in him, by abiding in his love, which is demonstrated through keeping his commandments.

Fruitfulness comes from allowing him to abide in us through learning his words and keeping them (verse 7), and through keeping his commandments to love each other. The entire passage shows that as we are established in our relationship with Jesus by faith in him (abiding in him), and grow in our fellowship with Jesus and others by learning and obeying his commandments (he abiding in us). By doing this, there is a progression of fruitfulness shown in the passage. Bearing fruit (verse 2), bearing more fruit (verse 2), and bearing much fruit (verse 5). In verse 8 Jesus shows how we can tell whether or not we are truly his disciples, if we are bearing much fruit through faith in him and obedience to him and his commandments.

Finally, we read in Galatians 5 what that fruit is, and what our lives should be producing. ‘The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. If these things aren’t present in our lives and increasing, then it’s possible that we’ve hindered the work of the Holy Spirit in us through harboring unforgiveness, leaving our first love, or even outright rebellion. By continually examining ourselves and prayerfully asking the Holy Spirit to reveal problem areas, we are given the opportunity to repent and receive internal healing and become fruitful once again.

The Deity of Jesus Pt. 2

by Dane Gay

Posted: September 23, 2014

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In his Gospel, John set out to make it clear that Jesus, the Word of God that was both with God and was God from the beginning, had become a human being and lived among his people. John accomplished this by writing about eight specific sign miracles of Jesus that related to eight “I AM” statements in which Jesus clearly stated his deity, all of which occurred during the three and a half years of his earthly ministry. Signs were extremely important to the Jews. Throughout the Bible God manifested himself to his people through signs. John writes: “Now Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book; but these (signs) are recorded that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. (NASB)”

The first sign that John records in his gospel was the turning of water into wine at a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. Being able to change water into wine clearly demonstrated his power as the Creator, Jehovah. The water would have taken the Jewish mind back to the beginning of creation, when God’s Spirit hovered over the waters and created all things, including Adam and Eve, the first married couple ordained by God.

According to John Walvoord in the Bible Knowledge Commentary, the wine represented joy. God’s creative work brings joy to him and to his creation. (In the beginning God looked upon all he created, included Adam and Eve and saw that it was very good. Genesis 1:31 NET) Walvoord also contrasts Jesus turning water into wine as a sign of joy, with Moses turning water into blood, a sign of judgment in Exodus 7:20. The I AM statement of Jesus that corresponds to this first sign is found in John 15:1-8 when Jesus proclaims “I AM the true vine…” and again “I AM the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit…”(NET Bible). The sign miracle demonstrates that Jesus is God the true vine and the source joy (the wine) for those who believe in him.

This sign also relates to the fifth sign that John recorded in his gospel of Jesus walking on water. After Jesus fed the 5,000 and knew that they wanted to make him king, he departed to a certain mountain. His disciples get into a boat and head across the Sea of Galilee from Tiberius to Capernaum. After they rowed in rough seas for a few miles, Jesus comes walking across the water to the boat saying, “It is I, do not be afraid.” Just as God’s Spirit hovered over the waters at creation, now as Jesus Christ, he walks across the waters of his creation. This sign of Jesus power over his creation demonstrates that Jesus is Jehovah, the Almighty God. In John 18:5, 6, Jesus states “I am…I am” clearly communicating that he is Jehovah.

Walvoord, John F., and Roy B. Zuck. The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1983.

Net Bible: New English Translation. [Spokane, Wash.]: Biblical Studies Press, 2003. p. 1990.