Pastor's Heart

You are here: Home

Pastor's Heart

Adversity Brings Opportunity for Supernatural Victory

Details: Written by Robert Ricciardelli

Robert Ricciardelli photo We are living in times that can cause both great fear and great opportunity. These are seasons where the faithful and wise people of God can flourish.

It is not because all is peaceful or that challenges and hardships are diminishing, but these are the days that great character is forged. As we contend with difficulties, strong hearts and minds are being formed and creative new strategies for life are being birthed.

Deep calls to deep and extreme necessities call upon great virtues. When minds become transformed and passionate hearts are engaged, then those qualities, which would otherwise have lain dormant, awake to new life and new opportunities. The Spirit of God empowers and releases these battle tested messengers of light to bring forth His power, presence, and glory upon the earth like never before.

More... 1 comment

One Nation Under God Precludes Nationalism

Details: Written by Robert Ricciardelli

ROB-RICCIARDELLI-One-Nation-Under-God

We have just come out of a presidential election. Some Christ followers are happy, some are not, some have concern, and some continue to live in fear. I do not have a problem with concern, but I do have a problem with fear.

Fear has the ability to imprison the faith and hope within us. Without faith, it is impossible to please God, and it is impossible to live in the overcoming power of the Kingdom of God within us. God is much bigger than who is in charge of our nation or any nation. Whoever is in charge should never be an opportunity to allow fear to grip us.

Romans 13 says, "Be a good citizen. All governments are under God. Insofar as there is peace and order, it’s God’s order. So live responsibly as a citizen. If you’re irresponsible to the state, then you’re irresponsible with God, and God will hold you responsible. Decent citizens should have nothing to fear."

More... 10 comments

Steve Hill Calls Christians to Rise Up and Fight

Details: Written by Steve Hill

steve-hill-hand-raised

We are living in perilous times—and I’m dedicated to exposing the schemes of Satan and then educating Christians on what to do about it.

We are finding that many churches have become Satan's sanctuary. Satan can sit down and savor a soft sermon. The pillow prophets behind the sacred pulpit won’t dare preach against him. Rather, they offer us savory snacks that produce anemic malnourished Christians whose lives are void of Holy Ghost strength.

I fear we are raising up a generation of weak, cowardly, young people. They don't know how to cast out devils. Many have never been filled with His Spirit and haven't experienced the glorious manifestation of tongues. They don't know how to pray. They don't know how to go after God. They want to sit under some teacher that's going to tickle their ears and make them happy.

More... 21 comments

Bishop Challenges Bible-Believing Republicans to 'Humanize Enemies'

Details: Written by Joseph Mattera

911 americanflag groundzero Jonah was a prophet typical of many believers today who wrap their faith in nationalism and/or patriotism to the point where it supersedes obedience to the will and heart of God.

The Assyrian nation (modern-day Iraq) had harassed and fought against Israel and in 721 BC took the land of the ten tribes of Israel. Jonah was called by God to preach the gospel in the Assyrian capital of Nineveh either before or right after this period of disinheritance. Jonah initially refused to go because of his hatred toward the Assyrians; this would be like a Jewish rabbi being sent to Berlin to preach repentance to Hitler during the Holocaust, or like an American evangelist being sent to preach to Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida in Pakistan, or to the Taliban in Afghanistan.

This lesson from the book of Jonah is also preached by Jesus in the Beatitudes of the gospels when He taught us to “love our enemies” (Matt. 5). This is not just referring to our personal enemies but also our national enemies. It is hard for the human soul to believe that God actually loves our enemies and those people responsible for atrocities committed against humanity. But we have to realize that God is bigger than our prejudice and our pain! (For example, how do you think the families of the victims of the “Son of Sam” shooter David Berkowitz feel when they hear him giving his testimony of his conversion to Christianity?)

More... 2 comments