OUR CHRISTIAN NUMBERS REALLY COUNT!

As usual I was awaken from my sleep, and today the message is one of encouragement. I am so glad for that, for lately everything has seemed to have been warnings, etc. But today God took me to one of my favorite books of the Bible, Ecclesiastes. In Bible College, Ecclesiastes was known as “The Preacher,” so today God wanted me to listen to “The Preacher.” As I read Ecclesiastes chapter 4, I realized why as Christian we are bound together so tightly. Because we NEED one another in our Godly walk through life.

Eccl 4:9-12

9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?
12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Our strength is in our togetherness, we flourish in faith because we serve the same Master. We are the BODY of CHRIST our head. Alone, we cannot do as much, and I believe God’s plan for us, His Children, was for us to help one another. I remember back in my own career as a minister for my Lord, that it was when churches came together in UNITY that the most was accomplished for the Lord. The churches that had divisions within them struggled along, and did not grow, while those that had UNITY grew almost daily. One particular example came about before God ever called me into the ministry at my home church (which is the church I go to today). First, we had a strong Pastor, and he preached the WORD of God, and most every Sunday, there were people at the altar being saved. There were many youth that also were saved. I was in that youth department! That’s where I got my training (so to speak) for my calling as Minister of Music & Youth Pastor, but God had not yet called me. I remember that this youth department was REALLY close knit. We began having Bible Studies in our homes. One particular home was Brother & Mrs. Green’s home. They just happened to have 3 teenagers, and a preteen as their children. Our youth group was welcomed into their home weekly (in fact that was a regular meeting place), not for just Bible Studies, but also just for social gathering. If my parents needed me, most times they called “The Greens.”

The small town I live in is big on High School Football, which the games are played on Friday Nights. Our youth group began having “Youth Activities Night” every Friday Night, and we would have as many as 60 youth attend, and we played games (like basketball, ping pong, shuffle board, etc), but also in the middle of this was Bible Study and Prayer time. The Friday Night Football game wasn’t hurting us, because our youth had rather be at our “Youth Activities Night,” than the football game. Our youth pastor began urging us to invite un-churched kids from school to the youth activities. My point is this: Almost every Friday Night, a young person got saved, because we (the youth ourselves) brought a lost youth to our activities night, and we the youth witnessed to them and many times the youth were the ones that led them to salvation! Now you see, (1) why our youth department was SO large, and (2) why most every Sunday someone was at the altar getting saved.

Why am I telling you this? UNITY is the key! Alone as Christians, we can easily be defeated by Satan, but when we are many, Satan cannot defeat us. “The Preacher” (Ecclesiastes) said in verse 9,

9 Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: 10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up.

Alone, our faith struggles, but United Together IN FAITH, we flourish. I believe that is why our web-pages here are so thriving. I know my new ministry, that God gave me back in 2009 when I listened to his leadership after 3 years of being SO depressed, has gone so much further because I have met some great friends here on Indi. Who would have thought that a crippled old minister could influence people around the world, BUT, YOU THAT ARE ABLE BODIED ARE MY FEET, AND I AM YOUR PRAYER WARRIOR! WITHOUT YOU I AM NOTHING, AND WITH A PRAYER WARRIOR, YOU CAN WORK BETTER. The prayers of a Prayer Warrior helps stave off the fiery darts of Satan.

 Notice one more thing “The Preacher” said in verse 12 “Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.”
I cannot do it alone, but I can be a strand in “THE ROPE OF CHRIST!” If we are bound together in many strands we are stronger, and with that strength the Gospel Of Christ can reach a lost world, and MANY can be saved! Isn’t that what we are suppose to do? Reach the lost for Christ? I pray that each member gets to know the others, and build a site for the Lord, that is second to none. We all have to support each other with prayers, kind words, and also financially help Ken with the upkeep of this site.

I have preached a little to you as “The Preacher,” preached to me, and I hope and pray that WE can start a GREAT AWAKENING in this world!

In Christ Jesus Our Savior,
Rev. Zack Martin Sr.