What's Happened to the Backbone of the Church?

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Job 13:16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Where are the fruits of a life changed by the Power of God!

Once ago, when a person came to Christ, he or she came being drawn by the Holy Spirit conviction of their sin! A fearful and reverence toward a Holy God that had gracefully given them the ability to come to God and repent and ask God for forgiveness!

And then, after being saved, they immediately followed Jesus in the Way!

They didn't come to God with the motive of: "what will I get out of this." No, they came up out of that altar like Isaiah did, "Woe is me! I'm a man of unclean lips! I live in the middle of a bunch of the same kind! Isaiah had truly seen the Lord! A Lord high and lifted up! A Lord whose glory filled the temple! An awsome God that he fell before at His mercy! Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Isaiah6:6-7

Isaiah didn't jump around an altar and make a lot of noise to only later go back to his daily routine! No! A live coal from off the altar had touched his lips!

It's was more than a loud song, and a high energy service!

Isaiah saw God!

Isaiah was changed!

Where's the fruit of the life changed by the Power of God?

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

The fruit of this changed life was that it immediately was willing to live for God! No matter what was asked of one to do! That life had been bought with a price! No longer was his life his own!
A far cry from what we've made it to be today in the church. As long as we can convince people that they can be blessed and belong and still be doing the same as they were, they will keep coming and they will give to your ministry.
But where are the individuals today that have truly been changed by the Power of God! Who echo the words of Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." Job 13:15
I remember listening to a message preached by Charles Greenaway. He an his wife Mary, were missionaries to Africa and many other countries in the last century. He and his wife went home to be with the Lord in the late 1990's. He preached about three miles from Jackson' Gap in Dadeville, Alabama in a tent revival around 1988. Shortly after so much had taken place in the Church. I remember listening to a true changed life that had a history that included many hardships but yet the fruit remained! That fruit was a faithfulness that said to God__ "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!"

"What's Happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

The message that I listened to was called , "Doubts and How to Deal With Them". It was on cassette tape and I remember listening with awe at the faithfulness of God to a person that God had changed and had given a message and purpose to reach the lost as an evangelist and a missionary. Near the end of his message, which was challenging and inspiring, he gave a personal testimony of he and Mary's struggle to believe God for the healing of their first child, a son who was dying. The child had to have regular blood transfusions to stay alive. During this time, they were still faithful to God, preaching in churches, staying in homes of the different churches that sometimes would be annoyed by the crying of their son. Being hurt by remarks like, "Why can't they keep that boy quiet so we can get some sleep!"


People can be so insensitive when others are in their darkest valley.

He said many times he knew that the only thing that was keeping his son alive was the prayers of his wife , Mary, she couldn't let him go! "Where are the fruits of a life changed by the Power of God today!"

"What's happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

They were just starting out in the ministry for God, they weren't promised what is being promised today, but they're lives had been changed by the Power of God! They were faithful to God!

You may be facing many things right now that are against you but God no where in His word did He say that you wouldn't face these things. But He did say, "I'll never leave nor forsake you!"

"What's happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

Charles and Mary Greenaway were at their lowest place in their lives, their son was dying, they had doctor bills they couldn't pay, he had a letter from the finance company notifying him that his car was being repossessed. As he was driving his car to the finance company, he had two flat tires. The first person that passed him was his district superiententant, who turned and looked the other way. He said: "I tried to chuck it off! I tried to say : You can make it, just hang in there!" Standing all alone that day with all that was allowed to come upon him, weeping, looking up toward heaven. He said he didn't know how he got the last tire changed! He was brought as low a person could be brought!

Later, when he got home, their son was barely alive and Charles, weeping, told Mary: "Mary let him go, let God have him, just let him go."
He said he didn't know why, except that his wife was so tired that she let him go and the child died in her arms.

Charles said he went outside and looked up into that sky that night, and said to the Lord: "Lord I will serve You, whatever you want me to do, where ever You want me to go, I love You Lord and I will serve You!

"What's happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

He said that was a turning point in their lives and God was faithfully with them as they reached people with the gospel, Why? Because of a changed life by the Power of God!

"We must come back to the Word of God!"

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Job 13:16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Job said: "He shall be my salvation!"

A hypocrite shall not come before Him!

"What's happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

Has your life really been changed by the Power of God?

If so, take a look at where you are today.

Are you being perfected as God said He would do to His Church?

As His children we belong to Him, we are to love and serve Him faithfully because He loved us first!

We are to be the salt of the earth! A city set upon a hill that the lost souls may see and come to the light that is in Christ Jesus!

All the souls that were saved through this missionary couple, one day will sat in the Kingdom of God, why? because they were trusted enough for God to use. He looked and found a couple that were weak enough for Him to use, and use them He did for His' glory!

Are you weak enough for God to use you?
If you are and you have truly been changed by the Power of God, you will have a life of faithfulness to God in everything you encounter. If you fall, you'll have a repentant heart and continue on to follow and know the Lord. You will have a Backbone that will give you strength to stand in the Lord and the Power of His Might!

Call on Jesus today! Let Him change your life by the Power of God!

What's Happened to the Backbone of the Church?

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Job 13:16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Where are the fruits of a life changed by the Power of God!

Once ago, when a person came to Christ, he or she came being drawn by the Holy Spirit conviction of their sin! A fearful and reverence toward a Holy God that had gracefully given them the ability to come to God and repent and ask God for forgiveness!

And then, after being saved, they immediately followed Jesus in the Way!

They didn't come to God with the motive of: "what will I get out of this." No, they came up out of that altar like Isaiah did, "Woe is me! I'm a man of unclean lips! I live in the middle of a bunch of the same kind! Isaiah had truly seen the Lord! A Lord high and lifted up! A Lord whose glory filled the temple! An awsome God that he fell before at His mercy! Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Isaiah6:6-7

Isaiah didn't jump around an altar and make a lot of noise to only later go back to his daily routine! No! A live coal from off the altar had touched his lips!

It's was more than a loud song, and a high energy service!

Isaiah saw God!

Isaiah was changed!

Where's the fruit of the life changed by the Power of God?

Isaiah 6:8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.

The fruit of this changed life was that it immediately was willing to live for God! No matter what was asked of one to do! That life had been bought with a price! No longer was his life his own!
A far cry from what we've made it to be today in the church. As long as we can convince people that they can be blessed and belong and still be doing the same as they were, they will keep coming and they will give to your ministry.
But where are the individuals today that have truly been changed by the Power of God! Who echo the words of Job, "Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him." Job 13:15
I remember listening to a message preached by Charles Greenaway. He an his wife Mary, were missionaries to Africa and many other countries in the last century. He and his wife went home to be with the Lord in the late 1990's. He preached about three miles from Jackson' Gap in Dadeville, Alabama in a tent revival around 1988. Shortly after so much had taken place in the Church. I remember listening to a true changed life that had a history that included many hardships but yet the fruit remained! That fruit was a faithfulness that said to God__ "Though He slay me, yet will I trust Him!"

"What's Happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

The message that I listened to was called , "Doubts and How to Deal With Them". It was on cassette tape and I remember listening with awe at the faithfulness of God to a person that God had changed and had given a message and purpose to reach the lost as an evangelist and a missionary. Near the end of his message, which was challenging and inspiring, he gave a personal testimony of he and Mary's struggle to believe God for the healing of their first child, a son who was dying. The child had to have regular blood transfusions to stay alive. During this time, they were still faithful to God, preaching in churches, staying in homes of the different churches that sometimes would be annoyed by the crying of their son. Being hurt by remarks like, "Why can't they keep that boy quiet so we can get some sleep!"


People can be so insensitive when others are in their darkest valley.

He said many times he knew that the only thing that was keeping his son alive was the prayers of his wife , Mary, she couldn't let him go! "Where are the fruits of a life changed by the Power of God today!"

"What's happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

They were just starting out in the ministry for God, they weren't promised what is being promised today, but they're lives had been changed by the Power of God! They were faithful to God!

You may be facing many things right now that are against you but God no where in His word did He say that you wouldn't face these things. But He did say, "I'll never leave nor forsake you!"

"What's happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

Charles and Mary Greenaway were at their lowest place in their lives, their son was dying, they had doctor bills they couldn't pay, he had a letter from the finance company notifying him that his car was being repossessed. As he was driving his car to the finance company, he had two flat tires. The first person that passed him was his district superiententant, who turned and looked the other way. He said: "I tried to chuck it off! I tried to say : You can make it, just hang in there!" Standing all alone that day with all that was allowed to come upon him, weeping, looking up toward heaven. He said he didn't know how he got the last tire changed! He was brought as low a person could be brought!

Later, when he got home, their son was barely alive and Charles, weeping, told Mary: "Mary let him go, let God have him, just let him go."
He said he didn't know why, except that his wife was so tired that she let him go and the child died in her arms.

Charles said he went outside and looked up into that sky that night, and said to the Lord: "Lord I will serve You, whatever you want me to do, where ever You want me to go, I love You Lord and I will serve You!

"What's happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

He said that was a turning point in their lives and God was faithfully with them as they reached people with the gospel, Why? Because of a changed life by the Power of God!

"We must come back to the Word of God!"

Job 13:15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.
Job 13:16 He also shall be my salvation: for an hypocrite shall not come before him.

Job said: "He shall be my salvation!"

A hypocrite shall not come before Him!

"What's happened to the Backbone of the Church?"

Has your life really been changed by the Power of God?

If so, take a look at where you are today.

Are you being perfected as God said He would do to His Church?

As His children we belong to Him, we are to love and serve Him faithfully because He loved us first!

We are to be the salt of the earth! A city set upon a hill that the lost souls may see and come to the light that is in Christ Jesus!

All the souls that were saved through this missionary couple, one day will sat in the Kingdom of God, why? because they were trusted enough for God to use. He looked and found a couple that were weak enough for Him to use, and use them He did for His' glory!

Are you weak enough for God to use you?
If you are and you have truly been changed by the Power of God, you will have a life of faithfulness to God in everything you encounter. If you fall, you'll have a repentant heart and continue on to follow and know the Lord. You will have a Backbone that will give you strength to stand in the Lord and the Power of His Might!

Call on Jesus today! Let Him change your life by the Power of God!