Cowards

“Cowards”

 

“It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son. But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death”. Revelation 21:6-8

 

Greetings to the North American Churches, leader’s brothers and sisters, called by God’s Name;

 

I would like to share with you what happened to me a few months ago; believing that this message can impact our lives, and if we would be willing to listen and act upon it, can set many captives free. It took me awhile to write this down (business of life, ministry, and most of all I wanted to be one hundred percent sure this is God’s timing in sending this to you).

 

God started to speak to me about this at the time where it seemed everything was rising against us, where Street Church members at every corner at every meeting were surrounded by Police, Bylaw, and Politicians with their Lawyers, and where local media were not willing to tell the public the whole truth, trying to shut the gospel, cover our mouths and destroy what God Himself initiated, started and pressed forward. That was the time when we never knew if we were coming home, and my son looking through the window when I was leaving to minister on the streets was asking his mom, my wife “Is my Daddy going to be arrested again? Is he coming home?” making this situation very difficult, not knowing what to tell Him. Not knowing how to explain why his father was treated like a criminal, and for what? For feeding hungry, clothing naked, sharing hope, lifting the broken hearted, all in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord just as he The King commanded. The only thing I could say that had any logic was from the scripture -“they are blinded my son they don’t know what they are doing. We are living in a time when men will call good deeds evil and evil deeds good. These are the fulfilments of the words of Jesus “they hated me first, they will hate you, they persecuted me they will persecute you, a servant is not greater than his master.” Jesus is not a liar, it is impossible for him to lie.” Being pressed from every corner and not receiving the support of men that call themselves ‘children of God’, we totally surrendered our lives, and every step we took to God, relying completely on his strength his power, his authority.

 

One morning during that time of war I woke up and something like never before or after happened to me, I realized I was awakened by one word coming from my own lips, a very loud word that was not my own, God has spoken using my lips “cowards”. It was so powerful that immediately reverence came to my heart like a double edged sword piercing with conviction, “Oh my Lord, am I that coward? But there is so many of them and they are the rulers of this city. I’m doing my best but I need your strength I need your Holy Spirit of boldness.” Different other things were going through my head, you see when the Holy perfect God shows up and speaks to you, you know immediately that with your own justification and righteousness you miserably fall short in comparison with him and instead of talking allot we should listen allot because the Alpha and Omega is speaking. So I stayed silenced and my thoughts were struck by his voice again. So firm, so powerful, so mighty, I could feel it in my flesh and in my bones.“My leaders are cowards.” I kept silent, “ they don’t speak for me , they water down my gospel , don’t stand up for my righteousness , fear crippled them , paralyzed them , made them deaf and blind to all my promptings and directions and if they hear and if they see they keep quiet or whisper because they are terrified, afraid of men and satan . In the churches and meeting leaders have became pleasers of men instead pleasers of me. They are more worried about political correctness than about my word and my correctness.“ I was completely overwhelmed by this truth and dared not even say a word, in my heart the words of God were resonating and immediately I knew that I was to share this and challenge the ways of man, in a church that was crippled because of fear.

 

Many of the leaders in the church of Jesus Christ are at the point of being replaced by others unless they will repent from their cowardice and pride. He reminded me of a vision that I received a few years ago. I have seen a man hiding in a cave, this man was Elijah. He was so afraid, depressed, and feeling alone and abandoned. This happened just after a great victory at Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18:20). Here he was hiding in His box terrified. When God spoke to Him in 1 Kings 19:9, He said to Him “What are you doing here Elijah?” In other words it was a statement. Don’t you know Elijah that the battle is out there? Not here in this cave? At this moment God spoke to me and said: Artur if you will start running from the enemy you will be running for the rest of your life, and I won’t be able to use you anymore. I will have to raise another. When God strengthened Elijah he sent Him to anoint another man, Elisha, In His place. God could not use Elijah because of fear that paralyzed his heart, his very being, and in the same way some of God’s leaders are at the point of Elijah, God is ready to anoint another. But he is giving all of us a chance to repent and receive His love because perfect love, His love, casts all fears away and renews our minds. The mercy of God is extended to you but we all have to make a choice: fear man, fear Satan, or rely on God’s promises and his love.

 

Are we so lukewarm that we ignore the cry of our Saviour that we say we serve, and his tears of sadness that are coming down his Cheeks for mankind? Don’t we know that he wishes that none shall parish but that all should come to the everlasting life through Him, Jesus Christ? Are we so blinded that every day we walk by so many among us, lepers in their sins dying waiting for the cure, life, and when we trample on their heads because of our indifference, we say “I am glad that I am not that leper. I am glad I know where I’m going.” Really? You know where you’re going? Jesus said: “if you love me obey my commandments.” Are we so deaf that we don’t even hear the cry of dying generations? Kids, mothers and fathers desperate for an answer for their problems, sicknesses, suicidal moods and overwhelming emptiness in their hearts. In the end of the day when everything is said and done when we all stand before the Holy of Holies the source of life, the only thing that will matter is: Did I obey his great commission? Did we tell them (the world) about his greatest sacrifice, his own beloved son, God manifested in the flesh? Did we let them know that He died so they can live? In any healthy church that is ran by God and is led by His Spirit, we have different folds of ministry (apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers. Ephesians 4:11 in other scripture workers of miracles, gifts of healings…etc) 1 Corinthians 12, but what we see in our nations is pastors and teachers and after that more pastors and more teachers, and after that more pastors, enough! I think we all got the picture, what have happened with the rest of them? What did we do with them? Let me tell you! We kicked them out, why? Because those people are led by the Holy Spirit and is impossible to control them, they don’t listen to man’s orders but Gods, therefore are not in favour with local leaders, who feel threatened and jealous, simply afraid to lose their positions of power. In the name of protecting our flock we booted them out, now we don’t have a problem so we think, but at the same time we don’t have also signs, wonders, miracles and healings, but who needs them anyway in the 21 century(we have doctors, psychologists, psychiatrists,) now we gained total control, and we can proceed with our perfect “plan-religion” and God as an addition to our beautiful buildings, filled with awesome people that don’t won’t to be offended.2 Timothy Chapter 3 and 4.

 

Let me interrupt here, don’t get me wrong this letter is not a condemnation as some will want to say, and I’m not trying to put some kind of guilt on you, but rather it is a challenge to all of us. While I am writing this tears fall from my eyes realizing that we are guilty of all these sins, and again when He speaks he is the Truth and we are all falling short. We all are lacking so much, but this humbling process can be a great beginning for all of us, because it brings us into God’s obedience if we are only willing to obey. Are we willing to obey? Are we willing to fight and if that is His will die fighting in His army? Are we all willing to pay the price and truly pick up our cross and follow Him, are we ready for any order even if that means to give up here on earth everything, not holding back to any of those earthly ‘treasures’. The creation is waiting for the manifestation of the sons and daughters of God here and now, will you go? Don’t just say it, but move out of your comfy chairs, pulpits places of honour, by man which are worth absolutely nothing in the eyes of God and go out to the Ninevites even when we don’t feel like it, acting like Jonah. For the Scripture says in Romans 10:13-15.For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Don’t we know what is written? ”How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!”

 

Let me address you teachers, pastors and so called leaders of the gospel speaking also to myself. When we preach or speak about the men or women that have walked with God in previous generations, admiring their courage, boldness looking at their lives judging their mistakes or successes. Are we not hypocrites? We are fascinated by their lives, using them as an example but yet ourselves are not willing to do what they have done. They lived and many have died for Jesus and His gospel doing God’s will and forwarding His kingdom. Now in the 21st century I see a huge difference and personally I believe that this generation of leaders is ashamed of the name of Jesus. In many cases are afraid to use it because some think using the name above all names would offend others and when enemies raise against God and His laws or his people we choose to be silent like Israelites in the face of Goliath the Philistine. The entire army terrified by one man. On many occasions I have heard that people were praying or addressing different crowds in churches, radio or television saying: “Lets finish this gathering or program in His name” Or “lets pray in His name” Or “bless you in His name.” Whose name are you talking about Mohammed? Frank? Joe? How hard is it to say there is only one name that is worth anything to begin with and that is not your name and that is not my name ,it is the name above all names, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. In North America when we sit in our buildings, hiding from everything and everybody, afraid of our own shadow, chased by Jezebel, or religious hypocrites, that very often for their own purposes are using local churches or governments to stop forwarding of the gospel and raising against the name of Jesus Christ, having their own agendas. In our own city, homosexuals, even masons in Christian leadership! Their only motivation is to stop the movement of God, and kick out the Holy Spirit from the lives of people so they can control and manipulate them. Some of us are the door-keepers instead of allowing people to go through the door according to Jesus in John 10:9 “If anyone enters by me he will be saved and will go in and out and find pastures”. Because He is the door we(leaders) in many instances stand in their way (people) preventing or even forbidding others to enter because control is our motive and often we put burdens or just pure death religion on men, that we ourselves can’t bear. LET THEM GO from the prisons of religion and let them enter through the gate of God, and you are welcome to enter as well. Quite often we don’t want to enter ourselves and we will do everything in our power to stop others. And let me tell you if that is the case and if they die in their sins their blood will be on our hands for being in open opposition to the gospel or even just a stumbling block. Don’t we know that there is greater responsibility to those who hold positions of power? For that we will be more severely judged. The more authority we are given the more responsibility we are accountable for through our actions and preaching. Are you a messenger of Jesus constantly pointing to Him saying “I don’t have all the answers but He does, and my job is just to help equip you, now go and be a blessing for many, I won’t keep you in bondage but now I will release you into freedom in the mighty Holy Spirit, no strings attached, may God lead you NOW GO” “I tell you even weeping they are enemies of the cross.” We have a choice, a choice to serve man or a choice to serve God, but I beseech you, when you choose to serve man please don’t use the examples of the multitudes of witnesses that died before us, or are still paying the price for truly following Jesus all around the world. (Over 200 000 people are martyred every year for the sake of the gospel) because those men died for what some ‘Christians’ are ashamed of. They took the cross and forwarded the kingdom of God. When we preach or teach about them and yet ourselves not living the way they did because of fear and by our actions denying their sacrifice, its like spiting in their face saying what you did it was all in vain and unnecessary. When we pick up a bible and teach about:

 

Andrew who died in Greece, crucified on an x shaped cross who felt unworthy to die in the same way as his Lord, or Bartholomew who preaching in India dying a martyr’s death, was flayed alive with knives, James the elder who was martyred by Herod Agrippa, James the lesser who was crucified in Egypt, His body sawn in pieces or John the beloved who drank a chalice of poison from which God spared him, Jude who was shot with arrows on Mount Ararat, or Matthew who gave up His life for the gospel, history says he disappeared during His labours, Peter requested that he be crucified upside down, feeling unworthy to be crucified like His Lord, Philip dying from hanging and requested not to be buried in fine linen but in papyrus, he felt he was not worthy that his body be treated as the Lord’s body or Simon the zealot, tradition saying he died in the mission field as a martyr, or Thomas who was killed in India from a spear as a martyr, and we ourselves are not willing to sacrifice anything, give up nothing, we mock their lives and finally Jesus said: “pick up your cross and follow me.” If we reject that, is it not spitting at His face? Trampling on the martyrs blood? Saying with our deeds and words it was an unnecessary sacrifice, it could be done differently, what a waste of life. We have found a way, a better way, it’s called friendship evangelism and of course we have our clever minds to win this world to Him. Again we dare to stand up before God and boldly say we know better than Him. Let us all repent, and let the sacrifice of our Lord be our salvation and the blood of his saints slain for His gospel give us courage and that one day when we meet this cloud of witnesses in heaven we can embrace each other knowing we fulfilled our purpose in our generation. My fellow believers let us stop teaching others about those great men of God unless we ourselves are willing to follow their steps. Steps of sacrifice, self denial, crucifixion of our own egos, nailing to the cross our own ambition, empires that we build and still building in the name of God, but He had little or nothing to do with it. Let’s grab a hammer and go through our titles, denominations, those divisions of satan with a nail so big that every one of the devils lies would be struck dead. The church is not a building, the church of Jesus Christ are his followers willing to obey, followers of his steps. What he did, we should be doing, he went to people’s houses, dined with them, had fellowship with them, telling everyone about his Fathers kingdom, then he went outside to the highways and byways, street corners, market places, mountain tops, water sides and preached the good news and then went as his custom was to synagogues and taught people about Gods sovereignty, justice, love and holiness…etc. if a body of Christ has one of those three ministries missing (cell groups, corporate gatherings, outside evangelism ) it is crippled. The truth is we need all three parts of God’s perfect plan and we are not really followers of Jesus if we are not following His design for His church. Let me be clear about this, what he did, we should be doing. When we pat ourselves on the shoulders saying to each other, everything is fine, everything is ok, we are doing the will of God, look at our churches and our highly esteemed organizations, God must be well pleased with us. I beg of you STOP, and maybe for the first time in your life look around you, and think how many lost have we impacted for eternity today. How many unbelievers did we encounter and talk to in the past week about the son of God that we say we live for. When the laws of this country were changed against the gospel, how many of us stood up!? When the prayers were taken out of the schools, how many of us risked our own reputations in the eyes of man!? When the definition of the holy matrimony was thrown into the garbage bin, how many of us were silent!? When the trash tabloids are treated allot better than the Holy Bible and we are trying not to offend anyone, then we are silently agreeing! What does that tell you about us? When you close your eyes try to hear the cry of thousands of butchered and unwanted children through abortion crying for justice to our God. Now ask yourself this question, did God say to politicians you are my light in this world? Did He say to businessmen you are the salt of this earth? Of course not! He said it to YOU, he said it to ME, and He said it to His BODY.

 

One of the biggest sins of Canada and the United States is the sin of Solomon. By the grace of God those nations were able to invite different people from all over the world but were cowardly to stand up against those people idles and instead of standing firm in their faith in the one true living God they started to participate in their idolatry, by building for them shrines and alters on the high hills. Saying in their hearts God will understand, he wants us to extend our love and compassion in the name of freedom and liberty. A true mockery is that in the name of those liberties and freedoms we have thrown out the truth that liberates us all from death, therefore by doing this we condemned many, and perhaps ourselves.Ezekiel:33-7

 

I did my part by writing to you my hands are now clean, but your part is either to accept what you have read or reject. And ultimately God is going to reward or punish us all but who has ears let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

 

Now today I take the courage and call you forward to stand up as men redeemed by the blood of the lamb because the lion is about to come, behold he is already here waiting for his bride to reveal His power and authority for the last world wide revival and he is worthy to receive his prize for that precious blood shed on the cross. His reward is souls. Where are you Joshua’s, receiving the promises of God “be strong and courageous” where are you Esther’s saying “If I perish, I perish” where are you David’s ready to slay Goliath’s crying out in the face of the enemy “you came to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javaline, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of Hosts….” where are you Daniel’s and Joseph’s keeping your faith amid all the difficulties and lies of the enemies trusting only God, knowing that cursed is the man that puts trust in another man. Where are you Peter’s and Paul’s raising your voices above the multitudes for all to hear that there is hope and his name is Jesus. Where are you John the Baptist’s, prophet’s, apostles of God crying out in the wilderness, “repent the kingdom of God is at hand?” Where are you who don’t compromise, walking the streets willing to be ridiculed and called fools for the sake of the gospel? Where are you Steven’s being stoned looking towards heavens with shining faces knowing that we are just passing through? RISE UP, STAND UP, IT IS TIME TO MOVE FOREWARD IN THIS LAST BATTLE! Take your place in the army of the Lord, take your ranks and weapons given to you from the one who knows it all and retake what was stolen from mankind in the Garden of Eden with love on your lips and passion for God’s kingdom, move forward and don’t look back at Egypt. For the promises of God are for you, for whoever will prevail and will stay to the end they shall see the glory of the Lord. Come Forth the victory is His and ours in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour.

 

My prayer today is that we would die right now. Father just let us die, for he who will keep His life shall loose it but whoever loses his life for you shall keep it forever. Let us die for this world so we can be raised for yours. As the martyr Jim Elliot said: “that man is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot loose. “ May his prayer for his own life be our prayer for ours. “God I pray, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for thee, consume my life oh God for it is thine, I seek not a long life but a full one like yours. Lord Jesus. “

Artur Pawlowski

Street Church

 

Let’s live life in light of eternity-If everything we did was for one soul to make it to heaven because we broke our silence and opened our mouths it was all worth it!!!