“Don’t Allow Your Enthusiasm Take You Beyond Holy Spirit.” Charles Simpson
We continue the conversation with Charles Simpson as he shares wisdom on how we must not move beyond Holy Spirit. You can find out more on our previous conversations on the VFN Torch HERE.
We are in a season wherein rapid succession prophetic words are coming to pass! As Christians we need to be aware of this and to listen to the prophetic words from the Lord. Charles tells people that Christians must not fear the world because the world is afraid of God. Christians need to realize the power we have! If you are not afraid to speak about the Lord, then you can have a great impact. We are called believers when we follow Jesus but what do we believe? In belief we will be established when we believe God but to succeed, we must listen to what God is saying! You can read the story of Jehoshaphat in the Bible and see how this works out.
Charles says, “I believe that we are in a critical time. We don’t have to be afraid, but we have to be vigilant. We have to be alert. We have got to listen to the Holy Spirit. He is the only One who knows exactly where it’s going. I believe that we are on the verge of seeing some really big shakeups. I am excited about the time we live in…” He says that every truth gets abused and we must allow Holy Spirit to guide us in everything we do including reading the Bible and being that we are in times that have never been experienced before we must follow our guide, the Holy Spirit. Without Him we will not know where to go. We can learn many things, but without Holy Spirit we will not be able to go into the future. “People get excited, and enthusiasm can take you beyond the Holy Spirit.”
We must follow Holy Spirit in all we do and not leave Him behind. What do you think about following Holy Spirit? We want to hear from you. Write to us at [email protected] or in the VFNKB Community HERE.
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Co-Laboring/Collaboration and Integrity in the Church Charles Simpson
We continue the conversation with Charles Simpson as he talks about how there must be co-laboring and integrity in the Church. You can find out more on our previous conversations on the VFN Torch HERE.
Charles is asked the question of how technology has changed the Church? “The more the Church tries to reach the world by worldly methods, the more we get off track.” He says two things are very important to him. One is the integrity of the individual and the second is collaboration with individuals of integrity. Paul called collaboration, co-laboring, in the Bible. “If I have integrity I don’t isolate myself. I look for other individuals with integrity and realize that I don’t have the whole picture, but as I collaborate with other people of integrity, the Lord reveals Himself. He speaks to us because He loves fellowship in groups.”
The Church must fellowship together and learn to listen to each other. We can impart to each other what God has revealed, which will cause things to go beyond who we are. “If you don’t have integrity, you are not going to function in that.”
Much of the Western culture thrives on narcissism, which doesn’t produce a teachable spirit. If you are not teachable you are not reachable but if you want to grow more in your relationship with God and others you need to be willing to learn and be taught. “We live in a society that is a lot more interested in affirmation than it is instruction and discipline.” Brother Charles continues by saying that our culture sees love as affirming others, but that is not Biblical. It is loving to affirm but also loving someone like your children is disciplining and instructing them. When we read the Bible, we see God giving instructions and discipline while also loving us with a love we can’t even imagine. Who can know the mind of God?
Be sure to watch or listen to hear more. What are your thoughts about collaboration in the Church body? We want to hear from you! Write to us at [email protected] or in the VFNKB Community HERE.
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Charles Simpson: How to Stay Relevant in the Church Without Compromising the Truth?
We continue the conversation with Charles Simpson as he talks about how we need to stay relevant in the Church but cannot compromise the truth of God’s Word. You can find out more on our previous conversations on the VFN Torch HERE.
Charles is asked the question, What did you mean when you wrote in your book, Ants Vines and Churches, “Relevance is a large issue in today’s church. In pursuit of relevance, many groups have sacrificed integrity in the presentation of the Gospel. The failure lies in relating to individuals on a CONSUMER basis rather than a MISSION basis?”
We see this in the Church where the needs of the people are trying to be met while compromising believer’s mission of going out into all the world and leading others to Jesus. Charles answers, “I would say that my primary task is to obey God and to represent the Gospel and the truth, to the best of my ability…now if I am dealing with somebody I have to try to make it as clear and understandable as possible.” We would call this relevance.
“But if I compromise the truth to make it palatable now that is a different thing.” He says that we can be relevant by taking the message of who Jesus is and what He did for us to the lost or even to the Church by making it as simple as we can, but the story must not be changed! We cannot exchange the truth to be relevant. Leaving out part of the Gospel is not being truthful and is disobedience to God.
Like Paul said in the Bible, “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some,” but he never compromised the Gospel! He kept the truth until he was beheaded. Let us all be found faithful in sharing the full truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
What are your thoughts about relevancy in the Church? We want to hear from you! Write to us at [email protected] or in the VFNKB Community HERE.
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