THE CHURCH’S NEEDED HELPER - by James Tharp

Jesus spent a little over three years training His twelve disciples for the spreading of His Gospel after He had been crucified, risen from the dead, and had ascended back to the Father. He knew, despite all He had taught them, that they could never be successful in spreading the Gospel, establishing His church, and winning the lost while operating apart from the power of the Holy Spirit. So, He made a promise: “I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.” (John 14:16-17, NKJV)

I am convinced that one of the greatest tragedies in the lives of most professing Christians today is the absence of the power of the Holy Spirit. During my 43 years of pastoring 9 churches in 5 states, I came to realize that most believers had only learned about the Holy Spirit. But there were a few in each church who had come to know the power of His indwelling, cleansing, empowering, and freedom.

And then when I left pastoral ministry and took on a ministry of traveling the nation and the world for nearly 30 years, I realized that the majority of professing believers in most of the churches and cities where I ministered knew very little about a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. Trying to live the Christian life our own strength is to fail. This is why Jesus, just before He ascended back to His Father in Heaven, told His disciples to not start trying to spread the Gospel on their own strength. Jesus told them why they must be filled with the Spirit: “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:8, NKJV) And when Jesus had been caught up to ascend to the Father, the disciples stood frozen, looking into the sky where He had disappeared. So, two angels had to break their gaze and urge them to obey Christ’s last command to pray for the Holy Spirit. “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet … And when they had entered, they went into the upper room where they were staying….” (Acts 1:12 – 13, NKJV) In the next chapter we learn that “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues, as of fire, and one sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” (Acts 2:1-4, NKJV)

Following His resurrection, Jesus made it clear that His disciples must not begin spreading His Gospel message until they were “filled with the Holy Spirit!” And that’s exactly what they did. We read in chapter 2 of Acts that once they were filled with the Holy Spirit, those 120 believers filed out of that upper room and went down on the streets of Jerusalem to find thousands who needed to hear the Gospel. 

The apostle Peter, who had denied Jesus, but was now filled with the Holy Spirit, preached the first Gospel message of the newly born church of Jesus Christ. He preached with power, and we read that those Jewish listeners were “cut to the heart” with conviction, realizing they had been wrong in crucifying Jesus on that old rugged cross. So, they asked, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” And the apostle Peter had the answer—“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:37-38, NKJV)

We learn from this that every true believer in Christ receives the Holy Spirit when they repent and trust in Christ as their Savior. Actually, it is the Holy Spirit who conditions the sinner’s heart and mind for repenting and believing. But Jesus taught His disciples that believers must “be filled with the Spirit.” Being born of the Spirit brings about the miracle of eternal life. But it is essential that the new believer soon learn how to relate to the Holy Spirit. New Testament Scriptures emphatically speak of “the fullness of the Spirit.” This is what Jesus meant when He promised “abundant life.” We read in the Gospel of Luke that God wants to be generous in giving us the Holy Spirit. Jesus put it this way: “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!” (Luke 11:13, NKJV) The Holy Spirit is a given in our new birth, but as we grow in faith we realize the need of more power for resisting temptation, understanding the Scriptures, and taking our stand for Christ as we face the daily problems of life. In fact, we are called to become hungry and thirsty for the fullness of the Holy Spirit! This is what Jesus meant when He told His disciples, “So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (Luke 11:9, NKJV)

When I think of the millions of American professing Christians sitting in their worship services on Sunday morning who wonder why they are there—empty, bored, trying to think of a reason for being here—I feel the Holy Spirit calling me to fervent, passionate, persistent prayer for a mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the greatest revival known in the history of the American church! And then I think of God’s promise in II Chronicles 7:14 (NKJV): “if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Please know, dear praying Christian prayer warriors, the hour is late, and America’s only hope is Spirit-anointed prayer warriors responding to God’s conditions for sending the kind of spiritual awakening that will bring a falling of the Holy Spirit on His church and a charging of the atmosphere of our entire nation with “conviction of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” (John 16:8)

This outpouring of the Holy Spirit, God’s divine Helper, can bring this 21st century church back to the power which the early church demonstrated after coming out of that upper room to proclaim the Gospel with power to convict of sin and save the lost. So let us pray for multitudes of believers to respond to an upper room call to prayer that will bring back the Divine Helper for empowering us to experience what God has promised for preparing His church and making a lost world ready for the coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

WHAT AWAITS US IN 2020? - by James Tharp

It is nearly always exciting to welcome a new year. But what awaits us as we face the new year of 2020 should be seriously and heavily on the hearts of every Christian believer!

We live in a troubled America. We live in a divided America. We should realize that we cannot trust our educators, politicians, or statesmen to lead us out of our spiritual, moral, social, and political darkness. Why did the Church grow so weak and the world so wicked over the last 75 years?

Before we blame the unbelievers and the unchurched for the mess we are in, we had better think about something Jesus warned His believers about. In Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 5, verse 13) Jesus said to His believers, “You are the salt of the earth, but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” Actually, Jesus used two symbols to describe the influence that Christians are to have on preserving a community or a nation. There are certain foods that require salt to give the flavor needed to make it palatable. And salt is also a preserver. Before we had iceboxes and refrigerators, salt was one of the main means of preserving.

And then in Matthew’s Gospel (chapter 5, verse 14) Jesus tells us that we Christians are “the light of the world.” Just as the moon reflects the light of the sun onto the darkened side of the earth, so the Church is to reflect the love of Jesus as the Son of righteousness to the darkened world in which we live. We Christians are to be like a city that is set on a hill. We are to shine for Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. We are to so live as to be winsome—full of love and good will—and help those who are willing to believe to become light also in their homes, churches, and communities.

The Fear of the Lord - by James Tharp

I’m convinced that American people need to hear more about “The fear of God!” We read in Proverbs 1:7 (NIV) that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.”

A serious study of the Bible is the most important experience anyone has ever undertaken. This is because the Bible is the most important book in the world. It is like no other book. Over one billion copies of the Bible have been printed, and it has outsold and out circulated every other book since printing began.

I personally feel that it is unfortunate for both the church and the world that about 200 years ago an historical questioning of the Bible began that led to a revival of unbelief. This first began in Europe, and it soon spread to the U.S.A. Now in this 21st century we are seeing and hearing from progressive modernists bold arguments denouncing and denying any place for the Bible.

It is impossible to imagine what modern civilization would be like without the influence of the Bible. However, here in the western world it appears that all too many politicians, educators, and even some church leaders are questioning the authority of the Bible. Dr. Howard Kelly has pointed out “Where the Bible is dishonored, life becomes cheap.” The Bible is the Word of life. Everyone should read it until they realize that this Holy Book truly reveals that God’s provision for our eternal salvation can only come through our believing and trusting Jesus Christ as our personal Savior.

In the Psalms we often read about “the fear of God.” In almost every case, the word “fear” has to do with warning unbelievers about the wrath of God for rejecting His Son as Savior.

I truly fear for the lost soul who has no respect for or fear of a loving God who would go to such extreme suffering to save us from eternal destruction Wise souls will take seriously what they read and humble themselves for prayer and repentance and faith in the One who can save: our Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus asked a question that we should consider seriously— “What shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Time and again we read in the Bible that a human soul is foolish who neither fears God nor trusts Christ for his or her salvation from sin and Hell.

THE CHRISTIAN’S SECRET OF POWER - by James Tharp

Jesus warned that a time of weakness in His church would come as we near the end of the Church Age. He said, “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 24:12, NIV).

Our Lord Jesus Christ never intended His followers to live the Christian life merely on their own strength. Yes, He calls us to deny ourselves and take up our cross and follow Him, to unashamedly take our stand for Him, and share our faith with others. But He also calls us to influence a lost world and become to them light and salt—to shine out and make a difference as we seek to win others for Christ. 

In one of the last sermons he preached before his retirement and recent death, Evangelist Billy Graham expressed His regret that “never have I seen the church so weak, and that grieves me; but what grieves me more is I’ve never seen the world so wicked.” It is my growing conviction that unless the church returns to Pentecostal power we will never see the Spirit-anointed prayer warriors required for the kind of spiritual awakening so desperately needed to prepare the church and the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

It is my concern that we spiritual leaders get back to the secret of the Christian’s power for living the Christian life—the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that “when the Spirit comes upon you, you shall receive power!” Now it is true that when we are born again and receive Christ as Savior, we are given the Holy Spirit in that experience. He indwells us and will enable us for the life we are called to live. In so many of our evangelical churches we seem to be faithful in proclaiming the Gospel to win people to Christ but, unfortunately, we don’t always help the new Christian understand that they are to learn to relate faithfully to the Holy Spirit. For as they learn to walk in the Spirit they will discover more power as they obey.

CHRISTMAS JOY - by James Tharp

Our gracious God made it clear that He wanted the coming of His Son Jesus Christ into the world to bring great joy to everyone. We first hear about the joy that Jesus brings the world in the angel’s announcement to the shepherds in the field watching over their flocks at night: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11, NKJV).

And let us hear Jesus speak of the kind of joy He came to bring those who would place their trust in Him: “I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them.” (John 17:13, NIV). Remember that (in verses 9-19) Jesus is praying to the Heavenly Father for His disciples. Jesus is in a role as an Advocate, a Petitioner, and a Supplicant on behalf of believers. And our Heavenly Father is the Petitioned One. Given this kind of loving concern on the part of both Father and Son, we Christians need not fail.

The Glorious Resurrection - by James Tharp

All across the Christian centuries billions have rejoiced in the glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. And all true believers today rejoice in reading the angel’s announcement to the two Marys when they visited the empty tomb of Jesus. 

“Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you.” (Matthew 28:5-7, NKJV)

The first thing Jesus had to do after His resurrection was convince those who had believed in Him

that He really was alive again. Many times Jesus had emphasized to His disciples that it was the will of the Father that He die for the sins of all who would believe in Him but that He would be raised

from the dead. He had also repeatedly warned the Jews that their rejection of Him and His ensuing death would result in the judgment of God upon their nation and their city of Jerusalem. He had come to His own, and they had not received Him.

In the Gospel of Luke we have a special emphasis on both the birth and the resurrection of Jesus. The meaning of each is to be found not simply in the events themselves but in the clearly emphasized interpretation given them in the Scriptures. Luke revealed the real entrance of God into human history through the birth of His Son Jesus Christ the Messiah, born of a woman. He wanted to show the real bodily birth and bodily death of Jesus.

ADVENT SEASON 2016 - By James Tharp

Throughout the month of December the Christian world is observing the coming of Jesus Christ’s first advent into the world.

We read in Luke’s Gospel, chapter 2, verses 8-14: “Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord

stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!’” (NKJV)

We have so many portraits of Jesus throughout the galleries of the world. As a result, there is much confusion, not only about what He looked like, but also about who He really was and is.

God the Father intended for a lost world to know for sure exactly who His Son is and why He came to earth. I fear that all too many over the world hold conflicting images of the Christ; all too often they are pressed forward by those who would have Jesus squeezed into that of a philosopher or a politician. God is not pleased with those who misrepresent who Jesus is. We read the true answer about the real Jesus in Matthew 1:18-21 where the angel Gabriel appears to Joseph, a godly man engaged to be married to the virgin Mary, reassuring him that he should proceed with the marriage, despite Mary’s pregnancy: “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.” (NKJV)