Patton first saw combat and gained fame chasing Poncho Villa in 1916. He earned a Purple Heart in 1918 for combat wounds while under German machine-gun fire. And interestingly, his grandfather – Benjamin Davis Wilson – was the second elected major of Los Angeles (1851) – Mt. Wilson is named after him.  

   Gen. Dwight Eisenhower was aware of Patton’s fighting style and aggressive tactics, but also considered him “indispensable to the war effort.” A situation arose in 1945, around taking the city of Trier. Here is how the dialogue went between these two generals: Gen. Eisenhower: “You are to bypass the city of Trier, as it will take four divisions to capture it.” Gen. Patton’s reply: “Have taken Trier with two divisions. What do you want me to do? Give it back?” Classic George!

   Taking territory is an interesting endeavor and even more so when considering exactly what type of territory we’re talking about. Let’s understand that God’s territory and economy doesn’t operate by the same principles that the world runs on! 

   There was once a king in the Bible – Jabez – who prayed this prayer: “Oh, that You would bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would be with me, and that You would keep me from evil.” God granted him what he requested. But notice what Jabez didn’t pray for – he didn’t ask for more power, more wealth, or more troops. He asked that the Lord would enlarge his territory. So what is that exactly?

   As it pertains to us, I would venture to say part of gaining territory is winning the lost to Jesus Christ. But gaining territory also means asking for more opportunities to share our good news. Romans 10 asks: “But how can they call on Him to save them unless they believe in Him? And how can they believe in Him if they have never heard about Him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?” Hint: The simple rule of evangelism = Those who know, tell those who don’t.

   The story is told of a famous evangelist who was preparing for a meeting in a large city. He wrote a letter to the major asking for names of individuals who had a spiritual problem and needed help or prayer. The major responded with a copy of the city directory. 

   Lord – enlarge our territory – take us out of our comfort zones as we shop for groceries, stand in line at the post office, or go to the gym. The next time you wait in your car at a red light, watch the pedestrians as they cross in front of you and pray for them. It’s not that difficult. Enlarge your territory! Ask God for courage like Moses, a fervor like the believers in the early church, an obsession for showing Christ to others like the Apostle Paul, and a radical desire to spread the faith like Peter! 

   Once, while waiting in a cemetery for a funeral service, evangelist Charles Simeon (1759-1836) walked among the graves, reading the markers. He found one that especially caught his eye: “When from the dust of death I rise, To claim my mansion in the skies, E’en then shall this be all my plea- “Jesus hath lived and died for me.” 

   Simeon was so impacted with this gospel message that he looked for someone to share it with. He saw a young woman, obviously distressed, and shared it with her. He visited her the next day and found poverty & squalor. Her aged mother was dying and her two small children were dirty and trying to warm themselves by a small fire.

   Simeon visited again the next day, this time bringing assistance. Later, the young woman told him that she had been in the cemetery for five hours, trying to work up the nerve to take her life. Needless to say – Simeon’s interaction with her not only saved her life but I suspect her soul as well. It doesn’t get much better than that!

   Please – never forget – you may well be the only Bible some unbelievers will ever read!

Bob and Susan Becket pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post Territory Tales appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   The man was extremely kind and Penn was moved by the gesture  – he later shared this: “I don’t respect people who don’t proselytize. If you believe there is a heaven and hell, and people could be going to hell or not getting eternal life, do you really think it’s not worth telling them this because it would make it socially awkward?

   “How much do you have to hate somebody to not proselytize? How much do you have to hate someone to believe everlasting life is possible and not tell them that?” Penn then offered this example: “If I believed, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a truck was coming at you – and you didn’t believe it – there’s a certain point that I tackle you – and this is more important than that.”

   Penn is absolutely right about evangelism. Do we really believe the Gospel? And if we do, do we care enough to share it with others? So – here’s the question – is the gospel of Jesus Christ good news or bad news? It’s good news! It’s the best of news!! 

   Jesus Christ, the Son of God, has taken our place, risen from the dead – and so can we! We can live in eternity with Him forever. And all we have to do is place our trust in Him. What amazing news! But if that’s true – and it is – then why are we so reluctant to tell people? Why do we often treat the Good News as if it were bad news?

   If hell is real, should we not warn people? If heaven is easily possible to attain, should we not divulge that good news? Our bodies are just an ‘earth-suit.’ They will eventually grow old and die, but our spirit, which is tied to our soul, will survive that death. Paul said in 2 Corinthians that “to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord” — if you’re a Christ-follower. 

   Sharing this good news (the Gospel) should be a natural overflow of our Christian life. When we have joy unspeakable and are filled with His light — that tends to leak out. Basically, your life becomes the message!

   A guy recently traveled to a customer site for his work as a computer programmer. He met, along with five other programmers, in a conference room where they had set up some computer terminals. Their makeshift office was right next to the cafeteria and during the course of the long afternoon, he walked over to get some coffee. He found a vending machine; it had coffee, cappuccino and espresso, along with vegetable soup. He looked and looked for a place to put in his money and finally located a little sign – “No coins required.” 

   This seemed a bit odd but he punched in his selection (cappuccino) and out popped the little cup and a couple seconds later – here came the cappuccino. It was free!! He wasn’t sure whether or not it was an employee benefit or just a way to keep their people “caffeined-up.” He didn’t know and he didn’t care. Free coffee! So what did he do next? He went back in the room and told everyone else! That’s what you do when you have good news! 

   Lee Strobel once noted, “I’ve seen far too many Christians who are more than willing to travel halfway around the world to volunteer for a week in an orphanage but who cannot bring themselves to take the personal risk of sharing Jesus with the co-worker who sits day after day in the cubicle right next to them.”

   Bottom line = Don’t snooze with The News!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post Don’t Snooze With the News    appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.

   57 people were killed – among them was innkeeper Harry R. Truman. Truman rose to fame as a folk hero in the weeks leading up to the eruption after refusing to leave his home despite multiple evacuation orders. Truman was famous for his antics, once even getting a forest ranger drunk so he could burn a pile of brush. He poached, stole gravel from the forest service and fished on America Indian land with a fake game wardens badge.  

   Unfortunately, Truman showed little concern over the potential eruption. His comments were telling: “This area is heavily timbered, Spirit Lake is in-between me and the mountain, and the mountain is a mile away. The mountain ain’t gonna hurt me.” Famous last words! 

   State officials ordered an evacuation (again) of the area and attempted one final time to persuade Truman to leave his home – all to no avail. The next morning at 8:32 Mount  St. Helens blew -Truman and his 16 cats died of heat shock in less than a second – too quickly to even register pain. They were buried under 150 ft of volcanic debris. Poor Truman – he was warned. Friends tried to save him but he just wouldn’t listen. 

   Years ago, I had a book that I could never remember the title of. I just called it “The Bloody Hands Book.” Basically, it was about the dialogue God had with Ezekiel when he was called to be a “watchman” to his countrymen. Great responsibility is tied to this calling. Here’s what God told him: “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand.”

   This was the job of the watchman – one of constant vigil and warning. It was not a popular message then and certainly not a popular message now! But the church is not a religious social club – there are people outside the building who need God, and we can never forget that we are responsible for others. Our modern challenge is to take the time from other activities and do the call of a watchman. 

   The late great Reinhard Bonnke once remarked: “God always works with workers and moves with movers, but He does not sit with sitters!” Amen to that. About 2500 years ago the Greek Historian, Herodotus, gave our postmen their famous motto, adapted from the wars between the Greeks & Persians, whereby the Persians used a system of mounted couriers. “Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail, shall keep the “postmen” from their appointed rounds.” I think that would make a terrific motto for us – as todays watchmen! 

   The Apostle Paul made a gripping comment in Acts 20, just before he was martyred.“I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, I am innocent of the blood of all men.” He had stood his post as a watchman for his generation to the very end. This is the one and same man who also testified that he was called to “open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God.” 

   George Whitefield (1714-1770) who, in his thirty-four years of ministry, preached eighteen thousand sermons and was heard by as many as ten million people said this: “God forbid that I should travel with anybody a quarter of an hour without speaking of Christ to them.” Now that is a watchman!  Selah!!

Bob and Susan Beckett pastor The Dwelling Place City Church at 27100 Girard Street in Hemet, CA. For more information, you may contact them at DPCitychurch.org

The post The Watchman  appeared first on The Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle.