Why name joy the gift in trials? Because trials keep us from becoming complacent about our loving God and Savior when we are forced to our knees and the tears won’t stop. It is only then that our communion with our God is the purest. Trials drive us to run boldly to the throne of grace, to the safety of being on our faces in the presence of God, and to spend time in deep communion with God. When we are hurting, we don’t suffer as much from weak, shallow, and meaningless minutes with the Lord, We learn to relish and anticipate hours with God! The experience of communion and intimate fellowship with God is the very depiction of joy!
Steve Swartz

Jimmy Swaggarts Transgression

Jimmy Swaggarts Transgression

. I’d like to address something that has been appearing in the media this past week: the disclosure of Jimmy Swaggart’s transgression.

. First of all, no man is perfect. Jesus Christ was the ONLY human that ever lived and the only perfect (sinless) being that will EVER live!

. My wife and I have been followers of Jimmy Swaggart’s programs and supporters of his ministry for some time. We have helped to support the World Outreach Program where approximately 470,000 children are fed around the world every day. But for the ministry, they would not eat. The ministry has also built hundreds of churches and schools around the world and airs the Gospel in over 100 countries around the world. The daily broadcast of A STUDY IN THE WORD has helped us grow as Christians by causing us to think about what is said on the program and to study the Bible. While we don’t agree with Jimmy Swaggart on everything, it is a well run Christian program and worthy of being watched by every Christian.

. The point that Jimmy Swaggart has always stressed (as long as I have been listening to him preach), is that it is NOT the man (Jimmy Swaggart), NOT the ministry (Jimmy Swaggart Ministries), NOT the church (Jimmy Swaggart’s church or any other church), but the GOSPEL…. the Word of God that IS important. . Jimmy Swaggart has preached this over and over and over again. It’s too bad that the media never listened to what he was saying.

. “And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?” This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not. So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.” And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, “Woman, where are those thine accusers? Hath no man condemmed thee?” She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, “Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.” (John 8:3-11 KJV)

. Christ forgave, but we cannot? Are you casting stones at brother Swaggart?

. This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, cariance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. (Galatians 5:16-21)

. No man is perfect save Christ. Brother Swaggart erred. So have I and so have you (maybe not in the same way that he has, but we ALL have erred and sinned against the Lord).

. The Assembly of God Church has establish guidelines to be followed when one of their ministers strays from his ordained position. Jimmy Swaggart has admitted his sin(s) to them, as well as publicly to his wife, congregation, viewers and the media. He has shown repentance for what he did. He is fulfilling all of the requirements of his church and of God by following exactly what the Lord commanded to be done in the Bible (unlike Jim and Tammy Baker, who have never admitted any guilt or wrongdoings – this is why Jim Baker was defrocked by the Assembly of God church).

. The media is not satisfied with this. As the spokesman for the Lousiana Assembly of God Churches stated: “This is a church matter. It is no one else’s business but ours.”

. Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall reveive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him. (James 1:12)

. Blessed is he who endureth temptation and forgiveness for he who strays and cannot. What a good God we have! Praise the Lord!

. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. For every man shall bear his own burden. Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. (Galatians 6:1-6)

. Have compassion for brother Swaggart. He was tempted and strayed. He should be restored to his pulpit because his HAS been forgiven by the Lord.

. Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. (James 5:16)

. Brother Swaggart said that he did not turn to his brethren for help when he had problems. For this he blames only himself. For all of his sins, he blames only himself. He has never tried to shift blame to anyone else for what happened.

. I personally feel that Our Lord is “cleaning” house in His church in preparation of a great revival. He is weeding out the chaff and preparing the way for the final days – the End Times as described in Revelations and elsewhere in the Bible.

. Are you ready to face God on judgement day? Can you say, “Lord, I walked with you” when you see Jesus face to face? Each of us will have to answer for our lives on that day of days. Are you ready?

. If you are not sure or do not know Jesus, the sysop of this system will do his best to help you know Jesus Christ as your personal savior and ensure that YOUR name is written down in heaven in God’s holy Book of Life.

. If you have ANY doubts, please, please do not wait. Don’t put it off. Ask for help today. It is the most important choice that you’ll ever make in your life.

In His service,
Jim Lewis
Sysop of The Light TBBS
Silver Springs, FL
(904) 625-2737