Oracles of Liberty

What is Truth? By Paul Camuti 04/01/2025

I find it ironic that on what is called “April Fool's Day,” I was inspired to do an article on a famous, brief sentence uttered by Pontius Pilate during his inquisition of Jesus Christ. That brief question was, “What is truth?”

There was once a time that truth, was revered, including absolute truth. There was once a time when the Bible by many, was believed to be the absolute true Word of God. As time went on, especially during my life time, absolute truth has been discarded by many. Many believe there are no absolutes. The amazing thing about the people who say there are no absolutes, is that they believe they are absolutely right! Their own adamant stance of there being no absolutes actually works against them.

Last time I checked, 1+1 absolutely equals 2, 2+2 absolutely equals 4. Yes, there are other ways to come up with what equals 4, 5, or 6, but even those other ways absolutely equals what the total is. Simple math proves there are absolutes. If there are absolutes in simple math it stands to reason that there are absolutes. It stands to reason that there is absolute truth.

Sadly many Christians no longer believe that the Word of God is absolute truth. Over the course of the last several decades there have been studies and survey's by Christian organizations that have shown that over 80% of adult Americans that consider themselves Christians write their own Bibles. If they believed in the Bible being the absolute Word of God, they would have so much reverence for the truth they would not dream of writing their own Bibles. That is tantamount to creating God in our image and likeness instead of allowing God to transform us back into His likeness and image. Talk about idolatry.

I'm not trying to condemn American Christians. I'm just trying to make us aware of the situation, because it has dire ramifications. If all people, we as Christians should pursue the truth. As most of us know, Jesus proclaimed Himself as “the Truth.”

“Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” John 14:6 King James Version.

Think about how absolute that statement is. It is either true or it is not. There is no wiggle room. Jesus is making an absolutely astounding statement. As mentioned, it is either true or it is not. If it is not, Jesus is a raving lunatic. How could anyone even consider Him a great teacher or a wonderful philosopher making such a statement if it were not true. All through the Gospel of John, Jesus makes statements about Himself that are unquestionably absolute. The thing is, is what He is saying true or not. All through the Gospel of John, Jesus makes statements starting with “I Am...” God the Father revealed Himself in the Old Testament to Moses as, “I Am Who I Am.” Jesus was revealing His Oneness with the Father by saying, “I Am.” For such statements for Jesus to make and allow Himself to be gruesomely tortured and crucified, and not be speaking the truth would mean He was off the charts insane.

For John the apostle and the other apostles to preach the Gospel, and not only speak of Jesus' resurrection, but actually say that they witnessed Him alive after His crucifixion would make them insane as well. Most of the apostles died excruciating deaths spreading the Gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Let us now get into Pilate's question to Jesus.

“They led Jesus therefore from Caiaphas into the Praetorium (the governor's official residence) and it was early; and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium in order that they might not be defiled, but might eat the Passover. Pilate therefore went out to them, and said, 'What accusation do you bring against this Man?' They answered and said to him, 'If this Man were not and evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.' Pilate therefore said to them, 'Take Him yourselves, and judge Him according to your law.' The Jews said to him 'We are not permitted to put anyone to death,' that the word of Jesus might be fulfilled, which He spoke signifying by what kind of death He was about to die.

Pilate therefore entered again into the Praetorium, and summoned Jesus, and said to Him, 'Are you the King of the Jews?' Jesus answered, 'Are you saying this on your own initiative, or did others tell you about Me?' Pilate answered, 'I am not a Jew, am I? Your own nation and chief priests delivered You up to me; what have You done?' Jesus answered, 'My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom from this world, then my servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm.' Pilate therefore said to Him, 'So You are a king?' Jesus answered, 'You say correctly that I am a king. For this I have been born, and for this I have come into the world, to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.'” John 18:28-37 New American Standard Bible.

When Jesus made the statement, “Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice,” the words, of the truth are meaning, everyone that is of a desire to know the truth, or is a lover of the truth, will hear His voice.

If we are Christians, our heart posture should be that we desire to know the truth. That we be a lover of the truth. When we desire the truth and love the truth, regardless of where the truth leads us, regardless of the pain we may feel due to the truth at times, then and only the can we hear His voice. To desire to know the truth and to love the truth is a choice.

So many people in the body of Christ keep saying how much they want unity. Many approach unity as, “we will agree to disagree,” lay down our differences and be unified on common ground. However, that is not how truth operates. That is not true unity. There are doctrines in which many Christians are diametrically opposed to one another, thinking that the way to have unity is to just lay aside our beliefs. Again that is not true unity. The truth is, someone has the truth and someone does not. It should never be about proving that our point is right and the other point is wrong. To have true unity means each of us has to as Jesus said, desire to know the truth, to love the truth so that we may hear His voice. So when we come together, we should help one another find out what the truth is. That will bring about unity. It takes patience and it takes work. Above all, it takes Christ like love.

“Pilate said to Him, 'What is truth?'” John 18:38 New American Standard Bible.

In today's climate, America, politically, culturally and religiously not many have a desire to know the truth, or to be a lover of the truth. We have adapted a viewpoint of truth being relative. You have your truth and I have my truth. Look around and see what is happening in our nation, even among Christians. I ask you, how is that working? It is very hard to find the truth in the news media, or in history books, science, colleges, etc, because most people are only interested in “my truth.”

When Pilate asked Jesus, “What is truth?” many scholars do not believe he was jesting, or even interested in knowing the truth himself. Most scholars believe that as Pilate looked upon Jesus, he viewed Jesus as one of many philosophers and thinkers of that time period that spoke about truth and reigning. They were wandering dreamers. It was likely that Pilate was sick of the different philosophies and religions that were prevalent during that time, that the question Pilate asked was more out of the thought, “Here we go again.”

Of course, with Jesus, desiring to know the truth and being a lover of the truth is more than pursuing a set of ideals and principles. In the case of Jesus, desiring to know the truth and being a lover of the truth is the desire to know Jesus, and to be a lover of Jesus.

When I was younger, regarding debates, opinions or whatever, I had a drive to be right. I did my best to have the last word. Miraculously the Lord through the years has drawn me away from that. For me, now, it's not about having to be right. It's about knowing the truth, to my own hurt if need be. I far more value the truth than the value of being right.

Several years ago, while I was preaching during a church service, I made the statement, “We have to go back to believing the Word of God for what it says, and take God at His Word, even with what we may find hard to understand.” As soon as those words left my lips, I knew the tests were coming. As long as I have had a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, at times it has been very difficult to believe God at His Word, even with all the times God has proven Himself loving and faithful over and over and over again. These tests have been more than worth it.

What will cause the next great revival to be the greatest revival in history is for all of us to value the truth of the Word of God. We need to need to come to the place of believing the Word of God, the Bible, and take God at His word like never before. We need to value knowing the truth more than the value of being right. To know the truth is to know Jesus, not to just know about Him. And to know Jesus is to be made free.

Resurrection by Paul Camuti 02/28/2025

With the last throes of winter hanging on to some extent, and the month of March coming up, most people are looking ahead to spring. Although here in Oklahoma we are in what is infamously called, “Tornado Alley,” most of the people still pine for the rebirth of life that spring so much symbolizes.

The things that looked dead during the winter months come back to life. They resurrect. The dry brown dead looking grass becomes green again. Lifeless looking tress whose branches are bare start coming forth with lively looking green leaves. Flowers begin to bloom. Not many things can compare to a warm spring day with a gentle breeze, blue skies and bright sunshine. Life just seems to burst forth in the spring.

Although Easter is not during the month of March this year, the first day of spring always is. Even if the first day of spring is not very spring like as sometimes happens, we still know it is spring and the winter is pretty much a thing of the past. In effect, we have passed from death to life.

Ever since I began my relationship with Jesus, the event in the Bible that captures me the most is when Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead. I'm sure many would be shocked that I feel that way about Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead as compared to His birth. I understand that. Without Jesus birth, there would be no resurrection. However, with no resurrection there would be no point to Jesus' birth. He was born in order to remove sin from us and take it upon Himself, be judged by Father God for all humanity for all time. He died and was judged by the Father as if He were the most reprobate, despicable human to ever live. Jesus then rose from the dead so that whosoever believes on Him would not just one day go to heaven, but to also receive His resurrection power so that we could live as He did. The Gospel is about the King of the Kingdom of Heaven, Jesus Christ. The Kingdom is that we not only go to if we pass away before Jesus returns, but a Kingdom that we are to advance here on earth until Jesus returns for His glory.

The point I'm trying to convey here is that Jesus resurrecting from the dead was so that He could give us His power to do as He did in order to advance the Kingdom of God/Heaven. That is what the “Great Commission” is all about.

“And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, 'All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you...'” Matthew 28:18-20 NASB (New American Standard Bible).

The wording of the “Great Commission” shows it is not about just getting people saved to go to heaven when they pass on. Making disciples is causing people who get saved to become like Jesus as we become like Jesus. He said to make disciples of all nations. Sounds like advancing the Kingdom of God/Heaven on earth to me. Jesus also said, “teaching them to observe all I commanded you...” The words teaching and disciple are interchangeable words.

Jesus also said, “it is enough fo the disciple that he become as his teacher...” Matthew 10:25 NASB.

Jesus Himself said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these shall he do because I go to the Father.” John 14:12 NASB. How clear can that be? We can do greater works because Jesus went back to the Father. Interestingly enough, Jesus made this statement after He had risen Lazarus from the dead. None of what has just been mentioned would not be possible without the resurrection.

When Jesus was on His way to Jerusalem he had found out that His dear friend, Lazarus was ill. The Scripture mentioned that Jesus loved Lazarus, and his sisters, Mary and Martha. Yet, although Jesus heard the news of Lazarus' illness, He stayed where he was at for two more days. Most of us would think that's a peculiar way of showing love.

As Jesus then starts to make His way to go the Lazarus, He receives news that Lazarus had died. Martha arrives to where Jesus was at and spoke with Him.

“Martha therefore said to Jesus, 'Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.' Jesus said to her, 'Your brother shall rise again.' Martha said to Him, 'I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.' Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me shall live even if he dies.'” John 11:20-25 NASB.

Jesus declared Himself as being the resurrection and the life. He is the personification of the resurrection power. When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives and allow Him to do a transformative work in us by the resurrection power of the Holy Spirit, it not only changes us, but as we become more like Him, we can be more effective in advancing the Kingdom of God/Heaven.

“Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that as Christ was raised from the dead through the gloryof the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection...” Romans 6:3-5 NASB.

Paul the apostle who wrote these verses in the epistle of Romans, stressed the importance of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15.

“Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, and your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all most men to be pitied. But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits, of those who are asleep.” 1 Corinthians 15:12-20 NASB.

It is the resurrection the proves Jesus is the Son of God. It is us yielding to the power of the Holy Spirit that proves Jesus has risen and is indeed the Son of God.

“And so when they had come together, they were asking Him, saying, 'Lord is it at this time You are restoring the kingdom to Israel?' He said to them, 'It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, even to the remotest part of the earth.'” Acts 1:6-8 NASB.

The word for witness, in which Jesus told His disciples to be His witnesses, has in it's meaning to testify of the truth, to be proof and evidence. The best way to be His proof and evidence is for us to have such a deep intimate relationship with Him, that we are His proof and evidence that He resurrected from the dead, that He is alive, and the proof that He is alive is that His transformative power resides in us. It is His life in us, and exhibited through us that proves His resurrection. I'll tell you, I am as much challenged by what I am writing as you may be as you read this. Do not come under condemnation if you feel that you have fallen short. God is not a God of condemnation. He is a God of love, and a God of conviction. He does not convict to show us how badly we fall short. Father God's conviction is always redemptive.

As spring once again brings about life, we should keep in mind the resurrection and how it relates to us. It is God's gift to us through the Lord Jesus Christ. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

God's Truth is Marching On by Paul Camuti 01/31/2025

A few days or weeks ago, I forget as to whether it was at a church service or if it was during an event that I was watching on the television, the Battle Hymn of the Republic was sung. I can remember singing it at times during assemblies in elementary school. Of course I always related the hymn to the Civil War in which the Union Army used as their anthem. Being in elementary school I never paid much attention to the lyrics. I did love the rhythm, though.

Being a movie buff, I also heard it in several movies. Even as an adult I did not pay much attention to the lyrics because I loved the rhythm so much. Thinking about it, it was somewhat strange that I wouldn't pay much attention to the lyrics seeing how in the past I have written lyrics to some songs. I would also focus on the lyrics as much as the rhythm when I'd listen to rock 'n roll back in the day. I focus on the lyrics in praise and worship music.

When I recently heard the Battle Hymn of the Republic, although I once again got caught up in the rhythm, one line of the lyrics really hit me. The last line in the last stanza is, “While God is marching on.” When I heard that line, a flood of thoughts came rushing in like a torrent. I decided to look at the lyrics and they are truly amazing when you consider how the lyrics line up with what the Bible says about God and truth. I'm not going to put all the lyrics here, but I am going to put the most pertinent lyrics that really stirred me.

“Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on. Let the Hero, born of woman, crush the serpent with His heel, Since God is marching on. Glory, glory hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah, Since God is marching on. In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born across the sea, With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me; As He died to make men holy, Let us die to make men free, While God is marching on. Glory, glory, hallelujah! Glory, glory, hallelujah, Glory, glory, hallelujah! While God is marching on.”

In chorus immediately following the first stanza, as we just read, it says “Glory, glory, hallelujah! His truth is marching on.” As most, if not all of us know, hallelujah means Praise the Lord. The hymn is declaring to us to Praise the Lord in relation to His truth marching on. The hallel part of hallelujah means to Praise by making a show, to boast, to be clamorously foolish to the Lord for His truth to be marching on. In other words, if we can go crazy and get excited over sporting events like the World Series or the Super Bowl, we should go crazy and get excited praising the Lord for Who He is and for His truth to be marching on.

This hymn also alludes to Jesus crushing satan's head with His heel which Jesus did at the cross. As this hymn alludes to, because Jesus crushed satan's head at the cross, God is marching on. Like the Word of God says in 1 John 3:8b, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil.” Sounds to me like the serpent's head has been crushed. Some might say, “Well if the devil's head is crushed and destroyed the devil's works, how come so much evil is going on?” All I can say is that if God's Word doesn't apear to be happening according to what it says, the problem isn't God's Word. The problem is that we're not believing or being persuaded that God's Word is absolutely true. It has become convenient to blame it on the so called “the end times.”

Because Jesus destroyed the works of the devil, we should be making a show, boasting and acting clamorously foolish and excited that God is marching on. Because Jesus died to make us holy by making us free from sin, we are able to die to self, live for God to make others free. That is something else to Praise the Lord about-making a show, boasting and acting clamorously foolish, crazy and excited over what God has done through Jesus Christ. By His glory He transfigures you and me, as we yield to His Holy Spirit, Word, and embrace His glory.

I love that the hymn ends with While God is marching on. To hear some preachers and Christians it sounds more like the devil is marching on. The truth and the reality is, it is God Who is marching on. His truth is marching on because God is marching on.

This hymn is related to the fight to set the slaves free. Battle Hymn of the Republic is as relevent today as it was during the Civil War. There is a battle going on in which as Christians we have already been set free from the slavery of sin having become a new creation, but now the battle is that our souls-our mind, will and emotions, are being set free as we renew our minds by believing God's Word and allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us by His power and His Word. Here are some Scriptures regarding Father God, Jesus and truth.

Psalm 100:5, “For the Lord is good; His mercy is everlasting; and His truth endureth to all generations.” (His truth is marching on)!

Jeremiah 4:2, “And thou shalt swear, The Lord liveth, in truth, in judgment, and in righteousness; and the nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him they shall glory.” (God is marching on)!

John 1:14, “And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.”

John 14:6, “Jesus saith unto him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.'”

John 8:31-32, “Then Jesus said to those Jews which believed on Him, 'If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.'”

Despite all of the calamity that has been going on in the world and in America particularly, revival has been breaking out throughout America, especially on college and university campuses. Revivals are also beginning to break out in other nations around the world as well. Jesus sits upon His throne on the right hand of the Father. As several Scriptures show, His Kingdom, which began at the time of the Roman Empire, is an everlasting Kingdom which cannot be destroyed. King Jesus cannot be usurped, cannot be dethroned, nor can He be overthrown. Jesus not only has all authority in heaven, He has all authority on earth as well. Jesus Himself said as much in the Gospels. God's truth, and God Himself is marching on. We need believe and be persuaded about this truth like never before. Amen. Love & God bless, Pastor Paul.

Roaring Like a Lion by Paul Camuti 01/01/2025

“And they will walk after the Lord, He will roar like a lion; Indeed He will roar...” Hosea 11:10

Back in February 1988, the Lord spoke something to my heart that appears to have growing significance for this upcoming year of 2025. It was a bitter cold, wet, rainy day. I was driving on one of the busy streets in south Tulsa, not thinking about anything in particular other than what a dreary day it was when the Lord spoke to my heart, “On My agenda is to restore the Christian Church in America to the way My church moved in My power in the book of Acts.”

Since that time there was a significant revivals in the mid 1990's through approximately 2000. Although there were various revivals during that time period throughout The United States and Canada, the two more prominent revivals were in Toronto, Ontario, Canada and Pensacola, Florida. The revival that happened in Toronto had impact on the church I was one of the pastors at. I went to the Toronto Airport Christian Church in 1996 and 1998. It was definitely a legitimate outpouring of God's Holy Spirit. I don't say things like that lightly.

After around 2000, though, nothing much seemed to happen by way of revival. A few years back, however, God began to speak to my heart about revival. He began to stir in my heart about how His Church moved in the book of Acts again. The Lord spoke to my heart that this next revival, outpouring, whatever name you want to tag it with, would make Pentecost, the first and second Great Awakenings in America, the Welch Revival, Azuza Street, revivals of the late 1940's into the 1950's, the Jesus Revolution revival of the late 1960's, the Charismatic revival of the 1970's and the the 1990 revivals combined would look like a mere backyard July 4th celebration in comparison. Not that those previous revivals had no significance, they all most certainly did. However, all of them combined will not come close to the significance of what is about to happen. Additionally there have been many more ministers, known and unknown speaking of a third Great Awakening in our nation that is going to be historic beyond measure. There will be a historic world wide revival as well.

A few days ago while I was spending time in prayer, the Lord put on my heart to look up 2025 in my Strong's Concordance to see what it means. I received the impression that it had to do with what the Lord is going to be doing in 2025.

The Strongs Concordance number 2025 for the Greek New Testament is the word epichrio. It means to smear over anything. It is part of another Greek word, chrio which means to anoint. With the prefix epi it actually means to over-anoint. It is also used to mean as enduing Christians with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. In light of this we have to take into consideration some things which will tell us what God has in-store for His people, the Church/the body of Christ.

In the Gospel of Luke 4:18-19, Jesus read from the Prophet Isaiah, saying, “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the Gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

Of course, Jesus was smeared all over by the Holy Spirit. Whether called the Christ or the Messiah, He is Jesus the Anointed One. He is Jesus smeared all over with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit has smeared Him all over with the power of the Holy Spirit.

Now, consider this. When Jesus prayed to Father God on the way to the garden of Gethsemane, He said, “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on Me through their word; that they also may be one in Us: that the world may believe that Thou has sent Me. And the glory which Thou gavest Me I have given them; that they may be one, even as We are One: I in them, and Thou in Me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that Thou sent Me, and hast loved them, as Thou hast loved Me.” John 17:20-23

Keep in mind, that Jesus, the Anointed One, is speaking of us being in Him, and the Father, and Him and the Father being in us. Of course the Holy Spirit is in us, as Jesus mentions in John chapters 14, 15 and 16.

Also consider, Colossians 1:27 which says, “To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you the hope of glory.”

Let us look at another Scripture and then put what the Lord is speaking all together.

Revelation 5:5, “...and one of the elders said to me, 'Stop weeping; behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.'”

What does all of this have to do with 2025 and roaring like a lion? I'm glad you asked.

As mentioned earlier, 2025 in the New Testament Greek is epichrio which means to smear over anything. It is part of another Greek word, chrio which means to anoint, and it is used as enduing Christians with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Epi combined with chrio essentially means to over-anoint. We have also shown that Jesus Christ the Anointed One dwells in us, and us in Him as well as Father God and Holy Spirit. This means that we, as the body of Christ are smeared all over with the anointing. All that Jesus had available to Him to do as He did on earth resides within us as well.

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go to the Father.” John 14:12

Scripture shows us that the Lord is likened unto a lion that roars (Hosea 11:10) and that Jesus is called the Lion of the tribe of Judah in Revelation 5:5. Since this is so, we have the Spirit of the Lord, dwelling in us that roars like a lion. Put all of this together and I believe what the Lord is getting at, is that the Lord, Jesus the Anointed One who is in us, is desiring to move through us in a manner by which the anointing within us will be released in greater measure. The Lion of the tribe of Judah is going to roar through His people. When a lion roars, it gets the attention of who or whatever is around. This will bring revival in 2025 to the Church and our nation to a greater level of effectiveness.

How will this happen? It has to start with us as believers becoming more intimate with the Lord at a level like never before. It means spending time with Him in a manner by which we know Him more, not know more about Him.

When a man and a woman are drawn together in a love relationship that results in marriage, they spend as much time together as possible. It's not a relationship in which they know more about one another. It may start out that way, but then the relationship grows from knowing about each other to the point of knowing each other. The Bible is not for us to know about God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. It's for us to know God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. That is how Jesus defined eternal or everlasting life.

“And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Whom Thou hast sent.” John 17:3

The word know in that verse is a Greek word ginosko which means to get to know through effort and experience. It's not to know about, it's to know the person. The only way to know a person is in a relationship that you have experiences with. Any relationship worth having also takes effort, an effort to understand, an effort to love no matter what.

True love is to die for. That is why in marriage vows, the last phrase is, “Till death do us part.” Jesus epitomized that. He desires from us no less than that. Believe me, I'm just as challenged by writing this as you are reading it. To get to that requires itimacy on greater level with Him than we ever may have had before.

In John 3:30, John the Baptist said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” The way we become over anointed is for us to have the mind/attitude that John the Baptist had. The word increase means to become greater. The word decrease means to be made less or inferior: in dignity. We must allow Jesus the Christ to over anoint us by allowing Him to become greater in us, while we allow ourselves to be made less or inferior, in or with dignity. The more we know Him, the more we will love Him. The more we love Him, the more we will serve Him out of “want to” not out of “have to” or out of duty. I do things for my wife because I want to, not because I have to out of duty.

It is important that we realize that in Revelation 3:20, that Jesus is speaking to the Christian Church, not lost sinners when He said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup with him, and he with Me.”

Jesus is knocking at the door of our hearts. It's no enough just to hear His voice as He knocks. We need to open the door and let Him in. This isn't about simple salvation. This is about intimate relationship with Him. To dine with people in the culture of the time was an intimate setting. People reclined, relaxed and opened their hearts one to another. They developed relationship that grew to the level of knowing each other, not just knowing about each other.

To know each other, people make the time to spend with each other. We all probably know and realize that we need to make more time with the Lord, but for many of us (myself included) although well intentioned to make time with the Lord a priority, we wind up getting caught up with the busyness of life. The truth is there are things that may be important, but should they be a priority over spending time in His Word and in His Presence, on a personal level as well as a corporate level.

“Now it came to pass, as they went, that He entered into a certain vilage: and a woman named Martha received Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet, and heard His word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to Him and said, 'Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone?' Bid her therefore that she help me.' And Jesus answered and said unto her, 'Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.'”

Most of us are like Martha. We are careful and troubled about many things. Mary, on the other hand, sat at Jesus feet. However, Mary did not just sit at Jesus feet. Mary heard His word. Mary did not just hear what Jesus said. She did not just hear His voice. The word heard means to attend to, to consider what is or has been said.

Martha, to her credit apparently took heed to what Jesus said. After Jesus had risen her brother Lazarus from the dead, she, Lazarus, Mary and Jesus had dinner together. John 12:2 says, “There they made Him supper; and Martha served; but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with Him.”

Martha served, but she was not careful, cumbered, or trouble with many things. We as the body of Christ need to allow the Holy Spirit work in our hearts for us to sit at Jesus feet, so we can hear His word and then know what to do as we serve Him. As we priortize our intimate time with Him, we will hear what He has to say, we will grow more in love with Him, become over-anointed and knowing our part in the upcoming, historic outpouring of God's Spirit like never before. As we read in Hosea 11:10 we will walk after the Lord, He will roar like a lion, indeed He will roar.

Like the Newboys song says, “God's not dead, He is surely alive, He's living on the inside, roaring like a lion.” Love and God bless, and Happy New Year, Pastor Paul. Sit at His feet in intimacy and come out roaring like a lion in 2025.

‘Tis the Season by Paul Camuti 12/04/2024

We recently celebrated Thanksgiving in which officially begins the holiday season that includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years. I say “officially begins,” because many retailers start selling Christmas decorations a week or so prior to Halloween. Although Christmas decorations start showing up in stores, people do not generally focus on Christmas until right around Thanksgiving.

For many years growing up, and even into my late adulthood like most people, although Thanksgiving and Christmas are within the same holiday season, I viewed them as separate holidays. However, if you start to think about it Thanksgiving and Christmas are actually very much related to eachother.

Why do I say that? I'm glad you asked. Think about it (maybe you already have and I'm just catching up). Thanksgiving, for many is about giving Thanks to God for either blessing us or getting us through some ordeals in which we are thankful to Him for getting us through said ordeals. For most, Christmas is celebrated for the birth of Jesus Christ, prophetically called, Emmanuel-God with us. It is appropriate that the Thanksgiving holiday preceeds Christmas, because we especially give thanks for the birth of the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. This might sound cliche'd, but I truly mean this, if it weren't for the birth of Jesus, and my accepting Him into my life as Savior and Lord, I'm not so sure I would have made it to being 69 years young.

It is only within the last few years, I began thinking of Thanksgiving and Christmas as being inter-related for the very reason I mentioned above. Both holidays have God at the center of the celebrations (or at least He should be).

The first Thanksgiving was a celebration that was celebrated between the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. The leader of the Pilgrims was William Bradford, and the leader of the Wampanoag Indians was Massasoit. The renowned Squanto helped the Pilgrims plant corn, among other things. After a brutal winter of 1620 through 1621, many of the Pilgrims and settlers of Plymouth had died from sickness and startvation. However, with the help of Squanto and the Wampanoag's the Pilgrims were able to survive. Not only did they survive but God blessed them with an abundance of crops. The Pilgrims were also taught how to hunt deer and fish.

The Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians had a treaty which lasted 50 years. They were allies that came to each other's aid against other Indians that were common enemies to the Wampanoag's and the Pilgrims.

As stated, in 1621 God blessed the Pilgrims with abundance and they wanted to celebrate by giving thanks to God. Massasoit brought 90 Indians with him, with additional food. They all celebrated together for three days. The celebration was believed to be sometime between September 21 and November 9, 1621. William Brewster, who was a minister prayed, “We thank God for our homes and our food and our safety in a new land. We thank God for the opportunity to create a new world for freedom and justice.”

After the American War of Independence had been won against the British, 143 years after the Thanksgiving celebration of the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians, on October 18th 1783, Congress approved a proclamation for a day of prayer and thanksgiving. The proclamation was sent to all the states saying the following:

“Whereas it hath pleased the Supreme Ruler of all human events to dispose the hearts of the late belligerent powers to put a period to the effusion of human blood by proclaiming a cessation of all hostilities by sea and land, and these United States are not only happily rescued from the dangers and calamities to which they have been so long exposed, but their freedom, sovereignty and independence ultimately acknowledged. And whereas in the progress of a contest on which the most essential rights of human nature depended, the interpostion of Divine Providence in our favor hath been most abundantly and graciously manifested, and the citizens of these United States have every reason for praise and gratitude to the God of their salvation. Impressed, therefore, with an exalted sense of the blessings by which we are surrounded, and of our entire dependence on that Almighty Being from whose goodness and bounty are derived, the United States in Congress assembled, do recommend it to the several States...a day of public thanksgiving that all the people may then assemble and celebrate with grateful hearts and united voices the praises of their Supreme and all bountiful Benefactor for His numberless favors and mercies...and above all that He hath been pleased to continue to us the light of the blessed Gospel and secured to us in the fullest extent the rights of conscience in faith and worship.”

About 80 years later, President Abraham Lincoln, despite the Civil War still raging in 1863 declared a day of Thanksgiving. It came about as President Lincoln had received a letter from a 74 year old magazine editor named Sarah Josepha Hale. For many years she had tried to get several of President Lincoln's predecessors to have Thanksgiving celebrated nationally on the same day annually. President Lincoln was the only one to respond to her letter. In previous years, Thanksgiving was celebrated by Northern states and New England on varying dates. President Lincoln made a proclamation for the last Thursday of November to be, “A day of Thanksgiving and Praise.” The proclamation said the following:

“Washington, D.C.
October 3, 1863

By the President of the United States of America.

A Proclamation.

The year that is drawing towards its close, has been filled with the blessings of fruitful fields and healthful skies. To these bounties, which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added, which are of so extraordinary a nature, that they cannot fail to penetrate and soften even the heart which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. In the midst of a civil war of unequalled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign States to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere except in the theatre of military conflict; while that theatre has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the fields of peaceful industry to the national defence, have not arrested the plough, the shuttle or the ship; the axe has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than heretofore. Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquillity and Union.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington, this Third day of October, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, and of the Independence of the United States the Eighty-eighth.”

These are just a very few of the examples showing that in early America, God and His bestowed blessings were at the center of the celebration of Thanksgiving as much or even more so than anything else that occurred during the celebration. And notice, there was also included “humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience,” and a calling out to God for the healing of the wounds of our nation.

I am thankful for so many things, I could not be able to begin to number them. I am of course so very thankful for my wife, family and friends. I am thankful for the many blessings God has bestowed upon me. I am thankful for His faithfulness to bring me through the various trials and tribulations that sometimes this world and the devil hurls at me. But most of all, I am thankful for the One God sent to me (us) for the very reason we celebrate Christmas. On December 8, 1975 I accepted Jesus Christ into my life as Savior and Lord. It truly was the most important decision I made in my life. If I had not made that decision, I would not have my beautiful wife Deborah, my children and grandchildren, the people I have crossed paths with throughout the 49 years of my Born Again life.

I love the whole Bible, (though I do admit, Leviticus and Ecclesiastes are two books I struggle with while reading). My favorite books of the Bible are a tie between the Gospel of John and the book of Acts. My favorite verse is John 1:12 which reads, “But as many as received Him (Jesus), to them gave He power to become the sons (children) of God, even to them that believe on His name.”

The word power in this verse is a Greek word, exousia. It is delegated authority, which also means, the liberty and the right to put forth power. Anyone who receives Jesus Christ into their lives is given the liberty and the right to put forth the power to become the children of God. In the book of Romans, the Apostle Paul states that as children of God we are heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). If not for the birth of Jesus Christ, and what He accomplished for us through His life, sacrificial death, and His resurrection, I don't believe there would be anything else worth giving thanks for.

Anyone who comes across this article that has a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I hope this gives all of us something to think earnestly about, and puts Thanksgiving/Christmas in another perspective. I know that these reflections has given me a deeper appreciation for what we celebrate at this time of year.

If anyone who comes across this article does not have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, I pray that you would take the time to seriously ponder what has been written here, and that you would open up your heart to receive Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, receiving the liberty and right to put forth power to become a child of God, heirs of God and joint heirs with Jesus Christ. I hope you have all had a beautiful Thanksgiving, and will have a joyous Christmas celebration. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

Do it Again, Lord! By Paul Camuti 10/28/2024

Back in the mid 1990's revivals broke out across the United States of America, and Canada. The most notable revivals were in Pensacola, Florida, and Toronto, Canada. There were others in Kansas City, Kansas, Baltimore, Maryland, but those revivals for what ever reason were less notable. The revivals in Pensacola and Toronto actually caught the eye of the news media. Most of the coverage was objective. In fact, media from all over Europe went to Toronto to cover the revival, and dubbed it the Toronto Blessing. Pastors John and Carol Arnott called it the Father's Blessing. John Arnott actually wrote a book about it that I would highly recommend.

After a few years, things seemed to die down regarding revival. Over the past few decades church attendance was steadily declining. Since around 2019, however, I started getting impressed in my heart that God was about to move again in revival. The impression I received was that the next revival was going to be historic in its magnitude. This revival is going to dwarf Pentecost, The Welch Revival, Great Awakenings 1 & 2, the Azuza Street Revival, the revivals of the 1940's and 1950's, the Jesus Revolution Revival of the late 1960's and early 1970's, which also involved the Charismatic movements of that same period, all combined.

During 2019 I found that many others, well known ministers and some not so known, were sensing the same thing. Many were saying in America it would be the Third Great Awakening. However, this is not only about America. It is believed this next powerful movement of God is going to sweep around the entire world like never before. Some are calling it a Last Day revival. To be honest, although I believe in the Second Coming of Christ, and I do believe in The Last Day in which Jesus is referencing it as the Resurrection Day in the Gospel of John chapter eleven, I do not believe it is a Last Day revival. I believe that this next historic revival will advance the Kingdom of God to an extent the world has not seen before. The influence of the Holy Spirit of that advance in cultures and societies will be incalculable. That, however is a topic for another time.

A praise and worship song that was done by the Toronto Airport Christian Fellowship worship team was titled, Do it Again, Lord. It was a song about God moving the way He did in the book of Acts in the Bible. Rest assured, God is about to do it again, but on a much larger scale.

From February 8, 2023 through February 24, 2023, sixteen straight days of revival hit the Asbury University in Wilmore Kentucky. College students, and people of all ages and backgrounds from all over the country came to Asbury University in Wilmore, Kentucky. Praise and worship went on. Students were confessing and repenting of sin to one another, healings were taking place, people would share testimonies of what the Holy Spirit was doing. People were giving their lives to Jesus Christ. There was no agenda. No known ministers spoke at it, because the people of Asbury University wanted to give liberty to the Holy Spirit of God to move. What I am describing here does not do justice to what the articles that I read about happening in the revival.

Sad to say, eventually the revival waned because of nay sayers, primarily and unfortunately from various circles within Christianity. It seemed like the anticipated revival stalled.

Then came 2024. Revival has been breaking out throughout America on secular college campuses. In Ohio State University, many of the football players on the nationally ranked team accepted Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. They also got baptized. Florida State University, considered the second biggest party college in the nation, have had hundreds of students accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Many of those who accepted Jesus Christ got baptized in a fountain on the campus known for where those who were partying and got drunk, would get dunked. Pastor J.P. Palkuda a Baptist pastor from Waco Texas, is an organizer and speaker for Unite Us that is going on college campuses holding revival events. Other colleges hit with revival are Auburn, and Alabama. To me, it is incredible how the news media has no television coverage on this at all. That should tell you all you need to know about how corrupt our national news media has become.

In October 2024, other revival events have taken place in Mississippi State, Ole Miss, Florida University, and Texas A&M. Arkansas University held a revival in Bud Walton Arena where the Arkansas Razorback basketball team plays. It has been reported that 10,000 college students from 67 different universities came together to worship Jesus Christ. At Florida University 6,000 students showed up and 1,000 students accepted Jesus Christ into their lives.

There is more. This past October 12th, an organization, A Million Women, an Esther Call, founded by Francis Frangipane a few years ago, held a revival event on the Capitol Mall in Washington DC. There was an estimated crowd of 400,000-that's right, 400,000 people that prayed, praised and worshipped Jesus Christ for 10 plus hours. Men, women, young and old, many denominations, white, black, American Indians, Chinese Americans, Hispanics, all races and creeds came together. There were ministers that are known, and ministers unknown that spoke. There were prayers of repentance, prayers for forgiveness of injustices between the races, prayers for America, prayers for other nations. There were prayers for the healing of America and other nations as well. Simultaneously 53 nations around the world also held the same type of revival event. I cannot conceive of how the national television news media completely ignored an event where there were 400,000 participants, and the fact it was also a world wide event. Again, this should tell you of how corrupt the media has become.

We can see that in 2024, revival is beginning to pick up steam. This is just the beginning. This is just the tip of the iceberg. God is doing it again. It's going to blow our minds. And the nay sayers, those who are unfortunately Christian and otherwise will not be able to stop it. Do it again, Lord. Amen. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

A Prayer for the Christian Church and America by Paul Camuti 9/28/2024

A few weeks ago on a Friday morning at about 4 a.m. I woke up. I couldn't get back to sleep as I was under the impression that the Lord wanted me to get up and spend time with Him. I got the sense that it was not about me just spending time with Him just to get into His Presense as I often do (but usually later in the day, not at 4 a.m.). I got the distinct feeling He was to speak something to my heart.

When I got to my desk in my home office, I sat down and put on some soft worship music to aid my focus on Him. However, the Lord moved upon my heart to stop the music. He then spoke to my heart to read the prophet Daniel. I had been reading Daniel, as I have been reading through the books of the Bible alphabetically. It just so happens I was up to Daniel chapter 9. I did not remember the content of Daniel 9. The Lord knew the content of Daniel chapter 9 and it was no coincidence that He had me read it at that time.

Daniel chapter 9 was Daniel praying for the people of Israel. Israel had been in captivity to the Babylonian Empire for 70years. God warned the people of Israel over and over and over again that if they did not stop practicing their idolatry-the worshiping of pagan gods, in which the “worship” services of the gods typically involved perverted sexual activities, and sometimes child sacrifices, they were going to be conquered by the Babylonians. King Nebuchadnezzar eventually conquered Israel, destroying the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. Many of the Jewish inhabitants were scattered throughout the Babylonian Empire.

After 70 years, the Medes/Persians led by King Cyrus conquered the Babylonians. Cyrus made a decree allowing the Jewish people to return to Israel to rebuild the Temple and the city of Jerusalem. It was in effect, the beginning of a revival that involved repentance, revival, rededication, reformation and transformation.

The first thing the priests and the people did was to rebuild the altar (where sacrifices to God would be made) signifying the repentance of the people, on its original site. After that the foundation of the Temple was laid. The priests and the people were so desirous to re-establish their relationship to God, when they reinstated the Feast of Tabernacles, they actually began the sacrifices day and night 15 days before the feast was actually to begin. When the foundation was laid, there was praise and worship to God, and they were so loud in their expression of praise and worship to Him, that it is written in Ezra 3:13, “The joyful shouting and weeping mingled together in a loud noise that would be heard far in the distance.”

Unfortunately, there was an interupption of the revival. Local people, who were primarily Samaritans that had moved into the area of Judah during the Babylonian Empire began to oppose the rebuilding of the Temple and the city. Initially, the Israelites did not allow the opposition to stop them, but over time as the opposition increased, out of fear they stopped rebuilding the Temple. After a while the Israelites became apathetic as well. The Temple went untouched for 17 years.

It was at this time, during the first year of King Darius of the Medes/Persians that Daniel having read Jeremiah's prophesy of the return of the Jewish people to Jerusalem after 70 years, and aware that it had been 17 years that the Temple was untouched, fasted and prayed to the Lord. Daniel's prayer turned out to be the undercurrent for revival to restart.

As I read Daniel's prayer, God placed on my heart to adapt the prayer for the Christian Church in America and America itself. At the church I pastor with my wife Deborah, I recently started a series, Revival History: From Israel to America. I had done a series on prayer that lasted 19 weeks in which it was stressed that prayer is the undercurrent for revival. That is seen all throughout Scripture, as well as historically. Revival typically begins to happen when people begin to pray, individually, and corporately as a church, or in groups of Christians, and as a nation. The first element of prayer is to call out to God in repentance. Even if we may feel “we're good,” we need to open our hearts to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal to us any “secret fault” or, “if there be any wicked way in me,” as David mentions in the Psalms. Daniel's prayer epitomizes that. He confesses his sin, even though throughout the book of Daniel we see him as a very loyal and devout lover of God. When we open our hearts to God in repentance, throwing ourselves at His mercy, God begins to move in conviction, revival, restoration, reformation and transformation. As I adapt Daniels prayer for the Christian Church in America, and our nation itself, I ask that as you read this, you would make this your prayer as well. We are at a very critical point as individuals in the body of Christ, as a corporate body of Christ, and as a nation-spiritually and historically. Don't just pray it here, pray it with regularity.

Oh Lord, our God, we plead with you. We humble ourselves before You and declare that You are a great and awesome God! You always fulfill and keep your promises of unfailing love to those who love You and chose to walk in Your ways. But we have sinned and done wrong. We have rebelled against You and scorned Your Word by many of us no longer believing that Your Son is the only way to salvation. Many of us now do not believe that there is a Holy Spirit. Eighty percent of us write our own Bibles, in effect creating You in our likeness and image as opposed to allowing You by Your Holy Spirit to create us in Your likeness and image. Although there have been ministers that have misrepresented Your Word, there also have been true ministers of Your word we have not listened to. Lord, You are in the right; but as You see, our faces are covered with shame. This is true of all of us, including the people of Your Church and all America. Our nation has been consumed with all kinds of chaos because we have sinned against You. We have been disloyal to You. Our ministers, our congregations, our political, governmental, judicial, educational leaders have become corrupt, and we have allowed it.

But You, Oh Lord God are a merciful and forgiving God. Lord, in view of all Your faithful mercies, please here our cry to You. Your Word says if we confess our sins, You are faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us with the blood of Jesus Christ, Your Son from all sin and unrighteousness.

Oh Lord God, hear our prayer. Listen as we plead. For Your own namesake, Lord, smile again on Your people and America. Oh Lord, hear. Oh Lord, forgive. Oh Lord, listen and act! For Your own namesake, do not delay, Oh Lord God, for Your people and for this nation. We pray this in the mighty name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, Amen.

"Overthrow" by Paul Camuti 09/14/2024

I do not consider myself a prophet, but there are times when I have moved prophetically, more so in dreams and sometimes in visions. But every now and then the Lord speaks to my heart about things that will happen. This has been going on and off since 2001. I did not have the liberty from the Lord to share them, but I do have the liberty to share what God has spoken to my heart yesterday and today.

Just a few moments ago I read a post on FB that my dear sister-in-law put up. It was a lengthy message, but it was all true. In summary, it is about how evil has invaded our nation, how upside down everything is. In short, it was basically about, what the Word of God says, "evil being called good, and good being called evil."

I reiterate, I read her post just a few minutes ago. The first word I received from the Lord was yesterday, and the second, which goes in line with the first word, I read today in Scripture while at the church I pastor, praying and setting the atmosphere for tomorrow's service.

Yesterday while I was praying and worshipping the Lord, He spoke to my heart and said this: "Look to Me, My people, look to Me. I will overthrow the wicked who think they can overthrow Me. I laugh at them and hold them in scorn. I AM the Lord God and there is none like Me. Look to Me and see what I will do. I will spare those who repent, but those who have the audacity to believe the will go on in their years thinking they can continue in their wickedness, they will be as Pharaoh and the Egyptians at the Red Sea, when the Red Sea came crashing down on them. I will spare this nation, but I will not spare the wicked. I AM the Lord of heavens armies and I AM about to unleash My army to overthrow and rout the wicked. It will happen. It will manifest in the time that I choose. Be patient, have faith and persevere. I have spoken and it will come to pass. You shall see it."

As mentioned, the second word I received was while I was to the church I pastor, praying and worshipping. The Lord led me to Daniel chapter four. I did not remember specifically what Daniel chapter four was about.

King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon was warned in a dream, which Daniel interpreted, that if he remained in pride and did not repent of his sin, he was going to be driven away from mankind and live like a wild animal until King Nebuchadnezzar recognized that the Most High God is the one Who rules. Daniel went on to warn King Nebuchadnezzar by saying, "Break away from your sins now by doing righteousness, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, in case there may be a prolonging of your prosperity."

Apparently, King Nebuchadnezzar dismissed the interpretation and the warning. One year later, he was on the roof of his palace saying, "Is this not Babylon the great, which I myself have built as a royal residence by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?" As King Nebuchadnezzar spoke these things, a voice came from heaven that said, "King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from you..." and he was driven from mankind, and lived among the wild beasts for seven years.

At the end of the seven years, King Nebuchadnezzar lifted his eyes to heaven, and his reason returned to him. Needless to say, he blessed, "The Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever." He went on to say, "For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, and His kingdom endures from generation to generation."

I could not get myself to think it was a coincidence that I read this passage of Scripture from Daniel chapter four today, and yesterday I received what the Lord spoke to my heart. Who ever reads this, if you decide this is what the Lord is speaking, or if you do not believe it, I take no offence. Whatever you decide about this is and will be between you and God, not you and me. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

“Back to the Beginning,” By Paul Camuti 08/12/2024

I am not one who lives in the past. Yes, I do have memories that I cherish. There are certain times, events, and people that I sometimes wish I could have and see again, or be with. However, I don't live in the past. I don't stay in the past. As to the future, I do not live in the future either. True, sometimes I have anticipation for the future, I think about what I do in the present that could lead to what I would desire to happen in the future, but I don't live there.

Despite what I am saying here, for about the past year or so, I have been remembering the early days of my relationship with Jesus Christ. As I have mentioned in earlier articles, I accepted Jesus into my life in December of 1975, approximately three months shy of my twenty-first birthday. Days after I accepted God's gift of salvation, there were several prayers that were answered in the manner I had requested Him answer them.

In 1976, I was baptized in the power of the Holy Ghost in quite a miraculous manner and baptized in water in the same month of May. That baptism also had a miraculous event that happened. To get into each of those would take too much time. I've written about them before.

Also in 1976 I met numerous dear friends that to this day remain close to my heart. One of them became my wife a mere three years later. What triggered my reflecting on the early days of my relationship with Jesus was when the film, The Jesus Revolution was released. It was the actual story of a tremendous revival that took place in Californina in the 1970's. The main characters were Pastor Greg Laurie, and Lonnie Frisbee. At the time period of the film, Greg Laurie was a teenager who eventually accepted Jesus Christ into his life due to the influence of Lonnie Frisbee who was an evangelistic type that had been a hippie. It is a very well done, moving film.

While the Jesus Revolution was occurring in California, what was known as the Charismatic Movement was occurring on the east coast, most notably in New York. My wife Deborah and I, and many of our Christian friends of that time were the products (for lack of a better term) of that movement.

After seeing the film, and watching it about three times since initially seeing it, I found myself yearning for those days. There was an innocence of that time that resonates within my heart to this day. When I say innocence, by that I mean, literally, everything actually was brand new in life to myself, and to everyone I knew at that time. We were in our early twenties, and although we were young, we were also somewhat cynical for our age. We were aware of what was going on in the civil rights movement. The Vietnam War was going on. There were protests against the war, some were peaceful, others were violent. Radical groups were bombing police stations. Watergate happened. President Nixon had to resign. Chaos seemed to be non stop.

Yet, in the middle of it all, God was moving in this nation. And those of us who accepted Jesus went from being cynical to seeing and experiencing life in a new way. It was not because our prayers were always answered the way we prayed, such as my case almost immediately after I came to Christ. It was not necessarily the experiences we had with the Lord. It was because we couldn't get enough of Jesus in our lives.

Many of us went to several home meetings during the course of the week, despite working jobs, going to classes, or doing both. We'd go to home meetings that began at 7 p.m. and lasted until 10 p.m. Then we'd go to a diner to eat and stay up until 3 a.m despite needing to get up within a few hours to either go to work, or go to classes. We'd spend our time at the diners talking about Jesus. As much as we loved our brothers and sistes in Christ, the motivation behind go to the meetings was to be with Jesus. Then when we went out to eat together all we wanted to do was to talk about Jesus. It was all about relationship. It wasn't even so much about doctrine. Of course, there needs to be an understanding of right doctrine, but you can't have an understanding of right doctrine, unless you have a relationship with the One who the doctrine is actually all about. We were radical in our love for Jesus to the same extent that the Counter Culture Radicals were about sex, drugs and “free love.”

Of course, we all grew older. We all got married and had children. We served God and loved Jesus in sincerity of heart. Along the way, life hit us with curve balls (in some cases more like wrecking balls) and disappointments. Before all of that happened, I rembember that in the early days of my relationship with Jesus, that I believed for the impossible. I believed without a doubt that God loved me, and that the Bible was the true Word of God. But then, when “real life” happened, very subtily my belief about God's love for me, and the Word of God being absolute truth became distorted by the negative experiences and unfufilled desires and dreams. In the recesses of my soul it was “God loves me but...” and, “God's Word is true, but...”

For the most part, that changed in February/March of 1999, when God miraculously healed and delivered me from anger, resentment and bitterness that I had toward God. Once again, everything became new. It was like being Born Again, again.

As much as I desire to know truth, even to my own hurt, my focus has been primarily my relationship with Jesus. It is a good thing, because as I have been drawing closer to Him, I've also been seeing that I need to get to a deeper place in my relatioship with Him, where nothing else matters. In both the Old and New Testaments, that is what God desires from each of us. Deuteronomy 6:5-7 says, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words, which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart; and you shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up.”

Jesus said the same thing in Mark 12:30, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.” In orther words, we are to love God with all that we are, and with everything we have. Jesus, when speaking of what it means to be a disciple of His tells a parable by which is summarized by, “count the cost.”

While giving a message at the church I pastor a few years ago, I said, “We as Christians have got to go back to believing God's Word for what it says, even if we don't understand it. What we don't understand God will always show us if we really desire the truth.” As soon as those words left my lips I knew that tests were on the way. If I'm going to make a statement like that, my life has to back it up. And because the Holy Spirit is within me, that makes it possible.

Sure enough, the tests came, and I had to believe that God will never leave me or forsake me. I heard a praise and worship song, Not Afraid, in which the singer says, “You have never let me down, and You won't start now.” That line became my mantra. Although there were struggles with doubt, the Lord in His love, grace and mercy led me to buy a journal to keep. I never kept one before. The journal He literally led me to, said on the cover, “Fear not, for I am with you, be not dismayed for I am Your God,” from Isaiah 41:10.

As God dug deeper into my heart, so many times I came across similar Scriptures without even trying to find them. While this was going on, He also moved on my behalf many times. You would think by now with all the times He's come through for me, I would have no problem believing His Word. You would think that the confidence I had in Him when I was younger, would be even greater now.

Also, I said not to long ago in another message that we as Christians need to get to the place where nothing else matters but our relationship with Him and nothing else matters than His kingdom. Nothing else mattered to Jesus, to David, to Paul, to Peter or any of the other disciples. If they can live like that, how much more should we as Christians should be able to because we have His Spirit living inside of us. I do not say this to be critical. I am saying this because these are the things that I'm trying to yield to the Lord so that His power can live through me to where nothing else does matter.

About a year ago, I heard another praise and worship song called Let it Happen. One part of the lyrics says, “You’re full of life now, and full of passion, that’s how He made you, just let it happen. And He calls each one of us by our names to come away, And He whispers to your heart to let it go and to be alive.” Then came the words that really struck me. “So take me back, back to the beginning when I was young, running through the fields with You.”

The song made me think back, to when I was young. I had such passion for the Lord. As mentioned earlier, like others, I could not get enough of being in Jesus' presence in the home fellowship meetings. It was a time of sweet innocence, almost like being a child, running in the fields with Him. I found myself yearning for a deeper restoration of that type of relationship with Jesus. The more we focus on relationship with Him, the more in love with Him we become, the more we become convinced of His love for us, and the more our wounded souls experience the deep healing we all need to have.

I remember the time Jesus brought Deborah and I together in relationship. Although Deborah and I were dear friends before realizing the Lord was calling us together, I would typically hang out with my friends playing basketball, touch football, and softball between Bible classes at the ministry home we lived in at the time. Once Deborah and I knew we were called of the Lord together, I wanted to spend every waking moment with her. My friends hardly ever saw me again. I trust that was and is true of most couples that are seeing one another. Even now, after forty-five years of marriage, I spend as much time as possible with Deborah, between other obligations. That should be our heart towards Jesus. That is His heart towards us. My heart's cry is take me back, back to the beginning, when I was young, running in the fields with Him. There is nothing like being in His Presence, even when you can't feel His Presence. Because, even when we cannot feel His Presence, we can always be assured that He is Present with us, because His promise to us all, is that He will never leave us or forsake us. Nothing else matters. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

Prepare Ye the Way by Paul Camuti 07/06/2024

Back on March 3rd 2019 I made a Restoration Video entitled, A House Divided. In the video I shared a word from the Lord that He placed on my heart just prior to New Year's Day 2019. I said that God had placed on my heart that He was going to baptize America with the Holy Ghost and fire. The context was that America was deeply divided at that time, and using the Scriptures from Matthew chapter three and Matthew chapter thirteen, that God was going to separate the wheat from the chaff (Matthew chapter three) and the wheat from the tares (Matthew chapter thirteen).

Because the Lord placed it upon my heart just prior to 2019, I believed the word was going to begin in 2019 and increase in intensity thereafter. That was my misunderstanding. What I was sensing for 2019 actually began to happen in 2020. It has been intensifying increasingly ever since, to where we are now. Let me get into the Scriptures of Matthew chapters three and thirteen and then tie it into what has happened since 2020 to where we are now. In the midst of what appears to be bleak and disconcerting actually is quite hopeful if we keep our focus on what the Lord is doing.

In chapter 3:1-3 of Matthew's Gospel, he records, “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, 'Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.' For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias (Isaiah), saying, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.'”

Later in the same chapter, the Jewish religious leaders, the Pharisees and Sadducees came to see John the Baptist as he was baptizing people in the Jordan River. When John the Baptist saw them, he had this to say:

“And now also the ax is laid to the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and fire. Whose fan (winnowing shovel) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor, and gather His wheat into the garner; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:10-12 KJV

Now let us look at the parable of the wheat and the tares that Jesus teaches His disciples in Matthew 13:24-30, and Jesus explanation of the parable 13:37-40.

Matthew 13:24-30, “Another parable put He forth unto them saying, 'The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, there appeared the tares also. So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? From whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let them both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.'”

Matthew 13:37-40, “He answered and said unto them, 'He that soweth good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the children of the kingdom; but the tares are the children of the wicked one; the enemy that sowed them is the devil; the harvest is the end of the world (age); and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be at the end of the world (age).'”

In both of what John the Baptist said about Jesus baptizing with the Holy Ghost and fire, and the parable Jesus spoke of regarding the wheat and the tares, the thing the Lord was impressing upon my heart was that the common denominator was the separation, or the division of the wheat and the chaff, and the wheat and the tares. I was being impressed with how everyone in our nation is so distressed over the deep division that has been happening in America, including within the American Christian Church. The divide since 2019, and especially since 2020 has been getting deeper and wider. However, in both passages of Scripture in which the division/separation occurs, it is God that is causing the division. God is dividing what is truth and what is false.

When John the Baptist was speaking of Jesus baptizing with the Holy Ghost and fire, he was speaking of a purification and purging between the wheat and the chaff. Wheat was used to make baked goods to eat. The wheat had substance and was used for sustenance. It was for strength and nourishment. Chaff that was sometimes within the wheat was separated from the wheat with the winnowing fork on a threshing floor. Chaff was useless. It was of no value. Therefore it was burned up. Wheat had the true substance to bring strength and nourishment. Chaff was the false that was useless.

In parable of the wheat and the tares, there is separation. Once again, the wheat was the true children of the kingdom which the Son of Man, Jesus planted. The tares were the false children planted by the devil. When the wheat and tares are growing together, the tares look like the wheat. That is why as they grew, the tares could not be separated at first, because they looked so much like the wheat, and in the separation the wheat could be harmed. It was when the wheat and the tares were fully developed that the tares and the wheat could be divided/separated. The true from the false.

Since 2020, when Covid rampaged our nation, the George Floyd incident that sparked not only legitimate protests, but violent riots as well, increasing violence in our nation, we have also been witnessing unprecedented exposure of corruption and evil at every level in every influential institution of our nation. Corruption of the deepest levels of government, Federal, State and local, in churches and ministries throughout the land, academia, the justice system, news media, entertainment, and on and on. This has been the baptism of America by Jesus with the Holy Ghost and fire. The process of purging and purification. This has been the processing of dividing the truth from the false. As hard as it, and as bad as it looks, this is a good thing. It is a good thing, because truth makes us free. Truly free. Not a freedom of doing whatever we want, however we want, whenever we want. It's a freedom that brings true peace and freedom in our soul. Light dispells darkness. Darkness cannot put out light. Light always puts out darkness. The only way darkness can prevail is if we allow our light to go out.

As the purging and purification process continues, truth will come forth greater and more powerful than ever before. A revival in our nation and around the world will soon explode in such magnitude, we cannot even begin to comprehend it. The Kingdom of God will expand like never before in history. Some will claim it to be the last day or end time harvest. I believe in the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. I believe in the final Resurrection Day. However, Jesus told His disciples, which applies to us today, when asked if the kingdom would be restored to Israel at that time, Jesus responded, “It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in His own power. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. And ye shall be My witnesses...”

Jesus was clearly telling His disciples that the focus should not be on whether we are in the last days or whatever. Our focus is to be HIS witnesses. The only way we can be His witnesses, which is another way of saying, we need to be the proof and the evidence of who Jesus is and claims to be. We need to be the proof and evidence that Jesus truly resurrected from the dead and is alive. The only way we can be His proof and evidence is to be so Christ and Kingdom centric by saturating ourselves in His Word and spending copious amounts of time in His Presence. The Holy Spirit can only transform us to the degree of the amount of time we spend in His Word and in His Presence.

One last thing. Jesus also said that the gates of hell will not prevail against His Church. The gates of a city in that culture was essentially the strength of the city. If army could not penetrate the gates due to the strength of the gates, they would fail to prevail against the city. Jesus was saying that the very strength of hell could not and will not prevail against His Church. Since Jesus said it, we can take that to the bank. It is up to us, by His grace and the power of the Holy Spirit to prove it. To prove it, we need to prepare the way of the Lord in our lives and yield to Him to make our paths straight like never before. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

There's More to the Story by Paul Camuti 04/17/2024

Recently during our Sunday service at church, one of our leaders who heads up the prayer time before I give the message, shares information that he relates to Scripture. This time he shared a study of current statistics on church attendance and a particular cultural condition statistic. What struck me after he read the statistics, was when he read the part about the cultural condition statistic. The study of course, only focused on the external cause of the decline of church attendance and the cultural condition. Studies and survey's of this nature rarely if ever take into consideration the internal causes of such issues. By internal causes, I'm meaning spiritual causes. What happens in the external, or natural realm is always due to a spiritual dynamic. There is more to the story of everything we are see happening in America and around the world. We all need to come out of our so-called sophistication and realize there is truly spiritual dymanics at work.

I do not remember the statistics of the study, nor how the church leader related it to the Scripture, not because I was bored, but rather because my mind became stuck on the fact of what I had mentioned-these studies and surveys never take into account the spiritual aspect. Therefore, I did my own research and will discuss the spiritual dynamic. This writing is not meant to be of a critical spirit or to be a downer. It is meant for us as Christians to wake up and examine our own hearts and realize that the only thing that will bring change is God's covenantal people, the Church. We keep waiting for God to move, but God chooses to move through His Body of Christ which is us, His Church. He cannot move through us in the conditions that we are about to look at.

The first thing the study pointed out was that church attendance has been in decline for thirty plus years. Here are the stats I came across. In 1990 Adult Americans who considered themselves Christian was at 85%. In 2001 it went up to 86.1%. The percentage went down in 2012 to 78%, 70.6% in 2014, went up to 75% in 2015, but since then has steadly gone down significantly. In 2020 the percentage dropped to 65%. By this year, 2024 it went up 1 percentage point to 66%.

Another startling stat is that as of 2020 only 35% of Christians believe that Jesus is the only way to salvation. That means 65% of Christians do not. Also 44% of Christians do not believe that Jesus is God incarnate/the Son of God. However, that number is misleading, because if one does not believe Jesus is the only way to salvation, one truly does not believe He is the Son of God because the only way Jesus could be the only way to salvation is to BE the Son of God or God incarnate. So basically, the 65% of Christians that do not believe Jesus is the only way to salvation, in reality also do not believe He is the Son of God.

The other part of the study that parallels to the time frame of the decline of church attendance was the increase of single parent families. Once again, this is not to be disparaging to single parent households. There are single parents that do wonderful jobs, despite the odds against them, in bringing up their children. However, it is a known fact that for the most part, the percentage of children dropping out of school, becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs, and falling into the criminal justice system exponentially increases.

In 2013, 28% of children were being raised in a single parent home. In 2024 that came down to 25%, which is good. However, still one in four households are single parent households. Of the 25% of households being single parent, a whopping 80% of single parent households are mothers. Again, this is not to say single moms are incompetent. I personally have known some moms, some with four children who have been doing an excellent job. The problem is, though, the odds are very much against them. In the 1960's and early 1970's single parent home percentages were much smaller. Is it a coincidence that single parent households were significantly lower at a time when church attendance was significantly higher? And you're going to tell me that there is no underlying spiritual dynamic behind this? You'd better pull your head out (that is, out of the sand) and put on the mind of Christ. Like it says in Philippians 2:5, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:”

Now, let us consider this. Of the 66% of American adults that consider themselves Christians, only 6% possess a biblical world view. A staggering 92% of that 66% identify themselves as having what is called a syncretist world view. A sycrcetist world view is that which believe Christianity can combine all other kinds of religious and humanistic viewpoints in their belief system. This kind of belief system is tantamount to the Israelite people of the Old Covenant, who thought they could go into idolatry and worship pagan gods, while still practicing the Law of Moses. We know by how God spoke through the prophets telling them how He felt about that mixture. He warned them numerous times out of love what would happen if they continued to violate the covenant. The Israelites refused to listen and things did not go well for them to say the least. Think Babylon, King Nebuchadnezzar-Jerusalem and the Temple being destroyed. If they had repented, none of that would have happened.

I have no problem with respecting someone who practices different religions, or has differing view of Christianity, or even differing life styles. I've worked with all kinds of different people in the years I have worked secular jobs. However, if the opportunity arose, these people would know exactly where I stood on things. I did not make them feel inferior or disrespected, but they did know where I stood and that I would not compromise.

What these statistics regarding Christianity show is what the Bible says, “...there is no new thing under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9. What we are seeing today is nothing new. The first century church had issues like what we are seeing today.

Getting back to the study about the decline of church attendance and the rise in single parent home. The people who did the study said all of this was a result of peoples changing attitudes regarding religion, marriage and so on. As I mentioned earlier, they are only speaking of the external. Both conditions are a result of what is going on or what is not going on in people's spiritual lives.

The reason why the culture and society's attitudes have changed is because a significant majority of Christians attitudes have changed. I dare say, not for the better. Christians in an effort to be “reasonable” and “understanding” have allowed too much infiltration of the wrong belief systems. I am all for being “reasonable” and “understanding.” But there comes a point where a line needs to be drawn in the sand, so to speak, for the sake of causing people to be see how they are harming themselves. Because we have allowed the secular and other world views to influence us, in turn, we have become ineffective at influencing society and the culture for the better. When that happens the wrong beliefs exponentially gain momentum. Hence, attitudes toward marriage drastically change, single parent homes increase which puts young people at extemely high risk. The society and culture start to implode. The fact that our nation has been in steady decline in every sphere of life while Christians have adopted a syncrestic world view is evidence itself as to the spiritual root of our problems.

As mentioned before, the early Church had situations in which wrong belief systments tried to influence it. In the book of Acts, initially the Jewish disciples of Jesus believed that the baptism of the power of the Holy Spirit was for the Jewish believers only. In Acts chapter ten, Peter has a vision in which God speaks to him and says, “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common or unclean.” Acts 10:14. Peter is eventually invited to a Roman centurions home requesting that Peter share the Gospel. As Peter preaches, the power of the Holy Spirit fills all the Gentiles in the house. In chapter eleven, when Peter returns to Jerusalem, he catches flack from the Jewish believers in Christ for him having entered a Gentile's home and eating with them. Peter explains the situation, and for the most part at that time the issue was settled.

However, as the Gospel became widespread, Gentiles were being converted by the droves. There were many Jewish believers who felt that accepting Jesus was needful for salvation, but to be absolutely saved, the Gentiles needed to be circumsied and follow the Laws of Moses. In Acts 15 there was a council to figure out what to do with the massive influx of Gentiles into the faith. The apostle Paul throughout much of his ministry, having been a leader in the Jewish faith, having at one time severly persecuting Christians, was constantly stating that salvation was in Jesus Christ and His finished work alone, not in the works of the Law. The power of the Holy Spirit enables us to live godly. The Holy Spirit transforms our heart to desire to live godly. God's desire is for us to “want to” live for Him, not out of “have to.”

An example of what Paul was constantly up against preaching the Gospel of grace as opposed to the works of the Law is in Galations 3:1-3. In the New Living Translation it reads, “Oh foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jessu Christ's death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of His death on the cross. Let me ask you this question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the Law of Moses? Of cousre not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort?”

Again, this is just one example. There are many in the epistles of Paul. In the epistles of Peter and John, both apostles address false teachings infultrating the Church. Often times, when the Christian Church allowed such infultration, the results historically were catastrophic, not only for the Church itself, but for the culture and society as well. In Matthew 15:6 Jesus said, “Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.” The commandment of God is the word of God. In Hebrews 4:12 the word of God is described as powerful. When there is a mixture of the word of God and various views, opinions, rationalizatons of humanism, the power of God's word becomes of non effect.

Jesus said in John 5:23, “That all men should honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He that honoreth not the Son, honoreth not the Father.” Think about what Jesus is saying here. If we don't honor Him, we have no honor of the Father.

How can we as American Christians say we honor Jesus when 66% of adult American Christinas no longer believe He is the only way to salvation/in essence no longer believing He's the Son of God? How can we as American Chrisians say we honor Jesus when 92% of that 66% have a syncretist world view. If we do not honor Jesus we do not honor God. If we do not honor God, how can His presence be in our churches. If His presence is not in our churches, that speaks volumes as to the real reason why there is a decline in church attendance and why the culture and society is going to hell in a hand basket. When we believe that the presence of God is in our midst in a service, is it truly the presence of God, or is it more of an emotional feeling that we've grown accustomed to, thinking it's the presence of God?

When I read John 5:23 last week preparing the message for this past Sunday, it really shook me. I've been examining my heart before the Lord asking Him to reveal anything in my heart that is a mixture. There's nothing wrong with expressing emotion in praise and worship. When the Holy Spirit truly moves, He will have an effect on the emotions. However, there is a fine line and we must be sure that we do not get so caught up in having the same thing go on over and over and over again in our services because it makes us feel good or because it's our preference. We need to truly allow God to move the way He wants to move, not the way we want Him to move. We need to stop serving God on our terms and start serving God on His terms.

I hope you have been able to get to this point in the article. Here is where there is hope. All we need to do is repent of all of what was mentioned above, committ ourselves to yielding to His Spirit, allow Him to have His way in our lives like never before. We need to become God/Christ/Kingdom Centered. We need to seek the Lord like never before in our personal lives and corporately as a church. Myself and many others have been saying that an unprecedented revival that will make all other past revivals including Pentecost combined look miniscule. For that to happen, we need to be on our faces calling out to God, rending our hearts before Him, and allowing Him to transform us like never before. I hope you will join me in this prayer. “Holy Father, Precious Jesus, Holy Spirit, Oh Lord my God, Search me and know my heart: try me and know my thoughts: see if ther be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Cleanse me from secret faults. Heal me, Lord God, and I shall be healed. Save me, and I shall be saved. You are my praise. Help me become more like Jesus. I thank you Lord God, that anyone who calls upon You can approach Your throne of grace with the confidence of knowing that You will not reject us, and You will give us mercy and find the grace to help in time of need. Amen.” Love & God bless you all, Pastor Paul

The Cost of Freedom, by Paul Camuti 02/07/2024

At our church in Sand Springs, we have Communion the first Sunday of every month. As the first Sunday was approaching, I found my self thinking of how interesting it is that the birthdays of two Presidents were in the same month. It wasn't that their birthdays were in the same month that was intrtiguing, it was that both men were involved in history changing wars. Both wars were for freedom.

As I continued to ponder, another thing crossed my mind. The American War of Independence was fought so that America would no longer be under the tyranny of King George III of England. For ten years the Founders tried to come to terms with King George in various ways. Anytime the Americans tried to pass laws to try to end slavery, particularly in the northen states, or tried to start Bible Societies to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to blacks who had been set free, or to American Indians, King George III would veto such proposals. The more they tried to work things out with King George III the more tyranical he became. When Americans finally reached the point in which they believed they had no other option, they declared independence from England. A brutal war for freedom broke out.

In less than a century another brutal war for freedom broke out. The Civil War. It was a war to end the institution of slavery in our nation. It was a war that not only divided the nation, but families as well. People in the same family in some cases, found some members fighting for the South and others fighting for the North. More than half a million lives were lost. Not all of them soldiers. Although the Civil War was primarily fought to set the slaves free, it is not very often, or if ever, thought about as a war that also was again, setting America free. America could never be completely free if slavery continued to exist.

What further struck me was this...for freedom to be had, blood must be shed. There is no getting around it. From the slave rebellion of Spartacus, to all the wars against oppressive governments and individual tyrants, blood was shed to earn freedom, if not for the warriors, for those who would live after them. For blood to be shed to obtain freedom is not only manifest in the “natural world” so to speak, the undercurrent to fight for freedom is spiritual at its root. More on that a bit later.

George Washington was the commander of the Continental Army. He was willing, as others, to sacrifice the comfort of his home, Mount Vernon, which he dearly loved. He was willing to lose Mount Vernon, his wealth and his life for freedom. Not freedom for just himself, but for generations after him. The Founders had a generational viewpoint of what they were doing. They were not thinking only of themselves. They were thinking far into the future. If people would take the time to find their personal writings and read them, it becomes very apparent. No, they weren't perfect. They were deeply flawed men and women. However, they recognized their human frailties, and knew Who they needed to depend on, and knew that often times they needed to reflect inwardly and repent. Unlike many of us today.

On October 3, 1789 George Washington issued this proclamation. It is entirely pertinent, however time and space do not permit me to quote the entire proclamation.

“Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of AlmightyGod, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and to humbly implore His protection and favor...Now, therefore, I do recommend that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war....And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of the Nations, and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions, to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue.”

It was during the American War of Independence that many of the Founders, in fighting for freedom awakened to the injustice of slavery. Many of the Founders who had slaves prior to the war, set their slaves free after the war. George Washington had in his last will and testament to let all of his slaves free. The only reason he couldn't let them free earlier than his death, was because Virginia law only allowed slaves to be set free in the last will and testament of the slave owner. Virginia, although Thomas Jefferson sought to get the law changed many times, could not get enough votes to have it accomplished.

In many ways the American War of Independence is linked to the Civil War. It was because of that war, it drastically changed many American's attitudes toward slavery.

Abraham Lincoln was opposed to slavery. Those who say he was not, are ignorant at the very least, and liars at the very worst with no interest in the truth. Obviously, as George Washington was a key, if not the key leader in the American War of Independence, Abraham Lincoln was the key leader of the Civil War. Being Commander and Chief of the Union military, as President, weighed very heavy on him. He one time stated that the war was draining the life out of him. He believed he would not live to see the end of the war.

Here are a few quotes of Abraham Lincoln involving liberty, and God.

“Our reliance is in the love of liberty which God has planted in our bosoms. Our defense is in the preservation of the spirit which prizes liberty as the heritage of all men, in all lands everywhere,” 09/11/1858.

“I am indebted to the good Christian people of the country for the constant prayers and consolations.

“The purposes of the Almighty are perfect, and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to accurately perceive them in advance.” Both statements made on 09/04/1864.

“I am responsible to the American people, to the Christian world, to History, and on my final account to God,” 04/18/1864, almost one year prior to his assination.

Two of the preeminent early leaders of our nation, born in the same month, born for such a time as they were in, to lead the nation to freedom. Again, to obtain freedom requires the shedding of blood.

Of course as I pondered these things (I did not mention most of this during Communion) it caused me to realize that in order for all people to be truly free, blood had to be shed.

Matthew 26:26-28 - “And while they were eating, Jesus took some bread, and after a blessing, He broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said 'Take, eat; this is My body.' (27) And when He had taken a cup and given thanks, He gave it to them, saying, 'Drink from it, all of you; (28) for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.'”

The true freedom we all need, is the freedom from sin. Freedom from the slavery of sin. We can not be free from the slavery of sin by shedding our own blood. The freedom from the slavery of sin can only be done through what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross. No one, absolutely no one has or could shed their blood to save humanity from the slavery of sin. They couldn't even if they wanted to because their blood has been tainted with sin as all humanity has been. Anyone one who says there is no such thing as sin must be living under a rock. All one has to do, is look at what is going on in the world. Evil happens because of sin. Sin is a disease, Jesus Christ is the cure. He shed His blood for us so that all can be set free from sin's slavery.

Jesus' shed blood covering us, washing us as it were from sin positions us to be able to have the Holy Spirit dwell in us, not just for us to go to heaven and live happily ever after. It is so His power can be detonated within us, so that we can move in the power that Jesus moved in while He was here on earth. Again time and space does not allow me to get into the nuts and bolts of what I'm saying here, but the reality is, everything in heaven, in God's Kingdom that was at Jesus disposal while He walked the earth, is at our disposal as well. It is for us to bring glory to God. To be the proof and evidence that Jesus Christ indeed, has “all power in heaven and on earth,” (Matthew 28:18) and that He is actually alive. After all, Jesus said that we would do greater works than what He did, because He was returning to the Father. And it is all because He shed His blood for all of our freedom. Love & God bless, Pastor Paul.

The Jesus Revolution by Paul Camuti 01/02/2024

“You say you want a revolution, well ya know, we all wanna change the world.” The opening line to the Beatles, “Revolution.” Many people do want to change the world. Some for the better, some for the worst. Whether people want to admit it or not, there was One who changed the world 2000 years ago. Many recently celebrated His birth. The One who changed the world, was Jesus Christ. He was and is the only One who did and still does change the world. Jesus Christ changed to course of human history.

Some might ask me, “How can you say that? Look at what's going on in the world today?” It's true, things are pretty bad. However, this isn't the first time the world was on the brink of disaster before God intervened and things changed.

In A History of Christianity Volume 1 Beginnings to 1500 by Kenneth Scott Latourette, stated within the first 1,000 years there were several times Christianity nearly became extinct. However, revival would happen and Christianity would take more territory. It continually took more territory after revivals would happen.

People tend to forget how during and after the Roman Empire, Europe would fall prey to the Huns, the Vikings, and the Mongols. There was the 100 years war. It was a continuous war between England and France during the 14th and 15th centuries. Then there was the 30 years war between various nations in Europe for various reasons that was considered as the longest and most destructive conflicts in European history. That war lasted from 1618-1648.

There was the Bubonic Plague (also known as the Black Death) that raged from 1347 through 1351. It started in China, then spread to Crimea, Sicily, North Africa, Italy, Spain, France, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Germany, England, Scotland, Scandinavia, and the Baltic countries. An estimated 25 million people died from it.

There have been so many disasters throughout history between diseases and natural catastrophies, they couldn't possibly be all listed here. In our own nation, the French and Indian War that lasted 7 years, The American War of Independence from 1775-1783, the Civil War from 1861-1865. In later years World War 1, the Roaring Twenties when gangsters terrorized much of the country in the 1920's through the 1930's. The Great Depression and then World War 2. The Korean War in the early 1950's, the Cuban Missile Crisis, Communist expansion in Russia and Eastern Europe, Chinese Communism. This is just a small sample of how any of these situations could have brought humanity to the brink.

In all of these events, at some point or another, because of the prayers of believers of the Lord Jesus Christ, God intervened and adverted absolute disaster. Interspersed throughout history were revivals that made the difference. In fact, in World War 2, General George Patton credited a prayer that he asked Catholic chaplain James Hugh O'Neill to compose for a change to favorable weather during the Battle of the Bulge. This was the prayer: “Almighty and most mericful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain these immoderate rains with which we have had to contend. Grant us fair weather for the Battle. Graciously hearken to us as soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, we may advance from victory to victory and crust the oppression and wickedness of our enemies, and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.”

General Patton asked O'Neill to have 25,000 copies printed and see to it that every man in the Third Army received one. He also instructed O'Neill to instruct the other chaplins and men in the ranks the importance of prayer. After all the soliders of the Third Army prayed, the rains stopped, the fog ended and General George Patton advanced to win the Battle of the Bulge. Jesus changed the world by moving on these men's prayers. Even a man like George Patton knew who to give credit to. He congratulated O'Neill saying, “Well Padre, our prayers worked. I knew they would.” Patton knew it was God who answered the prayers.

There was a movie out last spring, “The Jesus Revolution.” It was about the true story of a revival that took place in the late 1960's. That revival, although not document in the film, that extended into the 1970's. My wife Deborah and I came to Jesus Christ during years of the mid 1970's.

The movie primarily focused on Greg Laurie, who is a well known evangelical pastor in California. The Jesus Revolution as it was dubbed by a Times Magazine reporter, started in southern California in which hippies were turning their lived to Jesus Christ by the droves. The movement brought together two unlikely allies, Pastor Chuck Smith who was rather traditional, and a hippie street preacher, Lonnie Frisbee. In the middle was a young man, Greg Laurie who eventaully gave his life to Jesus Christ and became the minister that he is today.

I bought the DVD of the movie. I watched it. I liked it the first time. When I recently watched it again, I liked it even more the second time. It reminded me of the early days when I had given myself to the Lord. It reminded me of when me, Deborah and numerous other friends would get together in the basements of people's homes for Bible study, worshipping and praising the Lord and just fellowshipping. There was an innocence about that time that I cherish to this day. We couldn't get enough of Jesus. It wasn't only young people by the mid 1970's. Many of the meetings were held in people's homes who were in their 40's, 50's and even 60's. There was no generation gap. Jesus was so real to us. He wasn't some nebulous, far away, historical, mystical spirit. He was real. He is real. That is what I enjoy the most about the movie, “The Jesus Revolution.” Jesus was portrayed as being real to the people who were giving their lives to Him.

Like so many of the critical times that I listed above, about God's intervention, He did it again in the late 1960's. There was so much chaos with the Counter Culture Sex and Drug revolution, the Civil Rights movement, the death of President John Kennedy in 1963, the death of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy (John Kennedy's brother) in 1968. The Vietnam War. The riots to end the Vietnam War. God, through His Son, Jesus intervened. As always, there were people praying for God to move, and He did. So much so that even a secular reporter with Time Magazine called it the “Jesus Reveolution.” It was not an article that dismissed the revival. It was objectively written.

Just like in critacle times in the past, people prayed and God moved, there are people praying now. Every revival is rooted in prayer. For the past few years many have believed that another Great Awakening is going to sweep across this nation and around the world. Just because it hasn't happened yet does not mean it will not. This next Jesus Revolution is going to make all the revivals of the past combined look insignificant. Even the day of Pentacost will not match what is going to take place. There will be another Jesus Revolution, led by the greatest revolutionary of all time, Jesus Christ. His kingdom will come, and His will, will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. You can take that to the bank. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

“Awsome God” by Paul Camuti 09/22/2023

At various different times, in various articles I've written and You Tube videos I've made, I have quoted Filipino General Carlos P. Romulo who said, “ Never Forget, Americans, that yours is a spiritural country. Yes, I know that are a practicle people. Like others, I have marvelled at your factories, your skyscrapers and your arsenals. But underlying everything else is the fact that America began as a God-loving, God-fearing, God-worshipping people.” General Romulo served alongside General Douglas MacArthur in the Pacific Theater of World War Two.

In recent years I have found it ironic that a Filipino General had acknowledged that fact that America began as a spiritual country. I also found it interesting of the order of the description of the American people being, “God-loving, God-fearing, God-worshipping.” You cannot be God-fearing (meaning a deep devotional reverance) and God-worshipping without first being God-loving.

Many, including some Christians will say that General Romulo's statement was not true and point to various injusticeses committed throughout our history. They point to the Founding Fathers and early American settlers as being racist and genocidal. Some may have fit that description. However, the vast majority of them fall into the description of being flawed men and women. Many of the people in the Bible, including those in Hebrews chapter eleven, what is typically called the “The Faith Hall of Fame,” were deeply flawed individuals. The thing is, they knew they were flawed and recognized they needed to be fully dependant on God to rise above their flaws to fulfill what God called them to do. The same is true of the Founding Fathers and the early American settlers. Last time I checked, the Founding Fathers, early American settlers and Christians in general do not have the corner market on being flawed. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).” That includes even those who had injustice committed against them. That includes those who self-righteously point the finger at the Founding Fathers, American settlers, and Christians in general.

The sad thing is, as a whole, Americans in general, and many Christians have not taken heed to General Romulo's admonition to “Never forget.” We have forgotten that we began as a spiritual nation. We still are a spiritual nation. The problem is, we are of the wrong spirit. Some people want to be of the wrong spirit. Others have no clue that we are of the wrong spirit due to apathy. Some might say I am being judgemental. To that I say, I judge myself. The only judging that the Bible and Jesus says not to do is to judge unrighteously, which is to judge others to make yourself feel superior. If we judge righteously, by the Spirit and the Word, first examining our own hearts, then we are on safe ground. Jesus said, “You will know them by their fruit (Matthew 7:16).”

This very morning, during my private time with the Lord in prayer, reading the Scripture and worshipping God's presence, I listened to a praise and worship song by a Christian praise and worship leader named David Ruis. The song is called Awsome God. It was performed live at a Christian conference in Kansas City in the mid 1990's. It is as relevant today as it was back then while revival hit several areas in Canada and America. It is a hard rocking song, but the hard rock aspect fit the song perfectly. It was not entertainment hard rock, it was hard rock demonstrating the power of God and the seriousness of the message of the song. Here's a sampling of some of the lyrics:

“Why do the heathen rage, and all the people imagine a vain thing? Each is living their own way, denying You and casting off restraint. Why oh why can't they see? You are God, alone You reign, robed in power and majesty. You are Lord, the only King, awsome God of sovereignty, oooh oooh.

You Who sit upon the heavens, You who laugh at the plans of men. Give to Jesus His inheritance. Release the time when nations turn to Him. Father God help them see, that You are God, alone You reign, robed in power and majesty. You are Lord, the only King, awsome God of sovereignty, oooh oooh.” Later in the song David Ruis sings, “Be wise, worship the Son. Tremble, fear the Anoited One. Forever reinging on His throne. With joyful fear, serve Him alone.” During the instrumental David Ruis prays and in the midst of the prayer he says, “Oh God stop the vain thinking of men. Seize their hearts Oh Lord God we ask you.”

Listening to this song made me remember the last You Tube video I did, “Behold Your King.” Every time I pray, every time I worship and spend time with the Lord, “Behold Your King” intensely resounds within my being. At one time, for almost two hundred years, imperfections and all, for the most part Americans were a God-loving, God-fearing people. The early founding documents are ample evidence of this. Letters written by many of the Founding Fathers and early American settlers prove this. When I was growing up in the 1960's and 1970's, if people weren't Christian, they at least had a Biblical world view. But even in those years, there was subtle erosion going on.

You want to talk spiritual? This past summer I read several articles on the Woodstock festival that took place on Yasgur's Farm in upstate New York back in 1969. This is when the Counter-Culture Revolution, Sex, drugs and Rock N Roll gathered much momentum. I found out, after all these years, that Yasgur's Farm was located in an upstate New York town named Bethel. Do you want to know what the name Bethel means? It means “house of God.” Ironic, isn't it. That event was spitting in the face of God. This was no accident. I'm sure a vast majority of people didn't realize it back then. But we're taking about the spiritual. What goes on in the spiritual, manifests in the natural.

Before the American War of Independence began in 1776 (some say it actually began in 1775 with the battles of Lexington and Concord) while Americans were trying to work out things with Great Britain during the course of ten years prior to the war a man named Sir Richard Sutton read a copy of a letter to the government of America rom a Crown appointed governor in America that said, “If you ask an American, 'Who is his master?' He will tell you that he has none, nor any governor but Jesus Christ.”

The morning after the famous ride of Paul Revere, he rode to Reverand Clarke's home to let them know that the British were coming. When the British arrived at Reverand Clarkes home, British Major Pitcairn called out to the regiment of Minutemen and said, “Disperce ye villans, lay down your arms in the name of George the Sovereign King of England.” Reverand Clarke responded back with, “We recognize no Sovereing but God, and no King but Jesus.” Reverand Clarke became the leader of the militia in Lexington.

For just over two centuries Jesus Christ, for the most part, held the rightful position of King in this nation. As stated before, the erosion of His Kingship was very gradual from the early 1900's on, but during the 1960's things began to change a bit more rapidly. In the 1980's the erosion was held somewhat at bay, but then in the 1990's an acceleration began, and now we have what we have because we did not heed, “Never forget, Americans....”

During periods of erosion, there were revivals that occurred. The 1970's saw a revival of salvation and a reintroduction to the baptism of the power of the Holy Spirit. The Spiritual gifts listed in 1 Corinthians 12 came about in a greater way. The recent movie, “The Jesus Revolution,” was about that movement. The movie primarily focused on what happened in California, but there was the Charismatic movement in Long Island, New York which my wife Deborah and I were effected by.

In the mid 1990's there was another revival that had more to do with the renewal of the Church at large. God was pouring out His Spirit to bring healing and restoration to Christians that had deep hurts and wounds in their soul. God was calling back and healing those who were “prodigals” as it were. I, myself had much deep inner would healing take place in my life.

There has been much talk about another “Great Awakening” in America. It's been spoke of more and more since 2020. It looked like the beginning of the “Great Awakening” was going to start at Asbury College last February. Revival began to break out in various places across America but by summer things died down. Just because it hasn't happened yet does not mean it won't.

This next “Great Awakening” or revival that is going to take place will be different than the revivals of the 1970's and 1990's. It's going to be different that all the revivals that have taken place since Pentacost until now. We keep thinking of Jesus as being the Lamb of God. He certainly was the Lamb of God. He wasn't a Lamb in the sense of our common way of thinking about being meek and mild. He was the Lamb of God in that He was the perfect sacrifice, the spotless perfect Lamb that lifted off our sins from us and had it placed on Himself. The next move of God, the next “Great Awakening” or revival is going to be Jesus Christ reclaiming His rightful place as King in our lives individually, in the American Christian Church at large, and in this nation. We are about to see just how awsome God is, in a way that right now, is incomprhensable. That is why so many words have been going out about a great shaking taking place, and particulary for Christians to get on their knees and fall prostrate on their faces and spend copious amounts of time in prayer, worship and adoration of the Lord. We need to spend as much time as possible in His presence. We have to make the time. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

Our Focus by Paul Camuti 08/12/2023.

A few weeks ago, two friends of mine within a few days of each other posted the same viewpoint on what Christians should be focused on regarding the "End Times." Both posts said, "Imagine if our Christian view of the End Times was centered on preparing for Christ rather than the anti-christ, on the mark of the Lamb rather than the beast, on preparing for the redeeming of the earth rahtn than escaping it, on hope rather than fear." I couldn't be more in agreement with that statement. I responded to the post sharing what Jesus clearly stated we should be focused on in Acts chapter one.

In the book of Acts chapter one, just before Jesus ascension to heaven, the disciples asked Jesus, "Lord will You at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?" Jesus response was, "It is NOT for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has put in His own power. But you will receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and you shall BE WITNESSES unto Me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the utter most part of the earth."

Note that Jesus said to BE WITNESSES. It's not just about witnessing, it's about being witnesses. The word witness there has in it's meaning to testify to the truth, to be proof evidence. We are called to testify to the truth, but the most effective way to testify to the truth is to be His proof and evidence. The only way we can be His proof and evidence that Jesus is who He says He is, the only way we can be His proof that He rose from the dead, is for us to become more and more like Him. The only way to become more and more like Him is to have as intimate relationship with Him as possible.

I'm not saying we have to be absolutely perfect. But to be His witnesses means we have to focus on our relationship with Him. Everything else MUST be secondary at best. Jesus is telling his disciples (and us) to be focused on HIM, not what's going to happen. He says point blank-it's NOT for us to know what the Father has put in His own power. Our focus is to be on HIM not the so called end times. I've been walking with the Lord for 48 years (and by saying that, I'm not trying to say I'm more spiritual than anyone else, or that I know more than anyone else) and in all this time, all the "End Time's" experts and "prophesy pundits" have been wrong. Which alone means, since there's been "End Times" experts and "prophesy pundits" before I became a Christian, they've been wrong longer than 48 years. That's a pretty abysmal record, you ask me. It show's that what Jesus said is true, "It's NOT for us to know the times and the seasons that the Father has put in His own power."

I'm not against teaching doctrine, and I'm not calling the "End times" experts or "prophesy pundits" false teachers or false prophets. Many of them teach and preach out of the sincerity of their hearts. However, over all, we need to let go of our favorite pet doctrines and focus on Him, and focus on becoming like Him.

Generally speaking, many of us (including myself) purse our pleasures. We've become a pleasure seeking society. Unfortunately that is infiltrated Christianity. The pleasures we seek will never fulfill us the way Jesus will fulfill us. We've got to get back to pursing Him and allow Him to transform us into His image like never before by yielding to His Holy Spirit and the power of the Holy Spirit like never before. We have got to become more focused on His Word so that HIs Word and the Holy Spirit can renew our minds. If you don't agree with this, then pray for me. Love & God bless, Pastor Paul.

Sharing My Heart by Paul Camuti 07/09/2023

I came across an article I wrote and posted on Facebook on 07/09/2015. As I read it again, I am amazed at how things have changed in our nation, and sadly, not for the better. I'm reposting the article, and then after the article I am going to explain the reason for the repost. I hope anyone who reads this will read it all the way through, and then pass it around to as many people as possible.

The Article of 07/09/2015.

I want to share with you why I am doing these videos. This may sound corny, hackneyed, old fashioned and the like, but I love Jesus, I love the Christian Church and I love America. Over the past several years the Lord has increasingly laid on my heart a heavy burden for the Church and America as a whole. Each year the burden has gotten heavier. My usual nature is one of "go along to get along." Anyone who knows me knows that I love to have fun, I generally try to keep and make peace. It is not and has not been my intention to bash the Church or America, although I have been saying some pretty hard things. I am not being negative just to be negative. With the research I have been doing and what I have been feeling in the spirit, America has to wake up about where we are and where we are headed. The only way for America to wake up is for the Church to wake up. We've been asleep at the wheel. We've allowed "spiritual political correctness" infiltrate our Churches all because we want to appear to being loving and reasonable. We don't want to be seen as intolerant, elitist or anything perceived as negative. Well, the truth is Jesus was the most polarizing man to ever walk the planet. Yes He was loving and compassionate, but He was also capable of cracking people over the head with a spiritual 2 by 4. It's there in the gospels. In the book of Acts, the Apostle Paul would speak and sometimes riots would break out. The Christian Church in America is no where near the powerhouse it was in the book of Acts. Back in February of 1988, Jesus spoke to my heart about How He desires to restore the Church to the way it moved in power in the book of Acts. The Church in the book of Acts, by the power and grace of God would turn America around. Some might say, "It's the end times, it's all going to go to hell in a handbasket anyway. Let's just wait for Jesus to come back and fix it." To that statement I say this, in Acts chapter one, the disciples ask Jesus if the kingdom would at that time be restored to Israel. Jesus said, "It is NOT FOR YOU TO KNOW times or seasons the Father has put in His own authority." Jesus went on to say to "BE My witnesses." The word witnesses has in it's meaning to be proof and evidence. We as Christians are to be the proof and evidence of who He is. Why should anyone believe that Jesus is the Son of God, much less come back again, when we serve God on our terms instead of serving Him on His terms? Also in Luke 19 because the crowd Jesus was with "thought the kingdom would IMMEDIATELY appear," He tells a parable in which He states, "Occupy until I come." Occupy has in it's meaning to carry on a business or to busy oneself with business or trade. In other words, Jesus doesn't want us concerned with things that are NOT FOR US TO KNOW-He wants us focused on being His proof and evidence and our business is to be as He put it in Matthew 28:19 which is to make DISCIPLES of all nations. This is more that just telling people that they need to get saved and getting them baptized in the Holy Spirit. Making people disciples takes time, and effort. And it means our being disciples as well. Disciple also has the idea of the student becoming like the master. My writing the book, "Sound the Alarm..." and doing these videos is not about me trying to become a household name-it is about trying to put a spark in someone else's heart that just might be able to set the Church and America on the right course again. Don't ever think to yourself, "I'm only one person, what can I do?" The Bible and history are replete with the course of things changing due to one person being willing to face things and not back down. Read the book of Judges and find out about Gideon. You might be the next Gideon, the next Daniel, the next Paul, the next George Washington. Anything is possible with God. And this is why I do it.

Back to today, 07/09/2023. Here is the reason I am reposting the above article. On this past July 4, my wife Deborah and myself went to see “Sound of Freedom” with Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in the film, “The Passion of the Christ.” It is a very disturbing film. Although disturbing, although dark, the darkness portrayed is not glorified, and the darkness is dispelled by hope. The darkness is only there to show the depths of depravity that exists in the shadows that needs to be exposed.

Considering the content of the story, it could have been much more dark, and it could have been very graffic. However, it was done very tastefully. It is a true story of a Federal Agent, Timothy Ballard who quits his secure job in the Federal Agency to rescue children who become victoms of child sex slavery. Audiences by and large have been highly favorable about the film, although people have been very sobered by it. However, there are groups of people, media, organizations that have slammed the film as basically being cheap entertainment for right wing conspiracy nuts. It is not. My wife and I have seen the film. I find it intersting that those who have been critizing the film have not at all talked about the film as far as acting, editing, photography, writing, etc. The critiques are primarily trying to convince people that the level of child sex slavery is imaginary. It is not as widespread as the film depicts, they say. They also try to link the makers of the film as being in league with Q'Anon which is patently a lie.

Even if the child sex slavery isn't as widespread, they are not denying the existence of it, therefore any amount of this evil trade is something that should not be tolerated at any level. Sadly, it is more widespread than the critics would have us not to believe.

I Googled Child Trafficking in the United States alone. The stats say 365,000 children go missing in the US every year. The percentage of the 365,000 missing children that are victims of trafficking is 30%. That means approximately 109,000 children ages 18 and under are bought and sold as sex slaves. This criminal enterprise takes in $150 billion a year. Monitarily it has surpassed all crimina enterprises. Even more disgusting is the fact that the number one consumer of this is the United States of America.

“Sound of Freedom” was actually made 5 years ago. The makers of this film had to overcome obstical after obstical to get the film out due to opposition to it. It causes one to wonder, just how many people, politicians (Republican and Democrat) Hollywood elites, media people, musicians of all genre's are either directly involved in this evil enterprise, or if not directly involved in the trafficking, how many people participate. With all the past and current “investigations” I believe this should be at the top of the list.

What all of this should prove to us is how desparately we need revival. Not just a revival of thrills and chills, but a revival of heart-rending purification and repentance. This needs to start with Christians. This needs to start with the American Christian Church. We cannot expect revival in America until the American Christian Church has a revival that starts with deep repentance. This kind of thing would never happen, or at the very least be minimized if the American Christian Church was moving in the power of the Holy Spirit the way the first century church in the book of Acts did.

I do not know why “Sound of Freedom” is being labled as a faith based movie. God is mentioned only twice, and Jim Caviezel's character quotes one Scripture while arresting a child sex trafficker. The times God is mentioned, Jim Caviezel's character says, “God's children are not for sale.” Another character that helps Jim Caviezel's character says, “When God tells you to do something, you do it.” The Scripture Jim Caviezl's character quotes is Matthew 18:6 when Jesus says, “But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone be hanged about his neck, and he were cast into the sea.”

As I mentioned in the article written 07/09/2015, don't say, “I'm only one person, what can I do?” Each of us (I include myself) can start by opening our hearts to God like never before and ask for Him to examine ourselves like never before. If we need to repent, we need to do it. We need to allow God to be a consuming fire in our lives. We also need to ask the Lord to help us be as the church in the book of Acts. We need to pray for the children who have been trafficked, that God would deliver them from the hand of the enemy. We need to pray for God's mighty healing power to bring deep, miraculous healing to those children who have been rescued and reunited with their families. We need to pray for a mighty outpouring like never before in our churches throughout America, and for that revival to spread throughout the nation.

I encourage anyone that reads this article to please go and see, “Sound of Freedom and seek the Lord as to what He would have you do. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

Trust by Paul Camuti 06/11/2023

I recently came across and article that was about actress Alicia Silverstone who stated she is leaving the Democratic Party and becoming a registered Independent. She also indicated that she was supporting Robert F. Kennedy jr. for President.

I say good for her. I was previously a registered Republican, but I became a registered Independent around 2000. I vote Democrat if he or she is closer to my viewpoints than a Republican, and I will vote Republican if he or she is closer to my viewpoints than the Democrat. The last Democrat I supported was President Jimmy Carter. I became a Republican because of Ronald Reagan. To me, most of the characters (for the most part they are lacking in character) in both parties do not give a rip about the American people, they are in it only for themselves. Most of the time when I vote, I do it while holding my nose.

Now to the point of why I'm writing this article. In the article about Alicia Silverstone supporting Robert F. Kennedy jr. for President she said, “I love his vision of peace, unity, and justice for all. I am uplifted by his commitment to protect civil and worker rights as well as our children's health. We need leaders who will resolve poverty, pollution, inequality and stop wars. Bobby is that leader.”

When I was fourteen years old, Robert F. Kennedy, the brother of John F. Kennedy was running for President. That was back in 1968. I liked Robert F. Kennedy. If I was old enough at the time I would have voted for him. If he were alive after I turned eighteen and he were running for President I would have voted for him. Unfortunately he was gunned down in June of 1968. When he was shot down, I recently read that while he was still conscious, the first thing out of his mouth as he laid on the floor was to ask if anyone else was hit. He was thinking of others before himself at a time when his own mortal life was coming to an end.

There are things that Robert F. Kennedy jr. believes that I do not agree with. There were other things he believes that I do agree with, and I was rather surprised that there were some things we are in agreement about. However, the main thing I like about him is that I believe he is honest and that he genuinely does care about the American People.

But here's the thing. I believe Alicia Silverstone is sincere in her support of Robert F. Kennedy. However, if she is putting her trust in him to be some kind of savior for the country, she will be gravely disappointed. The reason why we find our nation in such dire straights is because for the past several decades we have been voting for people that we like what we here them say. Then, as it so often happens, the people we vote for do not deliver, or even if they do deliver, their personalities are polarizing, which then sometimes gets in the way of their effectiveness. The end result is that we get disappointed, disgruntled and disillusioned. We become angry and entrenched in our thinking.

That being said, we cannot entirely blame the politicians. Oh yes, they are and should be held accountable for their actions. We too, the American People need to look in the mirror and hold ourselves accountable for the people we put into office. The problems that are going on in our nation is as much our fault as it is the politicians. Why? Because we are putting our complete trust in fallible human beings. We are all fallible. And even the most honest, sincere elected official is going to make mistakes, most times unintentionally that could have very dire consequences.
What I am about to say is not meant to be preaching. What I am about to say is meant for us to take unto serious consideration. After all, how well has our voting choices been working with the degree of trust that we have been putting in the men and women we have been voting for.
Psalm 118:8-9, - “It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes (politicians).”
Psalm 146:3 - “Put not your trust in princes, nor in the son of man, in whom there is no help.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 - “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thine ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths.”
Is it possible because we have drifted away from our trust in the Lord that we find our nation in decline? Is it because we have been trusting for deliverance from human saviors, instead of the One True Savior? Is it because we have been leaning on our own understanding, instead of trusting in the Lord will all of our hearts?
This is what has been happening in our nation:
“Ye have plowed wickedness, ye have reaped iniquity; ye have eaten the fruit of lies: because thou didst trust in thy way, in the multitude of thy mighty men.” (Hosea 10:13).
On March 3rd 2019 I made a Restoration video titled, “A House Divided.” In that video I discussed how the Lord laid on my heart that He was going to begin a purification of our nation with the Holy Ghost and fire. Because of the urgency I felt in my spirit at the time, I thought it was going to start in 2019. However, it began in 2020 with Covid, George Floyd killing and subsequent riots, the 2020 election, and it's been intensifying since then. As I mentioned in the video, the purpose of the Holy Ghost fire is to bring about the result of purification in our nation, which is a good thing. I bring this up because it is important for us to realize that what we see happening is a spiritual dynamic manifesting in the natural. All of this is going to lead to a revival of unimaginable scope.

That said, we need to stop leaning on our own understanding, and putting full trust and confidence in human agency, and turn our hearts to God, and put full trust back into Him. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

New Life by Paul Camuti 05/18/2023

The last two articles I posted were regarding my early experiences as a Christian. All Things Have Become New was about my salvation experience with Jesus Christ. The River That Flows From The Throne of God, was about the experience I had when I was baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit. In both articles I stressed that it is not my intention to make myself appear as someone more special than anyone else, or that I am more spiritual than anyone else. I have been sharing these experiences to show that if God can move in my life as He has, He can move in anyone's life in similar ways.

The month of May 1976 was a very significant month for me. On May 8th I met the woman who would at short three years later become my wife (however, I didn't know it at the time). On May 16th I was baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit at a home fellowship meeting. I mentioned that when I was baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit, I experienced three things that are in the Bible that at the time I had no idea was in the Bible. Number 1, I had a vision of a huge white throne in which a powerful river flowed out from the seat of the throne and poured all over me. I actually felt a physical sensation of the river bending me over backward. I did not know at the time the phrase, “the river that flows from the throne of God,” was in the book of Revelation. Number 2, I did not know that one of the results of being baptized in the Holy Spirit was speaking in tongues-having a heavenly prayer language. Number 3, when being prayed for was over, I experienced being drunk, hugging everything in sight and being so full of joy I could not stop laughing. Chapter 2 of the book of Acts records 120 people in the upper room where the Last Supper took place, the Holy Spirit poured out His power on them. The 120 people included the 12 apostles and Jesus mother, Mary-they were accused by some in the crowd at Jerusalem for being drunk on new wine.

On Monday, May 31, 1976, Memorial Day (believe me, that day in my life was truly memorable) I had another experience when I was baptized in water. Why did God give me these experiences? I believe that it was to help me through some difficult times that nearly caused me to turn away from God. These experiences helped me know just how real God is, how personal He is, and how true His Word, the Bible is.

After I was baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit, I went to home fellowship meetings at several places scattered around Long Island. My friend Frank, often attended a fellowship in Queens, New York on Saturday nights. I became friends with several of the people at that fellowship. I typically went to Bob and Sharon's fellowship in Melville, Long Island. There were a few others I went to on Tuesday and Thursday nights.

On the Sunday night preceding Memorial Day, Frank brought several of the people from the Queens fellowship to Bob and Sharon's. Once again, Bob and Sharon's house was packed. Also in attendance was Ed, who the Lord involved in my salvation. That same night I met the man who brought Ed to the Lord, whose name was Jim. As soon as I shook his hand, I knew we would have a significant relationship.

As the meeting wound down, Frank suggested having a picnic for the next day, Memorial Day. Some people from Bob and Sharon's were going as well as several people from the Queens fellowship. Bob and Sharon could not make it. Most of the people who went on the picnic were in their early to mid 20's. We were all to meet at Frank's home in New Hyde Park, Long Island. Amazingly enough, I remember just about everything on that day, but I forget if we went to Wading River again, or if we went to a beach somewhere in the proximity of a town on Long Island called Rosalyn. Because of it's location, I lean more towards Rosalyn.

When we all met on Memorial Day, the sun was shining brightly. There was not a cloud in the sky. There was a slight nip in the air but you could tell that it was going to warm up rather quickly. When we made it to our destination for the picnic, we all grabbed tables on the picnic grounds that were not in use and put them together so we could all eat and fellowship together. Some of the guys started breaking out the hamburgers and hot dogs and began to grill. I walked by Frank as he was grilling. Just like he did when he asked me if I wanted prayer to be baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit, he again asked, “Hey Paul, do you think you'd want to get baptized in water today down at the beach?” Once again, I didn't want to be the center of attention. However, there was more to it than just that. I winced at the idea and dismissed it by saying, “Maybe, Frank. We'll see how it goes.”

Almost as soon as getting baptized was brought up, I started feeling awful. As time went on, the only way I can describe it was that I felt like there were two men inside my body having a brutal boxing match. My ribs began to feel sore and hurt. It was getting difficult for me to breathe normally.

As God is my witness, something else happened, that I wouldn't blame anyone for not believing it. But like I said, as God is my witness this also happened. The sky started clouding up almost immediately after Frank suggested about me getting water baptized. The more intense the brutal boxing match became within me, the cloudier it became. It also became misty. I did not feel nauseous, but I did not want to eat.

After a while, we all went down to the beach area. Jim and Ed took a long walk on the beach. No one knew exactly where they were. Frank had mentioned to them about me getting baptized. The war inside me became so intense, I laid down on the beach. I kept saying, “I want to die, I want to die.” Little did I know the significance of what I was saying. The rest of the people who were at the picnic sat in a circle around me. Some of them began to sing some of the Bible verse songs that we would sing in our fellowship meetings. Someone asked when was I going to be baptized. Frank said whenever Jim and Ed would return. He felt that they should be involved in the baptism. That did not make me very happy. The agony of the brutal boxing war inside had me continually calling out, “I want to die, I want to die.”

Finally, Jim and Ed returned. Some of the people explained to them what was going on with me (although no one knew I felt like two men were having a boxing war inside me). Jim and Ed sat down by where I was laying in the circle. Jim asked me if I realized the importance of water baptism. Of course I did not know, nor did I care to know at that moment. I just kept saying, “I want to die, I want to die.” Apparently that was good enough for Jim.

Jim and Ed stood up. Frank and some of the other guys helped me up. Once they got me up, Jim and Ed guided me into the ice cold, frigid water. I was in my jeans, with no shirt on. When we got about hip deep in the water, Jim and Ed prayed and under I went. When I was underwater, I thought to myself that I would stay under a few moments more for the baptism to “take.” Not that it would “take” by staying under the water longer in reality, but that's just how I was thinking at the time.

Ed and Jim started to get concerned. Ed said, “Paul, Paul, Paul,” and then started tugging under my arm that was underwater. With that, I leaped up out of the water. When I came up out the water, the sun broke through the clouds and the mist. I kid you not. I also had a physical sensation of something sliding off me. I looked back into the water. I “saw” an old man sinking into the water and disappearing. As Jim, Ed and myself approached the shore, the people were singing praises to God. The clouds and the mist dissipated. Once again, I had no idea of what I experienced was in the Bible.

Romans 6:3-8 says, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized unto His death? Therefore, we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him.”

I did not come across these scriptures until a few years after I had been water baptized. If you read the experiences I had in my previous article, The River That Flows From The Throne of God,” and in this article you should see why I am absolutely convinced that the Jesus is the Son of God and that the Bible is the Word of God. One other point to make. God did not give me these experiences because I earned them. He didn't give these to me because I did things for Him to gain His favor. God did not give me these experiences because of how good I was. God gave me these experiences because of His goodness. Blessings that God gives to anyone, is not based on anyone doing anything to earn the blessing based on our goodness or merits. God's blessings are given on the basis of His goodness and the merits of Jesus Christ being in our lives. I hope this message blesses and encourages you. Until next time, love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

“The River That Flows From The Throne of God” by Paul Camuti 03/11/2023

In my previous article, “All Things Have Become New,” I mentioned that the Lord had placed on my heart to share some personal experiences I've had particularly in the early days of giving my heart to Jesus. Once again, the point is not to show how spiritual I am or to impress anyone. The point is to show if God can move in my life the way He did and has, He can move in anyone's life in the same manner. Perhaps not in the exact same manner, but at the very least in similar ways.

In March of 1976 I decided to start going to a church that several aunts, uncles and cousins of mine went to. The church was located in a town called Dix Hills in Long Island, New York. It was about a forty-five minute drive from where I lived in Merrick, Long Island, New York. When I went to the church my mother wanted to go also, so off we went.

The first Sunday that I went there, I felt glad to be back in a church. It was a traditional church as I remembered how church was when I was a little boy. By traditional I mean that during worship several hymns were song, offering was taken, announcements were given and the pastor gave his message. By using the word, traditional I'm not trying to be disparaging.
The people were friendly enough. The pastor seemed to be a sincere man. He somewhat resembled evangelist Billy Graham. I can't be the judge of whether that was intentional or not because I did not know the man.

I went to the church for three more weeks. Each week the if felt like there wasn't enough. That is the only way I could describe the feeling (for lack of a better way of putting it) at the time. Even with several of my relatives who attended the church, I felt like there was something missing.

By the fourth week, I actually found myself inside my heart saying, “There's got to be more to God than this.” It almost surprised me that I thought that. After all, as I mentioned earlier, this was the type of church I attended as a young boy, until I was about ten or eleven years old.

I want to be clear that I'm not trying to be disparaging here. I am just sharing what was going on in my heart at the time. I know numerous people from traditional churches who have been good friends. At any rate I stopped going to the church.

In late April, the fellow that God used to instrumentally in my salvation, Ed one day invited me to a church service at a place called Pinecrest, in Stony Brook, Long Island. At first I didn't want to go because I was working on a film project for one of my film classes. However, I eventually agreed to go.

As the day was approaching to go to the church, I kept asking Ed what was going to go on at the church. I was afraid that if they saw a new comer they would ask me to stand and have me tell who I am among other things. Although I was a film major in college, and had a desire to act, write and direct, I did not like being the center of attention. I didn't mind acting in front of people, but I was very uncomfortable with being the center of attention as me, particularly if I didn't know the person or people. Once I got to know a person or people, then I didn't mind. Ed would just tell me there would be singing, a few people might share a few things and someone would give a message. Somehow, I had the feeling Ed was holding out on me. I kept asking him from time to time what would go on at church, and he would just tell me the same thing.
Finally the night came. It was a Friday night. That night I met a lady named Helen who was about in her sixties. I also met another friend of Ed's named Amy, who was about mine and Ed's age.

Stony Brook was about an hour from where we left Ed's house in a town called Hicksville. When we arrived, we got out of Helen's car and approached the doors of the church. I could hear the music coming from the inside. It was not blasting loud but it was lively. When we got inside there were people on a platform playing guitars, drums, piano and a few of the brass instruments. The atmosphere was upbeat and alive. It was not just an emotional pump. It was very, very real. I never experienced anything, to that point, in my life. There was genuine joy on all the people's faces as they praised and worshiped the Lord. Before I knew it, I thought to myself, “Wow, this is how church oughta be!!”

I did not know any of the songs, as I had never heard songs like what they were playing before. I started clapping and stomping my feet to the rhythm of the music. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the shocked look on Ed's face. His eyes literally were bulging out and his chin hit the floor. I later found out that when I would ask Ed what was going on to go on in the church meeting, he down played it because he was somewhat afraid that once I got into the church I might run out thinking everyone was crazy. I was still rather rough around the edges.

The astounding thing was that under the direction of no one, simultaneously the music and the people got softer and more quite. The people were worshiping in a very quite way all together. There was a guy standing behind me praying in what sounded like Hebrew to me. I thought that because Long Island had a significant population of Jewish people. I thought to myself, “Oh no, don't tell me I have to learn Hebrew to be a Christian. I barely master the English language.” Other than that I had not felt so alive within myself in my entire life until that night.

The next day, I met Ed on our college campus and he brought Stephanie and Andrea whom I previously had met. They were visiting me as I was working on the post production of a film Ed and I had made together.

Ed asked me about what did I think about the church service the night before. I told him that I really enjoyed it. He then asked me what was I thinking when I heard the guy behind me praying the way that he did. I said to Ed, “I was thinking, do I have to learn Hebrew to be a Christian?” With that, Ed, Stephanie and Andrea burst out laughing. They weren't laughing at me, they just thought it was funny.

Andrea and Stephanie tried to explain why the guy was praying like that, but it was going right over my head. Ed could see that I was puzzled, so he said to the girls, “Maybe we'll talk about it another time.”

About a few weeks after that, Ed asked me if I wanted to go with him and some other friends to a place way out east on Long Island called Wading River. The Spring Semester was rapidly coming to an end, so it was crunch time for me to get the film completed. Once again I said I couldn't because of needing to work on the film. Ed just said to know that if I changed my mind to let him know because the invitation was open.

A few days later, when I went to bed for the night, I thought of Ed's invitation. I had the novel idea to pray about it. The Lord spoke to my heart and I needed a break from work at my job which was a movie rental business and from the work I was doing on my film project. He then spoke to my heart and said I would meet my wife that day.

On Saturday, May 8th 1976 I met three of my dearest friends. Frank, Deborah and Mary. Deborah and Mary were best friends. Three years later Deborah and I would be joined together as husband and wife. However, I was on the wrong track. I was actually attracted to Deborah's best friend, Mary at first.

As we drove from Hicksville to Wading River, which took about as long as it would take to go to Stony Brook, Frank and I hit it off because I was a film major and he also had a desire to act. Then, he asked me if I were baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit. He started to read out of Acts chapter 2. Frank did not get far because once again, what he was talking about went over my head. Ed then said to Frank, “We'll talk about it another time.”

When we got to Wading River we met another friend of Ed's named Mike. He lived near the shore of Wading River where there was a bay. We hung out at the bay visiting, talking. Eventually we wound up going to a Chinese restaurant. Everyone ordered something Chinese. At that time I did not like Chinese food so I had Fried Chicken (Now I love Chinese food).
While we were eating, Deborah was sitting next to me. Suddenly she looked up at me and said, “I feel like you're going to be a real blessing. I can tell.” Little did we know the significance of what she said.

Ed, Mary and Frank invited me to a home fellowship meeting for the following Sunday night. It was May 16th, the hosts were Bob and Sharon. They were in their early thirties and had two sons. They lived in Melville, Long Island New York. When you entered into their house through the front door, you had the living room, next was the dining room and then the kitchen. The entire house was shaped like the house I grew up in Merrick. The house was packed. The living and dining rooms were so packed it was practically standing room only.

After the singing of praise and worship songs from the Bible, an African-American man stood up. He and his wife brought their six children with them. They were from Brooklyn, New York. He asked if everyone would lay hands on his six children and pray for them to receive the baptism of the power of the Holy Spirit. When he had asked that, Frank and I were sitting on the floor at the back of the dining room, with our backs up against the wall. Frank looked at me and asked, “Do you want prayer for the baptism of the power of the Holy Spirit.” I looked and saw everyone in the house converge on the six children to pray for them. Everything in me desired to resist, but to my surprise a “Yes” squeaked out of my mouth. I couldn't believe I said that.

Frank and I arose from where we sat. We went to the center of the living room where everyone had was about to pray for the children of the African-American family. Frank indicated to everyone to include myself to be prayed for.

I bowed my head and closed my eyes. People laid their hands on me (as well as the children) and began to pray. No one coached me. No one tried to influence me to try to speak in tongues. They just prayed.

As we prayed I started to sway gently back and forth. I raised my head but my eyes were closed. I then had a vision of a gigantic white throne. A powerful, forceful river flowed from the seat of the throne. The river flowed onto me. It forced me to lean backwards. I felt some hands gently on me in case I leaned so far back that I would fall over. There was no pressure from anyone's hands. The only pressure I felt was from that river that was flowing from the throne. The force of it kept me bending back, back, back. Eventually, I began to pray in a heavenly language. I never did hard drugs that caused hallucinations. This vision was so real. I was simultaneously away of being in the living room and aware of standing before this magnificent white throne.

When the vision ended and the praying was finished, I was intoxicated with joy. It was like a happy drunk only pure and clean. I was laughing and hugging everyone in sight. I especially hugged Frank. Seeing how I was a good fifty pounds heavier than he, I nearly squeezed the life out of him. However, Frank was so happy for me, he didn't mind.

Three things happened to me that I did not know would happen. I did not know they were even in the Bible. First of all, I never heard the expression, “The river that flows from the throne of God,” to that point. Although I went to Sunday School as a little boy, that statement was never mentioned. We only heard stories from the Bible like David and Goliath, the flood, Jesus and His disciples. As I mentioned, I did not know it was even in the Bible. That description is in Revelation 22:1 which says, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.”

Secondly, I began to pray in a heavenly/spiritual language. I did not know this would be one of the results of being baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit. I also did not know this was spoke of in scripture. The references to this are in Acts 2:2-4, Acts 10:44-46, Acts 19:2-6.

Lastly, I was intoxicated with joy that I never felt before. The happy drunk. I did not know this would be a result of being baptized in the power of the Holy Spirit, and again, did not know it was in the Bible as well. This is found in Acts 2:13-17. If anyone is going to try and convince me this isn't real, they would be 47 years too late.

I do not think this coincidental I'm sharing this at this time. Revival is beginning to break out in our nation. Several Christian and even secular college campuses have been breaking out in revival since early February. It has been spreading ever since. Unfortunately there are many skeptics, mostly Christian teachers that have been saying that this is emotionalism or concerned about what is being done. Some are even saying this isn't what revival looks like or this is not of God.

All I know is that all of the testimonies have been that people, young people especially, are confessing sin, praying for one another, glorifying God for what He is doing in their lives, spending hours in prayer and worship and praise, sharing Scripture verses to edify one another. Sounds like revival to me. Sounds like it's of God to me. There are always skeptics.

I would caution these skeptics (the Christian ones, especially the known teachers) to be cautious with saying this isn't revival and cannot be of God. The reason being is that when Jesus came on the scene, He did things that the people of that time never saw done before. He spoke things about the Scriptures that had never been heard of before by the “experts” of His day. And when the church was birthed in the book of Acts, the Church did things that were never seen or heard of before, and it was all God.

Again, I share my experience not to show that I'm someone special or more spiritual than anyone else. I am who I am and what I am by the grace of God, not of my own doing. What God has done for me, He will do for anyone. We all have been given gifts from God that are not of ourselves. And those gifts are a privilege given to us to be used to bring glory and honor to our heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords. Amen. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.

“All Things Have Become New” by Paul Camuti 02/12/2023

To be quite honest I have been having a hard time coming up with an article to post this month. I had several ideas, and as I considered them I did not feel right about posting any of them. There was no inspiration. As I prayed prior to composing and posting this article, The Lord gave me the inspiration to share various personal experiences that I've had in my life with the Lord. It is not to show how special I am or to make me seem so spiritual. On the contrary, I am as ordinary as anyone can be. And let's face it, most people for lack of a better way of putting it, are ordinary. Hence, the reason I believe the Lord put the inspiration in my heart to share these experiences is to bring home the point that anyone, ordinary or not, can have these encounters with God because it is God who desires relationship with us. From the beginning of the Bible to this very day whether people want to believe it or not God is in hot pursuit for all of us. I am no more special than anyone else.

Some of what I share in these articles might have been mentioned here and there in other articles. However, much has not been. So let me begin where it all started. I have shared some of this in my last article, “No More Looking Back.” It's ironic, but to share these experiences I do have to look back. The looking back in these cases is to show just how good God is even when it looks and feels like He's abandoned us.

The year 1974 was one of the best years of my life, speaking strictly from a secular standpoint. I was a film major at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University on Long Island, New York. The beginning of 1974 I was in the winter/spring semester of my freshman year. My grades were very good. I enjoyed my job at a full service gas station. I became assistant stage manager of the campus theater's spring time play production, which was a blast.

I also met the girl of my dreams. She was a human barbie doll. The only difference was that she had brown eyes instead of blue. Although the Counter Culture Revolution had made it's impact, she was old fashioned as was I. Not that I didn't have my issues. I could be ill tempered to say the least and cuss in a manner that would make a sailor blush. Morally, however, I was old fashioned. Our tastes in just about everything was the same.

The summer break of 1974 was a dream summer to me, spending time with her. In the fall, without planing it, we wound up having a few of the same classes together. I grew more and more smitten.

Then 1975 came around. She had previously expressed that she “liked me a lot.” I personally believe it was more than “a lot,” but although she was not stuck up on herself, she was of a upper middle class family. Her father (who did like me) was a successful businessman and her mother was one of the administrators of C.W. Post. I believe although her mother portrayed liking me, she also felt that her daughter could do better than a gas jockey. But then again, who could blame her. After all, what mother doesn't look out for their children, especially their daughters.

Well, I poured out my heart to her and she was not ready for a serious relationship. As I mentioned in “No More Looking Back,” at 19 years of age going on 20, I was devastated. I went into deep depression. Just before my 20th birthday I was involved in my first car accident. I was not hurt, but it rattled me. I made the mistake of saying, “What worse could happen?” Two days after the accident I was robbed at gun point at the gas station. I learned to never again say, “What worse could happen.”

As I plodded through the summer and fall something interesting began to happen. On my father's side of the family we had numerous family get togethers. Typically we would get together for holidays and birthdays. But this year there were numerous gatherings. Especially in the summer. Most of the people on my father's side were Born Again Christians. Although they were a family that would talk about anything under the sun, they also talked about Jesus quite a bit. One of them was a cousin of mine who was a year or two younger than I named Stephanie.

When the fall semester began, one of my film classes was the Art of Film. My professor, whom I liked quite a bit, was an atheist. However, he showed an Italian made film, “The Gospel According to St Matthew” that was word for word the Gospel of St Matthew. It was done in Italian with English subtitles. The film was directed by Paolo Pasollini who was a notable Italian director. Although it was in the name of Art, I thought it interesting that my atheist professor would show it nevertheless.

In my English Composition class, I met a guy named Ed. He had two female friends, Andrea and Stephanie. All three were Born Again Christians. What was interesting to me was that this girl, Stephanie, and my cousin, Stephanie were the only two Stephanie's I knew at the time and both were Christians.

Ed and I began to strike up conversations about the Lord. Anyone who knows me would also know I did most of the talking. I was also very cynical at the time I had met Ed. That cynical edge showed.

Anyone who knows me also knows that back in the day I could remember everything about a conversation. I could remember to the letter what was said, the weather of the day, what time it was, everything. Yet, to this very do I do not remember anything about our conversations except for the part that mattered the most.

It was a Friday, December 5th 1975. It was a gorgeous day. It was warm, sunny with a clear blue sky (if you can believe that about New York). Ed and I were standing outside what was called the Commons, were students had lunch at a cafeteria, drank at the bar (I kid you not) and there were areas of to study. Hundreds of students were going past us.

“Ed, I don't know what's going on, but I'm not looking for God,” I said. “But He's showing up everywhere I go. I don't believe in coincidence, but it's like God is beating me over the eyebrows trying to get my attention.” I then mentioned all the things about my film class, the two Stephanie's, meeting him, and the numerous family gatherings with my Christian cousins, aunt's and uncles.

Then Ed made a statement that forever changed my life. “Did you ever think that God had a call on your life?” I felt like I had just been hit in the face. I was stunned. I was shocked. I had no emotions. No thrills and chills up and down my spine. No warm and fuzzy feeling in my heart. It was just so completely unexpected.

I looked up at the sky. It seemed so huge. That was my impression about God. He is so huge. Then I thought, “God is so huge, and I'm just a tiny little speck on this planet.” I thought, “A call on my life? I'm such a mess up. I can't keep a good thing going for more than a couple of days, and God's got a call on my life?”

I looked at the hundreds of people passing Ed and I at that very moment. I thought, “Certainly out of all these people God could call someone more qualified than myself.” I continued to look at all the people. Then I looked up at the sky again. “God is so huge, and there are all these people here. Yet, He's looking down here at me. He has His eye on me.” The thought was staggering. Then all of a sudden it hit me. Forgive the cliché' but it hit me like a ton of bricks. “God must really love me.” Once again, there was no emotion whatsoever. No crying, no joy, nothing. But something did happen.

Ed asked me if I were ready to accept Jesus into my life as my Savior and Lord. I was so stunned that I said to him, “Let me think about it over the weekend.” As I look back on it I cannot believe that I said that. My only guess is that I was so stunned by the awakening of His love for me I didn't know what else to say. To Ed's credit, he didn't force the issue.

The only other thing I do remember is this, and this could make some evangelistic type people upset with what I'm about to say. Never once did Ed say to me, “If you were to die tonight, where do you think you would go?” Or, “If you were to die tonight do you believe you would go to heaven, and if so , why?” He did not once say that if I died without Jesus, I would go to hell. Instead our conversation led to God being able to show me His love in a very real way to me.

The following Monday, on December 8th 1975, on a cold gray, damp day, in my 1966 Plymouth Barracuda, Ed and I sat in my car, and I accepted Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior. Although it has not been all peaches and cream 2 Corinthians 5:17 resounds very true to me - “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature (creation): old things have passed away; behold, all things are become new.” God gives us a new heart if we're willing to have Him do so. God pursued me, although I did not pursue Him. I find that so amazing.

No More Looking Back by Paul Camuti 01/02/2023

Happy New Year to all who read this article. We all know that New Year's Day that all of us look forward to thing being better than the year before, whether to previous year was a good year or not. We always look forward to the New Year with hope.

When I accepted Jesus into my life as Lord and Savior in December of 1975, I was very hopeful about the upcoming year of 1976. The year of 1975 was a dismal year for me. It started with the breaking up of a relationship with a girl, who at that time was the girl of my dreams. At approaching 68 years of age come March, looking back at how I let the broken relationship effect me seems rather childish, but then again, I was only 19 going on 20 and hadn't experienced the things I've lived through since that time. So, at age 19 when the relationship ended, I was devastated. I went into a deep depression that I was unable to escape.

When Jesus came into my life, I immediately had experiences with Jesus that I cannot get into right now. Needless to say, however, that those experiences proved to me how real Jesus is, and gave me much hope for the year that was about to come up.

Shortly after Christmas, I bought an album by the British rock band, The Kinks. The were one of the original British Invasion bands in 1963/1964 that came along with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. The album I bought was called, “School Boys In Disgrace.” It was nostalgic, had humor and as a whole told a story. There was one song in particular that stood out to me. It was entitled, “No More Looking Back.” It was about a guy, who experienced a broken relationship with his girl. Every where he went, and everything he saw reminded him of his girlfriend. Part of the song went like this:

“And just when I think your outa my head, I hear a record you played or see a book that you read. You're in every car, you're in every cafe, I see you everyday, but you're not really there, because you belong to yesterday.”

But then he sings, “No more looking back, no more living in the past, yesterday's gone, that's a fact, now there's no more looking back. Gonna be hard. Yeah, look straight ahead that's the only way it's gotta be. Yesterday's gone that's a fact, now there's no more looking back.”

At the end of the song, he repeats the previous stanza in a very declarative way. I adopted that song as my personal declaration of freedom. No more looking back.

As I have gone on in my relationship with Jesus, I have found that God is a God of the new. In Isaiah 43:18-19, God speaks through the prophet Isaiah saying, “Remember not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” (King James Version).

God makes a similar proclamation in Isaiah 42:8-10, “I am the Lord: that is My name: and My glory will I not give another, neither My praise to graven images. Behold, the former things are come to pass, and new things do I declare: before they spring forth I will tell you of them. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and His praise from the end of the earth...” The Scriptures are replete with examples of God always bringing about the new.

Such examples are Abraham, Moses and the apostle Paul just to name a few. With Abraham, was originally from the Ur of Chaldees which is about where present day Iraq is. The Chaldeans, who later became the Babylonian Empire were a very pagan people. They were steeped into idolatry and also practiced the occult. God called Abraham, who undoubtedly was pagan himself, responded to God's call. God told him to leave his family, leave his country and that God was going to make Abraham a father of many nations. Abraham and his wife Sarah were childless due to Sarah being barren.

God's new to Abraham was in that Abraham had to leave the familiar and embrace the new that God had for him, which resulted in Abraham and Sarah miraculously having a son, over time, Abraham becoming the father of many nations. The apostle Paul in Galatians chapter three states that anyone who has Christ is the seed of Abraham. There are Christians all over the world. Indeed, Abraham has become the father of many nations.

Moses, at the time of the burning bush experience in which God called Moses, was tending his father-in-law's sheep for forty years. Can you imagine tending sheep for forty years. God called Moses to confront Pharaoh, the king of Egypt to let God's people go so that they could worship Him and have relationship with Him. God called Moses to lead His people to the Promised Land. Moses was originally fearful about this and offered up excuses to God. However, eventually Moses yielded his heart to God to do the things God called him to do.

God's new for Moses was to bring him from tending sheep for forty years to being a prophet and leader of the children of Israel, confronting the most powerful individual of that time, the king of Egypt, and as mentioned before, leading the children of Israel to the Promised land.

In the New Testament book of Acts, the apostle Paul, was a overzealous religious leader named Saul. He persecuted severely the Christian Church. He approved the stoning of the first Christian martyr, named Stephen. He was on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians and bring them back to Jerusalem for trial and likely execution, when he encountered Jesus. The Lord Jesus transformed Saul, into Paul who arguably became the most influential writer of the New Testament, who through all kinds of peril and persecution, preached the Gospel of Jesus Christ, starting churches throughout the Roman Empire along the way.

The thing about God bringing about the new is that often times in the midst of good things happening, and powerful manifestations of God moving through His people such as we see in the book of Acts, there are also challenges. Sometimes those challenges can be severe. Even outside of a relationship with Jesus, new things often bring challenges. However, by yielding to the Holy Spirit we can receive the grace we need to persevere and obtain the new that God desires to bring about in and through our lives.

In closing, in the late 1980's, early 1990's there was a contemporary Christian singer named Ray Boltz. He was most popular for a song entitled, “Thank You.” The song was about a man who had served the Lord with his life, who was now in heaven. People who he had helped who were also in heaven, came up to him to say “thank you” because of all he had done for those people.

“Thank you, for giving to the Lord, I am life that was changed.”

That was the primary line the people said (sang) to the man who helped them. Ray Boltz also had another song that meant a lot to me. It was entitled, “Seasons Change.” The song told the stories of a few individuals that went through hard times. However, each of them held on to the promise that, as the words of the song said, “Seasons change, better times will come again. Seasons change, you will find the blessing is worth the pain.” In my relationship with Jesus, I have found over and over again that the line of that song is so true. And because of that, regardless of the challenges of the new, I can embrace the new and declare, no more looking back. May God grant you His grace for the new of 2023. Love and God bless, Pastor Paul.