I am sorry my blog posts have been very sparse of late. Since late February I have had some real challenges physically  and I have been in the hospital on a couple of occasions. Basically, confined to a bed for two of those weeks. Nevertheless, God has been gracious and I am doing much better, and will have surgery sometime in June to permanently resolve some issues at hand. I thank the Lord for your prayers, and for the grace of God at this time in my life.

I know we all have had our challenges with Covid, Church Services and Ministry. However, as I have talked to many pastors and friends of FBC, I am encouraged by their faithfulness and devotion to the cause of Christ. May we all see these times as temporary setbacks, and an opportunity toward renewal in our ministry. Challenges like we are facing come and go, but God's faithful love never forsakes us. His plans don't change, but the methods do.

Like any battle we face in life we may have to change tactics, or reassess where we are placing our resources. Nevertheless, the victory is already our's, as we are destined for success. For He who has begun a good work in us will finish it, and accomplish what He has sent us out to do. Amen.

In closing, I wanted to share with you an ancient christian thought on the Holy Spirit, and encourage you in this season of Pentecost. May God use you and bless you in a profound way in the days ahead.

God bless you,

Dr. Vossen

As President of FBC, a pastor or minister of the gospel, etc... I truly believe in attaining as much knowledge and experience you can get to be able to do whatever God has called you to in the ministry. For you never know when some tool or treasure imparted to you, God will use in the most appropriate of circumstances. However, never negate the faithfulness of being yourself, and allowing God to use you as you are. Don't ever allow yourself to become a polished vessel of charismatic personality. Remember its the anointing of God that breaks down the Kingdom of Darkness and reveals the Light of Christ's Kingdom.

8 The Lord is his people’s strength; 
he is a fortress of protection 
for his anointed one. 
9 Save your people, God! 
Bless your possession! 
Shepherd them 
and carry them for all time!

Ps. 28:8,9

I am trusting God to put a fortress of protection around His anointed ones in this hour. I know there are troubling signs around about us, and fear considering so many unstable things in life. As sickness and other maladies seem rampant upon the earth. However, the Lord's steadfast love is sure, and I am praying His hedge of protection about you, and that if there is any sickness that has befallen you, that the Lord will lift you up with His right hand of power. Giving you strength and great joy.


Grace to all the FBC Family.

1 The Lord is my light and my salvation.
Should I fear anyone?
The Lord is a fortress
protecting my life.
Should I be frightened of anything?
2 When evildoers come at me
trying to eat me up--
it’s they, my foes and my enemies,
who stumble and fall!
3 If an army camps against me,
my heart won’t be afraid.
If war comes up against me,
I will continue to trust in this:
4 I have asked one thing
from the Lord--
it’s all I seek:
to live in the Lord’s house
all the days of my life,
seeing the Lord’s beauty
and constantly adoring his temple.
5 Because he will shelter me
in his own dwelling
during troubling times;
he will hide me in a secret place
in his own tent;
he will set me up high, safe on a rock.
6 Now my head is higher
than the enemies surrounding me,
and I will offer sacrifices in God’s tent--
sacrifices with shouts of joy!
I will sing and praise the Lord.

These paragraph's from Peter C. Wagner's " Changing Church ", are simple biblical premise, or thoughts on the biblical narrative for Apostolic ministry or the full five full ministry.

Proof Texts for Apostolic Authority

Those who feel uncomfortable with apostolic authority would do well to reexamine four clear biblical proof texts.

The first is Ephesians 4:11: “And [Jesus] Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers.” It is curious that many Christian leaders who are comfortable with the offices of evangelist and pastor and teacher imagine that the two others mentioned in the same sentence, apostles and prophets, should be relegated to bygone days.

The second is Ephesians 2:20: “[The household of God is] built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone.” Some would argue that these apostles and prophets completed their task of laying the foundation of the Church in the first century or two. Such is a form of cessationism.

The third is 1 Corinthians 12:28: “And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.” Most of those who contend that apostles and prophets are not for today would not want to go on to say that other gifts such as teachers, miracles, healings, helps, administrations, and tongues are not for today either. It seems a bit inconsistent.

However, the clearest Scripture related to the duration of the offices of apostle and prophet comes right after the list of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers in Ephesians 4:11. The Bible goes on to say that the purpose of these five offices is to equip “the saints for the work of ministry” (Eph. 4:12). How long will they be needed? “Till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). Unless someone believes that we have actually reached that point, it is difficult to suppose that we no longer need the ministry of apostles and prophets.
​

                                                                                 Latter Rain.

It was just a few years ago that this latter rain began to fall. Perhaps you recollect the great Welch Revival, where, under the preaching of Evan Roberts, the fire fell. Many were saved, and baptized with the Holy Spirit, those who received the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, spoke with other tongues.

Over in Mukti, India, a missionary, Pandita Ramabai, was praying with a band of Hindoo girls. They had spent days and nights in prayer, when suddenly the Spirit was poured out in their midst, as He had been on the day of Pentecost. Visible fire is said to have been seen upon one girl’s bed, and when the other girls went for water to extinguish the fire it was discovered that this was the fire of the Holy Spirit, such as Moses saw in the burning bush that was not consumed. These dear Hindoo girls who received the Holy Spirit spake with other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance, when they received the Holy Spirit. One girl spoke in the English language (which she had never learned), and this is the message which was spoken through her:

“Jesus is coming soon, get ready to meet Him.” And the great revival spread on and on. Almost simultaneously the Spirit was poured out in our own United States of America, in England, in Canada, in Africa, upon missionaries in China, and in the islands of the sea. Never was such a world-wide revival known to spread so quickly and simultaneously. The Spirit was poured out upon praying bands in numberless places, who had never heard before of the incoming of the Holy Spirit. In every instance, without exception, those who received the Holy Spirit spake in other tongues, exactly as those who had received in Bible days had done. The latter rain was falling on the earth.

In order to receive the Holy Spirit one had to be empty, and humble. Poor and rich, black and white, the mistress and the maid alike received the Holy Spirit when they humbled themselves, and sought with all their hearts. Those who received, praised the Lord and magnified His name, as no one but Spirit-filled saints can do. Waves of glory, floods of praise swept over assemblies who had received the Holy Spirit. There was no way of stopping this great revival, it seemed.

I love how he say's ".. he put his hand into the serpent's den, removed the venom and took away sin. "