Are you and your ministry prepared for the next crisis that will inevitably flow from these “perilous times” in which we live, “in the last days” (2 Tim. 3:1)?

SermonAudio is preparing—which will allow all of its broadcasters to be better suited for the next cultural calamity, whatever that may be.

The company is building The Vault—a secure space on the second floor of the Mack Library, on the campus of Bob Jones University, which will house new technological infrastructure, providing security and independence for “the largest and most trusted library of audio sermons,” upon which so many churches have come to rely.

SermonAudio founder Steven Lee summed it up simply: “This will protect us from becoming canceled,” he stated. “We are in the business of trying to protect even the smallest church,” he said. “Nobody is working on a solution for the small church. So that is where we come in.”

Jesus predicted a day when “the love many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). There are few terms more chilling than cancel culture—a concept with which we’ve become all too familiar since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the resultant shutdowns, and the battles over the freedoms of religion and speech that directly ensued.

“Cancel culture is a real thing,” Lee stated. “To me, it is just one small step away from it being a wholesale gospel issue.”

He explained: “We have seen this demonstrated, so this is not theory anymore. If they feel like your business or your message, or whatever your activity is, running on their machines, is causing any kind of ‘mental distress’ or anything of that nature, they have the right then to just turn you off because it is a violation of terms. That is a very broad thing because most things that are of a conservative message could fall under that category.”

So how are we as Christians to navigate this technological and cultural minefield?

“We’re making prayer a very big component in everything that we do,” Lee stressed. “Not to make ourselves intentionally a target,” he said, “but we are in the sermon business. We have two million-plus sermons on our site. If people are crying about offenses, pick a page (in the Bible)—there are things that will offend people.”

Throughout this series, we have addressed the exponential increase of online ministry activity over the last two-plus years—looking at its pluses, minuses—and pitfalls. Perhaps the greatest threat in the latter category comes from outside—from cancel culture.

“We have churches already telling us that they are having trouble with their platforms,” Lee stated. “You are seeing sermons being pulled off. You are seeing entire ministries being pulled off.”

While The Vault will also strengthen SermonAudio in terms of cybersecurity, as discussed in a previous installment, the threat of cultural cancellation seems to be primary in most people’s minds.

Lee explained: “We are seeing this, more and more, here and there, of churches that are suffering this sort of censorship. I don’t see how this could be a surprise to us. To me, it is obvious. If these companies are run by individuals that have a very sharp leaning bent toward progressive ideologies, then they are going to find ways to remove very offensive—to them personally—content. They are not going to stand for that.”

According to Lee, our window of opportunity is fleeting.

“I just see this as a matter of time,” he stated. “I don’t really see this as an if but a when. If nothing else, it is prudent for us to take some steps to ensure that we retain our ability to communicate what may be offensive. When you start talking about sin, and the fact that there is only one way to heaven, and that other ways are false, you are going to offend people. There is no way around that.”

And the consequences of that kind of offense, in this toxic culture, could be frightening.

“Imagine a day when you don’t even have the technical platforms to get your message out,” Lee said. “I think that would be horribly paralyzing for the church, to not have a voice. We have never experienced that. When you lose platform, you are voiceless.”

The Apostle Paul exhorts us to “awake” and be among those that are “redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:14, 16).

“This is partially the reason why we are doing The Vault,” said Lee. “This is just our way of preparing.”

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Paul J. Scharf (M.A., M.Div., Faith Baptist Theological Seminary) is a church ministries representative for The Friends of Israel Gospel Ministry, based in Columbus, WI, and serving in the Midwest. For more information on his ministry, visit sermonaudio.com/pscharf or foi.org/scharf, or email pscharf@foi.org.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version.

 

On a personal note: My wife Jenni Watts went home to be with the Lord on August 22, 2022. Thank you for your prayers. She died in her sleep peacefully. I ask you to pray for me and pray for our son Jeremiah Watts.

(The link to the message is below)

https://youtu.be/nP4GjbGaaIM

This message is all about praying and fasting. We need this more than ever in our lives as the world is falling apart all around us. I will get to the message, but first, I would like to write to you about what is on my heart in starting prayer chains for America.

America

As an American, it is breaking my heart to see the country I love so much being destroyed from within. I believe the full wrath of God (who is Holy) is going to come down on America soon. Surely, America’s sins have reached the nostrils of God, and it is too late to save this country. But it is not too late to touch the heart of God on behalf of all lost Americans.

When I started the prayer chain for America, I thought that many Americans would join and share the post; that did not happen. I had one pastor put it on Facebook, another pastor sent it out to all church members, and another pastor and his church members joined in the prayer chain. It seems to me that many preachers found something wrong with the prayer chain. Most of the church in America is asleep along with their pastors and will be shocked when they see Jesus in the clouds. (I was one of the preachers/pastors that was asleep.) I know that there are pastors across this country who are trying to win as many souls as they can for the Lord, trying their best for Jesus, and there are Christians who are not asleep.

Thank you, Lord, for the good churches across America. These churches will not back away from the truth but will proclaim out to the world.

Prayer Chain

On August 01, 2020, around 1 am, I woke up and felt the leading of the Holy Spirit to go to my computer; that is when I started a prayer chain for America. Before the end of the day, Facebook shut me down. When the elections were coming up in November of 2020, I thought many Americans would join in a prayer chain, but it didn’t happen. January 06, 2021, was a very important date for America, but again, not many responses. But it turned into a Worldwide Prayer Movement that started on April 20, 2021, with the nation of Kenya. I tried again to have a day of praying, fasting, and repentance for America on August 5th and 15th, with few responses. But I have had a tremendous response from around the world.

No matter what happens, I will keep posting future dates for my beloved nation, the United States of America. I pray that this Worldwide Prayer Movement will spread across America before the rapture of the church.

I want to thank Rapture Ready for sharing my message and prayer chain request for America back in 2020. I would like to thank Todd Strandberg and Terry James. Brother Daymond Duck has also put my post for the prayer movement and prayer chain in his article several times. He is a precious man of God. A Rapture Ready writer put the prayer chain on her Facebook also, and I am thankful. Several Rapture Ready writers have joined in with us for a day of prayer, fasting, and repentance for a nation for a day. Thank you, Rapture Ready writers. I believe many readers also joined in on this prayer chain for America in 2020.

Worldwide Prayer Movement

The Lord has called me to get as many true prayer warriors from around the world to join us. We believe we are moving the heart of God for the sake of the lost souls from around the world. That is what this prayer movement is all about (lost souls receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior). I pray that you will join us in September for prayer for the continent of Africa. I have had many pastors asking me to do this with their country also, and I plan on doing this for every country.

Praying And Fasting (Joel 12:12-13)

The hardest thing that I have ever done is fasting. Have you ever done a fast for spiritual reasons? Have you ever fasted for 40 days? I would start with one meal and then go to one or two days of fasting. You can do it with the help of the Holy Spirit. If you have fasted, did you see results from the Lord after the fast? As the rapture of the church is approaching quickly, we need to fast even more than ever before. Have you ever fasted on behalf of your lost son or daughter or lost family member? Or for your nation? Don’t you think it is time to pray and fast to the Lord like never before?

Most religions seem to practice fasting. Why does it seem like the group that is the weakest in this area is the born-again Christians?

Luke 2:37 “And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day.”

This verse is amazing to me. Anna was a widow; she was 84 years old. That tells me that yes, you can also fast no matter how old you are. You are never too old for God to use you in a mighty way.

Anna’s relationship with the Lord was so close that she did not leave the temple. That is a wonderful place to be. How did she serve God? With fastings and prayers night and day. Wow! Did she move the heart of God? That is a big YES. FOR EVERY 100,00O PRAYER WARRIORS, there may be one true prayer warrior (maybe higher). The first thing a true prayer warrior does is write the date down on the calendar to fast. The hardest thing to do is to be a true prayer warrior. Are you? Anna was a true prayer warrior, and she moved the heart of the Lord in a mighty way. Are you moving the heart of God in a mighty way? I want to say this also. You will never hear a true prayer warrior tell people that they are a prayer warrior.

Joel 2:12 “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning.”

Now is the time to fast; tomorrow may be too late. How much longer are you going to wait to fast unto the Lord? When you fast for spiritual reasons, you are fasting unto the Lord. You need to tell the Lord what or who you are fasting for.

When the Lord speaks, we need to listen to him. So many people listen to the wrong voice that is inside them. To the Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells inside of you. Do you know His voice? What did he say? “Turn ye even to me.” Seek his face. Just like a daughter puts her hands on her daddy’s face when she is asking for the keys to the car and some spending money. When I am praying for the salvation of my son, I go to my Heavenly Father in prayer, seeking his face and putting my hands as if on his face, asking, begging for the salvation of my precious son with all my heart.

The reason why most prayers don’t get answered is that we are not seeking his face and not with our whole heart. If you want to see a big change in your life, read your Bible from the heart and pray and fast to the Lord with your heart (and your mind). If you are praying and fasting from your heart, you will move the Lord’s heart. He longs for this. Do you ever move his heart when you pray? (For many years, I did not move the heart of my Heavenly Father.)

I have covered fasting; next is weeping. If you are praying from the heart, you will be weeping. How many tears have you shed for your lost son or daughter? The next one is mourning. This means the showing of sorrow or grief. Normally you would show this kind of sorrow or grief when someone dies. How many times in your prayer life have you really sought the Lord’s face with all of your heart, fasting unto the Lord with weeping and mourning as if someone has died in your family? Do you really want to move the heart of God? Follow what is said in this verse.

Joel 2:13 “And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.”

“Rend your heart, and not your garments.” For one, you need to be humbled on the inside, not just on the outside. People tend to put on a show when they need to instead give their hearts to the Lord. You need to tear your heart, not your clothes. God wants the inside. If you give him your heart, everything will take care of itself.

The rest of the verse talks about the goodness of God. He is longing for you and me to move his heart and see mighty things happen in our lives.

What does fasting do for us?

Psalms 35:13 “But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth: I humbled my soul with fasting; and my prayer returned into mine own bosom.”

We so need to be humbled. When you fast, it will humble you. Then the Lord can use you in a mighty way for his kingdom.

Psalms 109:24 “My knees are weak through fasting; and my flesh faileth of fatness.”

When you fast, it weakens your body, but it also weakens your flesh. After you fast, it is easier to say no to sin when you are tempted. The flesh still wants to sin, to go the wrong way.

Matthew 17:21 “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

The disciples were not able to cast out a demon, and they asked Jesus why. Verse 21 is Jesus’ answer to them. They would only be able to cast out this demon through prayer and fasting because the demon was too powerful for them.

The three most powerful things we have as Christians to work with are the Word of God, praying, and fasting. If you get all three of these together, it is more powerful than any demon. We can fight the Devil with this; he is scared to death of these three coming together. That is what I am trying to do with this Worldwide Prayer Movement. He is also scared to death of the unity of believers. I pray that this has helped you.

Facebook page: Prayer Warriors 4HIM Online Ministries

Email bkwatts64@yahoo.com

Keith Watts

Online Missionary to the world