Dedicated Pastor and Foster Father Unacceptable to the Lord

Howard Pittman was raised as a Christian, who heard the Bible daily at home. He was ordained as a pastor and trained in seminary. He served 20 years in law enforcement while pastoring. He and wife have 3 children and foster parented 32 others between ages 18 mos and 18 years! He died on Aug 3, 1979, and stood at the gates of heaven, pleading for his life.

God have him a message in an audible voice. Instead of sweet and lovely, it was thunderous and had a tone of wrath. It knocked him on his face and sapped every bit of strength from him. The Lord said: “Your faith is dead. Your works are in vain. The life that you live and offer to me as a life of Christian service I rejected that as an abomination in the Pharisee. What made you think that I would take that from a Laodicean-type Christian? In fact, untold millions are living the same life that you lived, and they stand in danger of My everlasting wrath.”

A Laodicean Christian is lukewarm and serves God with his lips but not his heart. This is the hypocritical Christian.

Howard was shocked to hear this. He was sure God had him mixed up with someone else. He was a preacher and teacher. He had lived a life of service and devotion to God. But the Lord showed him that it was true.

Howard did not do his good works for the Lord. He did them for a false god. Howard called Jesus Lord every day, but Jesus told him, “You didn’t mean it.” Lord means ruler of life. Whoever you obey is your Lord.

Jesus identified his god: "The loveliest god you’ll ever know – SELF." Self ruled Howard’s life. He fell on his face. The scales fell from his eyes. He realized he was pleading for the wrong life. He was pleading for his earthly life instead of his eternal life. He says now nothing else matters but “My father and his will.”

I urge you to listen to his testimony (see here).

A Christian Musician Who Realized She Had Idols
A musician named CJ, had prayed to ask the Lord into her life, but one day she actually saw the Lord appear to her, and that's when she found out she had idols. The Lord would not accept her unless she gave up all her idols. He said that if she planned on giving Him 99%, she may as well forget about following Him. He would accept nothing less than 100%. She gave Him everything, was baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire, and experienced the unspeakable joy that comes from truly knowing Him.