Be Strengthened in the Lord Your God

Now David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and his daughters. But David strengthened himself in the Lord his God. – 1 Samuel 30:6

David and his men came back to their city and it was burned, all their wives, sons, and daughters had been taken.  David and his men were very burdened by this.  In verse 4, there is very strong language that probably isn’t stated strong enough.  The NRSV says that “David and the people with him raised their voices and wept, until they had no more strength to weep.”  The Message says that the men were “exhausted with weeping”.  Obviously, they all considered their families to have been hurt, abused, or dead.

Once they stopped grieving, they got angry.  Their anger turned on David.

We read that David was “greatly distressed” for two reasons.  One, he had lost the confidence of the people.  Two, the soul of all the people were terribly grieved for their families.  David cares deeply for the people.  I also believe that as their leader he was hurt that he had led them to such pain.  He knew he was God’s appointed and as such, it would have been greatly discerning that the people might turn away from God.

Yet, in the midst of this pain, exhaustion, grief, and personal attack, David does what we must learn to do, strengthen ourselves in the Lord our God.  He drew closer to God.  Notice that we are told clearly here that the Lord is David’s personal God, “the Lord his God”.  Is the Lord your God?  Do you have a close personal relationship with Him?  Can you turn to Him at any time and know the presence of the Lord is with you?

David is recorded in Psalms 18:

I will love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold. I will call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised; so shall I be saved from my enemies.

The pangs of death surrounded me, and the floods of ungodliness made me afraid. The sorrows of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me. In my distress I called upon the Lord, and cried out to my God; He heard my voice from His temple, and my cry came before Him, even to His ears. (vs 1-6)

He sent from above, He took me; He drew me out of many waters. He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me. They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support. He also brought me out into a broad place; He delivered me because He delighted in me. (vs 16-19)

David’s testimony and witness is that the Lord rescued him.  The Lord was there when David was drowning.  The Lord in His high place (“even to His ears”) heard a humble David’s plee.  The perfect Father “delivered me because He delighted in me”.  The Lord delights in His children and has His Hand in all things in our life so we may grow if we are willing in our knowledge and faith of Him.

Draw close to God today in whatever trials beset you.  Trust in the Lord and the Lord alone and know He does not leave you to yourself.

Will America Persecute Christians?

In the book The Insanity of Obedience by Nik Ripken, he list three types of persecution against Christians that he witnessed in his many travels to visit oppressed and persecuted Christians around the world.  These types of persecution are not just in the history books, but are alive and well today.  There is too much evidence in America that persecution of Christians, apart from other religions, is growing very fast.

Here is a good article dated July 5, 2017, named Christian Persecution is Coming to America, provided by truthandfire.com.  The article can be found at: http://www.truthandfire.com/news-bedford/2017/7/1/christian-persecution-is-coming-to-america

CHRISTIAN PERSECUTION IS COMING TO AMERICA

Yesterday, we celebrated the 241st "birthday" of our nation's Declaration of Independence.  But for the past few weeks, I've actually been contemplating matters relating to our Constitution. I'm aware that the U.S. Constitution wouldn't become the law of the land for another decade, two months and 13 days after we declared our independence from British rule.  And I can respect the amount of painstaking time, energy and thought our Forefathers put into creating our "more perfect Union" and the "supreme law" that would rule it. Yet, with all that is going on in our nation and the world, I've been considering lately how desperately fragile this document, and the rights granted therein, actually are. 

Truth is, I'm of the mind that Christian persecution will become a widespread norm in the United States - probably in my lifetime.  I don’t mean persecution of the "Starbucks-removed-the-Christmas-tree-from-their- red- cups” variety (which, by the way, isn’t persecution at all given that Christmas is a man-made holiday rooted in pagan practices AND one that Jesus never told us to celebrate in the first place. But that’s another post). I’m talking about the type of persecution the early Church endured. 

I’m speaking of actual laws being passed that limit or prohibit the speech and religious expression of those who share God’s Word and support the teachings of Jesus Christ. I’m speaking of Christians being fined, arrested, jailed, losing jobs, and even our very lives for the sake of the Gospel.

Yes. Right here. In America. 

I know it sounds far-fetched given that the Constitution (currently) protects our freedom of speech and religion. But I’m telling you guys – it’s coming. Not only does the Lord make it clear that widespread Christian persecution will take place in the last days before His return (Mark 13:9-13), but current events are shaping up to prove that such is on the rise at a dizzying rate.

FOUNDING (THE LOSS OF) FREEDOMS

When most of us think of Christian persecution, we often think of isolated cases in the Middle East and countries in Africa and Asia.  Yet, Christians are the most persecuted religious group in the world.  And Canada has been proof that persecution is not only possible in North America, but it is most certainly growing ever more hostile here. Ontario recently passed Bill 89, which, under its Human Rights Code, “protects” a child’s professed homosexual orientation or transgender expression and, thus, allows the government to remove children from the homes of parents who oppose gender ideology (aka: the LGBT agenda). Bill C-16 makes it illegal to use the “wrong” pronouns when referring to a transgender individual. In other words, if a man wishes to live as a woman and be called “she” but you say “he”, you can be fined or jailed.  Moreover, an Ontario Christian school has been banned from teaching parts of the Bible that may be offensive to certain individuals, namely those whose sexual and/or gender expression contradict the Bible. Note that this is just a sampling of Canada's developments in the past TWO WEEKS [article originally written on July 5, 2017]! They've certainly has much more going on in the past two years.  The devil has been ridiculously busy!

“Oh! But that’s Canada,” you say, eh?

Well, consider that in the U.S., there is a growing movement to suggest that Christians are unfit for public office. LGBT groups recently made that declaration and Bernie Sanders went so far as to suggest that a Christian’s belief in the Gospel makes us hateful and incapable of fairly serving all people -  including those who don’t share our faith - specifically, Muslims. According to Sanders, the Gospel is “indefensible, it is hateful, it is Islamophobic, and it is an insult to over a billion Muslims throughout the world.” And just the other day, Tim Gill was quoted by the Rolling Stone as saying it is his plan to use state and local governments to "punish the wicked", referring to Christians who are opposed to the LGBT agenda. Gill, a major donor to LGBT causes, was instrumental in helping advance the argument for marriage equality in Obergefell v. Hodges, the Supreme Court case that made same-sex marriage legal in the U.S.

Not only are Christians and the Gospel being increasingly criticized and threatened, the full counsel of God (aka the Bible) was recently said to have "no place in modern American society". According to Keith Burton, Director of the Center for Adventist-Muslim Relations at Oakwood University, the Word of God is an “obstacle to American freedom”.  Burton's sentiments were the craziest and most foolish thing I’d ever read so, of course, I had to respond.

RELIGIOUS CIVIL WAR

It seems other Christians are also responding to these sly attacks, and most are doing so through our civil government. The state of Kentucky, for instance, was pretty bold in passing the “Bible Literacy Bill” (H.B. 128), which went into effect last week. The Bill supports an elective Bible literacy course which will teach American history through a Biblical context. Kentucky Governor, Matt Bevin, argues that Biblical principles and themes shaped much of America’s laws and culture, thus he doesn’t understand why more states wouldn’t have such a course in place. Of course, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is all over this legislation. And, if I am honest, there was a time I might have squinted at what the state is doing. But knowing what I now know and after seeing what I’ve seen, I can’t say that I blame Kentucky. In fact, I fully support them!

I can recall when our nation first became extremely adamant about religious neutrality. In my ignorance, I supported the concept, thinking that by keeping everything neutral we’d maintain peace and avoid offense. BUT what I was too naive to understand was that the push for "neutrality" was truthfully a strategy to NEUTER Christians. While they were removing our Bibles and scripture verses from our desks, e-mail signatures and cubicles, EVERYONE ELSE was pushing their false religion, lies and deceptions into the mainstream under the guise of "equality" "inclusion" and "freedoms of speech and religion". Rather than keep or include Christianity in the mix in the name of "diversity" and “inclusion”, we were systematically muzzled. When I began to see how atheists, Muslims and the LGBT community were celebrated and encouraged to bring their ideologies to the forefront for diversity's sake, BUT the Biblical Christian voice was chastised, I finally put the pieces together: America wants us to shut up by any means necessary!

I perceive that, in truth, this generation doesn't REALLY care about free speech or freedom of religion for all. It doesn't really even care about "diversity". At its core, it cares about shutting down the truth of Jesus Christ and all who believe it and share it. Anything a Christian does in the name of our faith in the public (AND private) square is offensive and must be snuffed out.

There were complaints about police cars with decals which read "Blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 9:5), but there were celebrations for rainbow decals on "pride patrol" police cars. 

After complaints from an atheist group, a U.S. town recently removed an historic park bench because “God” appearing in a quote inscribed on the bench was deemed “offensive”. But atheist groups make it an annual tradition to erect across the country billboards that mock Christians.

A Christian baker (whose bakery was privately owned, by the way) was told that he is REQUIRED to render services that contradict his sincerely-held, faith-based convictions. Churches are being pushed to provide transgender restroom accommodations. Pastors’ sermons are being demanded by the government to ensure they're not offensive to the LGBT community.

A Christian student is told wearing a cross on her necklace is “disrespectful”, while a Muslim student’s hijab must be respected as a source of pride. A high school football coach, who is Christian, is fired for praying with his team of willing students before and after games.  Yet, the ACLU was mum when a public high school created a prayer room for Muslim students. And no one was fired after a Massachusetts school took Christian students on a field trip to a mosque, where students were taught about Muhammad and some participated in midday prayer (though the school was kind enough to send an apology letter home to their parents).

Again, a Canadian Christian School was banned from teaching certain parts of the Bible to avoid offense, meanwhile in Australia, students are demanding tax-payer funded "safe spaces" for Muslims to freely vent radical and offensive rhetoric from their faith.

U.S. schools are pushing for mandated curriculum in LGBT history and the tenets of Islam without parental consent. Satanists are implementing after school programs in the name of freedom of religion while at the SAME TIME pressuring schools to drop their (Christian-based) Good News clubs in the name of "freedom from religion".

Yet, the ACLU is crying foul now that Kentucky schools will be hosting an ELECTIVE Biblical literacy course? It doesn't make any sense. 

I SAID ALL OF THIS TO SAY...

It’s getting crazy out here. But it may be easy to miss or dismiss these incremental attacks, changes and charges if we aren’t paying attention and using discernment. And while I agree with exercising our existing Constitutional rights to challenge attacks on our First Amendment rights, I would caution all to keep in mind that the weapons of our warfare are NOT carnal but mighty through God (2 Corinthians 10:4-6). We must remember that we do not war against flesh and blood, but that we are in a spiritual battle and must thusly equip ourselves in the full armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).

Christian persecution IS coming to the United States. Again, I understand that we have the Constitution. But, at some point, we WILL lose our Constitutional rights. (Yes. I just said that). If you have carefully read this piece or have been otherwise alerted, you would easily see the trajectory we are on. We are in a nation that often boasts it was founded on Christian principles, yet the Constitution once condoned slavery, and in less than a generation’s time, the Supreme Court has found a way to use the Constitution to legalize abortion AND same-sex marriage. Our citizenry is growing increasingly tolerant by the day of even the most vile of sins, and hostile toward the things of God - though 80%+ profess to be 'Christians'. We are brazenly breaking and re-interpreting God’s laws and definitions as if the Bible isn’t God’s holy word. The Holy Bible has existed for thousands of years; the Constitution hasn't even existed a quarter of a century. If America is bold enough to reinterpret God's laws, what's a man-made Constitution?  We cannot continue to assume the Constitution truly protects us. They will find a creative way around the First Amendment. They will find a way to reinterpret our freedoms of religion and speech.

Therefore, we must turn to our God and one another in these last days. Paul and Silas weren’t freed from unjust imprisonment because they took their jailers to court. They were freed because they had Jesus Christ and His Body on their side (Acts 16:16-40). The early Church prayed. They fasted. They visited one another. They fed one another. They provided refuge for one another. They clothed one another. They loved one another as Christ commanded, and they trusted in the Lord with their whole hearts. Please keep that in mind.  

Please (continue to) watch and pray. Please know that we are to obey God rather than man when man’s laws might cause us to break God’s commands. Please know that God is with us in all these things and will be in the things to come. Please keep your eyes on things above and meditate on all that is good and noble in Christ Jesus. And, finally, PLEASE pray for boldness! We are all going to need it.

What Fills Your Heart?

¹ Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? ² You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. ³ You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures. ⁴ Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. – James 4:1-4

Everyone seems to want to know why they have conflict in their life, but very few really want to really know why.  What they want to know is that they are right and the people that they disagree with, or are in conflict with, are wrong. 

The error is in the heart of all people.  We lust for something for our self, but we can’t get it, so we murder.  Some people actually murder.  Some people just murder others in their heart.  In Matthew 5:27-28 Jesus is recorded as saying, “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’  But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”  If we at any time lust or covet for something we don’t have or worse, wish someone wasn’t with us anymore seeing them as an obstacle, then we are in great error and create wars and fights with others and inside our own hearts.

Desiring to make our own way because it’s what we want, because it’s what we believe will make us happy, purposely taking actions that oppose the clear written Word of God is sin with a whole lot of “I” in it.  Selfish sin always comes at the expense of others.  It will create wars and fights with others. 

James quotes Jesus here saying, “You do not have because you do not ask.”  He then quickly says that when you do ask you ask for your own benefit, not the glory of God.  You are asking because you are an idol to yourself, your self-image most important to you, you have statues of yourself in a hundred selfies on Instagram or Snapchat or Twitter or Facebook. 

Child of God!  Do you not know that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God?  Think about that seriously!  Your desire to do what you want to do in order to make yourself better, according to your logic and understanding alone, along with the people of the world and as a part of the world make you an enemy of God. 

You cannot be a follower of Christ and demand to do it your way.  You cannot be a follower of Christ and put your idea and conception of what makes you happy, even at the expense of others, as the goals for your life.

Either you are the god of your life or Jesus is.  If you want peace, tear down your own self-idol, become broken and sit at the foot of the cross, so you can find the purpose of God in you again.  “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Matt 5:3)  Let God make your heart pure so your request become pure and centered on His purposes and His Word.

Apoluo

“… Forgive, and you will be forgiven.” – Luke 6:37b

The Greek word interpreted in this text as forgive here is apoluo.  According to Strong’s definitions, apoluo means 1) to set free; 2) to let go, dismiss; 3) to let go free, release, to loose the bonds of someone held captive and bid him to depart, to acquit one accused of a crime and set them at liberty, t release a debtor and to remit the debt; 4) used of divorce, to dismiss from the house, to repudiate; 5) to send one’s self away, to depart.

In this text from Jesus, we are told to set free and we will be set free.  Regarding those who have intentional hurt us, purposefully sinned against us, and sought to do us harm either through intentional purposeful effort or at our expense to lift themselves higher, we are to set them free so we, who have done such spiritually towards God as is our nature, can be set free from our sins. 

In this text from Jesus, we are told to let go and we will be let go.  We are to let go of the actions and words that others have done against us, so we can be let go of the grip of sin in our life.  Set those free, let them go. 

In this text from Jesus, we are told to release and we will be released.  Release those who have hurt you, so you can be released from the jail of hate, bitterness, and sadness.  A handy prayer here is to pray for your memory.  Pray that God will help you to truly let go of the memory of the sins against you or from the sins you’ve done and been forgiven for, so you can be released from them.  Set them free, let them go, release them from you.

In this text from Jesus, we are told to loosen the bonds of those we hold captive and our bonds will be loosened.  Open the jail in your heart where you hold the hurtful actions hostage and you will become free as well.  Acquit them of their crime just as you are acquitted through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  Release them of their debt that they owe regarding the pain in your life mindful that you were released from your sin debt.

While we must be conscious always of the forgiveness of our sin in Jesus, we should also be mindful of the consequences of our actions towards others.  If we want to be forgiven by those whom we have hurt either intentionally or unintentionally, we must forgive, so we can be forgiven.  It isn’t just for us to expect to be forgiven, whether we want to be or not, and not be willing to forgive others.  Only a fool believes he has never hurt another.

In this text from Jesus, we are told to dismiss those from our house and we will be dismissed.  Setting free in our hearts those who have hurt us so deeply and caused us to experience pain that we didn’t know existed sets us free.  Forgiving them allows us to no longer be caged by that unforgiveness.  However, it doesn’t mean we are to become best friends or even casual acquaintances with them.  While I may work diligently daily to completely and totally forgive because I want to be free, I can also dismiss them from my house.  May they go and be free from my condemnation but live somewhere else.  Sometimes there are people that you just can’t have in your life.

In this text from Jesus, we are told to send ourselves away.  Let that grudge go; loosen the binds you have on those against who have hurt you; open the jail cell in your heart and release them.  Take a deep breath, take a hard swallow and settle it as best as you can in your heart right now.  Then, leave it there.  Go along your way.  Depart from that pit and live.

The Spoken Word

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ² He was in the beginning with God.  ³ All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. … ¹⁴ And the Word became 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 1:1-5,14

John uses the Greek word logos to describe Jesus “in the beginning” or before time began.  This is defined as the spoken word.  John is describing Jesus as being with God before time and that Jesus is God’s spoken Word.

In the creation story in Genesis 1, God’s first spoken words are “Let there be light” (v3).  The first act of God as His Spirit hovered over the dark, formless and void earth (v2) was to bring light.  Without light, darkness could not be identified as all was dark.  John tells us that this spoken Word has life and that life is “the light of men.” 

From the beginning, the cause of God was to bring life and light to a dark, formless and void world.  In the beginning, God spoke light into the world and there was light.  The heart of anyone who isn’t close to God is dark, formless and void.  God tells Jeremiah this about a man’s heart, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer 17:9).  David wrote “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’  They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none who does good.” (Ps 14:1).  Jesus said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a man.  For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness.  All these evil things come from within and defile a man.” (Mk 7:20-23).  In the root of every person’s heart is darkness and God reaches out to bring light in the darkness.  God’s Spirit hovers over everyone calling them to Himself so they can see the light of life.  

God brought the Light to man.  His spoken Word took form in the man Jesus.  He provided a way for people to come to God.  Jesus was the action of God’s spoken Word for there to be light in the darkness.  From the beginning, before time, Jesus was the cause of God.  He came to reveal God to all people. 

But, “the darkness did not comprehend it”.  People rejected God’s spoken Word and ultimately crucified Him.  While it appears that God allowed His cause, His action of spoken Word, to be crucified, the fact is God’s spoken Word to bring light in the darkness was for the Light, Jesus, to be crucified.  Without that death, there would be no light for mankind, there would be no knowledge of the life of God without the Light, and man would only know darkness and be doomed eternally to separation from God.

If there is pain in your life anywhere, you can be certain that there isn’t light.  Invite a loving God to bring the Light to that area of your life so you can see the darkness.  Sacrifice the source of the darkness that lies in your desperately wicked heart and ask Jesus, God’s action of spoken Word, to change it so you can move into God’s Light.

Sinful Man Pursuing Ministry

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. - 2 Chronicles 7:14

Humility

Can you remember to the time when your children were very little, especially when they were sleeping (all children are angels when they are sleeping)?  I remember thinking that I really didn’t know the depths of love before then. 

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. ⁸ Love never fails. – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a

Patient, kind, not envying, not boastful, not proud, not dishonoring others, not self-seeking, not easily angered, and not an unforgiver – all descriptions of humility.  Can you imagine promoting yourself seemingly backwards?  Society pushes for the opposite of all of these to be goal worthy.  We live in the age of self-promotion which has to include boasting, pride, self-seeking, dishonoring others (by showing how great I am or what I’ve done is), and envying (it is everyone’s internal hope that others seeing how great their life is or the things they’ve done are will admire them). 

When I looked upon my young children, realizing how much I loved them, I was also humbled knowing I could not give them everything they would have to have to be complete.  In order to love others, those who follow God must be humble, doing what God would do and seeking God’s Way.

Sinful Self

In Revelation, the mark of the beast is on the hand and on the forehead.    

¹⁶ It also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, ¹⁷ so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.

¹⁸ This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666. – Revelation 13:16-18

While we want for this to be an obvious sign on a hand or forehead, this is most likely a reference to a person’s actions and thoughts, desires, yearnings, beliefs.  Since most people are right handed, the right hand is a symbol of strength.  Here it is the representative of the root or foundation of someone’s actions.  In other words, their actions will represent who they follow.  Similarly, the way they conduct their life, their words, their desires, their decisions, and their purpose will show upon their foreheads.  It is evident by their countenance and direction.  Those who follow Jesus will be different than those who follow man and it will be obvious by what they do and how they are as people.

Jesus said the greatest commandment is to “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Mt 22:37-38)  The number of man is the opposite.  It is to not love God with any part of the heart, soul, or mind.  The number of man is: man-man-man. 

When man honors and worships himself, there is no love, only lust.  Therefore, there is no true humility or serving others.  Every action is an action that serves himself in some deceitful manner.  How can he get what he wants from this person and have other persons see how good he is while doing it?  How can he have that person, giving him what he wants, to do it to honor him?  Everything is manipulation, calculation, and self-seeking.  Yet, it is sold as the opposite.  You will give me what I want because it will help you.  Others will see how you’re helped and how you’ve helped yourself and they’ll want to help themselves. 

There is no God in a sinful man helping another sinful man be a better sinful man.  It’s pigs wrestling in a mudhole over who’s the cleanest.

Pursuing Ministry

¹² Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it. – John 14:12-14

As those who believe in Him do the works that He has been doing (the works of their hand) ask for anything in Jesus name, He will do it, so the Father can be glorified in His only Son.

⁴ Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

⁵ “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. ⁶ If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.⁷ If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. ⁸ This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. – John 15:4-8

No one and no church can be a useful ministry if they do not remain rooted to the trunk of Christ.  His teachings and His Words must be the foundation of all ministry (the marks on our foreheads).  Changing His Words or following our words will only cause the destruction of our purpose.

¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.

²¹ Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. ²² If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” – Matthew21:18-22

Christians have no right out of humility.  That should always be our place knowing that without Jesus, our Savior, there is little we can do to love others.  We will be marked with the marks of man actions and man thoughts.  Without Christ, we are one of the pigs in the mudhole.  But, Jesus clearly says, do ministry rooted in His Words and ask while doing and it will be done.  The work of our hand and the way of our going (forehead) should be clearly aligned with His Way and not with the ways of man worshipping.  If we are focused on His way, we should be able to ask clearly and expect an immediate answer.

Ask for humility today, so you can love.  Focus on your heart, soul, and mind seeking Christ.  We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. (2 Corinthians 10:5)  

• Ask God through Jesus for God’s glory what must happen for His ministry in you to prosper.  
• Pray for those roadblocks to be shattered, destroyed, decimated.  
• Live victoriously humble glorifying Christ while earnestly praying for those He loves to come to Him.

Society's Answer

Our society seems so big and so complicated today.  It seems everywhere I look there is something that is so wrong.  People are so unhappy and full of not just discontent, but hate.  Lies and misleading conversation is spread all day every day.  Instead of being a society pushing for greater responsibility with their talents and time and then holding them accountable for actions, we bow down to the most ignorant and irresponsible.   

In the movie The American President, the president says this in his culminating speech, “America isn't easy. America is advanced citizenship. You've gotta want it bad, 'cause it's gonna put up a fight. It's gonna say, ‘You want free speech? Let's see you acknowledge a man whose words make your blood boil, who's standing center stage and advocating at the top of his lungs that which you would spend a lifetime opposing at the top of yours.’ You want to claim this land as the land of the free? Then the symbol of your country cannot just be a flag. The symbol also has to be one of its citizens exercising his right to burn that flag in protest. Now show me that, defend that, celebrate that in your classrooms. Then you can stand up and sing about the land of the free.”

Unfortunately, the advanced citizenship part seems to be failing as violence is starting to be common as one side starts preventing the other side from having protests.  Did we stop teaching the Civil War in classrooms?  Do people not know that the deadliest war America has taken part was the Civil War?  Have they not visited graveyards or read where entire family lines were erased from history? 

Where is all this largeness of complicated debate going and what can we do?

Surprisingly, the answer is simple.

“Do not fear; Zion, let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 16b-17

The Lord saves.  No matter where humans take themselves with foolish decisions and unmoral desires, the Lord saves.  Hallelujah!  The answer is there in that the Lord will save.

If you or I want to make a difference, then we need to share the gospel of Christ.  The only way society will be different is when people will come to know the Lord and trust in Him.  Nothing else can change society.  A quick look back at history tells us that humankind has just about tried everything else and yet, I’m confident some other thing will be tried that will stun and baffle us even more.  The answer for all of us is the same as it was when there was only two people on the earth.  The answer is and will always only be the one true living God and His offer of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

There is nothing else and there never will be.

All Time Living

I’ve always believed that time is irrelevant to God.  He is in all time.  Right now, He is with David as he fights Goliath, He is with the Hebrew children as they are thrown into the fire, He is meeting Paul on the road to Damascus, He is giving His life on the cross, and He is walking with you and me.  Why should time matter to God? 

For those who can’t just believe such a thing in faith, mathematical physics has proven that it is possible to be in a single position in the universe and see all time.  I could try to fully understand that, but it is so much easier to live in faith.

Jesus said, “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. ⁴ You know the way to the place where I am going.” (Jn 14:1-4)

If the future is already happening, since God is in all time, then Jesus is preparing a place for you now, it is ready.  If we simplify this concept to daily life, then whatever problem you have today, in your life that you’ve asked God to be involved in, He already is.  I can’t tell you the response or answer will be what you want, but I can assuredly tell you that He is there. 

This is important as it is something that I see most Christians not living in, and it is something I struggle to live into as well.  If God is in the tomorrow, what am I worried about today?  I struggle too often to grasp the confidence to know God already has something in mind, His will is going to happen.  My only hope is to be in it somehow, but even if I am not, His will is going to happen. 

Too often I believe that I am like Moses as he came down from Mount Sinai (its my imagination so let me dream big).  I know I’ve had my own sins, but sometimes the lack of pursuit of anything spiritual by people calling themselves to be Christ-followers makes me want to break something.  But, it wasn’t Moses role to break those tablets and it s not mine to fall into rage.

⁷ For the culmination of all things is near. So be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of prayer. ⁸ Above all keep your love for one another fervent, because love covers a multitude of sins. ⁹ Show hospitality to one another without complaining. ¹⁰ Just as each one has received a gift, use it to serve one another as good stewards of the varied grace of God. ¹¹ Whoever speaks, let it be with God’s words. Whoever serves, do so with the strength that God supplies, so that in everything God will be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. – 1 Peter 4:7-11

The great hymn proclaims, “O victory in Jesus, My Savior, forever!”  Can I walk in victory today?  Jesus is and His Spirit is within me so I can walk in victory today no matter what happens. 

Can I walk in confidence, regardless of what people do, even Christians, in the midst of the heart-wrenching displays of worldly decision making?  I can because the Lord lives today and His will shall be done.

Can I love those people knowing that Christ does even now, just as He did yesterday and tomorrow?  I can because Christ lives within me.  I can choose not to overcome His Spirit in my heart. 

Live today knowing heaven is prepared, the battle is won and the living Lord is walking with you.

Unity?

As a people who each claims to have called out to Jesus to save them from their sins and are depending solely upon His Word as being the Son of the Living God, and having received the Spirit of God into our hearts, it should be difficult for us to not always have a sense of unity.  We are all saved by the grace of God and are dependent upon His mercy.  We are all children with the same heavenly Father.

We are also all made unique and we all have our own call and purpose.  Your call might be to pick up people’s trash, to cut grass, to teach music, to coach kids, to help people find a career, to give people water, to care for babies, to work in Haiti, all for free, as a gift to others.  I can’t say that’s not your call or purpose unless Scripture specifically indicates otherwise.  That work is between you and God.  In fact, while I may not participate in it with you because I don’t have the same call, desire or enthusiasm for it, I’ll support you in it.  And we all should have the same view with regards to one another’s call.

We should be careful and take heed to not be a stumbling block for one another as each of us pursues what God has laid on our heart to do.  Romans 14:13 tells us, “let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.”  Here in Romans this is talking about eating and drinking food that those raised as Jews would consider unclean.  The discussion is, if God made it, it’s not unclean, but if someone thinks it is, don’t eat it and hurt their ability to find Christ or a deeper faith in Christ.

We are talking about the same thing regarding unity today.  If someone has a call and it’s not your desire to pursue, don’t be a stumbling block that would prevent them from following their call.  What if your resistance to their call causes them to turn away from their faith?  Verse 15 says “do not by your [actions] destroy someone for whom Christ died.”

As a people called by Christ name, we should be very careful in condemning any work or ministry that others believe they are called to do.  Rather, let us see in what ways we can support one another’s call.  We can be sure the world isn’t going to support it, so how can we, following Jesus, not support one another?

A divided church must be careful to find unity so that they are not rejected from being priests for God.  A divided church is an irrelevant church.  (Hosea 4:6, “...  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; ...”)

In the movie, The Insanity of God by Nik Ripken, he summarizes the definition of persecution.  Persecution is preventing a Christ-follower from telling another person about Christ.  If all Christ-followers stopped telling others about Jesus or Godly ways of living, there would be no Christian persecution.  A divided church that has members willing to take measures to prevent others from following their call is persecuting them.  Let that sink in.  A church, assembled together as a body of believers - calling itself Christian, would persecute itself.  If such a thing happens, one can only be sure that some of the body of Christ have not humbled themselves, they are not seeking God with their whole heart, and they have not turned from their wicked ways. (2 Chronicles 7:14) Their land will not be healed and that body will not be a priest for the living God.

The Homeless Debate

The Bible says in Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint.”  Other versions describe this message as “Where there is no vision, the people perish” and “If people can’t see what God is doing, they stumble over themselves.” 

A current debate is what to do with the homeless.  The fact that this is a debate in our church is somewhat offensive to me.  However, before I get too good in my own mind, I have to recognize that my own personal stumbling block is over myself when attending to the homeless.  I believe God’s instructions are perfectly clear in the matter, the reality of debate is usually over my will or His will in how I respond.  Yet, I am always compelled by my cousin Joe’s words that explain the feelings and thoughts regarding helping others.

“The reason I am drawn to help is because I have a lot of love in my heart.  I have Christ in my heart.  He wants to help so I want to help.  I hurt when I see someone hurting and needy because Christ, in my heart, hurts.  I have to overcome Christ to do nothing.”

I have to be very careful to take full measure of my responses.  Am I persecuting God’s message in my response?  Or am I the hands and feet of God?  I am one or the other. 

There is a negative reality to the homeless.  Panhandling could be described as a professional scam.  And some homeless have no regard for property and are incredibly selfish for people who subscribe as having nothing.  Whether this is from mental illness, an unwillingness to accept laws and morality, or a lack of instruction is unclear. 

Jesus is recorded in Matthew 5:42 saying, “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you.”  As I examine this, I don’t read instruction to ensure that the need of the one asking is truly genuine.  I do not like that, but does it really matter what I like regarding the Word of God?  God is concerned with my heart condition.  In verses 38-42, we are instructed to be patient, forgiving, and willing to share the blessings we’ve been afforded.  Every time I’m confronted with someone who states a need, my heart condition is being tested. 

I am absolutely confident that I’ve been scammed before.  I’ve had my property affected by homeless who have used it as a bathroom.  Even so, the bigger question is, at what point do I become the selfish young ruler, unable to give up control of my God given resources?  By God’s grace, hopefully never.  Why would I ever not give?  It can only be because I do not love Jesus.

Our church faces a similar heart crisis and if it is to succeed, it must choose to not overcome and persecute Christ, but to follow Him.

When God’s Word instructs us what to do, we don’t need a new vision for the church.  The church or the person that doesn’t pursue God’s instruction runs into dangerous territory as it could face one of God’s curses as stated in Hosea 4:6, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.  Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

When the apostles were brought into the Sanhedrin because they were teaching in Jesus name after being instructed not to, they responded saying, “We must obey God rather than human beings!” (Acts 5:29)  

Shall our church turn its back on God’s Word and be destroyed or shall it have a faith that is wide open or “lit” as the kids say today?  Will it seek not to overcome Christ and do nothing, or will it face the test of its heart condition?

Church Burdens

These verses seem to describe, at least in part, the tension and burden of many in our church today.

145 I cry out with my whole heart;
Hear me, O Lord!
I will keep Your statutes.

146 I cry out to You;
Save me, and I will keep Your testimonies.

147 I rise before the dawning of the morning,
And cry for help;
I hope in Your word.

148 My eyes are awake through the night watches,
That I may meditate on Your word.

149 Hear my voice according to Your lovingkindness;
O Lord, revive me according to Your justice.

150 They draw near who follow after wickedness;
They are far from Your law.

151 You are near, O Lord,
And all Your commandments are truth. – Psalms 119:145-151

Hear us Lord! We cry to You! Save us! We hope in Your Word! Hear our voice! Revive us!

Verses 153a and 154a ask longingly, “Consider my affliction and deliver me, … Plead my cause and redeem me”! And in verse 158 the feelings towards the enemy are revealed, “I see the treacherous, and am disgusted, because they do not keep Your word.”

I consider how broken hearted I am over another division in this church, but unfortunately I’ve seen selfishness before, in my own life. … Simon and Garfunkel sang, “Hello darkness my old friend.” And I see it in those who would stand rigidly on sandy soil with no Scriptural basis or Spirit leading, but only on their own desires. Then they take actions against others.

“Lord Save Them!” I plead. It is selfish on my part. Sure, I always want people to follow God more closely because He tells us that His way is the best way for us. But I really just don’t want to have to deal with them over His way.

As Sam told Frodo in the Lord of the Rings, “I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. … Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back, only they didn’t. They kept going, because they were holding on to something.” This is the way I feel inside. I don’t want to be here. But I am here, we are here. This is the Lord’s battle. That’s all I have to hold onto.

Christian rapper Lecrae sings that “God is Enough, Never too much, More than enough”. He is our only hope. David walked in front of the Israelite king and army down to Goliath who sought to discredit the Lord and His anointed. The Lord answered in the actions of David. I’m guessing, that David didn’t want to be there. But he was there and he had to answer the call of the enemy who defied the armies of Israel, God’s chosen people. “The battle is the Lord’s” David declared and so we must declare, but be willing to be David and step onto the battlefield.

This isn’t a time to be angry, except at Satan’s ability to infiltrate people’s lives. This is a time to desperately pray for people’s brokenness, including my own, and submission to our Savior. Yet, even so, I have to pray boldly that the Lord will crush those who oppose His Word, His message, His testimony and His people. “Walk before those who are walking with You and put Your Word in their mouth. Strike down those who would persecute Your beloved in Your house. Break to the soul those who walk in their own accord before those who seek Your face and Your will for Your people. Amen.”

Prayer Challenge - Be Encouraged

One week into this prayer challenge, this is the verse I was led to:

If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. – 2 Chronicles 7:14

Our land in this instance is our church and specifically the people in the church.  Our church is sick.  The remedy is to humble ourselves, pray, seek God, and repent (turn) from our sins.  I believe a significant portion of our church is praying, but I’m not sure they are humble before God putting His will ahead of their own or seeking God (I am a pessimist too often so hopefully many more are than I am aware).  The bigger question is am I sincerely humbling myself before God, am I diligently praying, am I seeking God, and am I turning from my sin.  I want to say yes, but I always feel as though there is more in each of these areas I can seek out and pursue.  My hope is to see the church seeking out and pursuing each of these, as I am never sure we can perfect each discipline.

As I have continued in prayer the leading has led to purity.

⁵ This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. ⁶ If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth. ⁷ But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  ⁸ If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. ⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. – 1 John 1:5-9

Is God telling me He wants to purify the church?  I assume so.  I take this personally to mean that when I see impurity, such as the words from people that have been said, it is incumbent to hold those people accountable to what spirit is leading them. 

Once I got over the shock of what had been said, I then felt God leading me to rejoice.  I know, it made no sense to me either, until God said “Look, I am revealing where to work.”  We’ve walked around scratching our heads for many years wondering what to do about our dying church and now we can see.  We are to be encouraged today!  Let us be more than grieved in our heart for people living in the world but walking in the church but celebrating that the prayers to God are being answered and He is working.  The refining fire of God is on and the impurities are coming to the top.  We should rejoice in that and be anxious to see what’s next!  Oh Lord, make the fire hotter still!

In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. – 1 Peter 1:6-7

May we be willing to follow God, even when we dread the confrontation that is necessary or the work in patience to tolerate another useless conversation, so He may be praised, glorified and honored when He is revealed.