Who is Jesus and Who Are We? Who are We in Theology and in Practice? And Where Does that Path Lead in This World and in the World to Come?

WHO IS JESUS IN ESSENCE AND IN TEACHING?

WHO ARE WE IN THEOLOGY AND IN PRACTICE?

AND WHERE DOES THAT PATH LEAD IN THIS WORLD

AND IN THE WORLD TO COME?

What does God see? Does he see everything at every given moment? Oh yes, but even further God sees everything past, present, and future in one continuing intuitive glance. It is difficult to describe God is these human terms. In fact God does not really “know” which indicates a thinking process. God does not think, He knows, or more succinctly, God is knowledge. I know, we have waded in very deep waters.

But the point is that God is not sitting in America and looking out and seeing what is happening in the world. But so often the western evangelical church treats God like an honorary citizen of the United States, and although He cares about the world, His vantage point is somewhere in America. The Mormons have even taken it to another level suggesting the Garden of Eden was in Missouri and Jesus will come back to that same place. They even had to create a scenario where Jesus came to North America while He was on earth. That is how we have to make America so important top God.

But the truth is God is no respecter of persons, and God is not in any way an American nor dose He show the slightest favor toward America. And when people espouse a position where God favors America and even created it with His own hands, then immediately their view of Jesus suffers and the faith they espouse has been severely compromised. That phenomenon can be seen in the lives of millions of professing believers in America and in thousands of churches as well. Instead of wanderers and pilgrims whose home is in the heavens and whose very life is in Christ, we have become bound to this world and in particular this nation.

And nowhere is this more stark and crystallized than in how we assess the value of human life. It is quite a spectacle. Americans both subtly and overtly see American life as more valuable than any other life on the planet. We might expect that kind of evaluation from the American government, however it is rather disturbing when it emanates from the church and from professing believers. The church of Jesus Christ has become deeply Americanized and its members live, think, and act like Americans. Our minds have been altered to process everything through an American mindset and culture.

Just before Christmas 20 children were gunned down in Connecticut. It was a horror and it shocked the nation. All of us felt a pit in our stomachs. But allow me to expand our thought process for just a moment to include one of thousands of continuing events around the world that God knows about and cares about.

According to the latest UN reports, the United States carried out 447 drone attacks in 2012 in Afghanistan. And just in the two month period between Aug.1 and Oct.1 in 2012 at least 967 civilians were killed and 1590 others injured. Many of those killed were children. Correct me if I am wrong, but I did not hear about this with the same passion that we heard about the 20 children killed in Connecticut. Come to think about it, this is probably the first you have heard about it at all.

I use this to illustrate a greater principle. Americans care supremely about other Americans but the deaths of people elsewhere are sometimes little more than back page news items and benign statistics. And probably that is also the way other countries feel about their own. But other countries offered their condolences to America concerning the tragedy in Connecticut, but I heard nothing about the children killed in American drone attacks. You see, Afghan and Pakistani children deaths are unfortunate but necessary casualties, expendable because we are protecting American children. So in order to keep American children safe, other children must die. This is the way of the world and I get it.

But this is not the way of Jesus unless Jesus is helping to build and send and use these drones to bomb innocent children because He also desires to protect American children. And when an Afghan mother cradles her dead baby and weeps uncontrollably, Jesus must look the other way because He realizes the necessity of these deaths. And that is exactly what we are silently saying, but in order to protect our so called integrity we would never couch it in those terms. We desire to retain a form of compassion which ends at the triggering device in our bombs. When you actually think about it, it is all so insane and it reveals that the western church does not follow the Jesus of the Bible. We follow an American Jesus who lives and breaths the American way.

But that is not Jesus and is in fact a spirit of antichrist. And that false Jesus is what also ties together orthodox and liberal, Mormon and Baptist, McArthur and Bell, Sproul and Osteen, and this Jesus has created a religious mosh pit wherein almost every element which claims to be Christian can jump in and wallow. In fact, this pit welcomes all faiths if they claim to love America. Can there be anything more compromising? So Rob Bell questions the existence of hell and the evangelical church has a doctrinal tantrum, but that same church joins hands with the Mormon Church, the Roman Catholic Church, and even the Jewish faith in an American cause?

But God processes world events equally and without nationality or ethnicity. While we make our interests front page, the divine editor knows no favoritism. When a child in Darfur dies at its mother’s shriveled breast, God sees that as equal to when an American child dies. God hears the grief stricken wails in Connecticut just as He hears the wails coming from Afghanistan. You see this business of nationalism is far more convoluted and diabolical than the church realizes. It has wounded the heart of the church and it has severely compromised our view of Jesus and our understanding of what it means to be His follower. Yes, in essence nationalism has created another faith and called it Christian.

The situation is that dire and the spiritual compromise cannot be overstated. And even our exposés of heretics have inadvertently served to shroud our own deep heresy. Yes, nationalism is a great heresy and cannot be summarily dismissed just because the doctrinal Bourgeoisie engage in it. This kind of divided loyalty seeps into the way we think about everything. And as I illustrated, that includes how we view human life. We are disturbed over American abortions, but we know very little about abortions in other countries. Why? Because killing American children takes precedence over other children. And even some children that are running and playing today in Afghanistan and Pakistan might have their bodies blown to bits next month by an indiscriminate drone attack. Do we plant crosses on our church lawns for them?

Make no mistake, though, liberals and conservatives and Republicans as well as Democrats give tacit approval of such a continuing narrative. And President Obama himself has overseen the increased drone activity. But I say this to point out that we should be different as followers of Christ. It is so easy to think the way the world thinks and the way our earthly peers think and in so doing we do not have the mind of Christ. Can we be followers of Jesus and not have His mind? What kind of spiritual insanity are we attempting to pawn off on the world? This counterfeit Jesus represents corporations, giant financial gains, murder, violent takeovers, sectarianism, capitalism, and the interests of western civilization? Which Jesus is this?

And the question arises, or at least should, who are we? Throw out the man made labels that are catch all phrases which offer no real specifics. The word “Christian” stands for almost nothing and even the word “evangelical” is a broad brush which covers a multitude of Biblical errors. Who are we in practice as well as theology, and who do we say we follow and obey and even emulate? We have yet to really have a penetrating debate with ourselves or with each other concerning the spiritual particulars which should accurately define a person who believes in his heart and follows in his life the Lord Jesus Christ. But that is THE debate which can alone separate the goats from the sheep and cast an indictment over the sheep at large.

I say let the debate begin and continue in very small venues like this obscure little blog. And as we approach this subject, let us not throw out the possibility that the entire western construct called Christianity must be discarded since it does not reflect either the person of Christ nor His teachings at all. And it is not enough to identify what is not of Jesus, but we also must diligently and uncomfortably pursue what is of Jesus. Then and only then can we have the confidence that we are following the true Christ, if that matters today at all. Stop, pray, and let these words consume your mind and heart and propel you into a realm of reassessment and change and repentance:

Who is Jesus in essence and in teaching.

Who are we in theology and in practice.

And just where does that path lead in this present world and in the world to come.

Christianity - Doctrines Without Christ?

CHRISTIANITY

DOCTRINES WITHOUT JESUS?

I do not have health insurance and I do have health issues. So from time to time I must go to one of those Doctor’s Walk-In deals. So I like to go very early for obvious reasons. This place opens at 8:00 AM so I got there at 7:30 AM and sat on the bench outside. A few minutes later a lady drove up with her husband in the passenger’s seat. She told her husband to stay in the car and she came and sat next to me. She was in her ‘70s.

We said hello and I mentioned that we were supposed to get rain. She agreed and said we needed it and God supplied it. I replied that yes, it rained on the just and the unjust. She asked me if I was part of the just. That opened a door for me to share Christ and she told me she was a believer and attended the Assembly of God church just down the street. I mentioned that perhaps we would not have to wait long for Jesus to come. She agreed, but here is where she revealed what millions of professing believers have living in their hearts and what thousands of churches feed them from the pulpit.

She said that the end would come quickly if Obama had his way. What?? Where did President Obama come into this conversation? I told her that President Obama was just a man and that the growing evil was because of spiritual wickedness in the unseen realm. And she replied that Obama was the king of those wicked spirits. Just then the clinic opened and we both walked in.

Now that kind of conversation is a replica of millions of conversations between believers. Some, if not most, are much more virulent and caustic as it pertains to President Obama. Yes, this lady was in her 70s but she is indicative of the spirit and attitude that now pervades the evangelical church. It is nothing less than hatred, pure and unvarnished. Dress it up in red, white, and blue, or hide it behind a convoluted righteous indignation, or contend you dislike socialism, or even suggest you are standing for truth, but regardless of how you present it, it is at odds with the gospel and the teachings of Jesus. Completely.

But this is what has happened to the western church. We have fallen in love with the Babylonian system and we have become accustomed to our hedonistic surroundings and with that we have turned our back on the teachings of the One we say we love and follow. And the political system has assimilated the church at large and now people who claim to be followers of Jesus can and do openly express hatred for men like President Obama, even to a stranger like me. I remember Franklin Graham on television referring to the President as “Obama” and after someone corrected him he said “President Obama” but you can be sure in the company of his own peers referring to the president as “Obama” is not only commonplace and used as a pejorative, but there are probably more labels that are much more demeaning.

This kind of rhetoric reveals not only a hatred for liberals and gays and the President, but it reveals a hatred for Jesus and His teachings. It is the language of darkness. You cannot serve Jesus and America. You cannot serve Jesus and conservatism. You cannot serve Jesus and hate sinners. You cannot serve Jesus and love money. We have lost the faith and now churches live and preach a diluted brand that is not only mangled by the culture but it is spiritually toxic. I say it again, Christianity as defined by believing in and following Jesus has become rare here in America.

It is baffling how we can get so deceived that we can no longer even read anymore. Just read the words in red and you have to see just how incongruous the practice of our faith is from that which was lived out and taught by our Master. Patriotism, nationalism, capitalism, and other philosophies have muscled out the faith that portends to follow Christ. And not only do people like the woman at the walk in clinic remain blind to it, but for the most part they practice it daily. And anyone who listens to men like Limbaugh and Hannity and Beck and agree with them is not walking in the Spirit but in the flesh. You cannot fill your spirit with hatred and falsehoods and then pretend to love and follow Jesus.

We have a handful of neatly crafted doctrines but void of Christ. Oh we may present our Trinitarian and virgin birth and Scriptural inspiration credentials, and we may even be clear about the exclusivity of Christ, but somewhere between those doctrines and our living revelations Christ has become lost. George Washington and Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich and even Mitt Romney have replaced Jesus. Do you thing that is hyperbole or an overstatement? I contend it is even much worse than that, and since we have completely lost the truth, we are blind to the depth of the deception.

Even men like Ravi Zacharius appear on Joyce Myers’ program and laud her with compliments about her teachings. Why? Because he also is imprisoned by nationalism and the ghost chasing of healing the morals of the culture. The evangelical world has absolutely lost its spiritual mind. And woven into this deception is a type of Christianity that can literally practice things completely at odds with the teachings of Jesus and yet claim to be “orthodox”. Our hollow doctrines have become our idols.

Following Jesus within a fallen culture is not easy, but we have made it quite convenient. We are allowed to have a critical spirit and criticize lost sinners. We are allowed to collect sums of money to one day lavish upon ourselves. We are allowed to offer poor excuses for a prayer life. We are allowed to seek out worldly entertainments. We are allowed to visit great monuments erected to men. We are allowed to hate and despise. We are allowed to complain about the cost of living while others starve. And all this under the banner of following Jesus. But we are only fooling ourselves.

Christianity without Christ is paganism. We can still have our baptisms, our communion, our Sunday gatherings, and even our Bible readings, but without sincerely following His teachings we are just following ourselves, and that is paganism. Or as I might define it - Pagianity.

Racism - The Shame of the Church

RACISM

THE SHAME OF THE CHURCH

I grew up in the 1960s. I was not a believer. But I remember great strides in the culture as it pertained to prejudice and race. I never heard one single word of prejudice in my home. Perhaps it was because my mother was a thespian and had rubbed shoulders with black actors. I once asked my parents if they would object to me marrying a black woman and my mother said absolutely no, she would not object. However when pressed my father just said, “Stick with your own kind”. That was the extent of our discussion on race.

I attended a high school that was 99% white, but one of the two black students was a friend of mine. But here is what I have seen over my sixty years on this earth. It wasn’t the church which helped bring healing between the races, especially not the predominately white church. It was the secular music genre as well as professional sports. Yes, the secular arena helped push forward race relations. I loved Motown music. Michael Jackson was my brother’s favorite singer back in the 1960s. And we all loved Willie Mays, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and a long list of black athletes. Every Christmas, my mother who was not an evangelical, would call a pastor of a black church and ask him for the individual names of a black family who would not have a Christmas this year. We would all help buying and wrapping and delivering the gifts to that church with all the appropriate age and genders. I never knew real racism as a child.

But where was the church in all of this? Much of the white evangelical church absolutely hated Dr. King and all he stood for. And the church in the south proliferated prejudice and segregation and even used the Bible to substantiate their racism. Instead of being Jesus to a divided nation the church in many ways became a stumbling block. As we look back, it was a disgrace.

What should be very easy to see from Scripture and from the life of Jesus seems to be difficult in many evangelical circles. I mean really, racism? Do you want a litmus test to see if you have any prejudice in your heart? Could you rejoice if your white Christian daughter married a black Christian man? Is there any hesitancy within you? If so, than there are traces of racism. Please do not hide behind the “They will have trouble in society” because that dog will not hunt anymore. And since when did the racism in the culture take precedence over the Lordship of Jesus?

A couple came to me once in one of my pastorates. He was black and she was white and Latin. They had been living together and yet they had both made professions of faith many months ago. They had children together and they had been coming to the church for well over a year. I did not know they were living together however what was I to do anyway. They desired to get married and baptized as well. I planned the event several Sunday’s in the future and advertised it in the bulletin. That Sunday came and I preached on the color blind redemption of Jesus. After the service I invited the congregation to stay for the ceremony and some refreshments. The majority stayed, but two elders would not stay. They disagreed with mixed marriages.

That was in the 1980’s. Can you imagine such a thing, and do you believe that does not exist anymore? And given the circumstances and caustic verbiage this past election, are you still blind to the overt and latent racism that still exists in the church? Are there any jokes still told with racial undertones? Do white parents watch their daughters very carefully in a mixed youth group? How many black ministers pastor white churches? In fact, why are there black and white churches? And of course I realize that racism exists in black churches as well, but as a white man I am very comfortable correcting white believers.

So let us not be liars and say there is no racism in the evangelical church. There is. And millions say that they “strongly” oppose President Obama because he is a socialist and not because he is black. Some of that may be true, but they are still blind to the latent racism that still remains in many hearts. And the socialism thing just reveals the level of fondness the church has for money and the callousness we exhibit toward the poor. But I contend without doubt that if Barak Obama was white and named Charlie Anderson, and if his policies were the same as President Obama’s, that the depth of hatred and dismissal would not be nearly as severe. The jokes would have to be different. Of course believers would still listen to enemies of Christ on the radio which would still reveal their hedonistic tendencies as well as their spiritual dearth.

But the church’s overall track record on race has been abysmal. And now new “enemies” have arisen. Latinos and Muslims have now overtaken the blacks. What will be the history of the church concerning those classes in the years to come? With the gospel at stake, and the love of God on trial, will the church once again resist the Spirit and worship at George Washington’s feet instead of the feet that are nail scarred? And allow me to throw a major hand grenade into the well fortified bunker known as the evangelical church in America. How will we treat the gay community in the years ahead? Apples and oranges, you say? Perhaps, but the gospel is for both the apples and the oranges. In fact, the love of God through Jesus Christ desires to reach the most rancid and rotten fruit among us. You see, I was some real rotten fruit when Christ reached me.

But I had an advantage. I was white and heterosexual and therefore embraced as a legitimate sinner by the church. As followers of Jesus we should be doing much better.

A Serious Discussion About Salvation

TIME FOR A SERIOUS DISCUSSION

ABOUT SALVATION

II Cor.13: 4 For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
5 Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?

In March of 1975 I climbed the face of Garrett Mountain in Wayne, New Jersey at night. God had been dealing with me, but as of yet I still had not fully surrendered to the drawing of the Spirit. I was still in the curiosity stage, although I was very curious. Sitting on that mountain and gazing at the Manhattan skyline on a crystal clear and cold night, I again asked God some questions. Yes, I spoke out loud as if I was speaking to Him directly. To me, the whole thing hinged upon Jesus. If Jesus was indeed real, and if He was who He Himself had claimed to be, then nothing else really mattered. If that one fact could be established, then everything else would take care of itself.

On that night, somehow the Spirit of God revealed to me in a way that was more penetrating and real than audible words that Jesus was the Son of God and that by faith in Him alone could I receive eternal life. And I came to faith that night. I climbed up the mountain a lost seeker and I climbed down a saved sinner. Yes, I would never be the same. I could hardly sleep, and in the morning as I left for work I drove up into the park at the top of Garret Mountain and for the first time I not only met Jesus, I met my Savior. I can still remember those former days when I was first illuminated. Everything was different. Everything.

Now I realize everyone’s salvation experience is different than mine. There are different circumstances, and different time frames, and different locations as well. But there must be one thing in common. In order to be saved and become a follower of Jesus, you must be born again. This is the one common and immutable thread which runs through every legitimate salvation experience. Regardless of the particulars of your experience, if you are not born again, your experience was only that, an experience. And just as when Jesus said those words to Nicodemus, people today do not realize what they mean or their significance. In fact, the church at large hardly ever refers to them.

But therein lies the eternal line of demarcation. With all the talk of guns and violence and abortion and marriage, it all pales in comparison to the discussion about being born again. A person can espouse and even vehemently defend all these moral and social issues, but if that person is not born again he will never have eternal life. He will inherit eternal death. That fact alone should reveal in no uncertain terms the importance of being born again and the dire consequences of being moral and religious but not being born again by the Spirit of God.

Issues cannot save; being conservative will not save; feeding the poor will not save; being pro-life will not save; espousing traditional marriage will not save; being baptized will not save; being an active church member will not save; and being a good and caring person will not and cannot save. Only true faith in Jesus Christ can save. And that is the one issue that Satan has fought against most. If the evil one cannot get you to neglect or ignore your eternity, then he will get you to believe a lie. Many have erroneously placed their faith on other things and in so doing they are religious without question, and they even claim the moniker “Christian”, but they have never been born again. They are helping Martha in the kitchen but they have never truly met Jesus.

That is the pinnacle of spiritual discussion. Throw out the founding fathers or the moral crusades or the doctrinal battles. Who do you say Jesus is, and has that confession ever become a miracle in your life? Have you been translated from darkness to light, and if so, when? How can a lost sinner walking in chains of darkness be set free and walk into the glorious light of Jesus Christ and His kingdom and not know when that took place? I suggest that is preposterous. I realize, as my children did, that many make a profession of faith as children. But I also suggest that when that happens there will be a substantiating epiphany later that brings to life that profession and reveals its authenticity. If you are born again by the Spirit, your revelation of Jesus will not only be glorious beyond the natural, but it will be profoundly personal. And you will thirst to know more of Him.

And that is a curious and troubling issue. In today’s evangelical community millions of bone fide church members do not seek Christ and show no discontent about their lethargic spiritual condition. Yes they show interest in religious activity and political issues that seem religious. Yes they are active in their local church and support it financially. Yes they have been baptized and give lip service to church doctrine. But they show no compulsion to learn of Jesus through deep prayer, personal contrition, uncomfortable humility, and seeking Christ has never been a driving force in their lives. And the ultimate question is “Why not?”

In the movie “Star Trek Generations” some people get caught in what they call a “nexus”. It was a place of utter ecstasy which seemingly cannot be duplicated. But they are released from this place, and have returned to a normal environment. But they can never forget. In fact, they would return if given half the chance. And one man commits his entire life just to return to that place. He is obsessed to say the least. But let me ask ourselves this question: If we indeed have met Jesus, how can we be so ambivalent about meeting with Him again and seeking to know and experience Him deeper and with more fullness? How can anyone who has met the Risen Christ go on with their lives and live them in such a way that they bear little difference with those who never claim to know or care about knowing Jesus? How can a person who says they have been born again live contented with a life that has no thirst for Jesus?

There is a disturbing and awful answer for those questions. And when I think about the implications of those questions I shudder. Can it be that millions upon millions of people who say they are on their way to heaven are in reality not headed there at all? I do not profess to know who is or who is not born again, but I do know what the Scriptures teach. And I do know that when I have been cold toward Christ I know it. And I do know that before I met Jesus I was lost and walked in darkness, and that after I believed my mind, heart, and life changed. And like the blind man I do not have all the answers, but I do that once I was blind but now I see!

But there is a glory and a revelation that cannot be known apart from being born again. In fact, Jesus cannot be known without this new birth. You can know about Him and you can even defend Him, but you cannot know Him unless you have been born again. Without the transforming and illuminating power of the Spirit no one can know Jesus. It is freedom that allows the soul to breathe and sets the captive free. Before being born again, we do not even realize we live in captivity. Walking as prisoners we think we are free. But when the Spirit opens those prison doors, and when we have been transformed by that power, and when we look into the face of the Redeemer for the first time, we are changed forever.

Still imperfect? Oh yes. Do we still sin? Of course. Make mistakes? To be sure. But we have fallen upon the Rock and we have been crushed by the weight of its holiness, and in a miracle of eternal proportions, that holiness has been given to us as a gift of grace. Oh my, how can such a thing be? How can the unholy become holy? How can the profane be a partaker of that which is sacred? How can evil be consumed in good? How can God’s enemy become God’s child? The answer is and always has been, “You must be born again”.

And we who have been born again and know the Lord Jesus Christ must walk in wisdom toward those who are outside of Christ. That means most arguments with unbelievers are not only pointless, but they do harm to the gospel. God did not argue you into faith. He wooed you through the Spirit and He may have used human instruments to accomplish His mission. Let us be those human instruments. The debate rages around the nation and even in pulpits. Choose the issue and you can find a forum for discussion. Some are light while others are vicious. But while we may take a stand on some issues, we must never be distracted from our ultimate and singular mission. We are servants of Christ, and we have been sent in the likeness of our Master who came to seek and save that which was lost. We cannot do the saving, but we can bear witness of Him who alone can. Salvation has been kicked aside and has been made subservient to any number of issues. But one day eternity will reveal that most were fool’s errands and did nothing to promote the kingdom of God.

And in my theology, souls that might have been reached were not. And some western sinners were deceived into believing that morality, patriotism, and a form of Christianity was enough to secure heaven for them. It is not, nor will it ever be. This is not some pragmatic approach to make men moral. This is not a religious system wherein sinners can be made more acceptable within the culture. This is not the utensils of earthenware which helps serve sinners with the temporal.

This is the finest china of the eternal covenant. This is the invisible workings of Him from whose face the universe fled. This is the glory of the only Begotten. This is the ministry of the Paraclete, the everlasting Spirit of Holiness. God is not searching for more religion; He is now searching for a bride to be betrothed to His Only Begotten Son. Away with all these practical “how to’s” and success oriented falsehoods which bear Him in name only but not in Truth. When a soul is born again, and when that souls is whisked out of the darkness and ushered into the light, it is the miracle of miracles.

But it was not done through might or power as men would define such. Cast your eyes and hearts back and see a little hill just outside of the City of Peace. Look around at all the blood and gore. Gasp at the horror of the wounds. Smell the sweat, smell the death. See the pain; hear the pain. Allow your entire being to be enveloped in the scene and in the event itself. God is dying; God has died. Now are you willing to believe and fall in worship in front of that dying frame? Are you willing to see Him as God and you as His sufferings? If so, and if you are willing to leave that which is behind and surrender to whatever He desires and wherever He leads, then you are born again. But if you have your own agenda then you are still in love with yourself and not Him. And in that condition you still stand condemned and you have only been born once.

That is as serious as it gets.

The World's System

THE WORLD'S SYSTEM

 

 

We call them successful and prosperous,

but God calls them poor.

The Gospel and Works

THE GOSPEL AND WORKS

There is only one way to receive forgiveness of sins and that is by faith in Jesus and His finished work of redemption. His resurrection to be sure substantiated it all, but the cross was the culmination of all the shadows, types, forerunners, and prophecies. Nothing can be added and nothing can be taken from that glorious sacrifice. That alone is life.

But without an engine there is no car, and without a head there is no body. So the gospel message has at its core the sacrifice of Christ, offered once for all. Upon that Rock there can be no dispute. But is an engine a car? Is just a head a body? And is the gospel message a stark doctrine of spiritual redemption but without any accoutrements that help present it and influence men? Or is it built upon the Chief Cornerstone and uses the sacrificial works of men to shine an eternal illumination upon the work of Jesus?

I am asking an important question. Are there things about the teachings of Jesus which have to do with our lives that should be tethered to the message of the gospel? No, not do they aid in redemption, but do they provide salt and light that when seen before men can and do help in drawing men to Jesus Christ. I suggests that if the answer is no, then our lives are little more than corpses waiting in sarcophaguses for heaven and without much good on this earth. But if there is a mystery, a ministry of the Spirit which empowers and directs the followers of Jesus, then it is imperative for us to establish what they are and do them.

And when we examine His teachings we find all kinds of exhortations which display His Person and the essence of redemption. And since the gospel pulsates with eternal redemption, any earthly works that reflect that redemption must be in and of themselves redemptive. In practical verbiage, our lives must be beacons of God’s love expressed by how we treat and minister to each other as well as those outside of Christ. And even though the gospel message can only be engaged through personal faith, are not the teachings of Jesus part of that gospel, at least woven into its fabric? In essence, the church preaches a message of redemption through faith in Jesus Christ, but it also lives that gospel through deeds that reveal the redemptive heart of God.

This symbiotic relationship between faith and works has been systematically compromised because of doctrinal fear and yet the very Bible that is so openly defended indicts this kind of unnatural and synthetic separation. For so long the message of James has made the doctrinal bourgeoisie very uncomfortable and over the years I have watched as various forms of linguistic gymnastics have been employed in order to explain James without wandering into sacred doctrinal territory. But if we embrace the teachings of Jesus as more than good manners or humanitarian suggestions, then we may be able to see something very practical and glorious. We may be able to see a divine relationship between the gospel message and the ministry to fellow human beings. This relationship is nothing short of breathtaking as well as a glorious mystery.

No one can be saved through human works. Regardless of how many poor you feed, or how many sick you heal, or how many prisoners you visit, only the blood of Jesus can forgive sins. And that must come through faith alone. What a work of grace! What a glorious offer from God’s very heart of love! It is the gift of all gifts, and it is eternal in the heavens. But Jesus clearly outlined a kingdom which not only walked in the power of that message, but exhibited living acts which came from that kingdom and which, when translated through the ministry of the Spirit, could capture the hearts of sinners who do not know Jesus. This entire “process”, if you will, is a great mystery and it was meant to be. Lest the church make the regeneration of lost sinners something that can be achieved through a manipulative and pragmatic approach.

But so many churches have cleverly designed evangelism tools which employ sales techniques that “guide” a person into buying what we are selling. And so we have a sort of assembly line kind of discipleship which can take a sinner from point A and lead him to point Z, all with a “trained” leader. And “poof”, we now have a church member. But do we have a born again believer? His life may now include going to a church and even being involved in some of the ecclesiastical activities, but has he been born again? You see, the church has removed the heart of Jesus’ teachings and replaced them with subtle ways to achieve what we desire. And when this kind of practice becomes widespread, then our churches are filled with religious and moral folk who are being told over and over again that they need not worry about heaven for they are going there.

There is an eternal difference between going to church and being a member, and being born again by the Spirit of God. And if you really do not understand that, then you are not born again. In 1975 when I became a believer I had never heard the phrase “born again”, but when I read those words after I was saved, I knew exactly what Jesus meant. Why? Because I had been born again, and when my experience met God’s truth, it was a match. I did not have to make God’s truth bend to my experience, but the work that the Spirit had done in me was obviously done by the power of God’s eternal truth.

So many of the teachings of Jesus are humanitarian in nature. And His teachings on nonviolence are radical and genuinely illogical when processed through the prism of the culture and the world large. But again, the church has been so uncomfortable with the implications of many of His teachings when received as literal, that alterations were necessary if we were to operate and live within the culture without being seen as fools. His teachings so stretched the parameters of reason that they have been diluted and are now little more than suggestions concerning situational ethics and making sure we include helping the poor in a way which requires no sacrifice. The uncontested volume of our lives is consumed with ourselves and the things of this world, and there can be nothing more at odds with what Jesus lived and taught.

I am suggesting, I am challenging all of us to read through the four gospels in a matter of a few days. And as you read invite the Spirit to reveal not only new truths, but an entire new revelation concerning what it means to be a follower of Jesus. Most church members have never read the four gospels, much less set out to seek the heart of God through them. They are content to hear a well crafted Sunday message and with that sustain their souls. But in fact many times what they hear poisons their souls and reinforces their current lifestyles bound by the interests of self and the pleasures of this present world. And through the western ecclesiastical world the gospel has been deprived of the Spirit’s life and has become a ticket to heaven and a power point on a church member’s resumé.

So after you are born again, what does the gospel require of us? Just our entire lives.
Lk.14: 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?
 ²⁹ Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,
³⁰ Saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish.
³¹ Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
³² Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
³³ So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.

Yes, The World Continues

YES, THE WORLD CONTINUES

 

 

The Process Called Faith

THE PROCESS CALLED FAITH

How do people arrive at a system of belief, and what ingredients are necessary for people to believe something? God does not hog tie a sinner and make him believe anything, regardless of some doctrines that suggest such a thing. There is always a process which has two immutable elements which are the Word of God and the Holy Spirit. We will expand on that later, but those ingredients are indispensable in leading a sinner to faith in Jesus Christ. And there are also some ingredients which are used that vary, but the challenge is always not to make other ingredients overwhelm and obscure the Word and the Spirit and thereby run the risk of eliciting faith in them and not faith in Christ.

God uses sermons and preachers and life experiences and testimonies and tragedies and many other things and events as limited aids for the Holy Spirit to use in drawing sinners to Christ. But if the person and work of Jesus Christ becomes less than the focal point then the message risks becoming manipulative rather than an instrument used by the Spirit. In this modern age many churches have been extremely successful at using images and theatrics and presenting all kinds of earthly promises in order to draw people. But in so doing many have draw people to certain preachers and certain churches and certain movements and not to Christ.

Many churches design their services to have a feel of excitement in order to make the people feel energized when they leave, and in so doing they have been very successful. The professionalism and the sensationalism that many churches employ in constructing a service is nothing less than breathtaking. Excellent music with its volume ebbs and flows; creative lighting; skilled worship leaders; screen images; all work together to form an atmosphere that invites excitement, drama, and all kinds of emotions. It is true that emotions are used of God, but when emotions are the goal and when emotions overwhelm truth, then they are detrimental to the ministry of the Spirit. And the underlying principle is this: That the environment in which we subject ourselves to influences the way we process truth. Whether we intentionally place ourselves in that environment, or whether the environment happens unintentionally, we still are influenced.

And let us delve a little further into that principle. The only way any of us can process truth accurately is through the prism of God’s Word and with the ministry of God’s Spirit. That means that all outside influences are more often than not contrary to God’s truth. So if we spend hours listening to or watching things that are at odds with God’s truth, we are influenced on some level by them. What we hear and what we see enters into the thought/heart process even though it may be clandestine. But I also contend that certain elements also enter in such as length of time and whether we choose or do not choose to listen and watch. What we willingly subject ourselves to has a little more of an impact than what targets us without our permission. But both venues impact us.

And the conclusion is this: The media has had a profoundly detrimental effect on all of us who say we desire to follow the teachings of Jesus. In fact, the media and the secular culture has so influenced the church that many churches are detrimental to the spiritual growth of believers. A poisoned tree offers poisoned fruit. The reading and meditating upon God’s Word has substantially given way to the consumption of whatever the media is offering to us. That in and of itself should expose what has happened and what continues to happen to the truth of God’s Word as it is processed through our hearts and lives. The outside influences have been given unrestricted access to our thoughts and lives with only pornography as a limit, and sometimes not even that.

A little rudder can change the course of a large ship. And when we spend most of our time working for the temporal and listening and watching that which is temporal, then eventually our hearts and lives are bound by the temporal. And God’s Word becomes good suggestions and sentimental anecdotes when served in the temporal and not the surpassing glory of the Eternal Christ. We cannot serve two masters. Regardless of our doctrinal statements, what we truly believe will manifest itself in our lips and lives. And when our hearts and lips agree with the fallen media, regardless of how “conservative” they may be by earthly definitions, then alarm bells should be going off in our hearts.

And lest we forget, the fallen media is always the enemy of Christ even when they espouse certain moral positions, or fight for observing Christmas, or defend the concept of religion. That is a smoke screen designed to camouflage the enemy’s true intentions. What seems right unto men are the ways of death. As soon as we step into the kingdom of darkness, what seems good is really evil and what seems right is actually wrong. If we take truth and mix it with self righteousness and covetousness, and when we present truth without the gospel and the exclusivity of Christ, then we have abandoned truth and it all becomes a free for all with the interests of man as its pursuit and not the interests of God.

There is a truth which is the gateway to pursue and find all truth. We as believers in Jesus must pursue truth through His Person and through the ministry of the Spirit who came to speak of Jesus. When we squabble about issues without having Jesus at the center then we present a car without a motor and a body without a head. And it is very easy to get entangled with the affairs of men and leave the essence of the everlasting gospel. And it is almost impossible to see and believe God’s Word clearly when our eyes and ears are overburdened with processing the things and thoughts of this fallen world. Just the invention of television has seriously compromised the church’s view of Christ’s teaching and now has the visible church in a life threatening condition.

And most of the situation we find ourselves in today is the result of the continuous bombardment of the fallen media venues. But it isn’t just the pro-choice or pro-gay outlets, it is also the pro-life and pro-traditional marriage outlets as well. That which is morally correct but without Christ is still death although it presents a more clever approach. If we as believers ever hope to draw closer to our Redeemer and His will, we are going to have to sacrifice some things. We will have to deny ourselves some entertainment luxuries and some mindless media outlets and replace them with broken times of seeking Christ. This is no easy task since we are way past the curiosity phase and now are addicted.

There is only one pathway to faith and that is lined with God’s Word and the ministry of Gods Spirit. And surprisingly enough, you can espouse an orthodox theology while still exhibiting traits that are completely in the fallen realm and even opposed to the teachings of Jesus. Let us take inventory of ourselves. Do we spend sacrificial time seeking Christ and His truth? Is that what consumes our thoughts and our hearts? But it will take more than some convenient honesty to face the reality of our won spiritual situation. And it will also take a penetrating and all consuming devotion which leaves behind our pretend devotion which is so defined by peer comparison.

This journey will necessitate repentance as a process, which when implemented over time, will see the stone rolled back and the Risen Christ in all His glory come forth in and through our lives. Until then we can present our baptismal certificate and our church membership as infallible proofs of His resurrection.

You Would Think...

YOU WOULD THINK...

 
You would think that already affluent Christians would rejoice when human government was attempting to reach out to everyone with health care. You would think that even though it is in the natural, those who live in the supernatural would be happy that people who have no healthcare would now be able to get it. You would think that even though it may cost believers some of their tax money they would still see an attempt to reach the poor as an agreeable thing. You would think that even though believers may have some issues with the affordable healthcare act, they would never complain openly before a lost and dying world. You would think that when so much tax money was spent on the weapons of war that followers of Jesus would see it as a good thing when some of it was being used to heal. You would think that since God has been so generous to us that we could never seem to be so petty as to refuse a morsel to others who do not have as much as do we. You would think that even though believers know that only Jesus can save a soul, that humanitarian efforts, even when imperfect and politically motivated, are better than doing nothing.

You would think that, wouldn’t you, but you would be very wrong.

The M-4 Solution

THE M-4 SOLUTION

This is called a m-4 rifle.

 

Not your Saturday night special. This gun is what Texas congressman Louis Gohmert suggested every principal or teacher carry in public schools HERE. One of his quotes was he wishes to God the prinicipal had an M-4 in her office. Great discussion so far. And by the way, every single person must go though a metal detector in order to enter the halls of congress. Why? Because congressmen are precious to us and we spare no expense. You fill in the blanks.

The Mystery of Music

THE MYSTERY OF MUSIC

Who can explain music and what it does to the soul? I guess you could say it is some forms of vibrations if you were nothing but a scientist, but even scientists like their own brand of music. Even people who cannot song a lick or play any kind of instrument love certain kinds of music. Some music brings us back to former days and some music allows our hearts to dream. Old girlfriends, loved ones now passed, days abroad, school days, and other seasons are sometimes brought back to us through music.

Some music lifts the heart while some brings melancholy. We can remember words to Beatle songs fifty years ago and yet we forget our neighbors name. Why? Because music can also attach itself to things and with that we can remember. It is most amazing. Music can bring out evil in people, as well as “soothe the savage beast”. Music is a gift from God indeed. Of course it is sometimes used for carnal and even evil purposes, but the entity we call music has a higher and loftier purpose. With the words of the Spirit contained in some melody music can be a spiritual conduit wherein God can reach the heart. How many of us have been comforted, challenged, healed, enlightened, broken, and even led to repentance through a song? Or even some wordless music.

My mother was a musician and I have always loved music. From piano and trumpet lessons as a child, to being in the high school marching and dance band, and then enjoying all kinds of music after high school. Even experiencing some low level bands in which I sang. Music is a part of me. But then I met Jesus.

Something changed within me. Yes I can still sing almost every Beatles song, and yes I still remember and can sing along with groups like Jethro Tull, the Moody Blues, Elton John, and a long list of others. But after I came to faith in Christ God took what I knew and expanded and refined it, and I found a new energy to revisit my piano. I began to appreciate and be ministered to by gospel music and praise and worship music. In the early days Evie Tornquist was a headliner so you can see I go back to when man discovered fire.

Not long after I became a believer I fell into a legalist camp and they convinced me that only a small set of music parameters are acceptable to God. We were proud that we sung holy songs and did not participate in these “contemporary” elements. Can you imagine the hypocritical irony of being self righteous about worship? Wow. But later little by little I was released from that kind of bondage, even though I still have my personal preferences as well as some things about which I disagree. But here is one thing I have learned over the years.

There was a time where I could not worship or enjoy spiritual music if I disagreed with the singer’s theology or even what I perceived to be their lifestyle. Those things in context are important, but I have found that even people about which I have problems can write beautiful songs of praise and worship. And although I still may not embrace the singer, I can worship God through their music. I realize we must avoid making music and end all and be found worshiping music and not worshiping God. And we must always guard our hearts in that.

All of us have found ourselves singing a song in church while our mind and hearts stray. Who among us can say we have never looked around at people or even the worship leader when our minds should be fully stayed upon Christ? “Prone to wander Lord I feel it” makes Robinson a prophet. Our flesh wants to streamline worship and multitask while we sing. But as I have said, I can weed out thoughts about the writer or singer and I can allow my heart to worship. It is freedom in the Spirit.

When songs have words the lyrics are important to me. If the words are shallow and meaningless then I cannot enjoy it even if the melody is enchanting. There are many songs that are spiritual in nature which draw my heart to meditate upon Christ, but there are only a handful of songs which break me and wound my carnal man. Those songs are used of the Spirit to bring me to a place of His presence and a place of worship. But we must all be careful not to love the music as an idol and thereby sacrifice the presence of the Redeemer. There is nothing wrong with a key change or a greater amplification as long as it does not inadvertently take the place of the Spirit.

You see, man’s highest calling is worship. Fallen man worships all kinds of things, and most often himself. We can use so many artificial accoutrements that we have created an atmosphere for excitement or even sentimentality but not for worship. But I have also found that even in those overdone environments there are some humble saints who truly are worshiping God. I have seen mature saints mouthing a hymn while looking around as if they were window shopping, and I have seen newborn saints worshiping Christ in sincerity even though the service is a kind of theatrical production. It is a fine line.

But even though we can discern some fleshly worship services that attempt to drive and manipulate people, we must never be prideful about our own expressions of worship. God sees the heart, and even though some forms of music may seem to appeal to the flesh, God never really addresses music style and forms. But all of us must prepare our hearts to allow music to block out the sounds of this world and captivate our hearts in the glory of the Crucified and Risen Christ. If we could worship Him for a million years He would deserve a million more. And, in fact, we will worship Him forever in the glory of eternity. It remains to be seen just how music will play a part in that, but to be sure, it will be all about Him.

Drones - Not Children Friendly

DRONES - NOT CHILDREN FRIENDLY

 
According to statistics over one year old in open official documents, there have been at least 168 children killed by drone attacks in Pakistan. Sixty-nine children were killed in one particular drone attack. Let us remember, though, drones don’t kill children, people do.

168 children killed in drone strikes in Pakistan since start of campaign

 

A somber informational piece to be sure.

Another Embarrassing Voice Heard From

ANOTHER EMBARRASING VOICE HEARD FROM

As is their want, the moralistic, patriotic voices rise to the occasion. Instead of having a common sense conversation on gun control, or better yet a sharing of the importance of eternity, Mike Huckabee pontificates about kicking God out of the schools linked to HERE. If allowing a perfunctory prayer led by many unbelievers passes as "allowing" God in schools, then I would agree. As one who heard Bible readings as well as prayer in public schools when I was young, it is worthless if not counterproductive. I remember a very mean third grade teacher reading passages of Scripture and leading in a stilted prayer. I hardly think that passes as allowing God in schools. In fact, before we "allow" Him in schools, we might want to invite Him back in our churches.
Note: As per the Constitution the Koran would have to be read as well, and prayers would have to be of the deist variety lest they stray from the pluralistic construct of those founding fathers. Jesus, who IS God, was not allowed anywhere in the Declaration of Independence or the Constitution. That may be a good place to start.

Will there ever come a time where professing believers quit lifting up the Dagons of morality and nationalism and suggest that they are God? The shooter’s mother was somewhat of a doomsdayer type, but was also a law abiding citizen who owned several firearms and who taught her children how to fire them. The shooter was sometimes home schooled. Don’t those kind of credentials represent those of Huckabee?

As I said, I grew up in public school classrooms where God “was still allowed in”. We listened as the teacher read the Bible, primarily from the Psalms or Proverbs, We bowed our heads and listened to the same, stale prayers. And I never heard one single peep about Jesus emanate from the lips of any of my teachers.

So that is his idea of God being allowed in the classroom? Which God does He know? Until I was almost 22 years old I had never heard the phrase “born again”. What does that tell you? That says that in many people’s view the war is having some symbolic relics practiced in the classroom representing God. Nothing could be further from the truth. Back in those days we practiced morality and tradition. No Spirit, no presence, and no spiritual reality. Just dead, dry religion. But people demand we return to those days.

How about looking into the mirror, Mr. Huckabee? How about all the political rhetoric you and people like you practice? How about you supporting a Mormon, or do you thing God lives in Salt Lake City any deeper than He does in the public schools? Like Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson suggesting 9/11 was because of the gays and abortion, now Huckabee suggests that God is offended when we removed some religious rituals from the school system. God wasn’t offended when the founding fathers refused to include the name of Jesus in their original documents? Is Huckabee suggesting that God was angry and used this event to show His displeasure with the public schools? Or was he saying that if these kindergarteners would have prayed in their classroom God would have protected them? His views are both nonsense and disturbing.

The horror of Friday was because of sin. The Scriptures tell us that wickedness will increase in the last days. Of course the current gun laws are insane, but at the root of it all is sin. Go ahead, blame the godless liberals. Perhaps this kid was gay. That would be an additional target for those on the mountain called Hubris located in the land of the religious right. God in the schools? How about God in our lives? Collect all the manger scenes, all the plaques inscribed with the Ten Commandments, all the public prayers, all the Christmas pageants, all the reclaim America gatherings, all the generic genuflects to God, all the conservative talk shows, all the liberal talk shows, and most of what goes on Sunday mornings, collect it all and you have little more than some religious tokens with the same power as Santa Claus.

But if we can shoehorn God back into the classroom violence would cease. I hold out a hope that some believers are more spiritual than that. I hope.

Tributes to Democracy

TRIBUTES TO DEMOCRACY

In the wake of another horror, I offer you these.

Many Americans will spend trillions of dollars and thousands of lives to go overseas just to invade a country that may or may not have the capability to theoretically cause us concern. Just the hint that our way of life may take a hit results in moving mountains.

But that same American is unwilling to risk his recreational pursuit if it means restricting the use and ownership of firearms. Even if you could prove it would save lives, just like alcohol, that sacrifice is far too painful to make. Certain aspects of his earthly freedom are more important than preventing deaths, even the death of children. He will even suggest that expanding the use and ownership of firearms is the answer to the problem.

Yes, there are times where democracy is insane.

A man suddenly feels something constricting around his neck. He looks down and sees a hangman's noose beginning to tighten around his neck. It continues to constrict and he starts to choke. He looks up to see where the rope is tied and he sees that it is draped over a large tree limb and both ends are headed downward. One end of the rope is the noose itself, but he is horrified to see the other end is in his own hands.

Yes, he is hanging himself. So he has a choice, release the rope and live, or keep pulling on the rope and die. He chooses to keep pulling.

Welcome to many aspects of democracy.

The United States government spends billions of dollars to make sure people do not sell food that would make people sick, or who would sell cars that are unsafe, or who would dispense drugs that are unsafe, and they even make the food industry provide labels that inform the public of their unhealthy ingredients. The government feels it has a responsibility to protect the public. But that same government will acquiesce to lobbyists and vote continually against any substantive regulation concerning gun ownership.

The principle is clear. Democracy is fueled by greed.

We've Overcome

WE'VE OVERCOME

I do not know why God awakened me in the middle of the night and delivered this to my spirit.

His name was Mel. He was a long distance truck driver and he looked every bit that part. However since Jesus came into his life he was one of the sweetest men I have ever known. He and his sweet wife, Nancy, were made for each other. They both were always faithful to Jesus and labored in whatever capacity the body needed them. They were the kind of couple pastors wish they could clone. To be honest they were the type of believers we pastors wish we were many, many times. There, I have broken our “sacred code”.

One day Mel felt ill, and after a few days he and Nancy went to the doctor's. After many tests and after Mel grew worse it was diagnosed that Mel had a serious blood disease. The church body was devastated. We prayed and we anointed Mel and we prayed and we wept. And we prayed. But God in His infinite wisdom was not healing our dear brother. Nancy tried to be strong but the situation began to take its toll on her. Again, we prayed, we wept. I weep now as I write. I suggest any true shepherd weeps many times, sometimes in self pity (there, another code broken) but many times over his sheep.

Mel became a little better, and as these things sometimes play out, the hospital sent him home where Nancy joyfully became his loving servant. But after a few weeks it became obvious that Mel was getting worse. Dramatically worse. Now all you self righteous people who surmise to know some formula for healing may stop reading because you have yet to understand what it means to surrender completely to our Master while begging Him for something, and yet the Spirit is speaking “No…”, lovingly and gently. If you believe that there is some incantation that can always deliver unto us what we desire and sometimes what we think we deserve, then you will never experience the care of the Shepherd as you climb up into His lap and cling without a complete understanding. It is most mysterious.

One day as I went by to see Mel and Nancy he was so sick he could barely move. Now I was not only the pastor, but I was the worship leader as well. I led as I played the piano and God had given my scores of worship songs. There were several favorites, but Mel called me closer to his bed and whispered “Could you make me a tape of the song “We’ve Overcome”? My vistit was toward the end of the week, and as I left their home I hugged Nancy and I told her to be by her phone during the morning hours on Sunday.

On that Sunday we had taken an extension telephone cord and placed an office phone on a small table in the middle of the sanctuary. We praised God for many minutes, and then I informed the congregation we were going to call Mel. After expressing our love for Mel, we began to sing “We’ve Overcome” while the phone was on full speaker. I doubt there was a dry eye in our midst, and later Nancy told me they held each other and wept while praising God. Mel went to be with Jesus not many days after that. I miss my friend, but not as others who have no hope. Here are the words to that song.

Adam had forsaken God when Eve believed a lie,
The earth was cursed and so were we,
Our souls condemned to die.
The fig leaf aprons could not hide the awful sin and shame,
From now on every person born must share in Adam’s blame.
But in the midst of hopelessness came One who took our stead,
The glorious King of Glory died,
Redeeming blood was shed.

We’ve overcome by the blood of the Lamb
We’re safely in, our Father’s hand.
We’re marching on to possess the Promised Land,
We’ve overcome by the blood of the Lamb.

But now the perilous times are here, all righteousness is shunned,
And wickedness consumes the earth,
God’s judgment soon must come.
But in the midst of all this lives,
The Bride of God’s own Son,
We’ve washed our linens in His blood,
And now we’ve over come!

We’ve overcome by the blood of the Lamb
We’re safely in, our Father’s hand.
We’re marching on to possess the Promised Land,
We’ve overcome by the blood of the Lamb.

If I could speak to my friend and brother he would tell me that, yes, there are people who I knew who were there with Jesus. But since I knew how Mel loved Jesus and wept sometimes while worshiping His Savior, I believe he would caution me. He might tell me that although those people are there, and all the Bible people we have read about are also there, I would be consumed with Jesus when I got there. He might tell me that His brilliance and the weight of His incandescent glory blanketed the blood washed throngs. Yes, Mel would be captured by the Lion and the Lamb. And finally I could here my dear brother say to me,

“Brother Rick, everyone here has overcome by the blood of the Lamb!”

I am broken and undone this morning by God’s Spirit pulling back the veil ever so slightly and allowing me to see just a little more of the One who overcame by His precious blood and shared it with me. And throughout eternity it will become completely evident that our place of worship in eternity has been purchased for us. We have not earned it and we do not deserve one moment in His presence much less all of eternity. We will know as we are known. And if we are allowed some sort of knowledge of who we were, and as we gaze with perfect eyes at the prefect Lamb, forever we will fall before Him. Yes, we’ve overcome by the blood of the Lamb. Selah.

Mary - A Priceless Gem of God's Grace

Mary

Lk.1:46 - My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Savior.
Mary...A little insignificant peasant girl from the loins of David and from the loins of Judah, from which the Lion will spring. Just being faithful in her walk with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and not expecting anything special. Humble and obedient and obscure, but Jehovah had been watching. Jehovah had been guiding. Jehovah had chosen...her. The human ark of the New Covenant Lamb.

Mary...Before Jesus was born, before the shepherds worshipped, before the wise men brought gifts, before Simeon blessed Him, before Anna prophesied, before John the Baptist identified Him, before the Roman soldier knew who He was, before all of those and other declarations of who Jesus was, Mary identifies Him as "God my Savior" while He was still in her womb.

Mary...God borrows Mary's virgin womb with the unspeakable blessing of Himself. Not "a" miracle but "THE" miracle. The divine seed of God and the human egg of Mary combine to give life to the sinless "seed of the woman" as first prophesied in Genesis. Mary was obviously a Godly and Spiritual young woman and even though she must have been incredibly unsettled by the chain of events, she humbles herself and praises her Lord. God must have granted her a wonderful and unique covering of His grace that He had planned before He made the worlds.

Mary...The rumors, the embarrassment, the wonder, the pondering, all must bow as her soul magnifies the Lord. Just an angelic visitation must have been an amazing event, but when she as a 14, 15, or maybe 16 year old young virgin is told that she will be pregnant, she immediately asks "how can this be?". Pregnant? She truthfully confesses, with a quiet, trembling voice, that she has never been with a man and Gabriel confirms that as true. You see, not just "an" angel but the arch-angel Gabriel. Imagine the splendor, the brilliance, the beauty, and the aroma of heaven that must have been experienced by Mary in the presence of Gabriel.

Mary...Now, as she has been told she will be pregnant, Gabriel informs her that the baby will be a boy and His name shall be called Jesus(Joshua-"Jehovah saves"). Gabriel says that He will be called "the Son of the Highest". After she asks how, Gabriel tells her it is the Holy Spirit that will perform this miracle, and as Gabriel leaves he calls her baby the "Son of God". Wow. Mary has just had a one-of-a kind church service created just for her. With Gabriel the preacher, God prophesies to Mary about His will for her life and she surrenders. As she metaphorically comes down the aisle she bows at the altar and says,"be it unto me according to thy Word".

Mary...Just a righteous girl, chosen by Jehovah, invaded by God's Spirit, kept by God's grace, blessed among women, the earthly mother of God. Mary will be with Jesus throughout His life. She is with Him in Jerusalem at 12 years of age; she is with Him at His first miracle at Cana; She follows Him during His ministry; she is there as He stands before Pilate; she watches Him carry His own cross; she stands at the foot of the cross and watches her son be murdered, crucified; she is there as he is taken to a borrowed tomb. Beside the natural horror of seeing your son murdered, what must Mary have thought Spiritually. Did she think it was over and the Romans had killed the Messiah?

Mary...It is significant that when Jesus is resurrected we find no accounts of Mary being there. The risen Christ is now stripped of all earthly ties and Jesus tells His disciples to go tell the brethren. No mention of Mary. The sword that Simeon had prophesied about has pierced her heart, and she is now just a disciple of Jesus. The maternal miracle is now over, but a new one is on the horizon.

Mary...The Day of Pentecost. The disciples are praying in the upper room and God feels it necessary to mention that Mary was among them. The last mention of Mary. She has fulfilled the mission God gave her and she is now a follower of Jesus. A humble, broken, Spirit-filled follower. And one day she dies, and as she enters the presence of Jesus she bows with the other saints and worships the King of Kings. That's right. This is not a mother-son reunion. She received a breathtaking reward for her earthly faithfulness, and she places it at the feet of, in her own words, "God my Savior". God broke the alabaster box of Mary's life, spilled it out on His Son, and the aroma of her humble faithfulness will last forever.

Mary...a priceless gem of God's grace.

Concerned About Same Sex Marriage?

IS LEGAL SAME SEX MARRIAGE

A REASON TO BE CONCERNED

Should we be concerned if same sex marriage is the law of the land? The children of Darfur are not concerned. The unborn are not concerned. The women in Afghanistan are not concerned. The men on death row are not concerned. The millions with HIV in Africa are not concerned. The drug addicts are not concerned. Those starving in North Korea are not concerned. The millions of African orphans are not concerned.

OK, about what should we be concerned? The utter lethargy in the evangelical church. And that, my friends, has always been legal.

But at the core of this obsession with what the kingdom of darkness believes can be found in nationalism and its Siamese twin patriotism. We as believers are called to be invested in the kingdom of darkness on only one level - we called to care for their souls. We have never been called to be upset over their rules and regulations. We have never been called to join hands with some of the more conservative elements of their kingdom in order to change their rules. We are called to walk among them with wisdom.

Col.4: 5 Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.

What wisdom does Paul mean? And what does he mean about redeeming the time? It’s obvious Paul speaks about their eternal souls. You cannot be passionate about reaching the lost and also about changing the culture. You see, reaching their souls for Christ is serving Christ, while changing the culture benefits you. And you cannot serve two masters. The wisdom that God gives us is always redemptive and never self serving. Which bothers you more, if gay couples marry legally or if gay couples are lost in eternity? The answer to that question will ultimately determine where your prayers and energies are spent.

But the reason believers fight for legalities concerning morality is because they want to preserve a way of life they have constructed in their minds. You don’t see protests and talk shows and sermons expressing emotional angst over divorce. Why” Because it is accepted and practiced within the church save a few disingenuous doctrinal words. But if and when the Supreme Court makes gay marriage legal, the evangelical community will act as if the sky is falling. And many big mouth know-it-all preachers will claim that the first natural disaster following that decision will come from God. It is all too predictable.

Believers do not weep at night over the souls of men, but they will find much energy and speak volumes about the so called cultural decline. And of course that decline is fabricated upon a founding fathers fairy tale. I can only wonder how anyone who reads and believes God’s Word can actually contend that certain time periods were less fallen than others. Are we suggesting that law abiding citizens who do not know Christ are more pleasing in God’s sight? And are we also suggesting that God so loves a certain way of life here on earth that he is willing to help sinners to kill each other to protect it? When gay marriage is made legal, nothing will change.

Gay people will still be gay; divorce and adultery will still roam church halls; church mortgage payments will still have to be paid; conservatives and liberals will still hate each other; believers will still constantly complain about a myriad of things; and the church will place it dry-eyed head upon the pillow at night and dream about finding a great coupon to eat out this weekend where they can share their consternation about gay marriage.

Note of interest: The only reason I am not gay is because I am not.

The moment the church becomes fascinated with all kinds of earthly issues is the moment it looses its fascination with Christ. It is impossible to be consumed with Christ and His redemptive mission while grabbing hold of the ebbs and flows of fallen man and his attempts to create paradise. What is gay marriage compared with an eternity without Christ? Why would we expend our energies attempt to muscle sinners into a more acceptable lifestyle instead of sacrificing ourselves to reach them with the message that can transform them forever. Present the glories of Christ and leave the fallen moral scraps for those whose eyes cannot look upward.

Do you wish to protect the sanctity of marriage?

Seek and cultivate and sacrifice yourself to not only protect, but to expand your marriage to Christ.
 And that, my friends, will transform everything else.