Have you been paying attention recently? Things look a bit discouraging for Christians at the moment and it seems like it is going to get worse. We see the mounting persecution that is taking place in the United States and if it is happening there we know it won't be long in coming everywhere else. We look at the major split that is happening within the Church as one part rises up to condemn the other part; actually calling brothers and sisters in Christ to be without salvation. It is discouraging for those of us who long for unity within the Body of Christ.
These are not things to shrug our shoulders at as they are doing a lot of damage. We are seeing those who are immature in the Word being confused, not knowing what to believe. We are seeing entire congregations leaving the solid ground of the Word and melting into the arms of the lost. We are seeing the message and influence of the Church eroded by our disunity. Everyone is building camps and flinging mud at those they call lost to the teaching of demons. How can we go forward?
Of course, none of this comes as a surprise for those who know the Word. Jesus warned us of these days, as did Paul, Peter and John. We can't say we didn't see it coming but to actually be in the midst of it, tasting the ugliness of it, is another matter. So now that it is upon us we have to make some decisions: How are we going to respond?
The first thing we have to decide is that we are going to stand for Jesus, no matter the cost. It could cost you a lot, it could cost you everything, but if you understand scripture you know that what it might cost us has no real value compared to eternity and Jesus' glory. So we listen to the Scripture that tells us how to stand:
But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:14-15)
From your spiritual infancy you have been raised on the Word, so stand by it. The World is going to attack it as are many within the Body because it will play out just as it is described in Scripture. In these last days a great strain will be put on our trust in the Word. We can hear the enemies whisper upon the wind, "Has God indeed said ...?" But if we do not want to be lost in this age we must make the decision to trust the Word and to stand:
All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. (v. 16-17)
But standing does not mean building walls. We are not isolationists. We were left in this world with a purpose, a mission to represent Jesus' love to the lost. Even if the lost are bent on our destruction, we are here to love them. We have good works to do even when we are being attacked:
Therefore, brethren, stand fast and hold the traditions which you were taught, whether by word or our epistle. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and our God and Father, who has loved us and given us everlasting consolation and good hope by grace, comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and work. (2 Thessalonians 2:15-17)
We were born to this age for a reason. We are the generation who it has been given to stand for Jesus no matter the cost. We are to shout of his love even louder as the noise of this world tries to drown us out. We are not to become distracted by the debates within the Church but instead we are to press forward in the good works we have been assigned. Jesus warned us to be found faithful in our duties upon his return and that is what we need to be determined to do. So let this reminder encourage us that, no matter how bad it gets in the coming days, there is an end coming:
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words. (1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)
And that is what we need to do. Set it in your heart right now that your ongoing purpose is to comfort, encourage and pray for all the saints who are standing up under the pressures and persecution of our age. Sing with each other, praise Jesus with loud voices, lift up holy hands, lift up the Name that is above all names. Let us remind each other of these things as the spirit of discouragement tries to undermined us. We are not those who shrink back but instead, empowered by the Holy Spirit, emboldened by Jesus' example, and longing for the presence of Father, we press on. Stand my brothers and sisters, stand!
Showing posts with label 2 Timothy 3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 Timothy 3. Show all posts
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Wednesday, January 29, 2014
Lovers Of Pleasure Rather Than Lovers Of God
Why shouldn't I enjoy whatever I want in this world? Hasn't Jesus given me freedom?
Yes, Jesus gave us freedom that we could seek the Father and be free from our sin nature to make a clear decision. But too many of us are turning off our brains and just sucking up whatever the world is dishing out, without a thought of how it is effecting us and our family.
Most of us watch ten times the amount of television than what we spend in Holy Scriptures and prayer. Worse than the amount of time, we are not being wise in our choice of entertaibnment. We are feeding lust, cruelty, hatred, profanity in our mind and hearts. What does the Word say about the last days:
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Have you considered Psalm 1 lately?
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful. (Psalm 1:1)
What do you think we are doing when we sit down and watch the entertainment of this world, listen to its music and seek after the same pleasures as our unsaved neighbour? We are walking in the counsel of the ungodly. We are standing in the path of sinners. We are sitting in the seat of the scornful. We are far from being blessed. Yet we have been told that there is a way that pleases Yahweh:
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night. (v. 2)
Our delight is not in sin-filled entertainment but in our Lord Jesus, in his Word, in fellowship and worship. For those who turn and decide for Jesus; turn and look full in his face; turn and immerse themselves in the love and joy of the Lord and not the world; he is described as this:
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. (v. 3)
I don't know about you but that is what I want and it is what Yahweh has promised from the very beginning: walk in obedience with me and I will pour out my blessings on you. Do you desire, as I do, to have a rich fellowship that we would never want to jeopardize over a sin-filled 30 minute comedy? A show that could never come close to the preciousness of our relationship with Jesus? How could we ever desire to pollute our minds and hearts and threaten our eternity perspective? Well, that's what most of the Church is doing, even tonight. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. There are decisions to be made.
Yes, Jesus gave us freedom that we could seek the Father and be free from our sin nature to make a clear decision. But too many of us are turning off our brains and just sucking up whatever the world is dishing out, without a thought of how it is effecting us and our family.
Most of us watch ten times the amount of television than what we spend in Holy Scriptures and prayer. Worse than the amount of time, we are not being wise in our choice of entertaibnment. We are feeding lust, cruelty, hatred, profanity in our mind and hearts. What does the Word say about the last days:
But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having a form of godliness but denying its power. (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
Have you considered Psalm 1 lately?
Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful. (Psalm 1:1)
What do you think we are doing when we sit down and watch the entertainment of this world, listen to its music and seek after the same pleasures as our unsaved neighbour? We are walking in the counsel of the ungodly. We are standing in the path of sinners. We are sitting in the seat of the scornful. We are far from being blessed. Yet we have been told that there is a way that pleases Yahweh:
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night. (v. 2)
Our delight is not in sin-filled entertainment but in our Lord Jesus, in his Word, in fellowship and worship. For those who turn and decide for Jesus; turn and look full in his face; turn and immerse themselves in the love and joy of the Lord and not the world; he is described as this:
He shall be like a tree
Planted by the rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper. (v. 3)
I don't know about you but that is what I want and it is what Yahweh has promised from the very beginning: walk in obedience with me and I will pour out my blessings on you. Do you desire, as I do, to have a rich fellowship that we would never want to jeopardize over a sin-filled 30 minute comedy? A show that could never come close to the preciousness of our relationship with Jesus? How could we ever desire to pollute our minds and hearts and threaten our eternity perspective? Well, that's what most of the Church is doing, even tonight. Lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. There are decisions to be made.
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Are We Representing Jesus Well?
The one thing that should concern us is, are we representing Jesus well. It is unfortunate that often times we still allow our old nature to dictate our behaviour and actions. Sometimes we say and do things without even processing what the potential outcome will be. We feel the emotion and allow ourselves to react. He have the thought and speak it out loud. The network television stations have a 3 or 5 second delay on their live shows so they can bleep out things that are inappropriate. It is too bad we don't have the same delay built into our personal system. It is why our mothers taught us to count to ten before reacting to things that made us mad.
We live in an age where a lot of our personal, private thoughts are now shared with everyone. Those things we use to think, process and often times throw away, are now shared across the world. You would think that we would use some kind of filter to prevent these things from harming others, but many of us don't. In doing this we fail to represent Jesus. And it is all about representing Jesus.
If we have any doubt about our behaviour, and even if we don't, we should be comparing ourselves to what we find in God's Word. We don't compare ourselves to other Christians but to Jesus and what God says is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. He has called us to his holiness and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is not good enough to excuse our behaviour with "I'm tired" (one I use a lot) or "I'm only human". Excuses don't cut it with God and he is the one to whom we answer. We have to bow before him and own our fault, confess it and allow him to remove it from us.
We shouldn't need people to correct us; we should see and know our errors, faults and sins as soon as they happen. We know it because we know the Word of God. We know because we are convicted by the Holy Spirit. Don't ruin that. Don't deny the correction of the Spirit through the Word. Don't become insensitive by trying to justify yourself before God:
Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
It isn't about us. If we have done something outside of the character of Jesus we need to deal with it so it doesn't get in the way. It is always about Jesus. Always. We represent him, not our church, not our family, not ourselves; only Jesus. And because of that we need to follow the instructions set out before us in the Word of God for dealing with our faults, sins and mistakes. There is a correct way to behave and the Word of God gives it to us. This is the only code of behaviour we measure ourselves against.
Are we representing Jesus well?
We live in an age where a lot of our personal, private thoughts are now shared with everyone. Those things we use to think, process and often times throw away, are now shared across the world. You would think that we would use some kind of filter to prevent these things from harming others, but many of us don't. In doing this we fail to represent Jesus. And it is all about representing Jesus.
If we have any doubt about our behaviour, and even if we don't, we should be comparing ourselves to what we find in God's Word. We don't compare ourselves to other Christians but to Jesus and what God says is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour. He has called us to his holiness and the righteousness of Jesus Christ. It is not good enough to excuse our behaviour with "I'm tired" (one I use a lot) or "I'm only human". Excuses don't cut it with God and he is the one to whom we answer. We have to bow before him and own our fault, confess it and allow him to remove it from us.
We shouldn't need people to correct us; we should see and know our errors, faults and sins as soon as they happen. We know it because we know the Word of God. We know because we are convicted by the Holy Spirit. Don't ruin that. Don't deny the correction of the Spirit through the Word. Don't become insensitive by trying to justify yourself before God:
Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
It isn't about us. If we have done something outside of the character of Jesus we need to deal with it so it doesn't get in the way. It is always about Jesus. Always. We represent him, not our church, not our family, not ourselves; only Jesus. And because of that we need to follow the instructions set out before us in the Word of God for dealing with our faults, sins and mistakes. There is a correct way to behave and the Word of God gives it to us. This is the only code of behaviour we measure ourselves against.
Are we representing Jesus well?
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Standing On The Word Of God, And Nothing Else
The Bible, God's Word is awesome. If you don't know it, you are a radiant being stumbling around in the dark. It is essential for understanding and confirming what has been written on your heart by the Holy Spirit. The sooner you start eating from it the better it will be for you. It is a benefit to consume the Word daily so that all that God intended you to be will become your reality. Without it, we are confused by the false reality of this world that is dominated by a false prince.
I realize it is difficult to balance everything in your day, especially if you do not have a grasp of the Kingdom of God. If Jesus is just something you need to try to fit into your day, you are in a lot of trouble. You will always struggle spiritually and you will never step into the full knowledge of Christ, becoming fully like him. Jesus cannot be a part of your life; he must be your life, the motivation for everything that you do. You must be fully consumed by his love and your love for him, with obedience being your great desire.
Our attitude toward God's Word must be as passionate as the writer of Psalm 119. We must be raised on it as if it is our life source and treat it as if it is the life source for our children. Paul wrote to Timothy:
Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. (2 Timothy 3:15)
Too often we are guilty of trying to fulfill the mission of Jesus using short cuts. We use emotional pleas but the only thing that makes us wise unto salvation is God's Word. We can't bring people into the Kingdom and expect them to stay based on emotions because emotions are unstable unless the Spirit is in charge. Faith is not an emotional reaction, although emotion can be included. Faith is a decision to believe what Jesus said and we only know what Jesus said according to the Word of God.
The Word is constantly under attack from outside and inside the Church. No other holy book in the world is attacked like the Christian Bible but yet the Word says of itself:
Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. (v. 16)
God's Word is his. It was written through many various servants, inspired by the Holy Spirit. The servant's were only instruments and not authors. And what God has given to us is more precious than gold because it is a spiritual instrument, useful for teaching, helping, correcting and showing us how to live. Our problem is we don't want to take the correction; we would rather explain away those parts of the Bible.
We simply forget that we are accountable to our God. We are not radical free agents set loose upon the earth to do what we feel is best. We have a play book to follow, one that confirms what the Spirit has written on our heart. Is it right to steal? The Bible says no and so does your heart. Is it right to have sex with whoever you want? The Bible says no, and so does your heart. Is it right to direct your own life? The Bible says no, and so does your heart. Do we need to be generous because of God's love? The Bible says yes, and so does your heart. If your heart is lying to you, you need to ask who it is you serve. Paul writes:
The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. (v. 17)
Clearly stated, we need God's Word as our training manual. It needs to be studied, understood, applied and lived every day. We can't go a day without referring to it. And remember, it is not an old book, archaic in teaching. The Word does not stand on its own but is empowered in us through the Holy Spirit. It is a living testament of God's promises and our responsibilities. Yes, responsibilities. Salvation is by grace but as the children of God we have responsibilities to live out every day that we live in this place. If you don't understand at least that much then you are desperate to know, understand and live the Word of God.
I realize it is difficult to balance everything in your day, especially if you do not have a grasp of the Kingdom of God. If Jesus is just something you need to try to fit into your day, you are in a lot of trouble. You will always struggle spiritually and you will never step into the full knowledge of Christ, becoming fully like him. Jesus cannot be a part of your life; he must be your life, the motivation for everything that you do. You must be fully consumed by his love and your love for him, with obedience being your great desire.
Our attitude toward God's Word must be as passionate as the writer of Psalm 119. We must be raised on it as if it is our life source and treat it as if it is the life source for our children. Paul wrote to Timothy:
Since childhood, you have known the Holy Scriptures that are able to make you wise enough to have faith in Christ Jesus and be saved. (2 Timothy 3:15)
Too often we are guilty of trying to fulfill the mission of Jesus using short cuts. We use emotional pleas but the only thing that makes us wise unto salvation is God's Word. We can't bring people into the Kingdom and expect them to stay based on emotions because emotions are unstable unless the Spirit is in charge. Faith is not an emotional reaction, although emotion can be included. Faith is a decision to believe what Jesus said and we only know what Jesus said according to the Word of God.
The Word is constantly under attack from outside and inside the Church. No other holy book in the world is attacked like the Christian Bible but yet the Word says of itself:
Everything in the Scriptures is God’s Word. All of it is useful for teaching and helping people and for correcting them and showing them how to live. (v. 16)
God's Word is his. It was written through many various servants, inspired by the Holy Spirit. The servant's were only instruments and not authors. And what God has given to us is more precious than gold because it is a spiritual instrument, useful for teaching, helping, correcting and showing us how to live. Our problem is we don't want to take the correction; we would rather explain away those parts of the Bible.
We simply forget that we are accountable to our God. We are not radical free agents set loose upon the earth to do what we feel is best. We have a play book to follow, one that confirms what the Spirit has written on our heart. Is it right to steal? The Bible says no and so does your heart. Is it right to have sex with whoever you want? The Bible says no, and so does your heart. Is it right to direct your own life? The Bible says no, and so does your heart. Do we need to be generous because of God's love? The Bible says yes, and so does your heart. If your heart is lying to you, you need to ask who it is you serve. Paul writes:
The Scriptures train God’s servants to do all kinds of good deeds. (v. 17)
Clearly stated, we need God's Word as our training manual. It needs to be studied, understood, applied and lived every day. We can't go a day without referring to it. And remember, it is not an old book, archaic in teaching. The Word does not stand on its own but is empowered in us through the Holy Spirit. It is a living testament of God's promises and our responsibilities. Yes, responsibilities. Salvation is by grace but as the children of God we have responsibilities to live out every day that we live in this place. If you don't understand at least that much then you are desperate to know, understand and live the Word of God.
Monday, April 22, 2013
You Know Who Taught You These Things
Faithfulness is a hard thing to find anywhere for anything these days. We are society of choices and we have a wide variety to choose from. Have you counted the variety of toilet paper in the grocery store these days? Look at our televisions. Maybe I am showing my age but I grew up with three TV stations and one of those was French. Now it takes 30 minutes just to flip through the tv guide to see what is on. There was a time when we were faithful to the brand products we used but it wasn't hard to do when there were only two choices. Now it seems the choice is dictated by what is on sale.
Unfortunately some people apply these love of choices, and frequent changes according to convenience, to God and the Church. But with God there are only two choices: To continue to be lost in sin or be rescued from it through Jesus.There are not "many choices" to get to God, as some celebrities are famous for promoting; there is only one way and his name is Jesus:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father." (John 14:6)
It doesn't matter how you try to twist this, it still comes down to Jesus being the only way. In our world of choices it is a reality many people find hard to accept. And it is for this reason you need to be careful where you get your spiritual food. Paul wrote to Timothy:
Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. (2 Timothy 3:14)
"You know who taught you these things." Again, there are a lot of choices where you can get your spiritual food. There are a lot of choices for churches. There are a lot of teachers on YouTube. There are a lot of pastors and teachers writing blogs. But just because you read someone's tweets and have access to their official FaceBook does not mean you "know" them. Like I said, there are many online teachers, pastors, putting out a lot of material but you should not accept it at face value. You don't know these people. In fact. 95% of you reading this don't know me. We've never met.
You have a pastor and some of you have more than one. God has provided you with a church filled with teachers and mentors. Are you reading their blogs and their teaching? That is where you should be getting your spiritual food. You can see your pastor living what he preaches all the time. You can see your elders' living testimony. These are the men and women God has given to teach you so learn from them.
I am not saying that the teaching material that people like me put out here on the Internet is wrong but some of it is. You should consult your pastor or elders. Ask them to verify things for you. If something sounds strange, counter to what you have been taught, not lining up with the Word of God, then take it to your pastor. Just because I say I am a pastor does not mean I am. Just like when you are chatting with someone you have never met, it doesn't mean they are who they say they are. Just because she says she is a 16 year old girl doesn't mean she isn't a 42 year old man. People can be whatever they want to be hidden behind their computer.
Never allow the Internet, YouTube, FaceBook, Tumblr,or any of the other great social media tools to replace the Church. The Body of Christ is vital for your growth and your service to Jesus. Get involved and grounded in your church. Get to know your pastors and elders. Ask about their testimony and learn from them. God has given them to you so stay faithful and know who is teaching you.
Unfortunately some people apply these love of choices, and frequent changes according to convenience, to God and the Church. But with God there are only two choices: To continue to be lost in sin or be rescued from it through Jesus.There are not "many choices" to get to God, as some celebrities are famous for promoting; there is only one way and his name is Jesus:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life!” Jesus answered. “Without me, no one can go to the Father." (John 14:6)
It doesn't matter how you try to twist this, it still comes down to Jesus being the only way. In our world of choices it is a reality many people find hard to accept. And it is for this reason you need to be careful where you get your spiritual food. Paul wrote to Timothy:
Keep on being faithful to what you were taught and to what you believed. After all, you know who taught you these things. (2 Timothy 3:14)
"You know who taught you these things." Again, there are a lot of choices where you can get your spiritual food. There are a lot of choices for churches. There are a lot of teachers on YouTube. There are a lot of pastors and teachers writing blogs. But just because you read someone's tweets and have access to their official FaceBook does not mean you "know" them. Like I said, there are many online teachers, pastors, putting out a lot of material but you should not accept it at face value. You don't know these people. In fact. 95% of you reading this don't know me. We've never met.
You have a pastor and some of you have more than one. God has provided you with a church filled with teachers and mentors. Are you reading their blogs and their teaching? That is where you should be getting your spiritual food. You can see your pastor living what he preaches all the time. You can see your elders' living testimony. These are the men and women God has given to teach you so learn from them.
I am not saying that the teaching material that people like me put out here on the Internet is wrong but some of it is. You should consult your pastor or elders. Ask them to verify things for you. If something sounds strange, counter to what you have been taught, not lining up with the Word of God, then take it to your pastor. Just because I say I am a pastor does not mean I am. Just like when you are chatting with someone you have never met, it doesn't mean they are who they say they are. Just because she says she is a 16 year old girl doesn't mean she isn't a 42 year old man. People can be whatever they want to be hidden behind their computer.
Never allow the Internet, YouTube, FaceBook, Tumblr,or any of the other great social media tools to replace the Church. The Body of Christ is vital for your growth and your service to Jesus. Get involved and grounded in your church. Get to know your pastors and elders. Ask about their testimony and learn from them. God has given them to you so stay faithful and know who is teaching you.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Evil Becoming More Evil
Wouldn't it be great if we could just throw open our arms and embrace anyone and everyone who claimed to be Christian. It should be like that but most of us know it isn't. So many people who claim to be Christian are stating their family tradition and not their personal relationship with Jesus. They haven't a clue what it is to live in the Spirit or to have anything to do with God except when they are in some kind of trouble. Even then the name of Jesus is used more as an exclamation than a plea for help.
This is why so many clarify their position in the Church with "born again" or "evangelical" or even "practicing". However, even these clarifications are not a measure for a personal relationship with Jesus. I am not talking about different subtleties in doctrine but the simple fact of a relationship with Jesus; a daily walking; Bible believing and living; Holy Spirit filled; Christ centered Christians. This is vital for us so we do not allow ourselves to be enticed away by those who claim Jesus but don't live Jesus. Paul warned Timothy:
But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves. (2 Timothy 3:13)
Is it possible to be evil and not realize it? Not at first, but I believe you can convince yourself that you are okay, that you are one of the good guys. When we tell the same lie often enough we start believing it to be true. Why would people do such a thing? Same motivation as there is for most sin: self-centeredness. There was something in the lie that profited the liar and so he kept on lying until he even believed it to be true.
There are a lot of pretenders in the Church who carry the title of Christian but have nothing to do with Christ. You will discover them by their actions. Without the Spirit of God it is impossible to carry on the act of Christ-like character for very long. You can see it in how they treat people. You will hear it in their language. You will detect it in the selfish attitude. It is possible to hide these things for a time but eventually the cracks start appearing. They will even convince themselves that unacceptable behaviour is actually acceptable and will convince others as well.
Again, this is the reason we must know Jesus, his character, his love, his mercy, grace, forgiveness. We must know it by experience and we must know it by the Word. We must know the authentic in order to recognize the fake. We must do this more and more as the days grow darker and the influence of evil grows bolder. I am not talking about going on a witch hunt; that is not our responsibility. I am only talking about being able to recognize the authentic to embrace and the false to avoid. God will take care of the wheat and the weeds, we just need to test the spirit in all things.
Don't be fooled by those who have fooled themselves. Anyone can be persuasive; all they have to do is truly believe what they are saying. But words alone are not how we test the spirit. Following Jesus is not an academic exercise but living the character of Jesus 24/7 by the power of the Spirit in us. Please be careful, it is getting dangerous out there.
This is why so many clarify their position in the Church with "born again" or "evangelical" or even "practicing". However, even these clarifications are not a measure for a personal relationship with Jesus. I am not talking about different subtleties in doctrine but the simple fact of a relationship with Jesus; a daily walking; Bible believing and living; Holy Spirit filled; Christ centered Christians. This is vital for us so we do not allow ourselves to be enticed away by those who claim Jesus but don't live Jesus. Paul warned Timothy:
But evil people who pretend to be what they are not will become worse than ever, as they fool others and are fooled themselves. (2 Timothy 3:13)
Is it possible to be evil and not realize it? Not at first, but I believe you can convince yourself that you are okay, that you are one of the good guys. When we tell the same lie often enough we start believing it to be true. Why would people do such a thing? Same motivation as there is for most sin: self-centeredness. There was something in the lie that profited the liar and so he kept on lying until he even believed it to be true.
There are a lot of pretenders in the Church who carry the title of Christian but have nothing to do with Christ. You will discover them by their actions. Without the Spirit of God it is impossible to carry on the act of Christ-like character for very long. You can see it in how they treat people. You will hear it in their language. You will detect it in the selfish attitude. It is possible to hide these things for a time but eventually the cracks start appearing. They will even convince themselves that unacceptable behaviour is actually acceptable and will convince others as well.
Again, this is the reason we must know Jesus, his character, his love, his mercy, grace, forgiveness. We must know it by experience and we must know it by the Word. We must know the authentic in order to recognize the fake. We must do this more and more as the days grow darker and the influence of evil grows bolder. I am not talking about going on a witch hunt; that is not our responsibility. I am only talking about being able to recognize the authentic to embrace and the false to avoid. God will take care of the wheat and the weeds, we just need to test the spirit in all things.
Don't be fooled by those who have fooled themselves. Anyone can be persuasive; all they have to do is truly believe what they are saying. But words alone are not how we test the spirit. Following Jesus is not an academic exercise but living the character of Jesus 24/7 by the power of the Spirit in us. Please be careful, it is getting dangerous out there.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Being Hated Is Not Abnormal
What were your expectations when you accepted Jesus? I guess that depends on what you were being told at the time. It is unfortunate that we are not always forthcoming in our desire to see people accept the salvation Jesus offers. After all, salvation is of far greater worth than anything in this world. Regretfully it means some people have wrong expectations, but that is not Jesus' fault. He made it clear what we should expect:
If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, its people would love you. But you don’t belong to the world. I have chosen you to leave the world behind, and that is why its people hate you. Remember how I told you that servants are not greater than their master. So if people mistreat me, they will mistreat you. (John 15:18-20)
Not exactly what we start with when we are presenting Jesus to someone, but it is the truth. It is not God's desire but is the natural result when you have a righteous, holy people living among rebellious nations. The nature of this world is rebellion; rebellion against God and all things connected to God. We read this scripture:
Don’t mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)
"Do your best" has also been translated as "as far as it depends on you". Peace requires an agreement between two parties but as long as there is rebellion against God there can be no peace. We try but don't be disappointed when you find people at odds with you. Don't be surprised when people don't want to be your friend and they hate you for unreasonable reasons. It is not so much you as it is the Christ in you that makes their rebellion obvious. They don't want to be reminded that there is a right and wrong in the world, and your life is a reminder.
Apostle Paul didn't beat around the bush when he wrote to Timothy:
Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. (2 Timothy 3:12)
We don't want trouble, we don't look for it and we don't enjoy it when it happens but neither should we be surprised. The important thing is to allow the Spirit to direct you in these times and don't allow your flesh to dictate the day. How you handle trouble may the biggest sermon you ever preach. It may be exactly what people need to see to know that your faith in Jesus is real. The Word says that God uses all things and we need to handle all circumstances in our lives with such a faith.
Always, always, always remember that it isn't about us. If you feel offended you had better examine your heart again because it doesn't sound like your dead enough. Our life is no longer ours so how can we be offended. If someone comes against us they are actually coming against Jesus and I think Jesus can defend his own. We have not been given to defend ourselves but instead to stand our ground. We are given words and abilities to fight for those who are coming against us. Yes, we fight for them because we love those who hate us and we pray for those who persecute us. That is what Jesus told us to do.
Following Jesus requires a lot more than singing worship songs. It requires faithfulness and obedience at all times, in all things. We live for Jesus not for ourselves and we will face whatever we must in his authority. That's why we can keep on singing, keep on dancing, keep on loving and forgiving even as the stones are thrown and the whips come down. We are not of those who grow weary and fall away but in the strength and the joy of our Lord we press on.
If the people of this world hate you, just remember that they hated me first. If you belonged to the world, its people would love you. But you don’t belong to the world. I have chosen you to leave the world behind, and that is why its people hate you. Remember how I told you that servants are not greater than their master. So if people mistreat me, they will mistreat you. (John 15:18-20)
Not exactly what we start with when we are presenting Jesus to someone, but it is the truth. It is not God's desire but is the natural result when you have a righteous, holy people living among rebellious nations. The nature of this world is rebellion; rebellion against God and all things connected to God. We read this scripture:
Don’t mistreat someone who has mistreated you. But try to earn the respect of others, and do your best to live at peace with everyone. (Romans 12:17-18)
"Do your best" has also been translated as "as far as it depends on you". Peace requires an agreement between two parties but as long as there is rebellion against God there can be no peace. We try but don't be disappointed when you find people at odds with you. Don't be surprised when people don't want to be your friend and they hate you for unreasonable reasons. It is not so much you as it is the Christ in you that makes their rebellion obvious. They don't want to be reminded that there is a right and wrong in the world, and your life is a reminder.
Apostle Paul didn't beat around the bush when he wrote to Timothy:
Anyone who belongs to Christ Jesus and wants to live right will have trouble from others. (2 Timothy 3:12)
We don't want trouble, we don't look for it and we don't enjoy it when it happens but neither should we be surprised. The important thing is to allow the Spirit to direct you in these times and don't allow your flesh to dictate the day. How you handle trouble may the biggest sermon you ever preach. It may be exactly what people need to see to know that your faith in Jesus is real. The Word says that God uses all things and we need to handle all circumstances in our lives with such a faith.
Always, always, always remember that it isn't about us. If you feel offended you had better examine your heart again because it doesn't sound like your dead enough. Our life is no longer ours so how can we be offended. If someone comes against us they are actually coming against Jesus and I think Jesus can defend his own. We have not been given to defend ourselves but instead to stand our ground. We are given words and abilities to fight for those who are coming against us. Yes, we fight for them because we love those who hate us and we pray for those who persecute us. That is what Jesus told us to do.
Following Jesus requires a lot more than singing worship songs. It requires faithfulness and obedience at all times, in all things. We live for Jesus not for ourselves and we will face whatever we must in his authority. That's why we can keep on singing, keep on dancing, keep on loving and forgiving even as the stones are thrown and the whips come down. We are not of those who grow weary and fall away but in the strength and the joy of our Lord we press on.
Monday, April 15, 2013
No More Excuses
I wonder how confident we are about our Christian walk. Would we be willing to tell someone to look at our example? More often than not we make excuses: "I'm only human", "I'm not perfect, just forgiven". I guess it is our way of apologizing or seeking forgiveness. Or is it our way of avoiding holiness? All I know is that when I read Paul's testimony he was not afraid to say to people, "Do what I do", "Consider my example".
Look at what Paul wrote to Timothy, someone who spent long periods of time with Paul and would have seen his private as well as his public face:
Timothy, you know what I teach and how I live. You know what I want to do and what I believe. You have seen how patient and loving I am, and how in the past I put up with trouble and suffering in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. (2 Timothy 2:10-11)
You know what I teach and how I live. There are two "you know" statements and then there is the amazing, "you have seen". Paul is reminding Timothy that he lives what he preaches, and Timothy knows it. Paul did not hold up high standards for others that he was not living himself. Neither was he excusing other people's attitudes and behaviours so he himself could live such a low standard. Paul was determined to be like Jesus and he expected others to have the same desire.
Paul took Jesus at his word and he had faith to believe that everything was possible through Jesus. That includes holy living. It includes the righteousness of God. I don't see in any of Paul's writings where excuses were offered and I don't see where excuses were extended. We have been called to live according to the Word God has written on our heart, confirmed by the Spirit and the written testimony he has given to us. It is a daily surrender and a growing process but it is not a system of poor excuses.
We have not been left here to struggle with sin. Sin is done with and if it happens then God's grace and forgiveness is abundant but we are not to use that grace as an excuse to sin. We need to be careful of our attitude that it is not a "God will forgive me because he understands how weak I am". We were weak but we aren't any more. We are filled by the resurrection power, possessed by the Spirit of God. When we sin it is a rebellious act against God, lacking in love. For such a thing, we had better repent and not expect God simply to "understand". He does understand and he sent Jesus to take care of the matter. Now we are more than conquerors and had better start acting that way instead of like the weaklings we like to project.
More than conquerors, I am telling you and it means that when God tells me to be holy as he is holy that he has made it possible for me. Not because I will my behaviour, attitude and desires to change but because I submit to the Spirit's authority to change them in me. It is a decision to decide for Jesus every single time and when I fail to do so, not to excuse it but deal with it. "Lord, you made me capable of saying no but in my selfishness, I decided against you and said yes to my selfishness. Forgive me and help me understand more fully how your love has transformed me. Sin no longer has authority over me but I gave it that authority and for this I am sorry. I will run from evil and run to you."
All of us should be able to say to a "Timothy", "Look at my example". All of us. No more excuses. No more slogans. No more easy outs. We are called to be God's holy nation, set aside for his purpose, by his design. He has declared us to be holy and has transformed us to be holy. We are more that conquerors through Jesus Christ, our King.
Look at what Paul wrote to Timothy, someone who spent long periods of time with Paul and would have seen his private as well as his public face:
Timothy, you know what I teach and how I live. You know what I want to do and what I believe. You have seen how patient and loving I am, and how in the past I put up with trouble and suffering in the cities of Antioch, Iconium, and Lystra. (2 Timothy 2:10-11)
You know what I teach and how I live. There are two "you know" statements and then there is the amazing, "you have seen". Paul is reminding Timothy that he lives what he preaches, and Timothy knows it. Paul did not hold up high standards for others that he was not living himself. Neither was he excusing other people's attitudes and behaviours so he himself could live such a low standard. Paul was determined to be like Jesus and he expected others to have the same desire.
Paul took Jesus at his word and he had faith to believe that everything was possible through Jesus. That includes holy living. It includes the righteousness of God. I don't see in any of Paul's writings where excuses were offered and I don't see where excuses were extended. We have been called to live according to the Word God has written on our heart, confirmed by the Spirit and the written testimony he has given to us. It is a daily surrender and a growing process but it is not a system of poor excuses.
We have not been left here to struggle with sin. Sin is done with and if it happens then God's grace and forgiveness is abundant but we are not to use that grace as an excuse to sin. We need to be careful of our attitude that it is not a "God will forgive me because he understands how weak I am". We were weak but we aren't any more. We are filled by the resurrection power, possessed by the Spirit of God. When we sin it is a rebellious act against God, lacking in love. For such a thing, we had better repent and not expect God simply to "understand". He does understand and he sent Jesus to take care of the matter. Now we are more than conquerors and had better start acting that way instead of like the weaklings we like to project.
More than conquerors, I am telling you and it means that when God tells me to be holy as he is holy that he has made it possible for me. Not because I will my behaviour, attitude and desires to change but because I submit to the Spirit's authority to change them in me. It is a decision to decide for Jesus every single time and when I fail to do so, not to excuse it but deal with it. "Lord, you made me capable of saying no but in my selfishness, I decided against you and said yes to my selfishness. Forgive me and help me understand more fully how your love has transformed me. Sin no longer has authority over me but I gave it that authority and for this I am sorry. I will run from evil and run to you."
All of us should be able to say to a "Timothy", "Look at my example". All of us. No more excuses. No more slogans. No more easy outs. We are called to be God's holy nation, set aside for his purpose, by his design. He has declared us to be holy and has transformed us to be holy. We are more that conquerors through Jesus Christ, our King.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Usurping God's Authority
It is hard not to think with the world's mindset when we have been raised, educated and operate in it every day. We do it without thinking about it and that's probably the greatest problem: we don't think. Too often we put our mind in neutral and go with the flow. As Christians we mistakenly think that our first impulse will be for God, that it is second nature to us. But it isn't. We have to make a concerted effort to think with the mind of Christ. We have to make a conscience decision to walk with the Spirit, taking actions that would please God instead of our flesh.
God's ways are far from what we want. His desire is hard for us to fathom over our own. We think because something is a good idea and it is doable that we should just go ahead and do it. We think that just because something looks like it would honour God we have the authority to do it. When will we learn?
Too often we put all the emphasis on ability. Just because I am able to do something does not mean I should. Just because I have better qualities to be a leader does not mean I am God's choice to lead. The reverse also applies; just because I don't have the best leadership qualifications doesn't mean I am not called to lead. Come on people, we have the Bible. When are we going to start seeing God's heart in it?
There were those who thought they could do a better job of leading Israel than Moses. Even Moses' own family came against him at one point, jealous over his authority. Who knows, maybe there were those with better ability than Moses but it didn't matter. God had chosen Moses and the only ability Moses needed was obedience and faithfulness to God who instructed him. Maybe that's the real problem. Maybe we don't realize that leadership in the Church is not about how well a person can lead but instead how obedient a person is to God instructions and directions. Jesus is the head of the Church, not man.
We seem to have lost respect for the anointed and maybe it's because we have left the anointing aside when it comes to us choosing our king, oops, I mean leaders, pastors. David was one who understood the anointing. He was chosen as king long before he became king. He understood that it was not given to him to remove Saul, but instead to replace him when God had removed him. It took time. It took time because David refused to usurp God's authority. God had put Saul in place and God would remove him. I'm not saying that it is a model for today but simply pointing out that David understood what was going on and how leadership worked from God's perspective.
I am concerned for the Church and have been for many years. Our emphasis is all wrong when it comes to leadership. Our expectations are wrong. The mindset of the leaders is wrong. The Church is being run and directed by a bunch of highly educated executives who act more like business people needing to report to their board of directors and must always please the stockholders. No wonder there is lack of God's power in the Church; we've left God out.
Why can't we set aside all the garbage, all our best practices, all our church growth, emerging church ideas and seek again the will of our God? Why can't we allow him to shake up the whole Church so that the anointing will fall back into place and we can be a real people who desire nothing more than God's will? Why can't we put the emphasis back on walking in the Spirit instead of our own intellect? Oh yeah, we are stuck in the world's mindset. Oh God, send your cleansing, correcting purifying fire today, that the Bride may rise up in the full glory of the Groom.
God's ways are far from what we want. His desire is hard for us to fathom over our own. We think because something is a good idea and it is doable that we should just go ahead and do it. We think that just because something looks like it would honour God we have the authority to do it. When will we learn?
Too often we put all the emphasis on ability. Just because I am able to do something does not mean I should. Just because I have better qualities to be a leader does not mean I am God's choice to lead. The reverse also applies; just because I don't have the best leadership qualifications doesn't mean I am not called to lead. Come on people, we have the Bible. When are we going to start seeing God's heart in it?
There were those who thought they could do a better job of leading Israel than Moses. Even Moses' own family came against him at one point, jealous over his authority. Who knows, maybe there were those with better ability than Moses but it didn't matter. God had chosen Moses and the only ability Moses needed was obedience and faithfulness to God who instructed him. Maybe that's the real problem. Maybe we don't realize that leadership in the Church is not about how well a person can lead but instead how obedient a person is to God instructions and directions. Jesus is the head of the Church, not man.
We seem to have lost respect for the anointed and maybe it's because we have left the anointing aside when it comes to us choosing our king, oops, I mean leaders, pastors. David was one who understood the anointing. He was chosen as king long before he became king. He understood that it was not given to him to remove Saul, but instead to replace him when God had removed him. It took time. It took time because David refused to usurp God's authority. God had put Saul in place and God would remove him. I'm not saying that it is a model for today but simply pointing out that David understood what was going on and how leadership worked from God's perspective.
I am concerned for the Church and have been for many years. Our emphasis is all wrong when it comes to leadership. Our expectations are wrong. The mindset of the leaders is wrong. The Church is being run and directed by a bunch of highly educated executives who act more like business people needing to report to their board of directors and must always please the stockholders. No wonder there is lack of God's power in the Church; we've left God out.
Why can't we set aside all the garbage, all our best practices, all our church growth, emerging church ideas and seek again the will of our God? Why can't we allow him to shake up the whole Church so that the anointing will fall back into place and we can be a real people who desire nothing more than God's will? Why can't we put the emphasis back on walking in the Spirit instead of our own intellect? Oh yeah, we are stuck in the world's mindset. Oh God, send your cleansing, correcting purifying fire today, that the Bride may rise up in the full glory of the Groom.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
It's Time To Put Equality In Its Place
There was an article in one of my city`s local papers that spoke a truth that many people want to deny. For decades women have fought for equal rights but a branch of them are not interested in equality, they want to be better. On the other end we have most men who don`t want any trouble and want to be politically correct. This article pointed out what the Church should have been teaching for years : It is not about equality because men and women are not equal in ability, but they are complimentary. Women are great at some things and men at others but when put together we make a whole. Maybe the difference is too subtle to see but it is an important difference.
God made it clear that the responsibility to lead was given to the male gender. Of course, our sinful nature took that and twisted it as it does with all good things God has called into being. However, it is also true that no man can lead properly unless his wife allows him. Yes, I said allow him. A wife can dominate her husband quite easily, and those who are married know exactly what I am talking about. Women, in disobedience to God, have all that is required to take over leadership from their husbands. It is never a question of ability and always a matter of obedience.
Women are strong, intelligent, determined, insightful, compassionate and very capable of doing anything they put their mind to. It has been that way since the beginning. Personally, considering that God made women last and gave her the ability to incubate life, I think she is his crowning glory in all of creation. But he did not intend for her to lead. It has nothing to do with being second class in the Kingdom because she is a compliment to her husband as her husband is to her. The greatest things are going to happen when a couple understand and walk in their God-appointed roles and work together instead of against each other. It is fantastic when it works; it is disastrous when it doesn`t.
Paul gave Timothy a warning about those who were teaching false things about God. Paul knew that if these men were able to capture the heart of the woman it would affect the whole family:
Some men fool whole families, just to get power over those women who are slaves of sin and are controlled by all sorts of desires. (2 Timothy 3:6)
I will tell you right now a truth that his been proven over the ages: women are the hearts of their family. They can be the worse mothers, make huge mistakes, anger their children but they will always have the hearts of their children. Forgiveness comes for a mother whether she asks for it or not. Sure, children get angry, daughters don`t talk to them for years as teenagers, but watch what happens when the hormones come back into place. I am telling you, no matter what, we love our moms. If dads make those same mistakes, look out, they`ll still be hearing about it in 40 years from now.
Why do you think the Church is filled with more women than men? I think in many ways women have a deeper understanding of God's heart. Father's love their children, work hard to give them a better life, would lay down their lives for them and cherish them dearly, but we have never had the physical bond of a mother with them.There is something to it that only God and women really understand. I marvel at it and sometimes I am envious of it, but it doesn't rob me of my responsibility to lead. I have a wife that makes sure of that, who speaks to me with great insights of how I should approach the children and how best to deal with some difficult situations, especially with my girls. She makes me a better leader and is obedient to God by allowing me to lead. But if she wanted to, she could destroy with a word.
If sin grips the heart of the woman, if she embraces false teaching and allows others to lead her astray, then the whole family is in trouble. That is my place to protect my wife, to lead, to make sure we stay in step together with the Spirit, to insure that our lives are based solidly on the Word of God. I am responsible to keep a guard over my house so that no thieves sneak in and steal away what belongs to God. I need to know and understand the desires of my wife's heart so that I can help guide in God's holiness and righteousness. There is nothing so powerful as a woman with a righteous heart and there is nothing so destructive as a woman possessed by evil desires.
The Spirit gave Paul an interesting insight as he added:
These women always want to learn something new, but they never can discover the truth. (v. 7)
Just because someone wants to learn doesn't mean they can. A life of disobedience does not allow for applied insight. The Word of God is not some great academic book to receive certificates of learning for studying it. It is not filled with theories to discuss with friends. It is not a book of philosophy to be picked apart. It is the revelation of God, about God and what he has done for us. It is something that provokes us into action. The only way to truly understand it is to have the Holy Spirit write it on your heart and to live it. Disobedience is a roadblock in this process.
So let's throw the world's definition of equality out the window along with the other philosophies of this place and let's start living the Word of God. Men and women are complimentary and we must be obedient to our roles. Maybe we are uncomfortable with them but sometimes we must do things that make us uncomfortable at first. Husband and wives were but together as a team and as a team they must walk together. When they do, great things are going to happen for the glory of God.
God made it clear that the responsibility to lead was given to the male gender. Of course, our sinful nature took that and twisted it as it does with all good things God has called into being. However, it is also true that no man can lead properly unless his wife allows him. Yes, I said allow him. A wife can dominate her husband quite easily, and those who are married know exactly what I am talking about. Women, in disobedience to God, have all that is required to take over leadership from their husbands. It is never a question of ability and always a matter of obedience.
Women are strong, intelligent, determined, insightful, compassionate and very capable of doing anything they put their mind to. It has been that way since the beginning. Personally, considering that God made women last and gave her the ability to incubate life, I think she is his crowning glory in all of creation. But he did not intend for her to lead. It has nothing to do with being second class in the Kingdom because she is a compliment to her husband as her husband is to her. The greatest things are going to happen when a couple understand and walk in their God-appointed roles and work together instead of against each other. It is fantastic when it works; it is disastrous when it doesn`t.
Paul gave Timothy a warning about those who were teaching false things about God. Paul knew that if these men were able to capture the heart of the woman it would affect the whole family:
Some men fool whole families, just to get power over those women who are slaves of sin and are controlled by all sorts of desires. (2 Timothy 3:6)
I will tell you right now a truth that his been proven over the ages: women are the hearts of their family. They can be the worse mothers, make huge mistakes, anger their children but they will always have the hearts of their children. Forgiveness comes for a mother whether she asks for it or not. Sure, children get angry, daughters don`t talk to them for years as teenagers, but watch what happens when the hormones come back into place. I am telling you, no matter what, we love our moms. If dads make those same mistakes, look out, they`ll still be hearing about it in 40 years from now.
Why do you think the Church is filled with more women than men? I think in many ways women have a deeper understanding of God's heart. Father's love their children, work hard to give them a better life, would lay down their lives for them and cherish them dearly, but we have never had the physical bond of a mother with them.There is something to it that only God and women really understand. I marvel at it and sometimes I am envious of it, but it doesn't rob me of my responsibility to lead. I have a wife that makes sure of that, who speaks to me with great insights of how I should approach the children and how best to deal with some difficult situations, especially with my girls. She makes me a better leader and is obedient to God by allowing me to lead. But if she wanted to, she could destroy with a word.
If sin grips the heart of the woman, if she embraces false teaching and allows others to lead her astray, then the whole family is in trouble. That is my place to protect my wife, to lead, to make sure we stay in step together with the Spirit, to insure that our lives are based solidly on the Word of God. I am responsible to keep a guard over my house so that no thieves sneak in and steal away what belongs to God. I need to know and understand the desires of my wife's heart so that I can help guide in God's holiness and righteousness. There is nothing so powerful as a woman with a righteous heart and there is nothing so destructive as a woman possessed by evil desires.
The Spirit gave Paul an interesting insight as he added:
These women always want to learn something new, but they never can discover the truth. (v. 7)
Just because someone wants to learn doesn't mean they can. A life of disobedience does not allow for applied insight. The Word of God is not some great academic book to receive certificates of learning for studying it. It is not filled with theories to discuss with friends. It is not a book of philosophy to be picked apart. It is the revelation of God, about God and what he has done for us. It is something that provokes us into action. The only way to truly understand it is to have the Holy Spirit write it on your heart and to live it. Disobedience is a roadblock in this process.
So let's throw the world's definition of equality out the window along with the other philosophies of this place and let's start living the Word of God. Men and women are complimentary and we must be obedient to our roles. Maybe we are uncomfortable with them but sometimes we must do things that make us uncomfortable at first. Husband and wives were but together as a team and as a team they must walk together. When they do, great things are going to happen for the glory of God.
Friday, April 12, 2013
The Religious Of The End Times
Sincere faith is not nice if we manage it; sincere faith is vital. What is faith? Faith is the lifeblood of our relationship with Jesus Christ. Without faith we cannot see God. Faith is not believing there is a God. That's not faith, it is simply belief. I can believe a lot of things without them impacting my life. It is impossible to have a faith that does not impact our lives.
Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1, CEV)
What we have today is a lot of religious people who are very faithful at practicing their religion. We do not have a lot of people who have made the decision to live by faith. What do we think God is saying to us when we read:
But we live by faith, not by what we see. (2 Corinthians 5:7, CEV)
We don't have time today to go through all the scripture related to living faith but we need to understand that Jesus even reflected on this as he wondered out loud:
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith? (Luke 18:8, CEV)
When I was young I had no idea why Jesus would say such a thing but now that I am older and I see what passes for faith, I understand. Within myself there is a war that rages because it is easy for me to do things in my own strength and intelligence. I am a very capable man but Jesus never asked me to do anything within my own ability because my ability is too limiting to him. He wants to achieve things through me that I cannot achieve in myself, not for me benefit but for his. He wants me to live a surrendered and obedient life so that I will listen to his words without question and act on them. Faith means obedience.
Paul warned Timothy that the end times would be filled with a lot of religious people but not so many living by faith:
Even though they will make a show of being religious, their religion won’t be real. Don’t have anything to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:5, CEV)
Let me ask you this: How much time have you spent studying Jesus' life and words? We are guilty of spending a lot of time studying methods, history, all kinds of different topics but what about just Jesus? Just his words? Just his actions? Just his promises? Just his commands? We want to look at everything except for our responsibility in this relationship. Our responsibility is to have faith and this faith produces trust and obedience. This faith provokes us into actions that go beyond what we can do in our own abilities. This faith changes everything we see, everywhere we go, everything we put our hand to and everyone we encounter.
Honestly, if we were living by faith there would not be a word of complaint on our lips. If we were a people of faith, fear would be replaced by faith. Fear will try to press in but faith will be our shield. If we are a people of faith, there would be nothing in this earth that can come between us and Jesus. Faith destroys fear, depression, lostness, despair. More than that, faith gives us hope, strength, joy, amazement, purpose because Jesus is real and present with us. Faith makes obedience to Jesus' commands as our purpose and priority. Can we say that of ourselves? Can we honestly?
Look around. Will Jesus find anyone with faith on his return? Perhaps we should make a declaration like Joshua: As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord! We need to bring the reality of faith into our lives so that we will have the determination not to disappoint Jesus when he calls us to him. It's frustrating to see what we are making of it, playing church and being faithful to our religion but leaving the reality of it untouched. Sincere faith, we must live by it.
Faith makes us sure of what we hope for and gives us proof of what we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1, CEV)
What we have today is a lot of religious people who are very faithful at practicing their religion. We do not have a lot of people who have made the decision to live by faith. What do we think God is saying to us when we read:
But we live by faith, not by what we see. (2 Corinthians 5:7, CEV)
We don't have time today to go through all the scripture related to living faith but we need to understand that Jesus even reflected on this as he wondered out loud:
But when the Son of Man comes, will he find on this earth anyone with faith? (Luke 18:8, CEV)
When I was young I had no idea why Jesus would say such a thing but now that I am older and I see what passes for faith, I understand. Within myself there is a war that rages because it is easy for me to do things in my own strength and intelligence. I am a very capable man but Jesus never asked me to do anything within my own ability because my ability is too limiting to him. He wants to achieve things through me that I cannot achieve in myself, not for me benefit but for his. He wants me to live a surrendered and obedient life so that I will listen to his words without question and act on them. Faith means obedience.
Paul warned Timothy that the end times would be filled with a lot of religious people but not so many living by faith:
Even though they will make a show of being religious, their religion won’t be real. Don’t have anything to do with such people. (2 Timothy 3:5, CEV)
Let me ask you this: How much time have you spent studying Jesus' life and words? We are guilty of spending a lot of time studying methods, history, all kinds of different topics but what about just Jesus? Just his words? Just his actions? Just his promises? Just his commands? We want to look at everything except for our responsibility in this relationship. Our responsibility is to have faith and this faith produces trust and obedience. This faith provokes us into actions that go beyond what we can do in our own abilities. This faith changes everything we see, everywhere we go, everything we put our hand to and everyone we encounter.
Honestly, if we were living by faith there would not be a word of complaint on our lips. If we were a people of faith, fear would be replaced by faith. Fear will try to press in but faith will be our shield. If we are a people of faith, there would be nothing in this earth that can come between us and Jesus. Faith destroys fear, depression, lostness, despair. More than that, faith gives us hope, strength, joy, amazement, purpose because Jesus is real and present with us. Faith makes obedience to Jesus' commands as our purpose and priority. Can we say that of ourselves? Can we honestly?
Look around. Will Jesus find anyone with faith on his return? Perhaps we should make a declaration like Joshua: As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord! We need to bring the reality of faith into our lives so that we will have the determination not to disappoint Jesus when he calls us to him. It's frustrating to see what we are making of it, playing church and being faithful to our religion but leaving the reality of it untouched. Sincere faith, we must live by it.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Where Is This Attitude Coming From?
As we sit and wait to see if another madman will drag us into another world conflict, we should do a little reflection on how we are impacting the world as individuals. This crazy little man is willing to sacrifice countless lives for some hidden personal agenda. What are you willing to sacrifice to impact this world as Jesus did? There is no doubt we are in the last days so we need to do everything we can to fulfill the mandate that Jesus gave us which is to present him to everyone we can, whenever we can, wherever we are.
The world is going crazy, and not just because of dictators. Look to our own neighbourhoods and lives. We have neighbours killing neighbours, parents killing children, children killing parents, children killing themselves. We have wife abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, animal abuse. We have countless thousands of unborn children being killed on the altar of self. It is crazy and will only get crazier. The Spirit warned us through Apostle Paul:
People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents. They will also be ungrateful, godless, heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. These people will hate everything that is good. They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. (2 Timothy 3:2-4)
That is a lot to take in so take it one thing at a time.
The first is a great description of a lot of people I meet today : People will love only themselves and money. For sure, there are a lot of great people who have a heart for others but those numbers are falling. Many problems in our cities and neighbourhoods are because people put themselves ahead of others. If people were not in love with themselves, we wouldn't mind sacrificing for each other. The question is, are we any better? The money issue speaks for itself.
Consider the people you see every day. Would you describe any of them as being proud, stuck-up (not willing to associate with those in a perceived lower class), rude, disobedient to their parents? Obedience to parents is a big thing to God. If we don't learn obedience to our parents then disobedience will run in everything we do. We will find ways to get out of paying taxes, cheating the system, doing whatever we can to better ourselves against the system without getting caught. Disobedience is a huge problem and I am not referring to teenagers.
What better way to describe the growing attitude of our society than ungrateful, godless, heartless and hateful. It is a very angry society, hurting and being hurt. There is a lot of hate out there and it doesn't take much to touch it off. People care less about their neighbours. Maybe they mean to care but they don't. "Live and let live" because I don't want to be involved, is a great way of summing up a lot of attitudes I see these days.
Notice how Paul is describing the people of the end days because what is being described is a people who have lost love: cruel words, no self-control, no pity. They just have no heart. They don't know grace or even understand it. It's all about vengeance and justice. The love those who love them and hate those that hate them. These are the days we are living in as we see our communities and the world being transformed by an underlying hate and distrust.
So where is this evil coming from? Simple : instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. That is all we live for, what our society orbits around; pleasure. We don't want anything to interfere with it. Half the world is starving to death but we are fine as long as we have our $500 game counsel and the latest smart phone. It is incredible how the world has changed in 50 years. I really don't think it has another 50 to go.
In this mess we have been given the task of burning bright for Jesus. We recognize the times we are in. We continue to call good good and evil evil. We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and we refuse to be polluted by the self-centered atmosphere of our society. We know we are here to serve. We are here to impact the world for Jesus. In the face of the selfishness of our society we live a selfless life, willing to give it all up for the sake of one soul. Does this describe us? It should if Jesus is our everything. It should if we understand our mission. It should if we are walking in obedience because we love him.
According to the world thermometer, it is time to wake up from the intoxication of this world and seek the holiness of our God. It is time to put on the robe of righteousness and live every moment of every day for the glory of our King. We have been distracted long enough; now let's get our mind and heart on things above.
The world is going crazy, and not just because of dictators. Look to our own neighbourhoods and lives. We have neighbours killing neighbours, parents killing children, children killing parents, children killing themselves. We have wife abuse, child abuse, elder abuse, animal abuse. We have countless thousands of unborn children being killed on the altar of self. It is crazy and will only get crazier. The Spirit warned us through Apostle Paul:
People will love only themselves and money. They will be proud, stuck-up, rude, and disobedient to their parents. They will also be ungrateful, godless, heartless, and hateful. Their words will be cruel, and they will have no self-control or pity. These people will hate everything that is good. They will be sneaky, reckless, and puffed up with pride. Instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. (2 Timothy 3:2-4)
That is a lot to take in so take it one thing at a time.
The first is a great description of a lot of people I meet today : People will love only themselves and money. For sure, there are a lot of great people who have a heart for others but those numbers are falling. Many problems in our cities and neighbourhoods are because people put themselves ahead of others. If people were not in love with themselves, we wouldn't mind sacrificing for each other. The question is, are we any better? The money issue speaks for itself.
Consider the people you see every day. Would you describe any of them as being proud, stuck-up (not willing to associate with those in a perceived lower class), rude, disobedient to their parents? Obedience to parents is a big thing to God. If we don't learn obedience to our parents then disobedience will run in everything we do. We will find ways to get out of paying taxes, cheating the system, doing whatever we can to better ourselves against the system without getting caught. Disobedience is a huge problem and I am not referring to teenagers.
What better way to describe the growing attitude of our society than ungrateful, godless, heartless and hateful. It is a very angry society, hurting and being hurt. There is a lot of hate out there and it doesn't take much to touch it off. People care less about their neighbours. Maybe they mean to care but they don't. "Live and let live" because I don't want to be involved, is a great way of summing up a lot of attitudes I see these days.
Notice how Paul is describing the people of the end days because what is being described is a people who have lost love: cruel words, no self-control, no pity. They just have no heart. They don't know grace or even understand it. It's all about vengeance and justice. The love those who love them and hate those that hate them. These are the days we are living in as we see our communities and the world being transformed by an underlying hate and distrust.
So where is this evil coming from? Simple : instead of loving God, they will love pleasure. That is all we live for, what our society orbits around; pleasure. We don't want anything to interfere with it. Half the world is starving to death but we are fine as long as we have our $500 game counsel and the latest smart phone. It is incredible how the world has changed in 50 years. I really don't think it has another 50 to go.
In this mess we have been given the task of burning bright for Jesus. We recognize the times we are in. We continue to call good good and evil evil. We keep our eyes fixed on Jesus and we refuse to be polluted by the self-centered atmosphere of our society. We know we are here to serve. We are here to impact the world for Jesus. In the face of the selfishness of our society we live a selfless life, willing to give it all up for the sake of one soul. Does this describe us? It should if Jesus is our everything. It should if we understand our mission. It should if we are walking in obedience because we love him.
According to the world thermometer, it is time to wake up from the intoxication of this world and seek the holiness of our God. It is time to put on the robe of righteousness and live every moment of every day for the glory of our King. We have been distracted long enough; now let's get our mind and heart on things above.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
There Will Be Some Very Hard Times
We've been waiting for Jesus to return for a long time; so long that some have left the faith and others sit on the sidelines to laugh at us. How quickly we forget that time is not a relevant thing for our God. One thousand years is as a day to him. However, there are certain things that must align as the exact day has already been chosen. We were given signs to watch for so that we would known the day was approaching but Jesus said that he did not even know the exact date as that was something only the Father knew. Yet for me, the date does not matter. Being found faithful on that day is what concerns me.
We know the day is approaching because we are recognizing the signs and so we should be considering the warnings we were given by Jesus and apostle Paul about the days in which we live. Paul simply stated:
You can be certain that in the last days there will be some very hard times. (2 Timothy 3:1, CEV)
We are only seeing the beginning of it in North America. There has never been a time in history like we have now when so many Christians are being persecuted and killed around the world because of the name of Jesus. In North America the real hostility toward Christians is just beginning to manifest. We are going to see our governments turn against us. We are going to see persecution grow quickly to the point of people being afraid of identifying themselves with Jesus. All those who have criticized Peter in the past will find themselves in the same situation. What will they do? What will we do?
Mind you, not everyone will be persecuted. Some will not stand their ground. Some will cave to the pressure and will change the Word of God to be accepted by our society. All we have to do to see the truth of this is look at whole congregations who, for the sake of acceptability and growth, accept sin as something holy. Just look at men like Rob Bell who refuse to put on the full armour of God and stand. We are seeing more and more of it. Not because they have found a new truth but because they have fallen for the lies of the enemy which match their own evil desires.
Where do you stand with Jesus? In the days to come you had better be sure of where you stand. You had better check that relationship and verify that Jesus is number one in your life and all desires for this place are dead and gone. Dark days are coming and the enemy is going to shake the tree to see what falls off. The Father is going to come along and cut off anything that does not have life. The great "falling away" is going to continue until all that remains are the warriors of Jesus, and then he's coming to bring them home.
There are going to be some very hard times. People will go to jail because of their faith. Property will be taken away. Many will be killed as they are being killed already in many parts of the world. Along with praying for pastors being jailed in Iran, we will be praying for pastors in our own countries. We will not just be praying for those who have watched their husbands killed and their homes burned in India, we will be trying to take care of our own.
It's happening quickly my friends. Read the news. Pay attention. Look for the signs. Prepare yourself by getting as close to Jesus as you can, and prepare yourself to stand, with the full armour of God. No compromise. No giving up. No denying Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit who will give us the grace to face every situation. There will be some very hard times but we will face them with the joy of the Lord because we are more than conquerors through him who saved us. Amen!
We know the day is approaching because we are recognizing the signs and so we should be considering the warnings we were given by Jesus and apostle Paul about the days in which we live. Paul simply stated:
You can be certain that in the last days there will be some very hard times. (2 Timothy 3:1, CEV)
We are only seeing the beginning of it in North America. There has never been a time in history like we have now when so many Christians are being persecuted and killed around the world because of the name of Jesus. In North America the real hostility toward Christians is just beginning to manifest. We are going to see our governments turn against us. We are going to see persecution grow quickly to the point of people being afraid of identifying themselves with Jesus. All those who have criticized Peter in the past will find themselves in the same situation. What will they do? What will we do?
Mind you, not everyone will be persecuted. Some will not stand their ground. Some will cave to the pressure and will change the Word of God to be accepted by our society. All we have to do to see the truth of this is look at whole congregations who, for the sake of acceptability and growth, accept sin as something holy. Just look at men like Rob Bell who refuse to put on the full armour of God and stand. We are seeing more and more of it. Not because they have found a new truth but because they have fallen for the lies of the enemy which match their own evil desires.
Where do you stand with Jesus? In the days to come you had better be sure of where you stand. You had better check that relationship and verify that Jesus is number one in your life and all desires for this place are dead and gone. Dark days are coming and the enemy is going to shake the tree to see what falls off. The Father is going to come along and cut off anything that does not have life. The great "falling away" is going to continue until all that remains are the warriors of Jesus, and then he's coming to bring them home.
There are going to be some very hard times. People will go to jail because of their faith. Property will be taken away. Many will be killed as they are being killed already in many parts of the world. Along with praying for pastors being jailed in Iran, we will be praying for pastors in our own countries. We will not just be praying for those who have watched their husbands killed and their homes burned in India, we will be trying to take care of our own.
It's happening quickly my friends. Read the news. Pay attention. Look for the signs. Prepare yourself by getting as close to Jesus as you can, and prepare yourself to stand, with the full armour of God. No compromise. No giving up. No denying Jesus. We have the Holy Spirit who will give us the grace to face every situation. There will be some very hard times but we will face them with the joy of the Lord because we are more than conquerors through him who saved us. Amen!
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