Hold on! That is the message I receive in my spirit this morning. Hold on to the faith. Hold on to the Word. Hold on to the Spirit. Hold on to Jesus Christ. There is a lot of forgery, mockery, and deception that is taking place and it is discouraging, but hold on. There is a lot of pressure to compromise, to give in, to conform to our society, but hold on. There is a lot of questioning, doubting, fear mongering in our own heart, but hold on.
Okay, but how do we hold on?
It is sad to encounter so many Christians who are redesigning their faith and beliefs according to the dictates of our society. Here I thought the Church was suppose to impact and influence society but in the truth of the world today it is the other way round. Youth and adults are claiming to be Christian while promoting teachings that fly in the face of the holiness and righteousness of Jesus. I am left scratching my head in sheer bewilderment how anyone can know the Word and make such assertions.
There are really two reasons why this is happening. The first is that we are not in the Word. The Bible is the source of everything we know about Father, Jesus and the Spirit. It is the reason it is under such incredible attack today, not that most Christians are even aware of this attack. But most Christians don't even open it let alone read, study or meditate on it. How can they apply the foundations of the Kingdom if they don't even know them?
So if Christians aren't in the Word, what is the source of knowledge for most of us? This blog and others like it, or short statuses, or society. The last is the scariest because Christians look to society for guidance but we are the ones who are suppose to be guiding society. The only source a Christian should be turning to is the Word of God and if they don't understand it they can seek the help of a mature Christian.
The second reason why we are encountering so many confused Christians is because they mistake their desires to be truth. Again this past week I have heard of at least three pastors who have decided to leave out sections of the Word because it conflicts with their new view on things; their new desires. God's Word did not change but their love for the Lord did, allowing their opinion to become greater than God's Word. Don't be shocked, we do it all the time.
We compromise on the Word when it comes into conflict with our desires. Yet the Word says that we have been crucified with Christ and no longer live but it is Jesus who lives in us. Amen! Sounds great until you realize it means the death of your opinion, your desires, and sets Jesus above all things. All things. We are too in love with this world to even begin to imagine how this impacts our lives. We want all the benefits without any of the cost.
It is not a simple thing. It gets messy when you hold on to faith and the roots it comes from. Jesus said he didn't come to bring peace but division. He said because of him families would be divided. Truth! But we are seeing compromise as parents' love for their children take greater priority over their love of Jesus. Because their children have made certain decisions parents are willing to throw out portions of the Bible. I know it is hard, these are your children, but they need salvation and that isn't going to happen as you try to make it easy on them by compromising. They need to see the truth and they need to see it in you, even if they don't like it.
It's going to get rough. It is going to get a lot harder. There are going to be some very discouraging days ahead. Hold on! Don't give up now, especially as the Day is approaching. It is like sitting down in a race with the finish line in sight. Yes, it is hard and will take all the effort you can muster but eternity is well worth it. Jesus' love is well worth it.
And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage each other - and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:24-25)
My friend, dwell in the Word and in the Spirit every day. Don't miss one day. Worship every day. Make Jesus your greatest priority. Let him be the source from which everything else flows. With what is approaching, you will need to make sure that you are as close and as dependent on him as you can get. No compromise. Hold on!
Showing posts with label compromise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label compromise. Show all posts
Sunday, June 8, 2014
Thursday, May 8, 2014
What's Wrong With Being Wealthy?
It is very difficult not to be a double-minded person these days. We have moved so far away from spiritual disciplines that to even find the time to read two chapters of the Bible each day is hard. And if we can't do the minimum then how can we expect to move into spiritual maturity? No, it doesn't just happen. If we are not studying the Word, spending time in habitual prayer, worshiping, tithing, serving, and the various other disciplines then we are not giving the Spirit the ability to have free reign in us to teach us, break us, melt us, shape us and fill us with the presence of God every day. We are those who try to be spiritual but struggle with a carnal mind.
Let's be honest with each other, there are a lot of things that attract us, that demand our time, that capture our attention, that all belong to the flesh. That is the definition of being carnal, being controlled by our body (flesh) with all of its passions, appetites, and sensual pleasures. If you can't do what you want to do to profit your spirit because your body is demanding obedience to its demands, you are carnal. There is a reason Scriptures say that we have to love Yahweh with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul and all our strength. Nothing else can come before him.
Jesus gave a warning about relying on the pleasures of this world and I want to clarify before we get into it; there is nothing wrong with using the resources of this world for Yahweh's purposes. There is nothing wrong with being rich or having lots of resources as long as we understand that we are merely stewards of these things and they are to be spent on things of the Kingdom, not things to satisfy our body. The attitude and perspective is crucial:
24 But woe to you who are rich,
For you have received your consolation. (Luke 6:24)
Jesus did not say it was impossible for the rich to enter heaven, only that it was difficult. No less difficult than a poor man who spends his life pursuing riches. It is the attitude that we don't need Yahweh because we have everything that we need; we are self-reliant. People who spend lots of time in prayer do so because they understand their dependence; those who don't spend a lot of time in prayer do not see they are dependent on Jesus. Jesus is saying that if you find satisfaction in your wealth here and see no need for him, you have received all the blessings you are going to receive and there will be nothing for you in the world to come. A sobering thought.
Woe to you who are full,
For you shall hunger. (v. 25a)
There is a lot of talk about self-love, and finding satisfaction in oneself but I think it should be the other way around. I think we need to accept the truth that Father absolutely loves us and desires nothing but the best for us. He will walk us through struggles to strengthen us and prepare us for the world to come because that is his priority for us. But to find satisfaction in ourselves is wrong. Our satisfaction is found in Jesus alone. It is Jesus who defines us and gives us purpose. If we do find satisfaction in ourselves and we are "full" here, Jesus warns we will be hungry in the world to come.
Woe to you who laugh now,
For you shall mourn and weep. (v. 25b)
Perhaps this is a woe aimed at our age more than any other. What is it that we crave for all of our days, the thing that has become our motivation to work, the thing we think we have a right to possess? Pleasure, entertainment, diversions, amusements in whatever form. It is all that some of us can talk about and we think it is normal. We have raised an entire generation with this as their core purpose, to be entertained. It is no longer satisfaction in a job well done but a minimal effort for maximum pay so we can go out and have a life. Thus the desire for early retirement and a booming entertainment industry. But it is bad news because such a heart will be filled with weeping and mourning in the world to come when they realize what they have lost out on.
Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets. (v. 26)
We see this happening right before our eyes as people compromise the Scriptures in order to be accepted and well thought of. We have many pastors and teachers causing damage in this world because of their desire for popularity and fame, but you don't have to be a pastor to have this applied to you. Many of us compromise every day, doing things and accepting things in our lives in order to not rock the boat, to keep our friends, to keep trouble from our door. But, is it better to have trouble in this world and rewards in the next, or rewards in this world and trouble in the next?
The fundamental problem is that we are looking to live our rewards in this world instead of in the one to come. We think Jesus wants us to have pleasure and comfort in this place. We think that Father is occupied with making us happy here, which is all backwards. We are the servants to Father's will for the world. We are here to pour out our lives so that others might know Jesus and live. It is not about our rights, pleasures and comforts. It is not about justice. It is about Father's will that everyone be saved and we are workers of his will, not matter the cost to us.
However, we have mixed this with the carnal thinking of our day and now find that these woes may actually apply to us. What will it take for the Body of Christ to wake up and realize we need healing. We need repentance and restoration. We need to have the fog removed from our minds, to throw off the patterns of this world and set Jesus before us. We need to fix our eyes on him, build the relationship and pursue Father's will. If we don't, we could be very surprised in the world to come.
Let's be honest with each other, there are a lot of things that attract us, that demand our time, that capture our attention, that all belong to the flesh. That is the definition of being carnal, being controlled by our body (flesh) with all of its passions, appetites, and sensual pleasures. If you can't do what you want to do to profit your spirit because your body is demanding obedience to its demands, you are carnal. There is a reason Scriptures say that we have to love Yahweh with all our heart, all our mind, all our soul and all our strength. Nothing else can come before him.
Jesus gave a warning about relying on the pleasures of this world and I want to clarify before we get into it; there is nothing wrong with using the resources of this world for Yahweh's purposes. There is nothing wrong with being rich or having lots of resources as long as we understand that we are merely stewards of these things and they are to be spent on things of the Kingdom, not things to satisfy our body. The attitude and perspective is crucial:
24 But woe to you who are rich,
For you have received your consolation. (Luke 6:24)
Jesus did not say it was impossible for the rich to enter heaven, only that it was difficult. No less difficult than a poor man who spends his life pursuing riches. It is the attitude that we don't need Yahweh because we have everything that we need; we are self-reliant. People who spend lots of time in prayer do so because they understand their dependence; those who don't spend a lot of time in prayer do not see they are dependent on Jesus. Jesus is saying that if you find satisfaction in your wealth here and see no need for him, you have received all the blessings you are going to receive and there will be nothing for you in the world to come. A sobering thought.
Woe to you who are full,
For you shall hunger. (v. 25a)
There is a lot of talk about self-love, and finding satisfaction in oneself but I think it should be the other way around. I think we need to accept the truth that Father absolutely loves us and desires nothing but the best for us. He will walk us through struggles to strengthen us and prepare us for the world to come because that is his priority for us. But to find satisfaction in ourselves is wrong. Our satisfaction is found in Jesus alone. It is Jesus who defines us and gives us purpose. If we do find satisfaction in ourselves and we are "full" here, Jesus warns we will be hungry in the world to come.
Woe to you who laugh now,
For you shall mourn and weep. (v. 25b)
Perhaps this is a woe aimed at our age more than any other. What is it that we crave for all of our days, the thing that has become our motivation to work, the thing we think we have a right to possess? Pleasure, entertainment, diversions, amusements in whatever form. It is all that some of us can talk about and we think it is normal. We have raised an entire generation with this as their core purpose, to be entertained. It is no longer satisfaction in a job well done but a minimal effort for maximum pay so we can go out and have a life. Thus the desire for early retirement and a booming entertainment industry. But it is bad news because such a heart will be filled with weeping and mourning in the world to come when they realize what they have lost out on.
Woe to you when all men speak well of you,
For so did their fathers to the false prophets. (v. 26)
We see this happening right before our eyes as people compromise the Scriptures in order to be accepted and well thought of. We have many pastors and teachers causing damage in this world because of their desire for popularity and fame, but you don't have to be a pastor to have this applied to you. Many of us compromise every day, doing things and accepting things in our lives in order to not rock the boat, to keep our friends, to keep trouble from our door. But, is it better to have trouble in this world and rewards in the next, or rewards in this world and trouble in the next?
The fundamental problem is that we are looking to live our rewards in this world instead of in the one to come. We think Jesus wants us to have pleasure and comfort in this place. We think that Father is occupied with making us happy here, which is all backwards. We are the servants to Father's will for the world. We are here to pour out our lives so that others might know Jesus and live. It is not about our rights, pleasures and comforts. It is not about justice. It is about Father's will that everyone be saved and we are workers of his will, not matter the cost to us.
However, we have mixed this with the carnal thinking of our day and now find that these woes may actually apply to us. What will it take for the Body of Christ to wake up and realize we need healing. We need repentance and restoration. We need to have the fog removed from our minds, to throw off the patterns of this world and set Jesus before us. We need to fix our eyes on him, build the relationship and pursue Father's will. If we don't, we could be very surprised in the world to come.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Does Compromise Come Easy?
The truly happy person
doesn’t follow wicked advice,
doesn’t stand on the road of sinners,
and doesn’t sit with the disrespectful.
2 Instead of doing those things,
these persons love the Lord’s Instruction,
and they recite God’s Instruction day and night! (Psalm 1:1-2)
The difference between God's way and the way of the lost is very clear, at first. It is obvious to us what pleases God and what does not. But unless we keep ourselves alive and fresh in God's Word, it becomes less clear to us and compromise seems necessary, often the only way, to achieve our goals.
It is the reason why so many older Christians temper their passion and make excuses for accepting what once they would have stood against. It is the reason so many preachers seem to wonder, the further they travel down the road. As we achieve success in the sight of the world the more value we put on the opinion of the world. We find more time to fit in the priorities of the world and less time for God's Word.
Psalm 1 seems so obvious to us but it is not saying wicked advice but the advice of the wicked. Who are the wicked? People who do wrong? Maybe from the point of morality but from God's perspective the wicked are those who are in rebellion against him; those who are without Jesus. And yet Christians flock to anyone in the world who appears to be wise, especially about finances. We don't take note if they are in the Lord. We don't consider the source of this wisdom. Advice is advice, wisdom is wisdom, and we don't bother about the source.
How much compromise does it take before we are standing on the road of sinners, doing what they do, just hiding it better? Where are we when it comes to generosity, kindness, love, respect, forgiveness, grace? Again, not from the perspective of morality but the transforming power of Jesus. Has compromise cut in on our transformation? If you hate, are jealous, hold on to hurts, fail to forgive, then you stand on the road of sinners.
You call yourself a Christian. Have your spoken against the leader of your country? What about your mayor? Have you laughed at the jokes against them? Have you laughed at jokes against God? You my friend are a mocker. That mocking will eat away at your faith so that soon you will even mock the simple things of trust in God. Compromise comes in all kinds of forms.
But who are they that are filled with joy, peace, trust, laughter, sincerity? Are they not the ones who shun the way of this world and choose God's way? Are they not the ones who take their pleasure in knowing and doing the will of the Father? Are they not the ones who choose to set their mind and heart on the things above instead of this place? Are they not the ones who take delight in God's Word over all other delights and desire only to know him more? Are they not the ones who refuse to compromise?
To which camp do you belong?
doesn’t follow wicked advice,
doesn’t stand on the road of sinners,
and doesn’t sit with the disrespectful.
2 Instead of doing those things,
these persons love the Lord’s Instruction,
and they recite God’s Instruction day and night! (Psalm 1:1-2)
The difference between God's way and the way of the lost is very clear, at first. It is obvious to us what pleases God and what does not. But unless we keep ourselves alive and fresh in God's Word, it becomes less clear to us and compromise seems necessary, often the only way, to achieve our goals.
It is the reason why so many older Christians temper their passion and make excuses for accepting what once they would have stood against. It is the reason so many preachers seem to wonder, the further they travel down the road. As we achieve success in the sight of the world the more value we put on the opinion of the world. We find more time to fit in the priorities of the world and less time for God's Word.
Psalm 1 seems so obvious to us but it is not saying wicked advice but the advice of the wicked. Who are the wicked? People who do wrong? Maybe from the point of morality but from God's perspective the wicked are those who are in rebellion against him; those who are without Jesus. And yet Christians flock to anyone in the world who appears to be wise, especially about finances. We don't take note if they are in the Lord. We don't consider the source of this wisdom. Advice is advice, wisdom is wisdom, and we don't bother about the source.
How much compromise does it take before we are standing on the road of sinners, doing what they do, just hiding it better? Where are we when it comes to generosity, kindness, love, respect, forgiveness, grace? Again, not from the perspective of morality but the transforming power of Jesus. Has compromise cut in on our transformation? If you hate, are jealous, hold on to hurts, fail to forgive, then you stand on the road of sinners.
You call yourself a Christian. Have your spoken against the leader of your country? What about your mayor? Have you laughed at the jokes against them? Have you laughed at jokes against God? You my friend are a mocker. That mocking will eat away at your faith so that soon you will even mock the simple things of trust in God. Compromise comes in all kinds of forms.
But who are they that are filled with joy, peace, trust, laughter, sincerity? Are they not the ones who shun the way of this world and choose God's way? Are they not the ones who take their pleasure in knowing and doing the will of the Father? Are they not the ones who choose to set their mind and heart on the things above instead of this place? Are they not the ones who take delight in God's Word over all other delights and desire only to know him more? Are they not the ones who refuse to compromise?
To which camp do you belong?
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Faith Like A Child
I wish it was possible to tell the world that we do not follow a book of laws as they perceive that we do. In fact, I wish it was possible to explain that to Christians. I am not a hyper-grace preacher and do not belong to a hyper-grace church, I simply believe it is easier to understand God when we look at it from a relational perspective instead of a religious one.
God is my Father because he has adopted me as his child. So when I study his Word I am not seeing a list of laws but instead a Father's loving instruction. My desire to obey does not come from a fear of punishment but from a heart of gratefulness. I love my Father for his love and grace. My response to his righteousness is a love response. There is more to it than that. For instance, since Jesus is one with me, I do not want to bring him into something that would break his heart. But my desire to walk in obedience and God's righteousness is an act of love; a relational thing.
This means that I do not need to understand why my Father tells me not to do something; it is simply enough he told me it is not acceptable. The rebellious nature in me tells me that I am not brainless, that I can't obey blindly, that I am free thinking and deserve an explanation, but the child in me says, okay daddy. The logic of man's thinking is it's downfall, it's barrier against the love and grace of our Father. The cry from the world all the time is "Come dance with us for we are free and wise and no one tells us how to think". It is a seductive cry but the Word of God says:
My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them. (Proverbs 1:10)
These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it. (1:18,19)
Our Father has told us that there is a way that seems right to man but it leads to death. The world is convinced of it's truth and throws our Father's words into the heap of all man's man-made religions. We cannot win the world by playing at it's game. We cannot build our churches on the principle's of man's wisdom and expect them to honour God. We cannot build our lives on the values of this world and expect to please our Father. These things that are pursued by those who claim Christ and yet walk in the logic of the world will take away their life.
Again today I plead with you and myself to live a life of no compromise. Do not compromise your relationship with the Father. No do compromise your desire to obey out of love. Do not compromise for the sake of appearing wise in the eyes of the world. Do not compromise to be accepted by man and rejected by God. Our Father has made it clear to those who are willing to be his children. We praise him for his grace, that he forgives all things and restores us to him whenever we get it wrong. But he knows our hearts. He knows if we are sincere in our love or if we are simply playing at it. I plead with you again today to:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength.
There is no compromise in love because love never fails. There is also no disrespect, no disobedience, no rebellious thought in love. Love never fails. So we, as the children of God, respond with a simple reality: If our Father said it we believe it and act upon it. Faith like a child.
God is my Father because he has adopted me as his child. So when I study his Word I am not seeing a list of laws but instead a Father's loving instruction. My desire to obey does not come from a fear of punishment but from a heart of gratefulness. I love my Father for his love and grace. My response to his righteousness is a love response. There is more to it than that. For instance, since Jesus is one with me, I do not want to bring him into something that would break his heart. But my desire to walk in obedience and God's righteousness is an act of love; a relational thing.
This means that I do not need to understand why my Father tells me not to do something; it is simply enough he told me it is not acceptable. The rebellious nature in me tells me that I am not brainless, that I can't obey blindly, that I am free thinking and deserve an explanation, but the child in me says, okay daddy. The logic of man's thinking is it's downfall, it's barrier against the love and grace of our Father. The cry from the world all the time is "Come dance with us for we are free and wise and no one tells us how to think". It is a seductive cry but the Word of God says:
My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them. (Proverbs 1:10)
These men lie in wait for their own blood;
they ambush only themselves!
19 Such are the paths of all who go after ill-gotten gain;
it takes away the life of those who get it. (1:18,19)
Our Father has told us that there is a way that seems right to man but it leads to death. The world is convinced of it's truth and throws our Father's words into the heap of all man's man-made religions. We cannot win the world by playing at it's game. We cannot build our churches on the principle's of man's wisdom and expect them to honour God. We cannot build our lives on the values of this world and expect to please our Father. These things that are pursued by those who claim Christ and yet walk in the logic of the world will take away their life.
Again today I plead with you and myself to live a life of no compromise. Do not compromise your relationship with the Father. No do compromise your desire to obey out of love. Do not compromise for the sake of appearing wise in the eyes of the world. Do not compromise to be accepted by man and rejected by God. Our Father has made it clear to those who are willing to be his children. We praise him for his grace, that he forgives all things and restores us to him whenever we get it wrong. But he knows our hearts. He knows if we are sincere in our love or if we are simply playing at it. I plead with you again today to:
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength.
There is no compromise in love because love never fails. There is also no disrespect, no disobedience, no rebellious thought in love. Love never fails. So we, as the children of God, respond with a simple reality: If our Father said it we believe it and act upon it. Faith like a child.
Friday, June 28, 2013
No Compromise
One of the first signs that we are slipping away from Jesus is when righteousness takes less of a priority for us. It starts to become easier to compromise on those things we considered to be of importance. I stated a couple of days ago that when I start feeling that I have begun to compromise I refresh myself in the Psalms, Proverbs and the gospel of John. I find it interesting how both Psalm 1 and Proverbs 1 are similar in direction and tone.
Solomon wanted to leave nuggets of wisdom to guide his sons and the first thing he starts with is the need to have the desire to turn away from evil. Evil is a powerful force that held all of us in captivity for a long time and it doesn`t give up just because it lost possession. It will take every opportunity to try to separate us from the love of Jesus. When we understand God`s grace we know that evil holds no power over us but there are times of weakness, tiredness, busyness, distraction when the presentation of evil can be very attractive. It can even present itself as wise. Solomon warned his sons:
My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them. (Proverbs 1:10)
Recall Psalm 1:
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers. (Psalm 1:1)
The problem is that we do not recognize evil as evil until we see it in the light of God`s righteousness. This is the reason the world is becoming hard to the message of the gospel; it doesn`t want to see. People do not want to hear that their actions are an offense to God. They don`t want to hear that they will be held accountable for their decision to deny Jesus. They do not want to be told that their life is a lie that leads to death. So they marginalize any who would present the truth.
Unfortunately, when we start getting distracted in our relationship with Jesus we do the same thing. Evil stops looking so evil because we are no longer seeing it through God`s righteousness. Compromise is so easy when we have allowed our relationship to wain. There is no good thing in us apart from what Jesus has done for us and to walk in constant obedience requires a constant growing relationship in Jesus. Without it sinful men will entice us and we will give in to them. Before we realize what is happening we will walk in step with the wicked, stand in the way that sinners take and mock our Father. Without a growing and vibrant relationship in Jesus compromise is an easy thing.
Look for the signs. Are we paying more attention to the opinion of people over the Word of God? Are we starting to set aside the Word, no longer convinced of its truth? Have we set aside prayer for other activities? Is stress increasing? Is fear in greater abundance? Are our thoughts more to our own needs? Is grace a little harder to find? Is forgiveness harder to give? Do we see the Church differently? Are we more judgmental of believers? Are we beginning to side with society? Are we beginning to lift up the logic of man?
Compromise is easy. Too easy. Paul had one answer:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13)
In faith there is no compromise, no middle ground. Either you believe or you don't. Either you trust or you don't. Either you obey or you don't. There is no room for doubt, fear, or worry. These things are only produced when we are compromising in our walk in Jesus. There cannot be compromise. It has always been about Jesus and it will always be about him. If your life is not all about him then none of it is about him. It is not a part but the whole thing. If it is any less then we have to yell at our soul to rise up and praise our God, get our eyes back to where they need to be and stop living a lie.
The only answer to a compromised life that has abandoned God's righteousness is a heart response to God's grace: To love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength.
Solomon wanted to leave nuggets of wisdom to guide his sons and the first thing he starts with is the need to have the desire to turn away from evil. Evil is a powerful force that held all of us in captivity for a long time and it doesn`t give up just because it lost possession. It will take every opportunity to try to separate us from the love of Jesus. When we understand God`s grace we know that evil holds no power over us but there are times of weakness, tiredness, busyness, distraction when the presentation of evil can be very attractive. It can even present itself as wise. Solomon warned his sons:
My son, if sinful men entice you,
do not give in to them. (Proverbs 1:10)
Recall Psalm 1:
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers. (Psalm 1:1)
The problem is that we do not recognize evil as evil until we see it in the light of God`s righteousness. This is the reason the world is becoming hard to the message of the gospel; it doesn`t want to see. People do not want to hear that their actions are an offense to God. They don`t want to hear that they will be held accountable for their decision to deny Jesus. They do not want to be told that their life is a lie that leads to death. So they marginalize any who would present the truth.
Unfortunately, when we start getting distracted in our relationship with Jesus we do the same thing. Evil stops looking so evil because we are no longer seeing it through God`s righteousness. Compromise is so easy when we have allowed our relationship to wain. There is no good thing in us apart from what Jesus has done for us and to walk in constant obedience requires a constant growing relationship in Jesus. Without it sinful men will entice us and we will give in to them. Before we realize what is happening we will walk in step with the wicked, stand in the way that sinners take and mock our Father. Without a growing and vibrant relationship in Jesus compromise is an easy thing.
Look for the signs. Are we paying more attention to the opinion of people over the Word of God? Are we starting to set aside the Word, no longer convinced of its truth? Have we set aside prayer for other activities? Is stress increasing? Is fear in greater abundance? Are our thoughts more to our own needs? Is grace a little harder to find? Is forgiveness harder to give? Do we see the Church differently? Are we more judgmental of believers? Are we beginning to side with society? Are we beginning to lift up the logic of man?
Compromise is easy. Too easy. Paul had one answer:
For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. (Ephesians 6:12-13)
In faith there is no compromise, no middle ground. Either you believe or you don't. Either you trust or you don't. Either you obey or you don't. There is no room for doubt, fear, or worry. These things are only produced when we are compromising in our walk in Jesus. There cannot be compromise. It has always been about Jesus and it will always be about him. If your life is not all about him then none of it is about him. It is not a part but the whole thing. If it is any less then we have to yell at our soul to rise up and praise our God, get our eyes back to where they need to be and stop living a lie.
The only answer to a compromised life that has abandoned God's righteousness is a heart response to God's grace: To love God with all your heart, all your soul and all your strength.
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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