Being one with Jesus is our goal. This we must understand, grasp, desire and move toward. Being one with Jesus is not something we do hidden away somewhere. It is perfected in the ugliness, the noise and confusion of life.
Oneness requires us to be free from everything that would lay claim to us. It does not mean that we have no interaction with these things. We just lower their importance to the place where they have no power over us and we can take or leave them at will.
Oneness is taking place as we come to realize, accept and revel in the fact that everything we require to exist, flourish and become our potential is found only in Jesus Christ. This means that everything else becomes mere shadows, lacking importance or substance to us. We are content with whatever we have in the moment with no fear of not having it in the next because the one thing we need and can never afford to lose can never be taken from us because he promised he wasn't going anywhere.
This is the reason why Jesus said it is hard for those who are rich to enter in. They cannot imagine being without their wealth. To enter in, this wealth must become like smoke to them, no substance and the only thing to have substance must become their only reality. But this is true of many things that lie to us, that tell us we can't live without them.
Family.
Drugs.
Friends.
Alcohol.
Sex.
Careers.
Social media.
Education.
Books.
Sports.
Politics.
Television / Movies / Music / Dance / Theatre / Art
If these are not like smoke to you; if you cannot imagine being without them in the next moment; if you can't imagine existing in a world without them, how do you expect to enter in? Oneness with Jesus comes at a cost but those who discover the truth of the relationship are willing to pay any price to possess it.
But we don't see it this way. We don't see our love for Jesus reducing everything else to wispy smoke.
We live in a fantasy of having the world and Jesus. We live in the illusion of a divided heart. We conveniently skip over the parts where Jesus tells us there is a cost to following him. We like listening to those who want us to believe there is value in all this other stuff. We want to live heaven now among things that are mere shadows of what is coming by giving them substance, allowing them value, allowing them to lay claim to us.
Oneness with Jesus is his expressed prayer for us. In this oneness his will is all we desire. In this oneness we understand value. In this oneness we gladly accept as he moves smokey things in and out of our lives. What is that to us? The only thing of value to us is he himself and he isn't going anywhere. He promised. He is the air in our lungs, the reason for the beat of our heart and the cause of the electrical pulsing of our brain.
If only we could grasp this. If only we would decide to live in his realty for us and leave the shadowy things where they belong. If only we would live with a heart fully possessed by the one who longs to possess it. If only we could walk in a concrete world as citizens of the land of oneness with Christ.
Showing posts with label lost. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lost. Show all posts
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Why Do We Spend Money On What Does Not Satisfy?
As much as I want to believe we are capable of doing good, unless we are concentrating on Jesus, we will always be sucked into what satisfies our flesh. We have to purposefully seek the face of Jesus every day in order to walk in the Spirit instead of our flesh. We have to be totally consumed by his love every day in order for us to keep our eyes on things above instead of what we see around us. We hear the invitation:
Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1)
But we don't always respond. We can easily ask ourselves on certain days:
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy? (v. 2a)
Good question. Why do we put any value in the system of this world? Just because we have to live and serve here does not mean we need to be in love with this place, the system or the values. Our pleasure is found in Jesus and our love is for the people trapped in the limited vision of this world, not the world system itself. So each day we hear the Spirit calling:
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance. (v. 2b)
Each day, as we seek Jesus and make ourselves open to the awareness of his presence in us, we are reminded of our mission. We are reminded that our King did not leave us in this place for our own entertainment. He gives us purpose every day and it goes beyond worship. Worship is what we do in everything we do but our purpose is to make disciples. We speak the words of his invitation to those who are passing into death:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near. (v. 6)
The King's message is one of hope and mercy. It is an invitation to love. It is fantastic news to those who are hungry and thirsty. It is fantastic news for those who are restless, unable to find satisfaction in this place. We speak this message of mercy and grace with all who will hear:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon. (v. 7)
We tell them of the love found on the cross, the life through the empty grave, and the presence and power through the giving of the Spirit. We care not for their current condition or situation. We care not about the nature of their sin. We only care that they would hear, receive and be forgiven all things, being welcomed into the family of Father. We let go our our blood lust for justice and are empowered by the love, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. We recognize that while under the power of sin our thinking was crooked and depraved. We hear Yahweh's sweet reminder:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts." (v. 8-9)
Oh what a Saviour. Oh what a King. And this seen through the eyes of a prophet who had yet to see Jesus, who had yet to hear of the mercies of the cross and the victory over the grave. If he could see so clearly from a distance why do we struggle in the shadow of the cross?
Come my brothers and sisters, let us set aside the things that distract, the things that consume our life, the things that possess mere temporary importance and let us run our race, the one set out before us. Let us fix our eyes on the prize, on our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us set our heart and mind on the things above and allow the things of this world to diminish in importance. Let us be consumed with our mission, conveying the love of Jesus for those who are lost in rebellion, as we once were. Let us love with Jesus' love which does not hold back but pours itself out recklessly upon his enemies.
Oh, what a Saviour!
Ho! Everyone who thirsts,
Come to the waters;
And you who have no money,
Come, buy and eat.
Yes, come, buy wine and milk
Without money and without price. (Isaiah 55:1)
But we don't always respond. We can easily ask ourselves on certain days:
Why do you spend money for what is not bread,
And your wages for what does not satisfy? (v. 2a)
Good question. Why do we put any value in the system of this world? Just because we have to live and serve here does not mean we need to be in love with this place, the system or the values. Our pleasure is found in Jesus and our love is for the people trapped in the limited vision of this world, not the world system itself. So each day we hear the Spirit calling:
Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good,
And let your soul delight itself in abundance. (v. 2b)
Each day, as we seek Jesus and make ourselves open to the awareness of his presence in us, we are reminded of our mission. We are reminded that our King did not leave us in this place for our own entertainment. He gives us purpose every day and it goes beyond worship. Worship is what we do in everything we do but our purpose is to make disciples. We speak the words of his invitation to those who are passing into death:
Seek the Lord while He may be found,
Call upon Him while He is near. (v. 6)
The King's message is one of hope and mercy. It is an invitation to love. It is fantastic news to those who are hungry and thirsty. It is fantastic news for those who are restless, unable to find satisfaction in this place. We speak this message of mercy and grace with all who will hear:
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon. (v. 7)
We tell them of the love found on the cross, the life through the empty grave, and the presence and power through the giving of the Spirit. We care not for their current condition or situation. We care not about the nature of their sin. We only care that they would hear, receive and be forgiven all things, being welcomed into the family of Father. We let go our our blood lust for justice and are empowered by the love, mercy and grace of Jesus Christ. We recognize that while under the power of sin our thinking was crooked and depraved. We hear Yahweh's sweet reminder:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways,
And My thoughts than your thoughts." (v. 8-9)
Oh what a Saviour. Oh what a King. And this seen through the eyes of a prophet who had yet to see Jesus, who had yet to hear of the mercies of the cross and the victory over the grave. If he could see so clearly from a distance why do we struggle in the shadow of the cross?
Come my brothers and sisters, let us set aside the things that distract, the things that consume our life, the things that possess mere temporary importance and let us run our race, the one set out before us. Let us fix our eyes on the prize, on our Lord Jesus Christ. Let us set our heart and mind on the things above and allow the things of this world to diminish in importance. Let us be consumed with our mission, conveying the love of Jesus for those who are lost in rebellion, as we once were. Let us love with Jesus' love which does not hold back but pours itself out recklessly upon his enemies.
Oh, what a Saviour!
Monday, February 24, 2014
What Does It Take To Beat The Odds?
Life is pretty good when everything is in your favour. It is a time of growth, expansion, prosperity. It is easy to worship Jesus, to sing and pray. Being surrounded by people who love and encourage you allows you to be who you were meant to become. It is easy to maintain a great attitude and to walk in faith. But what about when things go wrong? What happens when people come against you and there are circumstances as big as mountains in front of you? What if you are in a hostile environment where no one believes in you or lends you any encouragement and support? Can you still pray, worship, sing, trust and walk in faith? I hope so, because it is one of the keys to success in Jesus.
You have to have a solid relationship with Jesus if you expect to be able to stand in the storms of life. You can't have a simple relationship of acknowledging his existence, praying over your food, attending church and trying to be good. That isn't a relationship at all; it is a system. A relationship is where you get to know Jesus; everything you can know about him. You trust his promises and act on them. You spend a good amount of time with him and realize he is always with you so you chat all day long. We become dependent on our friends and so we learn how to trust and lean on Jesus. But we also realize that he is more than a friend.
Jesus paid for us. I realize that sounds funny but we belonged to Satan. Jesus went into the enemy's camp and ransomed us with his own life. He paid for us and we now belong to him because in the nature of things "man" never belongs to himself. We may think we can be our own god and be the captains of our own destiny but it is all a lie. We belong to someone and Jesus made it possible for us to belong to him. In belonging to him then we should want the most intimate relationship possible and when we have such a relationship we realize that Jesus will see us through anything. The great kings of Judah knew this.
Asa was one of the good guys. He purged the kingdom of anything that was not related to Yahweh. Like some of the kings before him, he did some house cleaning and he encouraged the people to obey Yahweh. He knew what was good for his people and he set the example. As a result, Yahweh allowed him to enjoy a time of peace. He spent that time building and fortifying cities. Asa knew he lived in hostile times and that peace comes and goes, so he prepared for the worse. And then it happened.
Judah was invaded by an Ethiopian army, over one million three hundred thousand strong. King Asa had an army of over five hundred thousand. Talk about a bad day. They were outnumbered almost 3 to 1. In the flesh things looked hopeless. All of us can relate to having faced hopeless looking situations. But Asa had a fantastic relationship with Yahweh. His faith was not just a "fair weather" faith. Asa trusted Yahweh.
And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (2 Chronicles 14:11)
I really appreciate that prayer, "It is nothing for you to help". What appears to be impossible for use to face, deal with or overcome,is nothing for our God. It is Asa's knowledge of Yahweh and the incredible relationship that he had that allowed Asa to trust. Asa knew his history and was able to say with great confidence, "whether with many or with those who have no power". In fact, if you understand the history of Israel you will quickly take note that Yahweh prefers to use the least in order that he will receive the greater glory.
Needless to say Yahweh responded and sent the Ethiopians fleeing. Asa defeated them so soundly that they could not recover. This experience, instead of destroying Asa, prospered him as he came away with a lot more than he went in with. This is how it is with the challenges we face. We think these things are to defeat us but Yahweh always uses the victory in these things to increase us. Don't ever forget this scripture:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
I am not going to pretend everything is all butterflies and daffodils in life. Some people are dealt a really hard hand and must make the best of it. Some days are filled with despair as hope seems to be sucked dry from us. Sometimes it seems there is no direction to head in and we see no purpose in going on. But these are the lies of the enemy designed to keep our eyes down, on ourselves, instead lifted up to see Jesus. However we cannot know this, see it, understand it or walk in it if we have a "system" relationship with Jesus.
If you want a relationship that will allow a growing faith, a faith that permits you to know that Jesus will overcome everything for you, then you have to focus on Jesus. In fact, do some house cleaning. Get rid of anything and everything that distracts you from Jesus. If it is not used in the relationship development or in the out reach to others then trash it. When you dedicate yourself fully to the Lord you are able to experience him fully. If you want to be strong and unbeatable in the good and bad days then develop a relationship of trust. As long as you want both the world and Jesus you will never experience the kind of faith you need to prosper spiritually. Seek him with all your heart and get rid of all your other gods. Faith gets you going and trust will sustain you in the relationship.
You have to have a solid relationship with Jesus if you expect to be able to stand in the storms of life. You can't have a simple relationship of acknowledging his existence, praying over your food, attending church and trying to be good. That isn't a relationship at all; it is a system. A relationship is where you get to know Jesus; everything you can know about him. You trust his promises and act on them. You spend a good amount of time with him and realize he is always with you so you chat all day long. We become dependent on our friends and so we learn how to trust and lean on Jesus. But we also realize that he is more than a friend.
Jesus paid for us. I realize that sounds funny but we belonged to Satan. Jesus went into the enemy's camp and ransomed us with his own life. He paid for us and we now belong to him because in the nature of things "man" never belongs to himself. We may think we can be our own god and be the captains of our own destiny but it is all a lie. We belong to someone and Jesus made it possible for us to belong to him. In belonging to him then we should want the most intimate relationship possible and when we have such a relationship we realize that Jesus will see us through anything. The great kings of Judah knew this.
Asa was one of the good guys. He purged the kingdom of anything that was not related to Yahweh. Like some of the kings before him, he did some house cleaning and he encouraged the people to obey Yahweh. He knew what was good for his people and he set the example. As a result, Yahweh allowed him to enjoy a time of peace. He spent that time building and fortifying cities. Asa knew he lived in hostile times and that peace comes and goes, so he prepared for the worse. And then it happened.
Judah was invaded by an Ethiopian army, over one million three hundred thousand strong. King Asa had an army of over five hundred thousand. Talk about a bad day. They were outnumbered almost 3 to 1. In the flesh things looked hopeless. All of us can relate to having faced hopeless looking situations. But Asa had a fantastic relationship with Yahweh. His faith was not just a "fair weather" faith. Asa trusted Yahweh.
And Asa cried out to the Lord his God, and said, “Lord, it is nothing for You to help, whether with many or with those who have no power; help us, O Lord our God, for we rest on You, and in Your name we go against this multitude. O Lord, You are our God; do not let man prevail against You!” (2 Chronicles 14:11)
I really appreciate that prayer, "It is nothing for you to help". What appears to be impossible for use to face, deal with or overcome,is nothing for our God. It is Asa's knowledge of Yahweh and the incredible relationship that he had that allowed Asa to trust. Asa knew his history and was able to say with great confidence, "whether with many or with those who have no power". In fact, if you understand the history of Israel you will quickly take note that Yahweh prefers to use the least in order that he will receive the greater glory.
Needless to say Yahweh responded and sent the Ethiopians fleeing. Asa defeated them so soundly that they could not recover. This experience, instead of destroying Asa, prospered him as he came away with a lot more than he went in with. This is how it is with the challenges we face. We think these things are to defeat us but Yahweh always uses the victory in these things to increase us. Don't ever forget this scripture:
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
I am not going to pretend everything is all butterflies and daffodils in life. Some people are dealt a really hard hand and must make the best of it. Some days are filled with despair as hope seems to be sucked dry from us. Sometimes it seems there is no direction to head in and we see no purpose in going on. But these are the lies of the enemy designed to keep our eyes down, on ourselves, instead lifted up to see Jesus. However we cannot know this, see it, understand it or walk in it if we have a "system" relationship with Jesus.
If you want a relationship that will allow a growing faith, a faith that permits you to know that Jesus will overcome everything for you, then you have to focus on Jesus. In fact, do some house cleaning. Get rid of anything and everything that distracts you from Jesus. If it is not used in the relationship development or in the out reach to others then trash it. When you dedicate yourself fully to the Lord you are able to experience him fully. If you want to be strong and unbeatable in the good and bad days then develop a relationship of trust. As long as you want both the world and Jesus you will never experience the kind of faith you need to prosper spiritually. Seek him with all your heart and get rid of all your other gods. Faith gets you going and trust will sustain you in the relationship.
Tuesday, August 27, 2013
It's A Daily Walk, Not A Weakly
How quickly does the refreshing of a Sunday wear off for you? How quickly do you feel the dullness invading, causing your keen insights and revelation to slip away? How quickly does discouragement and doubt come knocking? How quickly do you lose your sensitivity to the Spirit? It's not suppose to be like this.
Maybe you didn't realize? Maybe you thought this was just normal; how it worked? It's not.
We don't belong here.
There is a condition in this world that has twisted our basic nature so that the world is in constant rebellion against its creator. We did that. We introduced this rebellion and made everything dull, cold and ugly. But our Creator loved us too much to leave us like that, even though it was our decision.
So he punched a whole in this thing to allow us to escape and enter into vibrant, colourful life again,where he lives in us and we in him. He did this through Jesus who had to sacrifice everything so we could gain everything. But there was more to God's plan.
He couldn't bring us home yet because we are part of his plan to bring the good news of what he has done to the four corners of this planet. So because we had to stay in this dull, dying, rebellious place, he filled us with himself; his power; the Spirit of God, to keep us fresh, alive, colourful, and equipped to do his will. But we have to participate.
The moment we take our focus off of Jesus the dullness of this rebellious place crowds in. We have no power of our own to drive it away but we are filled by the power of Jesus through the Spirit of God. So we must stay focused. We can`t become distracted. We can`t allow the dullness to prevail. We must overcome every day.
Jesus had to as well.
He did not walk this planet as God. Although he is fully God and fully man, he set his divinity aside to fulfill his mission. His power came via the Holy Spirit who took from the Father and gave to the Son. Did you not notice that Jesus started off his day in solitary prayer and he ended the day in the like manner. Jesus, who is God, had to walk this spiritually dull and rebellious planet as us and it must have drained him as it drains us. He needed refreshing every day. Every single day he looked for his spirit to be renewed in the presence of his Father.
What about us?
Do we think we are better than Jesus, that we can go from Sunday to Sunday without refreshing, without renewal, without sweet communion with our God? I pray all day long about everything and everyone, but it isn't the same as coming aside from this dull world and sitting in the presence of my Father. Of course it is my desire to be aware of his presence 24 hours a day, but I am not there yet. I am like Jesus; I long to be renewed each day, to have the dullness of the rebellion washed away and to be re-energized in worship. Every day.
That is the cure to your spiritual dullness; worship. Seek our Father's face. Desire to be in his embrace. Listen to his voice. Listen for instruction. Search the Word. Study. Dig deep. Dance in his presence. Present yourself to him and allow him to do what needs to be done. To repair the brokenness. To remove the hurt. To restore your energy. To be reminded of his grace, his strength and his purpose for you.
Don't wait until Sunday. It is a daily walk that requires daily refreshing. Be renewed today.
Maybe you didn't realize? Maybe you thought this was just normal; how it worked? It's not.
We don't belong here.
There is a condition in this world that has twisted our basic nature so that the world is in constant rebellion against its creator. We did that. We introduced this rebellion and made everything dull, cold and ugly. But our Creator loved us too much to leave us like that, even though it was our decision.
So he punched a whole in this thing to allow us to escape and enter into vibrant, colourful life again,where he lives in us and we in him. He did this through Jesus who had to sacrifice everything so we could gain everything. But there was more to God's plan.
He couldn't bring us home yet because we are part of his plan to bring the good news of what he has done to the four corners of this planet. So because we had to stay in this dull, dying, rebellious place, he filled us with himself; his power; the Spirit of God, to keep us fresh, alive, colourful, and equipped to do his will. But we have to participate.
The moment we take our focus off of Jesus the dullness of this rebellious place crowds in. We have no power of our own to drive it away but we are filled by the power of Jesus through the Spirit of God. So we must stay focused. We can`t become distracted. We can`t allow the dullness to prevail. We must overcome every day.
Jesus had to as well.
He did not walk this planet as God. Although he is fully God and fully man, he set his divinity aside to fulfill his mission. His power came via the Holy Spirit who took from the Father and gave to the Son. Did you not notice that Jesus started off his day in solitary prayer and he ended the day in the like manner. Jesus, who is God, had to walk this spiritually dull and rebellious planet as us and it must have drained him as it drains us. He needed refreshing every day. Every single day he looked for his spirit to be renewed in the presence of his Father.
What about us?
Do we think we are better than Jesus, that we can go from Sunday to Sunday without refreshing, without renewal, without sweet communion with our God? I pray all day long about everything and everyone, but it isn't the same as coming aside from this dull world and sitting in the presence of my Father. Of course it is my desire to be aware of his presence 24 hours a day, but I am not there yet. I am like Jesus; I long to be renewed each day, to have the dullness of the rebellion washed away and to be re-energized in worship. Every day.
That is the cure to your spiritual dullness; worship. Seek our Father's face. Desire to be in his embrace. Listen to his voice. Listen for instruction. Search the Word. Study. Dig deep. Dance in his presence. Present yourself to him and allow him to do what needs to be done. To repair the brokenness. To remove the hurt. To restore your energy. To be reminded of his grace, his strength and his purpose for you.
Don't wait until Sunday. It is a daily walk that requires daily refreshing. Be renewed today.
Saturday, July 6, 2013
The World Hates Me. And?
Have you noticed the great falling away yet? Have you noticed that those who profess Jesus as Lord are now moving into a minority? Have you noticed the morality that has governed the western world for hundreds of years is being thrown off and the true heart of man is being revealed? It's because the facade is being removed and everything is being exposed.
There is no good thing in a man or woman who are without Christ. Those who are without Christ are governed by their sinful nature so they end up doing things that they may not even want to do. And the depravity is increasing. Well, maybe not so much increasing as the fear of letting it be exposed is being removed. I tell you now, watch how quickly things begin to decline in the next year.
So you as a Christian are beginning to find yourself in a hostile place. People don't like you because of Jesus and some will even hate you. You could be the nicest person, do the greatest good works, be the friendliest person but they will still hate you because of Jesus. It will become more dangerous to point out the depravity of their thinking and actions. They will try to do everything in their power to shut you up.
It's funny though how the Spirit is encouraging the followers of Jesus, the warriors of the only legitimate Kingdom. As I scrolled through the social networking sites this morning there is one verse that kept showing up:
If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
This is not saying that no one will be against us but instead, no one of any significance will be against us. In other words, who is there compared to God? This is important and encouraging and we will need to remember it over the next little while as things get uglier, but there is something even more important to hold on to in all of this mess.
This world will de-value you. People will make you feel stupid, ignorant, uneducated, and useless. You will be accused of being a blight on the peace of this world and you will be blamed for all the wrong things in society. It is as this world tries to make you feel like garbage that you need to remember something fundamentally important:
Yet some people accepted him
and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
to be the children of God.
13 They were not God’s children
by nature
or because
of any human desires.
God himself was the one
who made them his children. (John 1:12-13)
Above anything else, you are a child of God. You are not a child of God because you willed it but because God made you his child. Now, understand the depth of the previous verse; If our Father is for us, who can be against us?
Everything this world values is going to come to an end. These poor, sad people really think that in the end they are achieving something. They think they are captains of their own destiny. They think that by sheer will they can transform this hate-filled planet. They are not to be feared, they are to be pitied, prayed for, and rescued from themselves.
We don't have time to be worried about how the world sees us or feels about us. Community churches need to stop trying to win the world over by being user friendly. It's not about numbers, programs, or entertainment value. It's not about "feeling". It's about seeing the power of the Spirit released in every believer to do the will of the Father. We need to dig in and fight for the lost like never before. We need to stand united in the Spirit, encouraging one another as long as it is called "today". The only way to help this world now is by the Truth and his name is Jesus; no greater name in all of time. So, make sure your armour is in place mighty warrior-child of God, and stand your ground.
There is no good thing in a man or woman who are without Christ. Those who are without Christ are governed by their sinful nature so they end up doing things that they may not even want to do. And the depravity is increasing. Well, maybe not so much increasing as the fear of letting it be exposed is being removed. I tell you now, watch how quickly things begin to decline in the next year.
So you as a Christian are beginning to find yourself in a hostile place. People don't like you because of Jesus and some will even hate you. You could be the nicest person, do the greatest good works, be the friendliest person but they will still hate you because of Jesus. It will become more dangerous to point out the depravity of their thinking and actions. They will try to do everything in their power to shut you up.
It's funny though how the Spirit is encouraging the followers of Jesus, the warriors of the only legitimate Kingdom. As I scrolled through the social networking sites this morning there is one verse that kept showing up:
If God is for us, who can be against us? (Romans 8:31)
This is not saying that no one will be against us but instead, no one of any significance will be against us. In other words, who is there compared to God? This is important and encouraging and we will need to remember it over the next little while as things get uglier, but there is something even more important to hold on to in all of this mess.
This world will de-value you. People will make you feel stupid, ignorant, uneducated, and useless. You will be accused of being a blight on the peace of this world and you will be blamed for all the wrong things in society. It is as this world tries to make you feel like garbage that you need to remember something fundamentally important:
Yet some people accepted him
and put their faith in him.
So he gave them the right
to be the children of God.
13 They were not God’s children
by nature
or because
of any human desires.
God himself was the one
who made them his children. (John 1:12-13)
Above anything else, you are a child of God. You are not a child of God because you willed it but because God made you his child. Now, understand the depth of the previous verse; If our Father is for us, who can be against us?
Everything this world values is going to come to an end. These poor, sad people really think that in the end they are achieving something. They think they are captains of their own destiny. They think that by sheer will they can transform this hate-filled planet. They are not to be feared, they are to be pitied, prayed for, and rescued from themselves.
We don't have time to be worried about how the world sees us or feels about us. Community churches need to stop trying to win the world over by being user friendly. It's not about numbers, programs, or entertainment value. It's not about "feeling". It's about seeing the power of the Spirit released in every believer to do the will of the Father. We need to dig in and fight for the lost like never before. We need to stand united in the Spirit, encouraging one another as long as it is called "today". The only way to help this world now is by the Truth and his name is Jesus; no greater name in all of time. So, make sure your armour is in place mighty warrior-child of God, and stand your ground.
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Here's The Bath Water, Now Where Did That Baby Go To?
Have you ever gotten so involved with something that you have lost sight of everything that is important in your life? Of course you have; we all have. It is like the husband who mourned the death of his wife and built her a grand hall in memorial. However, he got so lost in the project that he ended up throwing out her body in the process. So now we have the Taj Mahal as a reminder of what happens when we lose sight of our purpose in the midst of the journey. When this happens to me I go back to three places in the Bible to regain my footing: the Psalms, Proverbs and the gospel of John.
Psalm 1 is a great grounding psalm. It reminds us of the greatest priority in our lives, that living is not enough, and living for God must be our center:
God blesses those people
who refuse evil advice
and won’t follow sinners
or join in sneering at God.
2 Instead, the Law of the Lord
makes them happy,
and they think about it
day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2, CEV)
It is far too easy to take short cuts in life, to set aside what is right to gain personally in our finances. But righteousness is important to God and effects our relationship when it is not our priority. But this righteousness does not come from the law but instead from a love for the Lord. It is like any other love. When we love someone we would never desire to do them wrong. God's love for us has given us a life possible through grace. We do not earn it by living a law. But our heart response is to want to please and honour our God. There is right and there is wrong in life and our love for Jesus will give us a desire to do what is right. This desire for righteousness sets us apart:
They are like trees
growing beside a stream,
trees that produce
fruit in season
and always have leaves.
Those people succeed
in everything they do. (vv. 3-4)
For me, this is the secret of life. I can labour until my dying day and do marginally well for myself. I will be known as a hard worker but it doesn't mean I was fruitful. Many people work hard and see limited success but God has promised to bless the work of the hands of his children. I do not believe this means nominal success. I believe this means fruitfulness in a way that the world will be able to see the hand of God.
This does not mean oodles of money. Success is more than just money so why should be allow this to be our measuring rod? Fruitfulness means abundance in relationships, health, attitude, outlook, love, joy, wisdom and everything else in life. It is not a "getting by" or a "marginal" attitude but a great generosity in everything, including finances. It has been given to us, as God's children to produce abundantly.
That's why I love going back to these verses to get re-established. I need to know that mediocre is not what I have been called to. I need to be reminded that God's plan is so much greater than my own. I need to be reminded that God has greater purposes in my success that just for my sake and yet blessings for me is included in his plan. If I do not feel the creative juices flowing, if I have become unaware of the blessings, if I am feeling drained, then my roots are not in the stream of the water of life. These verses are a warning sign to me. It is like God is holding up a picture to show me what it is suppose to look like.
So, have I lost it? Have I lost the purpose in the busyness of the project? Has my vision so narrowed that I have thrown out the baby while holding on to the bath water? The honest answer for me is yes. But such honesty is only valuable if I am going to do something about it and this blog entry is a beginning step to get back to my first love. A baby step but it is a step. It all comes down to love, a passionate love, a love response in light of what Jesus has done and the Father continues to do every day. I am so thankful for his grace, which never gives up on people like me. I am so thankful for the mercies that are new every morning.
Psalm 1 is a great grounding psalm. It reminds us of the greatest priority in our lives, that living is not enough, and living for God must be our center:
God blesses those people
who refuse evil advice
and won’t follow sinners
or join in sneering at God.
2 Instead, the Law of the Lord
makes them happy,
and they think about it
day and night. (Psalm 1:1-2, CEV)
It is far too easy to take short cuts in life, to set aside what is right to gain personally in our finances. But righteousness is important to God and effects our relationship when it is not our priority. But this righteousness does not come from the law but instead from a love for the Lord. It is like any other love. When we love someone we would never desire to do them wrong. God's love for us has given us a life possible through grace. We do not earn it by living a law. But our heart response is to want to please and honour our God. There is right and there is wrong in life and our love for Jesus will give us a desire to do what is right. This desire for righteousness sets us apart:
They are like trees
growing beside a stream,
trees that produce
fruit in season
and always have leaves.
Those people succeed
in everything they do. (vv. 3-4)
For me, this is the secret of life. I can labour until my dying day and do marginally well for myself. I will be known as a hard worker but it doesn't mean I was fruitful. Many people work hard and see limited success but God has promised to bless the work of the hands of his children. I do not believe this means nominal success. I believe this means fruitfulness in a way that the world will be able to see the hand of God.
This does not mean oodles of money. Success is more than just money so why should be allow this to be our measuring rod? Fruitfulness means abundance in relationships, health, attitude, outlook, love, joy, wisdom and everything else in life. It is not a "getting by" or a "marginal" attitude but a great generosity in everything, including finances. It has been given to us, as God's children to produce abundantly.
That's why I love going back to these verses to get re-established. I need to know that mediocre is not what I have been called to. I need to be reminded that God's plan is so much greater than my own. I need to be reminded that God has greater purposes in my success that just for my sake and yet blessings for me is included in his plan. If I do not feel the creative juices flowing, if I have become unaware of the blessings, if I am feeling drained, then my roots are not in the stream of the water of life. These verses are a warning sign to me. It is like God is holding up a picture to show me what it is suppose to look like.
So, have I lost it? Have I lost the purpose in the busyness of the project? Has my vision so narrowed that I have thrown out the baby while holding on to the bath water? The honest answer for me is yes. But such honesty is only valuable if I am going to do something about it and this blog entry is a beginning step to get back to my first love. A baby step but it is a step. It all comes down to love, a passionate love, a love response in light of what Jesus has done and the Father continues to do every day. I am so thankful for his grace, which never gives up on people like me. I am so thankful for the mercies that are new every morning.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Living The Extraordinary In The Ordinary
Is this going to be an ordinary or extraordinary day for you? According to Scripture every day should be extraordinary as you carry out the mission of Jesus Christ. Yes, you are on a mission, not to please yourself but to make disciples for Jesus. The first step is for them to hear your testimony and to understand the situation they are in. The problem is, we are not very good at what Jesus commanded us to do.
Unfortunately we are too caught up in church "stuff", disagreements, spouting off personal doctrine, or just pursuing the "american dream". We have generations of people who do not understand that they are a condemned people, heading to certain death. In fact, the Church has toned down over the years so that church has just become a community that we belong to, one that defines who we are. But the world doesn't need to know who we are. These dying generations need to know who Jesus Christ is because he is the only one who can rescue them from their doom.
This is the reality:
When Christ Jesus comes as king, he will be the judge of everyone, whether they are living or dead. (2 Timothy 4:1)
Every person you see today, unless they know Jesus, is condemned and heading for judgement. It's just a formality because without Jesus covering them they are already condemned. It is simply the passing of the sentence that awaits them. How can we live with this knowledge? How can we not be overwhelmed with sorrow for them? How can we not be desperate for them to know? I'll tell you how: It isn't our reality.
I don't care how we try to excuse it away, Jesus is not our reality. This world, with all its pleasures and trappings is our reality. We say the right words, read the right books, quote the right verses but we are still caught up in the affairs of this world. Our anchor is still in this place. We are still dependent on what this world considers to be valuable. Our minds and hearts are polluted and Jesus is nothing more than an emotional concept. How else can we explain how the majority of Christians can die without ever leading anyone to Jesus?
We convince ourselves that we care because we feed the homeless, build hospitals, run clean water projects, give money to orphanages. These are all great projects of compassion that should be part of our mission but they should only lead to the heart of our mission. If we forget the heart then we will have well dressed, well feed, well cared for sinners standing in judgement before God, being condemned for eternity. Above everything else, and I mean everything, must be our compassion for the lost souls and compassion drives us to present Jesus to everyone.
You and I are only play acting. We have taken on a role and we are fulfilling it to the end and it doesn't do anyone any good. "He will judge everyone" should move us to action, reaching out, pursuing, testifying, telling others about the great news, that they too can be sinners saved by grace, a new creation, gloriously saved from the coming destruction. How many are going to hell because we don't take Jesus at his word and because we are too busy with ourselves? Everyone of us should be convicted of the fact that our neighbour needs Jesus and we should be provoked by the love of Jesus to do something about it.
So, ordinary or extraordinary day?
Unfortunately we are too caught up in church "stuff", disagreements, spouting off personal doctrine, or just pursuing the "american dream". We have generations of people who do not understand that they are a condemned people, heading to certain death. In fact, the Church has toned down over the years so that church has just become a community that we belong to, one that defines who we are. But the world doesn't need to know who we are. These dying generations need to know who Jesus Christ is because he is the only one who can rescue them from their doom.
This is the reality:
When Christ Jesus comes as king, he will be the judge of everyone, whether they are living or dead. (2 Timothy 4:1)
Every person you see today, unless they know Jesus, is condemned and heading for judgement. It's just a formality because without Jesus covering them they are already condemned. It is simply the passing of the sentence that awaits them. How can we live with this knowledge? How can we not be overwhelmed with sorrow for them? How can we not be desperate for them to know? I'll tell you how: It isn't our reality.
I don't care how we try to excuse it away, Jesus is not our reality. This world, with all its pleasures and trappings is our reality. We say the right words, read the right books, quote the right verses but we are still caught up in the affairs of this world. Our anchor is still in this place. We are still dependent on what this world considers to be valuable. Our minds and hearts are polluted and Jesus is nothing more than an emotional concept. How else can we explain how the majority of Christians can die without ever leading anyone to Jesus?
We convince ourselves that we care because we feed the homeless, build hospitals, run clean water projects, give money to orphanages. These are all great projects of compassion that should be part of our mission but they should only lead to the heart of our mission. If we forget the heart then we will have well dressed, well feed, well cared for sinners standing in judgement before God, being condemned for eternity. Above everything else, and I mean everything, must be our compassion for the lost souls and compassion drives us to present Jesus to everyone.
You and I are only play acting. We have taken on a role and we are fulfilling it to the end and it doesn't do anyone any good. "He will judge everyone" should move us to action, reaching out, pursuing, testifying, telling others about the great news, that they too can be sinners saved by grace, a new creation, gloriously saved from the coming destruction. How many are going to hell because we don't take Jesus at his word and because we are too busy with ourselves? Everyone of us should be convicted of the fact that our neighbour needs Jesus and we should be provoked by the love of Jesus to do something about it.
So, ordinary or extraordinary day?
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Christ Is All, And Is In All
Looking at the history of the Church it is not hard to tell that transformation was not always understood. For far too long the Church was used by powerful men to get what they wanted. It was a tool used to hold power over the masses. Much of our history is a thing of shame. Remnants remained but the vast majority of people had no idea what it was to be alive in Jesus. This is seen in the dark parts of our history when men and women were judged because of their nationality or the colour of their skin.
I think one of the most beautiful, poetic and truly wonderful verses of the Bible is this:
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:11)
I think Jesus demonstrated this fact when he chose Matthew, the tax collector, and Judas, the Zealot, to be his disciples. When we are in Jesus, it does not matter our trade, nationality, skin colour, education, financial situation or position in society; we are all his disciples and all that matters to us is Jesus.
There are really only two groups on the face of this planet: those who are a new creation and those who are enslaved to their sin nature. That is all that we should see as a people alive in Jesus. We should know God's heart for those who are enslaved and we should share that heart. All of our focus and desire should be to see the enslaved set free because that is all our Father desires and it is the reason Jesus died. It is why you are where you are right and our desire should be to see everyone come to the same place of freedom.
We accept and believe with all our heart what John 3:16 says, that "whoever" believes will be saved. There is no prejudice in the Body of Christ. There is no judgement. There is no special or select group of people. Everyone has been called to repentance. Everyone has been called to Jesus. He was lifted up that all eyes would look upon him and be saved. Salvation is for everyone and to everyone we must bring it.
You don't need to go out of your country to find those who are enslaved; they exist on your street. In my province 0.3% of the population are born again Christians. There are a lot of people enslaved on my street, in my town and I have been given the responsibility to lift Jesus up to them. It doesn't matter the language they speak or the religion they belong to. It doesn't matter their age or sex. It doesn't matter if they are rich or poor. They need Jesus and I have to tell them about him.
What is your focus? Where is your heart? What is your mind set upon? Do you possess the mind of Christ? Do you share God's desire? Have you been transformed or conformed? Are you on a mission? Do you want to see the captives set free? Then go, make disciples of everyone.
I think one of the most beautiful, poetic and truly wonderful verses of the Bible is this:
Here there is no Greek or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all. (Colossians 3:11)
I think Jesus demonstrated this fact when he chose Matthew, the tax collector, and Judas, the Zealot, to be his disciples. When we are in Jesus, it does not matter our trade, nationality, skin colour, education, financial situation or position in society; we are all his disciples and all that matters to us is Jesus.
There are really only two groups on the face of this planet: those who are a new creation and those who are enslaved to their sin nature. That is all that we should see as a people alive in Jesus. We should know God's heart for those who are enslaved and we should share that heart. All of our focus and desire should be to see the enslaved set free because that is all our Father desires and it is the reason Jesus died. It is why you are where you are right and our desire should be to see everyone come to the same place of freedom.
We accept and believe with all our heart what John 3:16 says, that "whoever" believes will be saved. There is no prejudice in the Body of Christ. There is no judgement. There is no special or select group of people. Everyone has been called to repentance. Everyone has been called to Jesus. He was lifted up that all eyes would look upon him and be saved. Salvation is for everyone and to everyone we must bring it.
You don't need to go out of your country to find those who are enslaved; they exist on your street. In my province 0.3% of the population are born again Christians. There are a lot of people enslaved on my street, in my town and I have been given the responsibility to lift Jesus up to them. It doesn't matter the language they speak or the religion they belong to. It doesn't matter their age or sex. It doesn't matter if they are rich or poor. They need Jesus and I have to tell them about him.
What is your focus? Where is your heart? What is your mind set upon? Do you possess the mind of Christ? Do you share God's desire? Have you been transformed or conformed? Are you on a mission? Do you want to see the captives set free? Then go, make disciples of everyone.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Killing Off The Sick And Injured
It's funny how we so often take the things of God and manage to make it all backwards. We get caught up in this idea of perception provoked by appearance. For some reason we have created this bubble in the Church where, how people perceive us is more important than who we really are. It's probably because Christians are terrible at living the grace of God toward each other. Often we are more like piranhas when we see someone is injured, broken, or messed up.
What is your first thought when you hear of the sins of some respectable member of your church? Can you believe that people actually stop attending church because of the imperfections of others? We see the Church as some kind of Crystal Cathedral instead of the hospital that it is. Really damaged people come in, expecting to find healing for their wounds. Here they are ministered to by the Holy Spirit and cared for by this incredible family of God. It is a place where sins are washed away and a new creation emerges. It is a place of change and transformation; a place of forgiveness and redemption. So why do we put up with this attitude of judgement and execution?
We forget that we all have testimonies that are to be used to glorify God. They are not things of shame that that we hide away and try to pretend never happened. We don't live in the guilt of those things and we do not celebrate the sin but we do celebrate our rescue from that sin. I look at my life, what it could have been if not for the love, mercy and grace of Jesus. It is a thing that should bring joy to every Christian's heart, instead of condemnation. Condemnation doesn't even make sense. Are we going to condemn someone for what they did when they had no choice; when they were enslaved to sin? How can we condemn the redeemed of God for their past when God has transformed them into his child by his love?
Apostle Paul did not hide his testimony. He never forgot where he came from but he also knew what God did with it:
I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me. (Galatians 1:22-24)
That's something to say, isn't it? "They praised God because of me." They knew what he had been but they could see what God had done and they praised God because of this trophy of grace. The Church is overflowing with these trophies of grace, a people who were not God's people, who had been lost in rebellion and the ugliness of sin, now a nation, God's righteous children, the redeemed of the blood of the Lamb. We are all trophies of grace and we cannot forget our testimony. We may not all have been murderers and bank robbers but we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all have a testimony and the Church would be a much more colourful place if we would stop worrying about perception and just be real and honest with people.
People who are sick are not interested in going to places where they kill the sick. The sick want to go to a place where their sins are understood and identified with, where healing is available and where recovery is believed possible. Jesus is the doctor and we are the nurses and nurses don't kill patients. Let the Church be what she was intended to be; change your attitude.
What is your first thought when you hear of the sins of some respectable member of your church? Can you believe that people actually stop attending church because of the imperfections of others? We see the Church as some kind of Crystal Cathedral instead of the hospital that it is. Really damaged people come in, expecting to find healing for their wounds. Here they are ministered to by the Holy Spirit and cared for by this incredible family of God. It is a place where sins are washed away and a new creation emerges. It is a place of change and transformation; a place of forgiveness and redemption. So why do we put up with this attitude of judgement and execution?
We forget that we all have testimonies that are to be used to glorify God. They are not things of shame that that we hide away and try to pretend never happened. We don't live in the guilt of those things and we do not celebrate the sin but we do celebrate our rescue from that sin. I look at my life, what it could have been if not for the love, mercy and grace of Jesus. It is a thing that should bring joy to every Christian's heart, instead of condemnation. Condemnation doesn't even make sense. Are we going to condemn someone for what they did when they had no choice; when they were enslaved to sin? How can we condemn the redeemed of God for their past when God has transformed them into his child by his love?
Apostle Paul did not hide his testimony. He never forgot where he came from but he also knew what God did with it:
I was personally unknown to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only heard the report: “The man who formerly persecuted us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they praised God because of me. (Galatians 1:22-24)
That's something to say, isn't it? "They praised God because of me." They knew what he had been but they could see what God had done and they praised God because of this trophy of grace. The Church is overflowing with these trophies of grace, a people who were not God's people, who had been lost in rebellion and the ugliness of sin, now a nation, God's righteous children, the redeemed of the blood of the Lamb. We are all trophies of grace and we cannot forget our testimony. We may not all have been murderers and bank robbers but we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. We all have a testimony and the Church would be a much more colourful place if we would stop worrying about perception and just be real and honest with people.
People who are sick are not interested in going to places where they kill the sick. The sick want to go to a place where their sins are understood and identified with, where healing is available and where recovery is believed possible. Jesus is the doctor and we are the nurses and nurses don't kill patients. Let the Church be what she was intended to be; change your attitude.
Thursday, March 1, 2012
In This Present Darkness ... Open Our Eyes Jesus
What I am about to say is going to be problematic for some people and that is part of our problem in this modern day of "knowledge". Christians are too open and too accommodating to ideas and opinions that do not come from the Word of God. To be more accepting we actually entertain ideas that oppose what the Word of God says. Fearing to appear "close minded" we listen to and ponder the opinions of the world, of the educated, of the philosophers of our age and then we hear the Church preaching that there is no hell and that we worship the same god as the Muslims.
We are instructed in the Word that we must be "close minded" to everything that opposes what the Word of God says. We are told to fix our mind and heart on things above, not things of this world, not the things of man. We are told to fix our eyes on Jesus, only Jesus, because he is the author and finisher of our faith. We are told to run a good race to win the prize, to train ourselves for this race, to start it and not look back, finishing what we have begun. The Scriptures that warn us against wandering from our faith in Jesus are plentiful and is the last thing that Paul writes in his letter to Timothy:
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Faith means trust and without faith we cannot please God. We cannot pick apart the Bible or add to it. The Word of God was inspired by the Holy Spirit and is the authority of God for all that we do. The Spirit only operates within the Word. We can only preach and teach the Word. If people present ideas that oppose the Word , run away. Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Read it, study it, memorize it, do it.
Most people in this age are modern day philosophers. You'll discover that as you try to share Jesus with people. They will want to chat about everything and anything. They will want to share their theories with you. Even believers fall into this trap and before you know it we are caught up in godless chatter. Thanks in part to the Internet, we are overwhelmed by what some people consider "knowledge". The world also has the wonderful method of indoctrination into this "knowledge" called High School, College and University. Here ideas, philosophies, opinions and theories are presented as fact. Student's study the thinking of depraved men in literature and philosophy. Students go in one way and they come out completely different.
I am not opposed to education but I am opposed to sending students who are ill equipped, who do not understand what they will face and who do not understand the importance to guard what has been entrusted to their care. The Church is terrible at training and preparing our young people, even our old people. The World is getting better at it and the Church is falling off. We as individuals must come to realize the danger of not guarding our mind and our heart. Ideas and philosophies are presented constantly in our television shows and movies. The writers are giving us insight into their thinking and perspective, and we have no discipline as we suck it up and allow it to become what we think, changing our perspective ever so slightly until it has completely changed. This is why so many Christians now accept abortion, homosexuality, adultery and fornication.
My friends, we are under such a grave attack and we aren't even attentive enough to take notice. If you have noticed then please pray. Pray for our young people, for the preachers and teachers, for the whole Church, that we would wake up to what is going on. Pray because your prayers are effective in turning back the enemy. Pray for a new awakening, a fresh wind and fresh fire to blow through the Church. Guard what has been entrusted to your care.
We are instructed in the Word that we must be "close minded" to everything that opposes what the Word of God says. We are told to fix our mind and heart on things above, not things of this world, not the things of man. We are told to fix our eyes on Jesus, only Jesus, because he is the author and finisher of our faith. We are told to run a good race to win the prize, to train ourselves for this race, to start it and not look back, finishing what we have begun. The Scriptures that warn us against wandering from our faith in Jesus are plentiful and is the last thing that Paul writes in his letter to Timothy:
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. (1 Timothy 6:20-21)
Faith means trust and without faith we cannot please God. We cannot pick apart the Bible or add to it. The Word of God was inspired by the Holy Spirit and is the authority of God for all that we do. The Spirit only operates within the Word. We can only preach and teach the Word. If people present ideas that oppose the Word , run away. Guard what has been entrusted to your care. Read it, study it, memorize it, do it.
Most people in this age are modern day philosophers. You'll discover that as you try to share Jesus with people. They will want to chat about everything and anything. They will want to share their theories with you. Even believers fall into this trap and before you know it we are caught up in godless chatter. Thanks in part to the Internet, we are overwhelmed by what some people consider "knowledge". The world also has the wonderful method of indoctrination into this "knowledge" called High School, College and University. Here ideas, philosophies, opinions and theories are presented as fact. Student's study the thinking of depraved men in literature and philosophy. Students go in one way and they come out completely different.
I am not opposed to education but I am opposed to sending students who are ill equipped, who do not understand what they will face and who do not understand the importance to guard what has been entrusted to their care. The Church is terrible at training and preparing our young people, even our old people. The World is getting better at it and the Church is falling off. We as individuals must come to realize the danger of not guarding our mind and our heart. Ideas and philosophies are presented constantly in our television shows and movies. The writers are giving us insight into their thinking and perspective, and we have no discipline as we suck it up and allow it to become what we think, changing our perspective ever so slightly until it has completely changed. This is why so many Christians now accept abortion, homosexuality, adultery and fornication.
My friends, we are under such a grave attack and we aren't even attentive enough to take notice. If you have noticed then please pray. Pray for our young people, for the preachers and teachers, for the whole Church, that we would wake up to what is going on. Pray because your prayers are effective in turning back the enemy. Pray for a new awakening, a fresh wind and fresh fire to blow through the Church. Guard what has been entrusted to your care.
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