Archive for the ‘teaching’ Category

Profile of the Obsessed, Part 2

Posted: July 8, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , , ,
1

Sometimes I feel like when I make decisions that are remotely biblical, people who call themselves Christians are the first to criticize and say I’m crazy, that I’m taking the Bible too literally, or that I’m not thinking about my family’s well-being.

For example, when I returned from my first trip to Africa, I felt very strongly that we were to sell our house and move into something smaller, in order to give more away. The feedback I got was along the lines of “It’s not fair to your kids,” “It’s not a prudent financial choice,” and “You are doing it just for show.” I do not remember a single person who encouraged me to explore it or supported the decision at the time.

We ended up moving into a house half the size of our previous home, and we haven’t regretted it. My response to the cynics, in the context of eternity, was, am I the crazy one for selling my house? Or are you for not giving more, serving more, being with your Creator more?

If one person “wastes” away his day by spending hours connecting with God, and the other person believes he is too busy or has better things to do than worship the Creator and Sustainer, who is the crazy one? If one person invests her or his resources in the poor–which, according to Matthew 25, is giving to Jesus Himself–and the other extravagantly remodels a temporary dwelling that will not last beyond his few years left on this earth, who is the crazy one?

When people gladly sacrifice their time or comfort or home, it is obvious that they trust in the promises of God. Why is it that the story of someone who has actually done what Jesus commands resonates deeply with us, but we then assume we could never do anything so radical or intense? Or why do we call it radical when, to Jesus, it is simply the way it is? The way it should be?

Obsessed people are more concerned with obeying God than doing what is expected or fulfilling the status quo. A person who is obsessed with Jesus will do things that don’t always make sense in terms of success or wealth on this earth. As Martin Luther put it, “There are two days on my calendar: this day and that day” (Luke 14:25-35; Matt. 7:13-23; 8:18-22; Rev. 3:1-6).

Servers

As I shared in previous essays, I used to be driven by my fear of God. I also used to work hard to prove that I was committed to God. Now I have tremendous fear and awe of God, but that doesn’t motivate me. Now I work hard to serve God, but it isn’t to prove my devotion.

Now I think I’m actually in love. Maybe that sounds corny to you, but I can’t think of a more appropriate way to say it.

If a guy were dating my daughter but didn’t want to spend the gas money to come pick her up or refused to buy her dinner because it cost too much, I would question whether he were really in love with her. In the same way, I question whether many American churchgoers are really in love with God because they are so hesitant to do anything for Him.

People who are obsessed with Jesus do not consider service a burden. Obsessed people take joy in loving God by loving His people (Matt. 13:44;John 15:8).

Givers

Tears come to my eyes when I think about some of God’s people I have had the privilege to meet in the past few years. These are people with families, with dreams, people who are made in God’s image as much as you and I are. And these people are suffering.

Many of them are sick, some even dying, as they live out their lives in dwellings that we would not consider good enough for our household pets. I am not exaggerating. Much of their daily hardship and suffering could be relieved with access to food, clean water, clothing, adequate shelter, or basic medical attention.

I believe that God wants His people, His church, to meet these needs. The Scriptures are filled with commands and references about caring for the poor and for those who cannot help themselves. The crazy part about God’s heart is that He doesn’t just ask us to give; He desires that we love those in need as much as we love ourselves. That is the core of the second greatest command, to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt. 22:39).

He is asking you to love as you would want to be loved if it were your child who was blind from drinking contaminated water; to love the way you would want to be loved if you were the homeless woman sitting outside the cafe; to love as though it were your family living in the shack slapped together from cardboard and scrap metal.

Non-churchgoers tend to see Christians as takers rather than givers. When Christians sacrifice and give wildly to the poor, that is truly a light that glimmers. The Bible teaches that the church is to be that light, that sign of hope, in an increasingly dark and hopeless world. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

People who are obsessed with God are known as givers, not takers. Obsessed people genuinely think that others matter as much as they do, and they are particularly aware of those who are poor around the world (James 2:14-26).

Sacrificers

We cannot start believing that we are indispensable to God. According to the psalmist,

I have no need of a bull from your stall or of goats from your pens, for every animal of the forest is mine, and the cattle on a thousand hills. I know every bird in the mountains, and the creatures of the field are mine. If I were hungry I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all that is in it…. Sacrifice thank offerings to God, fulfill your vows to the Most High. — Psalm 50:9-12, 14

There is no way we can contribute or add to God. He has everything and is complete. When we are in God’s presence, all we can do is praise Him.Romans 11:35-36 says, “Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”

A person who is obsessed with Jesus knows that the best thing he can do is be faithful to his Savior in every aspect of his life, continually saying “Thank You!”to God. An obsessed person knows there can never be intimacy if he is always trying to pay God back or work hard enough to be worthy. He revels in his role as child and friend of God.

While these descriptions combined don’t necessarily answer the question of what it looks like to be wholly surrendered to God, they represent important pieces of the puzzle. Hopefully you are beginning to imagine and pray about what this looks like in your own life.

http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/servlet/MailView?ms=NDIwMDA2MDQS1&r=NDQ2NjE0NTU0MzYS1&j=MTk0MDgxMzk0S0&mt=2&rj=MTk0MDgxMzk0S0&rt=0

Do you really know your Father who art in Heaven?

Posted: July 6, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , , , ,
0

Many Christians today have never experienced the true intimacy of son-ship in having a relationship with God the Father. There are many who can only relate to God the Father thru the eyes of who their own earthly father was, thus they have a wrong perspective of God. Some may view Him as being a absent God because their own father was never there or left the home when they were a child. Others may view Him as a God of punishment their own earthly father was that way and the list goes on. In this Fathers day message I seek to pull down the barriers that separate so many from the awesome relation with Father God that Jesus Christ has paved the way for all His followers to experience.

Profile of the Obsessed, Part 1

Posted: July 1, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , , ,
2

DCCChanHeader

 

 

 

Obsessed: To have the mind excessively preoccupied with a single emotion or topic.

The idea of holding back certainly didn’t come from Scripture. The Bible teaches us to be consumed with Christ and to faithfully live out His words. The Holy Spirit stirs in us a joy and peace when we are fixated on Jesus, living by faith, and focused on the life to come.

Lovers

I think sometimes we assume that if we are nice, people will know that we are Christians and want to know more about Jesus. But it really doesn’t work that way. I know a lot of people who don’t know Christ and are really nice people–nicer and more fun to be with, in fact, than a lot of Christians I know.

There has to be more to our faith than friendliness, politeness, and even kindness. Jesus teaches in Luke’s gospel:

If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even “sinner” love those who love them. And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even “sinners” do that. And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even “sinners” lend to “sinners,” expecting to be repaid in full. But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. — Luke 6:32-36

True faith is loving a person after he has hurt you. True love makes you stand out.

In October 2006, near Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a man stormed an Amish school and killed several girls. The day after the shootings, many Amish people visited the shooter’s family to say they had forgiven him. That sort of forgiveness is incomprehensible to the world; because of it, people have even accused the families of being bad parents, of not dealing properly with their anger, of living in denial.

It is just this sort of love that is crazy to the world: true love, a kind found nowhere but through Christ.

We are commanded to love our enemies and do good to them. Who are your enemies? Or, in terms we connect with better, who are the people you avoid or who avoid you? Who are the people who have hurt you or hurt your friends or hurt your kids? Are you willing to do good to those people? To reach out to them?

Oftentimes, my first response when someone does something to me–or worse, to my wife or to one of my kids–is retaliation. I don’t want to bless those who hurt me or people I love dearly. I wouldn’t want to forgive someone who walked into my daughter’s school and shot her and her friends.

But that is exactly what Christ asks us to do. He commands that we give without expecting anything in return.

Later in Luke, Jesus says, When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous. –Luke 14:12-14

Have you ever actually done anything like that? Do you give to those who cannot repay you? To those who would do you harm, if they could? To those who have already done you harm? This is Christ’s love. He gave us something for which we can never repay Him, and then He asks us to keep giving like He gives.

People who are obsessed with Jesus give freely and openly, without censure. Obsessed people love those who hate them and who can never love them back.

Risk Takers

Haven’t we all prayed the following prayer? Lord, we pray for safety as we travel. We ask that no one gets hurt on this trip. Please keep everyone safe until we return, and bring us back safely. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen. The exact wording may vary a bit, but that is the standard prayer we recite before leaving on mission trips, retreats, vacations, and business trips.

We are consumed by safety. Obsessed with it, actually. Now, I’m not saying it is wrong to pray for God’s protection, but I am questioning how we’ve made safety our highest priority. We’ve elevated safety to the neglect of whatever God’s best is, whatever would bring God the most glory, or whatever would accomplish His purposes in our lives and in the world.

Would you be willing to pray this prayer? God, bring me closer to You during this trip, whatever it takes.

People who are obsessed with Jesus aren’t consumed with their personal safety and comfort above all else. Obsessed people care more about God’s kingdom coming to this earth than their own lives being shielded from pain or distress.

Friends of All

Awhile back I had a free evening, so I decided to go to the store and buy some items to give away to those who needed them more than I do. It was a good idea, something I want my life to be characterized by more and more.

But it was embarrassing.

I realized that everyone I knew had enough, that I didn’t know many people who were truly in need, and that I needed to change that. I needed to go and intentionally meet people who don’t live like I do or think like I do, people who could never repay me. For their sake, but for my own as well.

First Timothy reaffirms that we are not to be controlled by money or to pursue it:

Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs. But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. — 1 Timothy 6:6-13

People who are obsessed with Jesus live lives that connect them with the poor in some way or another. Obsessed people believe that Jesus talked about money and the poor so often because it was really important to Him (1 John 2:4-6; Matt. 16:24-26).

Why so silent?……..What’s Behind the Church Walls?

Posted: June 22, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , ,
1

Luke 11:33, “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.”

I can write an article like this because I am a Christian Myself.  I am not writing this article to attack any Christians; on the contrary, I am writing this article to wake you up if you’re sleeping in this dark hour.  Jesus asked His disciples to pray, but they went to sleep instead.  MOST believers have gone to sleep spiritually worldwide, especially in America.  I want you to awake to righteousness (1st Corinthians 15:34, “Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame”).  I want to help you in the spirit of meekness (Galatians 6:1).
Where is your light oh Christian?

One of the biggest problems with Christians today is that they are hiding their light within the church walls (in a “secret place” as mentioned in Luke 11:33).  “Secret place” simply means “hidden place”.  Why would a person light a candle and then cover it?  Or in today’s thinking, why would you turn on a lamp and then cover it with a box?  It is just as ridiculous for a child of God to hide their light from the world.  Most believers know the Biblical teaching of the candle being hid under the bushel, but the true meaning just doesn’t register.  There are churches all across America that meet a couple times a week behind closed doors and the local community has NO IDEA what the church believes.  Their candle (light) is well hid.
Most Churches operate like the occult

Do you know what the definition of “occult” is?

OCCULT: Become concealed or hidden from view or have its light extinguished

I hate to say it, but it needs to be said…most churches operate more like occult organizations than they do local New Testament churches.  Church members all across America think they only go to church to “worship” God.  Show me that in the Bible.  We are supposed to worship God at all times.  Americas churches have fallen into the lie of the devil that we shouldn’t FORCE our beliefs upon other people.  This is simply not true.   Christians are supposed to stand up against the evil doers…

“Who will rise up for me against the evildoers? or who will stand up for me against the workers of iniquity?” -Psalm 94:16

I am NOT saying that the church is the occult.  I am saying that most churches operate like the occult.  Most communities across America know as much about their local church as they do about Skull and Bones or the Freemasons.  I believe that every community in America should know clearly what their local New Testament church stands for and believes.  Will this make some people angry?  Of course, but that should not be a factor because God has commanded us to stand up against evil and iniquity.
The Early Church was Persecuted for Their Faithfulness to Christ

The believers in the early church were making things happen. God gave us the Book of Acts so we would have an example to follow. They were getting people saved (Acts 2:41 tells us that 3,000 souls were saved). The Devil doesn’t care what you believe, just so long as you keep it to yourself. The early believers were worrying Satan and giving him cause for concern. By Acts 4:4, the Bible tells us that 5,000 men were saved (not including women and children). By now the Devil was going ballistic. It is not surprising that Herod killed James in Acts 12:2 with the sword. Acts 12:3 says that the Jews were pleased with James’ execution, which prompted Herod to also put Peter on death row.

It’s no different today… the wicked love to see Christians get their heads chopped off.

I heard a deadbeat pastor say that he wasn’t trying to grow his church. Huh? He said that he only wants to pass to the next generation the doctrines which have been entrusted to him. The guys an idiot, pardon the expression. Who’s he going to pass the doctrines to? His biggest Sunday attendance since he became pastor is about 30 people. He spent 4-years in an Independent Fundamental Baptist Bible college. He needs to go back to school because he missed something.

He leads his congregation every Wednesday night to “pray about the abortion issue” while the local community never hears a word from his church about the sin of abortion. The abortion clinic down the street never sees a protester from his church. This is what’s wrong with America!

Churches today are mainly concerned about making money and going through the religious motions, but their candle is well hidden. When God says in 2nd Timothy 3:12,  “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” If you are not experiencing persecution in this apostate world, then you are not living godly in Christ Jesus.
A Christ-honoring Church Stirs Things Up with the Truth

The early church in the Book of Acts was rocking the boat. They were making people angry by preaching the truth. Some people were martyred, willing to die for the cause of Christ. In acts 19:19 many who had been involved with the occult brought their “curious arts” and burned them in a bonfire. The worth of the books and items were 50,000 pieces of silver (about $48,000 in today’s value, and millions in Bible times). A piece of silver was a day’s wage in the New Testament.

The local idol makers were so enraged at Paul, that the other believers had to keep him from the angry mob waiting to tear him to pieces (Acts 19:30). This is what the truth does friend, it puts the beer companies out of business. It puts the pornographic perverts out of business. It shuts down the taverns and whore houses. The truth cleans up the community. It cause women to keep their babies instead of murdering them. It puts the Rosary makers out of business. It puts the palm readers, Tarot card readers, and psychics out of business. It puts the Godless video game makers out of business. It puts Godless Hollywood and Devilish Walt Disney out of business. It puts the gambling casinos out of business. The truth puts the strip joints and nightclubs out of business. Praise God, when Jesus returns at the Second Coming, He will put all these evil people out of business!!!

Please notice that the early believers didn’t just preach a salvation message. The Apostle Paul preached about all the things concerning the kingdom of God (Acts 19:8). I actually had a preacher tell me, that when I came to his church, he only wanted me to preach a “salvation message.” He didn’t like me teaching that all modern Bibles are corrupt. He didn’t like when I preached against liquor. He didn’t like when I preached against bars and nightclubs. He didn’t like when I exposed the lies of Roman Catholicism. And he hated when I preached with zeal and fervor. He actually accused me of shouting at the people from the pulpit. I was shouting at anybody, I was zealously proclaiming the truth with excitement. I don’t know about you, but I get exciting knowing that I have found the truth in Christ Jesus. Eventually he threw me out the door.

Until Christ returns, we are responsible to stand against the evils of our day (Psalm 94:16). The truth will make people angry. The truth will cause others to come to God in repentance. The truth is emotional. The truth demands an answer. The truth cannot be ignored forever. The truth is the truth! 2nd Thessalonians 2:10 tells us that we should receive the love of the truth. Do you love the truth? Now, I don’t like to know of bad things, but I need to know the truth. I must know the truth!
It is Our Constitutional Right to Proclaim the Truth

When a man of God proclaims the truth and tries to reach people for Christ, he is simply exercising his Constitutional Bill of Rights, as well as his God-given call. Furthermore, EVERY believer is commanded to speak out against the wickednesses of our day! It’s not just the preacher’s job to witness to the lost and speak out against wrong doing… this is another lie of the Devil which many Christians have fallen for… it is ALL of our jobs. So why aren’t America’s men and women of God doing it? Wake up!!!

To accuse a zealous Christian of “forcing his or her beliefs” unto other people is simply the Devil’s lie. We have every right to speak out with contempt against contemptible things. I do NOT endorse deliberately being unkind to anyone, but unrepentant sinners will nonetheless be offended when we preach out against wickednesses. We should attack the sin, never the sinner. Though the wicked will claim the two are inseparable, there is indeed a great difference. God HATES sin, but not people. No one hates sin any more than God, yet no one loves sinners as much as God. We must follow Christ’s example by trying to do the same.
The Devils’ Crowd Parades Their Wickedness

Do you think the Devil plays by his own rules? I mean… America’s homosexuals proudly march up and down our streets promoting their wickednesses. When a few Christians protest the parade, the Christians end up being arrested and put into jail -Facing 47 years in prison! I just have a few webpages exposing the evils of homosexuality and the homosexuals go bizzerk, calling my everything imaginable. One homosexual told me that I’d better run when he sees me in Hell. Why can they have a parade, but I can’t have a few webpages? Talk about hypocrites!

I recently received an e-mail from a young man who said his teacher hated God and would sing “One nation under evolution” instead of “One nation under God” when he said the pledge. He asked me why a teacher would do that. I replied that “people need God.” I sent him Ephesians 2:2 which explains that Satan’s spirit works in the hearts of the unsaved (“…the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience”). The bottom line is that the righteous and the wicked will NEVER co-exist in harmony (“An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked, Proverb 29:27”). We can’t stand each other. This is the plain truth.
America’s Churches Need to Speak the Truth Publicly

As Christians, it is our responsibility to get the truth out. Every church in America should have a big sign out front that speaks to the drivers passing by… “Homosexuality is sin!”… “Harry Potter is wicked”… “It’s Jesus or Hell!” Every week you could change the message.

I greatly admire Dr. Roy Thompson (former pastor of the Cleveland Baptist Church in Ohio). Many years ago while driving by his church I saw a great big sign…”Abortion is cold-blooded murder!” Amen! I wanted to jump out of my seat. I was so encouraged to see a man of God with some GUTS! America’s pulpits are filled with sissy’s and wimps who are afraid to shell the corn. America needs a generation of Billy Sundays to set the fields on fire.

“There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by old-fashioned preaching.” —Dr. Jack Hyles

What does the Bible mean by “the Light”?  The “Light” is simply the truth. Hence, it is our responsibility as Christians to get the truth out, the truth about everything! I am so disgusted with the attitude of wishy-washy believers who say that nothing else matters except the Gospel.

Certainly, the Gospel is the most important truth in the world, but the Bible contains much more truth than just the Gospel. If nothing else mattered except the Gospel, then God would have only written us a gospel tract, not an entire Book… the Bible.
Some Believers are Preaching Lies

So many Christians have their own concepts of what the Bible teaches. Obviously, some are correct and others are very wrong. Truth is intolerant! 2 + 2 = 4. You can sincerely believe that 2 + 2 = 5, but you are dead wrong. There is no compromise, there is no diversity. The modern-day neo-evangelical church preaches a watered-down gospel, but little else. This is the crowd that says it really doesn’t matter which Bible you use. They don’t fuss over MAJOR doctrinal differences such as the blood of Jesus, etc. Basically, they are a liability to the name of Christ.

I’d like to share with you the ministry of one neo-evangelical minister in particular.  The pastor (and I use the term loosely) was a disgrace to his profession and faith.  His sermonettes were so weak that any Catholic or Jehovah’s Witness would have felt at home listening to him.  He preached a basic gospel, but never touched upon any doctrinal issues such as the deity of Jesus Christ or the virgin birth.  The minister would simply promise his congregation that everything would get better in their life if they would simply say “yes” to Christ.  He’d say things like, “Give your life to Jesus and you’ll never have any problem again.”  I often wondered if he even thought about the statements he was making before he blurted them out.  There are no such teachings in the Bible (Remember, Lazarus was the good guy in Luke 16…the guy begging for scraps from the garbage).  Becoming a Christian doesn’t guarantee a smoother life.  On the contrary, becoming a Christian guarantees you persecution…

“Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.” -2nd Timothy 3:12

The minister I’m sharing with you didn’t care which Bible he used.  He told his congregation that it didn’t matter what Bible they used either.  He often made references in his sermons to movies because never missed a Hollywood movie.  Truth meant nothing to the minister.  He’d say, “We don’t preach anything here but the gospel.”  Often he was angry because of something bad someone did to him and turned it into a sermon.  His congregation starved spiritually.  It wasn’t a surprise to me when the ministry closed it’s doors just 2 years later.  Sadly, there are tens-of-thousands of such pathetic ministries still in existence today.  Most churches just don’t care.
Most Christians Don’t Care About the Truth

The problem with many Christians is that we either don’t care about the truth (like the sinister minister above) or we don’t preach the truth outside of the church walls.  It’s critical that America’s churches get riled up about the truth and proclaim it uncompromisingly and without apology.  The problem with most Christians is that they’re at ease on Zion, complacent in their salvation…

“How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation…” -Hebrews 2:3

Hebrews 2:3 was written to Christians.  This verse is not talking about being saved.  This verse is simply saying that we should not neglect our salvation.  Perhaps you may want to read the excellent book, Salvation is More Than Being Saved.  Look back to verse one…

“Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.” -Hebrews 2:1

God saved us to do more than fill up 18 inches of pew.  The problem with most Christians today is that they’re “sitting on the premises” instead of “standing on the promises.”  The world needs to hear the truth.  We’re not going to reach the world by opening our church doors for a few hours a week and dishing our sermonettes.
Lazy Pastor Says He’s Not Trying to Grow His Church

I know of a pastor in Chicago who has about 15 to 20 people present on Sunday morning.  I am mentioning him again because he is the epitome of what is wrong with America’s churches.  I actually heard him say from the pulpit that he WASN’T trying to grow his church.  He said his job was to pass on to the next generation what had been handed to him.  What generation?  You don’t have any members!  Kindly said, the guys an idiot!  Every pastor should want to grow his church.  Look folks, God’s not interested in empty pews, He wants His house full (Luke 14:23).  It wasn’t a surprise when the same pastor declined to go soul winning with me.

I looked through his weekly bulletin that’s passed out every Sunday in church.  He had a list of things that the church was going to pray about on Wednesday.  I noticed “the abortion issue”.  Week after week his church prays about the “abortion issue,” but NEVER lifts a finger to do anything about the murdering of little children.  There’s an abortion clinic right down the street, but the church is nowhere to be found.  The local community never hears a word of protest from that little church.  The light of the truth is hidden within the walls of the “church”.  Like I said, most churches operate more like an occult organization than they do a New Testament church.  It’s a disgrace.
Why Are the Churches Silent?

In the 1970’s Anita Bryant took a stand for decency and morality standing up and speaking out against the homosexual agenda. For her efforts, she was rewarded with being abandoned by the Christian churches across the Nation and ultimately suffered a divorce when the homosexuals began to make phone calls to the churches she was speaking at threatening to blow them up. The churches decided to give in to this terrorist tactic and abandon Anita. Then in the 1980’s Pastor Jerry Falwell took a stand against the homosexual agenda and many leading pastors and churches also ostracized him across the country as being a little too political and getting off focus of preaching the gospel.  As a result the churches joined in with the liberal media in labeling Falwell as a hatemonger.  Well today, churches are getting to reap what they have sown…

“Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” -Galatians 6:7

Here’s what Anita Bryant’s husband said…

Anita Bryant’s husband, Bob Green, was quoted as saying, “One thing we have noticed in letters we receive from people is the question, ‘Why should it have to be a woman and mother in the forefront of this battle, instead of the Christian leadership in this country.’ Since the petition drive began, Anita has had her life threatened almost daily…”

Shame!  Shame on America’s Christians.  We out to all be ashamed of ourselves for being so complacent and careless with our freedom.

“All tyranny needs to gain a foothold is for conscience people to remain silent.” -Thomas Jefferson

Thomas Jefferson, an unsaved man, had more sense than the average Christian does.  Jefferson knew the road which leads to tyranny…silent citizens.  If America’s Christians don’t speak out, then who will?  Sadly, many of the heathen are speaking out while Christians play the religious game.

“Let’s quit fiddling with religion and do something to bring the world to Christ.”–Billy Sunday

by David J. Stewart

A call to a new kind of church for a new culture

Posted: June 22, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , ,
0

 

We’ve all seen the recent developments in our day that just don’t align with the way things used to be. The statistics used to be that more than half of our country consisted of followers of Christ. There used to be a time when we could freely speak about prayer, Jesus or sin without much criticism or debate. Before, in the 70’s, 80’s and even 90’s, the Christian seemed to be the majority. Mega Churches, national days of prayer and para-church organizations led the way, but now we have seen a radical shift in that culture. The United States lived up to the moniker of the “Last Christian nation” back then, but as we can see, we are seeing a great shift into something increasingly more un Christian.

STATE OF THE CULTURE AND IT’S RAPID SHIFT

In this century, church is dying. Less people are going to church now than ever before. More importantly, less people understand and agree with the foundations of scripture and who Jesus is. Young people especially have completely abandoned traditional biblical principles in favor of the new ‘tolerance culture’. This new culture is a pluralistic, therapeutic one that says everything, no matter what, is tolerated and accepted by all, with one exception, Christianity. John Dickerson writes in his book The Great Evangelical recession, that culture is shifting faster than it ever has. If we look back to the 70’s or 80’s or even early 2000’s we will see the most rapid cultural shift our nation has ever seen. In the last 15-20 years, culture has shifted more than it had in the previous 100 years.

Simply looking at the occurrences of our day can help prove this point. Last year, for the first time ever we had a presidential election without an Evangelical Christian as a candidate. At President Obama’s most recent inauguration, evangelical Christians lacked a representative for the first time in the nation’s history. 25 years ago, it is hard to imagine we would see the full-fledged acceptance of things like abortion and homosexuality as we do today. TV shows like Glee and the New Normal are promoting homosexuality. Entire networks like MTV have dedicated their programing to miserable celebrations of sin with shows like 16 and pregnant, the Guy code and Jersey shore. And the most obvious occurrence of all is the suppression of Christians who speak in opposition to any of the above. Christianity is downright hated in today’s culture.

THE CHURCH BUBBLE

Before I venture into the 21st Century Church and how we can better reach todays young people I need to preface with something. Many older people reading this perhaps have something around them I call the “Church Bubble”. Many were raised in the church, serve in the church, all of their friends are part of a church and all of the activities they do are church related. These people have few if any non-Christian friends; they only read Christian media and watch Christian friendly programming. SO when they read the idea that culture is changing, they vehemently disagree. They have no clue what it means that things are changing, and to them, we still are a strong Christian nation. As John Dickerson writes in his book, “You don’t have to talk, work or study outside evangelical circles long to realize that we (Christians) are not possibly that much of the United States population I the 21st century.” I encourage anyone in the Church Bubble to step out and take a look around. For those that spout of a bloated statistic like “75% of the country is Christian,” or “at least 50% of the nation is evangelical”, I would challenge them to reconsider. Do we really believe that if we asked 10 people to come forward in a grocery store in Los Angeles or New York that 7-8 of them would say they are a bible believing Christian? If we were to ask a few sub questions like, “is Jesus the only way to heaven?” “Is there a hell?” “Can you be a good person without Jesus and go to heaven?” or, “Does your sexual orientation matter to God?” Do we really think that even 5 out of 10 people would still align with Christianity? We must look at the sobering facts of reality.

THE SAME OLD CHURCH

Since I work in ministry a little, I hear the calls of some to continue pressing on with what we have been doing the last 30 years, particularly with young people. Many suggest being more and more relational. Some want to abandon teachings of the cross in favor of more worship, games and one-on-one hangouts. Multiple retreats, secular games and vague, vanilla teachings of Jesus are tactics of old. They perhaps worked on the majority of youth in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s. When most churches spoke the hard truth of the gospel, these methods were great ways to show the youth that you can relax about Jesus, be informal and not get hardcore every second of every day. But this dynamic has shifted. The majority of our churches have adopted this soft form of church. The vanilla, plain Jesus message coupled with the omission of calling people to repentance has entered our churches in the name of making church non-Christian friendly. Unfortunately, everything in the culture is giving us a plain, relaxed, no pressure way of doing things. Additionally, the culture treats children like adults more now than they every have. Flick on the Disney Channel or MTV to see that. We still want to get 17-year-old boys to stuff marshmallows in their mouth and play board games, instead of dealing with their sexual sin and their call to manhood. Unfortunately, kids aren’t kids anymore. But, as a result they are far more receptive to direct teaching

We cannot assume that the youth of the 70’s and 80’s are the same as the youth of 2013. They are different. They need a different style of church to fit their different personas. If you don’t agree, just look at the numbers of youth walking away from church and never coming back put out by Lifeway, Barna group, Josh McDowell and even secular researchers at UCLA. All of these researchers agree that somewhere in the neighborhood of 70-80% of young evangelicals are leaving church, never to return (Dickerson, The Great Evangelical Recession).

21st CENTURY CHURCH

Today, people lack knowledge of the bible. Many have no clue what the bible says about key issues. They have been fed this watered down Christianity for so long they don’t know who Jesus really is and what the Gospel really says. Take, for example, the number of “evangelicals” who recently affirmed the coming out of the closet of Jason Collins, the NBA player. Or the number of “Christians” who are undecided about a real hell or if Jesus really said he was God. Here are a few key components we will need going forward to assimilate to the 21st century

1. PREACH THE WORD

The art of sharing the true gospel has been lost in our day. We must hold fast to the teachings of scripture, call people to repentance of sin and faith in Jesus. For our youth, this method is extremely effective. I recently took over a young adults group. I changed nothing except I opened the bible and preached the word of God. I told them that God doesn’t like the sins they commit and desires more for them: to be reconciled to Him through Jesus death on the cross. Bang. All that happened is that they went home and came back the next week with more people! The group has grown 10-fold all because God’s word changes people lives. If we back down from preaching it because we are afraid of what people think, then we are in sin. God wants his Word preached.

2. CONTEXTUALIZE OUR CHURCHES

The Apostle Paul said, that we should become all things to all people so that we may save some (1 Corinthians 9). We must do this for this new generation. Older, Godly people should be humble and assimilate their church to what helps people get saved. Our processes and method of church is secondary to people meeting Jesus. I once heard Missiologist Ed Stetzer say, “I am convinced that some churches want to die holding on to their method of church while the region around them goes to hell.”

We must alter our church to fit the 21st century. This does not mean the word of God Changes one bit, but that if we need to become more technologically sound, get a better website, use social media and get more modern décor then we should do it for the sake of the Gospel

3. MAKE DISCIPLES

We need to quit feeding and tending to the same sheep for 20 years and instead make that sheep a co-laborer and a disciple that can go serve the lost. Non-Christians are out there waiting. We often let our ministry turn in on itself. Its time to turn our ministries outward and be instruments for Jesus in his saving work to those outside of our church.

4. LETS PRETEND THE HOLY SPIRIT HAS A SAY

Have we forgotten that God sends the Holy Spirit to save? We are not the salvation police. So why do we soften the message of Jesus to make it easier to swallow? Don’t you remember that the God of the Universe is greater than any culture and any strong spirit? I think it’s time we pretend Jesus is in charge and we do as he asks, to boldly proclaim the gospel in His name. We have shared the gospel for too long. Sharing it worked for a season. But we must return to proclaiming the gospel.

The new church we must present to the lost is not anything spectacular or crazy. What it is is a radical call back to the gospel of Christ. We must boldly share our faith in a way that can be understood by the lost, and we must not be a afraid of the consequences. The criticism of Christianity is as harsh as it’s ever been. let us hold fast to the teaching of Jesus, let the Holy Spirit do his work.

Eddie Williams(Twitter: @realewilliams) is a Christian, a husband and a father, and public speaker, he also leads a ministry as a pastor, called REACH, a young adults ministry at his home church. The 5 year NFL veteran (Cleveland Browns, Seattle, Seahawks) speaks weekly at the ministry and has spoken across the U.S. at high schools, colleges, conferences and ministries about a vairety of topics, including leadership, hea’th and faith. Eddie has been a part of numerous programs for youth, including NFL Play60. He has also given back to the community at organizations like the Cleveland Foodbank, Feed My Starving Children and Veterans hospitals.For more on Eddie, visit: Eddiejwilliams.me

New “Grace Message” Nothing but a spiritual “Trojan Horse”

Posted: June 17, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , , , ,
1

The modern day “Grace” message is like a Trojan horse. It come in the form of a gift, sent by the enemy. It is a false representation of peace, for once we allow it to come in through the gate it opens up and the trained spiritual assassins break forth in to the court yard of one’s mind. At this point they wrestle against the foundation of spiritual truth, knocking down the watchmen from the walls who stand in guard against the approach of the enemy in the open, until at they at last command the gate and allow to full force of the enemy to enter, bringing death and destruction until there is but a small remnant left, for which they imprison.

We must stand guard and be ever watchful, even to that which appears as a gift. For we must test all things in the spirit assuring that they are indeed from our Lord. We seek but the gifts send from above for it is they which build us up in our faith rather than the gifts of the enemy who seeks but to destroy us.

The enemy has weakened the foundation in preparation for the allowance of this “Trojan House” to come into the camp. For we see how the years of continued watering down of the gospel message, the very foundation of our faith has been replaced with societies wisdom, ethics and morals. The hearts have been prepared for such a message as they seek the wide path rather than enduring the narrow path which calls for obedience and sacrifice.

Now if this new “Grace Message” were true and indeed the law and the old testament have passed away, then the earth would sink into the sun and the very stars of heaven would fall. For it is the God of the Old Testament, who for w brief moment stepped upon earth to restore all things, who hold all things both in heaven and earth by His command & Word.

Now when one walks in the Spirit they see the laws of God and His Kingdom not a burden rather as a blessing. For what the Father decrees is with the revelation of Jeremiah 29:11 that He purposes everything for the good of His children that His name may be “Glorified”.

It is but by the Grace of God that a servant/son can be a blessing unto His Heavenly Father, for it is His Grace which is infused into us via Holy Ghost that empowers us to walk in spiritual victory having daily dealt a death blow to the carnal nature which seeks but to enthrone itself above all else in one’s life including the Lordship of our Christ. It is the Grace from above which daily places us at the foot of the cross were we lay down every fleshly desire that we may walk in the Spirit allowing the complete dominion of Jesus Christ to rule every aspect of our lives, for then is the Glory of the Father revealed to the world.

This false grace message is a drug—a poisonous sleeping pill that feels freeing, relaxing and euphoric. Yet this non Biblical grace overdose that’s occurring in churches all over the world is resulting in people’s careless, self-focused slumber that they will, one day, fail to awaken from.

I fear that it has already has and will bring even more division into the body. Many have already fallen into its trap and they are relentlessly seeking to drag others down with them. In fact whole Church have been consumed by this seductive destructive doctrine. We need the true watchmen to take to the walls and sound the alarm.

Again, many in this modern day “Grace Message” movement have already been shocked on the day of their death to find themselves escorted not into the presence of God by glorious angels, but rather by the most horrifying of demonic creatures into their new, eternal residence in Hell. It happens every day. I’m grieved and broken.

The Apostle Paul accurately predicted, “The time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to MYTHS” (2 Tim. 4:3,4).

Basically this new grace message is but a theology of exemption which states that since we are saved, we are exempt from the penalties of sin. This false gospel message ever so subtly exclaims that there are parts of the Bible that no longer apply to us. Yes, it’s a heresy. This new “Grace Message” removes bible-based responsibilities to respond to God in holiness.

The number of people who subconsciously or unwittingly embrace such a theology of exemption is far greater than those who explicitly pronounce their agreement with this doctrine. Many subscribe to new “Grace Message” doctrines without realizing their deception.

Many have been lulled into a false sense of security while actually existing in an unsaved state. They are confident they’d enter Heaven if they died, yet the reality is that they would not. They have come to believe they are exempt from certain parts of the Word of God that requires response.

But as the One Who called you is holy, you yourselves also be holy in all your conduct and manner of living. For it is written, You shall be holy, for I am holy.  And if you call upon Him as [your] Father Who judges each one impartially according to what he does, [then] you should conduct yourselves with true reverence throughout the time of your temporary residence [on the earth, whether long or short]. ( 1Peter 1:15-17)

I could go on with many more scriptures that would lay open the vulnerabilities of this new “Grace Message” that indeed it can hold no water in light of the truth of His Word. Yet I believe that I have given enough here that would cause any true Berean to dig deep and dislodge this heretical doctrine with the help of Holy Ghost guidance. Also one can email me at hisway64@aol.com and I will willing to discuss this in greater detail. Also one call follow this topic and more at https://www.facebook.com/rush.welch or https://www.facebook.com/ruuswelch?fref=ts

Let us be ever vigilant, ever studying His Word that we may rightly divide the Word and not fall for any doctrines which seek to remove us from the very foundation of our faith according to that which the Lord has commanded and taught us in His Holy Word. Let us not allow any Trojan horse into our camp rather let us set them ablaze with the Fire of His truth before they even come close that they burn as a warning signal to others to see.

Russ Welch

Servant of Christ

Profile of the Lukewarm, Part 2

Posted: June 14, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , , , ,
0

This is a continuation of my previous post. Again, this was taken from the newsletter from Crazy Love authored by Francis Chan.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE are thankful for their luxuries and comforts, and rarely consider trying to give as much as possible to the poor. They are quick to point out, “Jesus never said money is the root of all evil, only that the love of money is.” Untold numbers of lukewarm people feel “called” to minister to the rich; very few feel “called” to minister to the poor.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE do whatever is necessary to keep themselves from feeling too guilty.

They want to do the bare minimum, to be “good enough” without it requiring too much of them.

They ask, “How far can I go before it’s considered a sin?” instead of “How can I keep myself pure as a temple of the Holy Spirit?”

They ask, “How much do I have to give?” instead of “How much can I give?”

They ask, “How much time should I spend praying and reading my Bible?” instead of “I wish I didn’t have to go to work, so I could sit here and read longer!”

LUKEWARM PEOPLE are continually concerned with playing it safe; they are slaves to the god of control. This focus on safe living keeps them from sacrificing and risking for God.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE feel secure because they attend church, made a profession of faith at age twelve, were baptized, come from a Christian family, vote Republican, or live in America. Just as the prophets in the Old Testament warned Israel that they were not safe just because they lived in the land of Israel, so we are not safe just because we wear the label Christian or because some people persist in calling us a “Christian nation.

” LUKEWARM PEOPLE do not live by faith; their lives are structured so they never have to. They don’t have to trust God if something unexpected happens–they have their savings account. They don’t need God to help them–they have their retirement plan in place. They don’t genuinely seek out what life God would have them live–they have life figured and mapped out. They don’t depend on God on a daily basis–their refrigerators are full and, for the most part, they are in good health. The truth is, their lives wouldn’t look much different if they suddenly stopped believing in God.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE probably drink and swear less than average, but besides that, they really aren’t very different from your typical unbeliever. They equate their partially sanitized lives with holiness, but they couldn’t be more wrong.

This profile of the lukewarm is not an all-inclusive definition of what it means to be a Christian, nor is it intended to be used as ammunition to judge your fellow believers’ salvation. Instead, as 2 Corinthians 13:5 says, it is a call to “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves? We are all messed-up human beings, and no one is totally immune to the behaviors described in the previous examples. However, there is a difference between a life that is characterized by these sorts of mentalities and habits and a life that is in the process of being radically transformed.

We’ll get to the transformation later, but now is the time to take a serious self-inventory.

So if you want to know more about this book, you can visit his site at http://crazylovebook.com.

America needs a Revolutionary Spiritual Reformation – Not a political change!!!

Posted: June 13, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, Prophetic, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

Having spent some time studying the history of the Church and seeing where we are as a nation I truly believe that we are in desperate need of a Spiritual reformation. It is time that we return back to the Red Letters of the Bible, it is time to release a 3 reformation in this nation. We see a nation who has fallen morally both in the secular government as well as the Church. This is not a war of division and is not a solution that can be reached through political upheaval. I am shocked at the amount of so called teachers within the Church that so boldly speak out against the government of America and it’s politicians as they are in direct opposition to what the New Testament teaches. No my brothers and sisters what we need is for the Church to repent, turn from it’s wickedness, cry out to our God and then we shall see our God heal our land. (2 Chron 7:14)

I read post after post by pastors who bash the president and they are ultimately dishonoring the Lord when they do so for they reject the wisdom of His Word for their own wisdom. We could replace all of congress, the house even to the President with Christian men and women yet that is not the solution.

We have a organized religious structure in this nation which has shaken their fist in the face of God and have permitted abominations to take place in the house of God.

They have allowed the vow of marriage to be disregarded. They have removed reverence and holiness from the pulpit and replaced it with seeker friendly messages based upon the philosophies and wisdom of this world. They have allowed the morality of the Church to be hijacked by the unethical moral decay of this nation.

We have seen the Church sell out to the riches of this world, hijacking the store house of the Lord for His people and used it for personal gain and the building of man made enterprises. If the apostles were to return today and enter into the average Church they wouldn’t even know what it was and more than likely would see them as temples built for the honoring of pagan gods. If Jesus were to enter the average church in America today He would not even be recognized for they have sold out to the world and created a Jesus in the image that they are comfortable serving. I can hear the words of Ezekiel 34:1-25 thundering in the Spirit.

We have seen the Church remain silent in regard to moral issues because she is as dirty as the morally decayed society around her. She cannot speak against abomination of abortion for she has aborted several generations of God’s servants in the name of modern churchanity. She remains silent when prayer is mocked for she has lost the ability to pray with power and authority of Jesus Christ as she bows down to false gods of greed and pride. She cannot speak out against adultery for she herself has had an ongoing adulterous affair with the pleasures of this world. She cannot speak out against the abomination of sexual perversion in society as she herself has become but a harlot – lust and pride are the menu selection of the day. She has even allowed and condoned and in some cased applauded the abomination of the gay & lesbian agenda not only into the Church but has prostituted the pulpits out to them in the name of political correctness and social sensitivity.

We have allowed the cross to be removed from the Gospel message and replaced with a cross-less gospel. We have allowed the beauty of Gods message of grace be replaced with a graceless message that is nothing more than a license to sin. We have seen the gifts of the Church purposed for the Church marketed and sold to the highest payer. We have seen the generosity of faithful servant’s sapped as their gifts of faith are stolen by crooked and perverse shepherds.

We have seen the call of counting the cost removed and replaced with a message of prosperity that is slander the name of Jesus, causing many to stumble and seek the treasures and pleasures of this world over that of Heaven. We have seen the truth about Hell replaced with a false message of a god who will simply allow everyone into Heaven regardless their denying Him.

No, this nation does not need a political restructure nor a civil war, this nation needs a spiritual reformation that will cause the armies of a Heaven to join in as we wage spiritual warfare against the god of this age who has hijacked the faith of this nation. We need a generation of sold out faithful radical Christians who have counted the cost and pledged to Jesus: “ Whatever You desire Lord, for our lives are Yours purchased by Your blood for the glory of Your Name”. We need a reformation of His Church to return it back to His control & Headship. We need to remove the false shepherds and replace them with men of God who are willing to die for their faith and are more interested in building up a treasure chest in heaven, daring not dirty their hands with the treasures of this world.

America needs the rise of a generation marked by their servant hood and vow of holiness that will go to the gallows before ever renouncing their Christ or His Gospel message. We must stop attempting to restore America to what once was and start spending hours, days and weeks on our faces interceding for America that she will be transformed as a nation into the very image that the Father has purposed her to be, that His Holy Name may be glorified thru her to the world.

We must remember at all time that “We wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places”.  (Eph 6:12)

Ultimately what America truthfully needs is a spiritual revolution that births a supernatural Reformation that will birth a new nation that is truly under Gods dominion.  So let us sound the alarm, calling for the Spiritual revolutionist to rise up in a Holy Ghost orchestrated Reformation that will shake the nations as the Name of Jesus is Praised, Glorified and Honored above all else.

Written by Russ (Rush) Welch

Profile of the Lukewarm, Part I

Posted: June 10, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
Tags: , , , ,
1

DCCChanHeader

Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words halfhearted, lukewarm, and partially committed fit better?

The Bible says to test ourselves, so in the next two emails, I am going to offer you a description of what halfhearted, distracted, partially committed, lukewarm people can look like. As you read these examples, I encourage you to take a searching, honest look at your life. Not who you want to be one of these days, but who you are now and how you are living today.

LUKEWARM PEOPLE attend church fairly regularly. It is what is expected of them, what they believe “good Christians” do, so they go.

“The Lord says: ‘These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men'” (Isa. 29:13).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE give money to charity and to the church… as long as it doesn’t impinge on their standard of living. If they have a little extra and it is easy and safe to give, they do so. After all, God loves a cheerful giver, right?

“King David replied to Araunah, ‘No, I insist on paying the full price. I will not take for the LORD what is yours, or sacrifice a burnt offering that costs me nothing'” (1 Chron. 21:24).

“As he looked up, Jesus saw the rich putting their gifts into the temple treasury. He also saw a poor widow put in two very small copper coins. ‘I tell you the truth,’ he said, ‘this poor widow has put in more than all the others. All these people gave their gifts out of their wealth; but she out of her poverty put in all she had to live on'” (Luke 21:1-4).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE tend to choose what is popular over what is right when they are in conflict. They desire to fit in both at church and outside of church; they care more about what people think of their actions (like church attendance and giving) than what God thinks of their hearts and lives.

“Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets” (Luke 6:26).

“I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead” (Rev. 3:1).

“Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them ‘Rabbi'”(Matt. 23:5-7).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE don’t really want to be saved from their sin; they want only to be saved from the penalty of their sin. They don’t genuinely hate sin and aren’t truly sorry for it; they’re merely sorry because God is going to punish them. Lukewarm people don’t really believe that this new life Jesus offers is better than the old sinful one.

“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10).

“What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Rom. 6:1-2).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE are moved by stories about people who do radical things for Christ, yet they do not act. They assume such action is for “extreme” Christians, not average ones. Lukewarm people call “radical” what Jesus expected of all His followers.

“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says” (James 1:22).

“Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn’t do it, sins” (James 4:17).

“What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work today in the vineyard.’ ‘I will not,’ he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, ‘I will, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what his father wanted? ‘The first,’ they answered” (Matt. 21:28-31).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE rarely share their faith with their neighbors, coworkers, or friends. They do not want to be rejected, nor do they want to make people uncomfortable by talking about private issues like religion.

“Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10:32-33).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE gauge their morality or “goodness” by comparing themselves to the secular world. They feel satisfied that while they aren’t as hard-core for Jesus as so-and-so, they are nowhere as horrible as the guy down the street.

“The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers–or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get'” (Luke 18:11-12).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE say they love Jesus, and He is, indeed, a part of their lives. But only a part. They give Him a section of their time, their money, and their thoughts, but He isn’t allowed to control their lives.

“As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you wherever you go.’ Jesus replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.’ He said to another man, ‘Follow me.’ But the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’ Still another said, ‘I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family.’ Jesus replied, ‘No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God'” (Luke 9:57-62).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE love God, but they do not love Him with all their heart, soul, and strength. They would be quick to assure you that they try to love God that much, but that sort of total devotion isn’t really possible for the average person; it’s only for pastors and missionaries and radicals.

“Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment” (Matt. 22:37-38).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE love others but do not seek to love others as much as they love themselves. Their love of others is typically focused on those who love them in return, like family, friends, and other people they know and connect with. There is little love left over for those who cannot love them back, much less for those who intentionally slight them, whose kids are better athletes than theirs, or with whom conversations are awkward or uncomfortable. Their love is highly conditional and very selective, and generally comes with strings attached.

“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that?” (Matt. 5:43-47).

“Then Jesus said to his host, ‘When you give a luncheon or dinner, do not invite your friends, your brothers or relatives, or your rich neighbors; if you do, they may invite you back and so you will be repaid. But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed. Although they cannot repay you, you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous'” (Luke 14:12-14).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE will serve God and others, but there are limits to how far they will go or how much time, money, and energy they are willing to give.

“All these [commandments] I have kept since I was a boy,’ he said. When Jesus heard this, he said to him, ‘You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.’ When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. Jesus looked at him and said, ‘How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God'” (Luke 18:21-25).

LUKEWARM PEOPLE think about life on earth much more often than eternity in heaven. Daily life is mostly focused on today’s to-do list, this week’s schedule, and next month’s vacation. Rarely, if ever, do they intently consider the life to come. Regarding this, C. S. Lewis writes, “If you read history you will find that the Christians who did most for the present world were precisely those who thought most of the next. It is since Christians have largely ceased to think of the other world that they have become so ineffective in this.”

“For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:18-20).

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2).

Reflection Questions

  1. Do any of these descriptions strike home for you?
  2. What do you think is the long-term effect of being “lukewarm” in your spiritual life? What’s the effect on you, on your family, on your church community?
  3. Have you ever gone through a period of lukewarm-ness, but regained your zeal? What needs to happen in order for a lukewarm believer to catch fire again?

Next week: Profile of the Lukewarm, Part 2

http://links.biblegateway.mkt4731.com/servlet/MailView?ms=NDE3MDA4NTAS1&r=NDQ2NjE0NTU0MzYS1&j=MTkwOTM5OTY3S0&mt=1&rt=0

Where Is Your First Allegiance?

Posted: June 7, 2013 in disciples life, Kingdom Teaching, teaching, wilderness
0

Where Is Your First Allegiance?

For our citizenship is in heaven… (Philippians 3:20).

A couple of years ago I was reading Foxe’s Book of Martyrs and came across an amazing story of a Roman legion (6600 men known as the Theban Legion). Though valiant warriors, they were also committed Christians. When asked to sacrifice to the Roman gods or be killed, they chose martyrdom rather than deny Christ. They were loyal to their country, but their faith in God came first.
Where is our first allegiance? I wonder at times. True, I’m a flag-waving American from a long line of military heroes, including my Vietnam vet husband and two grandsons currently serving in the U.S. Navy. But do I truly understand that my citizenship in this great country is only temporal, and that my true, eternal citizenship lies elsewhere?
Our country is currently in upheaval, with political and ideological divisions causing deep rifts among its citizens. It is obvious that both sides believe strongly in their viewpoint, and both sides include those who claim the Name of Christ as Savior.

Though understandable that even Christians can differ on this worldview, it is not understandable (or acceptable) that we allow it to divide us. True born-again, blood-bought believers know that, in the words of the late E.V. Hill, “This ain’t it!” Whatever happens here is but a breath in time, a blip on the eternal radar screen. Long after America has ceased to exist (and it will!) and our temporal relationships have gone the way of all things, Christians from across the centuries and from all walks of life will still be joined together in the citizenship of heaven. Manmade differences will no longer divide us, as we gather together around the throne and worship the one true God and Father who sent His only Son to redeem us from this sin-stained world.
So where is our first allegiance? Does our loyalty to our country (or worldly ideology or pursuit of pleasure/treasure or other temporal possessions) take priority and control our lives? Or are we, like the Theban Legion, committed to giving temporal loyalties second place behind our first allegiance to Christ?
Remember, beloved, whatever else happens around us, Christ’s own “Church triumphant is alive and well,” not because of us, but because of Him.

Posted By Kathi Macias

Older Entries
Newer Entries