A Scribe of The King

The Afflictions of the Unrighteous

2012-01-08T01:42:00.000-05:00

Scripture Reference: Psalm 34:19, Matthew 5:44-45, Philippians 4:6-7

There is not a person on this planet that has not seen trying times, having faced unfavorable situations under less than ideal circumstances. For the Christian, the Bible tells us that that this is pretty much a way of life for us. Psalm 34:19 tells us that “Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivereth him out of them all.” It is a source of comfort, and an anchor point on which to tie our faith. We can face the the current darkness before us, knowing that dawn is coming, with a sense of “peace that passes all understanding”.

But what of the unrighteous???

Before I continue, I am compelled to lay down the following premise: I will not argue or engage Ina debate on whether or not who suffers more - the righteous suffer more than the unrighteous. I will assert, however, that the Bible states that “rain falls us upon the righteous, as well as the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:44-45). Notwithstanding, it is also a fair assumption that everyone, at some moment in their life, also experiences a storm (which is not rain, so don't confuse the two: God sends rain, Satan sends storms!).

So them, where do the righteous turn in the midst of their affliction? Where can they go for solace? For those who count themselves amongst the righteous, these questions soul be as important to us, as it is to the unrighteous. For the unrighteous, the questions exists, whether or not they are cognizant of it. As souls still bound to the world system, the response to adversity is a worldly one. If there is lack, there is theft, where there is pain, there is escape (by needle, pill, bottle, or smoke). Where there is wrongdoing there is retaliation. Where there is loneliness, there is promiscuity. The world excuses unrighteous behavior, because it knows no other way. What it offers is a cheap, short-lived substitute for joy and peace, leaving one hungry for the next “fix”.

Say, for example, two men work for the same company. Both men work for similar wages, same socioeconomic status, similar salaries, an similar plans to retire from the place they have worked faithfully for years. Both receive news that the company they work for is downsizing, their jobs are being eliminated, and seniority will not help them. The blow is equally devastating. However, one turns to God and proceeds to go about his way in peace. The other becomes increasingly hostile, fearful, and distraught, an can be found populating the local bar. For the unrighteous, there is no peace; for the righteous man, he proceeds with the peace of God that passeth all understanding, as well as as an understanding of the responsibility that rests upon his shoulders.

The righteous man has the responsibility – in good times or in bad – to represent the Kingdom of God as ambassadors. How we live and conduct ourselves, reflects our convictions and puts on full display what we truly believe. This is not an exclusive principle – this applies to everybody. And as such, because it is an universal paradigm regarding humanity, each person is also endowed with a keen sense of whether or not the person is real or fake (whether or not it is put unto practice is another matter). The “realness” of righteousness is put to the test everyday by co-workers, family members, neighbors, friends, and even strangers in the times of affliction. What they see in us could literally alter the course of their life! Knowing this is what makes the question “what of the unrighteous?” so important to the righteous. Hence, the righteous, must also be sensitive an compassionate towards those who have no joy and peace. For in the pain of their situation, there also exists an opportunity for ministry, an opportunity to share the gospel, an the potential to lead a lost soul to Christ.

One of the Silent Bystanders?

2012-01-02T00:44:00.000-05:00

First of all, I want to thank each of the readers of this blog for taking time out to read and follow the works that are posted. I pray that you have received a blessing from reading these posts, an that you continue to grow in faith in the new year. Speaking of which, I wish you a Happy New Year! I ray that you will prosper and be in good health, even as your soul prospers (scripture).

Now, onto the topic at hand. I was suppose to write this last week, but I was delayed with distractions (a challenge I fully intend to overcome in this new year). I want to bring to your attention, if you are not already aware, of the recent bombings of 2 churches in Nigeria on Christmas day. One of the things that bothered me about the whole situation wasn't so much the act in itself (I am aware of the ongoing persecution and atrocities being committed by various anti Christian organizations and the Governments in various nations that support them either directly or indirectly), but of the lack of coverage in the news. Even more disturbing was the absence of a response from the Christian Community here in the west. Not to paint a broad brush, but it seems to me that with Christmas being on a Sunday this year, many were more concerned about the gift status under the Christmas tree than world events unfolding that impact our brothers and sisters in Christ in another region of the planet

A few months back, I was studying the writings of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, I read a chapter in a book written by Eberhard Bethge who worked with Bonhoeffer during the resistance movement in Germany in WWII. In his Book “Friendship and Resistance”, there was a chapter written entitled “One of the Silent Bystanders?” where he outlined and analyzed Bonhoeffer's reaction to an incident that occurred on Nov. 9, 1938. Hitler made a speech promoting vengeance against the Jewish people for the murder of a German diplomat. The speech incited violence against Jews throughout Germany, where Nazi sympathizers bombed, burned, and destroyed Jewish homes, properties, businesses, and assaulted an murdered dozens of innocent Jewish citizens. As property was being burned, firefighters watched, refusing to extinguish the flames. As news of the event spread, only a brave few chose to speak out against the atrocities committed by the Nazi's; many others kept silent as to not bring unwanted attention to themselves an their families. Bonhoeffer at the time was a teacher at two seminaries in Germany. He had not said anything regarding what had happened, but it was obvious that the situation weighed heavily on his heart and conscience. Bethge contends that the event changed Bonhoeffer in a profound way, as he saw that the church had a responsibility to stand against the forces of evil, and it was instead choosing to sit on the sidelines and be neutral. Yes, the violence was against the Jewish people, but then again, they were also God's chosen people. Notwithstanding, there was a necessity to stand for righteousness – to oppose evil because it was the right thing to do. He later went on to oppose the Nazi's , working in the underground resistance before being arrested an sent to prison, where he would be later martyred for the faith.

So, what does the writing s of Bethge and Bonhoeffer have to do with what happened in Nigeria on Christmas Day? The events that took place on Christmas day in Nigeria were profoundly horrible. Innocent people were targeted and killed for their faith, on such a special day in Christianity. The act of terrorism was not unlike that which took place many years ago in Germany in Bonhoeffer's time (maybe not quite as widespread, but no less violent). Sadly, the response by the church at-large has been just as mute. Ina time where 24 hr news cycles gives us information in real-time, an computers, cellphones, Internet an social media have the ability to connect us closer than ever before, we are more disinterested, unconcerned, and disconnected than ever. I am left wondering if history will repeat itself. Will the American church continue to be concerned more with it's own prosperity than the welfare of it's brothers and sisters in Christ? Shall our prayers be limited to “me an my family? Will it's compassion reach across the Atlantic an Pacific oceans to lands far beyond our reach, or will it stop at the borers of our communities, our shores? While thee are some who actively engage in helping ministries abroad, the sense of awareness has been “weighed, measured, and found wanting.”

The disengagement has me wondering if the church in America has being lulled into a false sense of security because the violence has not reached our shores to the degree that it did in Nigeria. Or has it? I say this because on that Christmas Sunday, I was one of those who attended worship service that day. And on that day, there was an incident at my church where someone poured gasoline onto several cars in the parking lot. The situation was resolved without incident (no injuries and no damage to property), but I am left wondering if this is another wake-up call for the church to become more engaged through prayer and ministry efforts. Not everyone is called to travel to the ends of the earth, but we are called to pray and to assist where led. We cannot be silent bystadners any longer. We cannot play the role of ostrich and bury our heads in the sand, hoping the chaos of the enemy bypasses us. We cannot be so myopic as to focus only ourselves an the immediate needs in front of us. We are not all called to be missionaries, but all of us have a part to play in ensuring the continued spread of the Gospel. We can no longer pretend that such things only happen “over there”, and will never happen here, nor be so callous as to dismiss the situation as “someone else's problem.” I pray it does not take a tragedy of such magnitude to happen here to notice that evil is not bound by geographic location, spiritual warfare is a present reality has come to our shores, violence will escalate, and we can no longer be a silent bystanders in this conflict – pleading neutrality and hoping that if we stay out of it, we can avoid such problems.

A Birthday Letter to Jesus

2011-12-24T19:06:00.000-05:00

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

First I want to sincerely apologize for all the years that your birthday has come and gone, and you were the last person on my mind. Between the decorations, finding the Christmas tree, cooking and baking, preparing for guests, this time of year is outrageously crazy. Turkey Day was a total blurr, stuffing myself silly then sleeping it off in preparation for the midnight madness that is Black Friday. Speaking of gifts, I was soooooo busy trying to figure out what gifts to give to others, how much money I was going to spend on gifts I couldn’t afford, burning up the magnetic strip on my credit card as I thrash my credit scores trying to make everyone else happy that I didn’t even think about what you might like. Also, I know you said turn the other cheek; I now know you didn’t mean “hip –checking” the guy competing with me for that last toy on the shelf both our kids wanted that Black Friday a couple of years back, so if you could forgive me for that, I’d appreciate it.

When you think about it, it’s rather messed up that we expend so much time, energy and effort conforming to a marketing scheme rather than celebrating your birthday. Granted, the whole Santa and the 8 tiny reindeer thing is nice and all, but how do you celebrate someone’s birthday and someone else is the guest of honor??? I thought birthdays were supposed to be celebrated with birthday cake, balloons, confetti, cards, presents and plenty of well-wishes – for the birthday boy/girl!! Whose idea was it to cut down a perfectly good pine tree, decorate it, and leave presents for everybody else underneath it? (I’m not a botanist, but I’m pretty sure pine trees don’t grow in Jerusalem either). Needless to say, minus a nativity scene, Jesus, you are nowhere in the picture (I guess that’s why we started calling Christmas “X-mas” instead).

As afar as a cake goes, I can prepare an angel food cake, but since I am not sure of your return, I didn’t want it to go bad waiting for your return, nor not have it ready should you arrive earlier than anticipated (to which I will probably be too busy celebrating up in the clouds with you to even be worried about it). As for gifts, Lord it’s kinda hard to shop for someone who owns it all (after all, the whole world is in your hands!). The three wise mne got the best symbolic gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Who can top that??? Decorations? Can I really compete with streets paved with gold? No way! Even the little drummer boy beat me to the homemade gift idea, so I’m kind of stumped in what to give you for your birthday.

I cannot come to your birthday empty-handed, so the only thing I can give you is my most prized possession – my heart! Talents and gifts come from you, so giving them back would seem both cheap and tacky (like getting a gift for Christmas, then rewrapping to give it back, hoping they didn’t notice). However, the giving of one’s heart is both original and personal. And from what I’ve seen, not too many people have done that. With my heart, you get everything that comes with it – my mind, my will, my obedience, and the credit and glory for everything that I’ve been able to do with the talents and gifts that you have given me. So with that, Lord Jesus, I present this gift to you – my heart. I hope you will enjoy it.

Happy Birthday Jesus!!!

Love,

Your Servant Carl

The Beauty of a Storm

2011-12-13T20:08:00.000-05:00

Scripture reference: Philippians 4:6-7, James 1:2-8

Years ago I sat on the sand dune at a beach in Delaware, watching a large storm coming in off of the ocean. I was awestruck - not so much at the size of it, but the way it moved ominously towards the shore. It was miles away, yet its presence was felt where I sat. When the storm finally hit, the roar of the waves crashing against the shore, the howl of the wind as it whipped around the house I was staying in, the flash of the lighting and the rumbling of thunder was nearly overwhelming as the storm wailed all night. It was an awesome sight to see. How I was able to fall asleep, soundly, is but a miracle to me.

I awoke the next morning to sunshine as the sun pierced the darkness and declared the start of the day. I went outside, wondering what damage was done and what devastation was left behind. I walked over the sand dune, expecting to find a mess upon the shore. I walked over the sand dune, looked out and saw the water before me - an aquamarine canvas of calm, peaceful, serenity of which I’ve never seen before, nor seen since. (If you know anything about the ocean in this region of the NE corridor, you know the ocean is never bluish green!) I sat in the sand, my face towards the sun basking in its warmth, the slight ocean breeze, the cool sand between my toes, and a peace in my heart that words fail me to describe.

Years later, this image of the storm, and its aftermath, has a profound meaning for me. At the time I did not understand the experience, but now I'm convinced that God was showing me, in grand fashion, the beauty of a storm. You see, the storms in one's life (I'm talking about the really, really big ones) feel ominous as they approach (the foreclosure notice, the medical diagnosis, the separation papers, the layoff notice, etc. - just to name a few) the impact upon the shore of our life are very much real. The sheer size, speed and magnitude make it impossible to evade, try as we might, forcing us to take shelter. And in the shelter, we are forced to slow down, think and reflect, and patiently wait for it to pass.

The storms in our life have an uncanny ability to avert our thoughts away from what we have been taught was most important, and reassess the value of those things we hold dear. They can also clear away the debris in our lives that prevented us from hearing God, seeing the path he has laid before us, and following without distraction. And for those who have only heard of Him, often times this is the medium of introduction. And for all these things which are wonderful, what makes a storm the most beautiful is this - knowing that no matter how powerful the storm is, God's power is even greater. Storms come, but they can never stay; all storms must move on. With this, we have this assurance, this hope that we can rest assured - the calm before the storm is nothing compared to the peace that comes afterwards.

Stop Defiling the Altar!

2011-12-07T18:33:00.000-05:00

Scripture Reference: Deuteronomy 15:21, Leviticus 9:24, 1 Kings 18:36-39, Malachi 1:6-14, Romans 12:1

The altar is a holy and sacred place - it is the place upon which sacrifices are to be offered up to God, honoring Him and making atonement for sin. The offering is to be without spot or blemish - the best that we have to offer in reverence. When an offering is placed upon the altar, it becomes a sacrifice when it is killed by the shedding of blood; if the sacrifice is accepted by God, it is consumed by His Fire of Righteousness to where nothing is left.

How is it then that we have come to treat the altar as the place to leave your problems? We bring the worst of us to the altar, attempting to leave our problems and burdens there, hoping God will take care of it. In doing so, we are out of order. Are we not supposed to be offering ourselves? Are we not to be “…a living sacrifice - holy and acceptable unto God…”? By grace, we are allowed to approach the throne to obtain mercy. By grace, we are allowed to cast our cares and concerns upon the Lord, with the hope and expectation of His assistance. We are not, however, permitted to defile the Altar of the Lord by incorrectly using it as a trash can to dump our issues, expecting God to honor what we have done.

Our issues are not an appropriate sacrifice unto the Lord; in fact, they are not a sacrifice at all! Nevertheless, we treat them as such. In our error, our sacrifice is rejected, as Cain's offering was rejected. In our ignorance and selfishness, we defile the altar and rob God of the offering due Him, as we hold on to our lives while offering only the blemished portions of ourselves to satisfy a religious paradigm. The altar call is such a religious practice that is in error. The altar is not the place to ask for deliverance from reoccurring sin, troubles borne of unrighteousness, or a place to release guilt; it is the place to offer a holy sacrifice.

As Christians, we are to die to self, offering ourselves a living sacrifice! The blood of Christ was shed for the atonement of sin; His blood covers that portion of the sacrifice. The consumption of the sacrifice by fire is through holiness, as symbolized by a consuming fire; we are consumed, such that we walk in righteousness. To be righteous is to be in right-standing with God; our actions cannot be right if we defile the altar by presenting to him an offering that is anything less than our ourselves, treating the altar like a container to burn trash (i.e. guilt) in.

Reaching Them Where They Are

2011-11-29T13:37:00.000-05:00

Scripture Reference: Proverbs 3:5-6, John 3:16, Ephesians 3:18

When Jesus conducted his ministry, he had the unique and uncanny ability to connect with people from all walks of life; culture, socioeconomic status, gender, ethnicity were barriers that he ministered through with ease. Was Jesus a wordsmith? Perhaps, considering that he spoke in parables which confounded the educated, yet the uneducated caught on and embraced the Gospel. Was it the miracles, signs, and wonders? It didn’t hurt that he could raise the dead, heal the sick, straighten contorted limbs, bring sight to the blind, cause men to walk, and feed over 5000 people with the biblical equivalent to a McDonalds Happy meal. What made Jesus’ ministry so potent and powerful was his ability to meet people where they are, and to begin to love them there.

Not everyone was raised in the church (surprise!), has the same value system, or believes in the same God – if they believe in one at all! However, the beauty of God’s love is that it believes that a loving relationship with Him is always possible with everyone! Considering that the Gospel continued to spread after the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, and continues to spread to the ends of the earth, is a testament of that love. Reciting John 3:16 does not necessarily reach a person; demonstrating the same love that was shed upon us through Christ does! If the central theme of the Holy Bible is God’s love towards man, then the life of a Christian should be such that all 66 books of the bible are expressed – without ever having to say a word.

When Christians come upon a believer, or even a non-believer, we should always approach cautiously – we may not be aware of the situations and circumstances that individual may be involved, experienced, or currently going through. In our attempt at being “loving”, we may cause more damage than harm. We need the guidance of the Holy Spirit on how to reach them and how to love them; where we fail to do so lies in the leaning upon our own understanding, based on visual judgment. In our own understanding of love, kindness, and compassion, there is often callousness, insensitivity, and ignorance, wrapped in the garment of well- meaning intentions. The damage is that, at best, we misrepresent Christ and the Gospel; at worst, we compel people to reject salvation and a loving relationship with God through Christ. Neither scenario is a particularly good one.

When God extends the invitation of a loving relationship towards his children through His son, Jesus Christ, he is keenly and intimately aware of where each individual is spiritually. Since the invitation is a personal invitation, he already knows the spiritual position and condition of that person. And unlike some of us who cringe at a person’s issues and form judgments (i.e. excuses for opting out), the love of Christ doesn’t flinch, and beckons even more. That is the beauty of the Gospel - it expresses an unfaltering love to all who will receive it, regardless to where they might be spiritually when they accept it. From the reformed drug addict, to the religious zealot, and everything in between, one thing they all have in common is this – Christ touched their heart where they were before they received salvation. For the body of Christ, from the street corners and alleyways to the church pews, we are also to minister to others in love – right where they are!

Loving the Unlovable - Pt. 4

2011-11-08T18:08:00.000-05:00

Scripture Reference: Matthew 5:38-48, II Timothy 1:7

I was led to continue forward and expound deeper on the relationship between our unwillingness to love, and our fears as it relates to adherence to the command to love others. The last posting listed a multiciplicity of fears associated with why we rebel against this command. After listing those things, the following verse came to mind (via the Holy Spirit):

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.”(2 Timothy 1:7)

In Paul's second letter to Timothy, he encourages the young disciple with these words of comfort. I am convinced that the young Timothy came up across some stiff opposition (i.e. "church folk”) regarding his ordained assignment, which probably made his job far more difficult than it already was; Paul apparently got wind of this, which prompted this bit of encouragement. What's interesting is that Paul outlines 3 distinct elements, which combined, overcome fear. He identifies fear as a spirit, and challenges it with the power of the Holy Spirit.

The strength of fear is its ability to project something that does not exist or has not occurred but is perceived as a distinct possibility, and give it power. Fear causes us to behave irrationally, based on a worldly premise. If you disagree, then consider why do people throw salt over their shoulder for good luck, or think that breaking a piece of glass with a reflective backing leads to seven years of misfortune, or engage in changing their path of travel because a black colored feline crosses it. We call this brand of fear superstition. Superstition comes in many forms, equipped with urban legends to "validate" the fears associated with it, but in the end, is irrational. So what do rationality, fear, and love have to do with one another? Everything - when it comes to loving the "unlovable."

Timothy not only had to deal with his own concerns and insecurities (which is just PC for fear), but with the fears others had regarding his ability as a young man to handle the challenges of leadership. Then, compound that with the fear of bringing the gospel to the Gentiles - what spooky, pagan rituals did they have that would make it impossible to share the gospel with them? What socioeconomic, religious, or ethnic background did the indigenous populations possess, in which he was charged to organize the church to minister to, which would render their efforts an exercise in futility?

Then again, how would you know if you never tried? To not attempt demonstrates the power of fear; to press forth demonstrated the potency of the gospel. So, to paraphrase what Paul was telling Timothy:

"Be bold and man up! In your boldness, exercise compassion (which is love in action) as the Holy Spirit directs you. The world will more than likely think you are crazy for taking this job, and even more crazy for what you will be instructed to do - which is demonstrating love by sharing the gospel with the people of course, including the pagans, the heathens, and everybody else who don't look, sound, act, or believe as you do. However, be comforted by the fact that a) you're not crazy b) you're being obedient to the Spirit of God, and c) no one can persuade you to think, believe, and do otherwise!"

It will never make sense to the world to turn the other cheek and not seek revenge. It will never make sense to give someone your last when you are struggling yourself. It will never make sense to show mercy towards your enemies - those who revile you, mock you, and persecute you, for no other reason except that you chose Christ instead of the world. I’ve heard it said that we fear what we don't understand, and express that lack of understanding in destructive ways. In truth, on a spiritual level, it is an outright rejection of God, manifested in the negative actions of man because the mind is incapable of making sense of spiritual things. Loving the unlovable requires boldness, compassion, and a willingness to be seen as irrational; if we are going to honor Christ in obedience, then we must get used to be looked upon and classified as “crazy”.

Loving the Unlovable (Pt. 3)

2011-11-03T13:39:00.000-04:00

Scripture Reference: Leviticus 19:15-18, Matthew 16:25, II Timothy 1:7, 1 John 4:18

In the last two segments, we focused on the Christian mandate on loving others – including those whom we find it difficult to do, followed by insight on how we are to do so. This next segment will address that all-important, burning question – why? Why am I mandated to love others, and – even more importantly – why do I have to love “THEM”!!! (for the benefit of those whom are unfamiliar with the terminology, “THEM” is referring to those individuals who, for whatever reason, we find extremely difficult to love as Christ requires us to do so; these are the people where it would probably be preferable listening to fingernails repeatedly raked against a chalkboard than being in their presence) I could end this pretty quickly by saying “’’Cause Jesus says so”, but it probably won’t get very far in terms of motivation. As a father of 3 (and many other parents can attest to this fact,) the reason “cause I said so” (followed by a stern look) only goes so far, and lacks the character-changing power necessary for lasting, positive results. If we read The Bible, we already know why; what will be addressed here is the issue of why not. Why do we struggle (and occasionally fail) to fulfill this commandment?

The truth is, we fall short in this area of obedience because, quite simply – we don’t want to do it! Unfortunately, rebellion is a part of the human condition (the flesh part). We don’t want to obey, and we will find every reason imaginable, split every hair, twist every argument, and flat-out rationalize our disobedience such that it becomes palatable to us, just to get out of it. Our rebellion ranges from expertly-crafted arguments strong enough to make a trial lawyer green with envy, to “fold-my arms-and-hold-my breath-till- I-turn-blue-and-pass-out defiance” – and this is just with dealing with the people we are acquainted with! God forbid we have to love someone we can’t stand! But rebellion is only the resultant behavior, not the motivator. If we dig deeper for the answer, we will find that at the core of our rebellion is simply this – Fear!

We fear the pain of embarrassment and humiliation for being taken advantage of, as well as the loss of dignity and self-respect. We fear the loss of money and material possessions, and precious time that we feel could have been spent somewhere else on someone else (either ourselves or someone else we know and like). We fear bodily harm and injury - even death, wondering if it is even worth it. And so, in our rationalization (i.e. rebellion), we determine that it is safer, and more profitable to withhold true love from others, and instead extend a form of love that has conditions, exit clauses, and terms which void our obligation should the other person fail to agree or meet those terms. Additionally, if we must satisfy the love requirement for getting into heaven, we will do the bare minimum that we feel is justifiable (or arguable) before God – which will amount to no more than half-hearted “good deeds” or nice gestures, motivated by self-preservation rather than love and honor.

It’s funny how we can show kindness and compassion towards people we don’t even know, but withhold from those we do. That is because there is no emotional investment. We “satisfy” the requirement (as we see it) of doing, without the sacrifice of flesh (i.e. pride, self-respect). Therein lays the root of what restrains us - the fear of pain and the fear of loss. However, true love requires sacrifice of ourselves, regardless of whether or not the person whom we are supposed to show love to is deserving or not. It would be wise to avoid such deliberations, for while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. I’m sure many of us can attest that before Christ we were “a piece of work” (some probably still are, but that’s another discussion for another time). We can easily slip into self-righteousness if we forget that, once upon a time, we were once those whom we consider “unlovable”. In the end, the only thing our self-righteousness does is cover up our fear, driving us to reject doing what was done for us. Truthfully, if we honestly reflected upon our lives in comparison to the Perfection of Christ, we would easily be classified the “unlovable”. Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary, forged in love, sets a high bar for us whom are called to follow; fear is not an option.

Loving the Unlovable (Part II)

2011-10-25T18:08:00.000-04:00

Scripture Reference: Luke 23:34, Colossians 3:13, Ephesians 4:32

In the last posting, we discussed the obligation of all Christians to love everyone - including those whom we find make it difficult to fulfill that obligation. While we know that we are mandated to do so, actually fulfilling that obligation tends to prove more challenging, especially if we are unclear as to how are supposed to do so. How does one love that person(s) that absolutely, positively, unequivocally, gets under the skin, pushes all the wrong buttons, drive one batty, and possesses a particular knack for finding the very last nerve from which to bungee jump??? At the risk of oversimplification, it all comes down to one simple yet profound act - forgiveness.

In John 3:16, it starts with “For God so loved the world...” – God knew what was going to happen to Jesus before he was to come into the earth, and yet he still sent him! In doing so, God Himself establishes the cyclical relationship between love and forgiveness, which can be summed up in one statement:

- To love much is to forgive even more.

Forgiveness is an act of compassion; compassion is love in action. Jesus continues in this pattern of love and forgiveness, as demonstrated on his journey from his arrest at the Garden of Gethsemane through crucifixion on the cross at Calvary. When they came and arrested him on trumped-up charges and convicted him in a kangaroo court, he didn’t argue or put up a fight. When they mocked him, he didn’t fire back with a callous insult borne of embarrassment and humiliation. When the mob picked Barabbas and told Pilate to crucify Jesus, didn’t burn with contempt for such an obviously egregious miscarriage of justice. When they savagely brutalized his body, he did not burn with revenge but instead endured it. And as he hung on the cross - bruised, bloodied, beaten, dying a horrible, painful death, he did something truly extraordinary and uttered the following request –

“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Luke 23:34

Our salvation was far more important than his immediate pain; the joy of our redemption outweighing the weight of the cross. Forgiveness replenishes the heart with love to continue to serve God – in spite of the personal cost. In our immediate pain, our flesh tells us to lash out, to fight back, and to enact vengeance for the wrongs committed whether physical, psychological or emotional. At the same time, we are held responsible for the revelation that the people who cause us such grief may or may not be aware of their actions, nor be cognizant of the forces behind them. It is in this place where pain and revelation converge that we are left with a critical decision – is the salvation of the person who vexes our spirit so egregiously more important than the immediate pain, embarrassment, humiliation and personal destruction their actions inflict upon us?. If we are of Christ, then we know the answer to this question, and subsequently know how we must proceed.

Be Blessed!!!

NOTE: I intentionally left out forgiveness with respect to martyrdom, as I believe that is a special case - a ministerial calling that requires a special dispensation of grace. It (martyrdom) is a topic outside of the scope of this text. But to get a better understanding of this type of love – a love strong enough to endure beatings, torture, rape, and murder of the innocent (including family members) for the sake of the gospel - I humbly and strongly suggest visiting the “Tortured for Christ” website @ http://torturedforchrist.com/ . I truly believe it will enrich your perspective on the subject.

Loving the Unlovable

2011-10-17T18:29:00.001-04:00

Scripture Reference: John 3:16, 14:15, Luke 10:27, Romans 5:6-8 Ezekiel 33:11 Matthew 5:44-48

It is hard to imagine loving someone who has betrayed your trust, exploited your kindness, abused you mentally, physically, emotionally, and made a mockery of your cares and concerns by demonstrating a total disregard for your feelings. It's even harder to conceive of loving someone who hates you, despises you, who longs to see your existence wiped from the face of the earth - and if it was possible, they would be more than willing and capable of doing so. Overcoming the pain from such an ordeal and not despising the person causing such affliction is a formidable task in of itself.

Now imagine experiencing that pain, several billion times over, across several millennia - that is the pain that was experienced by Jesus Christ on the cross that fateful day at Calvary. That is the hurt that God experiences when we sin, when His children turn away from Him, reject his son, Jesus Christ, and reject the gift of salvation - even after all that God has done for us. And yet, He continues to still love us, providing for us, calling out for us, longing for us to turn from our wicked ways and turn towards him - with open arms! A testament to how great God's love is towards us is the grace and mercy that he extends to us, over and over again - in spite of us!

It's hard to love that cantankerous co-worker who never speaks in the morning, no matter how many times you've tried to be nice; it’s even harder loving that co-worker who shakes your hand or wishes you a wonderful morning as they stab you in the back, including the manager that is planning to fire you that day. It's hard to love that rebellious teenager who’s acting out their own modern interpretation of "The Prodigal Son" - rebelling against you in your own home. It's hard to love that insensitive, argumentative spouse who tramples on your feelings on a regular basis. It's hard to love the lady in the congregation who embraces you as a brother or sister in Christ - and can't wait to gossip on the phone about your problems after service is over. It's hard to love that person in traffic who cut you off and nearly sideswiped you as they flip you the finger. It's hard to love that neighbor who blasts the home stereo into the wee hours of the morning every weekend. It's hard to love (fill in blank here)...

...and yet we are mandated by Christ himself to do so!

Just as Christ demonstrated his love for God and man, through obedience unto death upon the Cross that we might be redeemed, we are also obligated as Christians to do the same. We love God because He first loved us; we are to love each other because our love for Him is demonstrated through our obedience to Him. If we love Christ, we will keep his commandments to love - no matter how much it hurts. For as much as it hurts us to do so at times, we should consider the fact that once upon a time, were also the unlovable. We should also remember that every act committed as a result of our sinful nature became a lash across his back, a thorn in the flesh of his scalp, and a strike of the hammer on the nail in his hands and feet. While we cannot even come close to repaying this debt of love, we are to honor Christ by fulfilling our obligation to loving others - including the ones that seem unlovable.

True Repentance

2011-10-04T17:39:00.000-04:00

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 29:13, James 1:23-25, Matthew 15:8

In the last passage, we discussed the significance of a lifetime of repentance. But what is true repentance?

True repentance is a process that requires us to surrender our pride and open ourselves up to analysis, by the Holy Spirit, with the expectation that something will be found that requires purging. As we allow the Holy Spirit to analyze us, it will tell us the areas in our walk that need attending to - those filthy areas in our lives that require confession, repentance, change, & conformity to the standard of holiness. It requires acknowledgement of our wrongs against God, and with heartfelt sincerity asking for forgiveness, while forcibly turning away from those behaviors that lead to our sinful transgressions.

True repentance is more than telling God "My Bad!", "My Fault", or "Sorry Big ‘G’"; it requires transformation of both the heart and mind. We are to turn from our wicked ways - not lean away from them and offer a nod and a wink towards our actions; God is not interested in half-hearted apologies! Actually, a half-hearted apology represents a tolerance for sin that is not in alignment with God's standard of holiness. It also demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of how God views sin, with an air of contempt towards His throne!

Additionally, it requires that we acknowledge that we cannot do this alone, but that we need and require God to help us with this change. Change under our own steam is evidence of a works mentality, and distorts Christianity as a meritorious exercise; we take credit for our "changes" while stealing God's glory and negating His grace and Mercy. The changes are actually no more than cosmetic makeovers that appease the population around us, and may enhance the air of religious respectability, but leave a person spiritually rotting at the core.

It's time to raise the level of understanding amongst the body of Christ regarding sin and repentance. It cannot be re-emphasized enough - God hates sin! A wink and a nod are simply unacceptable; God sees the heart and knows our thoughts. It's time to get it right with God - the right way!

A Lifetime of Repentance

2011-09-27T13:08:00.000-04:00

(Scripture reference: 2Cor.3:17-18, Romans 8:18-27, Rev. 3:19.)

I used to believe that repentance was the moment I confessed my sins and accepted the gift of salvation in Jesus Christ. I am now starting to understand that it was only the beginning.

God's grace and mercy are renewed every day towards us, because, quite frankly, we're a mess! The example that comes to mind is infants. Every day, a child goes to the bathroom on themselves in the diaper; it would be horrible to imagine a parent leaving the child in that same diaper, day after day (Yuck!)!!! Likewise, our infancy in Christ is peppered in these moments, multiple times – daily – that require cleaning. (Granted, not everyone is a babe in Christ; for those whom have matured further in Christ, we have Depends, for those “off” days we suffer incontinence!) Grace and mercy are the baby wipes that have to be used as we grow in the faith; thank God that He has a huge stockpile!

The walk towards conformity in Christ is not a singular leap of faith, but rather a steady pace that begins with, and continues with repentance. As we allow the Holy Spirit to analyze us, it will tell us the areas in our walk that need attending to - those filthy areas in our lives that require confession, repentance, change, & conformity to the standard of holiness. Just as we must transition from milk to meat, we must also transition from diapers to potty-trained! Maturity in the faith is a requirement, and we have a responsibility towards our maturation.

As we undertake this exercise, we may become frustrated in our walk (probably because we never realized we had so many sinful hang-ups!). This is not a point of discouragement, but rather a point of gratitude. How? God loves us so much, that he desires us to conform to the image of His son, Jesus Christ. The revelation of our issues provides opportunities for growth, opens the door for a deeper relationship in Christ, and yields a testimony to share that will help someone else who has struggled in the area that we have obtained victory. Most importantly, it makes us look more and more like Christ.

The walk towards the altar and the baptism pool were the first steps in a journey on a path that will mold us and shape us, from glory to glory. The steps required are the ones of repentance - not just one, but many. Repenting and accepting Christ as our Lord and Savior was the first cleaning; there will be a lifetime of more cleaning required as more is revealed about us through the Holy Spirit. However, the revelations of ourselves is not condemnation, but rather confirmation of the love that God has towards us, and of the wonderful plans God has in store for us, His children. Knowing this, let us therefore embrace a lifetime of repentance, as we walk towards the goal of conforming to the image of Christ.

A Love Paradox?

2011-09-19T17:10:00.000-04:00

An absence of love reflects the absence of Christ. For how can one say "I love the Lord", when they only keep half of his commandment. They profess unyielding, never-ending love for Jesus, but carry disdain for their fellow man. (Isaiah 29:13, Matt. 15:8) Jesus masterfully condensed the law down into 2 commands (Luke 10:27):

"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (Ref Deut. 6.5). This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” (ref. Lev. 19.18)

What people fail to realize that the commands are mutually inclusive. They are bound by the following statement: "If you love me you will keep my Commandments" (Jn. 14:15). Thus, it is impossible to have Christ as lord and savior if we fail to love our fellow man; it is impossible to love without Christ as center of one’s life. This is not a paradox or circular logic, but rather an implicit fact that cannot be ignored - that in order to have Christ, one must be completely surrendered to him. In our surrender, the impartation and indwelling of the Holy Spirit allows love to manifest and be expressed in adherence to Christ's command.

Why is this important? Because the act of loving Jesus without loving people is manifested in the form of a "works" mentality. Thus one would have the mistaken idea that it is the actions I do - the auxiliaries I participate in within a congregation, how well I behave, how many scriptures I can quote off the top of my head, and all the "things" I did in "Jesus' name, will somehow substitute for obedience to the part Christ's command that we have issue with, namely, the part about loving others. We attempt to sooth the conscience by stroking the ego - padding the resume with nice deeds in an effort to earn a spot in Heaven (or to just avoid hell more than likely).

We can also see the selfishness in such an approach, as we are more concerned with punching our own ticket that inquiring of those whom God has placed in our pathway as to whether or not they have even as much heard the Good News??? In love, there is no selfishness, no self-centeredness. Christ points this out in Luke 9:23-24:

..."If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it. "

Selfishness is borne of a selfish motive; love's motivation is to love, as it is self-perpetuating. In an effort to punch our own ticket to heaven, the only thing our selfishness earns us is a window seat on the train ride to hell.

"True Love"???

2011-09-12T17:35:00.000-04:00

How can love not be true? If we embrace this term, we implicitly embrace that there is another kind of love - a "false love", based on feelings, sensuality, and emotions. “False love” is the worlds’ definition of love - a perverted shadow of the only love that is possible - that is, God's love. Love is not possible absent of the presence of God; outside of His presence are only unnatural affections. The world has been blinded to this understanding, and would outright reject this premise of love, by reason of rebellion alone.

A shadow is formed when light is cast upon an object, residing directly behind the object in which the light is being cast. It is a projected form of the object being illuminated. These affections are that shadow that hides behind the object being illuminated when the light of truth is cast upon it. It is selfish, directed only to the object of interest, and is limited in scope while absent of depth. It is truly a form of godliness, (2Tim3:1-7) - yet denying its power. While the rebellious world can conceptualize the concept of how a shadow is formed, it lacks the ability for realizing that it is precisely the rebellious nature of the flesh that forms the barrier around which the shadow of unnatural affections is cast.

Those for whom the light does not reside cannot face the light of truth - they turn away due to its strength and intensity. Interestingly enough, the direction they turn is always in the direction the shadow is cast. It is within the realm of this shadow that those shameful things done in secret are committed (Eph5: 8-14). It is the form of godliness that misleads the lost into believing that the person before you loves you with Godly love - only to find out that are just manipulating you. It is the form of love that only shows during worship services - the kind where if you happen to be in the person’s shadow, they love you; out of that shadow, you aren't even a second thought. Also, consider the reason why they have turned in your direction to begin with - they have secret thoughts, ulterior motives, where you are a means to an end and nothing more. These are perverted expressions of a type of affection that have no place within the body of Christ, yet sadly seems to be prevalent.

God's love is the light that shines bright in each and every one of us in whom the Holy Spirit resides; if the light does not emanate from His believers, then they are casting a shadow. We are either emitting light, or projecting darkness. This is dangerous in the church!!! Just as there was no darkness in Christ, there should also be no darkness within the body. God wants his light shown to all, such that those in darkness may turn and be lead out of darkness. How may the lost see if there is no light to lead them? And what hope is there for them who come to the tabernacle, seeking the light of truth, and are engulfed in shadows? To those who walk in the light, continue to do so, such that God may obtain glory through your loving obedience to his will. To those who do not - repent, so that His marvelous light may be shown to all, or be removed, such that His light can shine forth.

How I Miss Thee, Worship Service!!!

2011-09-06T13:29:00.001-04:00

“Bring the sinners to Christ; Christ will bring them to the church!”

Perhaps if non-believers were approached in that manner, it would diffuse the stink-bomb of a belief that people will be more drawn to attend church if it has a theatre sound system, a knockoff "Barnes and Noble" (cafe and book store), and kiddie playground/gymnasium to babysit the kids while parents go enjoy this week's entertainment (er, service) in an air-conditioned, fully-staffed, edifice, with shuttle bus service from the parking lot to the sanctuary, located on a beautiful campus. (Oh, don't forget to come out for the bi-weekly "Sweatin' to the Gospel" Pilates/Zumba class).

Anyone notice that, by-and-large, it Sunday morning worship service isn't even called worship service anymore; it is either one or the other (Sunday worship, or Sunday service) - both are incomplete. Then again, it is probably appropriate since it seems that worshipping God is now subject to entertainment reviews. Truthfully, many really don't worship Him anymore; they attend services to be entertained - we don't go to serve God through worship. OR better yet, we only worship Him on Sunday, or we only serve him on Sunday.

It can't even called using superficial means to draw others to Christ; they aren't thinking about Christ - they're thinking about bragging rights regarding the house of worship (i.e. "Best Church on the Block"). This type of thinking is indicative of the infiltration of worldly metrics into the body of Christ to gage the success and effectiveness of a church. It is a dangerous precedent that is assuredly a guaranteed failure if not sanctioned by God; high-priced chaff to be thrown into the fire and consumed.

The difference between Cain and Abel is that Cain gave God an offering based on what he thought God wanted; Able gave God an offering based on what he knew God wanted. Fast forward to now, and it is the same thing, except on a grander scale – offering entertainment instead of ourselves, and indoctrinating unsuspecting people to erroneously believe the same. And when they falter, or fall, or speak of an emptiness in their life, their "loyalty" to the church is questioned, not the condition of their souls.

There must be a return to the principle of service to God via worship. Sunday morning is not a time for ritual rehearsal – dress up, go to church, go home, eat, repeat. It is a time to reverence God and to serve him – to offer praise for whom He is, for His grace and mercy and loving kindness; it is an opportunity to avail ourselves to serve, to offer ourselves to God – not to come and be served or entertained.

The sound system is nice, but it becomes useless if I can't hear God,

The bookstore is irrelevant if the Word of God (The Bible) is not being taught,

Gourmet coffee is great, but it will never quench a thirst for living water,

Kids should be growing in Christ, and not just growing out of the playroom,

Central air is a waste if I'm just in the waiting room for hell (even if it is a really nice one!),

Exercising my body is a good thing, but does not yield much if I am spitirually weak.

Oh, how I miss thee, worship service; how I long for your return!!!!

The Eulogy of True Worship

2011-08-31T17:00:00.002-04:00

(mirrored after Macbeth - Act 5, Scene5)

It should have never been replaced;
For in this time we have need for such praise.
Sunday, after Sunday, after Sunday
Maintaining the status quo - undelivered, downtrodden, bound
Through the benediction and dismissal; to be repeated next week.
And all our religious traditions have given way
To emotionally-charged, hollow praise. Louder, Louder, the sound system!
Modern Worship is but sounding brass and clanging cymbals, entertainment
That causes men and women to dance, shout, and wail about the sanctuary,
And does nothing more; they are but songs - loud and extravagant,
Sung by frustrated images, held in the hollow chains of man's approval,
Changing nothing.

Praying For Our Enemies (Part II)

2011-05-05T22:53:00.003-04:00

Scipture Reference: Psalm 51:5, 58:3, Romans 5:12-19

It's hard to pray for one's enemies, especially when they mistreat those closest to you - your children, your spouse, those closest to you for whom you have the strongest ties to your heart. Yet I am reminded that while Jesus hung on the cross - bloodied, bruised, battered - he still asked God to "forgive them, for they know not what they do".

Is it possible to know something, and yet not know it? Is it possible to know that one's actions are wrong, and not know the depth or gravity of the infraction? Perhaps that is the case with sin. Perhaps sin can blind an invidividual so profoundly, that they cannot comprehend the depth of seriousness the consequences their actions may cause. Sin has consequences that are not always completely realized until way after the infraction has occured. That we do not experience the full weight of consequences immediately, and the impending judgement, is a testament to the power of grace and mercy - that God would refrain for a period of time to allow for repentance.

More to the point, it makes Jesus' prayer for us on the cross that much more significant. He wasn't just praying for the mob that condemned him to Calvary (they were, after all fulfilling prophecy unawares) - he was also praying for all of us that were to come afterwards. His plea spared us from instantaneous judgment from God; his blood upon the mercy seat the atonement for sin. There is an erroneous belief that it was the Jews who killed Christ. It was not the jews who killed Christ - it was our sins, the sins of humanity past, present and future. It is his blood that allows both Jews and gentiles hope - escape from the wrath of Judgment. It was by his prayer that grace and mercy is extended to us today.

Since we are born into sin, we are - at birth - children of wrath and rebellion. Righteousness is not a part of the human condition; it is a function of holiness, for which we have no concept of absent the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. We are, in effect, born not knowing, yet through our upbringing, we may have been taught a rudimentary sense of right and wrong. But without holiness, righteousness is reduced to our skewed sense of right and wrong, justice and fairness - all perverted by flesh. At worse, we are outright rebellious, rejecting the very existence of God; at best, we practice a form of godliness, yet absent His prenence and power (or, arguably, they are equally reprehensible!).

I'm glad that Jesus prayed for his enemies; I doubt sincerely we would't be here if he didn't! Consier this - suppose Jesus didn't ask God to forgive them? As a parent myself, I'd be livid if someone harmed my child; imagine how God felt on that day we nailed his beloved son, Jesus on a cross to die a brutal, painful death (I shudder to think) So, it is with a repentant heart that we must continue to pray for our enemies, as it is the example, precedent, and command of our King - Jesus Christ.

Praying for Our Enemies

2011-04-11T21:52:00.005-04:00

Scripture Reference: Matt 5:43-44

I think if you would have told me to pray for my enemies not too long ago, I would have probably asked you for clarification...as to what type and severity of retribution I would like to have befallen upon them that would more than make up for the pain, grief, stress, aggravation and discord they have caused me in my life and that of my family...

...and I would be making this request in complete error and in rebellion against the words of Jesus Christ Himself!

During a quiet moment with the Lord, He revealed to me a most profound revelation regarding prayer for my enemies: prayer for our enemies demonstrates our understanding (or lack thereof) of the war being waged in the spirit realm, and our relationship to this fight as Christians in the Earth realm. You see, according to Ephesians 6:12, our fight is "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".

If we remember that before we accepted Christ, we were yet sinners, slaves to sin - as such having having no control as to how we were being used by the adversary in His failing attempts to disrupt the plan and will of God in the Earth. But now being freed, we should understand that the battle is soooooo much bigger that the person in front of us trying to give us hell - or more appropriately, provoke us to surrender our peace which we have in Christ (Phil. 4:7). By not praying for our enemies, it also demonstrates pride. for as we were yet sinners, Christ dies for us - who are we to take such an exalted position regarding our enemies? Consider this: self-righteousness and unforgiveness, are but two sides of the same coin!

Just as Christ pleaded with God to "forgive them (us), for they know not what they do," we also must follow this pattern as well. The person before us is the unwitting vessel by which the enemy has chosen to provoke us to react in the flesh, rather than respond in the spirit. By praying for our enemies - particularly praying for their release from captivity and the recognition of the light of Christ in our lives, we truly do reflect Christ in a most profound way. We also demonstrate our trust in the Lord, , for we know not only is the battle not ours, but His (I Samuel 17:47) , and He determines the outcome! (Which happens to be victory, in case you didn't know!)

(*note - this was written 2 years ago...I presume now is the time to release it!*)

Getting Back On Post

2011-03-13T22:52:00.006-04:00

It's been awhile since my last posting. I can enumerate a number of excuses as to why I have not been posting...and all of them pretty much stink! You see, God asked me once, "If no one read what was written, would you still continue to write what I give you to write?" Of course I said sure at first. But as time went on, I realize that I did want the feedback. I learned something about myself that I didn't like - I do like praise, and that in the absence of praise I became disobedient and stopped posting. Granted, I still continued to write, but half-way obedience is meaningless. It's like the expression goes, "almost only counts in horseshoes!"

My thoughts move towards the prophet Jeremiah, and how he foretold the destruction of Israel and how he pleaed for them to turn from their wicked ways, their hollow religious traditions, and towards God in repentance. I thought about how hard a task it must have been to preach and prophecy to people...only to go unheeded and ignored. And yet he remained obedient and faithful. That is where I need to be; this is where I intend to remain.

I see now the error of my ways - I am accountable for my obedience, not the outcome; the requirements of my assignment in God's kingdom must always supercede my desire for recognition and confirmation that I am doing a good job. Come to think of it, He did tell me that He was purging me of my need for such praise - I see now why it was so important, and I am grateful for the learning moment that came from this. I am also grateful for God's grace - that He did not cast me off for my disobedience, and let me get back on post!

Labeling Children "Bad"

2010-10-03T23:58:00.005-04:00

Scipture Refeence: Proverbs 18:21, Matthew 19:14

When food goes rotten, we call it bad and discard it. When a car battery has a "bad" cell, we discard the battery and replace it. There are numerous examples of things that we label "bad" and appropriately discard. It is discarded because it has lost all redeeming value and is devoid of any good quality worth salvaging.

So then, what are we saying when we we label kids as "bad"? What manner of witchcraft is this, that we would speak such evil over the lives of a child when we call them "bad"? Are we saying that they have no redeeming value, that there is no good quality in them worth salvaging, and hence should be discarded as trash? Are not all God's children, human beings, beautifully and wonderfully made? Does not God find them valuable???

It is a part of our culture to sort and simplity - even when it comes to people. Children learn the definition of what it means to be called "Good" kids and "Bad" kids - sometimes with devastating effects. We recite repeatedly that life and death is in the power of the tongue - why is it then that we fail to realize the potentially damaging effects of what we say, particularly ove the lives of impressionable children? Why do we make light of calling a child that is acting inapproporately "bad"?

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. 5:6). God wishes to redeem all of us; who are we to say who is woth redeeming, and who is not? In our doing so, do we negate the redeeming power of the blood of Christ? Do we dare say that we are a better judge than God of what is valuable and what is not? Judge not, lest ye be judged (Mat. 7:1,2). Be careful whose child you label "bad" - that child just so happens to be one of God's kids, and God doesn't take kindly to anyone messing with his kids!

The Hard Place

2010-09-19T23:50:00.005-04:00

It is in the hard place that God demonstrates some of His greatest works. The hard place - that place where the promises of God seem impossible, defeat seems inevitable, the negative report seems irrefutable, and deliverance seems unimaginable - that is the canvas upon which God paints His masterpieces; His paintbrush - the obedient, faithful servant. Consider the following examples -

Abraham and Sarah conceiving and having a child, well past child-bearing age (Genesis 18:9-14)
Joshua and the Israelite army defeating the fortified city of Jericho (Joshua 5:13-15)
King Hezekiah having his life extended fifteen years after being told he was about to die (Isaiah 38:1-7)
Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego rejoicing in the middle of the fiery furnace (Daniel 3:16-27)

There are countless examples of God’s expression of love, grace, mercy, and, victory towards His people. But what needs to be understood is that the testimonies within the bible all point to a single fact upon which we can rest assured - that if, in our obedience, we are led to a hard place, then God will - at the right moment - show Himself mighty in the life of the believer. He does so, that there can be no denial of His power, His sovereignty, or His love for His children.

Embrace the hard place that God, in your obedience, has placed you. Stop looking for the greener pastures “over there”; watch God bring forth the lush greenery in the middle of the desert you find yourself in. The hard place is a place of growth - a seemingly profound contradiction in terms when we find ourselves in a place of desolation. But that is precisely why God wants us there - to confound the world with impossibility, while providing an opportunity to believe. Embrace the hard place; it is a place of pruning, of growth, of maturity - a place for the perfecting of the saints.

Reject or Receive

2010-06-05T12:23:00.002-04:00

Sciptue Reference: 1Peter 4:12-13

Whenever the word of God is spoken over your life, partucularly when blessings are commanded over your life, it never seems to fail - things don't get better at first, but get worse! That is because the enemy knows that you have the choice to either receive or reject God's word. The most effective way to reject God's word is to believe that it does not apply to you. If God has commanded blessings over your life, and things all of a sudden got worse in your life, this is a time to rejoice, as it is the desperate flailings of a defeated enemy trying to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by trying to convince you of one of the following lies:

1) You heard incorrectly

2) You interpreted the word incorrectly

3) The word wasn't directed toward you

4) The word was meant for everyone alse but you

5) God is still angry with you b/c of past sins (fom which you already repented)

6) God lied about it

7) God changed his mind about it

As you can see, each one of the lies is noting new in terms of tactics that the enemy uses in his devices against the saints of God. So, choose to receive God's word, and be encouraged! Even moreso, rejoice as the Word of God over you has already been manifest in the spiritual, and will, in due season, manifest in the natural!

Death of a Ministry

2010-04-08T22:24:00.003-04:00

The following are reflections upon the reasons for why a God-ordained ministry - starting with such promise - falters and fails. The hope in presenting this is to help others avoid some of the pitfalls and traps the enemy lays before us when endeavoring to do those tasks that we, as fellow laborers in the vineyard, are assigned to do. This is, by no means, an exhaustive list, nor is it in any particular order; it was what was pressed upon my heart to write at the time, for the edification of servants, and the health of all ministries - to the Glory and Honor of God!

A ministry dies when it despises small beginnings.
A ministry dies when hearing the phrase "Well Done.." means more coming from it's contemporaries than from God.
A ministry dies when it chooses "substantial" over substance.
A ministry dies when it stops building The Kingdom and starts becoming an empire!
A ministry dies when it adopts the worlds' standard for success.
A ministry dies when the word of its’ leaders trumps the Word of God.
A ministry dies when its laborers lose sight of God's purpose and importance for it.
A ministry dies when the petty disagreements between laborers supersedes the common goal of contending for the Gospel.
A ministry dies when the sense of urgency and importance starts to dissipates.
A ministry dies when the standard of Holiness is compromised for the sake of tolerance.

Focus on His Glory

2010-03-15T00:09:00.003-04:00

Scripture References: 1 Chronicles 16:20, 1 Corinthians 10:31, Matthew 6:33, Hebrews 4:16, Romans 8:28

Our primary focus should always be on His glory - the glory and honor of God, our Father in Heaven. Our maturity in the faith is measured by the transition of our focus away from our problems, situations, and personal cares and concerns - and toward the fulfillment of our purpose in Him, such that it brings glory and honor to the Lord. In fact, we should begin to look at the situations, problems, and issues that have occurred in our life - not as nuisances, personal stressors, and sources of heartache, but rather as opportunities through which God may obtain glory through our unwavering trust in Him, as He uses us in this situation to demonstrate once again to those encompassed around us that He truly does love His children, He takes care of them, and that He IS the Most High and Sovereign God.

Whatever situations that have arisen in our lives, God has allowed permission for it to occur - not to harm us, but to develop us spiritually while providing an opportunity for Him to receive glory. The devil only has permission to go as far as God allows him to go; we need to recognize that this boundary is His holiness, and that on the other side of the boundary is victory and glory. As we seek the Kingdom of God first, and His righteousness, we need to reconsider what is being revealed to us in that statement. We have permission to seek God and inquire on any situation and ask is it right according to His standards (hence the definition of Righteousness - that which is right and acceptable in the eyes of God). This is supported by Paul's assertion that we may come boldly before the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy in our time of need.

When we reconcile the fact that the problems are not right, but God allowed them to occur anyway, we stand in humble submission in the full knowledge that ALL things work together for good to those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose. If we love Him, and are indeed called to His purpose, we can have peace in this situation - the peace of God that passes all understanding. Forthwith, we may ask of God what shall He have us to do in this situation; our obedience to His commands, and steadfast faith is the mantle of responsibility God places upon us, as it is the upholding of this mantle through which victory and glory is manifested.

If Tomorrow Never Came...

2009-11-30T11:09:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reference- Eph.5:15-20

By now many of us are trying to recuperate from the Thanksgiving holiday and Black Friday shopping rush. We’ve gorged ourselves over turkey, stuffing, gravy, cakes, pies, etc, and ran out in the middle of the night and wee hours of the morning fighting each other over material things and spending money we probably didn’t have on things we really didn’t need because of a tradition that takes precedence over the true meaning of the Christmas holiday. In truth, Thanksgiving is now referred to as “Turkey Day”, and Christmas is now Xmas (because we’ve eliminated Christ from Christmas – but that’s another issue to be addressed later.) What happened to the giving of thanks? What has happened to the expressions of gratitude for divine providence? Thanksgiving, it seems, has been deferred – displaced by the need for instant personal gratification.

Gratitude has been superseded by gratification, and appreciation pushed aside by narcissism. The world’s beliefs and value systems make it o.k. to focus exclusively on the moment, giving little appreciation for the elements that make the moment possible. The need for “right now gratification”, indicative of our culture, screams at us to “buy now, pay later” with the assumption that later will always be there. Time is reduced to a disposable commodity which we can redeem whenever we wish. We live our lives always in the moment, leapfrogging from one “sugar rush” to the next, never taking time to appreciate all that we have, all that we do not have; all we have been given, and all that has been removed from us. How quickly do we forget all the grace that we have been extended over our lives and all the mercies sparing us from tragedies both known and unknown.

What if tomorrow never came? Not speaking just of ourselves, but what if it never came for someone we love or cared about? In our haste to attend to the screaming needs of now, we put off the opportunity to express our gratitude for a time that is not promised to any of us. We would be devastated at the sudden passing of a loved one. In our reminiscing of their life, we might be bruised by the desire for more time - another opportunity to share with them how much we loved, cared, and appreciated them; we will be wounded deeply by the realization that the tomorrow we always thought would be there was just an illusion - a salve to comfort a guilty conscience suffering because of our selfish indifference and sheer laziness.

How horrible a situation to find ourselves in, having expired and not extending the thankfulness and gratitude to God He richly deserves, not only for all He has provided to us, but for who He is? How devastating would it be, having died, and not being grateful for Christ’s sacrifice on Calvary? In asking these questions, the focus is always on us, whether sinner or saint – but suppose we ask these questions of God as to how He would feel? How grievous is our rebelliousness towards the Holy Spirit? How hurtful is our indifference towards Christ and his sacrifice for us? How heartbreaking is our ingratitude towards God and His expressions of love towards us? Imagine how devastated God will be to lose a beloved child because they put their trust on a day that was never there, opting to wait until tomorrow - and tomorrow never came.

Suffering in Silence

2009-11-11T16:09:00.005-05:00

Scripture Reference: Luke 4:18, Isaiah 61:1

After seeing two people being purged and delivered from demonic forces over the past couple of weeks, I am compelled to raise the following questions:

1) How many more come through the doors of the assembly, sit amongst the body week after week, and have not been recognized as needing deliverance?
2) Who amongst the body suffers in silence and we are totally unaware?
3) How many go from week to week spiritually untouched, unnoticed, unacknowledged, and unloved within our houses of worship?
4) Why are we (the body as a whole) spiritually insensitive to their plight?

Deliverance can only come in an atmosphere that is free - free of judgment, free from man's rules, and free to allow the Holy spirit to operate in the saints who are commissioned to release the captive, heal the sick, mend the mend the brokenhearted, lift the downtrodden, and restore to wholeness the fractured souls that walk amongst us. The Body of Christ has not seen the manifestation of such power, due to a lack of compassion snuffed out by the spirits of religion, tradition and python - squeezing out and suffocating the believer. We don't see the suffering because we have either lack the compassion necessary in order to see past the flesh (spiritual sight), or feign ignorance such as to not be held accountable for those whose plight we do see.

We are bound by what others will say and think of us. We are afraid of how others will treat and respond to us - friends, family, fellow Christians, and strangers - if they knew what ails us, what broke us, and what we struggle with. We are bound by fear of recrimination. We are bound by the fear of offending someone and harsh rebuke if we inquire as to the spiritual state of those in our midst. We are bound by political correctness and the spirit of offence. We are bound to callous responses to others’ suffering through religious traditions and dogma - "Just have faith!” or “Hold on to faith" we flippantly tell them – none of which have much comfort and solace in the fiercest heat of the firestorm of trials and tribulation that the downtrodden find themselves in.

Likewise, we are blind to the brokenness. We are blinded by the lie that because a person dresses in their Sunday best, dances at the appropriate organ keys, claps and shouts at the appropriate utterance of the messenger behind the pulpit – that everything is o.k. with that person. We are blind to the condition of a person’s spirit, because their external appearance – race, color, culture, gender (i.e. their flesh) is different from us. Under the spirit of tradition and religion, it's a lot easier to be detached and not have the responsibility of love, or the burden of compassion.

Those within the church suffer in silence because we fear the condemnation and judgment of our fellow peers in the church. Because the church has not matured to the level where we view each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, the house of worship is reduced to a court of public opinion - a place absent of redemption and reconciliation, yet filled with judgment and condemnation. This is also true of those outside of the church - suffering in silence in fear of judgment by those in the house of worship. The body has not the power, authority, or state of perfection to do sit in judgment of itself, much less anyone outside of it; it is doing so before the appointed time in a corruptible state – resulting in both the body and those outside of it to persist in a state that is displeasing to the Lord.

As long as the Body of Christ remains spiritually blind and bound, it will be outside of the will of God, and scores of people will continue to suffer in silence because of it.

Casualties of War

2009-09-30T17:04:00.002-04:00

Scripture Reference – 1 Peter 5:8, 1Cor. 16:13, 1Thes. 5:6

After taking my children to school this morning and heading towards work, I began to pray for them and my wife - that they would be safe and protected from the hands of the enemy, and that they all would have a wonderful day today. Along the way, the Holy Spirit revealed to me something that made me take pause, and look at things in a profoundly different way – spiritual warfare is taking place right now, and that my family and I are in the middle of it!

Sometimes we Christians forget that we are in the middle of a war – a war waged in the spirit realm, those manifestations – and subsequent casualties – are manifested in the Earth realm. We see the casualties of this war – the exploding prison population, the decline of the family, rampant sexuality (both homo and hetero), rebellion and chaos in our schools, sickness and disease, corruption and moral decay in our government and our society – and this is just the tip of the iceberg! But the point is not to create an exhaustive laundry list of what ails our society – but to point out that what we are seeing is the manifestation an all-out assault by the forces of darkness left unchecked by a large swath of Christians…

…because we forget that we are in the middle of a spiritual war!

Whether it be because we are more engrossed with our own carnal issues, are distracted by the physical manifestations of this assault to see the enemy behind it, or there exists an inherent lack of understanding in within the body of believers that a war is even taking place, two thing are apparent: the casualty list is growing rapidly, and the body of Christ is asleep at the wheel!

The enemy runs about like a “roaring lion, looking to see whom he may devour” – and is doing his job with reckless abandon! But what is our job? Are we to sit back and hope that something changes, or run from place to place hoping to avoid a confrontation with the enemy? Sorry to tell you this, but as Christians, WE are that hope (through Christ), and there is no physical cover to hide behind in the midst of a spiritual war. We are to be watchful, mindful, prayerful – with all due diligence! Whether it be at our home, or at the daycare/schools our children attend, the roads that we travel upon, the restaurants whose food we partake, the homes and stores we visit, our workplace– we simply cannot let up for a moment! Our watchfulness may be the only thing that stands in the way of someone we love/care for from becoming another casualty!

Obedience and Purpose

2009-09-21T17:23:00.003-04:00

Scripture Reference: I Samuel 15:22, Matt 10:38, 16:24-25 Luke 14:27 Isaiah 1

We often pray to God for our purpose in life: "Why am I here?" "What is my purpose?" "What am I supposed to be doing?" But what is the point of God revealing His purpose for our lives if we are not going to heed His call and be in agreement and submission to it? That is why he does not reveal it to us before the appointed time - when the preparation and maturity necessary for that which He has determined - His Word - shall not return void, but will accomplish that what He has determined to accomplish through the believer.

In truth - most of us are not looking for purpose - we are looking for validation. As far as our purpose goes, most only wish to do the bare minimum in the least uncomfortable position possible to get into heaven. If some of us could "ride the pine" into heaven, we would without the slightest bit of guilt, with the thinking "as long as I'm on the team…” However, the word says that we are called to be more than church members - we are called to be disciples! To be disciples requires discipline; to exercise discipline requires obedience.

We dislike obedience because it challenges us right at to core of our physical being – in our flesh, where rebellion is intertwined into the DNA of our physical existence, and expertly justified by the logic and intellect our soul. Words like self-control and discipline chafe at the conscience like coarse sandpaper across bare flesh. Obedience requires active submission of the flesh at every waking moment - an exercise whereby success can only be achieved by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which gives us the power to choose! We are called to be disciples - the root of which is discipline. If there is no obedience, discipline is violated, and discipleship status is null and void. Grace becomes the only thing that separates us from being released to a reprobate mind and eternal damnation!

A Christian will never find out true purpose until they commit to being a disciple - an obedient, disciplined, committed follower of Christ. And for those whose lack a sense of purpose, a great place to start is simply being obedient to God's word.

Absentee Fathers

2009-08-20T19:07:00.002-04:00

Scritpure Reference: Psalm 68:5, John 3:16

It is difficult for me to imagine not having a father - a strong male presence in my household setting an example for me in how to become a man, what is expected of me as a man, and how to love as a father, husband, and man of stature and respect in the community in which I reside (a.k.a. the "neighborhood dad”). My dad set the tone of the house, as well as how things were going to be done; we ate dinner together as a family, went on vacations together as a family, and spent time together as a family. I even remember the day he told (i.e. issued the mandate) to us (the family) that we were all going to church together (at the time, my brothers and I were going to the church around the corner, because we could get out of Sunday School and still make it home in time to see cartoons; my parents went to their respective houses of worship where they grew up).

I cannot imagine not growing up without a father - which is why my heart goes out to kids who grow up without a father/father-figure in the home. It was through the love of my father that I could relate to and identify with the love of the Heavenly Father – because he demonstrated it! Whenever I read or heard about my Heavenly Father - about how much He loves me (see John 3:16), or how He is a Father to the fatherless - I had a glimpse of understanding because I saw it in action in my household. My father also learned it because he saw his father - my grandfather - demonstrate it. (My grandfather did not, but I undoubtedly believe that it was God who ordered his steps to start this paradigm within my family).

Which leads me to this question - with the increasing numbers of out-of-wedlock births, single-parent homes, and foster care children in state systems, how are they ever going to be able to relate to God with any serious significance? Our society, our culture, is participating in creating a generation that will inherently struggle with identifying with God as a loving Father who truly loves us and wants the best for us. If they struggle with this, they will have great difficulty with the ultimate demonstration of love - The Father giving up His son, so that the world might be saved! This will fall upon deaf ears, as these children will undoubtedly view this through a broken prism of fatherhood - after all, the fathers of these children gave up on them.

Left unchecked, we will produce a generation that at best will be indifferent to God, and at worst - be contemptuous towards Him. They will reject Christ and the gift of salvation because of these seeds we have sewn and have allowed to be sewn unchecked and unchallenged. We see countless statistics regarding the impact of absentee fatherism on children and families within our society. The link between school performance, delinquency, behavioral problems, crime, and social mobility has been made over and over again. However, to my knowledge, no one has examined the link between absentee fatherism and the absence of a relationship with The Father! Statistically, I don't know how you graph this, but, as the saying goes - "the devil is in the details".

This missive is written, not to take the position that children in single parent families do not/will not accept Christ as their lord and savior, or that single mothers are being slack in the moral and spiritual development of their children. It is time out for the indictments, the finger pointing, blame game, and other assorted nonsense that takes away from the true issue at hand - the absence of fathers, namely Christian men adopting the role of a father. In short, this is a call to arms – a call to all Christian men to recognize and confront the spiritual implications of the absence of the father in our society. It is a moral and spiritual imperative that all men - whether or not they have children, take an active role in being Godly fathers; this means being fathers to our own children, as well as fathers to children who are not our own. It means being fathers to the kids in our neighborhood who don’t have one. It involves adopting a fatherly figure role in our communities and schools (even our houses of worship) and being actively engaged such that the welfare, well-being, and interests of the children are addressed at the highest level of quality possible! It is the example that God has set before us, and were obligated to follow it - not just for ourselves, our families, our communities - but for the sake of The Gospel itself - and the salvation of countless children whose lives, both now and eternal, hang in the balance!

Fools Rush In

2009-07-21T15:54:00.003-04:00

Scripture Reference: Psalm 44

Psalm 44 provides a very compelling paradigm that is critically important for the Body of Christ to grasp, understand, and apply if the participants of this next move of God wish to see the manifestations of God's transformative power in action through the believer in a magnitude even greater than that of the early church in the Book of Acts. God intends to reap in this end-time harvest of souls, and in doing so, He has restructured the church back to i's original design, with all ministerial gifts and offices restored in its proper order. Whatis critically important in concert with this reorganization/revitalization is the relatinship aspect of ministry - that of covenant relationship between the Body of Christ and God through Jesus Christ.

In the lead up to this end-time movement, there has been an empahsis on the amount of work required, the few laboreres versus the abundant harvest, and the hisotrical premise of God's power working throughthe church. There have been sporadic manifestations over the years, some culminating in the great revivals an reformations of the church. What needs to be emphasized is that in the Book of Acts, as well as these revivals and reformations throughtout history, the men and women who were instrumental in those events also had a deep, personal, covenant relationship with God. In fact, throughout the Bible, each person God chose to make profound changes n sch a way as to bring about the dsiredchanges in the hearts and minds of the people as it pertained to their relationship to God were men and women who were in covenant relationship with Him.

How does this pertain to Psalm 44? Well, the first 8 verses describe the reationship the previous generations had with God, and the subsequent success they had over their enemies as God's favor allowed allowed the Israelites to experience victory after victory in seizing and bringing under subjugation the Promised Land from the current inhabitants. What's interesting is that from verses 9 through 25, the writere is left in a state of disarray and confusion as to why their efforts to wage battle against their enemies has failed miserably. The Israelites are struggling to figure out whythe success of their ancestors has not trasnsferred down to their generation. They knew their history, and they knew that they were God's chosen people. What they could not understand was why what worked before had hailed them, and now there were experiencing a major “beat down” by their adversaries. In their reasoning, they concluded, rather erroneously, that God had turned his back on them.

After reading this passage several times, and petitioning God to understand what was going on in this passage of scripture, the answer was revaled - God had not turned His back on them, but rather this particular generation was not in covenant relationship with God! Subsequently, because this generation was not in covenant relationship with God, He was under no obligation whatsoever to assist them withtheir activities. They chose to rush in on their own, and got the kind of results that is expected when we rush in “for God”, and he’s not leading the charge - utter disaster!

This group of Israelites was trying to perform works similar to their forefathers based on precedence, historical reference, and coincidental relationship, with the expectation of replicating similar success. The precedence was that God took a small portion of a piece of an army and demonstrated that “not by might and strength but by His Spirit” was success going to be achieved. The historical reference was that of Joshua, who was in direct relationship with God, and after being given a preceeding word from God, went forth conquering the land that God promised the Israelites. Lastly, because they were Israelies, God's chosen people, there was an assumption that it was "understood" that God would always be on their side. So, it was indeed a shocking and bewildering surprise to the Israelites that when they boldly went forth on these premises, they got sent back with their tails between their legs, licking their wounds, and trying to figure out what went wrong.

How is this pertinant to the church today? Just as the Israelites proceeded under a series of premises that were erroneous based on their reasoning and application, so must the church guard itself from committing the same mistake. Yes, the previous generations experienced success in the movements of God, and we have the historical evidence to back up and vaidate these moves of God, whether it be in the Bible, or in the post-biblical era stretching forth into our curret time. And we may correctly claim that we are God’s chosen people through Christ. Nevertheless, if the Body (or any portion therein) erroneously preceeds to engage in activities not ordained by God, or in the absence of a covenant relationship with God, it does so at it own peril. For not only will it not succeed (not necessarily by Man's standards, but by God's standards), but also, they face the ultimate disaster - that of coming before God, claiming to have done great and many things in Christ's name, and hearing "Depart from me, ye workers in iniquity - I knew ye not!"

Brush Off the Dust!

2009-07-13T14:59:00.007-04:00

Scripture Reference: Isaiah 26:3, “You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.”

It is important to start off withthe following statement, as if you , the reader, don't remember anythingg else, please remember this:

If I keep my mind focused on Jesus, then my mind does not have time to waste pondering over trivial things.

-BTW, trivial things are those things in the temporal (meaning temporary, present situations and circumstances screaming loudly for our undivided attention) that we characterize as things to worry or be concerned about (i.e. items which are almost exclusively outside God's priorities and secondary to the things that He has already promised He would provide for and take of - see Phil. 4:19) which are at best trivial and insignificant against the backdrop of eternity.

Quantitatively speaking, these items are but bits of dust along the divine path that we walk when we take up our Cross and soldier forth for the Lord. As Christians, we must recognize the "dust up" as one of the most effective weapons in the enemy's arsenal against our cause - until now, of course. Our ever-increasing dependency upon God and his Divine Providence strengthens us and empowers us to move forward in Him - even in the midst of the fiercest dust storms. Dust storms rob us of our physical sight - but it is irrelevant to us who walk not by sight but by faith.

When we are robbed of our sight, it is easy to become unsettled, nervous, and at a loss of our bearings. But for us to be effective in our Christian walk, we must be in perfect peace - cool and calm. In these uncertain times, our walk, our stance in Christ will be a beacon of hope to the masses whom do not know, nor whom are intimate with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Imagine the impact of our testimony when we share the gospel - not with flowery words, or KJV English, but with the simple brushing off of our shoulders in the middle of a crisis with non-believers present! Hence the scripture from Isaiah 26:3 - Perfect peace in the middle of warfare.
For myself, it has been easier to write this than to live this truth; as the enemy rages storms in my life to keep me from my duty as a Scribe for the Lord. But God never said it would be easy - for the sake of the Gospel, we should expect (I dare say welcome) resistance, for resistance is but a means by which our faith and resolve are strengthened. As I compose this letter of encouragement to my Christian brothers and sisters, these words serve to edify myself as well; I am by no means an "expert" in the Gospel. Nevertheless, as these words have been laid upon my heart, these words of encouragement from the Holy Spirit I must share with others, less I be convicted of selfishness.

So I end this with this thought - brush off the dust!

Battling the Spirits of Distraction and Procrastination

2009-07-01T23:39:00.002-04:00

Greetings once again. I apologize for being on such a long hiatus, but I was battling the tag-team duo of distraction and procrastination. Over the past 3 months, I have continued to write, albeit sporadically. Yet the time in which to sit down and edit and post always seemed to be trumped by other elements in my life – work, family, bills, etc. It wasn't until I had a conversation with the Lord that He revealed to me that distraction and procrastination needed to be eliminated from me in order to participate in this next move of God. I am of no use to Him if I always put off to tomorrow what I can do today, and continuously use the immediate distractions of the moment as an excuse for not accomplishing the tasks and fulfilling the responsibilities He has assigned to me.

Per instruction, allow me to explain to you how this works. First, ever so subtly, we allow the things of this world to elevate to the level of importance equal to that of God and His will, purpose and plan for our lives. In doing so, simultaneously reduce the level of importance of the Lord in our lives. In short, God has to take a number and head to the back of the line. It sounds kinda harsh, but truthfully, when we take the religious position that God gets Sunday (morning), Saturday is ours to do as we please, and Monday thru Friday is the proverbial “ratrace”, we create the “slippery slope” that makes this decline happen.

This decline is also the access point for distractions to take hold and wield influence. After all, nothing screams at you more for attention like a pile of bills in the mail, phone calls from the school or bill collectors, after-school activities, social engagements, bosses looking over our shoulders for the report due three days ago that you just got yesterday, workplace “fires”, church meetings, television, radio – the list goes on. And since God is not the type to scream at us for attention, our carnal minds interpret this as being not as important. I'm sure many of us have heard the expression “the squeakiest wheel gets oiled first”; we readily accept this without exploring the ramifications of accepting this worldly premise of life. Since we are remotely aware of God's importance, instead of completely blowing God off, we do the next “best” thing – put it off till later.

Because we want to give our undivided time and attention, or so we tell ourselves, we commit to doing it at a later time – one that we assuredly believe will be absent of distractions. That is a noble sounding strategy – with about the same result as the Charge of the Light Brigade! No sooner we decide to sit down, we are hit from all sides by a barrage of new distractions – which are more than likely shades and types of the previous distractions. As a result, we invariably succumb to the pressure and procrastinate once again. This cycle continues over and over until the will and resolve to do God's will is deemed too time consuming and intrusive due to the time, energy and resource commitments being drained by other matters vying for our attention.
The point is to recognize that these two demons work in concert and have two goals in mind – neutralize the efforts of the saints such that the labor is not done, and to desensitize the saints to the serious of their calling. In short, it is designed to convert you from a saint to a religious pew warmer! When Jesus tells his disciples that the harvest is great, but the laborers are few (Matt.9:37), a good portion of that reason (of which I am ashamedly guilty) is that we devalue God; we devalue His will, we devalue His purpose for our lives, and we devalue His timing and the seriousness of the moment in which we are called. Our obedience to God for what He has called us to do is not an optional choice for those of us who truly ”love Him and are called according to his purpose” (Rom.8:28). How many times have we grieved the Holy spirit in our erroneous actions.

The bible says that “the kingdom of God suffereth violence, and violence taketh by force “ (Matt.11:12). The biggest battle is that of setting our will to be synchronous with His will. Distraction and Procrastination erect a stronghold in the mind that can only be torn down with a battering ram comprised of singularity of purpose, trust in God's word, and unwavering faith in the purpose in which God has called us to at the moment of His calling. For myself, I know the fight is a fierce one. I cannot even begin to tell you the struggle that went up against me the moment God revealed this to me, and I set my mind to correct this problem and get back to the business of doing my Fathers' will.

Finally, I wish to close with a prayer to edify everyone who reads this and passes it on to others who are ensnared as I was. Pass this along and free as many of our brothers and sisters in Christ as would receive this message. The Bible says that "my people perish from a lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6), and that the truth shall make us free (John 8:32). Not to inflate the importance of this submission, but the battle to write this compels me to believe that it is meant to help others as well.

Father, I come before you with open arms, asking for you forgiveness for devaluing who You are and Your importance in the lives of the saints. I stand before you not just for myself, but for my brothers and sisters in Christ who are imprisoned and in bondage and don't realize that they are. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I bind the spirits of Distraction and Procrastination and cast them out. Prove yourself strong once again in the lives of your saints as these strongholds are torn down., Father, please forgive us, cleanse me and make us anew. I pray for open hearts and minds to receive fresh annointing and renewed purpose to full the task you have assigned us to do. For your Glory I pray, in Jesus Christ name, Amen.

Battle Scars

2009-03-12T16:21:00.005-04:00

Scripture Reference: Psalm 37:25, 1Peter 5:10

Battle scars show that I was involved in a battle - a life-or-death struggle. They also show that scars, no matter how painful and traumatic, can and do heal. They remind me that battles frequently occur in war, and that the stakes are high. However, with each scar I am made stronger - my resolve is hardened, my mind sharper, my heart more courageous, and my spirit more faithful. And if I can show you my battle scars, that means I survived the enemy's onslaught, and I emerged from the battle victorious. It also means that the victory was not just for me, but for someone who is in a fight right now and needs to know that God is not partial - that if He is able to deliver me, he is able to deliver them as well. My battle scars are the foundation of my testimony of how unwavering faith in my Heavenly Father - a loving and merciful God - in the face of seemingly impossible and hopeless situations always ensures my victory and magnifies His glory.

(Note - The Lord placed this on my heart to write yesterday because someone needed to read this and be encouraged. For whomever this message is for, please know that the Lord knows what you are going through, and you are going to make it - with a testimony. Be encouraged! For every one else, please share this with someone who's in the middle of a battle.)

Distractions

2009-02-04T04:52:00.006-05:00

Scripture References: Psalm 34:19, Ephesians 2:8, Hebrews 11:6, Hebrews 12:1

Speaking from experience, the most effective weapon in the arsenal of the enemy against the unsuspecting Christian is distraction. What makes it so effective is that distractions are considered a part of life. Things happen unexpectedly, and we are instructed to learn how to manage the many things that are all vying for our time and focus. We even have neat little strategies on how to divide our time and resources such that we can decide what is most important and what can wait. However, this is a worldly approach - not that I am knocking it, but it omits the spiritual discernment aspect that is necessary to be successful in this battle. You see, by not identifying the nature and source of the distraction, we don't realize that we are under attack and are subsequently taking on damage.

Not every situation that manifests itself in our lives unexpectedly is a result of random occurance. The Holy Spirit started making me aware of this some time ago, and it took some time to see how powerful and insidious this method of attack is. I started noticing that whenever I went to sit down to read my bible, the phone would start ringing. Other times it was a TV or movie that I had seen hundreds of times before, beckoning me to come and watch again. I won't even discuss the XBOX! Next was one of the kids would start coughing and wake up when I tried reading at night after the kids were put to bed. Sometimes it was my wife calling me to do something for her just as I cracked open my Bible. Even at work during my lunch break, someone would come with a request for information or need help while I tried to read. For myself, I acknowledge the lack of discipline on my part, especially when I can easily hit the record button on my VCR or DVR, and can hit the save button and come back to the game later. I do not fault my wife and children for their want of time and attention - personally I love the fact that they want me around! The requirements of my job are such that I have a duty and responsibility to help provide assistance and leadership when others need it. However, the timing of the distractions started becoming more and more peculiar - a pattern was developing that I could not dismiss as pure coincidence.

The whole point of distraction is to shift your area of priority and focus away from God and onto the current situation at hand. At best, we believe the lie that once we address the situation, one would be free to do what “thus saith the Lord”; the truth is, that distraction is merely followed by another distraction, then another, and another, etc. The “I'll get around to it” mentality sets in, which is a subset of “God knows my heart” - an excuse for our desire to follow God, but lack of fortitude in not following through. The eventual goal is to have the believer to put their attention on their situations and take their mind off God, forgetting how great, how sovereign, how loving, and how willing He is to help one with their distractions that they would devote quality personal time with Him.

Take the Israeiltes, for example, after they were brought out of Egypt. They were slaves, newly freed, witnessing signs and miracles in their liberation (including the splitting of the Red Sea so that they could walk across to their freedom), with a promised land waiting for them. But along the hike, they started complaining, followed by them flat out acting crazy. They were so distracted by the momentary discomfort of that situation, they forgot why they were there in the first place, and more importantly - where they were going! A number of them went as far as to believe that they should have never left -that they were better off in bondage then as free men and women under a covenant with God as his chosen people!

But that's what distraction will do to you - trick you into formulating asinine thoughts about God that are contrary to His word. Distraction will drive you to convince yourself that your temporary situation will be your permanent condition. Distractions are imaginary barriers designed to keep you in a defensive position, thus hindering you from going on the offensive (i.e. witnessing and serving the Lord in your ordained position) and advancing spiritually. In short, distractions are used to sabotaqge our faith in God. Distractions aren't strong enough to kill you, but are insidious enough to have the believer question their faith, question their salvation, question their relationship with God - even question God and His existance. And since we know that without faith, it is impossible to please God, and that we are saved by grace through faith, the only way that the enemy can get to the Christian is to introduce -imenough doubt into their faith that they self-implode.

If I can use an everyday analogy: Distractions are like contaminants in the oil for your car - if enough get through the filter, they start to build up, reduce power and performance, and eventually destroy the engine. Similarly, distractions are faith contaminants which must be actively and aggressively filtered out if we are to remain faithful, committed, and useful servants of the Lord. Considering how frequent (or rather infrequent) I have placed postings on this blog, it is indeed appropriate for me to say that I am in need of an engine flush, oil change, and filter.

Living in Nineveh

2009-01-20T11:49:00.002-05:00

Scripture Reference – Jonah 4:1-11

I have a confession to make - I've been living here in NC for about 10 years now, and despite the Lord opening the doors of my career here in NC and relocating me here, blessing me with a wife and children, 2 homes, living in two different areas, exposure to new cultures, a church home that really compelled me to be grounded in the Bible - everything that I need to be prosperous - I still struggle to be happy. Why?

Because I feel like Jonah and "The South" is actually my Nineveh!

Prior to my relocation to NC, I have only visited the south once during a youth group conference trip back in high school - and even then we stayed in a hotel all weekend. But for the bulk of my life, I've lived in the Northeast Corridor, whether it was Philly, or in Delaware while in school. However, I was indoctrinated with a general contempt and disdain for Southerners and their culture. Show me a confederate flag and watch my blood boil. My dad banned watching the Dukes of Hazard on our TV. Not to mention the incessant jokes about intellect, inbreeding, trailer parks, etc... I developed a jaded view of history with regard to the south - it was a place that was resistant to change, clinging mightily to the ideology of the antebellum era.

So, it was to my surprise - and my family, that I came home one day with the news that I was accepting a permanent position with the company I was working for (I was a temp at the time) - and that I was moving to Greenville, NC. My parents, of course were surprised and pleased, and immediately pulled out a map to see where I was going. I remember my dad saying "oh, you're not far from Charlotte - nice city!" I replied - “no dad - it's the other side of the state.” As my dad moved his finger along the map and stopped on Greenville, NC, there was an eerie hush in the room. I could see the concern in their eyes. "Do you have to go there?" my mother asked. At the time, I did not know why, but in my heart I knew that I had to go. I realize now that it was part of God's plan for me - every other door was closes to me, while this one was opened. They accepted my decision, but not without the fear of me getting lynched, run out of town, or having a lot of difficulties being a Yankee transplant from a major city relocating to a town where the whole population could fit in my neighborhood!

And to be honest, the adjustment has been very hard for me. On more than one occasion I came close to leaving everything and "going home". I stopped because, well, this is my home - a fact that still evades some of my friends and family members. The point is, that in moving me here, God had a plan in mind - a purpose for me to fulfill. Just like Jonah, the struggles that persist reside in the indoctrination that I am supposed to dislike the people of this region. Having heard the "Damn Yankee" crack more than a few times, it helped justify my displeasure. Besides, I'm living in the Bible belt, so there are no shortages of houses of worship here. You'd be hard pressed not to have a conversation without God being casually thrown in. Religion is a virtual mandate, and church clothes are worn as a badge of honor.

But, Like Jonah, and like Peter (Before Paul challenged him and God corrected him) the cultural hang-up is real. It also must be corrected. In the midst of my numerous lamenting (well not so much now - I'm trying to stop and be content) I've been reminded of how all have fallen short, that grace is extended to all, and the Gospel is to be shared with all!.

My wife recently challenged me reminds me one of my cultural disconnect diatribes: "How can the love of God reside in you fully if you continue to hold on to such hang-ups??? How can God use you for his glory, if you hold and harbor such ungodly feelings?"

Checkmate!

I can't argue with Godly reasoning. Do I really want to have a Jonan moment? No matter how entrenched an erroneous teaching may be, the truth is God's love and His mandates trump it. In the story of Jonah, Although the popular take on the story of Jonah is God’s compassion for man, I submit the following interpretation. Nineveh is actually the backdrop of the story; the issue at hand was Jonah's hard-heartedness, and the disobedience that ensued because of a hang-up he had with the culture that he was told to minster to. Nineveh was God's chosen instrument of correcting the character flaw in his chosen vessel. I see the story of Jonah as more a cautionary metaphor on the dangers of prejudice as it pertains to God's word. God's word is for EVERYONE, and those assigned with the task of carrying the Gospel would do well to remember this lesson. Incidentally, that lesson pertains to everyone who claims Christ as Lord and Savior. Period!

To be fair, NC is a very nice state, and I've been blessed beyond measure since I've been here. The problems I have are mine and not the region in which I reside. The scales and hard patches on my heart have to be scraped off, and I realize the significance and importance of such action. If I indeed wish to be used by the Lord, I must strive to conform to His likeness. Socioeconomic, ethnic, educational and cultural differences are but platforms through which God's love, grace, and mercy can be demonstrated in profound ways. NC has become more than my home - it is my center for sanctification and correction.

Raising the Standard of Holiness in the New Year

2009-01-14T12:56:00.003-05:00

Scripture References: Leviticus 20:7, 1 Peter 1:13 -16, Hebrews 12:14

Happy new year to you all! I trust that you have enjoyed the Christmas season and are off to a great start in the New Year. I must apologize for my delay in posting to the blog - I had another posting that I was working on, but while I was working I received new orders. As a priority, it is the job of a scribe to write “thus saith the Lord” - those things that are on the heart and mind of the King, and as such supersede anything else. Sometimes it means that you have to put the brakes on everything else that is happening, reorganize and change direction; my stubbornness in desiring to complete a task before starting another is systemic of the rebellion of the flesh that wars against my soul – no matter how righteous the task may seem at the time. Endeavoring to move on my time as opposed to God’s timing is just as sinful as blatant disobedience - to which I must repent. My apology is to you for not moving expediently with my assignment, thus delaying a blessing to those who would heed this message.

As for the message, the message is holiness. God is calling for his people to rise to the standard of living that He has set forth. No, I’m not talking about houses and cars and money (and everything else involved with “prosperity” theology) – I’m talking about a standard of living where His followers (myself included) are required to elevate themselves to the level of expectation God has for his people. It should be noted that this is not merely a suggestion, but a commandment and a requirement. The King has always required this from all his subjects, but there has been a lack in this area with regard to teaching, preaching, and educating the laity. (I guess because it doesn’t get people worked up into a giving frenzy like the emotionally–tinged promise of “a Cadillac in front of every shack” message – but I digress…)

The standard of holiness is such that is sets Christians apart for the rest of the world. Right now, there is a superficiality being exercised amongst the body that is being passed off as Christianity. The popular distinction of a Christian involves Sunday dress, a dusty, unused bible on the coffee table, uttering gibberish in the middle of a sentence – you get the point. The purpose of this posting is not to point out what is wrong with the church, but to elevate the importance of the standard that each of us is mandated to adopt in our personal walk with Christ. It is more than just “living right” (a popular phrase used by Christians on personal conduct), as we humans are very adept in making things “right in our own eyes”. "Living right" is living absent of righteousness, which is outside of holiness; holiness transcends the notion of “living right”.

This subject cannot be reduced to a mere two-paragraph commentary; the subject matter is too important and too involved to be subject to oversimplification. This posting is merely the beginning of an in-depth discussion - it is the "seed planting" portion, if you will. I strongly encourage to consider this topic, ponder upon the scriptures, and begin to evaluate where you are in Christ with respect to holiness. I listed 3 scriptures on holiness, but there are many more on this subject. I encourage you to research the scriptures as well - it is indeed a recurring theme both in the Old and New Testaments.

One final note...
As I write this, my cannot emphasize enough the ungency and importance of of this subject matter. I do sense in the spirit that the times and seasons require special attention to this subject matter; holiness is what God is thinking about right now. Particularly for the Body of Christ, such deficiency in this teaching is cause for alarm, for as it is written “holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord”. I believe that God is preparing to pour out His spirit one last time as a final appeal to humanity. These are the last of the end times, and it is not in God’s will that men perish outside of covenant with Him. Vessels must be prepared such that when God pours out His spirit, the signs and wonders that follow true Disciples of Christ will be distinguishable from those of the minions of the Antichrist. These vessels – Disciples of Christ (of which we are all called to be) must be conformed to God’s standards – and not those of the popular religious rhetoric. As stated in a previous posting, membership is not discipleship; holiness is the distinction!

On Life Support

2008-12-29T16:37:00.001-05:00

Scripture References: Romans 12:1-2, Jeremiah 29:13, II Timothy 1:7

I just finished reading a inspirational e-mail from one of my favorite writers, Steve Troxel of God's Daily Word Ministries, entitled "Let it Die". The reference was to let go of our dreams, goals, desires - no matter how godly they may appear to us, and allow them to die - only to be replaced w/ God's love and plans for our lives.

I'm o.k. with this - up to the dying part. I know some things I think about have to die. But to be honest, I have them on life support, and I'm struggling mightily w/ pulling the plug. I've dedicated my entire childhood - years of study and devotion to getting to the point where I can say - I am an engineer. Now, that the goal has been achieved, I find myself struggling to reconsile the fact that I won't be doing this very much longer. Not that i can't or don't have the ability. It is the revelation that was given to me some time ago that my career is not who I am, and that the dream of becoming an engineer was a means to an end of getting me to the place that God will have me to be, that I can do that which I was called to do - that which he placed in me at my formation.

Honestly, I struggle w/ the term "destiny" - because I feel like I had no control, no imput as to which direction my life would take (sorry - I'm a recovering control freak). However, Paul articulates it best when he states that we are slaves no longer to sin, but to righteousness. Truthfully, the choice that I and everyone else has is whom we will be a slave to. I made the decision to become a slave to righteousness when I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior - I forget sometimes that it was not a conditional surrender, but a complete surrender that requires reaffirmation every moment of my life, until I either expire or Jesus returns - whichever comes first.

Fear of death is not so much the act itself, but the uncertainty of what happens afterwards. By faith, I know that I have no need to feel afraid - that God has some great plans for me. So, what's the problem? For me, it's not knowing what comes next. I knew in the 4th grade I wanted to become an engineer. And I devoted time and training to do so. Now, as I stand on the threshold of this next endeavor, I don't know what to expect, nor what training is required, nor have the sense of confidence that I am sufficiently prepared to do this, and do it successfully. Yeah, I have a fear of failure, of being turned down, and of being told "no". I guess it comes from this silly notion that if you did everything correctly (including study, preparation, and execution), you would not have to experience rejection or failure.

Wow - how naive'!

The other thing i think about is what I will be missing out. As I stated before, I spent alot of time pursuing engineering - which required me to make a lot of sacrifices of time and in my mind deferred my moments of fun and pleasure for a future time. After 36 years of living, I'm still deferring fun and sacrificing time. Then again, what did I defer really - the foolishness of youth? Truthfully, do I really want to be the "old man at the club" trying to be a "playa" and "kickin' it" to other foolish GINO's (Grownups In Number(i.e. Age) Only), or to little girls technically old enough to be my children?

I might as well have the word "Fool" tatooed onto my forehead for buyinginto that lie!

If God has already given me his word in the Bible, then what am I afraid of? Do I believe that God is a God of his word? Am I truly confident that The Holy Bible is God's word? Do I really have a reason to be afraid? Hardly! And so now I stand, weighing fear and foolishness versus righteousness.

Somebody please slap me!

There are some things that I'd really like to do. However, I am reminded that if i have truly commited to trusting God, and I have committed to Christ being my Lord and Savior, then, I know what I must do. I cannot allow myself to be tricked into thinking about what I am missing out on, or whom I will disappoint. But rather I need the internal fortitude - which comes from trusting Christ completely and unquestioningly - and pulling the plug!

Membership Is Not Discipleship

2008-12-22T11:45:00.000-05:00

Scripture References: Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-20, I Corinthians 12:12-27

I was raised in the church, and have attended church services for as long as I can remember. I've been the member of several church congregations, and visited numerous more. Typically at the end of each sermon, the open call to receive Christ is made, along with an open invitation to membership. Unfortunately, I can't remember a single time where the call to discipleship was ever made. I don't remember discipleship even mentioned as a youth, and it was sporadically mentioned in subsequent years. Maybe I'm wrong, but didn't Jesus command that we make disciples of all men? What is troubling is that there are two erroneous beliefs that are prominent amongst the Body of Christ which must be corrected.

The first is the large swath of the church body that is confusing membership to a local congregation as discipleship. The two are not the same, as discipleship invokes a position of conviction that is absent (nor a requirement) as a simple member. We place more emphasis on creating "good members" than we do training and preparing Christians to become effective disciples. As long as we pay our dues, tithes, special offerings, and attend services on a "regular" basis, that is sufficient commitment to the pastor (and subsequently God); it is visibility for Godly expediency - just enough to get into heaven (or so we believe) and sufficient to pass the "heathen test". What is absent is conviction - an undeniable desire to serve by sharing Christ with others, and participating in activities that help facilitate the growth and reach of Christianity (a.k.a. "The Great Commission" efforts). Jesus made his commands very simple –

Make disciples, not pew warmers!!! (paraphrasing, of course)

The second is the treatment of discipleship as a subset of Christianity as a whole. Discipleship is offered as an optional class/field of study. We are all members in particular in the body of Christ; each having gifts and talents that God has placed in each vessel as to allow the body to effectively engage the task of fulfilling the Great commission. Each Christian is a “member in particular” - Jesus did not call us to become church members in the country club sense. Unfortunately that is how we seem to take the definition of the term “member” in this age; we view membership in church in the same manner as we do our Blockbuster, Costco, or social club memberships (sometimes the social club has higher priority, but that's another discussion). Along the same lines, discipleship is akin to having gold or platinum status in a hotel rewards program; anybody can join and participate (simple membership), but discipleship is the optional; "elite" status of Christianity. Again, Jesus made his commands very simple –

Make disciples of all nations – not just a clique! (paraphrasing, of course)
Ultimately, both schools of thought contribute to the same consequence - an anemic body of believers with minimal impact on the environment around them. The two schools of thought point to an underlying theory of exclusivity with regard to whose responsibility it is to lead souls to Christ; it is not the pastor's job or responsibility solely to win souls for Christ, nor is it the responsibility of a select "elite" laity. Ultimately, clergy must take the lead by word and by example and must refrain from minimizing the effectiveness of the body by training the laity to simply be "obedient" to the will of the clergy, or delegating the "harvesting" role to an "elite" few. Likewise, laity have an equal responsibility in the "harvesting" efforts Christ has called all of us to participate in; the end goal is not to "get into heaven" alone, but to honor Christ by inviting and assisting as many others as we can to reach the goal of spending eternity with The Father as well.

Abandoning Balance

2008-12-09T12:22:00.004-05:00

Imagine if you will life as a weight scale. On the one hand is God, and on the other is everything else: responsibilities, family, career, relationships, hobbies, interests, etc. According to conventional wisdom, it is incumbent upon us to seek and maintain a healthy balance of everything in our lives to have a live of peace, happiness and success. We should keep everything in perspective, if you will. After a lunchtime walk in the parking lot and enjoying a moment of personal time with the Lord, I'm convinced of one thing -

Balance is killing me!

You see, what we think of as “balance”, in truthfulness is really compromise - disguised as a more palatable word. By rationalization, as a Christian I don't want to believe that I am "neither hot nor cold" or "on the fence" with regard to my faith. But, isn't that what precisely I've been doing? For example, I can't tell you how many times I did not attend bible study because my son needed help doing his homework, or my wife had classes and I did not feel like taking the kids out with me, or fellowship opportunities I passed on because I needed (or so I thought) to complete an assignment at work. I was on fire for the Lord (well, maybe very warm), until something came up that I thought required my time and attention (a.k.a. distractions). Funny thing is, I never sought God first on how to handle the situation (even after I committed Matt. 6:33 to memory). I need to stress that it was not so much the event itself, but the ease at which I was able to put Jesus “on hold” based on my erroneous philosophy.

The deception of "balance" is that energy and attention are consumed trying to bring back into alignment anything that we perceive has exceeded the boundaries of acceptability of what we deem to be "acceptable" in terms of time, energy, and emotional capital consumption; such issues consume time, focus, and resources to which we did not already allot.

In simplistic terms - my priorities are out of whack!!!

Almost invariably, the focus and emphasis on our relationship with Christ starts down a slippery-slope towards emptiness; one gets so preoccupied with job, family, bills, etc, that these concerns usurp authority over their life. We simply get too busy to spend quality time with God, either in his Word or in his presence in prayer. The problems become more insidiousis in that we don't realize that as we drift farther from God, our distractions grow in magnitude, requiring (we believe) even more time energy and resources! Rather than focus my attention on Christ, and allow the Father to bring back into balance the other aspects of my life, I rationalize using my own strength, ingenuity, intelligence, wit, and skill to attempt to do something only God can do. And so far, I have not been successful at all!!!

Balance became the altar upon which I made sacrifices to my self-interests; I never realized that it was my own flesh and soul it was hungry for. I deluded myself into thinking that balance says it's o.k. to forego church, bible study, prayer meetings, Sunday school, fellowship opportunities. After all, there's always going to be another one next week, right??? Whether or not there will be another church function tomorrow, next week, or even next month, that fact is still secondary to the true issue at hand, which is my commitment (or lake thereof) to Christ.

You see, when we accepted Christ as our Lord and Savior, we accepted the exchange of our life for a new life in Him (2Cor. 5:17). Implicitly, the standards for life according to the world are significantly different than those of a life in Christ. Life in Christ requires complete commitment, whereas by the world’s standard, commitment is subject to vary based on situational requirements. True commitment is replaced by compromise because we have been conditioned by a world system to seek out win-win relationships, cooperation over conflict scenarios, and an ethos of moral relativism ("I'm ok, you're o.k." or "live and let live"). We are told that if we strive for balance with nature, our environment, our circumstances, then we will move closer towards harmony and a live of peace and tranquility. This is, in direct contrast to what God requires from us – Him first, everything else second.

(As a side note, do we really want to say that the things of this physical realm are equal in magnitude and importance to God??? Do we really want to run the risk of exalting our responsibilities into idols??? I’ll touch upon this in a subsequent posting.)

As simple as I can put it, if we place our cares and concerns in His hands and just follow Him, he'll handle the balancing act. As far as our responsibilities, our commitment to Christ involves our being in tune to His voice, and obediently responding to his instructions. If God said he'd provide all of my needs according to His riches in glory (Phil. 4:19), then I have no need to fret over anything. I'll be instructed on how to be a good husband and father. I'll be given insight as to what is going on in my household, my job, my interpersonal relationships - every aspect of my life. And I’ll be instructed on how to handle them efficiently as not to compromise my relationship with Christ and the responsibilities he has for me.

Besides, I think I can confidently place the balancing act routine in the hands of the one who balance the entire universe in His hands!

Thanksgiving Revisited

2008-11-30T23:58:00.006-05:00

Last Wednesday I was walking down the steps to the company "poison rack" (i.e. vending machine) to get a snack (my punishment for not packing my lunch), when in the quiet moment of my stroll to the break room I started to thank God for waking up today, having a job, etc. - the usual things to be thankful for. Then the question came:

"Are the tangible, material things in your life the only reason to pause and motivate you to give me thanks???"

Whoa - serious "man in the mirror" moment!!!

The Holy Spirit then brought to mind scripture " ...My grace is sufficient for thee..." (2Corinthians 12:9). But is it really? It appears that my typical laundry list of things I "thanked" God for (with thanks being now called into question) does not reflect a heart of thankfulness. If it is a typical laundry list, then it means that it is thanks from my mind - and not my heart. Also, and even more telling, is the notion that God's grace is not enough - the manifestation of divine providence in the form of steady employment, a home, a family, a decent wage, and a life devoid of "life and death" issues are at least the baseline for the formation of my gratitude.

Talk about a gut check! I'll be reeling for a while over this one.

The Holy Spirit then brought to my remembrance the story of Cain and Abel (Genesis 4:3-7) and why Cain's offering was rejected and Abel's accepted. Cain gave his offering out of obligation, based on a laundry list of things he thought were appropriate to be thankful for from memory. Able's offering came from the heart, reflecting honor because of who God is, his offering independent of what God did for him. It is our heart that God sees when we offer thanks and express out gratitude; it is the condition of our heart that determines whether or not it is accepted or rejected.

True thankfulness must be grounded in the revelation of who God is, and what that relationship with Him through Christ means to the believer. Is not the the magnificence of God, the glory of God alone sufficient to warrant praise? In contrast, His intimate knowledge of each of us - our thoughts and feelings, even the very number of hairs on our head - sufficient to warant our thankfulness? Moreover, would not that gratitude be reflective in our approach to Him - our prayers, our praise, our worship, the conduct of our life? An absence of this is yet another indicator of the nature of one's relationship with Christ - rather than a loving relationship, it is a business relationship - shallow and absent of meaning, and selfish in purpose.

Thanksgiving has been slowly and steadiy stripped of it's symbolic meaning - a holiday to remember our blessings and to give thanks - in place of it's more popular nickname "Turkey Day" (collateral damage as a result of popular culture that promotes mass insincerity, but I digress). It was my full intention to post this prior to the Thanksgiving holiday because it paralleled the theme of the season. My delays and hindrances up to this point allowed me to see a bigger picture - this was not meant to be just a Thanksgiving season post - it's confined to the Thanksgiving season, but a means to invoke sincere reflection in the everyday life of the believer long after the Turkey and dressing have been consumed. Thanksgiving - let's not just make it lip service, nor confine it to once a year during special holidays, or once a week on Sunday.

Reliving Jonestown

2008-11-19T14:55:00.006-05:00

November 18th marks the 30th anniversary of the Jonestown massacre, where over 900 people - men, women and children, enacted a mass suicide pact resulting in one of the largest, non-disaster related tragedies in American history. Although it seems like a long time ago, the legacy of the event has survived through permeation into the American lexicon; it’s where the “drank the Kool-Aid” with the negative connotation originated from. I watched two programs that aired last week on cable television – both CNN and MSNBC were hosting special documentaries on the topic. I watched in horror how Jim Jones, a charismatic, engaging preacher managed to convince thousands of people to follow him from the Midwest to California, and eventually to Jonestown – an enclave carved out of the jungle in Guyana, South America where Jones promised his followers would be “Heaven on Earth”. Tragically, Jonestown was really more like “Hell on “Earth” according to the survivors, and would be remembered as the site where the infamous suicides took place. Jones’ influence was staggering – political figures, media, citizens from all walks of life - as if he wielded some kind of “Pied Piper” influence over everyone around him; many loved him, and the few who questioned him were suppressed, marginalized, intimidated, or killed.

As I watched the interviews with the survivors, and listened to the testimonies of members who were apart of the group, I wondered aloud to God how could this have happened? Both documentaries played audio of some of his statements; the laugh this man had given me chills – I’m convinced it was demonic. I really can’t go into great detail – the list of nonsense perpetrated would fill a volume of work. If anything, I would encourage you to watch the documentaries for a more complete synopsis, especially if you are not familiar with the subject. But with everything that was going on, everything that was taking place – rituals that existed on the side of bizarre, again I wondered aloud “How???” Then I got my answer:

Easy.

Whenever we, as Christians, fail to stand up for righteousness, fail to correct our brothers and sisters in love, practice “go along to get along” in our houses of worship, or refuse to/neglect to speak out against any practice or doctrine that does not squarely align with God’s word, we sip the proverbial “Kool-Aid”. We passively condone and even aid in the slow spiritual death or our brothers and sisters; simply put - we become accessories to murder, both to our fellow Christians, as well as ourselves.

I know because I sipped the “Kool-Aid” myself once.

I was brought back to a time, not too long ago, during which I and my family were members of a church for about a year or so. Without going into a myriad of details about my tenure, I’ll just simply state that I went along with the doctrines and practices of the church – whether or not it lined up with what I knew and understood to be true in The Bible. I questioned myself repeatedly, even discussed some of my concerns with other members. My wife tried valiantly to “submit” to my “leadership” – but she could not yield from the truth of the situation. Eventually my eyes were opened and eventually left the church.

Upon completion of this recollection with the Lord, the following was outlined to me:

I. “…make you charge and election sure…” (II Peter 1:10).
I submit the following question – how close is your relationship with The Lord? For some, there is no relationship – just church membership. But if you do have a relationship, is it growing and becoming more intimate – or is it slowly drifting into a long distance relationship like mine did? I’ll be honest – at the time I first met some of the members of the church, I was desperate to find a church home – one that my entire family could worship together. We wandered for several years after we first got married because we couldn’t find a good fit. (In hindsight, had I just left it up to the Lord, we would have found a place sooner I think – but that’s a discussion for another time.) The point is, I did not recognize (much like the Jonestown folks) that the desperation was borne of hunger - spiritual hunger as a result of the slow drift that occurs when you aren’t actively cultivating your relationship with the Lord; it leaves you open for an “Esau” moment (Genesis 25:29-34). As the saying goes, “don’t go shopping while you’re hungry” – you will end up broke with something you never intended to get.

II. “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
The truth is that heavy-handed slap that catches you blind-sides, gives you a moment of clarity and evokes the following question “What the heck am I doing???” It is typically followed by the affirmation: “This isn’t me – I don’t believe this!!!” I can freely admit that for some, the revelation is enough such that they can disengage by themselves. For others, sometimes it takes a little more help (i.e. a loving spouse) to help administer the slap (with love, of course). Despite what I knew to be true, every Sunday I had a pull to go back. Like myself, those people in Jonestown had the same problem – suspension of disbelief. It’s the same thing that happens whenever you watch a movie with a premise that is totally unbelievable, but requires you to buy into it in order to enjoy the movie (think Face/Off w/ Nicholas Cage – bogus premise, but still a great movie). Likewise, there are people every Sunday who attend houses of worship and engage in the same suspension of disbelief. Knowledge of the Word helped, but a lack of wisdom kept me bound. Engagement in prayer and active study of God’s word places weapons of spiritual warfare in our arsenal (i.e. God’s Word) while drawing us closer too Him; our closeness to God is reflected in our sensitivity to the direction and instruction of the Holy Spirit. Speaking from experience, the time to find out whether or not you’re properly equipped with sufficient ammunition is not when you’re on the battlefield in the heat of battle. I’m grateful for a God-fearing wife with a good back hand!

III. “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1).
I was speaking to one of my spiritual mentors, and he instructed me to be mindful not to adopt a judgmental spirit. We were talking about practices and doctrines that I have come across over the last several years (20 to be more precise) that took me from confusion, to disappointment, to frustration, to anger. I confess that with the knowledge of the Bible I’d accumulated along with the things God showed me, I did the unthinkable – I got a “big head” and starting sitting in judgment of houses of worship, and Christians who worshipped in them. My favorite comment was “how could they be so ignorant?!?!!? How could they buy into this false teaching and crazy, non-bible based rituals???”

That’s when I got my lesson in humility.

I’m finding that it is very easy to sit in judgment of others – just exalt yourself; just be prepared for the inevitable fall (Proverbs 16:18). In my case, God was merciful to allow me a taste of the “Kool-Aid” – not enough to kill me, but definitely enough to humble me and reconsider my position. Watching those documentaries reminded me of that. It also showed me that as Christians we are to be on guard for the wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15), the tares amongst the wheat (Matthew 13:24-30), and the false teachers and doctrines that seek to lead us to the punch bowl! Lastly, for myself, I need to pray for others who sip every week and are slowly dying. When enough “Kool-Aid” is ingested, a person shall become dead to the truth and cold towards correction, becoming a reprobate (I Timothy 4:1-5, II Timothy 3:8).

As I left the room for a commercial break, I asked God is this going to happen again – will the mistakes of Jonestown happen again? Then I got my answer:

It’s already happening – every Sunday.

That Which Keeps Us Humble...

2008-11-04T10:21:00.002-05:00

The apostle Paul once lamented about a thorn in his side, and how, after three attempts to remove it via petition to God, it never happened (see II Corinthians 12:7-12); Paul was forced to proceed on, despite that which was ailing him. Why?

Paul's ascension in the Church community was about as dramatic as his the events which propelled him to humility (i.e. his life-changing encounter with Christ) and subsequent start in ministry. Remember, Paul (Previously Saul) was a fast-track CEO in the secular world, and he was making serious inroads in the Christian world, as his ministry and influence spread like wildfire. Both as Saul and as Paul he achieved great success. Question - what was the safety valve/relief valve that kept Paul from swelling up with pride? Answer - a humbling reminder of who we are in Christ.

Paul never mentions specifically what it was that troubled him so, and there has been no shortage of theologians, Christian thinkers, or speculators who have tried to define what that thing was. He is aware, however, that it is there to keep him from getting the proverbial "Big Head"! Personally I think it is an exercise in futility in trying to define the specifics of his affliction, because they miss the point; the reason is far more important and telling than the affliction. Whatever it was, it kept him on his knees and in God's presence.

That which keeps us grounded - both literally (on our knees in prayer) and figuratively (in the presence of God) in Christ is not a bad thing; I know because I struggle with pride, and I've had a few "reality checks" as well (Thanks Father!). It is easy to get puffed up with success; it is inherently dangerous with regard to ministry as it is the responsibility of the clergy to point followers towards the Cross and away from themselves. Due diligence is required to separate the person from the message - The Gospel. Even the greatest of leaders need this reminder - I believe Paul understood that after his petitions.

God invested a lot in Paul - so much so that He made sure that when he recreated Saul into Paul he installed a relief valve - less he swell up. And like any pressure vessel, too much pressure will cause a catastrophic explosion - and potentially yield a lot of casualties.

Straight and Narrow is the Path

2008-10-31T16:33:00.001-04:00

It's undeniable the rebellious nature of the flesh. Speaking for myself, it there is a shortcut, I'd actively try to find it. If there is a gray area to be exploited, I will do so as a means to an end - provided it does not compromise my principles. As an engineer, you are accustomed - even trained - to look for other ways of solving a problem.

Here's the problem - the solution to all my questions lay squarely and exclusively on the path God has laid out for me - which is through Christ! The solution is straightforward, does not require rational thought or reasoning, and all other solutions fall perilously short. Straight and narrow is the way that leads to life (Matthew 7: 13-14) - it is stated clearly in The Bible.

Christ says "None may come to the Father but through me." (John 14:6) I'm sure that when he said that, the outcry was deafening. It is a hard concept to accept in the flesh. With the number of religions, doctrines, and new age philosophies, the conversation has not died down. Minus the people so rebellious that when you say turn left they go right trying to prove a point. Many others will ask "What's wrong with my way? (Insert religion or philosophy here)".

What they fail to realize is that the question itself is borne out of the rebellious nature of the flesh, which battles incessantly against the spirit. As pointed out in the scripture, the heart is a very deceptive thing, and everything done is correct in a man's eyes (Proverbs 21:2). Simply put - by which standard will a person adhere to: true righteousness or self- righteousness? Truthfully, self righteousness is implicit to the notion that somehow a person is essentially on-par with God - that our reasoning and thought processes and judgment parallel God in both scope and magnitude.

Last time I checked, isn't that the line of reasoning that got Satan and 1/3 of the host of angels kicked out of Heaven???

Knowing Just Isn’t Enough

2008-10-27T03:56:00.004-04:00

(Originally written August 24, 2008)
Salvation is not based on the knowledge of who God is. Afterall, Satan and his minions know all too well who God is, and who Jesus is - does it translate into access to Heaven? I dare think not! Knowledge is simply insufficient to justify our salvation. As the scripture says ,we are saved by grace through faith - nothing else। Our study of God’s word and our application of His word in our daily lives are the reactions to a desire to cultivate our relationship w/ God - a relationship that can only happen if we confess our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior.

To use a biblical example, take the two criminals on the cross w/ Jesus @ Calvary। The one that Jesus told would be in Heaven w/ him didn’t have time to go look it up in a Bible that wasn’t written yet! This fellow recognized Jesus for who He was (and still is), recognized that he deserved his punishment for his transgressions, and asked for mercy। How many Christians are there now who know the Bible backwards and forwards, but have yet to ask Christ for mercy - (nor extend forgiveness to others, but that’s another topic for another time)।

At the same time, we are not exempt from this pursuit - the study and daily application of God‘s word in our daily lives. As disciples, it is a part of our discipleship. The Word of God fortifies us, strengthens us, provides us guidance and protects us. The Holy Spirit brings The Word to our remembrance when we are tempted and confronted w/ sin. We even have an acronym for Bible (Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth). However, I must reiterate (ad infinitum) - my ability to regurgitate text has no bearing whatsoever on my relationship w/ Christ, nor will it have any bearing on where my soul will spend eternity when I die. To put it in simplest terms - “quotin’ it don’t mean I know it - or Him who inspired men to write it!” And, I guess if I truly knew it, I’d know that He (the Father) desires an intimate relationship with me - not an intellectual acquaintance!

Lastly, two scriptures come to mind that must be shared, in the hopes that the number of CINO’s (Christians In Name Only) would reevaluate their perceived right standing with God, and exchange their religious posture for a real relationship with Christ. The 1st is I Cor. 13:2 (actually the whole chapter, but especially v. 2 - KJV): And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. In this verse, charity is compassion, or “love-in-action” as I like to put it, with love being the Love of the Father, which is placed in the heart of every true believer who has accepted Jesus Christ into their heart. This is an exclusive benefit of having a relationship with God via Christ; you can’t get this from just reading the book!

This second scripture is, in my mind, the most harrowing for it states in Matthew 7:21-23 (KJV) "not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? And in thy name have cast out devils? And in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." What makes this so harrowing? The fact that there are “many” - not a few, not a couple, not a handful - who are deceived in their thinking - and it truly is a tragedy. I think it’s gonna surprise a number of people who arrive to heaven and find out who made it - and who didn’t!

An afterword…
I must confess, people who can quote scripture used to seem very pious to me; conversely, I used to feel guilty about it, that I was less than a Christian b/c I could not or did not wail or shout in service, or know an abundance of Gospel songs, or could recite scripture on the fly, or spat off John 3:16 w/o stuttering or stammering. I am relieved to know that my salvation is not based on these things. What I need now is the courage and strength to overcome my preconceived notions of a person’s Christian walk based on popular expressions of piety and, out of sincerity and concern for their soul, ask them about their relationship w/ the Lord. You see, I live in North Carolina - one of the famed “Bible-Belt” states. And although there are no shortages of houses of worship, I sense that there is a drought in the number of Christians. How do you confront someone about their faith walk without insulting them? (Then again, I guess if they really did have a relationship w/ Christ, my asking wouldn’t be insulting.) There is an abundance of CINO’s , but not nearly enough disciples. Ultimately, I pray that I mature quickly to the level where my presumptiousness and political corectness is no longer a hindrance to my concern for my fellow Christians - and their salvation.