We have lost some of the edge of the message of the Old Testament prophets. In a country plagued by a complacency spirit within the church, and myriads of self professing Christians hovering around their own version of truth and subscribing to whatever mix of beliefs suites their lifestyle; we could use a little dose of sobriety. Israel was repeatedly warned and judged for unrighteous behavior: mistreating the poor and widow, idol worship, sexual immorality, and wickedness. We flaunt our wickedness with great zeal in America in many of these (if not all) areas, while appeasing our consciences with a watered down notion of not being “judgmental”. Woe to you who call evil things and behaviors good, cool or tolerable. Have we forgotten that God is a righteous God who holds an absolute standard of what is right? Have we forgotten that the ways of God are not negotiable? Proverbs tell us that there is a way that seems right to a man but its end is the way of death (Prov 14:12). We have taken the saying “love the sinner, hate the sin” into the ridiculous realm of political correctness and have completely erased from our minds that there is a judgment of God against sin; there is a lake of fire and real people who choose unrighteousness as a lifestyle will spend eternity there (Rev 14:9-12). Paul tells us that we are not to judge in Romans 2:1 but then continue in the very next verse to say that we know the judgment of God is according to truth against those who practice such things (see Rom 1:18-32 for definition of “such things”). So when you say I have no right to judge you are absolutely correct, but do not deny the standard of the judgment of God plainly revealed throughout Scripture. And if I repeat the warning of God’s judgment on wickedness why am I then judged as judgmental, it is not my judgments that you have a problem with but the Lords, and if you disagree with the Lord’s judgments then how can you be from the Lord. What is the bottom line? God in His mercy tells us very plainly what He disapproves of, and what things will reap His judgment and wrath. To pronounce to the unknowing what God will pour out His wrath upon is also an act of love and mercy giving them an opportunity to repent (change their mind) and turn to God with a whole heart. How many of you know the wonderful story of Jonah? This is a great example of God’s mercy. The reluctant prophet went to the Assyrian capital of Nineveh to proclaim their wickedness to them that they might repent or God would destroy the city. Assyria was Israel’s enemy over the years and yet God wanted to offer them an opportunity to turn from wickedness prior to bringing His judgment. Imagine if Jonahs message was according to our views of “not judging” today. Biblical writers had no problem defining behavior that brings wrath either. They actually gave us many comprehensive (but not all inclusive) lists to allow the Holy Spirit to convict our hearts. Let us look at a few of these lists:
29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful: - Rom 1:29-31 KJV
9 Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, 10 nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. - 1Cr 6:9-10 NKJV
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. - Gal 5:19-21 NKJV
1 And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 2 in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, 3 among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. - Eph 2:1-3 NKJV
18 For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are the enemies of the cross of Christ: 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame who set their mind on earthly things. - Phl 3:18-19 NKJV
5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, - Col 3:5-9 NKJV
3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit. - 1Th 4:3-8 NKJV
9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, - 1Ti 1:9-10 NKJV
22 Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 23 But avoid foolish and ignorant disputes, knowing that they generate strife. 24 And a servant of the Lord must not quarrel but be gentle to all, able to teach, patient, 25 in humility correcting those who are in opposition, if God perhaps will grant them repentance, so that they may know the truth, 26 and that they may come to their senses and escape the snare of the devil, having been taken captive by him to do his will. - 2Ti 2:22-26 NKJV
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, - Tts 2:11-13 NKJV
3 For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, - Tts 3:3-5 NKJV
13 Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 14 as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts, as in your ignorance; 15 but as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 because it is written, "Be holy, for I am holy." - 1Pe 1:13-16 NKJV
1 Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, 2 as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, 3 if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 4 Coming to Him as to a living stone, rejected indeed by men, but chosen by God and precious, - 1Pe 2:1-4 NKJV
3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, "I know Him," and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. - 1Jo 2:3-6 NKJV
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever. - 1Jo 2:15-17 NKJV
4 Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness. 5 And you know that He was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin. 6 Whoever abides in Him does not sin. Whoever sins has neither seen Him nor known Him. 7 Little children, let no one deceive you. He who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous. 8 He who sins is of the devil, for the devil has sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that He might destroy the works of the devil. 9 Whoever has been born of God does not sin, for His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin, because he has been born of God. 10 In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. - 1Jo 3:4-10 NKJV
I think it is time to rethink what our lives are supposed to look like in Him. The power is in Jesus to walk this way. If you have been either behaving or approving of these behaviors, God is merciful and calling you to repent and cry out now so you won’t suffer later when wrath is poured out. Remember He died for you, and He loves you with an everlasting love. Your condition does not cause Him to pause in His commitment towards you. I too am full of love and only desire to see us all walk in a manner worthy of the gospel. Bless you.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
An Issue of Blood: Pressing In
To lay out the story very briefly, Jesus was traveling to Jarius’ home to heal his 12 year old daughter when a woman who had an “issue of blood” for 12 years touched the hem of His garment to receive healing from her reproach. This woman had tried everything to find her cure, spending her entire living on physicians and had only grown worse. Jesus was her only hope. When she heard He was passing by she said if only I could touch the hem of His garment I would be made well. What did she know about Jesus? What had she seen? What had she heard? His fame was great at this stage of His ministry and He could scarcely find any privacy except the wee hours of the morning before the sun even began to rise. A great multitude was always following Him seeking something. She was unclean according to the Torah and anything or anyone who touched her would be unclean according, (Lev 15:25-28) and yet she pressed through a crowd defiling not only all she came in contact with but also the one she was attempting to touch. This woman had no hope in Moses and was reduced to a life of isolation and ridicule. The religious would not be found near her nor would there be a place found for her in the Temple. She would have been closed off from all the devout and would only find community with those who were lawless or taking her money to treat her. After twelve years enough was enough. Here comes a man who had healed lepers. If He tolerated and healed the leprous then surely she could find her answer in this Man. For they too were unclean like her. Yet fear and partial understanding kept her from seeking a full encounter, but simply touching the Hem of His garment would be enough for her. But this was a man, a Rabbi, who healed the sick, who cast out demons and who silenced the Pharisees. A man who knew the Scripture. A man who would know that this hem of His garment represented keeping the law, honoring the Sabbath. He healed on the Sabbath in opposition to the zealous, surely He would remember her. So she pressed, surely defiling many, and she reached Him. Touching the hem of His garment she was immediately cleansed. She would have been overjoyed, instant relief for her body and nobody knew who she was or what she did, but Jesus also felt the power go out of Him. He stopped and scanned the crowd asking “Who touched me?” No one answered and Peter even questioned how He could possibly know in such a crowd, weren’t many touching Him? Jesus persisted, someone touched my clothes and I felt power leave me. He must have made eye contact with the woman because she perceived that she was not hidden. With fear and trembling she came forward and explained her situation for all to hear. Imagine the disgust of those who she brushed by knowing now they were unclean, surely there was some trouble coming for her. Jesus simply looks at her and tells her to be comforted; her faith has made her well, and dismisses her without any rebuke whatsoever.
What a beautiful story, but what about today? What can we learn from this woman in our approach to Jesus? This woman pressed in beyond reproach, beyond ridicule, and beyond fear to touch the garment of the Man we call Lord and God. Our lesson is in the pressing. We live in a world that is pressing in from all sides telling us what to do and how to do it. We cower to the opinions and ideas of men while staring at Jesus from afar. Maybe if we just imitate this action or that behavior we will see His power move in our lives and we call it faith. No!! We must press through the crowd without receiving their words and touch His garment. The healing was immediate upon touching Jesus, but the touching Him took time and effort. It took a revelation of who He is and of what He can do. Are we ever close enough? Not until we receive, have we drawn close enough. We must press through the crowds of naysayers, the crowds of religious people who mock our dependency on God, the satisfied who really just want to see something, we must press beyond friends, beyond family, beyond reason, beyond our reputation to the very feet of Jesus, and then we will experience Him! Your uncleanness is healed in touching Him, and you shall be set free. Press in.
What a beautiful story, but what about today? What can we learn from this woman in our approach to Jesus? This woman pressed in beyond reproach, beyond ridicule, and beyond fear to touch the garment of the Man we call Lord and God. Our lesson is in the pressing. We live in a world that is pressing in from all sides telling us what to do and how to do it. We cower to the opinions and ideas of men while staring at Jesus from afar. Maybe if we just imitate this action or that behavior we will see His power move in our lives and we call it faith. No!! We must press through the crowd without receiving their words and touch His garment. The healing was immediate upon touching Jesus, but the touching Him took time and effort. It took a revelation of who He is and of what He can do. Are we ever close enough? Not until we receive, have we drawn close enough. We must press through the crowds of naysayers, the crowds of religious people who mock our dependency on God, the satisfied who really just want to see something, we must press beyond friends, beyond family, beyond reason, beyond our reputation to the very feet of Jesus, and then we will experience Him! Your uncleanness is healed in touching Him, and you shall be set free. Press in.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
He Strengthens My Weary Heart
What is the LORD seeking? He has always had a people on the earth. In Elijah’s day as the prophet cried out that there were none left except him, the LORD responded that He had reserved 7000 who had not bowed their knee to Baal. There is a remnant. This is a remnant that refuses under any pressure to bow to any master other than One Master, God. So then, what is the LORD seeking except a people that will love Him more than life itself. Yet in this strange and varied world of religions and traditions how do we even begin to know who the LORD is. Confusion and pitfall abound as we repeatedly superimpose our weaknesses and desires onto a perfect and loving God. Sometimes it feels like serving God is the most arduous decision I have ever made, because whatever position I take there are still many that have arguments and debates that rival all things. Those outside the faith are much easier to deal with, but it is those who name the same LORD and yet slander and rage against each other with their various doctrines that prove to be the greatest trial. I almost hate to open my mouth because there is always an unlimited supply of those who disagree with such enthusiasm that it would seem that I just stuck my toe in the lake of fire while inviting everyone else to come and take a dip. Even silent opinions become difficult to bear as the world is ornate with venom that slanders my every thought leaving my head spinning and my heart crying out for the return of the LORD from heaven. But I cannot keep silent, it is like a fire in my bones, it is more painful to try and contain it.
So back to the question, what is the LORD seeking? A people or a family who love Him. How do we know if we are His people or just bowing down to any master (Baal) that pleasures our current desire? Oh my LORD, save me from this wicked and cruel age of men, I long for Your rule and Kingdom to come on the earth. Can I have the strength to love my friends and my enemies, the strength to turn the other cheek, the strength to show kindness to those who hate me and speak mean things about me simply because I trust in the resurrection from the dead.
Believing in Jesus is certainly the best and hardest thing. I have risked every opportunity in this life in the belief that He is the Son of God, the first born from the dead, and my soon returning King. I truly love Jesus, and all that I desire is to see Him and that you too experience the same love I have experienced. I’ve not always been kind, and I regularly struggle with feeling inadequate for the job He has entrusted me with, but He continues to strengthen me. Some might say I have a mental disorder, and my own delusions keep me from backing down, but He is truth and I honestly have nowhere else to turn. O Jesus you have both ruined me and made me in one sweep and I am so thankful, for if this pitiful age was all I had to hope in then my existence would be miserable indeed. I long.
So back to the question, what is the LORD seeking? A people or a family who love Him. How do we know if we are His people or just bowing down to any master (Baal) that pleasures our current desire? Oh my LORD, save me from this wicked and cruel age of men, I long for Your rule and Kingdom to come on the earth. Can I have the strength to love my friends and my enemies, the strength to turn the other cheek, the strength to show kindness to those who hate me and speak mean things about me simply because I trust in the resurrection from the dead.
Believing in Jesus is certainly the best and hardest thing. I have risked every opportunity in this life in the belief that He is the Son of God, the first born from the dead, and my soon returning King. I truly love Jesus, and all that I desire is to see Him and that you too experience the same love I have experienced. I’ve not always been kind, and I regularly struggle with feeling inadequate for the job He has entrusted me with, but He continues to strengthen me. Some might say I have a mental disorder, and my own delusions keep me from backing down, but He is truth and I honestly have nowhere else to turn. O Jesus you have both ruined me and made me in one sweep and I am so thankful, for if this pitiful age was all I had to hope in then my existence would be miserable indeed. I long.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Fascination: A Routine Love Affair
Setting my mind. What is your mind set on? Fascination is the key to keeping your mind engaged on something. Fascination is the state of feeling an intense interest in something, when you are fascinated by something even those things that you are doing do not hold the power to distract your thoughts (3 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. - Isa 26:3 NKJV). Yet many of us find ourselves spiritually bored, easily distracted or attracted by other things outside of Jesus.
We all have routines that we follow. You get up at a certain time, you leave the house at a certain time, you go to lunch at a certain time, you come home at a certain time, you put the kids to bed at a certain time, and then you go to bed at a certain time. Everything has a certain time to be done. Even actions and seasons have their time and place (Ecc 3:1). Then everyone looks forward to the weekends and holidays and vacations so we can break out of our routines and schedules. This is probably the cause of many generational issues, teen and early twenties generally have no patience for any schedule or routine while the older crowd tends to become enslaved to them, but no one is fascinated by routine. The one produces disorganization and the inability to achieve certain dreams and goals while the other produces bitterness and judgment toward any who try to live outside of their model. Yet if you can couple routine with fascination you have a powerful tool, a powerful and effective life. The younger generations can certainly do well to learn from the fathers, but likewise the older would do well if they could remember the fascination of youth and turn to the children (6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." - Mal 4:6 NKJK).
Let’s take a closer look at how fascination controls everything. Who can remember the very first time they fell in love? I was in the 5th grade. My heart would race and skip at the thought of this one girl. I could not pay attention in class because I only wanted to look at her, she was the one. I was captivated, overcome and fascinated. The problem was I was shy and we had never spoken, there was just some mystical connection awakened in my heart and I wanted to spend the rest of my life making her happy. My shyness was more powerful than my fascination, and I never did speak to her, but I used to cry myself to sleep looking at her picture in our yearbook at night, wishing that I could just speak to her. Somehow this feeling eventually just faded away. My fascination died because I did nothing to cultivate it. It could have blossomed into something, but with no direction and no plan that fascination did nothing but produce frustration. Sadly this is what happens too many who fall in love with Jesus.
Now, the question I pose is this; what fascinates you today? We are in a religious gathering right now so the temptation would be to say “God” or “Jesus” or something Christian because of course that is the right thing to be fascinated with. It would be of no value to any of us to lie to ourselves. If God is not your fascination the best thing you could do is tell yourself the truth. I guess we may need a few tools to help identify fascination. Probably the quickest way to identify your fascination would be to ask yourself “if I could be anywhere right now, where would it be?” Don’t be embarrassed by the answer, but I would be willing to say that most of you pictured somewhere other than here, somewhere other than a church type service, and doing something other than listening to someone else speak. Many people adhere to their religions as a type of duty that must be performed in order to be right with God, and it becomes just another part of that boring routine of getting up at a certain time and doing life. Truly, most church goers probably look forward to their lunch plans more than the message.
Remember the first time you fell in love again. Does your life with God have at least an equal level of fascination over you? Do you stay up late thinking about Him, miss meals because you were spending time with Jesus and just forgot to eat, stay distracted while doing other things because you just can’t take your mind off of Him? You cannot wait to break your routine in order to get to the One who fascinates you. We don’t put time limits or schedules on our fascination but try to squeeze the maximum amount of time into our fascination, forsaking many other duties in order to sate our desire. Has intimacy with Jesus become our primary desire?
If He has then people will begin to question your sanity, your zeal for God, and begin to make you an outcast, labeling you as a religious fanatic. You find yourself being avoided by even those who you call brother and sisters in the Lord. Family members shun you, and you hear people begin to tell you about balance. All things in moderation, you don’t want to go too far with this Jesus thing, while you’re thinking I want to forsake all to follow Jesus. Your life begins to be surrounded by pressure to compromise your zeal. Your faith is not producing peace but instead a sword, as your enemies becomes those of your own household and some of your closest friends turn on you. All those years you spent trying to fit in, all the social progress you have made, that good deal at work that just requires a little finagling are all on the line.
Through all this, life happens. Cares of this world begin to creep in; you start thinking about what you “need” to get done. Paying the bills, mowing the grass, and getting the oil changed. Though you hate the routine, though you despise that which pulls you away from Him, your sense of responsibility may cause you to begin to keep God at arm’s length and He becomes the thing that you get to if you can. After a short honeymoon with Jesus, many believers find themselves wondering “where am I” and “How did I get so far away”. All of this tends to be rooted in being more concerned with what people think about you, instead of pleasing God. Our preoccupation is this age instead of the age to come. Our minds become distracted and dull to the things of God because we have set our affection on the earth and this present age, forgetting our first love. We may continue to tip God at the end of a meal but scarcely remember Him once we get up from the table. Soon our lives barely resemble what we first experienced. (Parable of the sower) No root in ourselves, rocky soil, persecution; thorns, cares of this life, deceitfulness of wealth, choke out the word.
If we even remain concerned with Jesus, we become like one with an eating disorder. Trying to gorge ourselves on good meetings but vomiting it all out as soon as we are finished eating. Our spirits become thin and once heavyweight hopefuls become sick and weak and are dying. This is most likely the state of our mainstream American Christianity, except in our craftiness we have developed doctrines to help us remain comfortable in our destitution. We can continue in sin while being eternally secure hoping in the pre-trib rapture because after all Jesus did it all so I don’t have to. We then surround ourselves with teachers that scratch our itching ears to make us “feel” like everything is OK. We cast aside every form of routine as legalism and justify our fly by the seat of our pants Christianity as being led by the Spirit. We refuse to allow our hearts to be convicted, because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, all the while living like the world. We watch the same shows, listen to the same music, play the same games, and give in to the same pleasures, all the while calling ourselves “set-apart”. We have become like those Isaiah spoke of that honor God with their lips but our hearts are far from Him. We have homosexuality, sex before marriage, porn addiction, divorce, rebellious children, obsession with the occult, drunkenness, and much more at virtually the same levels as the “non-believing” world. Our righteousness is barely existent and we claim to be filled with the Spirit, while Buddhists, Muslims, Mormons and others are showing themselves to be morally superior. Oh, but don’t become legalistic. All things are permissible. Why is it the Spirit of God is leading more Christians into justified sin than those of more intolerant or stricter religions? We pray lead us not into temptation and yet chase after temptation, who are we being led by?
What am I getting at? The church is not fascinated with Jesus, but is in an adulterous relationship with the world, and at the end of the age no less!! We are truly ripe for a great falling away in the US, and if we don’t become fascinated with Jesus, we will be swept away by the seductive strong delusion of the Antichrist’s regime. It is time we fall in love with Jesus again. Remember the admonishment Jesus spoke to the church of Ephesus? Return to your first love. Remember the warning? Repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly (suddenly) and remove your lamp stand from its place-unless you repent. What is this first works? Love the Lord your God with all your mind and soul and strength.
What does this mean to us? Getting saved when you were 10 does not secure your place in the Kingdom of God! Saying the sinner’s prayer and then continuing in the same lifestyles is not salvation. Walk out your salvation with fear and trembling. We have reduced God to the really nice old guy who lets you do whatever you want. You know he doesn’t approve of what you are doing but he doesn’t want any trouble so he lets everything slide. God loves us too much to let everything slide. When Kirk Bennet was here he told us that the Holy Spirit is not here to kind of work with you, He has not come to work with you but to kill you.
At the beginning of this message I mentioned the way we all hate routine, but that a routine that is fueled by fascination is a very powerful tool. We fall away because we do not make time with Jesus our priority, and the spirit of the age is crouching at the door. We don’t make time for Jesus because we are not fascinated with Him or by Him. Both God and the devil want to kill us; the devil to destroy, but God to resurrect and make new. We must become willing to die since it is appointed to man (Heb 9:27). This is really a message about laying down your life, it is the only way for the life of Jesus to become manifest through you. But you will never lay down your life for someone you are not enamored with. We have forgotten the cross, that it is how we know love: He first laid down His life for us.
It is time to rekindle the relationship, He is waiting. Whatever level you are walking at, there is more. Ask Jesus to fascinate your heart, to open the eyes of your understanding. It is this fascination that will cause you to change your routine to spend time with the One you love. A life ordered by our love for Jesus is an effective life. Without a revelation of His love we will not be fascinated by Him, and for this we must long and ask and believe.
God is calling out a people that do not call themselves holy but are holy, a people that rend their hearts and not just their garments. A church that walks in righteousness not just talks about righteousness. We need an awakening to forsaking the world and the things in the world (16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. - 1Jo 2:16 NKJV). We need to prepare ourselves for the wedding like an expectant bride. Business as usual will only produce results as usual. Come out from among her my people (17 Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." - 2Cr 6:17 NKJV).
We must begin to fight for our imagination and the imagination of a generation to be set on what is unseen, the coming age of Jesus. Set your mind on things above, and become fascinated. We are living in the camp of the enemy, and it is only going to become exceedingly more difficult as the transition from this age to the next manifests. A onetime fascination is not enough to sustain you. Puppy love, albeit extremely strong and all consuming, will fade. Marriages can begin on love at first site, but are only maintained by commitment. The enemy of your soul does not rest in his attempt to turn your fascination to other lovers; we must not relent in intentionally encountering Jesus with our time.
Your thoughts become consumed by the things you are fascinated with. Whatever consistently runs through your mind is what is in your heart. I’m not simply speaking of temptations or random thoughts, but the manifestation of consuming behaviors as consuming thoughts and vice versa. Ever gone to bed not being able to get your work off of your mind? Still trying to solve the problems of the day, you wrestle with your thoughts unable to become still and fix yourself on the Lord. This is where being intentional comes in. Just like you would schedule time with your girlfriend or set a date night with your wife, break-up your day with Jesus time. As you become fascinated with Him and by Him this will become the greatest time of your day. No one is ever accused of legalism when they schedule time to spend alone with someone they love, and yet when we become intentional about our time with Jesus, even the church, the bride of Christ, cries “legalism”. Let’s settle the issue now: lovers make time for the ones they love! You will never come to Jesus with a sincere heart and find out that He is busy right now because all of His time is set apart for you, how much of your time is set apart for Him.
A time is coming in the Earth when all other lover’s will be taken away, and if we are not fascinated with the God of creation we will be left empty and searching and the devil will be ready to snatch away your affections. Do not be mistaken, you will not stand when it gets tough if you refuse to stand while it is easy. Right now there are true lovers of God giving their very lives because they refuse to deny Jesus, and many of us will not even give a few hours but deny Him daily. Consumed by our fascination with movies and video games, clamoring for that very sacred “me” time that never satisfies; we are guilty of putting Jesus on hold while we get in bed with every other passion. Then when He makes a move, allowing a disturbance in our pleasure seeking, we accuse Him of wickedness, saying "how could this happen to me I’m a Christian". Woe to you, if you do not repent. The church is busy treating Jesus like something to add to their life, He is life!!
We all have routines that we follow. You get up at a certain time, you leave the house at a certain time, you go to lunch at a certain time, you come home at a certain time, you put the kids to bed at a certain time, and then you go to bed at a certain time. Everything has a certain time to be done. Even actions and seasons have their time and place (Ecc 3:1). Then everyone looks forward to the weekends and holidays and vacations so we can break out of our routines and schedules. This is probably the cause of many generational issues, teen and early twenties generally have no patience for any schedule or routine while the older crowd tends to become enslaved to them, but no one is fascinated by routine. The one produces disorganization and the inability to achieve certain dreams and goals while the other produces bitterness and judgment toward any who try to live outside of their model. Yet if you can couple routine with fascination you have a powerful tool, a powerful and effective life. The younger generations can certainly do well to learn from the fathers, but likewise the older would do well if they could remember the fascination of youth and turn to the children (6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse." - Mal 4:6 NKJK).
Let’s take a closer look at how fascination controls everything. Who can remember the very first time they fell in love? I was in the 5th grade. My heart would race and skip at the thought of this one girl. I could not pay attention in class because I only wanted to look at her, she was the one. I was captivated, overcome and fascinated. The problem was I was shy and we had never spoken, there was just some mystical connection awakened in my heart and I wanted to spend the rest of my life making her happy. My shyness was more powerful than my fascination, and I never did speak to her, but I used to cry myself to sleep looking at her picture in our yearbook at night, wishing that I could just speak to her. Somehow this feeling eventually just faded away. My fascination died because I did nothing to cultivate it. It could have blossomed into something, but with no direction and no plan that fascination did nothing but produce frustration. Sadly this is what happens too many who fall in love with Jesus.
Now, the question I pose is this; what fascinates you today? We are in a religious gathering right now so the temptation would be to say “God” or “Jesus” or something Christian because of course that is the right thing to be fascinated with. It would be of no value to any of us to lie to ourselves. If God is not your fascination the best thing you could do is tell yourself the truth. I guess we may need a few tools to help identify fascination. Probably the quickest way to identify your fascination would be to ask yourself “if I could be anywhere right now, where would it be?” Don’t be embarrassed by the answer, but I would be willing to say that most of you pictured somewhere other than here, somewhere other than a church type service, and doing something other than listening to someone else speak. Many people adhere to their religions as a type of duty that must be performed in order to be right with God, and it becomes just another part of that boring routine of getting up at a certain time and doing life. Truly, most church goers probably look forward to their lunch plans more than the message.
Remember the first time you fell in love again. Does your life with God have at least an equal level of fascination over you? Do you stay up late thinking about Him, miss meals because you were spending time with Jesus and just forgot to eat, stay distracted while doing other things because you just can’t take your mind off of Him? You cannot wait to break your routine in order to get to the One who fascinates you. We don’t put time limits or schedules on our fascination but try to squeeze the maximum amount of time into our fascination, forsaking many other duties in order to sate our desire. Has intimacy with Jesus become our primary desire?
If He has then people will begin to question your sanity, your zeal for God, and begin to make you an outcast, labeling you as a religious fanatic. You find yourself being avoided by even those who you call brother and sisters in the Lord. Family members shun you, and you hear people begin to tell you about balance. All things in moderation, you don’t want to go too far with this Jesus thing, while you’re thinking I want to forsake all to follow Jesus. Your life begins to be surrounded by pressure to compromise your zeal. Your faith is not producing peace but instead a sword, as your enemies becomes those of your own household and some of your closest friends turn on you. All those years you spent trying to fit in, all the social progress you have made, that good deal at work that just requires a little finagling are all on the line.
Through all this, life happens. Cares of this world begin to creep in; you start thinking about what you “need” to get done. Paying the bills, mowing the grass, and getting the oil changed. Though you hate the routine, though you despise that which pulls you away from Him, your sense of responsibility may cause you to begin to keep God at arm’s length and He becomes the thing that you get to if you can. After a short honeymoon with Jesus, many believers find themselves wondering “where am I” and “How did I get so far away”. All of this tends to be rooted in being more concerned with what people think about you, instead of pleasing God. Our preoccupation is this age instead of the age to come. Our minds become distracted and dull to the things of God because we have set our affection on the earth and this present age, forgetting our first love. We may continue to tip God at the end of a meal but scarcely remember Him once we get up from the table. Soon our lives barely resemble what we first experienced. (Parable of the sower) No root in ourselves, rocky soil, persecution; thorns, cares of this life, deceitfulness of wealth, choke out the word.
If we even remain concerned with Jesus, we become like one with an eating disorder. Trying to gorge ourselves on good meetings but vomiting it all out as soon as we are finished eating. Our spirits become thin and once heavyweight hopefuls become sick and weak and are dying. This is most likely the state of our mainstream American Christianity, except in our craftiness we have developed doctrines to help us remain comfortable in our destitution. We can continue in sin while being eternally secure hoping in the pre-trib rapture because after all Jesus did it all so I don’t have to. We then surround ourselves with teachers that scratch our itching ears to make us “feel” like everything is OK. We cast aside every form of routine as legalism and justify our fly by the seat of our pants Christianity as being led by the Spirit. We refuse to allow our hearts to be convicted, because there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ, all the while living like the world. We watch the same shows, listen to the same music, play the same games, and give in to the same pleasures, all the while calling ourselves “set-apart”. We have become like those Isaiah spoke of that honor God with their lips but our hearts are far from Him. We have homosexuality, sex before marriage, porn addiction, divorce, rebellious children, obsession with the occult, drunkenness, and much more at virtually the same levels as the “non-believing” world. Our righteousness is barely existent and we claim to be filled with the Spirit, while Buddhists, Muslims, Mormons and others are showing themselves to be morally superior. Oh, but don’t become legalistic. All things are permissible. Why is it the Spirit of God is leading more Christians into justified sin than those of more intolerant or stricter religions? We pray lead us not into temptation and yet chase after temptation, who are we being led by?
What am I getting at? The church is not fascinated with Jesus, but is in an adulterous relationship with the world, and at the end of the age no less!! We are truly ripe for a great falling away in the US, and if we don’t become fascinated with Jesus, we will be swept away by the seductive strong delusion of the Antichrist’s regime. It is time we fall in love with Jesus again. Remember the admonishment Jesus spoke to the church of Ephesus? Return to your first love. Remember the warning? Repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly (suddenly) and remove your lamp stand from its place-unless you repent. What is this first works? Love the Lord your God with all your mind and soul and strength.
What does this mean to us? Getting saved when you were 10 does not secure your place in the Kingdom of God! Saying the sinner’s prayer and then continuing in the same lifestyles is not salvation. Walk out your salvation with fear and trembling. We have reduced God to the really nice old guy who lets you do whatever you want. You know he doesn’t approve of what you are doing but he doesn’t want any trouble so he lets everything slide. God loves us too much to let everything slide. When Kirk Bennet was here he told us that the Holy Spirit is not here to kind of work with you, He has not come to work with you but to kill you.
At the beginning of this message I mentioned the way we all hate routine, but that a routine that is fueled by fascination is a very powerful tool. We fall away because we do not make time with Jesus our priority, and the spirit of the age is crouching at the door. We don’t make time for Jesus because we are not fascinated with Him or by Him. Both God and the devil want to kill us; the devil to destroy, but God to resurrect and make new. We must become willing to die since it is appointed to man (Heb 9:27). This is really a message about laying down your life, it is the only way for the life of Jesus to become manifest through you. But you will never lay down your life for someone you are not enamored with. We have forgotten the cross, that it is how we know love: He first laid down His life for us.
It is time to rekindle the relationship, He is waiting. Whatever level you are walking at, there is more. Ask Jesus to fascinate your heart, to open the eyes of your understanding. It is this fascination that will cause you to change your routine to spend time with the One you love. A life ordered by our love for Jesus is an effective life. Without a revelation of His love we will not be fascinated by Him, and for this we must long and ask and believe.
God is calling out a people that do not call themselves holy but are holy, a people that rend their hearts and not just their garments. A church that walks in righteousness not just talks about righteousness. We need an awakening to forsaking the world and the things in the world (16 For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. - 1Jo 2:16 NKJV). We need to prepare ourselves for the wedding like an expectant bride. Business as usual will only produce results as usual. Come out from among her my people (17 Therefore "Come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Do not touch what is unclean, and I will receive you." - 2Cr 6:17 NKJV).
We must begin to fight for our imagination and the imagination of a generation to be set on what is unseen, the coming age of Jesus. Set your mind on things above, and become fascinated. We are living in the camp of the enemy, and it is only going to become exceedingly more difficult as the transition from this age to the next manifests. A onetime fascination is not enough to sustain you. Puppy love, albeit extremely strong and all consuming, will fade. Marriages can begin on love at first site, but are only maintained by commitment. The enemy of your soul does not rest in his attempt to turn your fascination to other lovers; we must not relent in intentionally encountering Jesus with our time.
Your thoughts become consumed by the things you are fascinated with. Whatever consistently runs through your mind is what is in your heart. I’m not simply speaking of temptations or random thoughts, but the manifestation of consuming behaviors as consuming thoughts and vice versa. Ever gone to bed not being able to get your work off of your mind? Still trying to solve the problems of the day, you wrestle with your thoughts unable to become still and fix yourself on the Lord. This is where being intentional comes in. Just like you would schedule time with your girlfriend or set a date night with your wife, break-up your day with Jesus time. As you become fascinated with Him and by Him this will become the greatest time of your day. No one is ever accused of legalism when they schedule time to spend alone with someone they love, and yet when we become intentional about our time with Jesus, even the church, the bride of Christ, cries “legalism”. Let’s settle the issue now: lovers make time for the ones they love! You will never come to Jesus with a sincere heart and find out that He is busy right now because all of His time is set apart for you, how much of your time is set apart for Him.
A time is coming in the Earth when all other lover’s will be taken away, and if we are not fascinated with the God of creation we will be left empty and searching and the devil will be ready to snatch away your affections. Do not be mistaken, you will not stand when it gets tough if you refuse to stand while it is easy. Right now there are true lovers of God giving their very lives because they refuse to deny Jesus, and many of us will not even give a few hours but deny Him daily. Consumed by our fascination with movies and video games, clamoring for that very sacred “me” time that never satisfies; we are guilty of putting Jesus on hold while we get in bed with every other passion. Then when He makes a move, allowing a disturbance in our pleasure seeking, we accuse Him of wickedness, saying "how could this happen to me I’m a Christian". Woe to you, if you do not repent. The church is busy treating Jesus like something to add to their life, He is life!!
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Resurrection!
Everything we know in Christianity hinges on the resurrection! If Jesus did not get up from the grave on the third day as He predicted then the whole thing is a lie. He did get up from the grave. Even with all the doubts and arguments against the resurrection the fact still remains undisturbed; Jesus is alive. If His personal prediction of rising from the dead came to pass according to His word, then we would be right to expect every other word He spoke to be correct. Nothing that Jesus prophesies will fall to the ground, it all will happen! He said that He would return, He will. He said that He would set up His Kingdom on earth, He will. He said that all the dead in Him will rise at the end of the age at the sound of His voice, it will happen. He said we would be changed from corruptible to incorruptible, we will. He said that whoever believes in Him will not see death, we won’t. The resurrection is the proof! It is undeniable, and after 2000yrs no one with a heart after the truth has been able to refute His resurrection! Now the question is if we have as Lord and God a man who raised Himself from the grave by the power of the Spirit, how should we live? If death was not a strong enough enemy to hold Christ down, then what in your life is insurmountable for Him? Are you trapped in wrong behavior because God lacks something in delivering you? No. You serve a God who not only died for you, but rose from the grave for you, in order to bring you into His fellowship, and He can clean you up, we just need to allow Him to perform His work in us.
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