It Is Time To Seek The Lord.

Sow with a view to righteousness,

reap in accordance to kindness;

break up your fallow ground,

for it is time to seek the Lord

until He comes to rain 

righteousness on you.

Hosea 10:12 NASB

     

     Much like the "days of Elijah," we see a nation wavering between two opinions (1 Kings 18:21). The real tragedy in all of this is the fact that there is a professing element of Christianity that holds to a form of godliness, but denies its power (2 Tim 3:5). Many have allowed the soft ground of their hearts to grow hard. Instead of bearing the fruit of righteousness, thorns and thistles grow instead, on land that is in danger of being cursed (Hebrews 6:7-8).

     If we would enjoy the presence of God in our midst once again; if we would experience His refreshing; if we would walk in the power of the Holy Ghost as in former times, we must seek the Lord in all earnestness. As we read in Jeremiah, "And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). To break up the fallow ground is to repent. It is to get out the sin and rebellion, and to turn to God in brokenness and humility. Many people do not like this. They would rather not deal with their sin in this way. It hurts to dig deep within our inner selves; to tear the sin out by the roots; but repentance must be deep if we would truly seek the Lord, and find Him. I'm afraid that while many "seek" the Lord, very few actually find Him. They are not really sincere enough to do what it takes (deep repentance/humility) to persevere and find Him. 

     In 2 Chronicles 7:14, we have the promise that if we who are called by God's name (Christians), would humble ourselves and pray, seek God's face, and turn from our wicked ways, then God would hear us from heaven, forgive our sin, and heal our land. You see, it begins with us. The saying is true, that if we desire revival, it must begin with us. If we would see the fruit of righteousness springing up in our lives, in our churches, and in this land, we must begin to earnestly seek the Lord one more time. We cannot afford to be half hearted, we cannot afford to be insincere in repentance, we cannot afford to quickly give up before the Lord comes back to His temple in all of His power and glory once again. 

     Jesus says to us, Behold I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will dine with him, and he with Me (Rev 3:20 NASB). These words were spoken by the Savior to the Church at Laodicea; a church that was compromised, worldly, and self sufficient, much like so many today. Yet, the invitation is still offered. Christ stands on the outside desiring to come in, if we will but let Him.

Outside the Camp.

     Therefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people through His own blood, suffered outside the gate.
     So, let us go out to Him outside the camp, bearing His reproach.
     For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.
                                 Hebrews 13:12-14 NASB

     The epistle to the Hebrews was written to encourage early Christians to remain faithful to Christ. They faced severe pressure from friends and family to return to Judaism, and no doubt, for many, the temptation to give in would have been strong. In this book, Christ is shown to be the reality of the Old Testament types and shadows. To turn from Him, and to go back to the sacrificial system, was to leave Christianity altogether. They were encouraged in the above passage to go outside the camp, and suffer the reproach of Christ. Outside the camp was the garbage dump; the place where the animal carcasses were dumped (Hebrews 13:11). In other words, they would face rejection, reproach, and even persecution for the name of Christ. They must not return to what they had come out of.
     True Christians today are faced with a similar situation. We see a wicked world plunging deeper into moral filth today. There seems to be no shame, as men cast off what little restraint seems to be left.
     Not only has this moral decline increased in the world, it has also invaded the professing Church as well. Here is where things get tough for those who would follow Christ. There are those who draw a line. In their eyes, sin is sin, and they will not compromise. They refuse to partake in it, they refuse to tolerate it, and refuse to excuse it. This puts them at odds with multitudes of professing believers who blindly coddle sin in the name of Christian love.
     To stand up for truth in many churches today will get you labeled as judgmental, a hater, a legalist, and extreme. You will bring rejection upon yourself if you call sin what it really is, and call men to repent. In our tolerant modern theology, it is better to be "politically correct" than to be Biblically correct.
     The temptation is there, just as it has always been, to give in, to compromise, to be just like everyone else. This admonition in Hebrews is for us as well. Let us draw that line in the sand. There can be no compromise, no settling down in a lukewarm religion. We must go outside the camp with Jesus, bearing His reproach. This earth, with all of its ways is temporal. We are looking for the city which is to come.
    

Stumbling Blocks.

     But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
     Woe unto the world because of offenses: for it must needs be that offences come; but woe to that man by whom the offence cometh.
     Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.
     And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
     Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones; for I say unto you, That in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven.
     For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.
                                 Matthew 18:6-11 KJV

     This is an often overlooked passage of scripture, but yet upon reading it, one is struck by the seriousness of these words of Jesus. We have a tremendous responsibility toward our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. We dare not be careless or negligent in this matter, as we are indeed our brother's keeper.
     In the greater context of this passage, Jesus is teaching His disciples a lesson on humility. In response to their question of who is the greatest in the kingdom, Jesus teaches them that one must be humble, like a child, to be truly great (Matt 18:1-5). 
     The world runs on pride. Decisions are made based upon selfish interests. People in general do not really look out for the concerns and needs of those around them. This goes against what Jesus tells us when He says, "Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones." The Apostle Paul asked "But why dost thou judge thy brother? Or why dost thou set at nought thy brother (Romans 14:10)?" This is the same thing; despising a brother, not caring about his feelings, concerns or needs, in relation to our own.
     What is at issue here is the salvation, and spiritual well being of an individual. We have a solemn responsibility to take care that we do not do something that would cause another to stumble in their faith. The eyes of others are on us, and the things that we say and do, the things that we promote, and the way we live from day to day are noticed by others, and influence them for good, or bad.
     Jesus urges us to take great pains with our lives so that we will not be the cause of stumbling for someone else. He uses the example of cutting off a hand or foot, or gouging out an eye, to show us that we must be radical, going to great extremes to ensure that our lives are above reproach before Him, and also before the world around us. This is a hard teaching for many today. We have our lifestyles to maintain, our "Christian liberty" to enjoy, and do not like the idea of having to look out for a "weaker" brother. Look at the example of Paul however. He would give up eating meat forever, if it would somehow cause another to stumble (1 Cor 8:13).
     There are several passages of scripture that lay out this principle for us. They are as follows,

      Romans 14:1-23

     Romans 15:1-7

     1 Corinthians 8:1-13

     1 Corinthians 10:23-33

     The point is, we as Christians are not to live for ourselves. We are to seek the well being of others. If this means that I might have to give up a little "Christian liberty", for the sake of someone who might not have that same liberty that I have, so be it. A lot of people are easily offended at the idea that a brother or sister might be stumbled by an activity that is seen by another as innocent. Many believe that their actions are between them and God alone, and no one else has the right to say anything about it. This is wrong however, according to what both Jesus, and the Apostle Paul teach in the scriptures. If your liberty leads someone into sin, it is wrong for you to flaunt that liberty around that person.
     One example is that of clothing; what is modest, as opposed to immodest in dress. Many women dress in a way that seems ok to them, but it might be a little too revealing for someone else. Now if it causes someone to wrestle with lustful thoughts, there is a problem. If that brother gives way to the thoughts he wrestles with, he has now sinned.
     The common reaction of many is that of contempt for the man wrestling with his thought life. They might say that they have a right to dress how they like; that it is between them and God, and their conscience does not convict them. They go on to blame the other person for his apparent lack of self control. This is wrong according to what the Bible teaches. If the way someone dresses is leading someone else into temptation or even sin, then that person has the responsibility to dress so as not to offend someone else. It does not matter if the other person is weaker, or lacks self control, or not. The fact is, the actions of one person, are leading to the spiritual downfall of another.
     This principle can be applied to actions and situations of all kinds. We have a God given responsibility to look out for one another. If we determine that our actions might be a cause of offense to another, then whether we feel we are right or not, we must deny self, for the sake of a weaker brother.
     Like I said, this is a hard teaching that many do not like. It involves humility, self denial, giving up things that we may have perfect liberty to be involved in, for the sake of someone who may not share the same convictions that we hold, or who is weaker, or struggles in certain areas of his or her life. We must determine that we will not place a stumbling block, or obstacle in a brother's way (Romans 14:13). This is walking in Christian love.
    
     

     

    
    

Where Is The Shame?

    "Open shame belongs to us, O, Lord, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against you."
                                           Daniel 9:9 NASB


     We have been taught that shame is a bad thing; that we need to feel good about ourselves; we need to have high self esteem.
     As a result, we now see individuals within the visible Church proudly living in sinful behavior. They have overcome any guilt and shame that they might have felt over their sin, and instead chosen to flaunt their wickedness.
     We see so much acceptance of sin today. What was once understood as evil, is now openly embraced by many who would call themselves Christians. Things that were once disgraceful  to even mention (Ephesians 5:12), are now common place. We can speak of these things without blushing in shame.  It all has to do with feeling good about ourselves and others. Many believe that this is sharing the "love of Christ" with struggling individuals, but sadly the promotion of self esteem ultimately leaves us outside of the grace of God in Christ Jesus.
     John tells us that if we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, if we say we have not sinned, we are saying that God is a liar, and His word is not in us (1 John 1:8, 10). This is what so many do today. They have chosen to throw away the shame associated with sin, they have hardened their hearts, and openly embraced their sin, as a lifestyle. In other words, people no longer consider sinful acts as sin, but instead excuse things as life choices, or being born a certain way, or going so far as to claim God made them that way. So many modern "Christians" claim liberty. They somehow believe that they have freedom in Christ to do the very things that separate them from Him. The gospel, to them, has liberated them from guilt, while they remain in sin. The very thing that should drive one to the cross of Christ in repentance and faith, has been cast off in the name of self esteem.
     God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Those who openly flaunt their sinful lifestyles may feel no more guilt or shame, but yet their sin remains. If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sin (1 John 1:9). To confess sin is to agree with God about our sin, and about ourselves. We agree that sin is offensive to God. We agree with Him, and take the responsibility for our actions. Yes, sin is shameful, and we should be ashamed of our sinful actions. True confession makes no excuses, and does not seek to justify our wicked behavior in any way. The truly humble sinner seeking grace, is willing to forsake his sin, because of the offense it causes God. That is his greatest shame; not the fact that he has done shameful things, but that he has grieved God.
     God never intends for us to remain in guilt and shame. Yet, as a holy, and righteous  God, He will never allow us to cast off our shame, and brazenly remain in our sin. He will free us from our guilt, and not only the guilt, but the power of sin, if we will give up, in humble submission to Him.
    

True Greatness.

     Jesus teaches us a lesson on true greatness in Matthew 18:1-10. Our human nature craves attention. In the flesh, we desire the praises of man. We often esteem ourselves more important than we ought, and in the process, we neglect those around us. This is how the world system runs. It is all about self. Everything is geared towards building up me and my little kingdom.
     Jesus tells us that if we would be truly great in His kingdom, we must humble ourselves as a little child (Matt 18:3-4). On another occasion, parents were bringing their children to Jesus so that He could bless them. The disciples were indignant, and rebuked them (Luke 18:15-18). The disciples no doubt, thought that Jesus had more important things to do, than to be bothered by little children. In their mindset children were insignificant. They had big things to do, important things, and could not waste time on something that they saw as insignificant.
     That is how it is in the adult world today as well. We tend to get busy, wrapped up in our pursuits, at the expense of those we consider insignificant.
     Jesus is telling us that if we would be truly great, we must become insignificant ourselves! We must become small in our own eyes. Just as the disciples despised the little ones coming to Jesus, we too must be willing to be despised by the world. It is not about us, our desires, our agendas, or our craving for attention and praise. Pride has got to go.
     James tells us that God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the Humble (James 4:5-10). He tells us that we must submit ourselves to God, humbling ourselves in His presence. Peter also tells us to submit to each other in humility, casting all of our care upon Him, because God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble (1 Peter 5:5-7). It takes humility to get along with each other. Where we fail is when we demand our way, and our rights. This is a huge reason why we see so much division, and so little power in many Churches today. 
     Paul exhorts us to empty ourselves of pride and selfish ambition. Instead, we are to put others first. We are called to look out for each other, meeting the needs of one another, instead of living merely for ourselves. We have the example of Jesus who emptied Himself for us, taking on humanity, being obedient to death (Philippians 2:2-8). We are called to unity as brothers and sisters in Christ. We share a common bond as those who worship the living God. We have a common goal in advancing the kingdom of God. Let us lay aside all pride and selfish ambition, and truly love one another through the Holy Spirit (Eph 4:2-3; Col 3:14). It is when we are walking in brotherly love in all humility, that we will see the presence and power of God at work in and work through us.