A Political Jesus?

We read in John's gospel that Jesus "perceived that they would come and take Him by force, to make Him a king" (John 6:15 KJV). I fear that this is what many professing Christians desire to do today as well. They seem to believe that somehow Jesus wants to reign and rule in the affairs of the United States through political means. If somehow we can get a "conservative" president, the right mix of conservatives in congress, a conservative bench, then righteousness will reign in this country, Jesus will be king of our nation.

I find it interesting that Jesus, when He perceived the intentions of the people, departed from them. He had no interest, no desire to rule an earthly kingdom. Imagine the good He could have accomplished in His lifetime for the nation of Israel had He actually displaced the Roman empire and ruled from Jerusalem. However, that was not His true purpose in coming to earth.

We read of Him standing before Pilate, when He states, "My kingdom is not of this world: if My kingdom were of this world, then would My servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is My kingdom not from hence" (John 18:36 KJV).

Why then do we insist upon embroiling ourselves in the politics of this world, when instead, we should be living for the advancement of the true kingdom of Jesus Christ. There are indeed two kingdoms, the kingdom of this world, and the kingdom of God. Let the world take care of the world, while we put our effort and energy into Christ's kingdom, where our allegiance truly belongs. 

Someday the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. (Rev 11:15) Until then however, this world will wax worse and worse. We as followers of Jesus Christ, can accomplish far more good through the spreading of the gospel and fervent prayer. It has never worked to legislate righteousness through political means, and it never will. The "legalizing" of Christianity during the reign of Constantine is the perfect example of the error of mixing Church and state. Let the Church be the Church, living as strangers and aliens in this present world, looking for the city which is to come (Heb 13:14), while calling people out of the darkness of this world, into the kingdom of Christ (Col 1:13).

See also this link

"My Kingdom Is Not Of This World."

     In John's account of the trial of Jesus, we see a profound statement, that has implications for us today as followers of Christ. Jesus makes this statement to Pilate,

     "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would be fighting, that I might not be delivered up to the Jews; but as it is, My kingdom is not of this realm." John 18:36 NASB

     There are several things that we can draw from this passage concerning the kingdom of God, and how we as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, are to live as subjects of this kingdom.

 1. There are two kingdoms, and only two. The kingdom of this world, made up of kings and kingdoms, politicians and parties, and the kingdom of God, where Jesus Christ reigns supreme.

 2. In the kingdom of God, His servants do not fight. While nations may war against nation, and politicians war against politicians to gain control of human government, Christ's servants do not fight.

 3. Christ's kingdom is not of this realm. The world has its ways, based upon selfish ambition, and physical force. The kingdom of God is a spiritual kingdom, where Christ rules in the hearts and lives of His faithful followers. The power of this kingdom is not a physical power, but the very power of God poured out as His subjects cry out to Him by faith. His followers affect this world only as they seek first His kingdom (Matt 6:33). A true Christian will be motivated by love rather than selfishness. This stands in stark opposition to the ways of the world.

     As Christians, we live in this world, but are not of this world; we are strangers and aliens here (Heb 11:13). As members of the heavenly kingdom, we strive toward a different purpose, and wage a different warfare than that of this world (2 Cor 10:3-4).  As soldiers in the heavenly army, we do not get entangled in the affairs of this world (2 Tim 2:4). This should affect us in every area of our lives as we live in this world as ambassadors of another kingdom! We do not get involved in the affairs of the world; in its politics and its conflicts. We represent Jesus Christ, as His ambassadors. Our purpose is to seek first His kingdom and righteousness, and to urge men to be reconciled to God through Christ (2 Cor 5:20). 
     As Christians, we are to be in subjection to human governments where it does not conflict with the word of God (Romans 13:1-2; Acts 4:19-20). We are to give honor to whom honor is due, pay our tribute and taxes, and render unto Caesar that which is his (Romans 13:7; Matt 22:17-21). We are commanded in scripture to pray for those in authority so that it would go well for us, and also so that they may be saved (2 Tim 2:1-4). 
    We can do far more for the cause of Christ if we let the world take care of the world, while we make Christ's kingdom the focus of our lives. If we would faithfully do this rather than immersing ourselves in politics and social activism, we would actually see souls saved, lives transformed, and God's kingdom advanced.
     We have tried fixing the world, the world's way, but it seems to have only gotten worse. Isn't it time to try it God's way?

Are You Anchored To This Life?

     For we know that if the earthly tent which is our house is torn down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For indeed in this house we groan, longing to be clothed with our dwelling from heaven.
                                                    2 Corinthians 5:1-2 NASB

     We as Christians are supposed to be strangers and aliens upon this earth ( Hebrews 11:13-16; 1 Peter 1:1). Following the example of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, we are called to live in this world as in a foreign land, looking with eyes of faith to the promise of our heavenly home (Hebrews 11:8-10). This is the reality; That which is natural (What we see) is temporal, that which is spiritual (unseen) is eternal (2 Cor 4:18).
     Can we relate to this? Do we in fact groan in this life of ours? Are we longing to be home? Are we indeed travelling this life empty handed, not weighed down with the cares and troubles of this life, not burdened by the pursuit of material things (Matt 13:22), but instead living with a singleness of purpose for the glory of God, as His ambassadors upon this earth?
     Jesus warns us against laying up treasures in this life. Our possessions will steal our hearts (Matt 6:19-21). Yet we see so many professed believers living in abundance, accumulating temporal things, focused on the here and now. They seem to be finding their happiness in the things that they own and the activities they enjoy. The hunger for God is gone, the longing for their real home has faded. Sadly, their possessions will anchor them to this earth! They have no treasure being laid up in heaven. They have over the course of time, transferred their citizenship to the kingdom of this world.
   

     

Ring that bell

     I listened to this powerful message this morning, and it brought tears to my eyes. Listen to it, and let God speak to your heart. It is so easy to get caught up in our lives and lose sight of what God has really called us to. Christianity is so much more than going to church once or twice a week, and having our bible reading plans and such. These things are good and have their purpose, but there is something lacking in so many of our lives. I believe it is a consuming passion for the souls of our fellow man. How much would we endure for Christ? How far are we willing to go to see the world around us reached with the good news of new life in Christ? Listen to this sermon and be blessed!  Ring that bell

Following Christ.

      For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few that find it.
                                            Matthew 7:14 NASB

     There is a wonderful old Anabaptist hymn, that as I read it, the scriptures seemed to be opened up to me in a fresh way.

He who would follow Christ

 

Who now will follow Christ in life must scorn the world's insult and strife, and bear the cross each day. For this alone leads to the throne; Christ is the only way.

Christ's servants follow Him to death, and give their body, life, and breath on cross and rack and pyre. As gold is tried and purified they stand the test of fire.

Renouncing all they choose the cross, and claiming it, count all as loss, e'en home and child and wife. Forsaking gain, forgetting pain, they enter into life

     We have this idea that all we need to do is to believe in Christ at some point in our lives, and we are good. Just ask Jesus into your heart, and you are saved. Sadly, I fear, there are countless thousands of modern evangelical "Christians" who have no concept of what it means to believe in Christ; to take up our cross and follow Him (Mark 8:34). That however, is the call of Christ; "Follow Me." Repeating a prayer, going forward at an altar, saying we believe in Jesus, are all actions that in and of themselves can give us no assurance of heaven. It starts at the cross, where we confess and repent, and by faith "enter the small gate." However we must follow Christ. Read what these persecuted Christians did. They scorned the world and all of its insults, as they followed Christ. They braved torture and death as they followed Him. They renounced all, and like the Apostle Paul, they counted all as loss for the sake of knowing Christ (Phil 3:8).
     You see, many of us stop at the new birth, believing that is the end of the matter as far as our salvation is concerned. We do not go on to follow Christ as He leads us through the narrow way to life. We are far behind Him as He calls us to renounce this world, as He leads us away from materialism, and as He calls us to humility. We are far behind Him as He call us to love our enemies and to turn the other cheek. We know little of laying up treasure in heaven, and seeking first His kingdom. He calls us to follow Him and become fishers of men, but somehow we do not follow. We do not follow Him as He leads us through suffering and tribulation; but all who wish to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution (2 Tim 3:12), and it is through much tribulation that we enter into life (Acts 14:22).
     It is not enough to merely believe in Him. That is nothing more than a mere head knowledge; a mental assent to some historical, biblical facts about Jesus. To really believe in Him is to follow Him, as this hymn says, Christ is the only way.


He who would follow Christ                  
Jorg Wagner, 1527, in the Ausbund, 1564     Bartholomeus Monoetius 1565
Wer Christo jetzt will folgen nach
Tr. David Augsburger, 1962

The Mennonite Hymnal
Copyright 1969 Herald Press, Scottdale, Pa
p344




    
      

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.
    

Contending for the Faith: Strangers and Exiles.

Contending for the Faith: Strangers and Exiles.: All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having welcomed them from a distance, and having confess...

Are We In Evacuation Mode?

     It seems that a great majority of the professing Church is in evacuation mode. We see evil abounding around us. No one can truly deny that we are now seeing things in our lifetime that would have seemed unlikely, even impossible just a few generations ago. It is true, sin is running rampant in this world, and everything seems to be spiraling out of control. Righteousness is indeed under attack, the very foundations are being destroyed. What are the righteous to do (Psalm 11:3)?
     Sadly it seems that many are simply waiting to be evacuated. Like a besieged army waiting to get out of a hopeless situation, we seem to anxiously look around us at the dismal conditions, and then "rest" in the hope that we will be raptured out of all of this misery, before it gets too far out of control.
     I fear that many will find themselves numbered with the "Foolish Virgins" (Matt 25:1-13). Their lamps have gone out, and they have no oil. Many will be identified with the servant who buried the one talent he was entrusted with (Matt 25:14-30).
     Jesus warns us to be alert, and He also warns us to be about His business until He comes (Mark 13:33-37). We dare not be found asleep at His return, yet I fear that many will be. Jesus Himself asks the question, "However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth (Luke 18:8)?"
     The truth is, we are in a spiritual battle for the souls of men. We are to be active in the service of our Lord Jesus Christ. We dare not stand looking into the sky (Acts 1:9-11), waiting for our evacuation, while there is still work to be done. Jesus never promised us that it would be easy. In fact, He promises us persecution, if we will be faithful to His call (Matt 5:10-12; 2 Tim 3:12).  
     As we see the evil growing around us, we must boldly stand for the truth, and be faithful unto Christ, no matter the cost. Then when Jesus returns, we will be among those who are found faithful.

Strive to Enter the Narrow Door.

     We seem to have this idea that the Christian life requires little or no effort on our part. It is true on the one hand that salvation is the gift of God, received by faith, and not by works (Ephesians 2:8-9). But we also have the words of Jesus as recorded in Luke's gospel,

     "Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many will seek to enter and will not be able. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock on the door saying, 'Lord, open up to us!' then He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know where you are from.' Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets'; and He will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you are from; DEPART FROM ME ALL YOU EVIL DOERS.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth there when you see Abraham Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves being cast out. And they will come from east and west, and from north and south, and will recline at the table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first and some are first who will be last."
                                     Luke 13:24-30 NASB

     The word strive is a strong word that means to gain the mastery of, to agonize in contention for something. To strive is to give an all out effort in the obtaining of a prize. In this instance Christ is telling us that we must make every effort to enter through the narrow door. The four men who brought the paralytic to Jesus were an example to us of what it means to strive, or make an effort. They were not discouraged by the large crowd surrounding Jesus, but instead, dug a hole in the roof of the house where Jesus was teaching, and lowered their friend in front of Christ (Mark 2:2-4).
      We are told that many will try to enter, but will not be able. Elsewhere we read that there will be FEW that enter the narrow gate, and walk the narrow path that leads to life (Matt 7:13).
     The problem that multitudes of professing believers have is their lack of faith, evidenced by their lack of commitment to Christ and His call on their lives. They may desire to live better lives; perhaps to even give up some sinful habits, but their desires do not run deep enough to make a radical break with sin. For many, their profession is based upon an emotional experience with no depth. They may have said a prayer, made a commitment, but they failed to count the cost as Jesus tells us we must do (Luke 14:28). Just like the people in Jesus' day, there are many today who are familiar with Jesus. There are those who are content to believe the historical facts about Christ, but their faith remains in their heads and not their hearts, and their lives are unchanged. It is the same with those who are "Christian" based on the fact they grew up in a Christian home. Others are satisfied with religious forms and rituals. They, like those who ate and drank in the presence of Jesus, and heard Him teaching in the streets, will be shocked on the day they stand before Him and hear "I do not know where you are from." They have missed the new birth, through which we must enter the kingdom of God (John 3:3-7).
     Just as birth is painful and requires great effort to bring a life into the world, so also it is painful, and requires great effort to be spiritually born anew into the kingdom of God. Once again, I am aware that works will never save us, and it is impossible to earn our salvation, or to be able to impress God enough to save us. It is not a case of being able to somehow trust in God, and trust in works, and being able to get to heaven.
     You see, we must be stripped of pride, stripped of self, and this is a painful process and few can endure it, but God is opposed to the proud. Those who are humble, are those who receive grace (James 4:6-10; 1 Peter 5:5). The new birth is a radical change. We come just as we are, but we will never enter the kingdom just as we are. We come to surrender, to lay down our sinful lives, and be changed by the washing of rebirth, and the renewal of the Holy Spirit (Titus 3:4-7). This surrender, this laying down of our lives is repentance, a complete change of mind and action. It is a turning from ourselves to God. It involves giving up our sin. It is painful to see ourselves as God sees us, but once we do we will turn from our selfish desires and actions and give ourselves to follow Christ.
     Jesus calls us to follow Him, and to follow Him requires that we deny ourselves, take up our cross; that we renounce all we have, that we completely lose our lives for Him (John 12:25-26; Mark 8:34-35; Luke 14:27-33). To follow Jesus requires that we obey Him (Luke 6:46; John 14:21, 15:14). Our obedience does not save us. If we are following Jesus from a motive of self preservation, we have failed to lose our life for Him. We are still in control of our life, and have failed to enter in through the narrow door. The door is indeed narrow, and one must squeeze through it painfully. We must follow Him for His sake, and love Him for His sake. It is not about what He can do for us, but about losing our lives for Him.
     It is a narrow gate and an equally narrow road that leads to life, with few on it, while the broad path to destruction is filled with souls (Matt 7:13-14). The cost is high, and few are truly willing to pay it.

Do This And You Will Live.

     On one occasion a lawyer, desiring to put Jesus to the test, Asked Him, what he must do to inherit eternal life. (Luke 10:25-37).
     Jesus answered him with the question, "What is written in the law? How does it read to you?"
     The lawyer replied back, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself."
     Listen to the answer that Jesus gives this man. It may surprise you. "You have answered correctly; do this and you will live."
     Understand very carefully what Jesus is saying here. He is not preaching a works based salvation. We cannot take what He is saying here, and claim that it is not applicable to us today because we are not under law, but under grace.
      Read through the epistles and you will find numerous passages exhorting us to live with a selfless love. We are to put others first, look out for the needs of others, be at peace with others, love deeply from the heart, do no wrong to our neighbor, be careful not to stumble a brother weak in the faith, forgive, and so forth.
     John tells us that if we shut up our hearts against a needy brother, the love of God is not in us. He also equates hatred with murder and reminds us that no murderer has eternal life (1 John 3:15-18). This is grace. It is found in the new covenant. 
     Consider faith. If we believe in Christ, that He is the Son of God, that He is alive, and is Lord, we will follow Him in obedience to His commands. If we see that He walked in love, and calls us to walk in love, we will love as He did. That is how faith works out in the lives of those who truly possess it.
     Consider the new birth. Through the new birth, we become new persons through the regenerating work of the Holy Spirit. We were once selfish and uncaring. A truly born again person has been recreated, by God, to be compassionate, to love others. If we are hard hearted, selfish individuals, we have need of the new birth.
     Consider the fact that the Spirit of Christ dwells in the believer. How can one who has Christ living in them refuse to show compassion. While on this earth, Jesus loved others to the uttermost. If He is living within us, we cannot help but love in the same way that He did.
     Look at what Jesus has to say about the Judgment.

     "But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
     "And all the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats;
     "and He will put the sheep on His right , and the goats on the left.
     "Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
     'For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
     naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
     "Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
     'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
     'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to you?
     "The king will answer and say to them 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even to the least of them, you did it to Me.'
     "Then He will also say to those on His left, 'Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
     for I was hungry, and you gave Me nothing to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink;
     I was a stranger, and you did not invite Me in; naked, and you did not clothe Me; sick, and in prison, and you did not visit Me.'
     "Then they themselves also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not take care of You?'
     "Then He will answer them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'
     "These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."
                           Matthew 25:31-46 NASB

     Once again, Jesus is not telling us to go out and try to do as many good deeds as we can, so we can go to heaven. That itself would be selfishness. Any deed done for ourselves, no matter how good it may appear to others, is still a deed only done for ourselves. Love is not self seeking, it looks out for the best interests of others, with no regard for self. 
     Jesus calls selfish sinners to be reborn into a new, Spirit led life of love. He desires to live His life through us. We are now His hands and feet upon this earth. The things that He did while on this earth, are the things that He has called us to do as His disciples. This is what normal Christianity is supposed to look like. 
     Jesus teaches us that anybody we come upon with a need, is our neighbor. It does not matter who that person is. We have an obligation to do what we can, by His grace, to help that person. To reject this, is to reject Him.
     
     
     

The Nations in an Uproar.

     Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing?
     The kings of the earth take their stand, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying,
     "Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!"
     He who sits in the heavens laughs, the Lord scoffs at them. Then He will speak to them in His anger and terrify them in His fury, saying,
      "But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain."
      "I will surely tell of the decree of the Lord: He said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. Ask of Me and I will surely give the nations as your inheritance, and the very ends of the earth as Your possession.
      'You shall break them with a rod of iron, You shall shatter them like earthenware.' "
     Now therefore, O kings, show discernment; take warning, O judges of the earth. Worship the Lord with reverence and rejoice with trembling. Do homage to the son, that He not become angry, and you perish in the way, for His wrath may soon be kindled. How blessed are all who take refuge in Him!
                                Psalm 2:1-12 NASB

     Nations and rulers have indeed cast off godly restraint in these turbulent times. We see the literal fulfillment of these verses unfolding before our eyes. Unregenerate man is indeed raging against God, and imagining a vain thing in that they set themselves up as their own god.
     It will not always be this way however. The day is soon coming when Jesus Christ will reign over this earth with an iron rod. The nations and rulers who once raged will not rage again. Those who cast off restraint now, will face the wrath of almighty God. When He comes to rule, He will rule in righteousness and justice. He will not tolerate the rebellion we now see running rampant throughout this world.
     We are given a sobering bit of wisdom in the close of this Psalm. In light of the coming kingdom of Christ, we are to use discernment. Now is the time to reverence God, to submit to Him and His rule in our lives. We are promised a blessing for those who take refuge in Christ.
     One day every knee will bow before the Lord Jesus Christ, and confess that He is indeed Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:10-11). Sadly, there will be many who will bow too late. They will regrettably confess that Jesus is Lord too late. Instead of confessing Him now in submission to Him and His ways, they will have to admit that they were wrong in this life, they were wrong in their rejection of His Lordship over their lives.
      We need to wake up and seek God for a mighty outpouring of His spirit in this day we live in. As we see wickedness waxing more and more, we need to cry out to Him for revival to shake our land once again. Our cities and countries need a Spirit of grace and supplication poured out upon them (Zech 12:10). We need Holy Ghost inspired repentance to bring us back to our place in Christ. We need revival, before it is too late.
    

    
  

Lo, I Am With You Always.

     The exiles returning from the Babylonian captivity faced much opposition when they began to rebuild the temple (Ezra 4:1-7). They finally gave up in defeat when ordered to do so by Artaxerxes the King (Ezra 4:23-24).
     We the same thing today as we try to advance the kingdom of God. We face threats from within and without. Lukewarmness and compromise fill many of our congregations. Political correctness has replaced the power of the gospel, and what that has failed to destroy, is being legislated out of existence by governments bent on eliminating true Christianity.
     The Israelites of old needed to be encouraged back into action, as we do today. Through the Prophet Haggai, God rebuked the people for their inactivity, and also encouraged them to get back on task (Ezra 5:1-2; Haggai 1:2-10, 13-14, 2:4-9). They went back to work and rebuilt the temple in obedience to God, trusting in Him to enable them to finish. Notice that God declared that He was with them (Haggai 1:13, 2:4-5). What an encouragement to know that the god of heaven was with them to help them in spite og all the opposition they faced.
     Jesus makes this same statement when He tells us to go into all the world making disciples (Matt 28:18-20). All authority has been given to Him, and all the strength we need will be supplied to us to do His will. He so graciously promises us that He will be with us to the very end of the age. No power in hell or on this earth can stop the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Jesus said that He will build His Church upon the rock, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Matthew 16:18).
     What an encouragement this should be to us as we advance His kingdom in all of its glory!
    

The Church, Training Ground or Hospital?

     Many people today have the idea that the church is a hospital for the spiritually ill. Now I understand that there are some individuals who are weak in the faith, or those who struggle in their Christian walk, and these should receive help. It is scriptural (Gal 6:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:14).
    It is also true that an unbeliever may come into the assembly, but the presence of God should be so noticeable to them that they are either truly saved, or feel uncomfortable enough in their sin, to not play church for the rest of their lives (1 Cor 14:24-25; Acts 5:11-14).
     In acts 5:11-14, great fear fell upon the people after the deaths of Annanias and Sapphira. Notice how unbelievers did not associate themselves with the church. The presence of God was there, and a casual individual did not want to go in and hang around and yet have no desire to repent and serve Christ. Yet we see that people were indeed being saved and added to the Church.
     The difference is this. The Church of Acts was going out and winning the lost, then bringing them in and making disciples. Today, we want them to come in, and we hope that in time something will click and they will get saved. Sadly, we see people spend their entire lives in church trying to overcome multitudes of sins and habits, needing to be led through all manners of issues affecting their homes and relationships, all because they are not getting saved. The church is seen as a divine hospital for the patching up of sinners, and for the most part, that is all that is happening, a lot of patches, but very few transformed lives.
     Once again, I understand the need for compassion, and the call on our lives as Christians to reach out to help the weak and needy, but we are going about it wrong for the most part.
     We are told in the book of Ephesians that the assembly of believers, the Church, is where we come to be equipped for works of service (Ephesians 4:11-12). The Church is comprised of true believers, who have been born into the kingdom of God. The epistles are written to Saints, ones who are separated unto the service of God. These are holy people, not unrepentant sinners.
      It is true that Jesus tells us that there will be tares sown along side the wheat. A tare looks like wheat, but does not bear "fruit". In the world there will be individuals who may pass as Christians, but in reality they are not. Many of them fill our churches ever week (Matt 13:24-30, 36-43). We must do what we can to make sure that any unbeliever who would be in one of our churches would come to a saving knowledge of Christ, but this is not the purpose of our gathering together as believers!
     As I said, the Church is the gathering of redeemed people, the Bride of Christ! We are to be equipped to go out and do the works of service that God has called us to. Paul tells us that we are to grow up into maturity, no longer being tossed back and forth like children, carried away by false doctrines (Ephesians 4:13-14).
     The writer of Hebrews exhorts us to press on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1). Many of us can relate to the fact that we ought to be teachers, but are in need of being taught the basics after years of Christianity (Hebrews 5:12-14). I believe that much of this comes from a hospital mentality; the church exists to fix us and patch us up. Sadly many never seem to get beyond the patching up stage.
     We are called to go into all the world and make disciples, and the Church is where the training, and praying, and encouragement, happens. This is where many of the missionaries of old received their callings (Acts 13:1-3). Men were made strong in the presence of the Holy Spirit, in the midst of the gathering of the Saints of God. We are called to encourage one another on to good deeds, as we assemble together (Hebrews 10:24-25).
     We are in a war of a spiritual nature, and need all the training and edification that we can get. We cannot remain infants, and expect to be effective in our service to Christ our King. We are to be advancing the Kingdom of God in the face of a wicked world dominated by satan, and all his devices. We must be strong, we must be filled with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. We must grow to a mature man, complete in Christ.
     If you are struggling, find true deliverance in Christ Jesus, and press on to maturity. Don't settle for a life of struggle and bondage. The Christian life is one of victory. We are more than conquerors through Christ (Romans 8:37). Go on to maturity, and do your part to fulfill the great commission (Matthew 28:18-20). Come to church and be encouraged to go out to the battle field!
    
    
    

Heavenly Minded.

     There is a saying that one can be so heavenly minded, that they are of no earthly good. It seems that if someone gets passionate about Jesus, gets serious about living for Him, they are shut down by some professed believer who is a little uncomfortable with their zeal.
     However, this is what God calls us to as followers of Christ,

     Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
     Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on the earth.
     For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
                                    Colossians 3:1-3 NASB

     As followers of Christ, our life does not consist in the abundance of the  earthly things we possess (Luke 12:15). Our life is not about all of our temporal, earthly pursuits (2 Tim 2:4). Jesus teaches us that even the necessities of life are not to become the end all of our existence here in this life (Matt 6:25-34).
     Sadly, too many professed believers spend their lives in the hustle and bustle of this world. Days are filled with jobs, daycare, after school activities, and so on. There are too few hours in a day to juggle everything that we try to pursue. In the eyes of the world, this is wonderful, as we climb the ladder to success.
     But at what cost? What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, only to lose his soul (Mark 8:36). While we chase the temporal things of this life our prayer life dwindles, our hunger for the word diminishes, and our love for the presence of Jesus Christ grows cold.
     To be earthly minded causes us to be ineffective for the kingdom of God. While we pursue temporal things, the eternal things slip away. We wonder why our unsaved loved ones never get saved, but how can we expect them to when we are too wrapped up with ourselves to make an honest effort to reach them? Jesus teaches us to lay up treasure in heaven, not on this earth (Matt 6:19-21).
     Consider the Apostle Paul. He claimed to do only one thing. That was to pursue Jesus Christ (Philippians 3:7-14). Out of that one thing however, flowed missionary trips, church planting, the writing of 2/3 of the new testament, and a multitude of other exploits that advanced the kingdom of God in a way that no other man has probably equaled in the history of the Church.
     Paul was a dead man, crucified with Christ, yet Christ lived through Him (Gal 2:20). In other words, he had no personal plans of his own. His mind was not on the temporal things of this life, he was focused on Jesus, and doing those things that Christ called him to do.
     Imagine what we could do if we had this same attitude. What if we would forget about material success, and only live for the kingdom of God. We would have to adjust our standard of living quite a bit, but in the eyes of eternity it would make a great difference. Imagine what would happen if we were empty of self and full of the Spirit? Think of the souls we could reach with the power and presence of God.
     Set your mind on the things above! This is where your life is, if you truly belong to the kingdom of God.
    
    

Are You Loved by the World?

     There are many scripture passages which we can judge our lives by to show us whether our Christianity is real or not.

     If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.
            John 15:19 NASB

     See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him.
                     1 John 3:1 NASB

     As Christians we have nothing in common with this world. We are called out to follow Christ, and the world cannot comprehend this. This world lies in the power of the evil one (1 John 5:19), and men love the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds are evil (John 3:19).
     We have been delivered from this present evil age (Galatians 1:4), rescued from the domain of darkness, and placed into the kingdom of Christ (Col 1:13).
     Therefore, what fellowship does righteousness have with lawlessness, or light with darkness, or Christ with Belial? What do we as believers in Christ have in common with unbelievers, or the temple of God, which we are, with idols (2 Cor 6:14-16).
     Get the idea? As Christians we go against the grain, we are not following the selfish pursuits of this world. Following Christ runs in opposition to the ways of this world, and the world hates us for this.
     Just as Cain killed Abel because his deeds were evil, and Abel's were not, the world will also hate those who live righteous lives in Christ Jesus (1 John 3:12-13). Everyone who does evil hates the light, and does not come to it because he does not want his evil deeds exposed (John 3:20).
     This is how it is, and is an indicator of the validity of our commitment to Christ. There is a line of separation drawn in the sand so to speak. You are either of this world and loved and accepted by it, or you belong to the kingdom of God, and bear its reproach (Hebrews 13:12-14).