Examine youself Church

“Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” 2 Cor 13:5 Paul, writing to the Corinthian church, closes his letter with what I believe a very challenging statement to “examine yourselves, to see (if) you are in the faith…” When I read this and considered what it said I was troubled in my spirit as I understood the gravity of what the apostle said. Many questions came to mind: Is Paul really challenging our salvation here? Is he saying that salvation is more than saying a prayer and believing in Jesus? What does the evidence of our commitment to faith in Jesus look like? How do I know I am saved? How can I “examine” myself? I believe Paul is talking directly to believers who have grown comfortable in their decision to follow Christ. They were convicted of their sins perhaps during a sermon at church or by the words of an evangelist at a conference. They went forward and prayed the “Sinner’s prayer.” Since then, however, their lives look the same as they did before their “decision for Christ.” Today’s church is filled with men and women who consider themselves believers but who’s lives look like the secular world. The divorce rate among Christians is just as high as the rest of society, Men in the church still struggle with pornography and infidelity. Women in the church continue to gossip under the cover of “we have to know so that we can pray for you.” Teen believers continue to struggle with sexual sin, drug and alcohol abuse, and class consciousness. Most American Christians, do not know the gospel, do not study the bible on a consistent basis and do not regularly pray. It seems as if our decision to follow Christ has not changed our lives much, weakening our effectiveness as “kings and priests” and rendering us powerless to spread the gospel. Perhaps we should all heed Paul’s advice and examine our commitment to Christ in the light of our personal conduct. John’s first letter to his disciples and followers, provides some excellent “test questions” for believers who desire to examine their faith. “If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in the darkness, we lie, and do not the truth….” (1 John 1:6) Are you walking in darkness (sin) yet claim to follow Christ who is light? What sins that you know are wrong do you regularly (perhaps deliberately) commit? True faith in Christ requires that you “hate” sin. There must therefore be repentance when you are convicted of your sins and begin to walk with the Lord. You should be transformed as you draw closer to God through prayer, daily study of His word and repentance of sin as God reveals it to you. “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.” (1 John 1:8) “There is no one righteous, not even one...” (Rom 3:10), we are all guilty of sin. If you think you are innocent you’re wrong. Confess your faults one to another and be healed. (James 5:16) “We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar and the truth is not in him.” (1 John 2: 3-4) John states it simply, if we are followers of Jesus, we must read, understand and obey what God commands. If we are deliberately disobeying God, we are walking in darkness. “Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness.” (1 John 2:9) Are you holding a grudge against a fellow brother or sister in Christ? Jesus said, “But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell.” Jesus raised the bar from physical murder to hatred in the heart. If you are gossiping or holding something against a fellow believer, you are hurting him or her and you are murdering them in the eyes of the Lord. We must love one another as Christ loved us. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.” (1 John 2:15) Is your bank account, IRA, house, car, girlfriend, television, or favorite sports team more important to you than God? Do you spend more time waxing your car a week than you do studying the bible or having fellowship with other believers? Do you put watching sports over going to church? If you answered yes to any of these, you may want to consider your salvation again. God must be the most important thing to us over even family. If we love Him, put Him first. The last days are upon us and we must be in relationship with God. Soon the end will be upon us and like the “thief in the night,” Jesus’ return will be upon us and the rapture of the church will leave us behind. Brothers and sisters when the master returns be sure that you are honoring him with your life and not doing something that you would be ashamed of.

Ground zero mosque; America's Babylonian invasion

“The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger.…This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight... And though I have taught them persistently, they have not listened to receive instruction. They set up their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do this abomination… Now therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, 'It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence': Behold, I will gather them from all the countries to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, and I will make them dwell in safety. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. I will give them one heart and one way, For thus says the LORD: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them.” (Jeremiah 32: 29-44)

Most Americans are deeply grieved and some outspokenly angry at the thought of New York City government discussing the building of a mosque at the site of the World Trade Center massacre (Ground Zero). The cowardice and complete disregard for the wishes of the majority of Americans by these elected and appointed officials is both appalling and disgusting. Building any symbol of Islam on the graves of fallen Americans is tantamount to celebrating the conquest of the “Great Satan” (America) by the god of Islam. This unconscionable action will embolden Muslims to continue their acts of terror and further reduce our level of security. In the physical realm, one would conclude in that government officials from “Ground Zero to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave” are either extremely corrupt or incredibly stupid. However, we believers must understand that God works in the supernatural and is already at work fulfilling His plans made manifest in what we see and hear with our natural eyes and ears.

In the sixth century before Christ the prophet Jeremiah was imprisoned and eventually killed for proclaiming what God had revealed to him regarding the people of Israel. God’s message to Jeremiah was simple: unless both king and people reformed their morals and returned to the true worship of God as taught by Moses, Jerusalem would be destroyed and its people killed or exiled at the hands of King Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians who were already laying siege to Jerusalem. God was using an enemy to bring his people back to Him. Fast forward twenty six centuries and the parallels between the Babylonian invasion of Israel and the Muslim invasion of America are striking. Could our present troubles be God’s judgment is at work again in the Big Apple? (Hmmm, forbidden fruit… how interesting) We will not know for sure what God is up to in our present natural state until we have the vantage point of our hindsight, however, we can now open our bibles and see how we should conduct ourselves in accordance with God’s will by looking at the book of the prophet Daniel.

Following the siege of Jerusalem in 597 BC many of the conquered Jewish people were exiled to Babylon to serve as slaves to the conquering kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar. Daniel, thought to be a young boy of twelve years, was taken captive brought to serve in the king’s palace. (Daniel 1:3-4) Daniel was of “nobility” and “without physical defect.” He and his fellow captives were taken into Nebuchadnezzar’s service because of their “aptitude for learning.”

As is common when one nation conquers another, the Babylonians immediately began to indoctrinate the best minds of Jewish society into their culture. “The king assigned them a daily amount of food and wine from the king's table. They were to be trained for three years, and after that they were to enter the king's service.” (Daniel 1:5) However, Daniel “resolved that he would not defile himself with the king’s food, or with the wine that he drank.” (Daniel 1:8) Daniel knew that in this difficult situation his faith in the God of Abraham, Isaac and Joseph would sustain him. He refused to relinquish the Truth for a pagan religion. Daniel’s example is a lesson that God has provided as many will face similar circumstances under the rule of an atheistic socialist government likely influenced by pockets of Sharia law that will certainly infiltrate our statutes.

Christians must understand what Daniel faced and how he stood firm in his faith and the Truth of God’s word despite the specter of death that he faced daily. Whether escape from lions, or a smelting furnace, Daniel and his friends faced constant persecution and ridicule at the hands of pagan captors but did not forsake their God. This brothers and sisters must be our model of faith in the months and years to come as our “promised land” is systematically destroyed at the hand of our enemies. Perhaps God will help us turn things around in time to save her, but unless believers repent and seek His face, our chances to this observer seem dim. We all must choose to stand with God and the certainty of our salvation through Christ or be “numbered with the transgressors,” at the end of days.

Jesus said to his disciples, “you will be handed over to the courts and will be flogged with whips in the synagogues, and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake…and you will be hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.” (Matthew 10: 17-22) Friends, this does not sound like a picnic! Jesus has warned us all in advance. The time of easy religious acceptance and Christianity without real sacrifice is quickly coming to an end in this country. We must begin to exercise our “spiritual muscles” through daily prayer and bible study, corporate worship and fellowship with Holy Spirit-filled believers. We need God and we need each other to help us remain strong.
Jesus reassured them saying, “When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. For it is not you who speak, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.” (Matthew 10: 19-20) God through the Holy Spirit will help us, if we remain strong and trust.

The best way to trust when times are tough is to trust when times are less challenging. Today will be the least challenging day you will face at least in the near future. Each day for a while will be more difficult to develop a trust in the Holy Spirit as the times will grow increasingly difficult. Please start now!

Who is your shepherd?

"I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me...." John 10:14



I am convinced after 51 years of living that the Bible's multiple references to sheep, shepherds and flocks is not just a wonderful metaphor that brings truth to the widest possible audience; it serves to simplify our often confused and complex human nature. Like a sheep we by our nature are followers. Each of us tends to gravitate toward others with like interests, and in many cases we find ourselves blindly following the crowd at the risk of injury, ruined relationships or even death.

In John's gospel, Jesus refers to himself as the "good shepherd." By Jesus differentiating himself in this manner, he is warning us there may be other "not so good" shepherds along our journey. As believers, it is our responsibility to learn the masters voice. We must know what the Bible says so that we know when the "good shepherd" leads. Jesus said, "Behold, I send you forth as sheep in the middle of wolves: be you therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves." Matthew 10:16 He warned then that in our lifetime we would be tested and tried by those who looked like shepherds but whose motivation is to harm the flock.
If we love Him we will know Him and not be deceived by "other shepherds" when they call.

My prayer. Forgive us Lord, for those times when we strayed from the pasture and into harm. Thank you for being the "good shepherd" who cares for and loves his sheep. Thank you Lord for leading us beside still waters and for anointing our heads with oil. And, though we must dine at a table you have prepared in the midst of those who desire to destroy us, you always provide comfort, guidance and protection for your flock. I give you praise and glory in all things and humbly thank you for leading me even when I failed to follow, in Jesus name I pray. Amen!

Wisdom of God

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate.” Is 29:14

I find myself increasingly frustrated at level of the intellectual blather emanating from the so called academic elite. How can those who claim to be “experts” by virtue of their academic pedigree spew such nonsense? The predictable fare of scientific and philosophical minutiae, most often derived from concocted data and spurious mental gymnastics serves primarily to confound and lull to sleep the uninformed masses who are more interested in “American Idol” or the “WWF” than the moral and ethical decay threatening the destruction of our free society. Be it the ravings of evolutionists or the creative science of global warming, “politico-science-speak” (I made that up) has become a tool of distraction designed to diabolically transform an apathetic and poorly educated populous into mindless drones unable to take a breath without getting permission from Big Brother.

What has facilitated this societal shift from self-governance to big government? Why is the average citizen misinformed and generally apathetic about the world around him? Why has the progressive movement made such giant strides toward stripping away our basic freedom? I believe the answer lies not in a debate between “science” and religion, Jungian Psychology and the truths of the bible rather, I believe it resides in mankind’s obsession with self.

For years now, the progressives and liberal activists have manipulated societal mores and ethical benchmarks in a methodical manner partly because the average citizen has been distracted with himself (herself) and his (her) own physical pleasure more than what is morally correct. One need only look at the state of the family, marriage and the crime rate to see that our society has been engaged with selfish carnal satisfaction at the expense of many institutions we used to hold dear. For example, during the period 1960-2005, according to a Pew Research study, illegitimate births increased sevenfold from 5.3 percent to 36.8 percent. Among blacks two out of every three births are illegitimate. Divorce even among born again Christians achieved parity with the rest of society over the last forty years. And, as of June 30, 2008 2,310,984 prisoners were being housed in federal and state prisons or local jails.

The statistics tell a story that one can literally feel in the environment. The presence of the darkness that pervades our society lies heavy in almost every aspect of our daily lives. People are buying guns at record rates, and there is a general uneasiness about the economy and looming hyperinflation as the government continues increase debt at a “never-before-seen” pace. All the while the wheels of scientific and political misdirection continue to provide the curtain of deception behind which the “wizard” continues to operate the levers.

In the last days

The bible speaks clearly about the days in which we are living. The apostle James writes, “Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and eat your flesh like fire. You have hoarded wealth in the last days.” God, speaking through the prophet Isaiah, continues, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate;”( Is 29:14) and Peter warns, “…in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. I am sure many of you are scoffing now. The bible tells us that the “things of God” (His wisdom) confound the “natural man” (that is a man not filled with the Holy Spirit). How are we then to understand the wisdom of God?

In Acts Chapter 2 and verse 7, Luke writes, “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Since the day of Pentecost when Jesus ascended to heaven and the promised Holy Spirit filled thousands of gathered believers like “the sound of rushing wind,” the gift that can unlock the wisdom of God has been available to Christians. Yet, it is the indwelling of the Holy Spirit (a foreign concept to the average Christian) that unlocks the treasure found only in God’s word and enables us to understand it.

Many of the “last days” prophesies from the bible and some pulpits will fall on deaf ears and hardened hearts because most Christians have not received this important gift. Until one is “born of the spirit” through a born-again profession of faith, baptism of the Holy Spirit and an on-going relationship of prayer and study of God’s word, God’s wisdom cannot be understood. This certainly explains why so many who profess to be Christians are confused about their faith and, without realizing it, contributed to the secular notion the “America is no longer a Christian nation,” or some such “politico-science-speak” nonsense.

Get over yourself

Distracted by our concern over self, we (Christians included) have allowed our world to reach this historic low point with only further decline on our horizon. Although we do have an answer to our predicament as I explained earlier, I don’t believe we are ready to collectively embrace it. We have not reached our proverbial rock bottom. Until we have been sufficiently broken to repent and love God more than ourselves, we will not embrace our Father and His Son and rise from the ashes.

God is jealous. He wants us all to himself. He wants us to give our lives in service to Him alone. Jesus said that we are to love the Father with “our entire heart, mind, and soul and with all our strength.” God will not share us with money, houses, clothes, MTV or false religious doctrine. He wants all of our love and all of our service demonstrated in every aspect of our lives. He wants us to live our lives in such a way that our outward behavior and internal attitude will bring glory to his name.

Friends, we are not there yet and I believe we will continue to slide into further turmoil, until (if ever) we decide to come back to the Father in humble repentance. When we are ready to fully embrace God and die to our own selfishness, then we will begin to understand God’s wisdom. God is an infinite being who works through the individual sprits of his people in the physical realm. The power of the Holy Spirit flowing through each of us and connecting ourselves to God and each other is the essence of Christianity and the answer to the restoration of the world as God intended.

My prayer. Father forgive us please for not realizing just how much you love us. Forgive us for putting other things before you and for ignoring the gifts that you offer your children. Bring us to our knees Lord and humble us at the foot of the coss. Increase our wisdom through the transforming power of your word and the Holy Spirit. Give us a Daniel spirit and determination to do what is right no matter the consequences. We need you now more than ever Father, please hear your children as we approach you in earnest prayer and humble repentence. In Jesus name I pray, Amen!

Witnessing

"Be merciful to those in doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear-hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh." Jude 22-23

In these last days, being a witness for Christ is more important than it has ever been. The urgency in my spirit as the end draws near is overwhelming. I feel sick to my stomach knowing that the time of our Lord is so close and yet there are so many who still do not know the Lord. Family members and friends who have not received the Lord as Saviour are on my mind constantly.

The noise of confusion and false doctrine seem to be on the rise. The way therefore that we witness must be examinied and customized in every circumstance. Jude speaks of witnessing to some with compassion and kindness. To others he calls for urgency as if rescuing them from a burning building. Still others who are confused and lost in the world system must be shown mercy ernsestly praying for them to see the light of God's love through our lives. Finally others may require us to get into their world and witness to them where they are, being cautious to show them love and kindness being careful not to condone their worldly behavior.

We must constantly call on God in prayer to help us understand how to witness to each non-believer we encounter. It is not a cookie cutter approach rather it is a human to human approach in which we demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to them with our actions more than our words. Time is drawing near and practice time is over, we are in the fourth quarter and we must begin our full court press to bring in the harvest before the King calls us home.

My prayer. Father there are so many lost souls who need to know the gospel . You have given us the responsibility and the opportunity to share it through our lives and our conversations. Give us discerning spirits Father and show us how to customize our approach in sharing the gospel with everyone in our sphere of influence. Help us to be ambassadors of your Kingdom in everything we do. I pray in the name above all names, Jesus Christ. Amen!

He is our shepherd

"Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture." Psalm 100:3

In these difficult days when it seems that everything we have trusted in seems to be collapsing around us. Consider this verse of scripture and give thanks that our Father, our Creator is watching over us. He made us and he will not let us be alone. He will watch over us and guide us because we are his sheep and he loves us.

God asks two things from his sheep. He wants us to love him with all our hearts, minds, spirit and with all our strength. He also wants us to love one another, as we love ourselves. If we do that we glorify Him and we will draw others to a life of faith in God through Jesus Christ.

Today when you are tempted to get frustrated with those who oppose your political view or something you hear on the news, consider that God created that person and he allowed a particular event so that his sheep would love that person when it they seem impossible to love. Or we would give thanks to God in the midst of a tragedy. Jesus turned the world upside down by the way in which he obeyed the Father and did amazing things that opposed the rational thinking of the people around him.

God wants us to be world changers not world followers. But to do that we must have the confidence and faith that he created us and is with us in everything we do. But he wants us to follow his lead no matter how strange it looks. Lets try it today. Lets do the right thing when everyone around us says its the wrong thing and as we give God the glory through our obedience, we will see the miracles begin to happen around us!

My prayer. Father, you created us for greatness. Help us Lord to turn the world upside down and bring your Kingdom down to this dark and dying world. Empower and strengthen us when we oppose conventional thinking and do what you ask us to do. We await your miracles Father! I pray in earnest through your son and my savior Jesus Christ! Amen

If you are saved tell somebody

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say this-" Psalm 107:1-2



We, who have been redeemed through the blood of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit have a story to tell. Its good news and we should proclaim it especially to our friends and family. If we do, praise God for our faithfulness, if not, then why?

Paul writes, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” Romans 1:16 Alistair Begg, in his “Truth for Life” podcast asks, if the gospel is “good news,” “Why would any one be ashamed of good news?” Why someone, who understands what Paul would is saying in this scripture, hesitate to tell others about “the power of God that brings salvation?”

In his first letter to the Corinthians, Paul reveals a significant dilemma that exists between the believer and the non-believer regarding the message of salvation through Christ. He writes, “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” As the non-believer slips farther away from the “message of the cross,” it becomes more difficult for him or her to understand the message. Conversely, as one grows closer to God and faith is increased the word says that the message is “the power of God.”

If this is true, perhaps failure to share the gospel may, in large part, be due to a lack of faith. If one doubts the power of God to transform lives through salvation he or she may be reticent to share the gospel. Secondly, if an unsaved person tends to receive the word as “foolishness,” another temptation and a growing trend these days may be to “water down” the message in order to make it more palatable. Unfortunately, doubting the message and changing the message are not what God wants and our meddling in his plan, nullify the power of His word.

If we truly believe God’s word we must be faithful to it as it stands. It will not have the same power as God intended if we change it. We must believe it has the power that God says it has and not be afraid to tell it to everyone no matter how they receive it. Paul sums up what God requires of his followers: “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith." The beginning and end of our relationship with God is only through our faith. We cannot add to or subtract anything from the reality that it is by our faith in Jesus Christ and Him crucified that we are seen as righteous in the eyes of God. No effort, no works no good deeds, nothing can make us righteous. Until we have faith in God's word, we will be unable (perhaps even ashamed) to tell others of the “good news” of our Lord.

My prayer. Father, forgive us for our minuscule faith and our embarrassment for sharing our faith with others. We have sinned against you every time we have lacked the courage to tell others about you. We have disappointed you whenever we tried to dilute the power of your message to make it more acceptable to the world. Help us Lord to expand our faith and be bold in our proclamation of the good news of salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ. In His mighty name I pray, Amen!