A true memorial

Philippians 3

King James Version (KJV)

3 Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord. To write the same things to you, to me indeed is not grievous, but for you it is safe.

2 Beware of dogs, beware of evil workers, beware of the concision.
3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
4 Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
5 Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews; as touching the law, a Pharisee;
6 Concerning zeal, persecuting the church; touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
7 But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ.
8 Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
10 That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
11 If by any means I might attain unto the resurrection of the dead.
12 Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus.
13 Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,
14 I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
15 Let us therefore, as many as be perfect, be thus minded: and if in any thing ye be otherwise minded, God shall reveal even this unto you.
16 Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let us walk by the same rule, let us mind the same thing.
17 Brethren, be followers together of me, and mark them which walk so as ye have us for an ensample.
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 mind earthly things.)
20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:
21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

I realize that this is a strange scripture to use for a memorial day post, but there's a reason for that. 

I see many posts on Facebook that say, "if you enjoy your freedom, thank a veteran." In principle, I find myself somewhat in agreement with these postings. It is true that we enjoy our freedoms in this country due to the sacrifices of those who were willing to fight and die to gain and keep our God-given rights.

However, freedom won does not equate to freedom lived well. Do we use our freedoms wisely? Do we make godly choices that glorify God, aid our families, and help our fellow man? Or, do we use our freedoms to sew to the flesh and it's every ungodly desire?

Has our national freedom been used to make us better? or worse?

Many veterans shake their heads when they see the way our freedoms have been abused and misused to make society worse, not better. Many will tell you that what our nation has become is NOT what they fought to preserve, but rather it has become something they no longer recognize. Something far less than our founding fathers aspired to.

The best way to honor our veterans (living and dead) is to return to and lift up the ideals of our founders. We should stand firmly on the Constitution and stand against those that would destroy and change it.

Some 2000 years ago, Paul reminds us in the above passage that- due to the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ- we have a high calling to attain to. We are not to allow God's grace to become a do as you want, it's covered thing. We are, in light of the battle fought and won on Calvary, to live our lives in such a way as to glorify and honor the one who died to give us the chance for salvation.

Pithy, religious sounding slogans, don't cut it. Going through the motions of religion doesn't cut it. We are to live our lives in the light of the one who called us into his marvelous light. We should honor him daily in everything we do and say. We should strive to let him live through us to touch a lost and dying world- who have no hope except through him.

He didn't call us to build grand cathedrals. He called us to be his hands and feet. He called us to build into the lives of the hurting, the broken, the poor, the widow, the orphan, the unwanted of society. He called us to shine his light of truth into the dark places of humanity- even when those places are occupied by the rich and powerful- in order that they might see themselves as HE sees them and repent before it is too late.

Yes, we must be biblically born again (Acts 2:38), but real Christianity is so much more than that. Paul said that in spite of his well educated and high standing social status of his past, he counted it all as DUNG that he might attain Christ!

We need to stop holding onto yesterdays anointing, yesterdays blessings, and yesterdays revivals. God has promised us revival in these last days, but we won't be a part of it unless we live our lives immersed in him. We must immerse ourselves in his word and spirit and allow him to change us. We must let his holy fire burn away the chaff that we've allowed into our souls so that the world can see him in all we do.

So, on this memorial day, lets rededicate our lives to the cause of the one who truly should be lifted up- Jesus Christ. Let us seek first his righteousness and watch him work. He's not interested in our abilities and education. He's interested in our availability and submission to him as Lord (supreme controller). This truly is the best memorial we can give him.

In closing, let's pray:

Lord Jesus, we repent of our shortsightedness. We repent of being caught up in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. We repent of getting caught up in the "me generation." We ask that you move deep inside us and cleanse us of all unrighteousness. We ask that you strengthen us to walk in your word and ways- whatever the cost. We ask that you help us to be your hands, feet, heart, and mouths in this backward and broken generation. Lead us to such as would be saved, and save them. Let us look past the pride and see the pain. Give us the wisdom to know when to speak and what to do. Use us to spread you word and your love to this lost and dying world. In Jesus name! 

Fruits of the spirit, part 2: Are we experiencing and sharing the love of God?

Galatians 5:22-25

King James Version (KJV)

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

John 13:35

By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Mark 12:29-31

King James Version (KJV)

29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:
30 And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
31 And the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these.

The Greek word for love in all of these verses is the word "Agape." It means, "affection, good will, love, benevolence." 

So, one of the fruits of the spirit is for us to experience and show affection towards others. That means we genuinely care about others. When we see that they are struggling, we should be moved to prayer for them. And more than that, we should be moved to act. 

James 2:15-17

King James Version (KJV)

15 If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food,
16 And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit?
17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

In this fast paced world, we spend most of our waking hours trying to "make a living." For many people, going to church has become a formality. It's another checked block on our list of things we have to get done. 

Yet, Jesus doesn't call us to GO to church. He calls us to BE the church. That means he requires us to DO what he would do. It is very instructive to us that the first squabble in the church was not over doctrine (Acts 6). It was over the distribution of resources in caring for the widows and orphans. 

Nowadays, the first thing we (the church) tend to do whenever someone comes to us in need, is to tell them "we will pray for you. Have you applied for Government help?" Here's a hint, church: It's NOT the Government's job to help the needy. According to God's word, it's OUR (the churches) job.

Part of the meaning of Agape is BENEVOLENCE. It means, "a disposition to DO good, an ACT of kindness, a generous GIFT." There's nothing in that definition about good intentions or warm thoughts. We are to ACT on and DO what needs to be done for the good of the needy and the glory of Jesus. 

How many times did Jesus either start or end a teaching by meeting the needs of his hearers? If we are his body, shouldn't we be about his business? Which is the more biblical act for us to perform: helping those in need (whether born again or not, and regardless of how they got into the situation in the first place), or building bigger and grander church buildings? Did Jesus die to build the church? Or the church building? 

It has become a source of pride for "God's people" to brag about going to the nicest church building, or the church with the biggest name pastor, or the largest congregation. What get's lost in the shuffle is how many people in need are turned away by that "church" because they choose to spend their money on the building, or the pastor's exorbitant salary, rather than on PEOPLE. 

If we are his body, it's high time we start acting like it. We should care for both where their souls are heading (heaven or hell) AND their physical and emotional needs. It's time we stop patting ourselves on the back for our own perceived righteousness and start BEING righteous by showing the love of God to each other and to the lost. Real Christianity is about relationships- both with God and with others. 

That requires more than a prayer. It requires more than giving a Bible study. It requires getting involved in their lives and helping them in their needs. It means we have to do more than say we are his church. We must BE his church. And men, it requires us to love our wives and families as Jesus loved us- and he DIED for us that we might be saved. (See my earlier post http://theauthorspage.blogspot.com/2014/03/love-is-action-word.html) 

If we truly love God, then we will love others as he does. He saw our need and acted. The love that we felt when we were born again should transform us. We should become LESS self centered and more God and others centered. Miracles happen when we take the love of God outside the church walls and into a needy world. 

Lord, give us your mind and eyes. Help us to BE your church by helping others. We repent for our selfishness and false prosperity doctrines. We ask you to open up our bowels of compassion and help us to love others as you do- in helping them in their needs. In Jesus name! 

It's time to pass the salt.

Matthew 5:13-14

King James Version (KJV)

13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

Some of today's headlines:

'A VERY BAD SCENE'
20 wounded in stabbings
at Pennsylvania school

WHERE IS RELISHA?
DC mayor orders review
in case of missing girl

• Jury convicts woman in Texas stiletto shoe killing 
• Lawyer: Nursing home striptease was residents' idea
• Is the Internet killing religion?
• UMass player comes out as gay
• Firefighters, cops in all-out brawl

That's just to name a few. How about this one:

"backtrack-on-prosecuting-clergyman-green-light-for-homosexual-weddings"

All I can say, is wow. We truly live in a world gone crazy. Paul said:

 2 Timothy 3:13

But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

I'd say we are living in that day and hour. Yes, it was prophesied to happen, but the real question is WHY is it happening? 

The answer to that is found in our opening scripture above. We, his church, have ceased to be the salt of the earth. 

What did Jesus mean by calling us salt? What does salt do anyway?

A) Salt preserves things and helps to prolong it's life- keeping it from becoming spoiled (and causing the eater to become sickly). 

Jesus said that HE is the way, the truth, and the life. So, we, as his salt, are to keep HIM in the forefront. We are to stand for HIS ways, so we can help to slow (or even stop- in some cases) the progression of the spiritual sickness called- dare I say it- SIN. 

But, you say, what can I do? I'm a nobody. No one will listen. I don't walk in the hallways of power. 

First of all, yes you do. If you have a real relationship with Jesus, you stand in heavenly places! You walk in the very throne room of God Almighty! You can touch God for the situation and he will listen and move.

Secondly, you don't have to walk in the halls of congress, or corporate boardrooms, to have an impact. When you are at work, do you laugh at the risque and ungodly jokes you hear? Or, do you take a stand against them? Do you keep quiet in conversations that are lifting up ungodliness? Or do you stand for godly principles? 

Will you catch flack for it? Yes. Could you lose your job? Yes. But, your savior will be pleased. And you just might make an impact on those around you for Christ. 

If we, as his church, had stood up for righteousness, would our society be as far gone as it is? The truth is that we haven't done our job to be his salt. Therefore, the righteousness of God that we represent has greatly diminished in our society.

B) Salt adds flavor to the food it's added to. 

Let's face it. Some things in the word of God are hard to swallow. But, presented along with the love of God, they become much easier for people to accept. 

If we try to communicate the truth of the word of God- and we leave out the love of God- then we leave out the salt, making it near impossible for them to accept what they're being shown. 

C) Salt can be added to a wound and kill an infection and help heal a wound.

When people come to the church, they don't come in perfect. They come in with hurts. They come in with sin. They come in with spiritual and emotional wounds. You may not be gifted to sing, or teach, but you can share your testimony of how God delivered you. You can reach into their situation and show the love of God to them.

Through the spirit of God and his word, we can help to heal those wounds. This is called revival. Revival isn't a shout and a good feeling. True revival is when souls are transformed from unholy to holy. From ungodly to godly. From sinful to righteous. Only by us being his salt, can this happen.

We are his hands and feet. We are his mouthpieces to a lost and dying world. We have the power to show his love and speak his truth. We have the authority to stand in the gap for them and see God change them.

Isn't it about time we were about our father's business? Isn't it time for us to pass the salt to someone who desperately need it? 

 

If Jesus is Lord, ......?

Luke 6:45-46

King James Version (KJV)

45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say.

John 10:26-28

King James Version (KJV)

26 But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you.
27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
28 And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.

Matthew 5

King James Version (KJV)

5 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him:

2 And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying,
3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.
5 Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.
6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.
10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
13 Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

This truly is a book review. I realize that this is a different way to start a book review. However, this is no ordinary book. 

I became a fan of Davis Bunn through his Marc Royce trilogy (Lion of Babylon, Rare Earth, and Straight of Hormuz). These books were adventure stories- fast paced with intricate plots. Yet, the main characters were struggling with real issues just like we do. So, I was unsure what to expect in "The turning."

I knew the writing would be good. But what could a story with that title be trying to convey? 

"The turning" is a beautifully crafted story that shows what can happen when Jesus' sheep hear his voice and truly respond to his call. Five people from different back grounds experience the Lord's call to step away from their own plans and follow his leading- even though it appeared to make little sense to them. The first step was to do something difficult that each of them had avoided doing for a long time- make peace and try to repair broken relationships.

From there, bonds are formed and new trails are blazed that shake the nation and stand in the way of corporate greed. Five ordinary people against the world's system and message. All because they had the faith and strength to hear and obey the call of the Lord.

This book should sound a clarion call to a world gone crazy. But, more than that, it should speak to believers. How different would the world be if we, as followers of Jesus, would spend our time listening to Jesus? How much better would our society be if we would spend our days obeying his voice, rather than chasing after selfish gain.

Our nation has turned it's back on God and his ways because we, his people, have ceased being the salt of the earth. Yet, we have the gall to complain when the world steps on us and tries to destroy us. We are in a culture war and it's high time we got out of our comfort zones and became engaged.

It's not an easy path. It's definitely a very narrow way. But, if God can use 120 ordinary and uneducated people (beginning on the day of Pentecost when the church was born) to turn the world upside down, how much more can he change our modern world?

If the thousands and millions in the earth today that claim the name of Jesus would allow him to be Lord (supreme controller) of our lives, a revival like the world has never seen is possible. Jesus gave his all for us, can we not give our all to him in return?

We are his hands and feet. We are the light of the world. Like it or not, our lives are glass houses. When we claim Jesus as our Savior people start watching us. We need to pray the words of John the baptist, "I must decrease and he must increase." Let's allow Jesus to be Lord of our lives so that others can see him in us.

Thank you Davis Bunn for sending us a wake up call. I pray that God will use this book to stir his people and help to spark a major revival. May the church arise in the power of truth and mercy and change. Remember:

2 Chronicles 7:14"If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

In Jesus name!

Love is an action word.

1 Corinthians 13

King James Version (KJV)

13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.

4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,

5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;

6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;

7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

The word, charity, here- that most of us understand as "love", actually means: affection, good will, love, benevolence, brotherly love, a love feast.

We live in a society that has flip-flopped things around to make them mean something they do not. They have changed the word "Gay" from meaning "happy", to mean, "homosexual." As if changing that definition somehow makes that ungodly life style somehow godly and acceptable. Now, they call "hate" disagreeing with their sin and "love" agreeing with their sin.

Many of them will point to this very chapter when we disagree with their lifestyles and say, "Aren't you supposed to love me if you're a Christian? Why you hatin on me then?"

What they ignore is first of all, true love "rejoiceth NOT in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth." If I love you, I cannot lie to you and say your sin is ok. I am constrained by my "brotherly love" for you, to warn you against your sin and the eternal consequences that it can bring you.

However, I want to bring this to a more personal level. When we truly love our friends, and especially, our spouses and children, we are constrained to act on their behalf- regardless of whether or not we "feel like" doing it. 

To bring the point home a little more, scripture says: "God so loved the world that he gave..." God loved us so much, than when he looked and saw our sin and our need of salvation, he acted! HE became a son, put on human flesh for us, suffered at our hand, and died for us- all so that he could "reconcile the world unto himself."

Did his flesh want to do this? No. A quick look at the prayers in the garden of Gethsemane will show you that the flesh didn't want to suffer. But, he did it anyway. Why? LOVE! He knew it had to be done and he knew he was the only one who could do it. So, he took a deep breath, gritted his teeth, and endured the suffering of the cross. All because he loved us.

There are times, in our walk with Christ, that he allows us things that please us. But, our whole life is not to be about our own pleasure. Love "seeketh not her own." Life is not about "me." Life is about serving others. If we husbands truly love our spouses, we won't mind serving them. We are the heads of our homes, but Jesus said "He that will be greatest among you will be the least." 
Another verse says that we are to "esteem others as better than ourselves."

In other words, serving our spouses is what qualifies us to be the heads of our homes. If we sit around and expect our wives and families to serve us, then we are esteeming ourselves as better and higher than them. Why do we fuss and grumble about taking out the trash, cleaning up after ourselves, and cleaning the car? Our flesh may not enjoy those activities, but if we love our families, we will do things that please and show them they are loved by us. 

We gripe and complain when our families don't respect us as the head of our homes. But, if we will do for them, then they won't mind doing for us. When we love our families, we don't look at doing what they like (and we don't like doing) as a chore. Rather, we think about the smile on their faces and the joy they will feel when we are willing to do what pleases them. 

We don't spend time with them in front of a TV or computer. They need face to face time. We don't dominate the conversation with only what interests us, we listen to what interests them, even when we aren't interested. 

Scripture commands us to love our wives EVEN AS CHRIST LOVE THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF FOR IT. We must learn to die to our own wants in favor of our wives and children's needs. If I love my family, I am willing to work as hard as is necessary to take care of their needs. 

I'm thankful that the Lord has let me see my own lack of love towards my family. If this has helped you see yours, why don't you join me in turning over a new leaf. Let our actions, and not just our words, speak love to our families. No more being lazy around the house. No more hour upon hour of fleshly entertainment- at their expense. No more grumbling about chores. Let's just smile, love them, and do what is needed to prove it.