Gianna Jessen from LMF CAM on Vimeo.
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Gianna Jessen: Abortion Survivor
This is one of the more powerful speeches I've heard. Don't be intimidated by the 16 min length--it goes very quickly. Have you ever spoken with an abortion survivor? You can hear from one below:
Monday, September 27, 2010
The Pursuit of Happiness – Science, Logic, and Love
This goes out to all the men and women of science and logic, especially those who hold these in such high esteem as to make them the center of their lives and define their principal purpose through scientific and logical thought.
Let me first say that I am an engineer, and anyone who knows me with any degree of depth knows that I am a man of science and love to study all the things we have learned and continue to learn through such an intellectually stimulating field of study. Science attempts to describe our current world and understand our natural past, and it can even be utilized to try to understand our interaction with one another. It is logical when pure and is established by observation and physical proof. It speaks not to morals or human motivation, but rather, can evaluate the results of behaviors. But when it comes to caring for others, where do science, logic, and reason weigh in?
If the scientific viewpoint attempts to speak about whether or not we should care for others and if so, then whom we care for and whom we do not, it is through reason and the study of people groups, as well as individuals. First, in order to form a conclusion on whether or not we should engage in a behavior, we must first agree upon what is good, or what is a desirable outcome. Leaving the idea of a god out of it, what is good and desirable for a human? To preserve one’s own life, certainly. To gain the most pleasure, which may mean preserving other life so long as it is a means to achieving that pleasure, and to be personally content and happy. Personal contentment and happiness then need to be defined. To some it is fame or riches, to others it is a lasting impact on the world, and still to others who believe in God, it is the promise of something great outside of this human life. In any case, it is a personal sense of fulfillment through a life lived in a particular way.
So where does that leave the following noble causes: caring for widows, orphans, and the poor; for the oppressed, enslaved, and those under injustice? (1, 2, 3) Why would we seek to help these people? Surely not because our scientific investigation tells us to, and surely not out of personal gain. Or perhaps those who desire fame as a life goal and fulfillment want to be known for helping the less fortunate. In that case, quite honestly, the less fortunate have become merely a stepping stone to a personal sense of fulfillment. In fact, taking that to the logical next step, if you were the most capable of men with that desire, then you would seek to find the most stepping stones for the most glory, and in the extreme case in which those most capable men would be driven, they might create such oppression so that they could play the part of rescuer. To understand this example, you must realize that we have thrown God out of the conversation and acknowledged the pursuit of personal happiness and fulfillment as the ultimate goal in life. There are many less noble goals than helping the helpless, but if the goal behind even this noble cause is self-satisfaction, then it is merely another selfish outlet—though it looks different and noble externally, it is a pursuit just as self-centered and potentially treacherous as that of the man who cheats, steals, and murders the innocent to gain possessions which fulfill his life’s desires.
Even so, in our world, even the most prolific rescuers of the oppressed, regardless of their motivation, are not exalted most highly among men. Those with the greatest followings and fame include athletes, rich business men, entertainment icons, politicians and public figureheads. If fame, recognition, and self-realized impact among men is your goal, then these are your most noble and desirable career paths.
Now, whatever you personally choose to pursue, you surely think it is best in some way or another or you would not pursue it. So if it is best, then the next man should pursue it to his fullest, as well. And if we all followed suit, pursuing what is logical and gives us the greatest pleasure that is summed up by wealth, fame, recognition, or impact seen by the masses or even esteem in the eyes of one other human, then perhaps no one would care for the oppressed and at most would only be caring for them in order to serve their own personal gain. Certainly no one would love them, even if they helped them. Why should they be loved anyway? Loving them is not logical or beneficial to you in of itself, without reaping these benefits of recognition or other desires; and as a man or woman of pure logic and pursuit of personal fulfillment, even when helping others, love is irrelevant, for it was not your goal. Yet, you yourself seek to be loved.
Maybe that drive to be loved would make you then care for the oppressed, so that they will love you in return. That’s logical in a “quid pro quo” kind of way. But if your pursuit is love, then it is not scientific or logical at its foundation. What is love? Why should you be loved? It is not always profitable for our wellbeing, for sacrifices will be necessary when actions are rooted in love. Love profits love and it profits others, but not necessarily the circumstances of the individual acting in or receiving love. For instance, if you love your child, you often make hard choices and sacrifices for their well-being. By the same token, if you love them and desire them to learn to be their best, you will have to guide them away from certain things; and that guidance will feel painful to them in the present, though you know it will benefit them in the future. In both circumstances, love profited all, but happiness as previously defined was traded for love. The pursuit of happiness in itself turns out to be quite futile and terribly elusive without love.
Perhaps you say, “Well, I have not uncovered the mystery of the need to be loved and to love—it is just the nature of humans—but since I know it as fact, logically, I will pursue it to the fullest, regardless of why the desire is there. Therefore, doing something such as caring for the oppressed, such that greater love is felt by me through it, serves my life goal of the maximum pleasure of love and in a very logical way.” Very true. And you are so close to the nature of love, yet unfortunately still misguided! Your statement would be true. Yet, the statement, though logical, has defeated the previous logical pursuits of what we consider good, trading them all for love. And love itself is not scientifically quantifiable or logical. So to move forward we must acknowledge that the scientific pursuit of understanding of our world as our purpose with logic as our guide falls short. The element of love must enter in, or if you reject that, then we are back to where we left off with each man pursuing what he considers good, which is personal gain and helping others when it serves our personal desires.
So who will care for the oppressed without abandoning the scientific and logical slightly, without the element of love? Why should it matter anyway, concerning the less fortunate? “Survival of the fittest…they are in that position for a reason.” Do you truly believe that concerning these fellow humans? Certainly saving the oppressed does not fit into what we could consider beneficial for society in all logic and scientific knowledge: Saving the weak who would otherwise die serves to increase the world population. Is the principle of “more people on earth is better” sound? In a world of ever-rapidly depleting natural resources, logic would dictate a population reduction, or at least a plateau: more for us and self-preservation. How about the prospect of giving away my wealth, position, and power for another? That is not logical if personal fulfillment is my pursuit, unless doing so personally fulfills me. At that point, we have circled back to the previous conversation that concludes with love. How about preserving the weakest in society? Doesn’t that serve to weaken society as a whole? It certainly does immediately, but perhaps you can reason out that those saved would be brought up and strengthened such that society ultimately benefits from them. What an optimist you must be to think in such a way—and you are right. So we have given up some of ourselves for the betterment of another and society as a whole. How noble! But is that logical? Not if personal fulfillment is our life’s pursuit, unless benefiting others more than ourselves does indeed fulfill us. Ah ha, that is the definition of love!(4) So love has become the center, once again, for anything good that we might do outside of pure personal gain.(5, 6)
The point of all this banter is that if we seek to serve science and logic alone, we will engage in a number of terrible behaviors, and only by love can we do anything truly good.(5, 6) In the other case, absent of love, where does the cycle stop? First we reject the oppressed or use them only as a stepping stone to personal satisfaction, next we apply this attitude and behavior to those we consider “second class” to ourselves, then to those just slightly worse off than us; meanwhile, those slightly better off than us and certainly those much better off are treating us the same way. This world then becomes a free-for-all, selfish quest for personal gain and the illusion of happiness outside of love. Love cannot be quantified by science, logic, or reason. God is love.(6) Without God, there is no love.(6) Without love, there is no selfless action, and without selfless action, we will tear ourselves apart until the last man stands and eventually dies a lonely death. Will you open your eyes to God’s love and take on a life of greater purpose and fulfillment than you could have imagined in all your human reason and logic?
Let me first say that I am an engineer, and anyone who knows me with any degree of depth knows that I am a man of science and love to study all the things we have learned and continue to learn through such an intellectually stimulating field of study. Science attempts to describe our current world and understand our natural past, and it can even be utilized to try to understand our interaction with one another. It is logical when pure and is established by observation and physical proof. It speaks not to morals or human motivation, but rather, can evaluate the results of behaviors. But when it comes to caring for others, where do science, logic, and reason weigh in?
If the scientific viewpoint attempts to speak about whether or not we should care for others and if so, then whom we care for and whom we do not, it is through reason and the study of people groups, as well as individuals. First, in order to form a conclusion on whether or not we should engage in a behavior, we must first agree upon what is good, or what is a desirable outcome. Leaving the idea of a god out of it, what is good and desirable for a human? To preserve one’s own life, certainly. To gain the most pleasure, which may mean preserving other life so long as it is a means to achieving that pleasure, and to be personally content and happy. Personal contentment and happiness then need to be defined. To some it is fame or riches, to others it is a lasting impact on the world, and still to others who believe in God, it is the promise of something great outside of this human life. In any case, it is a personal sense of fulfillment through a life lived in a particular way.
So where does that leave the following noble causes: caring for widows, orphans, and the poor; for the oppressed, enslaved, and those under injustice? (1, 2, 3) Why would we seek to help these people? Surely not because our scientific investigation tells us to, and surely not out of personal gain. Or perhaps those who desire fame as a life goal and fulfillment want to be known for helping the less fortunate. In that case, quite honestly, the less fortunate have become merely a stepping stone to a personal sense of fulfillment. In fact, taking that to the logical next step, if you were the most capable of men with that desire, then you would seek to find the most stepping stones for the most glory, and in the extreme case in which those most capable men would be driven, they might create such oppression so that they could play the part of rescuer. To understand this example, you must realize that we have thrown God out of the conversation and acknowledged the pursuit of personal happiness and fulfillment as the ultimate goal in life. There are many less noble goals than helping the helpless, but if the goal behind even this noble cause is self-satisfaction, then it is merely another selfish outlet—though it looks different and noble externally, it is a pursuit just as self-centered and potentially treacherous as that of the man who cheats, steals, and murders the innocent to gain possessions which fulfill his life’s desires.
Even so, in our world, even the most prolific rescuers of the oppressed, regardless of their motivation, are not exalted most highly among men. Those with the greatest followings and fame include athletes, rich business men, entertainment icons, politicians and public figureheads. If fame, recognition, and self-realized impact among men is your goal, then these are your most noble and desirable career paths.
Now, whatever you personally choose to pursue, you surely think it is best in some way or another or you would not pursue it. So if it is best, then the next man should pursue it to his fullest, as well. And if we all followed suit, pursuing what is logical and gives us the greatest pleasure that is summed up by wealth, fame, recognition, or impact seen by the masses or even esteem in the eyes of one other human, then perhaps no one would care for the oppressed and at most would only be caring for them in order to serve their own personal gain. Certainly no one would love them, even if they helped them. Why should they be loved anyway? Loving them is not logical or beneficial to you in of itself, without reaping these benefits of recognition or other desires; and as a man or woman of pure logic and pursuit of personal fulfillment, even when helping others, love is irrelevant, for it was not your goal. Yet, you yourself seek to be loved.
Maybe that drive to be loved would make you then care for the oppressed, so that they will love you in return. That’s logical in a “quid pro quo” kind of way. But if your pursuit is love, then it is not scientific or logical at its foundation. What is love? Why should you be loved? It is not always profitable for our wellbeing, for sacrifices will be necessary when actions are rooted in love. Love profits love and it profits others, but not necessarily the circumstances of the individual acting in or receiving love. For instance, if you love your child, you often make hard choices and sacrifices for their well-being. By the same token, if you love them and desire them to learn to be their best, you will have to guide them away from certain things; and that guidance will feel painful to them in the present, though you know it will benefit them in the future. In both circumstances, love profited all, but happiness as previously defined was traded for love. The pursuit of happiness in itself turns out to be quite futile and terribly elusive without love.
Perhaps you say, “Well, I have not uncovered the mystery of the need to be loved and to love—it is just the nature of humans—but since I know it as fact, logically, I will pursue it to the fullest, regardless of why the desire is there. Therefore, doing something such as caring for the oppressed, such that greater love is felt by me through it, serves my life goal of the maximum pleasure of love and in a very logical way.” Very true. And you are so close to the nature of love, yet unfortunately still misguided! Your statement would be true. Yet, the statement, though logical, has defeated the previous logical pursuits of what we consider good, trading them all for love. And love itself is not scientifically quantifiable or logical. So to move forward we must acknowledge that the scientific pursuit of understanding of our world as our purpose with logic as our guide falls short. The element of love must enter in, or if you reject that, then we are back to where we left off with each man pursuing what he considers good, which is personal gain and helping others when it serves our personal desires.
So who will care for the oppressed without abandoning the scientific and logical slightly, without the element of love? Why should it matter anyway, concerning the less fortunate? “Survival of the fittest…they are in that position for a reason.” Do you truly believe that concerning these fellow humans? Certainly saving the oppressed does not fit into what we could consider beneficial for society in all logic and scientific knowledge: Saving the weak who would otherwise die serves to increase the world population. Is the principle of “more people on earth is better” sound? In a world of ever-rapidly depleting natural resources, logic would dictate a population reduction, or at least a plateau: more for us and self-preservation. How about the prospect of giving away my wealth, position, and power for another? That is not logical if personal fulfillment is my pursuit, unless doing so personally fulfills me. At that point, we have circled back to the previous conversation that concludes with love. How about preserving the weakest in society? Doesn’t that serve to weaken society as a whole? It certainly does immediately, but perhaps you can reason out that those saved would be brought up and strengthened such that society ultimately benefits from them. What an optimist you must be to think in such a way—and you are right. So we have given up some of ourselves for the betterment of another and society as a whole. How noble! But is that logical? Not if personal fulfillment is our life’s pursuit, unless benefiting others more than ourselves does indeed fulfill us. Ah ha, that is the definition of love!(4) So love has become the center, once again, for anything good that we might do outside of pure personal gain.(5, 6)
The point of all this banter is that if we seek to serve science and logic alone, we will engage in a number of terrible behaviors, and only by love can we do anything truly good.(5, 6) In the other case, absent of love, where does the cycle stop? First we reject the oppressed or use them only as a stepping stone to personal satisfaction, next we apply this attitude and behavior to those we consider “second class” to ourselves, then to those just slightly worse off than us; meanwhile, those slightly better off than us and certainly those much better off are treating us the same way. This world then becomes a free-for-all, selfish quest for personal gain and the illusion of happiness outside of love. Love cannot be quantified by science, logic, or reason. God is love.(6) Without God, there is no love.(6) Without love, there is no selfless action, and without selfless action, we will tear ourselves apart until the last man stands and eventually dies a lonely death. Will you open your eyes to God’s love and take on a life of greater purpose and fulfillment than you could have imagined in all your human reason and logic?
(1) Isaiah 1:17 - “Learn to do right! Seek justice, encourage the oppressed. Defend the cause of the fatherless, plead the case of the widow.”
(2) James 1:27 - “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
(3) Luke 4:18-19 (Isaiah 61:1-2) - "The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor."
(4) 1 Cor 13:4-8a (emphasis added) - “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails…”
(5) John 15:5 - “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”
(6) 1 John 4:7-12 - “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.”
* All Bible texts are from the New International Version (NIV)
Sunday, September 26, 2010
"Pray It Through" - Spiritual Warfare via Prayers of Agreement
Eph 6:12 – “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.”
The older I get, the more obvious it becomes to me that prayer is supernatural warfare. Think about it: when we pray, we are not changing God’s mind nor His timing. There is no argument of reason that could change His already perfectly reasoned plan. There is no heartfelt plea of good things that He has not already ordained in not only a good way, but the best way. He already knows and is guiding that perfect thing in the perfect timing. The question isn’t of changing Him or convincing Him, but rather, of our hearts being transformed for something more glorious through the offering of our desires as sacrifices to His will.
Going further, once we have been given such a glorious change of heart to match the will of God, such that all that we would ask would be given (Matt 7:7-11), we know we are still to pray. Why? After all, there is no more change to be had in that situation: the Lord has revealed His will and we have conformed our will and desired timing. Truthfully, even when we glimpse a specific future promise of His will, the timing often eludes our understanding, so we typically do need to continually pray for patience. But even if we have both a specific desire and the timing of our desire matching God’s, we are still to pray. This is for at least two reasons:
Firstly, it is pleasing to God to have this conversation of agreement between Father and adopted son or daughter (Psalm 141:2, Rev 5:8). Therefore, we should continue to pray in agreement simply for the enjoyment between us, especially our Master’s enjoyment. However, this is only part of the truth. What has finally become clear to me is that the act of sincere prayer in agreement with God’s will is supernatural warfare. That when we have prayed His will over ourselves or another person, whether near or far, the spiritual realm is pulsed with the power of God on earth. The power of God in the spiritual realm on earth is felt across the globe when even one righteous man prays for God’s justice for the oppressed in another part of the world. These prayers pierce the Evil One and suppress him, all the while reviving the Holy Spirit in our comrades. It is the source of why James 5:16 is true: “the prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.” Recognizing the supernatural battlefront helps us to embrace this truth with renewed understanding.
I say let’s hit the floor in prayer, the battlefield in our bedrooms, vehicles, churches, streets, and everywhere we go. First, we seek to be transformed and conformed to God’s will, such that our desires are His desires. But that is only the beginning. Next, we pray in agreement and fight the good fight. In the meantime, we share what God has revealed to us about His will to others so that more warriors can fight alongside us. Lastly, we “pray it through.” That means that if you have the faith to recognize a promise of God and a hope that you know 100% does not disappoint (Rom 5:1-5), you don’t stop praying. You could stop, for the promise was true and is not revoked, but you would be abandoning the battlefield where your comrades are under fire. Continue to pray, doing it for them if not for yourself. Every prayer is spiritual warfare. It is either the boot camp and training ground where we learn what is beneficial for our Kingdom (conforming our will to His), or it is deployment into the active battlefield that requires desiring, enacting, and praying for the things which God wills. Will you be content to graduate boot camp and never set foot on the battlefield for which you were trained, or can your comrades count on you to stand with them? I'm enlisting today. Will you join me?Saturday, September 18, 2010
“I Don’t Judge” – The Misguided, Politically Correct Christian
Recently I realized that confessing I have homosexual family members that I love brings home the point of loving them, yet completely rebuking their behavior. I have the slightest amount of God’s passionate disapproval for homosexuality, meaning that I loathe its existence. There are several people I know that have chosen that lifestyle, a few of which are within my very family. And I find it stunningly clear that I hate that sinful lifestyle, while still absolutely loving them. I so want them to hear God’s voice and know His truth and come back to Him, instead of being hindered by a life of continual sin. I think we can take on this attitude of Christ for sinners of all kinds, including you and me.
Very quickly, since I know that some errantly contend that homosexuality is not an abomination to God, I want to offer up God’s truth to you through these words of God straight from the Bible. The law against homosexuality in the Old Testament is contained in Leviticus and is upheld in the New Testament:
Before Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, sin was punishable by immediate death. We only have the grace of being spared through Christ, and thank the Lord! Yet, the sin is still a sin and repentance is now the only requirement.
Remember that Jesus addressed the laws of the Old Testament in this way:
And He goes on in the subsequent passages to describe how the laws before His incarnation were physical, but now they have been extended to be within the intent of the heart in addition to the outward physical action—keeping the law within the desire of the heart and not simply superficially, yet still keeping it physically.
Furthermore, Paul addresses homosexuality in the New Testament:
Additionally, the Bible is clear that sex is a gift of God that He ordains strictly within marriage.
This points to the truth that a man “touching a woman” sexually is immoral until they are married and it is then made moral. Therefore, the sexually promiscuous outside of marriage include both homosexual and heterosexual behaviors. But realize this: God has never made a provision for a man to marry a man or woman to marry a woman—search the Bible and you will not find it. He joyfully speaks of marriage between man and woman and never between those of the same gender. Therefore, if marriage is not ordained by God between those of the same gender, then neither is sex. So what is a committed relationship of love without anything of a sexual nature? Great friendship—it is the substance of the other three loves outside of eros. And that is the extent of the same gender relationship as ordained by the Bible. Now, you may say that today we have same-sex marriage in some states. Ok, we also have abortion. In some states of the world, we have legalized murders of adults and legalized sex-slavery of children as young as 6 years old. So do we say that if it is legalized in the world, then it is right? Of course not. We must consult the Bible to test the laws of man. If you do not claim to believe the Bible, then these thoughts are irrelevant to you until you come to know it as Truth. But those of you who do claim to believe the Bible, examine your belief right now. If you believe homosexuality is not a sin, then you have declared that you don’t believe the Bible.
But the point of this message is not about homosexuality specifically so much as the travesty of the cop-out that “I don’t judge” has become, including within the Christian community. We, as humans, so easily stray to either side! We are either so judgmental that we sin by our judging and call condemnation on ourselves, while hurting others at the same time, or we are so watered down for the fear of being judgmental that we fail to stand for anything moral (often this fear is not of sin or the Lord, but fear of public opinion…another issue to address). Let’s call it what it is: sin. God loves sinners and died “while we were yet sinners” (Rom 5:8). Yet, there is condemnation for those who reject Christ and His righteousness (Heb 10:26-21), which is to be our righteousness upon recognition of Him, which is manifested in our living it. Just as surely as there is a Heaven, there is a Hell. Jesus died while we did not love Him, so we are to at least die to our sinful selves AFTER seeing that He loves us. That’s not even noble—to “love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). But this is another discussion, as well.
I have sidetracked slightly in the second half of the above paragraph; coming back to the topic at hand, I want to absolutely tear down and build back up America’s understanding of the word “judge,” the context with which it is used in the Bible, and what is right or wrong for us. We must do one of two things with this concept of judgment: we must either accept that we will use the same word “judge” with separate meanings, or accept that we will no longer use the word “judge” in both contexts, and hereafter refer to eternal condemnation or glorification of a soul by one term, and independently refer to righteous discernment and recognition of both godliness and forbidden behavior by another term.
I believe great men of God have written books or at least articles on this subject, and it might be a good time to seek them out and gear up for this one. It is too common today. Do you know what is equally as appalling to God as hypocritical condemnation of another’s soul to hell? Saying “I don’t judge” and refusing to recognize sin as sin! There is no difference—both bring us far from God!
I noticed something very simple, yet profound last week while reading letters in the Bible from men such as Paul, Peter, and John. I was suddenly floored by not only their boldness of proclaiming God’s goodness, but also their boldness of calling out evil behaviors in specific individuals, whether they were inside or outside the church. These are examples we need today to embolden us to Truth, whether that truth be recognition of Christ or Satan in another.
For a long time, it seems we have rightfully fought the fight of human nature that is errantly displayed through hypocritical condemning of people, wrongfully “judging,” in that there was no love behind it and those “judging” were not worthy of “casting the first stone” (John 7:8), and not only that, they did not know half the story as they thought they did. We have fought that good fight by being ever vigilant against unrighteous, hypocritical judgment—“as we judge, so we also will be judged.”
Weren’t we once so full of sin and seemingly hopeless? Yes we were, and only the supernatural power of Christ has saved us, and His power is offered to all other sinners as well. As long as we recognize that, we can righteously judge, or discern, a lifestyle of sin as sin, being mindful of our own “planks in the eye,” lest we be self-righteous. I think we must simultaneously fight these opposite battlefronts, for “I don’t judge” has become the trendy mindset of the politically correct “Christian” that seems to have swept the nation. It is prevalent in many people I know personally. It is prevalent in mature Christians that I would otherwise look up to. It is even a concept that I myself have started to give way to in my immaturity, but thank God He awakened me to reject it. Again, the preacher’s example of the rider on the horse is so relevant here: God has set us upon a horse that represents His righteousness and the path He desires for us that leads to Him. Satan wants us off that horse, and he doesn’t care if we fall to the right or left. If he pushes us to the right and we recognize it and immaturely lean so far to the other side that we begin to fall to the left, Satan will surely get behind that just as much or more than his original temptation. We must stay on the horse, for “narrow is the gate” that leads to Heaven (Matt 7:13-14). In this case, being unrighteously and hypocritically judgmental leads us to fall off the horse on one side; and selling out to the “I don’t judge” mentality, failing to discern sin as sin, leads us to fall off the horse on the other side. (There is more to this horse example that occurs to me, concerning God’s pace and ours—I think we can fall forward in impatience and backward in lethargy, but that is yet another discussion entirely.)
It is up to us who know and understand these concepts to communicate it to others. We can help open their eyes, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! Some are willing but just unknowing…babes in Christ that only need to hear it out of our mouths, only to have us lead them to the scriptures that they didn’t realize existed or didn’t understand before. Others are more difficult, and God’s work in them is especially powerful, for we could not conceive of how they might be saved. Others know these truths, and will be emboldened by our speaking of the Truth. I think “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:34-38), so we must take the opportunity to enlighten those whose hearts have been prepared by God to receive these truths. It’s time that we become an emboldened Body of Christ. It’s time to be “as wise as serpents, but gentle as doves” (Matt 10:16).
There is an additional warning that God gave Ezekiel, and I think it applies to us who know God’s truths today:
Therefore, we must deliver these truths whether they be uplifting or seemingly condemning both to the unrighteous and righteous, firstly so that they might be saved, and secondly so that we might be pleasing to God, innocent of a lost soul who didn’t know Christ because we shut our mouths. Let us give every man every opportunity—let us speak the word of the Lord as often as He provides it to us. If you are reading this today and the scriptures listed above, you have received the Word of the Lord. Amen.
Very quickly, since I know that some errantly contend that homosexuality is not an abomination to God, I want to offer up God’s truth to you through these words of God straight from the Bible. The law against homosexuality in the Old Testament is contained in Leviticus and is upheld in the New Testament:
Lev 18:22 – “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman. It is an abomination. ”
Lev 20:13 – “If a man lies with a male as he lies with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination. They shall surely be put to death. Their blood shall be upon them.” (NKJV)
Before Jesus Christ’s death and resurrection, sin was punishable by immediate death. We only have the grace of being spared through Christ, and thank the Lord! Yet, the sin is still a sin and repentance is now the only requirement.
Remember that Jesus addressed the laws of the Old Testament in this way:
Matt 5: 17-20 - “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (NKJV)
And He goes on in the subsequent passages to describe how the laws before His incarnation were physical, but now they have been extended to be within the intent of the heart in addition to the outward physical action—keeping the law within the desire of the heart and not simply superficially, yet still keeping it physically.
Furthermore, Paul addresses homosexuality in the New Testament:
Rom 1:22, 25b-27 – “Professing to be wise, they became fools…who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.” (NKJV)
Additionally, the Bible is clear that sex is a gift of God that He ordains strictly within marriage.
1 Cor 7:1-2 – “Now concerning the things of which you wrote to me:
It is good for a man not to touch a woman. 2 Nevertheless, because of sexual immorality, let each man have his own wife, and let each woman have her own husband.” (NKJV)
This points to the truth that a man “touching a woman” sexually is immoral until they are married and it is then made moral. Therefore, the sexually promiscuous outside of marriage include both homosexual and heterosexual behaviors. But realize this: God has never made a provision for a man to marry a man or woman to marry a woman—search the Bible and you will not find it. He joyfully speaks of marriage between man and woman and never between those of the same gender. Therefore, if marriage is not ordained by God between those of the same gender, then neither is sex. So what is a committed relationship of love without anything of a sexual nature? Great friendship—it is the substance of the other three loves outside of eros. And that is the extent of the same gender relationship as ordained by the Bible. Now, you may say that today we have same-sex marriage in some states. Ok, we also have abortion. In some states of the world, we have legalized murders of adults and legalized sex-slavery of children as young as 6 years old. So do we say that if it is legalized in the world, then it is right? Of course not. We must consult the Bible to test the laws of man. If you do not claim to believe the Bible, then these thoughts are irrelevant to you until you come to know it as Truth. But those of you who do claim to believe the Bible, examine your belief right now. If you believe homosexuality is not a sin, then you have declared that you don’t believe the Bible.
But the point of this message is not about homosexuality specifically so much as the travesty of the cop-out that “I don’t judge” has become, including within the Christian community. We, as humans, so easily stray to either side! We are either so judgmental that we sin by our judging and call condemnation on ourselves, while hurting others at the same time, or we are so watered down for the fear of being judgmental that we fail to stand for anything moral (often this fear is not of sin or the Lord, but fear of public opinion…another issue to address). Let’s call it what it is: sin. God loves sinners and died “while we were yet sinners” (Rom 5:8). Yet, there is condemnation for those who reject Christ and His righteousness (Heb 10:26-21), which is to be our righteousness upon recognition of Him, which is manifested in our living it. Just as surely as there is a Heaven, there is a Hell. Jesus died while we did not love Him, so we are to at least die to our sinful selves AFTER seeing that He loves us. That’s not even noble—to “love because He first loved us” (1 John 4:19). But this is another discussion, as well.
I have sidetracked slightly in the second half of the above paragraph; coming back to the topic at hand, I want to absolutely tear down and build back up America’s understanding of the word “judge,” the context with which it is used in the Bible, and what is right or wrong for us. We must do one of two things with this concept of judgment: we must either accept that we will use the same word “judge” with separate meanings, or accept that we will no longer use the word “judge” in both contexts, and hereafter refer to eternal condemnation or glorification of a soul by one term, and independently refer to righteous discernment and recognition of both godliness and forbidden behavior by another term.
I believe great men of God have written books or at least articles on this subject, and it might be a good time to seek them out and gear up for this one. It is too common today. Do you know what is equally as appalling to God as hypocritical condemnation of another’s soul to hell? Saying “I don’t judge” and refusing to recognize sin as sin! There is no difference—both bring us far from God!
I noticed something very simple, yet profound last week while reading letters in the Bible from men such as Paul, Peter, and John. I was suddenly floored by not only their boldness of proclaiming God’s goodness, but also their boldness of calling out evil behaviors in specific individuals, whether they were inside or outside the church. These are examples we need today to embolden us to Truth, whether that truth be recognition of Christ or Satan in another.
For a long time, it seems we have rightfully fought the fight of human nature that is errantly displayed through hypocritical condemning of people, wrongfully “judging,” in that there was no love behind it and those “judging” were not worthy of “casting the first stone” (John 7:8), and not only that, they did not know half the story as they thought they did. We have fought that good fight by being ever vigilant against unrighteous, hypocritical judgment—“as we judge, so we also will be judged.”
Matt 7: 1-5 – “"Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3"Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4How can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.”
Weren’t we once so full of sin and seemingly hopeless? Yes we were, and only the supernatural power of Christ has saved us, and His power is offered to all other sinners as well. As long as we recognize that, we can righteously judge, or discern, a lifestyle of sin as sin, being mindful of our own “planks in the eye,” lest we be self-righteous. I think we must simultaneously fight these opposite battlefronts, for “I don’t judge” has become the trendy mindset of the politically correct “Christian” that seems to have swept the nation. It is prevalent in many people I know personally. It is prevalent in mature Christians that I would otherwise look up to. It is even a concept that I myself have started to give way to in my immaturity, but thank God He awakened me to reject it. Again, the preacher’s example of the rider on the horse is so relevant here: God has set us upon a horse that represents His righteousness and the path He desires for us that leads to Him. Satan wants us off that horse, and he doesn’t care if we fall to the right or left. If he pushes us to the right and we recognize it and immaturely lean so far to the other side that we begin to fall to the left, Satan will surely get behind that just as much or more than his original temptation. We must stay on the horse, for “narrow is the gate” that leads to Heaven (Matt 7:13-14). In this case, being unrighteously and hypocritically judgmental leads us to fall off the horse on one side; and selling out to the “I don’t judge” mentality, failing to discern sin as sin, leads us to fall off the horse on the other side. (There is more to this horse example that occurs to me, concerning God’s pace and ours—I think we can fall forward in impatience and backward in lethargy, but that is yet another discussion entirely.)
It is up to us who know and understand these concepts to communicate it to others. We can help open their eyes, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ! Some are willing but just unknowing…babes in Christ that only need to hear it out of our mouths, only to have us lead them to the scriptures that they didn’t realize existed or didn’t understand before. Others are more difficult, and God’s work in them is especially powerful, for we could not conceive of how they might be saved. Others know these truths, and will be emboldened by our speaking of the Truth. I think “the fields are white for harvest” (John 4:34-38), so we must take the opportunity to enlighten those whose hearts have been prepared by God to receive these truths. It’s time that we become an emboldened Body of Christ. It’s time to be “as wise as serpents, but gentle as doves” (Matt 10:16).
There is an additional warning that God gave Ezekiel, and I think it applies to us who know God’s truths today:
Ezekiel 2:17-21 - “"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. 18When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 19 But if you do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.
20 "Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. 21But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself."
Therefore, we must deliver these truths whether they be uplifting or seemingly condemning both to the unrighteous and righteous, firstly so that they might be saved, and secondly so that we might be pleasing to God, innocent of a lost soul who didn’t know Christ because we shut our mouths. Let us give every man every opportunity—let us speak the word of the Lord as often as He provides it to us. If you are reading this today and the scriptures listed above, you have received the Word of the Lord. Amen.
Good Things Gone Bad
Check out the Sept. 17 "My Utmost" by Oswald Chambers: http://www.myutmost.org/09/0917.html
This one has some eye opening statements, such as the following: “Temptation is a suggested short cut to the realization of the highest at which I aim - not towards what I understand as evil, but towards what I understand as good.”
Wow, think about that. It’s very true, and very convicting. Think of this: that good thing that you know God has in store for you today or tomorrow…be on guard! Do not take a shortcut around God’s way to it! I guess that’s why it’s important to “take every thought captive.” (2 Cor 10:5)
I don’t mean to ruin anyone’s day with this…I think it’s empowering. I’m using it less to say, “well, I thought that was a good thing” and more to say “ah ha, this is a good thing, but I will not pursue it haphazardly…I will watch for the shortcut and deny myself of it…I will pursue the good thing the Good way.” These good things include food, shelter, friendship, purpose, servitude, physical fitness, knowledge, rest, occasional entertainment, each kind of love, and everything else. But don’t we feel temptation and sometimes fall when pursuing these good things? Not that any of them were bad of themselves, and in fact they were blessing from God, but we did not pursue them God’s way, or as O.C. puts it, “realization of the highest at which I aim.” The highest at which I aim is more than that at which I am aiming—the highest realization of that thing is equally the road to the destination as much as the destination—otherwise, we did not in fact arrive at that place we set out toward, as our minds comprehended the blessing as a snapshot, some static representation of what we righteously desire, instead of correctly perceiving that it was actually something alive, requiring the Creator’s breath to be meaningful and not just a shadow of what we once set out toward without Him.
Let’s say God has revealed to you that He wants to give you some rest soon. Is receiving that rest the extent of the blessing? You could then say, “ok, I’m cancelling everything and just resting today.” Nevermind that you told a friend you would do something for them, you have a presentation due the next day, and your kids are expecting you at their ballgame. Perhaps if we had full faith in God’s promise, we wouldn’t take the matter into our own hands and miss the highest realization of the blessing, in this case rest. Otherwise, if we have strayed spiritually while pursuing the good thing God planned for us, where is our rest? If we have separated from God even slightly, our physical rest is offset by spiritual unrest. God had planned both: resting in Him and His presence paired up with physical rest for a truly recharging experience. Similar examples could be applied to our God given purpose, God given friendships, pursuit of knowledge of God and His Word, the 4 loves that He has planned for us, and just about any other blessing.
I think this realization can actually be a confidence builder because we are better equipped to destroy temptation head-on, though it certainly is convicting. What do you think?
This one has some eye opening statements, such as the following: “Temptation is a suggested short cut to the realization of the highest at which I aim - not towards what I understand as evil, but towards what I understand as good.”
Wow, think about that. It’s very true, and very convicting. Think of this: that good thing that you know God has in store for you today or tomorrow…be on guard! Do not take a shortcut around God’s way to it! I guess that’s why it’s important to “take every thought captive.” (2 Cor 10:5)
I don’t mean to ruin anyone’s day with this…I think it’s empowering. I’m using it less to say, “well, I thought that was a good thing” and more to say “ah ha, this is a good thing, but I will not pursue it haphazardly…I will watch for the shortcut and deny myself of it…I will pursue the good thing the Good way.” These good things include food, shelter, friendship, purpose, servitude, physical fitness, knowledge, rest, occasional entertainment, each kind of love, and everything else. But don’t we feel temptation and sometimes fall when pursuing these good things? Not that any of them were bad of themselves, and in fact they were blessing from God, but we did not pursue them God’s way, or as O.C. puts it, “realization of the highest at which I aim.” The highest at which I aim is more than that at which I am aiming—the highest realization of that thing is equally the road to the destination as much as the destination—otherwise, we did not in fact arrive at that place we set out toward, as our minds comprehended the blessing as a snapshot, some static representation of what we righteously desire, instead of correctly perceiving that it was actually something alive, requiring the Creator’s breath to be meaningful and not just a shadow of what we once set out toward without Him.
Let’s say God has revealed to you that He wants to give you some rest soon. Is receiving that rest the extent of the blessing? You could then say, “ok, I’m cancelling everything and just resting today.” Nevermind that you told a friend you would do something for them, you have a presentation due the next day, and your kids are expecting you at their ballgame. Perhaps if we had full faith in God’s promise, we wouldn’t take the matter into our own hands and miss the highest realization of the blessing, in this case rest. Otherwise, if we have strayed spiritually while pursuing the good thing God planned for us, where is our rest? If we have separated from God even slightly, our physical rest is offset by spiritual unrest. God had planned both: resting in Him and His presence paired up with physical rest for a truly recharging experience. Similar examples could be applied to our God given purpose, God given friendships, pursuit of knowledge of God and His Word, the 4 loves that He has planned for us, and just about any other blessing.
I think this realization can actually be a confidence builder because we are better equipped to destroy temptation head-on, though it certainly is convicting. What do you think?
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Redeeming Seema
Check out the short movie below and please consider visiting http://www.causes.com/causes/8083 to become a small but active part in what God is doing through Charasia!
Redeeming Seema from Charasia on Vimeo.
Claymore Pictures and Mothlight Creative present "The Story of Seema." Please watch and then to donate goto http://www.causes.com/causes/8083
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Immediately Profitable and Sustainable Life
A family friend recently passed away at the age of 56, and it has resulted in a time of reflection for me and some family members. Our hearts go out to his family who must carry on in this world without him, including children, a wife, and parents, to name a few. The thought hit me that his purpose must have been accomplished on this earth, all timelines aside. What is time after all? Time would have no meaning if it weren’t created for man’s world by God. So to God, this man’s life wasn’t 56 years so much as it was the number of people who loved and were loved by him, the number of people drawn to God through him, and this man’s one soul who accepted Christ and is coming to Heaven…irrespective of it being 5, 55, or 105 years.
So I wonder how many years I have for my purpose to be completed? The answer to that question doesn’t matter as much as the next phase of thought: what if today was the conclusion of my life, the end? Conversely, and just as importantly: what if today and the next day and the next are not the conclusion, or the end of my life? Could I live my life today as though it will end today? Would I therefore do everything that is within me to bring glory to God with the time I have left, or would I pursue other things? Would my behavior change with that knowledge of the length of my life? But then again, it doesn’t seem practical to live as though it’s our last day if it’s really not—we’ll be completely spent: money, energy, reputation and all else. But the epiphany is this: these are at odds with one another—the present verses the future—because of our world view.
Think about it: there is a natural law that is true in most situations that the future is at the expense of the present and vice versa. We invest and give up money, in order to reap the reward later. We work hard today, so that we can play hard or relax tomorrow. Or we indulge in instant gratification today, paying the consequences tomorrow. Additionally, in the business world, we often make decisions based upon this dilemma: is it profitable now and/or will it be sustainable in the future? Quite simply, a business must be profitable both immediately and in the future, and decisions cannot be made that cater to only one or the other. Whatever the situation and application, this law seems to persist, and the “live as though you’ll die tomorrow” attitude is no different. What do you think—what would you do if you knew you would die tomorrow?
Some of the things that came to your mind you should go ahead and do today—I hope you’ve been emboldened. Others however, I wouldn’t advise you to be so rash and short-sighted about. Now think again of the things you’d do if you knew for certain that you would die tomorrow—would you still do them tomorrow if you knew you’d be alive for 50 more years? For instance, you may have said, “If I knew I’d die tomorrow, I wouldn’t go to work—I’d spend all my money, call all those I love, spend time and talk with them, and go to that place I’ve never been…I’d do this and that and this and that.” Grand plans, I’m very certain. However, if you knew for certain that you wouldn’t die for another 50 years, would you do those same things tomorrow? Not likely all of them. Certainly you wouldn’t quit your job and spend every last dime of your money. Though you might still tell those you love most that you do love them, and you might go out of your way to be especially nice or make time for another loved one. Yet most of the things of which we first think don’t pass this dichotomic test of time-defined benefit. But I would like to suggest to you that there is a single fail-safe choice that will be both immediately profitable and sustainable for your entire future, a way that is good and wise if you die tomorrow or not for another 50 years: This way is abandonment to God. It is the only life that has no tradeoff in time—no now vs. later mentality—Jesus Christ is simply best for you now and later, and there is no dilemma. It flies in the face of natural law. The things of this world have such tradeoffs, but living for Christ never does. Now, we must “count the cost,” which is death to this world and losing our carnal selves for the sake of Christ: this is our tradeoff. Sin and worldly desires traded for righteousness and eternal perfect love and oneness with our God.
However, this tradeoff is not one of now vs. later, immediate benefit verses long term benefit. It is profitable to God, you, me, and all souls past, present, and future both now and forever. It is profitable for all because of the oneness of all to which we are called. This includes all who have believed in Jesus and gone to Heaven, past, present, and future.
Do you feel a call from God to go somewhere and do something and serve Him in a particular way? Then by all means do it, if He is calling you right now. Do you feel no specific call to change in your general circumstances? That is fine, for He is calling you right where you are. The point isn’t where you go or what you do or who you become or what kind of servant you are—the point is that you serve Him right now, right where you are, both immediately and sustainably for the rest of your human life and into Heaven for eternity. If we “put on Christ” (Gal 3:27), we are assured an immediate “harvest” (John 4:35, Luke 10:2), as well as sustainable relationship with God. This will not only impact our souls but the souls of those around us. I encourage you to seek opportunities to invest in Christ today by what you choose to do. Choose Him in a way that is both immediately profitable for Christ’s sake and sustainable. Don’t think in terms of the world, for you will surely “count it all as loss for the sake of Christ”—you will grow to love Him so much that you care less and less of the things of the world and more and more for Him, His Kingdom, and your fellow man.
“Whatever you do, do for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). This is one daily choice that we can have supreme certainty of being immediately profitable and eternally sustainable, no matter whether we are living our last day or the first of many more on earth. Until we meet in Heaven, I pray that our lives, yours and mine, will be permeated by Christ in this way. It is the only way of true joy and a life of true meaning, unbound by time. Amen.
So I wonder how many years I have for my purpose to be completed? The answer to that question doesn’t matter as much as the next phase of thought: what if today was the conclusion of my life, the end? Conversely, and just as importantly: what if today and the next day and the next are not the conclusion, or the end of my life? Could I live my life today as though it will end today? Would I therefore do everything that is within me to bring glory to God with the time I have left, or would I pursue other things? Would my behavior change with that knowledge of the length of my life? But then again, it doesn’t seem practical to live as though it’s our last day if it’s really not—we’ll be completely spent: money, energy, reputation and all else. But the epiphany is this: these are at odds with one another—the present verses the future—because of our world view.
Think about it: there is a natural law that is true in most situations that the future is at the expense of the present and vice versa. We invest and give up money, in order to reap the reward later. We work hard today, so that we can play hard or relax tomorrow. Or we indulge in instant gratification today, paying the consequences tomorrow. Additionally, in the business world, we often make decisions based upon this dilemma: is it profitable now and/or will it be sustainable in the future? Quite simply, a business must be profitable both immediately and in the future, and decisions cannot be made that cater to only one or the other. Whatever the situation and application, this law seems to persist, and the “live as though you’ll die tomorrow” attitude is no different. What do you think—what would you do if you knew you would die tomorrow?
Some of the things that came to your mind you should go ahead and do today—I hope you’ve been emboldened. Others however, I wouldn’t advise you to be so rash and short-sighted about. Now think again of the things you’d do if you knew for certain that you would die tomorrow—would you still do them tomorrow if you knew you’d be alive for 50 more years? For instance, you may have said, “If I knew I’d die tomorrow, I wouldn’t go to work—I’d spend all my money, call all those I love, spend time and talk with them, and go to that place I’ve never been…I’d do this and that and this and that.” Grand plans, I’m very certain. However, if you knew for certain that you wouldn’t die for another 50 years, would you do those same things tomorrow? Not likely all of them. Certainly you wouldn’t quit your job and spend every last dime of your money. Though you might still tell those you love most that you do love them, and you might go out of your way to be especially nice or make time for another loved one. Yet most of the things of which we first think don’t pass this dichotomic test of time-defined benefit. But I would like to suggest to you that there is a single fail-safe choice that will be both immediately profitable and sustainable for your entire future, a way that is good and wise if you die tomorrow or not for another 50 years: This way is abandonment to God. It is the only life that has no tradeoff in time—no now vs. later mentality—Jesus Christ is simply best for you now and later, and there is no dilemma. It flies in the face of natural law. The things of this world have such tradeoffs, but living for Christ never does. Now, we must “count the cost,” which is death to this world and losing our carnal selves for the sake of Christ: this is our tradeoff. Sin and worldly desires traded for righteousness and eternal perfect love and oneness with our God.
Luke 14:27-33 – “And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. 28 For which of you, intending to build a tower, does not sit down first and count the cost, whether he has enough to finish it— 29lest, after he has laid the foundation, and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, 30 saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish’? 31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, does not sit down first and consider whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? 32 Or else, while the other is still a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks conditions of peace. 33 So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.”
However, this tradeoff is not one of now vs. later, immediate benefit verses long term benefit. It is profitable to God, you, me, and all souls past, present, and future both now and forever. It is profitable for all because of the oneness of all to which we are called. This includes all who have believed in Jesus and gone to Heaven, past, present, and future.
Jesus' prayer in John 17:20-26 – “I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word;21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. 22 And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: 23 I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.
24 “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.25 O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. 26 And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
Do you feel a call from God to go somewhere and do something and serve Him in a particular way? Then by all means do it, if He is calling you right now. Do you feel no specific call to change in your general circumstances? That is fine, for He is calling you right where you are. The point isn’t where you go or what you do or who you become or what kind of servant you are—the point is that you serve Him right now, right where you are, both immediately and sustainably for the rest of your human life and into Heaven for eternity. If we “put on Christ” (Gal 3:27), we are assured an immediate “harvest” (John 4:35, Luke 10:2), as well as sustainable relationship with God. This will not only impact our souls but the souls of those around us. I encourage you to seek opportunities to invest in Christ today by what you choose to do. Choose Him in a way that is both immediately profitable for Christ’s sake and sustainable. Don’t think in terms of the world, for you will surely “count it all as loss for the sake of Christ”—you will grow to love Him so much that you care less and less of the things of the world and more and more for Him, His Kingdom, and your fellow man.
Phil 3:7-9 – “But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;”
“Whatever you do, do for the glory of God” (1 Cor 10:31). This is one daily choice that we can have supreme certainty of being immediately profitable and eternally sustainable, no matter whether we are living our last day or the first of many more on earth. Until we meet in Heaven, I pray that our lives, yours and mine, will be permeated by Christ in this way. It is the only way of true joy and a life of true meaning, unbound by time. Amen.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)