Meekness is the Key

I've been spending some time away from the ole computer lately.  I have found it easy to lose oneself in the cyber world while ignoring tangible life.  Like anyone's walk in life, especially one of faith, there are hills and valleys to traverse.  For me, it is far too simple to withdraw into a life of study and writing.  But the Christian life is not one meant for solitude.  Being the introvert I am, the difficulty remains not in extending love from a distance, encouragement from a keyboard, love from arm's length, rather delving into faith and applying wisdom found in Scripture outside of this machine.
 
I don't know how many have read my 'bio,' so here's a little background on Chad.  I am a recovering alcoholic and addict.  Almost two decades spent wallowing like a pig in the mire and mud of hate and anger.  There are many reasons as to why I chose the lifestyle I use to reside in, but it all boils down to ignorant selfishness.  I chose to escape into an altered reality pleasing myself, instead of facing life head on and pleasing my heavenly Father.  In God's strength through Jesus, I have since kicked alcohol and drugs to the curb.  However, I still struggle with the aspect of escapism.  The hypocrite within loves to rail against those who are almost surgically tethered to technological devices; those who always have a phone to their ear or head buried downward typing out texts.  Yet, I constantly fail to realize I am no better because I retreat into Facebook, blogs, and surfing the net on my laptop.  How can I stand in opposition toward apathy in life when I exude the very same aspects of those I call 'Apostles of Apathy?' 
 
It's easy to fall into a stance with one's arm extended forming an outstretched index finger.  Pointing out others ineptitude at displaying Christ's love is a soap box position.  If only I and others could come down atop the soap box and use it's contents to cleanse our high and mighty perspectives.  Now, this is not to say shining the light of Christ on lies, apostasy, and hypocrisy is unwarranted.  It's just prudent to always bear in mind Galatians 6:1--

"Brothers, even if a man is overtaken in some offense, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of meekness, looking to yourself lest you also be tempted."

We are all guilty of sin--and that of the same sins in varying degrees.  They may take different shapes, yet if we think we are innocent of sins others commit, then we are not only deceived by Satan--we are also self-deceived.  We as Christians are forgiven and righteous before God the Father through God the Son.  We cannot use that freedom in harshness toward others, rather in a "spirit of meekness."  To be low in self and lofty in Christ will always project God's true love.  After all, as those who have been called out of the darkness into the light of God's mercy and grace, we must not forget what we were--"lest (we) also be tempted" to walk as zombies in our old selves.  We have been crucified with Christ on the cross and resurrected to a new life.  To forget we were once drowning and Christ Jesus threw us a life line, is to repeat the actions of our 'dead selves.' 

Love is action, love is real.  Shedding truth when we ourselves are sinners is not hypocrisy.  We now reside within the era of grace through Jesus.  Using this gift of grace to shed truth in hateful opposition and no direct application to ourselves is sin.  Meekness is the key.  To think of Christ, and to withdraw into His presence, will cause us to step outside ourselves.  To step outside the familiarity of old habits and the comforts of escapism is surrendering oneself to Jesus.  Yes, faith is a gift--it is also a journey.  Just as life is a dance of one step forward and two steps back, we must reverse that order in growth.  We will fail, it is inevitable while we still reside in the flesh.  But, we cannot repeat actions of old--we must commit ourselves to two steps forward after every one step back. 

Each day adds to the year's total of 365.  Each year adds to the sum total of one's life.  I have no clue as to why living creeps by while life flies by--escapes my intellect.  But, it is a fact.  Life's memories are a blur, but they don't feel that way in the 'process of.'  It is easy to forget eternity waiting for us on the other side of time.  I forget this daily, even though I'm aware of the reality.  I must focus on this reality rather than escaping into a world withdrawn from society.  I look forward to my growth in the Lord.  By His grace and love, I have truly become a new man.  I am not what I use to be and remaining meek in Christ's presence will mature me past where I am now.   

"Not that I have already obtained or am already perfected, but I pursue, if even I may lay hold of that for which I also have been laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward.  Let us therefore, as many as are full-grown, have this mind; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you.  Nevertheless whereunto we have attained, by the same rule let us walk."  (Philippians 3:12-16)

*more of my bio can be read at  http://authonomy.com/books/47153/convoluted-christianity/ 

Pacifying the Old Nature or Maturing in Christ

Aside from being under the weather, I've had a rough go of it lately.  Nothing external, all internal.  I will not go into the details, but it is no different than any other Christian.  True our weak points may differ, however the intensity of the battle is no less the same.  We all struggle with the 'old man' within as we strive to run our race for Christ (Romans 6:6; Ephesians 4:22; Colossians 3:9).  It is easy to forget this life for Jesus is a battleground.  With so many distractions, and our own propensity to please self, we neglect putting on the armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-20).  Scripture would not refer to armor, if were not true there were a battle raging about us.  Satan and his minions attack us on every level.  If there is a gap in the defensive wall, our city will fall.

"Like a city that is broken down, without walls, Is a man whose spirit is without restraint." (Proverbs 25:28)

"City" symbolizes our heart, our relationship with Christ.  True, absolutely nothing can separate us from the love of our Father (Romans 8:31-39), but let's be honest with one another--at times we choose to ignore His love in favor of our own inclinations.  If our "walls" are weak, crumbling, or non-existent, then the enemy can trounce right into the center of the city and crush it with ease.  "Restraint" is the mortar holding the "wall" together.  It is our intestinal fortitude to remain loyal to Jesus, to represent Him faithfully on the battleground of life. Now, this doesn't come with our transformation into God's children.  It is not handed to us in a neat package when we accept Christ.  Just as walls are built, one brick at a time, we increase strength of control in victories against the destroyer of souls. 

But, the same can apply to defeats.  The words "broken down" imply a continual process over time.  Walls aren't simply cast aside in one defeat.  They can be seriously damaged from a blow in one specific spot, but for the city walls to be "broken down" entails a siege and a series of defeats.  Time is deceptive.  It only exists in our dimension.  The spiritual world has no time.  It is one of man's many bright ideas.  We have placed importance on the now, and how fast or slowly it expires, to the point of where we count it's passing on the face of a dial.  With each decision in the 'moment of now' we either choose loyalty or disloyalty.  Both affect the effect of our self-control.

On the field of battle, Satan's arrows fly mercilessly (Ephesians 6:16).  Do not be coy in thinking they fly haphazardly.  He has targets and they strike with accuracy.  If we are not prepared for the battle, if we neglect ensuring our walls of defense with learning Scripture, we will have allowed Satan to gain the upper hand.  Sure, we will suffer defeats in our lives.  But to allow those losses to remain in our hearts is immature.  We must repair those breaches in our defense by kneeling before our King in prayer, continuously and persistently.  We cannot allow gaping holes to remain for any ole enemy to enter with sinister intentions against our faith.  We must raise ourselves up.  This is not possible without being yoked to Jesus Christ (Matthew 11:29). The raising up ourselves implies our willingness to allow Him to pick us up.  He does not force Himself upon our will, He waits patiently for us to call on Him, and then, we rise up in Christ.  We must not doubt this or we will not receive anything.

"But let him ask in faith, doubting nothing, for he who doubts is like the surge of the sea, driven by the wind and tossed about.  For that man must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; He is a double-souled man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:6-8).

Faith is being certain of the unseen (Hebrews 11:1). Our faith is believing the Spirit of God is afoot and ready to take up our cause.  The Lord is the Spirit (2 Corinthians 3:17), so being yoked to Him is essential in keeping our walls secure.  Self-control lies in the decisions we make over time.  Time escapes us quickly, so as 'they' say, we must keep short accounts.  Refusing to reckon with one sin, no matter the degree,  leads to another sin.  Such a pattern of thought is sightless to accumulation.  We commit one sin, we do not deal with it, and then we look up from sinful inclinations  and months have passed.  We have snowballed out of control.  Our walls are down and the enemy has overpowered our spiritual dignity.

The answer to overcoming such defeats is repenting of our sins.  To make an about face and begin rebuilding our fortification against darkness.  Brick by brick, decision by decision, returning to the Lord in the small things of life and loyalty in the large areas is the key.  This will entail blood, sweat, and tears.  It is not easy.  Restraint is often a fight against pride--"I want it though, Lord."  And Satan's arrows are aimed directly at your pride/self-centeredness over whatever begetting sins you suffer.  God's love and grace are prime aspects to cheer us on, knowing we have righteousness in Christ no matter our failings.  However, to succeed and mature in Christ, we must push past our beginning in Christ, past the foundational level of learning about love, grace, mercy, and forgiveness (Hebrews 6:1-3).  We must live these attributes of Christ out, to be conformed into His likeness to the glory of our heavenly Father (Romans 8:28-30).  We must walk in the Spirit.

"But I say, Walk by the Spirit and you shall by no means fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lust against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these oppose each other that you would not do the things that you desire.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law...But they who are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and its lusts.  If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit" (Galatians 5:16-26).

The Apostle Paul gives excellent advice on re-securing protective barriers against the onslaught of Satan's assaults. It is found in Philippians 3:13-16,

"Brothers, I do not account of myself to have laid hold; but one thing I do: Forgetting the things which are behind and stretching forward to the things which are before, I pursue toward the goal for the prize to which God in Christ Jesus has called me upward.  Let us therefore, as many as are full grown, have this in mind; and if in anything you are otherwise minded, this also God will reveal to you.  Nevertheless whereunto we have attained, by the same rule let us walk."

All these things come in time.  I cannot speak for you, but the 'me in me', the selfish child within wants them now.  I often run ahead of the Spirit, rather than keeping in step with Him.  I end up making wrong decisions or saying/doing the wrong things, then having to back step over the mistakes.  I expend far too much energy in zeal without knowledge.  In my haste, not only do I burn myself out--I sin against God by not following His Spirit (Proverbs 19:2).  Then at other times, I sin by not keeping up because I'm too busy pacifying the 'old man.'  Thank the Lord for His grace, patience, and long-suffering over His children.  With each phase of life, clothing myself with Christ and arming myself with weapons of light will become first nature, if I remain faithful at tending the walls around my city (Romans 13:11-14).  Then I will be mature and conformed into the image of God the Father's Son. 

Eternity is in our hearts, new life with Jesus Christ stipulates a Father-child relationship with God.  It starts at spiritual rebirth and continues on forever.  In death, our mortality is swallowed up by life and we will be made permanently like our Savior (2 Corinthians 5:4).  What a day that will be!

Crucial Truths

“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know Him and have seen Him.’”  (John 14:6-14)

There are prevailing beliefs teaching God is a consciousness which we humans are to aspire to—that He encompasses all religions.  Alongside such dogmas is a contention that loving hearts, good ethics, and good lives, no matter the religion, will grant admission into heaven. Wrong.  One cannot believe such and participate in the kingdom of God.  Jesus Christ is the gate, the only gate, to enter through for salvation (John 10:7-10).

If someone claims to be a Christian, yet refuses to believe Jesus is the Christ, they are an antichrist—not the Antichrist, but one who simply denies Him as God (1 John 2:18-27).  If you claim to serve and love God yet deny His Son, you are not saved.  If your mind-set is that Jesus was just a prophet, then you make Him out to be a liar.  And by that same reasoning, if He were just a prophet, He would not be a very good one if He lied about who He is.

There are many claims Jesus made of Himself--here are just ten (Case for Christ Study Bible, NIV):

1.      He claimed to establish the kingdom of God (Matthew 12:28)
2.      He claimed to equal with God (John 5:17-22)
3.      He claimed He will judge the world (Matthew 25:31-32)
4.      He claimed to have the power to forgive sins (Luke 5:20-21)
5.      He claimed to be the bread of life (John 8:12)
6.      He claimed to be the light of the world (John 8:12)
7.      He claimed to exist before His birth (John 8:58)
8.      He claimed to be the gate for God’s sheep (John 10:7-10)
9.      He claimed to have the power to grant eternal life (John 11:25-27)
10.    He claimed to be the only path to God (John 14:6)

To say one is a Christian, while contending God encompasses all religions and many avenues lead to Him, is outright heresy! God came in the flesh and His name is Jesus.   And He said, "I am the only way."

“And this is His command: to believe in the name of His Son, Jesus Christ” (1 John 3:23)

Now, there are those who will purse Jesus on their lips and deceive populations.  They will use His name to spread their lies.  They will mix truth with error contaminating the entire lot.  I guarantee they will downgrade, mutate, or deny one (if not more) of the above claims Jesus made about Himself.  Keep a watchful eye and attentive ear.

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.  This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God.  This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.” (1 John 4:1-3)

Truly listen carefully.  Persons may claim Jesus is from God yet distort who God is, in turn falsifying their claims.  Others may claim Jesus as the Christ, but detour around His claims and commandments, thus proving they have the spirit of the antichrist.

“They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them.” (1 John 4:5)

Error and lies have infiltrated Christianity.  False teachers of Christ claim to possess clearer insights, epiphanies, and revelations about God.  You may be (or know of) one of the many people who truly believe they are Christian, yet in reality are unsaved because of the mutated truth of others.  If so, stop taking other people’s word at face value.  Don’t even take my word for it.  Get in the Bible and read it, study it, pray over it!   If you don’t have a working knowledge of Scripture, if you don’t stand for Christ, you will fall for malicious ministries of deceiving spirits (1 Timothy 4:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:3-4).

There are nine crucial doctrinal truths¹ one must hold to be a Christian. If these crucial absolutes are not accepted, you are lost.  These truths are the life of Jesus Christ, Christ being the operative root of “Christ”ian.  Deny these and you deny Him, and if you deny Him, how are you a Christian?

1.      Absolute inspiration of Scripture
2.      Scripture’s infallibility
3.      The virgin birth—Immaculate Conception (free from impurity or blemish)
4.      The deity of Jesus Christ
5.      The sinless life of Jesus
6.      Jesus’ substitutionary death on the cross for sinners
7.      Jesus’ bodily resurrection
8.      Jesus’ ascension into heaven
9.      Jesus’ return

“Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great:  He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” (1 Timothy 3:16)

 

¹ Charles R. Swindoll, “Doctrinal Truths” (2012, Insight for Living on OnePlace.com)

 

Capstone or Savior?

"But to those who do not believe, 'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,' and, 'A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall'" (1 Peter 2:7-8). "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: 'I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate'" (1 Corinthians 1:18-19).

Christ Jesus is illogical to hard hearts.  Deafened ears cannot hear the Lord calling out.  How can they?  God is Spirit, our Comforter is the Holy Spirit.  Only a receptive soul will recognize the Lord's persistent knocking at the heart's door. 

Today's society is bound by flesh and worldly reason.  God has truly destroyed the wisdom of the wise and the intelligence of the intelligent.  God appearing as a man goes right over the heads of many stubborn people.  They cannot begin to grasp the reality of our lives being a simple creation by the hands of a Creator.  They believe they are self-made or evolved from lower species.  How ridiculous.  The arrogance of mankind in refusing to admit we are jars of clay--mere specks of dust in comparison to eternity and God's infinity--has produced a cold and abusive generation. 

Populations throughout the world resemble Simon the Sorcerer from Acts 8:9-25.  They are "full of bitterness and captive to sin" (8:23).  They gather false teachers to soothe their itching ears and turn aside to myths (2 Timothy 4).  Jesus is flippantly used as a means to financial gain by prosperity preachers.  They proclaim God's Word as a means to worldly riches, prestige, and position.  They have no part in God's ministry, because their hearts are not right before God (Acts 8:21). 

False religions, or should I say cults, are growing.  They have a form of godliness, but deny it's power (2 Timothy 3:5).  They deny the power of the cross--Jesus' self-sacrifice for the atonement of our sins.  Cults display many qualities of light, yet are actually deceived by deceitful spirits and things taught by demons (1 Timothy 4:1).  Countless persons have abandoned the faith and are lulled into a false sense of security, because they have failed to submit to Christ Jesus.  "They went out from us, but they did not really belong to us.  For if they had belonged to us, they would have remained with us; but their going showed that none of them belonged to us" (1 John 19).  They may say Christ is the Son of God, but their merging of worldly logic with Scriptural Truth is of Satan.  I mean, even demons who possessed people which Christ cast out cried, "What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High? I beg you, don't torture me!" (Luke 8:28).  It's one thing to say and know Jesus is the Son of God, it's another to acknowledge Jesus as God and Lord of your life. 

Many persons claim they are Christian, but are lost.  They are blatantly deceived or too arrogant to admit their error.  Love for the world--society's acceptance, power, money, ranking, pleasure--is scheduled for destruction.  "No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed (Jesus) remains in him; he cannot go on  sinning, because he has been born of God" (1 John 3:9).  This means if Jesus is truly in our hearts, our character will be influenced by the Holy Spirit's presence.  We will grow and mature in His qualities and be heavily convicted of our sins.  We will have godly sorrow rather than worldly sorrow.  Our sin will exact an eager yearning for change, for a life lived for God's glory rather than the world's acceptance.  "The man who says, 'I know Him,' but doesn't do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him.  But if anyone obeys His word, God's love is truly made complete in him" (1 John 2:4-5).

Cults, false religions, philosophical lives are prevalent.  They cause many to fall without them even knowing why they stumble.  Christ has become their capstone.  Chasing mankind's arrogant ideas of existence and worship leads only to eternal separation from God the Father.  "There is a way which seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death" (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25).

These are obvious truths for those who love and live for Jesus--and even for many who reject truth.  Yet, countless still fall prey to lies and apostasy.  These are the times prophesied in Scripture, the age prophets longed to witness.  We are living in a world where Scriptural truth and prophecy are being revealed before our eyes.  It is an exciting time for sincere followers of Christ, because we recognize the day of His return draws near.  It is also a sorrowful time for true Christians, because of the souls destined for destruction due to their denial.  I prefer to concentrate on the horizon, keeping a watchful eye and attentive ear for the trumpet's sounding and the return of our Savior. 

Christians--wake up!  The last times are here.  Can you not feel it in your soul?  Can you not feel the Holy Spirit weighing your conscience when you view the world around you?  Or am I just overly hopeful?  Either way, whether I'm correct or not, it's certainly time to get ourselves ready.  The church must unite as one man, as one body with Christ Jesus as our Head, so we can stand strong in the gap representing God's grace to the world.   

What's Happened?

America claims Christianity on the whole,
But all I see are shrines upon every knoll.
About Jesus many have no clue,
He is the capstone to their routes in lieu.
Worship goes to technology, sex, money, and drugs,
While giving God numerous shoulder shrugs.
We approach Him in prayer and requests,
And harbor adultery within the chest.
Upon His Rock we claim His glory,
Yet, countless have exchanged Jesus for a fictional story.
We have replaced our obedience and devotion,
For lives full of wayward emotion.
One group says this, another sect says that—
All declare this is where the truth is at.
Some claim Jesus was just a prophet,
And others use Him for a dollars profit.
Many add to or contort His words,
Grouping together in large herds.
Numerous taunt God by bragging,
“His Word and Son are lagging.”
“Generations come and go,
Where’s He at?—thought He promised to show!”
Like Lucifer, this land is arrogant,
Our own rules, regulations, and religion we plant.
Just like repeated days of old,
humility before God refuses to unfold.
Simple minds seek simple ways,
Wisdom is calling out—count the days.
America was planted like a choice vine,
Love and hate for God has become a red line.
Failure happened when varied degrees of Christianity,
Became aped into false forms a plenty.
Each generation has grown worse,
The present has one foot in the hearse.
God is not pleased, He has not overlooked,
He does not forget, the oven is set to cook.
Acknowledge sin and He will forgive,
Or suffer the lives you chose to live.
The fourth quarter has started,
Minutes tick for the vain and hard-hearted.
Jesus is the only truth and only way,
Don’t wait until the final play.
Time sneaks up quick and the game ends,
The loss will be severe—no clock left for amends.
Jesus is man’s Savior and He is the Living Stone,
Why aren’t more believers mature and grown?
So many beliefs about Him mutilated,
Speak the truth and you are hated!
Stop worshipping true to the false,
And stand for Christ on the cross!

Corruption

Deviance, distortion, and perversion permeate many churches in these last times.  Perversion does not always entail corrupt, sexual natures.  Perversion is anything distorted, corrupted, impaired, or wicked.  Many claim to know Jesus nowadays, but do they really know Him?  Countless disciples are disdainful, and of darkness rather than light.  Christianity steeps with compassionless, apathetic persons.  Jesus' name is thrown around as a marketed tool or as an avenue of judgment.  Perverted spirits malign the gospel of Christ with words lacking supporting lifestyles.

This is not something new.  The Apostle Paul in Galatians chapter one speaks of a similar sickness within the body of Christ.  "I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel--which is really no gospel at all.  Evidently some are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ" (1:7).  In Paul's day, Jews were trying to convince Christian Gentiles their salvation was worthless unless accompanied by circumcision.  In effect, their faith was only counted as righteous before God if they completed a certain task.  Salvation based upon works in other words.  Sound familiar?

However, today, not only is salvation through works promoted, other false aspects contaminate Christianity.  Such as love God, but don't mention Jesus--too controversial; such as worldly passions--homosexuality, sexual promiscuity, adultery are either condoned or overlooked;  such as retaliatory mindsets--fight back rather than turn the other cheek.  Many "Christians" are jaded.  Hard hearts herald a new religion, a man-made spirituality.  They negate the work of Christ on the cross, implementing human regulations which do nothing to restrain sensual passions and restrict regeneration by the Holy Spirit of Christ Jesus (Colossians 2:23).

Human regulations of "do this, do that, don't do this, don't do that" are take backs to the day of the Apostle Paul (Colossians 2:22).  They create a 'Pharisee on the street corner' religion.  And such a religion is stiff-necked and compassionless.  "Thus you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition.  You hypocrites!  Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.  They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men'" (Matthew 15:6b-9). This is proportionate to numerous 21st century churches.  Christianity is being used much like baseball's double play.  The truth comes at you fast and hard, but more often than not, it is scooped up and thrown hurriedly to first base to get the other team out.  It's an 'us against them' mindset instead of 'they are lost and need saving' mindset.

Salvation is being used as a defense rather than an offense.  We hangout in the outfield of life waiting for something spectacular to come our way, completely bobbling the small plays.  The small plays happen all the time--it's the attention to details which affect the outcome, not one miraculous make on life's stage.  If we allow perverted, misguiding's of Scripture--taught by "hypocritical liars whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron" (1 Timothy 4:2)--to harden our hearts, then we have fallen from grace (Galatian 5:4) and there is nothing but a fearful expectation of judgment waiting for us (Hebrews 10:27).

Defensive postures are for those on guard--holding close themselves to themselves.  Love is seeking out the best interests of others regardless of one's actions.  Self-centered, prideful, dispirited carnal Christians are incapable of empathy and compassion.  Walking with Jesus is humility and submission to God, not surrender to man's teachings of logic, ethics, and tradition.  Walking with Jesus is placing Him as Head of the Church, as Head of our individual lives.  More often than not, He is an afterthought of religion--or even more reprehensibly, a means to an end other than glory to God our Father.

Those who claim God's love, while refusing to adhere to Jesus' example, corrupt the grace of God in the eyes of those who are weak in the faith, or who just outright deny.  They are lukewarm and will be spewed out.  Let us not continue today's perverted gospel!

Hardened by Sin's Deceitfulness

America is gospel hardened. Ease of life has created an atmosphere of complacency. The early church had persecution--Christians around the world are still suffering persecution for proclamations of Jesus Christ, and the gospel spreads.  Yet, here in America there may be churches on every corner, however, hearts are separate from God.  

There is an air of pomposity.  We have wrought the freedoms by the work of our own hands--wrong.  Sure, we worked, and that we have done hard and consistently, but nothing happens outside the will of God.  It is He who grants the freedoms and it is He who takes them away.  Not we humans.  Yet, take a look around.  Open your ears and what do you hear?  Mouths gaping wide spewing revulsions of me, me, me.  It is the nature of the prideful beast within us all outside of Christ.

American society has heard the great news of creation's Lord and Savior for generations now.  So much so, we have lost faith.  Hebrews 11:1 states "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see."  The majority of today's America is evidentiary in faith.  We are a nation of doubting Thomas's.  We have become believers of the here and now, the "what-can-you-do-for-me" generation.  But, Christianity is following Christ Jesus--the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 52:13-53:12).  Followers are no better than their masters (Matthew 10:24), yet we incorporate a corporate attitude of going with the flow, of living the life of pleasure, of avoiding strife at all costs.  We no longer are sure of what we hope for and we are certainly leery of placing trust in what we cannot see.  It is evident all around. 

Jesus is God.  He is the Alpha and Omega tabernacled in human form.  He is the Rock upon which Christianity is founded.  Unfortunately, modern and cultural Christianity has twisted views of Christ.  Some dispute the era of grace by enforcing and subjugating regulations, procedures, and intolerances of the freedom Christ provides.  

Others doubt the goodness of God because they are no longer to live as they once lived--thinking, "How can God be good if I can't be me?"  We are not to be the persons we once were--"living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry" (1 Peter 4:3).  And this is exactly the lifestyle preferred among this "Christian" nation.  And when the truth of Scripture is set forth, whether by word or lifestyle, genuine Christians are thought odd, abnormal, and strange while such sincere believers are made fun of, rejected, and reviled (1 Peter 4:4).

America is in a rut of retaliation against Jesus.  We are a nation of carnal Christians.  The lascivious Christian serves the flesh (Romans 8:5), feeds upon milk and therefore is immature (1 Corinthians 3:1).  Such walks are unreliable (Romans 7:19), unfruitful (Matthew 13:22), the joy in Christ is lost (Psalm 51:12), and all rewards will be stubble in the fire (1 Corinthians 3:15).  We as a nation have become flesh-bound rather than whole-souled into Christ Jesus.  We do not live in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).  We have become preoccupied with the here and now.  Life is but a vapor.  We exist only for a short time on this earth, and what do we do?  We lust after prestige, power, possessions, flesh, and money.  We purse the name of Jesus on our lips, yet we avoid walking in His light.  We either forget His commandments of love or we modify His teachings to suit our fancy.  We are too afraid to stand for Jesus in the face of opposition, because we are terrorized by reactions of the surrounding environment. 

Please, don't get me wrong.  Just because I sit here blogging out the nation's condition, I do not think myself any better than society.  I am guilty of everything I rail against.  How can I not be?  I am a sinner saved by grace.  I live in the moment far too often, forgetting and/or brushing aside the Holy Spirit's weight upon my conscience.  I grieve Him daily.  Thanks be to Jesus Christ for pouring Himself out to issue God the Father's grace to mankind!  But His grace is not freely given--it came at a cost.  Jesus sacrificed Himself.  He allowed His own creation to turn on Him, to beat Him unmercifully, to spit on Him over and over, to humiliate Him, laugh at Him, torture Him, kill Him.  This is grace at it's best.  It is not the "what-can-you-do-for-me" mindset.  It is God's favor given to those who do not deserve it.  It is only received by claiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  It cannot and will never be received any other way!  

If it were not for Jesus and the life I claim in Him, I deserve the worsts of death for offending the Almighty with my past denial and lifestyle of unbelief.  This is why I rail against a nation claiming Christianity.  This is why I am disgusted by a country pursing God upon it's lips, yet refusing God in flesh.  We are going to be punished harshly if we do not turn from our sins and acknowledge Jesus as Lord of all.  If we do not change our sinful, arrogant lifestyles and pull a complete 180, then there is a certain doom which looms on the horizon of time.

We, as a nation, cannot allow ourselves to "be hardened by sin's deceitfulness" (Hebrews 3:13b).  We must soften our hearts, unclench our teeth, loosen our stiff necks and hear the call of Jesus.   But, it is not enough to just hear, we must submit to Jesus as King.  We must surrender our egos to God.  We are not who we think we are--we are not the end all that meets all.  Only in Christ will we receive mercy, grace, and boundless life eternal. 

Aftermath of Disobedience

Read Isaiah chapter five.  Although it refers to the nation of Israel, many similarities can be drawn to the state of the universal church.  Keep in mind, the nation of Israel is God’s chosen people.  If He deals with their neglect of His favor, He will definitely deal with a world who utterly denies Him. 

Today’s Christians have received the gift of grace and mercy in a world ripe with sin.  Jesus has planted the Word of Truth only to see it trampled underfoot with suspicion and denial.  God is love; He “did not send His Son to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him” (John 3:17).  There will be a time of judgment, but now is the time of salvation.  Christians should reach out in self-denial not Christ-denial.

There is coming a time where the world and its Christless Christians, who bear no fruit, will be judged harshly.  These are the ones who received the message of Christ on face value.  They turn from the faith and claim Christ’s truths are up for debate.  God will destroy their hedge of self-spiritualization.  He will break down their walls of man-made religion.  He will trample them under His foot.  He will make them a wasteland—neither pruned nor cultivated.  Briers and thorns of bitterness will fill the soul.  Hate will fester in place of peace, contentment, and clarity.  All God sees and hears are cries of judgment against Him—He has and will turn a deaf ear to false Christians saying, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:15-23). 

Denial and Consequence

If eighty percent of America is Christian, and thirty-three percent¹ of the world follows suit, then why do so many taunt God with their deeds and demand action from Him?  They live like “hell” and expect Him to answer their prayers.  God does not answer to us.  So, what happens?  Many go their own way saying the God of Scripture does not exist.  He is unkind, too demanding, and uncaring.  His way of salvation is a farce—Jesus is not the only way.  This makes God (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) out to be a liar.  They mutate Scripture to satisfy their own twisted hearts.  Jesus is aped into a self-serving, hypocritical religion. 

They claim to follow Jesus and deny His deity asserting, “God’s Word has been mistranslated,” or “How can man write an inerrant book,” or “God’s Word is outdated,” or “There are many interpretations—it just depends on how you look at it.”  All outrageous!  First of all, if you believe in a God, which many of these so-called Christians do, then how is it you can’t perceive Him to be capable of inspiring man (His creation) to write infallible words?  How is it you can’t admit that same God can provide avenues for His Word to be passed down through translation without error?  How can you claim God, who does not change (James 1:17), to have given us a Word that would become outdated?

“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 4:16).  “For the word of God is living and sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12). 

This irritates the sinews of those rebellious to God.  They want what they want and God precludes them of such.  His word cuts deep and to avoid their desires from being carved out, the Bible is contested as errant, outdated, or just outright manipulated.  Then, they turn on true Christians, who speak the truth, calling them narrow-minded, prejudiced, and bigoted.  They repose in the shelter of free will calling their actions good and those who confront them as bad.  They cast the Son of God and His flock aside, persecuting them while heralding their wicked ways as the new way to God.  Their arrogance as to their way superior to Gods will pave their road straight to hell.

Such patterns of thought and subsequent actions will set you ablaze in the end.  As dry grass curls and withers in the fire, souls will decay in this life and the next.  No wonder depression, constant searches for happiness, and complete feelings of emptiness course rampant through today’s world.  All understanding has blown away like dust replaced with refuse.   All the while, people will cling to false ideals of Christ hoping lies will answer their cries for help.

God has turned an unresponsive ear to false devotions.  “If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law (Jesus), even his prayers are detestable” (Proverbs 28:9).  He has turned His back to charlatan Christians, because they deny who He really is—they no longer pray to the one and only God, they utter to empty air.  Because of belief in babblings, the world has caused its own demise.  The soul’s grave has “enlarged its appetite” and “opened its mouth without limit” (Isaiah 5:14).  Many will go down to the pits of hell thinking their way is better than Gods.  One day, eyes and ears will be opened.  The unsaved and conceited “man will be brought low and mankind humbled, the eyes of the arrogant humbled” (Isaiah 5:15).

God is merciful or the world would not have received Jesus as the light of salvation.  But limits have been set.  Before long, a day of judgment will be called for.  God’s holiness requires satisfaction.  The end times are here.  I’m not saying it will be tomorrow or next year or even in my lifetime—but it could be.  No man knows the day, but we are given signs to filter the times through. 

Mature, faithful followers of Christ are able to read the signs like meteorologists read weather patterns; or how doctors are able to read the signs of any particular sickness.  The world has a sickness and it is called self-importance.  Without Christ Jesus as your cure, your soul is terminable.  The spiritual weather patterns forecast Christ’s return and the coming storm on the horizon for those left behind after the rapture of believers.  We have warnings all about us, yet so many choose to ignore and turn from their sin.  We are blinded by desire, science, technology, machinery, false teachers, apostasy, aped truths of Jesus Christ.  So things get worse, the world’s disease goes unchecked and the cancer of denial spreads. 

God exists, Jesus is who He says He is.  Refusal of Him causes the Holy Spirit to crush souls and the Father to punish His creation.  He turns nation against nation swiftly and speedily—not one of them grows tired of killing or dying for their cause.  The roar of hate is in unison around the world.  Rage growls, seething with many a devised plan for horror.  Terrorists are everywhere like a roaring sea and they are quick to implement death.  There are clouds of bombs, terrorist’s attacks, missiles, gun fire in unsuspecting public squares.  There is absolutely no light of hope except through Jesus.  But the world deems Him as an unfit route of salvation.  All will continue to worsen—wait and see.

If you are on the fence, why choose Satan over Christ?  Ultimately, that’s what it boils down to—the devils arrogance or Jesus’ humility.  There is time now to make the wise choice, repent and turn to the Lord.  “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).

 

¹ http://religious.pewforums.org/reports/

 

Our Living Hope

1 Peter 1:3-5

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade—kept in heaven for (us), who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”   

We, as true brethren of Christ, are given a living hope.  What exactly is a living hope?  Through Jesus’ bodily resurrection, we have the guarantee we are to be raised as He was—that is, if we are not among the one’s counted during His return.  Even so, if we are living at that time, our bodies are to be resurrected anew into one identical to Christ.  Either way, the resurrection of our bodies into a glorious transformation, or glorification, is definite.  We are promised this in Scripture (1 Corinthians 15:1-58).  God did it for His Son and He has promised to do it for us, His adopted children.  Remember, we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Jesus (Romans 8:17). 

Now, living hope is an enthusiastic belief that is alert, sustaining, conscious, growing, ready, alive and kicking.  It resides within the boundaries of our resurrection and our inheritance as the family of God.  Our endowment firmly resides in heaven.  We are to set expectations of favor within the parameters of Paradise.  There our rewards, our home, our lives will never “perish, fade, or spoil.”  Here, we are nothing but temporary tents housing the gift of life, our spirits.   All spirits are eternal, it’s just a matter of where we will spend eternity.  To place scope of vision on the here and now, brushing aside the hereafter, is foolish and juvenile.  Children do not consider tomorrow, they are only concerned with the immediate.  We as adults know better, yet when it comes to life after death, we emulate the shortsightedness of the immature.

Our earthly gains amount to nothing, no matter the amount accumulated, when death comes knocking.  Not one single item can be taken into eternity.  So, why is so much emphasis placed on material possessions rather than spiritual ones?  Why is the short span of eighty to one hundred years, at best, so dog-gone blind to hope?  The windows to our souls have blinds of apathy blocking the view of God’s ageless tomorrow.   If we are Christians, true Christians, our citizenship resides upward not outward.  Our hope is meant for eternity’s inheritance with Jesus, not the devil’s doghouse of denial. 

We know that hope’s gains are “kept in heaven,” but how?  Through faith in Jesus Christ.  Faith is complete trust or dependence on the absolute of Jesus being who He says He is (Hebrews 11:1).  We are assured of our inheritance’s reality and its safety.  It is “shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time” (1 Peter 1:5).  Notice verse five states, “the salvation that is ready to be revealed.”  Once Jesus died on the cross and defeated Satan and sin, He was resurrected in victory over death.  The three “evils”—Satan, sin, and death—were defeated by the One.  Satan stands opposite his Creator.  God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—defeated all three on Calvary.  Christ was the Suffering Servant, but do not miscount the role of the Father and Spirit in salvation.  The Father sacrificed His only begotten for the sake of His creation, the Son gave Himself up for the Father’s righteous love, and the Spirit raised Jesus from death and now works as our Counselor.  The one, true God won.

Since that glorious triumph, the Father has been preparing a family unto Himself through His Son, by placing His Spirit as a seal on the souls who accept His only means of salvation.  This salvation is ready to be revealed here in the last times.  Jesus spoke of the end times when He walked the earth, this verse refers to the last times.  There is a difference.  Think of the Olympics.  The end of the games is designated by a closing ceremony on the final day.  The days preceding the closing ceremony are generally referred to as "the end of the games."  Not until the last game is played is the closing ceremony set to start.  The same is of life as we know it.  The past has been the end of times, but now is the last time.  I cannot say how long the final game will last, only that we are in the final play of history.  Once the game clock ticks down to zero, the closing ceremony will begin.  The signs are all about.  Open your eyes, Christians, and read the times.  The end has become the last.  Jesus could literally come back at any moment.

All prophecy in Scripture leads to Jesus.  Old Testament prophecies tell of the coming Messiah, the Christ, Jesus.  New Testament prophecies foretell His return, one: to catch up His family, and two: to establish His kingdom by ending the present age.  His return is eminent—through His own words.  The times He spoke of exist in overwhelming abundance today.  To continue eyes set downward is to live as an ostrich with its head in the sand.  The end is coming whether or not we keep an eye out for it.  Our living hope should be on His powerful appearing.

Age of Denouncement

(excerpt from my unpublished book, Convoluted Christianity)

Are you an apostate?  Huh?  Meaning, have you fallen away from your faith?  Have you denounced your relationship with Jesus?  Have you been led to His waters to quench your thirst and decided to gorge your stomach with Satan’s canteen of lies?  Do you live in accordance to God’s Word or are you a lover of the world?  Are you misled by false doctrine, false faith—lies?  Do you even know if you are on the path to hell or have you been blinded by the devil’s deceit?  Remember, if you claim to be a Christian, you had better examine your beliefs in the light of Jesus. 

Look at the world around you.  No, let’s be more specific for now.  Look at America.  Our motto is “In God We Trust."  Nothing could be further from the truth.  America trusts in itself.  It is a nation bent on me, me, me.  Technology is progressing at such a rate interpersonal connection is practically obsolete.  Rarely do you find a person without a cell phone to their ear or their head buried downward typing out texts.  Computers are the new god of choice.  Everything is instantaneous, we are junkies for immediacy.  We claim freedom is our right, yet we freely relinquish our lives to the cyber world.  We are chained to our phones, computers, twitter accounts, Facebook pages, emails, texts—we have shackled ourselves and Satan could not be happier.  He has distracted our thoughts of Jesus with ease.  Technology at heart is not evil, but what we are doing with it is. 

At this nation’s start, we fundamentally had God at the core.  In turn, God blessed this nation with growth incomparable to any other country, just look at our history.  Yet, as the years have progressed our faith has regressed.  We claim “In God We Trust” and spit in His face every day by rejecting His Son as the Christ.  We live out our lives our way, demanding God change His—man, this nation is arrogant.  With the same mouths we profess Christianity and spew out profanity.  With the same knees we bow to God in prayer yet worship technology. 

We have no regard, no appreciation of God’s earth—we pollute it for the almighty dollar, we destroy it for profit.  We carouse in drunken, drug-induced stupors, partaking of sex-filled lifestyles blaming God for the consequences of STD’s and unplanned pregnancies.  We wag our fingers at Him in disgust for allowing rapists, murderers, kidnappers, and the like to go free due to a corrupt justice system.  Not to mention how politicians love to play the Christian card while running for office, yet when elected their true colors shine.  Our government is one of injustice, one catered to the wealthy, one catered to the lobbyists who represent large corporations and our elected officials are steeped in what’s right in their eyes, rather than the eyes of those who elected them.  And all this under the motto, “In God We Trust”—please. 

We are an egocentric society.  We want what feels good and we want it now.  Tell us we are wrong and suffer the backlash of fury, hate, and exile.  America does not trust in God.  It serves the gods of this age—technology and pleasure. Take a gander at the youth of today.  Rebellious, self-seeking, violent, obsessed with the here and now, and make no provision for tomorrow.  They love to fight and revel in violence.  Their favorite forms of entertainment are games that feature murder and war, movies that glorify care and consequence free lives, and clubs where alcohol, drugs, and sex run rampant.  We take up for them by claiming such lifestyles and entertainment are not the cause for our nation’s woes.  Let me tell you, if you consistently fill your mind with such, your spirit is stained.    Our hearts are the well-spring of our lives, we must guard them fiercely (Proverbs 4:23).  If they are tainted, then the waters that flow forth are corrupted with the vile we mixed in with them. 

Many claim to be followers of Jesus, yet vehemently cry out in rage when the one and only truth is put in front of them.  How can those who partake of the world, crave its pleasures, and fall for Satan’s lies be Christian?  How can Christian fight against Christian over doctrine clearly stated in Scripture?  How can a society so bent on itself, so warped by desire, and mutilated truth of Jesus Christ be Christian?  It simply cannot be.  This nation is one of partying, depravity, sexual immorality, homosexuality, swindlers, murderers, liars, cheats, drunkards, deniers of solid Biblical doctrine.   

Countless so-called Christians are lost.  They never accepted Christ as their Savior—that He is the only way, the only truth, and the only life—they are Christless Christians, apostles of apathy.  Absolutely no if’s, and’s, or but’s about it.  Get mad all you want, reject my words all you want.  At the core, it’s not me you are mad at, but God (1 Thessalonians 4). 

The world today treads the path of the wicked (Proverbs 4:14-15).  We as Christians are to avoid the wide path that leads down to destruction of souls, but what does the majority do— travel on it, live on it, make their beds on it.  So-called Christians eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence (Proverbs 4:17).  They raise their children to serve God but their life-style examples teach the way of the devil.  Grown children end up falling away from the faith, because they have not been taught the ways of the Lord.  The path of the saved should be one that shines Christ’s presence from within like the first gleam of dawn, but instead they have chosen the way of the unsaved falling into deep darkness—they have no idea what is making them empty inside, so joyless, so unclear of why they keep tripping (Proverbs 4:18-19).