Now if we died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, dies no more. Death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. [1]
Jesus Christ has been raised from the dead, never to die again! He did what no one else ever did or ever could do. Death could not hold Him. Death could not restrain Him. Death could not claim Him as its own. Death could not prevent Him from taking its keys. The Resurrection has once and for all defeated death!
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. [2]
Jesus Christ. Exalted by God and given a name far above every other name. Jesus. There is only one Jesus, Son of the Most High God. So great is the risen Christ that at the mention of His holy name, every knee will bow in submission to Him. Things in Heaven, things in the earth, and things under the earth will all acknowledge Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. God will be glorified as every tongue confesses that Jesus Christ is Lord!
The proud. The defiant. The haughty. The evil. The backslider. Every saint. Every angel. Every created being. All will bow down and acknowledge Him for who He is, for He is the death-destroyer that man has been waiting for since the fall in the garden. Through His death He has destroyed him who had the power over death, the devil!
This Easter I hope you will rejoice with me in that because He lives, we too are alive in Him! No longer held captive by the chains of sin, we have been set free, no longer in bondage to the fear of death! Liberty, freedom, salvation are yours because death could not hold Him in the tomb!
At the risk of being branded a heretic, or of not being a team player, I’ve come to the conclusion that there must be a great deal of dissatisfaction with many of us in our relationship with the Lord. How else can you explain the obsession we seem to have for wanting something beyond our salvation to keep us engaged?
In their never-ending search to come up with the “next big thing”, churches spend untold millions of dollars to excite and enliven their congregations to keep interest high and seats filled. Whether the goal is increased attendance, more exciting children’s and youth ministries, special services with guest speakers or themes, or even a new coffee bar, there is a program out there that will provide everything you need to reach your goals. Or so say the purveyors of those selling the programs.
It’s probably just me and my old-fashioned mindset, but in our zeal to incentivize the faithful just to get them in church, it seems that the sheer joy and gratitude for salvation alone has been left by the wayside. It’s as if a new level of excitement is needed, something beyond merely taking up our cross and walking with the Lord. Hence the desire to look for “attractions” outside the normal boundaries of their faith.
Compared to the generations who came before us who were thrilled just to know their names were written in the Lamb’s Book of Life and were equally excited to share their faith with others, I believe we are forgetting that the best “church growth” program has always been word of mouth evangelism.
Now, some will argue that if our “latest big thing” is producing the desired results, then what is the problem? The problem is that any time external programs and initiatives are the main attraction, Jesus Christ is shoved to the back corner, and the attraction now becomes the focal point.
This brings me to the question of at what point did having our sins forgiven cease to be enough? Why must there always be the next big thing that we aspire to? Have we not found sufficiency in the Lord Jesus? Is that the real issue? Whatever happened to “Christ in you, the hope of glory“? Considering that the entirety of scripture points us to a loving relationship with our Creator, I believe those are legitimate questions to ask.
Again, at the risk of being judged a malcontent, I am of the conviction that we Christians have become sidetracked by Satan in vastly over emphasizing our spiritual and religious programs and initiatives over what is most important: the salvation of souls. In fact, the apostle Paul addressed this very issue when he told the church at Corinth “But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ“. 2nd Corinthians 11:3
Paul recognized that Satan’s temptation of Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3:1-5) was something he could use to instruct the wayward church at Corinth. The devil’s lie to Eve that she would not die if she ate of the forbidden fruit was encapsulated in half-truths and cunning enticements, all designed to get her to look away from the instructions God had given to her and Adam. Satan knew that if he could somehow entice Eve to look inwardly to that which appealed to her flesh, she would look away from God, and take her husband with her.
Satan is still using those very same tactics today, and with great success I might add.
Paul used the phrase “simplicity that is in Christ” to describe the simple Gospel truth that salvation is in Him alone, and that He alone must be the focal point of all that we do. His fear was the Corinthian believers were allowing their minds to be carried away with other beliefs, seducing spirits, practices, and worldly doctrines that appealed only to the flesh but were opposed to the simplicity of a pure relationship with the Lord Jesus.
If you’re still with me, these deceptive days in which we now live highlight the need for the church to return to the Biblical understanding that Christ, and Christ alone, must be emphasized above all else. Furthermore, if there are to be any great works such as sustained growth, miracles, healings, or blessings, they will be because ofobedience to God’s word. Why is that? Because the power of God is unleashed through the Gospel, not through men and their slick promotional schemes!
As we look out on our lost world today, knowing that time as we know it is shorter now than it’s ever been, it is incumbent upon us to focus on man’s greatest need: the salvation of his soul. That has to be the focus of all ministry. That alone must be our purpose, our reason for doing. If we neglect the salvation of others, we will have failed in our mission.
“Lord, one soul at a time, millions are perishing all around us. This brings you much pain because you gave your life for them. Your word tells us that it is not your will that any should perish, but that all should be saved. Stir up in us the desire to win the lost. Let us not be able to look upon them with callous hearts but make our hearts weep as yours does. Father, help us to make a difference in the life of just one. In Jesus name I pray”.
“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit.”. [1]
One of the interesting things about Matthew’s account of the events leading up to the birth of Jesus is that he doesn’t actually tell about the birth of Jesus. We read the full account of that In Luke’s gospel. Matthew focuses instead on where Jesus came from.
When it comes to the subject of marriage, things were done very differently then, especially among the Jews as there were essentially three steps to marriage in the Jewish world of Jesus’ time.
Engagement: This was often arranged by the parents, and sometimes it happened when the bride and groom to be were very young, at least by our standards today.
Betrothal: This made the previous engagement official and binding. During the time of betrothal the couple were known as husband and wife, and a betrothal could only be broken by divorce. Betrothal typically lasted a year.
Marriage: This took place after the wedding, after the year of betrothal.
This is all the more important considering that Matthew states that before they came together, or consummated their marriage, Mary was found to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit. Naturally, this posed quite a problem for the young couple. Not only is this humanly impossible, but how could they explain it to others? Who would believe such a thing?
We can only image the scandal that was to ensue. Here was this godly young woman who has not yet known her husband Joseph, yet she becomes pregnant. And what of Joseph? He was a just man, or what we could call a righteous man. What about his own reputation?
Joseph knew that if Mary had been unfaithful to him there was no way he could go through with the marriage to her. Yet because he was a just man he did not want to make the situation worse by imposing hardship or stigma upon Mary. Backed into a corner, he did the only thing he could do for the sake of all involved: he would seek a quiet divorce.
Thankfully, God, as He always does, had a better plan than divorce! While Joseph thought about these things, an angel appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
When the angel said “Joseph, son of David” he did so in reference to Joseph’s lineage to the throne of David. The angel was essentially telling Joseph this child that Mary is carrying is descended from royalty on both sides! What a proclamation!
Furthermore, the angel explained to Joseph what Mary never could have. How do you explain the divine in human terms? How can the human mind comprehend that which can only be done by God Himself? The answer of course is that humans cannot understand it in their own intellect, it must be received by faith.
Yet God, knowing all of this, sent His angel to explain to Joseph what had happened, and because of this explanation, Joseph received it and took Mary to be his wife. God’s plan was not thwarted after all!
Tomorrow, we will conclude this series as well look into Luke’s gospel and see that the glorious day of Christ’s birth has arrived!
The above quote from Winston Churchill was given in a speech delivered to the British House of Commons on December 10th, 1936, just hours after King Edward VIII abdicated the throne in response to the harsh criticism he received from the Church of England, the British government, and the public, for his decision to marry an American divorcee, Wallis Warfield Simpson.
In this speech, Churchill went on to say that “Nothing is more certain or more obvious than that recrimination or controversy at this time would be not only useless but harmful and wrong. What is done is done. What has been done or left undone belongs to history, and to history, so far as I am concerned, it shall be left”.
According to Churchill, there was no going back from the decision that had been made. King Edward VIII had made his choice, and for the country to survive in an era of impending war, the only way to do that was to move forward and not spend time on what might have been. Dark clouds were on the horizon, and it wouldn’t be long before the nation would come under a near catastrophic attack from the German Luftwaffe, an attack that very nearly brough the nation to its knees.
Today, America stands on the brink of implosion. Historians are in near total agreement that the nation is now more divided than at any time since the Civil War. Those same dark clouds of war that surrounded Britian surround this nation as well, with the frequent saber rattling of China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea serving to remind us that we no longer enjoy the status as the most powerful nation on the earth. That fact alone should send shivers down our spines.
In Churchill’s day, it was expected that the leaders of the government would stand up in defense of the populace. Indeed, having someone like a Churchill or a Roosevelt guiding the affairs of the nation offered great solace to its people, especially in times of grave uncertainty about the future. The fact that both men regularly brought God into their speeches and conversations further helped to instill confidence in the people they served.
Sadly, in America today we can lay no claims to having such leadership. Just the opposite is true. Instead of uniting a divided nation, we are seeing played out before us the ultimate dividing and conquering of a once proud Republic.
In what has to be one of the most devastating root causes of the unprecedented dismantling of America currently underway in Washington D.C., America is no longer “One Nation Under God…”. That’s because we are no longer “One Nation”.
We are a divided nation, a nation of many isms and schisms all vying for supreme control while giving no indication of a willingness to compromise or bring about unification. Instead, detractors and dissenters must be silenced. Unlike the America that our ancestors enjoyed, where opinions and diversity were considered to be our strengths, today those qualities are allowed to exist only if they can be used to gain an advantage over ‘them’.
I’ve said this many times, and it becomes more apparent with each passing year, that we have become like ancient Israel, adopting the customs and ideals of the heathen nations around them, nations whose sins eventually engulfed the people of God and led them back into captivity. Today America is drowning in a sea of perversion, filth, and debauchery the likes of no nation ever before. Even the ancient Romans, famous for their deviant lifestyles of sexual promiscuity and idolatry, could not have dreamed of such a corrupt and perverse nation as ours.
Perhaps most shocking of all is this: like Britian of the 1930’s, America today cannot go back to what it once was. It cannot happen, it will not happen. No rallying cry to make America great again can effectively turn the tide or reverse the trends of today. We as a nation have gone too far in our rejection of God Almighty. It will make absolutely no difference who lives in the White House. America will never again be the land of Mayberry and Aunt Bea.
Why can’t we go back to those wholesome and peaceful times we cling to in our memories? Because America has forsaken the God of its forefathers, and every nation that has committed such an atrocity has eventually succumbed to the sins it has chosen to embrace.
Astonishingly, there are several scriptural references that parallel the moral and spiritual decay that envelops America today. For example, we find in the Old Testament book of Hosea a chilling message given to the nation of Israel that could just as easily been given to our nation today.
1 “Hear the word of the Lord, you children of Israel, for the Lord brings a charge against the inhabitants of the land: “There is no truth or mercy or knowledge of God in the land. 2 By swearing and lying, killing and stealing and committing adultery, they break all restraint, with bloodshed upon bloodshed. 3 Therefore the land will mourn; and everyone who dwells there will waste away with the beasts of the field and the birds of the air; even the fish of the sea will be taken away.
4 “Now let no man contend, or rebuke another; for your people are like those who contend with the priest. 5 Therefore you shall stumble in the day; the prophet also shall stumble with you in the night; and I will destroy your mother. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children”. Hosea 4:1-6
When confronted with these words from the Bible we are sure to have one of several responses to them. We may consider them as something so out of date and irrelevant that we immediately dismiss them. We might look at them and say, “well that was for Israel, not America”. Or maybe we will look at them and agree that we are seeing history repeat itself before our very eyes.
One thing is certain, however. Just as Churchill stated, we too cannot look back. The only path left to take is the path the apostle Paul talked about in Philippians 3:13: “Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead“.
Those things “which are ahead” are why we run this race. Reaching forward is the opposite of returning to the past. Paul saw no need in clinging to what was, or to what used to be. Like Churchill, he understood that what had been done or what had been left undone was best committed to history. What mattered was right now. What mattered was reaching forward.
I’m looking ahead to a new Heaven and a new Earth where godliness and righteousness are the rule, not the exception. Sin, brought about by man’s disobedience to his Creator, has corrupted and all but destroyed this earth, leaving me to feel more and more as though I don’t belong here. As a matter of fact, I don’t want to be here any longer. This place is not my home, it’s only a temporary residence that I’m occupying until He comes.
I don’t know what America and the world will look like when Jesus comes again, except to say that it’s going to be much worse than it is now. The downward spiral the world is in will continue; with society slipping further away from the God who longs to redeem them. Is it any wonder then that Jesus asked the question in Luke 18:8 “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?”
Still, I am not discouraged, because I know that nothing will take the Lord by surprise! I’m running this race so that I might win the crown of righteousness. I’m in it to win it, and I’m determined to let nothing, or no one to cause me to lose what I now have in sight. The finish line is just ahead, and I intend to cross that line in victory! We cannot afford to look back!
Have you ever been in a place where you desperately needed to hear a word of hope or encouragement from a friend, family member, or pastor but all you heard were crickets? Something tells me that most of you have been in such a situation. It’s not a good place to be in, is it?
I’ve been that person so many times that I’ve lost count. I’ve paced the floor from midnight to dawn all while asking the Lord “why doesn’t anyone care enough to help me”? I have been so broken that I nearly convinced myself that there was no hope for me. Seriously, when your every waking thought centers around the hopelessness of your situation, you are in a dark, dark place.
I’ll never forget going to a “friend’s” house one day, desperate for friendship, a ray of hope, or just a kind word. Instead of being on the receiving end of any of the above, I spent the next two hours listening to his problems and encouraging him. I actually left there in worse shape then when I arrived, and I certainly didn’t think that was possible!
I imagine that some of you have been there as well, haven’t you?
There is a silver lining to this sad tale however. Through it all I have learned that when help is nowhere to be found, look again. You are never far from help if you look to Jesus. If you look for him, he WILL be found! Pace the floor all night long if you feel you need to, but please realize that it is not necessary.
I have learned that our God is faithful to sustain us no matter how dark or bleak our world may appear to be. As a matter of fact, scripture teaches us that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble”(Psalm 46:1). The enemy of our soul would love to plant the seeds of doubt in our hearts and minds that God cares about us, but the Word of God declares that He is our helper!
There is something else that has come out of all of this, a lesson I wish to pass on to all of you. I have determined that whatever people did not do for me in my time of need, I cannot allow that to prevent me from helping others. What was is gone forever, but tomorrow is a new day, offering hope through the power of the risen Savior.
All of us need to be the difference maker in someone’s life. That’s why we’re here after all. That’s why God saved us from our sins, to be Jesus to someone in desperate need.
I just had to share a link to an article that really resonated with me. In a day when many people who attend church do not study the scriptures and therefore will accept just about anything as the “Gospel Truth”, it is indeed refreshing to see that not everyone has jumped off the cliff!
“If God really wanted us to “Achieve our Dreams” and “Fulfill our Destiny,” wouldn’t the Bible clearly tell us that? Wouldn’t there be verses in the New Testament where we (the church) would be instructed to “Dream Big” or “Get out of your comfort zone” or “Follow the dream in your heart” or something like that? Did Jesus die on the cross to pay the penalty for our sins, or did He die on the cross so our dreams can come true”?
You can read the rest of this enlightening article here:
OK, let’s get one thing out of the way up right front,can we? I know that I am considered a throwback to an era that has long since faded away from the church.Many probably consider me to be some sort of relic,or dinosaur because I utterly reject the path the church has taken in it’s never ending quest to entertain the goats while starving the sheep.
I make no apologies for the stand I have taken because I know full well that there is coming a day when I will give an account before God for the deeds I have done.
From where I sit on the front pew I am witnessing the first hand dismantling of that which so many who have come before us labored tirelessly to ensure we would have.
I’m talking about our Christian heritage.
The heritage of personal holiness.
The heritage of a hope and a future.
The heritage of a better way.
The spirit of the age has overtaken the church to the point that wrong is now right and right is considered to be outdated and of no use any longer.
This spirit declares it has no need of God for and by most accounts that is a true statement.
We have become so proficient at doing church that if the Lord were to withdraw His Spirit from our midst we would not even notice the difference!
So called “worship leaders” continue on with their “set” just as if they were performing in a club.Performers who have spent no time alone with the Lord the entire week yet somehow feel qualified to lead hungry,searching people into the Presence of a Holy God on Sunday!
This is an abomination!
Crude jokes designed to elicit laughter from unfeeling,uncaring,and unholy people have made their way into our pulpits,and the people can’t get enough of it!
Where does all of this stop? When will this madness end?
When Jesus comes,my friends. When Jesus comes.
There is a great falling away taking place right before our eyes and most in the church are blind to it.
So much so that they march arm in arm not even aware of what is taking place.
This morning we visited the Vandalia Christian Tabernacle in Vandalia Ohio, where Pastor Todd Hoskins pastors a great church that is full of enthusiasm for the Lord. Pastor Todd brought a great message from Judges 2:10 about a generation that did not know the Lord.
“When all that generation had been gathered to their fathers, another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord nor the work which He had done for Israel.”
As I listened to this message I couldn’t help but think that this generation of Americans may well be the last one that knows the Lord. Of course that sounds foolish, but if we look honestly at the rampant sin that has engulfed our nation we must conclude that we are in serious trouble. It would appear on the surface that we as a nation have forsaken the old paths, not unlike the children of Israel did time after time. Look at what the Lord said to them in Jeremiah 6:16…
“Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”
If we forsake the ways of the Lord we are doomed to repeat the sins of the past and we cannot expect our end to be any different then the nations who have gone before us. It doesn’t take a genius to look around us and realize that we as a nation are determined to undermine the foundations upon which America has stood. People today are so unthankful, so rude, so self absorbed, seemingly caring for nothing but themselves. Yet I believe we have a choice to make. We can either bemoan the sad state our nation is in or we can do our part to try to stem the tide. What can I do, you ask?
First of all we can pray. Now, I know there are those that will say “well of course we can pray, but I want to do something”! Beloved, when we pray we are bringing Almighty God into the battle! There is nothing greater we can do than that. To call upon the name of the Lord for the restoration of America should be the mandate of every Christian in the world. It’s that serious folks.
I believe another thing we can do is to accept the responsibility to mentor someone in the faith. It is so easy to be critical and complain that this one or that one just isn’t doing it the right way, but have you and I stepped up to show them a better way? I well remember some of the saints of my past who have gone on to their reward patiently teaching me and working with me to help ground me in the faith. We need more of that today in the church. We need men and women who have been through the fires to walk along side those who are just starting out.
A Front Row View of The Church 