The Battle

 The Battle

2Timothy 2:4  No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

If we were going to war we would not allow the things of this world to distract us. And, in our more modern thinking, we would not likely be concerned with pleasing the one who chose us for any army. However, one can see the intent of this statement just the same, “Please God with your life since it is God who chose you to become one of His own.” He chose you.

                We get so caught up with the things in this world, never really understanding their temporal nature. The Apostle John saw it almost 2000 years ago; I John 2:15-16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. (v.16) For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. Everything around us is temporary and has no lasting purpose or value. We live in a spiritual universe, not physical. It is the spiritual which will continue not the physical. We put so much value on the things we see, striving to attain, working to gain more, finding ways to preserve or retain more “things”. When, in reality, it is the spiritual realm around us that actually matters. We are a brief physical manifestation in an eternal spiritual realm. The primary focus should be our eternal souls. But instead, we hold feverishly to our bank accounts, our public image, the status we have in society and all the possessions we have amassed, never pausing to consider that in a single moment of time it will all vanish.

                Our focus must become our relationship with God. The verse we cited above mentions soldiers. Timothy assumes first that we are members of God’s army, that we are born again children of God*. The children of God are the soldiers that Paul makes reference to in this verse. Too many of us become sons of God and then choose to stay home and not join in with the army of God. It is not a separate enlistment. When one becomes a child of God they are automatically enlisted in his army. Sadly, many of God’s soldiers choose to stay home and not join in the battle. God is warring for the souls of men. He is trying to save as many as possible before the end while a large part of his own army remains “encamped” at home in the comforts of this physical world.

                We must learn to focus on the battle. Paul told Timothy our war, our fight, must be one in which we are free from the affairs of this life. Our focus should be the souls of men, they are eternal. Every person we see will one day stand (or kneel) in the presence of God. The only question is whether they kneel as born-again believers at the Judgment Seat of Christ or as condemned souls at the Great White Throne. 

As Christians, our current concern seems to be more about maintaining other’s friendships and affections today in the few short years we share in this physical realm. We are in a battle for their souls. Release the hold of worldly affections and do everything possible to get them under the sound of the Gospel. Yes, it may cause us to lose their companionship today. But, if they finally, somewhere in life, meet Christ because of our testimony would the loss of their friendship today be too great a price to pay? The eternal gratitude of a redeemed soul will be of far greater value than anything this world offers.

                We are in a great spiritual battle and the only things which are eternal are the souls of our family, friends and acquaintances here. Turn your eyes to the battlefield and become one that the Father can be glad he chose for the fight. Be the soldier God has called you to be. Don’t be timid or shy. We must all come to the place in our Christian life where we can say with Paul, “… I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).

                Get in the battle “that (you) may please him who hath chosen (you) to be a soldier.”

 

 *If you have not been born again then stop here please and read: http://christxalted.blogspot.com/2016/01/how-to-be-born-again.html)

WHAT TO DO WITH KNOWLEDGE

 

WHAT TO DO WITH KNOWLEDGE

                        When something in the Word of God suddenly becomes real to you, when the reality of that truth is almost paralyzing as you see it materializing in the real-world around you, what do you do?

                        Recently a friend asked if I would take the time to watch a video he had come across. That is certainly not uncommon. Most of us understand that when we see or hear things that prick us in the heart, whether by fear or fascination, we are prone to share them with those we are close to. And so, knowing he was one who truly wants to walk with Christ, I felt the video might be well worth my interest. And it was. This is not an alarmist conspiracy theory alert, so please continue reading.

                        When I was only a few years old in our Lord, having been saved only 2-3 years earlier, I was introduced to the Illuminati. Fear and the desire to expose this entity was all-the-rage at that time. Most religious groups who spoke of the end times would focus their efforts on exposing them. Early on, I was shown the pyramid symbol on our dollar bill and heard about their infiltration into our governing bodies. That was some 45 years ago. Since that time, it has all but vanished from the pulpits. Other issues have taken their place. Did they go away? Are they no longer a concern?

                        In my first pastorate, a friend and member of our church explained he had once been a freemason. He gave it up after receiving Christ as his Savior. However, he did want me to have his copy of the freemason handbook he had been given to study. I took it home and read it voraciously. I learned it did not matter to the freemasons which god you worshipped since every country they were in had their own god. Clearly, freemasonry was not Christian. At the best it might have been called theistic. So, I understood why he felt the need to leave the freemasons behind.

                        In watching the video I had been given, these things (and others more terrifying) were brought to light and tied together. I began to understand the connection they all had. The speaker on the video was trying to help people understand that these entities were tied together and running the governments of this world. And he was right. I believe almost every word of what he said.

                        I closed the video. I sat and thought. I wondered at all I had heard. But…I was not at all surprised. I have long known as I am sure many of you know, Satan is in control of this world. Does it matter which form he takes? It is good to always remember this world is in Satan’s control. But we never need to fear that fact, because God is always in control of the end results. He will be the victor and He will reign supreme. So, what do we do with the knowledge?

                        First, watch its growth and expanse as the years go by and take heart as we see it fulfilling the prophecies of God. God said evil would fill this world again just at it did in the days of Lot and Noah. In Noah’s day God could only find one family to save. Evil will fill every government in this world. As it gets closer to that mark, WE GET CLOSER TO HOME. Find encouragement that fact, not fear.

                        Second, get off your stump. We do not need to focus on learning all about Satan’s methods and tactics. We need to fulfill the command of Christ, “And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled” (Luke 14:23). I know the first response will be that the lost need to see the danger. However, let me offer this example:

                        You are facing someone who has an immediate life threating danger directly behind them. They do not see it. You are about to scream out to them the need they have to take your hand for   rescue before they die. Will you say, “please quickly take my hand you are about to die?” Or will you try to spend the next thirty minutes explaining what is behind them knowing they might possibly slip and fall into it at any moment. Really it does not matter if it is fire, a spear about to be thrust into them, a vat of deadly acid or a pit of vipers, they just need to be saved from the danger. Warn them and offer them Jesus.  

                        Today’s horrific political environment should motivate us to win the lost at any cost. Understand the dangers without becoming entangled in them but preach Christ and Christ crucified for sin. 

Mirrors Lie

 

MIRRORS LIE       No kidding, mirrors really do lie. Oh, I don't think they do it on purpose. Most mirrors would like to be honest but they just can't help it. Or maybe, it really isn't them at all. It could be our perception of the reflection we see. Let's not blame mirrors entirely. Understand that each of us has an idea of what we look like. We really don't know what we look like to the rest of the world. We have only our own personal impression of what they see, and it is terribly skewed.      You really can never stand back and look at yourself and expect to see what others see. Think of your graduation photo for the High School year book. Your friends gathered around and told you how that photo looked just like you and it was such a great shot. But you sat there on the verge of vomiting as soon as you laid eyes on it. So, what was the difference? You both viewed the same photo and came away with entirely different concepts.      Not long ago I was in a public washroom and caught a profile of myself in the mirror. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Was that really me? Is it possible that I actually looked like that to the rest of the world? Mirrors lie.      We will never see, in a mirror or photo, what friends and relatives see when they talk to us or walk along beside us in the yard or at a church function. They see, in addition to the surface features, all of the personality and years of love and friendship that has grown between us. They see character that mere glass cannot reflect and film can never capture. You can't see what they do because you also see all that you know about yourself and all that they, by the grace of God, will never know.      When you look in the mirror, or the store front as you pass by, be forgiving. Don't judge so harshly. Remember, your friends and family love someone dearly who just happens to be wrapped up in that same reflection. Try to see what they see. Try to love the person they have come to love so deeply. And remember, none of it was ever based upon weight, hair style, clothing or blemishes, it was always a matter of character, spirituality and your acceptance of them. We will never really see what others see, but I think we should try.      In Matthew 22:39 Jesus speaking of the 10 Commandments said, “And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.” How can we keep this second commandment, to love others as ourselves, if we do not learn to love ourselves first? We can learn to love the person God created when our mirror is not an empty reflection in a glass, but is instead the Mirror of God’s Word (James 1:25). God loves us and sees us (if you are born again) as the redeemed, filled with His Holy Spirit and adopted into His family as joint heirs with His Son Jesus Christ. It is an image no mirror could ever capture. We are the Bride of Christ and you just can’t get any more beautiful than that. I guess mirrors lie after all.

Racial Pride

 

Racial Pride

                         It is amazing to me that there is so much emphasis on pride when it comes to race in a society that says it is against racism. If we are not to be prideful about our race, then shouldn’t we just be silent about our race? But the underlying issues go much deeper than pride or silence.

                         I would appreciate you thinking for just a moment. Really, I want you to honestly think about my next question. When, at what specific point in time, did you decide the year of your birth? I don’t ask that in order to be comedic. It is an honest question. When did you decide which era to be born in? Was the 20^th or 21^st  century your first choice? There really are a lot of conveniences that come with this era. I mean really, if you had decided on 317a.d. you wouldn’t have had an XBOX not to mention the total lack of espresso. Now had you decided on 1427a.d. there would have been some conveniences over 317a.d. but still it would not have been the modern society we have today. So, you made a good choice. You decided to be born in the late 1900’s to early 2000’s. Right?

                         Ok, well maybe not. But you did decide to be born into a wealthy family of British royalty. Not British? OK, maybe you chose to be the child of an American icon. At least you didn’t choose poverty. Right?

                         Possibly some of those options were not available to you. However, since there is so much pride in race we can certainly understand you choice of continents. The Asian continent is certainly a better choice than the Artic. And if not there then you would certainly have chosen the European over the South American. Right?

                         Is this stupid enough yet? Prior to your birth you had no choices at all. You did not choose to be born in any era. You could have been born in 317a.d. just as easily as 2067a.d. And you could have been born in poverty as easily as in royalty. You had no choices. You could have been born an Eskimo, a Russian, a Pigmy, or even a giant brother to Goliath. All choices were completely out of your control. You came into awareness after you were born and simply realized, “Wow, I live here with these people. And I am going to have to deal with it.”

                         If you do not believe in God, then it was all random chance, and you have nothing to be proud of. If you, as I do, believe in God then there was a real divine purpose every step of the way. But again, my pride is replaced with His purpose. I have nothing I can be prideful about concerning my birth. Either it was random chance or it was Divine design. Either way pride goes out the window.

                         We are all people created by God. We can take no credit for our existence in time, location or status. God decided where we would be born, when we would be born and in what circumstance we would enter this life. God created people. Is He partial to any one skin tone more than another? Does He love one class of society more? God is the redeemer of all. And all come to Him for grace and redemption regardless of status or race. When the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 10:13 “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” there were no exceptions or stipulations. He meant “whosoever.”

                         No matter your status in society or your national heritage, God loves you and wants to save you. You do not have to spend eternity in hell. Unlike your choice of skin color, your eternity is your choice. God is calling out to save you, BUT THAT CHOICE IS YOURS.

THE STANDARD OF PUBLIC OPINION

THE STANDARD OF PUBLIC OPINION

I was told, indirectly, I am not a loving person because I said that homosexual relationships are sexual perversions. 

If one believes that there is a God and that He will judge sin, what should one’s response be? Should we not make every effort to help people find a right relationship with God? And does that not mean they must come to a proper understanding of sin so that they actually can repent (Luke 13:5; IICor. 7:10) and begin to build that proper relationship?

 

The problem I am seeing is one of reluctance to stand for righteousness. If all we have for a foundation is public opinion then I must concede the issue and agree with those standing in favor of….well, whatever they happen to be standing in favor of at the moment. Because you see, if all we have as a standard is public opinion it will shift with the wind. Today homosexuality is wonderful. When I was young it was understood to be sexual perversion. Today bestiality is considered sexual perversion, but for how long? Today child molesting is considered to be wrong, but for how long? Today pornography is (generally) considered to be improper behavior, but for how much longer? The list is endless. It is endless because there is no standard of right or wrong behavior. All of these can and will change just as soon as public opinion shifts. When society is properly corrupted all of these and many others just as vile will be acceptable.

 

When we come to understand that there is a God and that He will judge in accordance with His Holy Word then the standards change. We call drunkenness wrong because the Bible does (Eph. 5:18). We call harming a child in any sense wrong because the Bible does (Luke 17:2). The emphasis that the Bible puts on sexual sin is strong and extensive. I can provide a study on it if anyone actually cares to read it. The point though is simple. We stand against all of these because the Bible does and because the end result is eternity in a very literal Hell.

 

Am I more loving if I passively stand aside and smile at you as you slip into Hell for eternity? Or, is my love and compassion better expressed by screaming at you and standing in your way in an attempt to keep you from being cast into the pits of Hell for all of eternity? The letter that Jude wrote expresses it this way in verses 22 and 23, “And of some have compassion, making a difference: (v.23) And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.” How cruel is the person who would speak soft and gentle words of encouragement and acceptance to someone who is about to stand in the presence of Almighty God to face judgment knowing, that person is currently living in open rebellion to God’s righteousness clearly expressed in His eternal Word? Am I not the most heinous of individuals if, in an attempt to retain their friendship, I passively stand aside and smile when I could have done something to prevent their suffering? LOVE will step in and come to one’s aid even if it is currently uncomfortable to do so. What should we call that which allows suffering in an effort to prevent friction in a relationship? It certainly isn’t love.

 

Because I do sincerely love people who are drunkards, liars, thieves, homosexuals, and otherwise generally self-absorbed people living in open opposition to the righteousness of God, I choose to stand in their way. Love compels me to do so. And by the grace of God and with the Word of God I will stop some, and turn them to the love and grace of our God expressed by the sacrifice of His Son Jesus Christ on Calvary for the redemption of their very souls.