The meaning of true fellowship is bearing the burdens of others so that together we may go the distance; when one is weak, the other is strong. Even Nature teaches us this.
Consider the geese…
They fly in a “V” formation to give rest for each goose flying behind them. The “V” formation is also so they can see each other. When the leader tires, another humbly moves into place, allowing the leader to rest behind the strength and flight of others. As the geese remain in tight formation, they create uplift for each other with every downward flapping of their wings.
Geese are monogamous and mate for life. Their honking sound is not about complaining or arguing but confirming and comforting the flock. When it is time for the flock to rest, the leader finds safe ground, and they rest together. Geese can only travel the distance because they fly together, each one taking their place. They watch for the right season and begin their journey as one. Sounds like an excellent model for the church, doesn’t it?
Be patient and kind towards one another, prefer one another, and daily forgive each other’s offenses. The offense is the devil’s trap. It’s your choice to become trapped. Jesus has said:
“Offenses will certainly come, but woe to the one they come through!” – Luke 17:1.
Don’t bring offense, rather be the one who extinguishes it!
The enemy is not each other. it’s not your brother or sister; it’s not your pastor or teacher, and the enemy is certainly not your wife, or husband, sons, or daughters. The enemy is not what others do. Rather, it is the voice you allow to speak into your mind, tempting you to condemn them. It is the voice that whispers inside of our heads, seducing and taking over our thoughts to kill ourselves with self-condemnation, and so we condemn others.
The voice of God, through the Holy Spirit, never condemns. He will not, and cannot, because of Christ. The Apostle Paul said it best…
“Therefore, no condemnation now exists for those in Christ Jesus, because the Spirit’s law of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. – Romans 8:1-2
If our hearts or their hearts condemn us, God’s love for us and, for them, is infinitely far greater than our hearts and far higher than our thoughts. And, remember, God knows all things from the beginning and all the way to the end. – 1 John 3:20.
If our destination is the same, should we not all get along here, and now?
Will segregation, denominations, and prejudice exist in heaven? If our journey is towards heaven, then let us act like heaven. If we do not, heaven will not recognize us. Travel slowly and together, and become heavenly minded so that we may together do earthly good.
Fly in the formation of love.
The true bond of fellowship is unconditional love, and it requires sacrifice, just as God’s love for us is bonded through the sacrifice of Christ.
“… When you want to go far, you travel together. Just fly in the formation of love!
In my business, I assist people involved in wildfires throughout California, Nevada, and Arizona. I meet many people who have no idea of their homeowner’s policy benefits. They may be fully aware of their policy premium, but the important stuff, like proper coverage limits, what is covered and excluded, etc., they have no idea!
But when disaster strikes, unfortunately, that’s when many people find out that either they have no coverage or not enough. At that point, there’s nothing that can be done.
One client bought a home in Northern California, paid cash, but didn’t purchase insurance. While out of state, a massive wildfire broke out; she saw the news that it was headed for her new community. She grabbed her phone and purchased a policy, paying 100% of the annual premium, and miraculously got coverage placed the same day!
A few days later, she learned that her new home was destroyed; the foundation was damaged beyond repair. All that stood was a lonely brick chimney. She immediately filed a claim under her brand-new insurance policy. The claim investigator accurately determined, based on the fire suppression team’s GPS locators, that the fire had destroyed the lady’s home before the insurance policy was in force.
My dear friends, don’t wait until the last minute to receive salvation through Jesus Christ. You, too, may find out that it was too late. His salvation is far more critical than proper and timely fire insurance for your home. Death can come in an instance and move faster than a wildfire.
Jesus can save your soul for eternity. He can supply far more benefits than Allstate, Geico, or Liberty Mutual. With Jesus, you’ll be sufficiently covered, no cancellation, no out-of-pocket cost, no deductible, and no premiums, as he’s paid the price in full!
God’s gift to you is to have faith enough to believe in his One and only Son, Jesus Christ; to believe In his Son’s life, death, and resurrection. All you must do is turn from sin and disbelief and put your trust, faith, and obedience in God and His Word. In doing this, your name will be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, whereby God’s policy for your eternal life is irrevocable and indelibly written. And God will never change the terms of his benefits. He’ll never back off from His promises.
To my believing friends, forget not all His benefits. I meet far too many Christians living life as though they were uninsured by God’s great love, mercy, and grace. The reason why so many of my Christian brothers and sisters are so heavily burdened by the world is that they’ve either forgotten God’s promises and benefits or because they’ve never read them or have been taught.
My brothers and sisters, there is no need to be depressed, worried, or to live in fear and dread. There is no need to doubt, lose heart, or be lonely.
Here’s Psalm103 in its entirety:
1 “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, 5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagles.
6 The Lord works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. 9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; 10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so, the Lord has compassion on those who fear him; 14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
15 The life of mortals is like grass; they flourish like a flower of the field; 16 the wind blows over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17 But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children -18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word. 21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. 22 Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in his dominion.
If you’re not living as though heaven is for real, then you’re not prepared to live there.
“Nobody gets too much heaven no more It’s much harder to come by I’m waiting in line Nobody gets too much love anymore It’s as high as a mountain And harder to climb…” “Too Much Heaven,” by (Songwriter(s): Barry, Robin & Maurice Gibb) Recorded: July 1978
We’ve got to stop playing into the hands of Unbelievers and Utopians by joining them in bringing heaven to earth. It’s our job as believers to bring people to heaven and living a lifestyle that points the way.
Heaven is our destination, which makes us sojourners and not settlers while here on earth.
The old saying:
“Don’t be too Heavenly minded, or you’ll be no earthly good.”
That is a lie!
Being Heavenly minded is how we avoid becoming too worldly, and so becoming ineffective on earth.
We lead people towards God because of the amazing hope of heaven within us.
Colossians 3:1-2
Living the New Life
“Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God’s right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth.”
Hmm, “… realities of heaven,” I like that! Heaven is a reality; it’s for real, or have you forgotten?
“Nobody gets too much heaven no more” is because our worldly goals and comforts have replaced our heavenly destination. Jesus spoke of a present Heavenly Kingdom, which is here, now, and already within us, who believe.
… We’ve just forgotten it!
Heaven is both our prize and reward, which is barely spoken about or herald from pulpits. Doesn’t truly loving God mean that we have a longing to be with Him; to be where our Lover and Redeemer dwells?
We’ve trivialized what it truly means to “love the Lord thy God,” and turned love into an impossible feat, making real love as unreachable, “as a high mountain” that has become “too hard to climb.”
No heaven and no love no more is making our world into a hellish place, whereby more and more people want off earth, but in the wrong way, and in the wrong direction!
Why are so many “broken people” willing to take as many people to hell with them as possible?
Why would John Lennon pen the famous lyrics…
“Imagine there’s no heaven It’s easy if you try No hell below us Above us only sky”
… which happens to be the atheist’s Anthem!
This song, as popular as it is, is not directing people to a place of world peace. It’s directing people straight to hell, all during a nice tune and a sweet melody.
According to Ecclesiastes 3:11, We were created with “eternity written on our hearts.” We can’t fathom “only sky.” We have souls fitted for eternity.
Where are the Holy People of God who are to lead the lost and hopeless to the love of God and the only pathway to heaven, which is Jesus Christ?
If you’re not living as though heaven is for real, then you’re not prepared to live there. If you’re not loving God for real, then you’re making love impossible.
God’s love is real, and so Heaven is real, too!
As a matter of fact, heaven is so real that God sent his only Son, in the form of a baby, to make a way for you and me to enter heaven.
Before Jesus gave up his last breath, he said to the thief, hanging on his own cross next to him:
“… This day, you will be with me in Paradise.”
Jesus came to earth so that you too may be with him in heaven. The thief on the cross recognized Jesus’s innocence, and in so doing, believed that Jesus is the Christ.
I hope you, too, will believe.
The world would be a better place with more heavenly minded people on it! Wouldn’t you think so?
Standing in the gap for our nation has nothing to do with complaining, talking, podcasting, or even simple prayers. The word “Intercessor” is made up of two words:
(Inter) meaning: “between” and (ced) meaning: “go.”
To intercede literally means to go and get between God and the need. It means to actually stand in the empty void until God steps in and fills the need.
It is real labor and a deep spiritual endeavor and undertaking of intense pleading, repenting, and even arguing before God on behalf of others, who are either unwilling or unaware for the need to repent or change. Sometimes, this means going to a logistical place and filling the breach in a wall until restoration and revival begins.
Several years ago, a pastor commented about his disappointment with the decision by the Supreme Court, which redefined marriage. His concern, as I’m sure is the concerns of many pastors across the nation, was lawsuits and possible jail time for refusing to officiate certain marriages.
“Maybe I’ll just refuse to do any marriages,” the pastor sadly opined.
Standing in the gap, or becoming a true intercessor is not to abandon culture or society, or to abandon marriage rites altogether, but is to “go between,” even if it means lawsuit or jail time.
Standing in the gap is costly, and true intercession is not a quiet and passive endeavor, but stepping in and between the offenses of men, or even the offenses of a nation and the God of justice, righteousness, and holiness. It is indeed costly!
Daniel was such a man, which bravely stood in the gap of his time.
If you recall, prayer and worship, in public or in private to Jehovah, or any other god for that matter, was outlawed by King Darius. Unscrupulous men of the King’s court had encouraged the King to enact a law (sounds familiar) forbidding any prayer or worship for thirty days.
Daniel, being a continual intercessor for the return of his banished people to Israel, refused to cease his prayers to God. He faithfully prayed three times a day towards Jerusalem near his window, as he had regularly done. But these crafty men had set up surveillance, waiting for the man of God to violate the King’s edict. Having arrested Daniel, they brought him before the King.
Regrettably, as the King had been unknowingly coerced by these evil men to enact the law, the King had no other option but to pass judgment on Daniel, sentencing him to death by caged ferocious lions.
Even in this, Daniel did not waiver in his commitment to intercede or to even apologize for his violation of the new law.
Spoiler alert — When Daniel was tossed into the lion’s den, the lions acted like kittens. When King Darius saw that Daniel’s God had saved him, the King realized that he was duped by the men in his court, and so orders the immediate release of Daniel. The King, now being furious with the men of his court, orders them to be immediately tossed into the lion’s den, where they were instantly torn apart and devoured by the lions.
God saves and protects his intercessors! Did you hear that? God saves his intercessors!
WHERE ARE THE DANIELS OF OUR DAY!?!
Where are the pastors who are willing to go to jail because they stood in the gap against the gods of our culture?
Where are the everyday men and women who’ll stand in the gap for the dismembered unborn!?!
Where are the men and women who will stand in the gap for the fatherless, homeless, or alien, illegal or not in need of salvation?
Where are the evangelists and preachers proclaiming God’s redemptive word in the streets and marketplaces?
Where are the voices of 70.6% of 318 million Christians in America!?!
The darkness is so vivid that even the smallness of true faith can brighten a single city!
WHERE ARE THE FAITHFUL OF THE LAND?
Where is the authority of the believer?
Our silence and passivity have reached heaven. The cries of the unborn and the blood of their partially born dismembered bodies have reached the eyes and ears of the God of Creation. The lost and abandoned children of our cities and towns have reached the courts of God. America’s sins will not go unpunished.
If the sinners will not repent, it is time for the people of God to repent in their stead and stand in the gap, even for the unrighteous acts of our great land!
In all of this, God is still looking for men and women to stand in the gap; to risk time, treasure, and talent; and, if necessary, blood, sweat, and tears for the Good News of the Kingdom.
Diabolic means to “divide” (di) and “abolish” (abolic) – di-abolic. To divide and abolish. It is literally the opposite of the word intercessor!
Can you not see what is happening before our very eyes? Every sector of our culture and society is being divided and abolished, including history, children, family, marriage, sex/gender, education, justice; race, religion, etc.
The evil in our nation is diabolic and is a serious spiritual virus, spreading like an airborne pathogen, infecting the very soul and foundations of our nation and people.
Intercessors in our nation, cities, towns, and villages must stand in this gap and reestablish what darkness has divided and abolished. Fill in the gaps of the moral and spiritual holes in our nation’s walls.
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found no one.” Ezekiel 22:30
Can one man make a difference? According to Ezekiel, one man or woman can!
Christ made the difference by his standing in the gap between the just wrath of God against the sins of mankind. Christ was hung on a vertical alter, pointing all people towards the God of Heaven.
Because of what Christ achieved, God exalted his Son to the highest honor and now sits on the right side of God’s throne.
You, too, are seated in heavenly places with Christ and because of Christ.
Do you know how much authority you have in Christ at this very moment?
Be that man or woman, young or old, and stand in the gap on behalf of the lost and our land.
Silence the diabolic and divider with the heart of an intercessor and stand in the gap! AMEN
Of all the things that may be fake, fake faith is the most dangerous.
Fakery is all around us these days. Fake news. Fake politicians. Fake protests. Fake accusations, and so on. But what about fake faith?
“God grant, if we must have two eyes, that they may be both clear ones – one the eye of faith wholly fixed on Christ, the other the eye of obedience equally and wholly fixed on the same objective.” ― Charles H. Spurgeon
Faith that does not lead to transformation and greater trust in The One True God is not faith at all, but a naked belief in a deity or higher being with no real power.
People who believe in such lesser deities are no better off than demons and devils. While demons and devils believe in God, they shudder in fear, as they have no gift of faith to change their destination, yet are fully aware of their impending doom.
Belief is not enough to save you, no matter how many church services or masses you attend and how many bibles you read or podcasts you listen to.
The love of God is not enough to save you! The God of Creation is no Love Guru. He’s not a razzle-dazzler. He’s not an alluring and hypnotic hipster. God is not a love cult leader. NO! The expression and identity of God’s love is Jesus Christ, and Jesus is our only Savior. Only salvation in God’s Son will assuage the just wrath of God against our sins and crooked souls.
Salvation is still through belief and obedience to God’s Son. Salvation is for those who put their faith in all the works of Jesus Christ.
If your belief doesn’t awaken your faith, you’re still dead in your sins. If your little faith doesn’t move you towards the impossible, then it’s better to judge yourself now and evaluate your condition. For a great and mighty God creates great and mighty people, and even those of little, but true faith gain His attention.
The Apostle James said: “…faith without works is dead.” James 2:26
The writer of Hebrews said: “And without faith, it is impossible to please God…” Hebrews 11:6
The Beloved Apostle John explains: “He who knows my commands and obeys them is the one who loves me. And my Father will love him who loves me. I will love him and will show myself to him.” John 14:21
Religion is belief without relationship and without faith. Without a relationship to God, there is no need for faith and obedience.
Your faith must take you further than simply visiting the Church down the street.
See to it that your belief brings action to your faith or stop pretending you believe.
“Give me four years to teach the children, and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.” – Vladimir Lenin
Our Nation’s future is only secured in how well we parent and educate our children.
The sixteen points I’m about to layout are not opinions or political theories long forgotten. They are based on observations, news broadcasts, lawsuits, and current events. While many were first published in manifestos, books, etc., long ago, they have become daily mainstream news and the topic of many podcasts and publications.
Now, sadly, it’s our turn to witness the collapsing of a once great nation. You and I, regrettably, have a front-row seat.
Every fallen nation before us has encountered these destructive trends:
State and federal controll of education. To educate or re-educate the children away from national and religious morals, tuths, and foundations; to inhibit the royalty of self-governance, personal responsibility, and patriotism; to destroy parental authority and autonomy.
Democratization of the Republic. To replace our representive structure of government, “for the people and by the people,” to a mobocracy, whereby government is ran by mass-appeal and populism; to progressively usher in a Socialistic State; to pave the way for dictatorial, communistic governance.
Seizure and polarization of the Free Press. To control all communications for the purposes of the state and federal governments; to either control or be controlled by partisan means.
The loss of journalistic integrity. To control and create narratives; the abeyance of fact; to avoid exculpatory evidence, fact, and truth that may enforce or promote the counter party’s ideals and positions; to simply distort and twist narratives for party gain.
Cancelation of patriotism and everything that promotes healthy nationalism. To pervert anything that promotes unity, the American way of life and liberty; to distort national pride, ingenuity, achievement, and excellence.
The refusal to teach American, Constitutional, and World history. To create ignorance; to lessen or eliminate the impact and importance of the past; to control future outcomes by eliminating historical fact and evidence.
Destruction of relational norms, i.e. family, sexuality, maternity, and paternity. To attack and destroy the very fabric of society. To corrupt mother and father archetypes, whereby either sex can occupy the opposite roles; to distort and redirect offspring from normative and healthy relationships; to destroy future generations.
Sexual deviation and exploitation. Normalization of pornography, pedophilia, and gender dysphoria. To corrupt and destroy all morality, sexual boundaries; to inhibit and reduce reproduction; to control population; to distort mankind as God’s image bearers.
Destruction of free, fair, and open elections. “Those Who Vote Decide Nothing Those Who Count The Votes Decide Everything” – Joseph Stalin. To control the outcome of all elections, ensuring and maintaining a one-sided control.
Persecution and imprisonment of political dissenters, detractors, and rivals. To create a one-sided control of all political power, including every sector of state and federal government; to put fear in the minds of political and ideological detractors and dissenters; to dissuade political rivals.
The creation of a State and Federal controlled surveillance system. To monitor and track dissenters for future arrest, persecution, and imprisonment; to set up a social scoring system by use of personal algorithms on social media platforms.
State and Federal control of all forms of transportation. To control and limit freedom of movement; to corral people into manageable classes, sectors, regions, or groups.
The creation of a programmable digital currency. To control personal and corporate financial freedom; buying, selling, profiting, and distributing. A form of financial rewards and punishment.
The rise of a cancel culture of anything that defies progressivism and primitivism. To crush, marginalize, and destroy common decency and common sense; to promote un-American ideals, trends, and philosophies; to essentially and fundamentally change America into a fascistic society.
The perversion of the judicial system and law and order. To create chaos and confusion; to allow for injustice, political favoritism, cronyism; to pave the way for political and corporate evil and lawbreakers.
The exploitation and manipulation of racial differences, i.e. race wars. To cause disunity and societal fragmentation; to exploit for political needs; to create mass distraction, hysteria, riots, etc., for political means; to gain thought and mind control, useful to maintain political power and control over minority groups.
The destruction of our Second Amendment Right Keep and Bear Arms. “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” To keep the citizens from having the power and the means of protection against a tyrannical government; to thwart any domestic power from dictatorial control or governance: to throw off the restraints and infringements of a rouge and renegade government; to provide for personal defense and safety.
I could literally go on and on. But I think by now you can clearly see that America is so far down the river that I’m afraid the current has become too strong to paddle against.
“If the foundations [of a godly society] are destroyed, What can the righteous do?” – Psalm 11:3
God’s children should never be the people with their heads in the sand. But, sadly, our American history shows that we are!
If you carefully consider the sixteen articles I’ve written above, you can see what has happened during our absence as godly vanguards of culture, classroom, church, and Constitution. We failed, but not as politicians and patriots, but as Christians commissioned to teach, preach, and baptize the nations, beginning with our own. The antidote to all the corruption, darkness, and evil is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Do you realize that it took evil intentioned men and women only eighty years, that’s two generations, to flip Western civilization, culture, and society upside-down?
“Give me four years to teach the children, and the seed I have sown will never be uprooted.” – Vladimir Lenin – Founder of The Russian Communist State.
Where do you think the evil Vladimir Lenin got this principle from?
“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” – Proverbs 22:6
Yes, that’s right, from the Bible! Don’t forget, evil men read the Bible too!
You see, to the fact that our children have been co-opted and re-educated by the State is our fault. We willingly gave them our children, and sadly, most still do.
People! The government has had our children since the 1830s, when the government officially inacted compulsory public education. In my estimation, that day was the beginning of the end of America. If there were an autopsy on the death of America, the report would read cause of death: abdication of child education and parental authority to the state.
Many religious people have long since given up their parental, religious, and patriotic duty for a pre-tribulation rapture theory. This theory has taken care, custody, and control from their vocabularies. The darker it becomes, the more it ensures an eminent exfiltration. Pre-tribulation, Dispensational rapture theory is another gospel, and its pontificators and false teachers should be avoided.
This destructive theory has played into the hands of evil-minded, secular cultists, secret societies, evil politicians, and educators. Coincidentally, pre-tribulation and dispensational premillennialism came on the historical scene within the same mid 19th century as compulsory education theory, John Dewey, Evolutionism, Charles Darwin, Communism, Karl Marx, and Religious Humanism, John H. Dietrich. I do not believe that all these new theories and philosophies were mere happenstance, but may be demonic implantations.
“Nevertheless, even if we ourselves or an angel from heaven preach any gospel to you other than that which we have preached to you, hold him as accursed.” As we said before, so say I now again: If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that which ye have received, let him be accursed! – Galatians 1:8-9
A perverted gospel curses culture, children, church, and country.
Parents, rescue your children! Get them out of public schools! Maybe, if you do, you can save your family’s future, and America’s too.
Religion has never raised the dead. To the contrary, religion puts people in the grave.
Religion is the focus of human effort. That kind of focus leaves no room for faith. It leaves no room for the divine power of God.
You can not change the truth of who you are on the inside by your actions on the outside. Your heart must be changed. Religion can not change your heart; only a relationship with God can do that.
Religion is a ritual of observances that can lead you away from God to a god. This is why religion in and of itself is dangerous. It can lead to an empty life full of observances, rituals, and legalism.
Religion must die; after all, it murdered the Messiah. But God made good use of it to usher in redemption through the death of His Son. However, religion does not belong in any actual house of worship, nor does it belong in the life of any faithful follower of Jesus Christ.
Lately, there’s been many “religions” being thrown around, bullying lost and broken souls, for which Christ came to heal and rescue. Don’t become infected by religion or traditionalism as I did. Get cured of it and become Agents of Grace instead of Religion.
Some people invest their trust in doctors, scientists, and vaccines. At the same time, others invest their faith in a miraculous cure, prayer, and repentance. God can work in both because God is not confined to religious institutions. Religion wants to own God; it wants to control our perception. It seeks to become the sole arbiter of biblical interpretation and, therefore, regulates God.
So don’t be a pushy religionists. Be an agent of hope and grace. Exercise your faith in the explosive power that raised Jesus from the grave. Religion has never raised the dead. To the contrary, religion puts people in the grave.
Jesus Christ conquered religion the morning he rose from the grave. He left the grave clothes of the old religious order in the tomb and provided us direct access to God the Father through his glorious risenness.
The best way to kill Religion is to love the Religious into a relationship directly with our Heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, his son.
In The Gospel of Luke, chapter 12, Jesus warns the crowd:
“Guard yourselves against the yeast that puffs up the Pharisees—hypocrisy, false appearance, trying to look better than you are.”
You see, your goodness is not good enough. Only the goodness of Jesus is good enough to save you and change your life. You can not change the truth of who you are on the inside by your actions on the outside. Your heart must be changed. Religion can not change your heart. It can change your outer appearance, but not your heart.
God’s grace is sufficient to save the Religious out from their Religions.
Because Jesus lives, we live — free from religion and free from the traditions of men.
When I get strong, I get lost. When I get busy, I get independent. When I get successful, I get lonely.
I was down and out from October 11th, 2013, through mid-January 2014. Life had been hard and painful, but God has never been closer than he’s been with me through those difficult months. I’ll tell you, my dear friends, I’d rather be laid up and laid out with God by my side than lonely but successful in the world any day.
I had gotten to the point in my suffering that I began to thank God for my injuries and sicknesses. I began to see the blessings and the beautiful breaking to my stubborn heart and the fresh and living water flooding into my dry soul. My pain in a miraculous way allowed God’s voice to become magnified, and the whispers of “I love you son” filled my troubled mind in those long and dark, painful nights.
I truly want God, but he’s not necessarily in my busyness, nor is he in my business. He’s not in my self-imposed deadlines, or in the deadlines of others, which weary my body and mind, and cause me to strain and to force my goals above Gods’. He’s not in the coulda, woulda, or shoulda’s, nor is he in my goals of independence and worldly success. God is definitely not in my confused tantrums, my sulking, or complaining.
God is in the midst of suffering; he’s nearby the crushed and the weary, the sick and the lonely. Our God is with the widowed; he’s with the fatherless and alien. He hears the cries and prayers of the broken, the injured, and the weak.
“He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle.” Isaiah 42:3 (NLT)
When I get strong, I get lost. When I get busy, I get independent. When I get successful, I get lonely.
I want God, and therefore, I welcome the pain and suffering so that I might gain all that he has for me through it. This is the process that can get us found in God, which can make us strong in the right things and focus on eternal values, which can bring contentment during our seasons of affliction.
Don’t get me wrong, I am not looking for pain and suffering, only that when it comes, the goodness and presence of God is magnified through it, and therefore, I can revel in it and celebrate because of it. Through it, I have learned that our greatest changes can result from what we suffer. Pain and suffering are powerful for our good!
So, while my body was aching and writhing in pain and anguish, my soul was soaring with God. I worshiped God and thanked him through so much of my illnesses and injuries. The pain still lingers, and the scar, which I now bear on my left leg and knee, will always remind me of God’s faithfulness to me all the way through it.
And so, I thank God for all of it.
One day, I was complaining to my wife, Toni, about a difficult client. I was through and ready to cut the relationship and take a significant loss just to get out of the misery.
Then, Toni pulled the “Book of Job” on me:
“Has not God provided through this person?” she said, and then continued: “Do you really to throw people away because they sometimes cause difficulty?”
Wow! I was called out and convicted. Thank you, Toni!
I had set aside, not only heaven’s provision for me, but I had set aside God’s provision of grace and mercy towards the one whom God set up to bring such needed financial provision.
“Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not also receive evil?” In all this, Job did not sin with his lips. Job 2:10
I am not deformed, but I am being transformed. The more we complain and lay blame, the slower our remaking through our braking goes. In my recent story with my client, God used my wife to get me back on track and with God’s program.
Our complaining always works against God’s transforming work, and so we fail to see how God masters evil for our good. Our complaining and blaming causes us to only see the badness of evil, rather the goodness of God in spite of it and His creative use with it.
“I form the light and create darkness: I make peace and create evil: I The Lord do all these things.” – Isaiah 45:7
Ha, I’ve not heard that verse preached in Church!
So, if God masters light, darkness, peace, and evil, how can we be destroyed in the day of pain, sickness, and disease? How can we lose if what we fear can not keep us from winning? How then shall we live, if even evil and the day of disaster, is under the control of such a loving and caring Heavenly Father?
I’ll tell ya how we should then live – in Total Victory and with an Overcomer’s Spirit!
Hey, there’s power in what we suffer, no matter how miserable or deadly! But you gotta put away the complaining and start the thanksgiving and praising.
I was just a young teenager of 14 years old when I got a hold of a book titled “By What Standard” by the late Dr. Rousas John Rushdoony, the father of Mark Rushdoony.
Like the late Dr. Rushdoony, the life and story of Job, set the standard of who God is and His power over evil. Page 185 through page 205 of By What Standard is what impacted me most in my life as a teenager. The Book of Job established my foundation for all my understanding of the ways of God and the ability of God. The Book of Job became my standard of biblical understanding and godly comfort.
Like Job, it is blind faith and trust in the Almighty, whereby God shall succeed in spite of our lack of understanding and even confusion. Our suffering is not the end of the means, but the means to an end, forewhich Satan’s must comply with God’s will over our lives and our wellbeing.
So, the key is to invest all of your faith and trust into God’s will, and pain and suffering will become allies to your transformation and glorification.
“In bringing many sons and daughters to glory, it was fitting that God, for whom and through whom everything exists, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through what he suffered.” – Hebrews 2:10
Was it not God who invited Satan to consider His servant Job?
Did not God establish the boundaries after he invited Satan to afflict Job?
The Book of Job, chapters one, and two.
God masterfully controlled darkness, sickness, and disease over His servant Job, but He also displayed His power over the Prince of Darkness.
The Book of Job reveals how Satan must obey the very boundaries that God sets up, leaving Satan and all evil under the power of the God of the Universe and Creator of all things. And yes, including all angelic beings, and even those who’ve failed at the Heavenly coup d’état of God’s throne and power, and dare I say, they failed miserably!
‘God spoke to Cain:”Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you; you’ve got to master it.” – Genesis 4:6-7
We can master sin because God has mastered evil, and his Son, Jesus Christ, has vanquished our sin. He destroyed death and conquered the grave! But tantrums and sulking leave you vulnerable, and instead of victory, you’ll end in defeat.
So, we can thrive in pain and suffering, in loss and betrayal, and evil shall not destroy us. Evil becomes a weapon in the hand of God, disarming our enemy and thwarting evil’s plan for our destruction.
Do you want to disarm the Evil One? Then, praise God in the midst of all that hell has unleashed and bask in the suffering with thanksgiving. Trust fully in the God who knows what He is doing and the limits for which evil must obey.
Can we lose?
“No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” Romans 8:37
Put your faith and trust in God and become transformed and not deformed by all that you suffer.
Your pain may be your breakthrough into victory and validation that you are a true son or daughter of God and not a fatherless victim.
As a victor, you, too, will see The Miraculous Power of Pain and Suffering.
The reason reassuring lies are so popular is because lies are safe and convenient. But the world and Church are out of time for safety and convenience.
There is no other important message to the Church in America today than repentance. I’m not speaking about the lost repenting, but Christians repenting for the sins of omission. A retreating Church in a culture war is the death of any nation.
We’ve forgotten how important the Church was to the Founding of America, not only to its formation, but also to its influence on politics and education.
America dosen’t necessarily suffer from bad politics, as bad as they may be, but more so from thousands of Churches suffering from disassociative disorder.
Symptoms of a disassociative disorder: “feeling disconnected from yourself and the world around you.”
There’s far too many Christians and Churches disconnected from their identity as true disciples of Jesus, and therefore, they lost their witness to a lost world around them. A self-focused Church is not the work of Heaven. It’s symptomatic of a lost identity and purpose.
So, I gotta ask, why all the self-focused Churches? Where did this philosophy come from, if not from Heaven?
So, here’s the inconvenient Truth that many of us are avoiding, repentance from omission and disengagement.
Somewhere along the way we ceased being a missional Church to something else.
Early Protestants accused the Catholics of making big business out of Christianity. The Roman Catholics had fused a business concept to its ecclesiastical order and to soteriological precepts. They used to sell religious stuff, like trinkets, souvenirs, even selling indulgences, a monetary payment of penalty which, supposedly, absolved one of past sins and/or released one from purgatory after death.
Sadly, today, many mainstream Evangelicals have made Christianity into big business. They kept the business concept of church structure intact from the Catholics. While mega-churches and TV Evangelists are the extreme examples of “church business,” many mainstream Protestant and Charismatic Churches are structured like business.
How do you tell if a Church or ministry is a business?
“If someone ceases to be valuable to you because they no longer attend your church — you’re not in ministry — you’re in business!” – Author Unknown
Many Churches want large buildings, big budgets, catchy names, and viral exposure. Heck, many rebrand themselves every decade or so, just to stay on the cutting edge of marketing. Yep, there’s a lot of competition out there for those parishioners! Hmm, kinda sounds like a business to me. But is that model that Jesus wanted?
Well, we know He didn’t want a seeker-friendly, money focused Church.
He wants a Kingdom seeking Church. A Church that sets its priority seeking first God’s Kingdom and His Righteousness.
So then, what about budgets, buildings, and ledgers?
Well, Jesus thought of that. He tells his followers that all those things, which the world toils and sweats after will be freely given to us!
Yep, Matthew chapter 6: 25-34. This is a great passage to read in unison as a congregation.
I dare you to try it!
Yes, yes, I know these are indeed hard words, but they are necessary. Sometimes Truth is inconvenient. It certainly was for Jesus and His Father. Speaking Truth cost Jesus His life, but look what it won for us — look what He’s done for the World!
You remember, John 3:16 don’t you? Let me ask you; has it simply become a catchy phrase, a lovely cliché you like to recite? Don’t you think if we truly believed John 3:16, we’d be out in the world seeking out and speaking to the “whomsoevers?”
The truth is, if God’s people do not repent of these evils, as subtle as they may appear, God’s judgment will begin with His House. If it begins with God’s House, what of the world? Where is your compassion of them?
I’m sure you remember the story of Jesus, as recorded in John chapter 2, chasing out the moneychangers, you know, the sellers and buyers and money managers inside His Father’s House?
Yep, and it goes onto imply that Jesus was not a happy camper; taking the time to brade a whip, afterwhich, he stormed into His Father’s House a whippin and a thrashin, knocking tables and chairs over, while chasing the prayerless and money focused from His Father’s House!
“… and the Zeal for your house shall consume me!” John 2:17
So, don’t hangout with moneychangers and so-called business focused ministries.
So, to wrap things up…
You have the Light of the Glorious Gospel for a world going darker day-by-day.
Simply repent from retreating and being AWOL (Absence Without Leave) from your duty to King and Kingdom. Then go shine God’s Light into the darkness. Cancel out the reassuring lies with the inconvenient Truths of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Once they believe, Truth won’t be so inconvenient. Especially, after you show them how to repent.
Because my side, your side, or their side may be equally wrong.
Frankly, I’m amazed at how many people post and boast about the Lord being in their side. Isn’t it the other way around?
Who is on the Lord’s side?
Are we not a blessed people because we’re on the Lord’s side?
If we post and boast about God being on our side, then His will, which exists in Heaven, is ignored and left undone. Even Jesus taught us how to pray in the right direction…
“…thy will be done on earth as it exists in Heaven,” taught Jesus.
It seems as though the prevailing theme among many “believers” is to pray the opposite of what Jesus taught us.
“My will be done in Heaven as it exists on earth,” is not what Jesus Christ had in mind.
We get our needs met by obeying God, by doing His will; by seeking first the Kingdom of God, and then our essentials will be given to us.
God encouraged Joshua to “Be Strong and Courageous.” This encouragement wasn’t given to Joshua and his buddies so they can get their needs met, but that he would lead God’s people into His promises and for His purposes.
Remember when Joshua and his army crossed the Jordan river? When they got to the other side, they were met by an angel with a bright sword.
“Are you on our side, or the Enemy’s side?” questioned Joshua.
“Neither,” said the Angel, “I am on the Lord’s side.”
Psalm 11 (ERV)
To the director: A song of David.
1 I trust in the Lord, so why did you tell me to run and hide? Why did you say, “Fly like a bird to your mountain?”
2 Like hunters, the wicked hide in the dark. They get their bows ready and aim their arrows. They shoot at good, honest people.
3 What would good people do if the wicked destroyed all that is good?
4 The Lord is in his holy temple. The Lord sits on his throne in heaven. He sees everything that happens. He watches people closely.
5 The Lord examines those who are good and those who are wicked; he hates those who enjoy hurting others.
6 He will make hot coals and burning sulfur fall like rain on the wicked. They will get nothing but hot, burning wind.
7 The Lord always does what is right, and he loves seeing people do right. Those who live good lives will be with him.
Verse 3 says: “What would good people do if the wicked destroy all that is good?” Isn’t this what is exactly happening? The wicked are perverting the rule of law and justice. They are changing the definition of everything which used to be sound and good.
How can we do the good that God has planned for us if we fail to call upon his will and purpose from heaven?
The truth is that you and I, and even the church collectively can do nothing but repent, pray, and turn our hearts towards the God of Heaven and Earth. Our fate is now in the hands of God, as it should be. But alas, had we acted like the people of God in the first place, perhaps things wouldn’t have gotten so off course. Perhaps the people’s fate would be synonymous with the will of God in Heaven.
Perhaps if we would’ve prioritized the Kingdom of Heaven and pursued the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, that his righteousness, being our righteousness would have exalted our Nation. Perhaps the age-old foundations of sound truth and justice would’ve prevailed and withstood the onslaught of such wickedness, and our out of control, wayward government.
Here is some good news. Though they will try, and seemingly succeed in their schemes and wicked plans, the Lord knows what they are up to. He does not blink, nor does he shrug it off. Our God is tirelessly on duty! He will avenge his Truth and His Justice and the innocent of the earth. He will not be mocked, nor will he allow these who pervert all that is good and true to go unpunished.
All we can do at this point is put our whole trust into God and know that He is not like man that he would lie, nor like man, or governments, who make their plans in darkness. Our hope is in the Lord. He is the God of the Angel Armies. We know the end of the story! He is God our Redeemer, Father to the fatherless, to the widowed and to the orphaned, and to the wanderer. He is our shield in times of disaster and adversity. He is our only refuge and our only shelter. We must put our trust and faith in him.
Gird yourselves up in the Lord. Read and understand all the promises of God. Keep Truth and Justice alive in your own hearts, homes, and businesses. Seek the heavenly order of God’s ever-present and ever-expanding Kingdom. Practice righteousness to your neighbors, to your coworkers; at your board rooms and dinner tables.
Practice all that is the opposite to what this evil regime is perpetrating over us. Operate in the opposite spirit. Where there is greed, sow generosity. Where there is hatred, sow love and forgiveness. Where there are lies, sow truth and honesty. Where there is evil, sow what is innocent and pure.
Refuse to become corrupted. Stand in Christ, and only kneel at his feet and not at any despotic or tyrannical government, no matter how benevolent or generous they may appear. This is the sleight of hand that you must become wise to.
“Be without fear in the face of your enemies. Be brave and upright, that God may love thee. Speak the truth always, even if it leads to your death. Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong; that is your oath.” The Kingdom of Heaven” (Movie)
One other thing… When asked to pray, pray while they are still near you and in your hearing. Why? Because far too many of us say we’ll pray but forget to do so. Maybe saying you’ll pray has become a kind phrase, its just something you say to cheer up hurting people. Or perhaps you use the famous 🙏 🙏 🙏 emojis to simply show support.
What people really need from us is the Lord God, from whose side we’re on. They will benefit from our connectedness to the Lord.
“Be strong and courageous. Be very strong and be very courageous. Do not be dismayed or discouraged, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua, Chapter One, verse nine.
Who is on the Lord’s side? Who do you choose to serve?
As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord!
We earnestly pray that God is victorious in his plans, and in so doing, as we join Him in His work. Then our needs are met here on earth, as it exists in Heaven. Amen
Call To Courage 