Real Hope For A Hopeless America – By Thomas Koester

The hope that is in every believer is real hope for a hopeless America.

We need to find our place in His Story so that we can leave our mark in history.

The Nazi-Socialist and their sick eugenics are alive and well in America. Their aim is a “perfect society” through science and political power.

Abortion was originally, according to Margret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, a form of “depopulating the blacks from society.” Just like the Nazis dehumanized Jews, Gays, Gypsies, and Christians, Margret Sanger, and her “Planned Parenthood” cohorts have dehumanized the unborn, especially the unborn of color. Now, since its inception, abortion has killed nearly 60 million unborn just in America alone.

You see, dictatorial and tyrannical control requires a manageable population. This is not only about the numbers of humans but also the dollars it takes to manage them. Coronavirus was, among many things, about the killing off, or shall I saw more humanely, euthanizing the elderly and the weakest among us. In addition, the killing off of businesses creates general economic ruin and caused melee in our cities and towns.

This was done to usher in a New Economic Order that will require efficiency and dependence. Don’t you realize that we validated their evil trial balloon by our compliance?

Efficiency, that is, a more manageable populace, and a more weakened people lowers the possibility of uncontrollable revolt. This is why patriotism and those patriotic institutions we all love must go. This is why “The Good Ole American Way” has been under assault. This is why football, baseball, basketball, and soccer have been ruined, and our American flag and our National Anthem desecrated. This is what’s behind the destruction of women’s sports! Everything that makes us America is slowly canceled and removed in order to take away our identity and patriotism.

All of this is not new. It’s how every great nation before us has fallen. The coronavirus was simply the mechanism the Left used to take away many of our freedoms and liberties. It was used to divide us and subjugate us to lawless mandates. The virus also preoccupied us, giving the Democratic Left cover for the grandest theft of all times, the Presidency of the United States, and to control all houses of government, both federal and local.

These things were necessary in order to usher in the New World Order and the “New Economy.” Or, as the Globalists have renamed it, “The Great Reset.”

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, is hard to grasp, when we see so many bad actors in our government and news media outlets. So we have to remind ourselves daily that this is foremost a spiritual battle, which has brazenly manifested itself in the world of men.

There is no question as to where this is all heading. Godly men and leaders, such as pastors, reverends, and priests no longer have the luxury of the status quo of a typical Sunday service or Mass. It’s time to raise up armies of intercessors and train and equip God’s people in evangelism and spiritual warfare!

“It means buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy, ’cause [America] is going bye-bye.”

If we want America to survive, the Church must become the standard-bearer once again. It must lead America back to God, or God will allow our nation to spit us out!

But remember, we’re the Church, and our mission is to proclaim the Gospel of the Kingdom. The Kingdom Gospel puts things in the right order without the aid of political power. As a matter of fact, the Church is most powerful under persecution.

When the Roman armies occupied First Century Israel and all of Palestine, did it deter Christianity, or did it propel it?

We know the answer—persecution became the Early Church’s rocket fuel and launched the Church into world evangelism!

“… And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come.” – Matthew 24:14

We know what our mission is. It’s not to cower in fear or shirk our responsibility or to proclaim that the rapture cometh. It is to stand fast, hold our ground; keep the faith, and engage darkness with the might and power of God of the Angel Armies. It is to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom and unleash the power of the Gospel, that is, The Good News against the Bad News of World Socialism.

If we die, it’s gain. If we live, it’s Christ, the power of God unto salvation. Let’s show and offer the World Jesus Christ. Let’s all become Jesus with skin on and hold fast to the attitude, humility, and power of Christ.

Whether we are free or in bondage, our job is to be the Church and the Triumphant Bride of Christ.

Like you, I don’t want to disappoint Jesus when he returns. I want him to not only find faith on earth but to find a bright, beautiful, and radiant bride!

So, come what may! The Devil and his minions will do their worst. The Church, we will do our best because we have the Spirit of Christ, the love for Truth, and have love for one another, or at least we should.

We will win because God has already won the victory in Jesus Christ, our Risen Savior, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. The ending of the story has already been written. Just make sure that your names are written in the Lambs Book of Life, and all will go well.

We need to find our place in His Story so that we can leave our mark in history.

The hope that is in every believer is real hope for a hopeless America. Amen

The Church Without Mission – Thomas J. Koester

A church without a mission is nothing more than a religious country club!

If we are to speak honestly and with integrity concerning local and world evangelism, we have to ask ourselves the following questions about our churches:

How many doors of homes and businesses have you knocked on?
Do you knock on doors weekly or monthly?
Do you have a regular and ongoing classes on outreach and evangelism?
How many times per month are you preaching the Gospel outside your building, in the market places, town squares, etc.?
How much of your annual budget is spent sending out its own evangelists and missionaries?
Is the summation of your mission and evangelism work simply ”tithing” 10% of your Church’s revenue to foreign missionaries?
Do you share, in an active and practical way, the Apostle Paul’s passion for reaching all the world with the Gospel?

I’ll make no guesses or assumptions about your honest answer to these questions. I will, however, make an observation. America would be in a much better state, culturally and spiritually if a fraction of evangelical churches prioritized these things.

Do you know how and why some churches grow and some churches decline here or in your local cities and towns? I’ll give you one word…

… SCANDAL!

Churches here, and I’m sure elsewhere, grow while some decline is mainly due to church-hopping, transient Christians, that have been hurt, wounded, devastated, ignored, maligned, and forgotten by well meaning spiritual leaders. Many brothers, sisters, and families leave churches due to scandal and abuse. If more churches were outwardly focused on reaching the world, we’d have much less of the world and scandal inside churches.

The Barna Group has polled hundreds of unchurched believers and has determined that nearly 3,500 people per day exit church never to return! The age group polled were from 14 to 33 years old. The number one response was that they left church due to a lack of connectedness!

Herein lies the proof that far too many inwardly focused churches obsessed with millennialism, prosperity, and emotionalism, rather than Kingdom of God outward expansion, eventually self-destruct, producing devastated and retreating believers, longing for an exfil.

Is it time for people to church-exit what church has become in America? No, I think it’s time for churches to exit its self-absorption and get busy evangelizing its own communities and beyond. For all you futurists out there, the Kingdom of God is here, now, and will expand with or without you.

“To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger. There will be trouble and distress for every human being who does evil: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile; but glory, honor and peace for everyone who does good: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For God does not show favoritism.” – Romans 2:7-11

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” – Matthew 28:18-20 ESV

A church without a mission is nothing more than a religious country club!

A Few Good Men – By Thomas J. Koester

History shouts, “It only takes a few good men!”

I Dare You To Become Greater Than Your Fathers. I dare you to become a real man!

A Few Good Men is an intergenerational and interdenominational movement of men for all ages. We believe that segregating our youth from the men in our churches, ministries, and communities is counter-productive to the process of raising our boys into strong men and leaders of tomorrow. We believe men, without the opportunity and access of our youth, are a terrible loss of potential and vice-versa.

Becoming a man is not a chronological process. You simply do not grow into manhood or masculinity. John Eldredge describes masculinity as “that quality or characteristic of manhood being passed through close proximity to boys.” You can not take a class or read a book on becoming a man. It is mystically and methodically passed through the process of mutual struggle and the sharing of life’s experience.

Many times, when older men share their struggles, losses, and defeats in a room full of young men, you’d think they’d be bored to tears. They’re not. They are inspired to open and share their own struggles, losses, and defeats. And when we have this kind of “open vulnerability,” change is possible. Community develops, and a band of brothers is formed.

“This story shall the good man teach his son; … From this day to the ending of the world, But we in it shall be remembered-We few, we happy few, we band of brothers; For he to-day that sheds his blood with me Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile, This day shall gentle his condition, from this day, till the end of the world” – William Shakespeare, King Henry V, Act IV, Scene III.

We need each other. A father needs a son, and a son needs a father. In a perfect world, each of us would have a present, communicative, warm, and loving father. He would be their to father us through each of life’s challenges, showing us the ropes, teaching us, and modeling how life is to be lived, fought for, and how to love and sacrifice.

It is the purging of our hurts, losses, and pains, which eases the suffering of becoming a man. It helps young men and boys to see the scars and wounds older men have amassed over the years. It helps because they learn they’re not alone, not misfits nor Martians. Life is hard. I said earlier, “In a perfect world, each of us would have a present, communicative, warm, and loving father;” this, however, isn’t reality.

Some of our deepest wounds were delivered by our dads. And, because it was our dads, the wound is life altering and disruptive; it takes many of us “off course” from the path of our intended journey.

Most of us have not been invited into manhood but have entered in, without guidance and the advantage of a present and available father. We are lost. Lost sons and then lost men. Most of us men are simply aged boys. We’re stuck and trapped, and inside is a small and frightened boy. On the outside is the body of a man, pretending to be a man on the inside. His life is carefully lived, concealing this truth.

If boys are to become men; or, if lost adult males are to become men; we must open up in a sanctuary (safe place) for us to share our stories. The telling of your story is the first step to being found.

One of my favorite movies is “Hook,”with Robin Williams as “Peter Panning” and Dustin Hoffman as “Captain Hook.” The scene where the Lost Boys have their early encounter with “Peter Panning, the Lawyer” was one of rejection and disbelief. “‘He’s not ‘The Pan,’ he’s fat and old!'”

The Lost Boys become divided; some believe he is “The Pan,”and others do not. Even Peter Panning thinks they’re all nuts. However, a little boy approaches Peter Panning. The little boy takes the face of Peter Panning into his hands and begins to shape it, looking for something lost, peering into his eyes. Suddenly, the boy lifts Peter’s sagging face into a smile, and the little boy exclaims; “Oh, there you are, Peter!”

You see, deep within you is that lost boy. You were knocked off your intended journey into manhood and masculinity. Somewhere, you became lost. It sometimes takes the brave young boy to look you deep into your soul and say, “There you are, Jeff! There you are, Bob! There you are, Mike, or John or Steve!” We need the youth, and the youth need us. Together, we find each other. Together, we become men.

We invite you; no, rather we call you to join A Few Good Men. I dare you to be greater than your fathers. You do indeed have what it takes. You are no longer a lost boy but found, wanted, and needed.

Join us in becoming men. Men of honor. Men of God. A Few Good Men!

You’ll Not Find Me There – By Thomas Koester

I’m not in your work, so why do you lose yourself there?

The Barna Group and USA Today have estimated that 3,500 people walk away from church each day. Of these dechurched people, 80% are from the age group of 14-33.

It’s interesting that the single greatest issue reported by these people walking away from the Church is due to a lack of connectedness.

What does this mean?

It may mean that while people are looking for spiritual connectedness, our youth are not finding it in Church! So, they leave the organized Church looking for God elsewhere. Is it possible that in many churches today, God is not there?

I remember several years ago, Toni and I visited a church in Sonora, California. For the City of Sonora, it was considered one of the largest churches. We walked in and then later out of the church without any welcome or introduction. On our way to our car, I asked Toni,

“Honey, do you think we’re invisible?”

We then visited another church in Sonora and were ambushed by teens and adults with hands held out and warm greetings. Afterward, several people were genuinely interested in us. At one touching moment, a young man introduced himself and offered to pray over my back, as he noticed the pain I was in from a recent collision with a Hummer on Interstate HWY-4.

The stark difference between these two churches we visited, while anecdotal, seems to jive with the Barna Group’s study.

Needless to say, we joined the Church where we not only felt connected but became vital to that body of believers. In other words, the people there took the time to know us, understand our spiritual gifts, and, so, plugged us in to serve.

So, I want to tell my estranged fellow believers, “Don’t give up on the Church and find God there.” Like in most things and in many people there are good ones and not so good ones. Keep searching until you find a church you can call family and become vitality connected and useful.

Complacency and apathy do not belong in God’s people and in His Church. Yet, for many churches, their lack of utilizing people’s spiritual gifts breeds complacency and apathy. And so, sadly, many people become church dropouts.

Your spiritual gifts matter, and never settle for you or the gifts that God gave you to be benched or shelved. Your spiritual vitality and health are important to God and in the right Church also. Be humble and patient with God’s spiritual gifts, but also be wise and discerning.

So, to my dechurched brothers and sisters, I want to challenge and invite you back to God. To tell you that Jesus is there, where He said He would be if two or three are gathered together in His Name.

I am not on the internet, so why are you searching there?

I’m not in your work, so why do you lose yourself there?

I’m not in your affairs or hookups, so why do you hide there?

Is it because you no longer believe in Me or see Me that you continue to wander aimlessly? Is that why you have no fear of Me because I don’t shout and yell at you?

Is that why you trust more in things than in Me?

You’re hanging too tightly to the temporal things at the expense of the eternal!

It doesn’t matter how many Sunday services you attend. It’s your secret life that is denying your belief in Me. Your lack of connectedness in Church stems from your lack of connectedness to Me!

Your Sunday morning “hallelujahs” and “amens” mean nothing to Me without your holiness and devotion. I’m supposed to be in your heart and not in your religious ambitions.

I’m pleading with you to return to Me, even though you’re chasing shadows and lingering in sin, I’m still not willing for you to perish. All your difficulties are not a string of bad luck. It’s Me, dealing with you as a faithful Father!

You will not find Me in the false gods you love; in A.I., Tictok, X, Meta, or Instagram. People are into those things, not Me, I’m here, inside your heart—whispering My heavenly will, which is uniquely designed for you.

Take out the trash in your heart and mind. Ask Me to create in you a clean heart and clear head. All you have to do is admit your sins, cry your eyes out, and invite Me in. I don’t want to judge you—I want to love you!

Turn away from darkness, and come back into the light. I won’t shame you, I want to tame your feral heart. I want to quiet all that hateful self-talk you’re constantly muttering at yourself. Those nasty voices come from the deep broken places that you’ll not let me heal.

Hasn’t my Son, Jesus, convinced you enough that I’m in love with you? I want you here with Me in Heaven so that Father and Son can be with you there on earth.

I know that’s what you want because I put that desire in you before I created you. So, stop holding hands with sin and the devil! He wants you in hell. I want you here with Me. You’ll not find Me there in the devil’s darkness. I’m over here, in the Light of My Word, and in Jesus, My Son.

If you want the devil to stop harassing you and your soul to cease its pain, seek Me with all your heart and weary soul. I’ll be found. I’m not the one hiding.

You’ll Not Find Me There, because I’m over here—I’ve never left!

Touching Heaven to Change Earth – The Beauty of The Glorious Gospel – By Thomas J. Koester

Through the fog, I hear a distance roar, the sound of people, their voices raised, and the sound of footsteps in almost perfect rhythm. They’re marching toward something, perhaps a sporting event, concert, or political rally. Maybe it’s a parade or a military procession.

Their sound becomes louder and louder, closer and closer; the ground begins to vibrate as several people begin to emerge from the fog. Suddenly, only a few steps behind them emerge a cavalcade of glorious people, as far as the eye can see — Inestimable in number.

Without burdensome expression, the weak, the lame, the sick; the poor, and the forgotten ride upon each of their shoulders. And in their hands, carefully cupped were carried the Aborted, the Unwanted, the Discarded Ones. The passion and fervor of their quest was brazen upon their faces so that nothing could stop or detour them.

As they rushed past me, I became engulfed in a sea of people, young and old. A tremendously intense bright light, white in brilliance, diffused from above and behind this enormous movement of God’s People, lending them the appearance as that of a crystal sea.

My heart began to pound in my chest, with uneasiness and apprehension, as I realized I was swept up into this great sea; my legs began to move and my feet began touching earth with the same rhythm. Upon my shoulders, I felt a gentle burden unequal to its size, a leper, and a prostitute road counter to each of my shoulders.

Without fatigue, I kept in step with my new friends, while a certain joy began to well up from within. As soon as my countenance found my heart’s joyous expression, my hands came together cupped, and within them appeared an Aborted One! My joy turned into inexpressible compassion as I held the contents of my hands against my beating heart.

My face was now brazen, undaunted, and without turning to the left or the right, I quietly asked, “Where are we headed?” Suddenly, in solemn unison, the answer came:

“THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN, OF GOD AND HIS CHRIST, WHERE NONE ARE REJECTED, DISCARDED, OR DESPISED”

In the distance, I saw a mountain, which touched heaven and earth at the same time. The brightness of the mountaintop matched the brightness above and behind us. Suddenly, from deep within my heart rose a whisper:

“Heaven is opened to those who sacrifice for the least, and my glory is your rear guard.”

At that very moment, all that was left behind; the sofas and pews, TVs, computers, the comforts of life were forgotten. I’m no longer just one man, I no longer live for myself, and it’s with this procession I’m now known; to live holy and godly, touching the heart of God by touching the very least of these. God dwells within moving temples and invests his glory and grace to those who spend it!

Let us lavishly spend it on those who are truly hungry for righteousness; the hurting and broken, for those who are truly seeking redemption and mercy, and those that are impoverished for the Kingdom of God. Heaven’s supply shall never run dry!

Jesus Christ died for all and has been raised to life that all may live.

“God will repay each person according to what they have done.” To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor, and immortality, he will give eternal life.”
Romans 2:6-7

We do not earn salvation. Rather, our actions prove it!

Become so heavenly-minded that you’ll do tremendous earthly good!

A True Leader – By Thomas J. Koester

Being a leader is becoming a servant and refusing all temptation to be otherwise.

A true leader is the first to repent, the first to seek forgiveness, and the first to rise after a fall. He is the first to extend grace to others because he’s the first to extend grace to himself. He sets a standard that others can achieve without the need for a diploma or a pinstriped suit.

A true leader has learned the art of diminishment. He understands that if others are to increase that he must decrease, so he looks for others to promote rather than himself. He restrains himself from being the source of revelation but instead helps others find the Source.

He is more interested in raising leaders and not followers.

He does not set his own life as a standard to follow. He knows his life is plagued with imperfection and that leaders don’t always do what is right; that’s impossible. Instead, his humility points to the sufficiency found only in Christ and not in himself. He is clothed in Christ’s humility rather than theological pedigrees.

A true leader refuses to sit on pedestals. He denies the acclaim and the applause of men. He understands fleshly accent will lead not only to his demise but to all those who foolishly elevate him.

So, he leads with humility, quiet strength, and fear reserved for the Lord. The voice and message that matters most to him are; “well done, my good and faithful servant,” and not the flattery of men.

Being a leader is becoming a servant and refusing all temptation to be otherwise.

Men and women of these qualities appear rare because humanity always looks in the wrong places for such leaders. The world looks for a King Saul, but God, he looks for a Shepherd boy.

Be careful following the “impeccable,” they may be a fake and a phony. A real man of God doesn’t hide his imperfections; he leads through them and because of them. Don’t become captivated by their charisma, but rather by their character.

The authenticity of a real man of God and a true leader is who they are after the crowds leave and what their wife and children see of them when no one’s looking.

A good man’s greatest compliments come from his wife and children.

Celebrity Worship And True Saints – By Thomas Koester

The difference between celebrity worship and hero worship should not be confused. Yet we confuse them every day, and by doing so, we’ve come dangerously close to depriving ourselves of all real models.

“We lose sight of the men and women who do not simply seem great because they are famous but are famous because they are great. We come closer and closer to degrading all fame into notoriety.” Daniel J. Boorstin – 1914 – February 28, 2004, American Historian

We have done the same thing in the Church. We make celebrities out of ministers, authors, and musicians, and then we call them “Saints.” True Saints are birthed out of trial and suffering and not out of fame and glory.

There is no “American Idol” for Sainthood.

Saints are known only in heaven. In earth, they are despised, rejected, and ignored. Saints will never be seen at the front of the line. To them, being last is first; being invisible is visibility; being hidden is being discovered.

Outward talent and “anointing” do not confirm Saints. The Anti-Christ and his crowd disprove this theory every day.

The hidden-indwelling Spirit of God; the silent character of Christ, beneath the skin of a Jesus-disciple, is the surest mark of a true Saint.

They are not mostly heard, not mostly seen, but are camouflaged in quietness and a godly poverty. You would more than likely see them ragged and without, even confusing them as homeless and wretched. They would be despised and turned away from most houses of worship.

They may indeed have wonderful talent, but for them, the stage of such worshipful expression is a darkened closet, the solitude of a lonely trail or an alley of a forgotton city.

True Saints are sojourners, not citizens of earth, but passer-byers. There’s no time to sit and enjoy furniture, a sofa, or even a soft bed. No roof or four walls to call their own.

Their investments are not of this world. Their deposits are unseen and unknown to institutions of earth. Their only debt is love. They’re always tirelessly paying it forward from unseen resources.

True Saints are in a ceaseless love affair with Jesus. It never grows cold or just warm. Their passion for Christ grows hotter and hotter until the religious snuff them out.

True Saints are unwanted in most “churches.” Their presence is a judgment, and indictment against worldliness – There are only two ways in which a Saint will leave such a church; by divine decree or crucifixion.

True Saints don’t form clubs, ministries, or groups. Their fellowship halls are clouds of witnesses, those who’ve gone before, who cheer them on from a distant world. Two or three saints together are a crowd. Each one walks with a thousand angels – not because of who they are, but because of their nearness to Christ.

The more I write, the more I realize how rare true saints are and how far off I am. They are more likely to be born in the third world rather than in free and industrialized nations.

Lord, how we need you to birth true Saints.

As our society crumbles and our nation wains, a time is coming when Saints will reign. As darkness falls and liberty’s light grows dim, Saints will be counted, but no less than ten. For if more than ten true Saints existed in this great nation, this nation would have been greater!

Father in heaven, bring down your judgment against your worldly church. Purge her, refine her, and beautify her for Christ. Don’t listen to our petty-prayers of revival – bring rather true fire from heaven and cleanse us by the zeal of Christ and make us once again into a house of prayer and sainthood.

Forgive us for degrading Christ and his true disciples – Make us into Saints, like Saints of Old, tested by fire and prison, molded by persecution and derision.

Purge your people of worldliness and religiosity. We repent of our churchy and celebrity ways. We renounce worldly wealth, fame, fortune, and house – to pursue a better kingdom in heaven than on earth.

In Jesus’ Name and Authority, as it is in heaven, may it also be here on earth. Whatever it takes, Oh Lord, make it so. Your ends justify our suffering – Let it begin!

Rise up O’ House of God – Wake up O’ sleeper. Let your righteousness shine forth, and your saints arise from ash and cinder.

Fly In The Formation Of Love – By Thomas J. Koester

When you want to go far, you travel together.

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!

Not Enough Heaven – By Thomas J. Koester

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?

The Under Reformed Church – By Thomas Koester

“… men don’t follow titles; they follow courage.”

Is it just me, or does 21st Century Christianity need a second Reformation? Is it possible that the 16th Century Protestant Reformation didn’t go far enough?

Comparing Contemporary Christianity to Greco-Roman religious ritual of the 3rd century reveals some uncomfortable similarities. I believe it is those lingering similarities, which, to some degree, has neutered the Church’s testimony and witness to the nations.

The Under Reformed 21st Century Christianity has decentralized the message of the cross and resurrection as the focal point of preaching, teaching, and evangelism. The loss of these foundational doctrines as regular and consistent Church practice is why, for the most part, the Crucifixion has been replaced with Good Friday, the Resurrection replaced with Easter, and the Birth of Christ replaced with Christmas!

The Cross of Christ, the Resurrection, and the birth of Christ have become nothing more than religious holidays for churches to put on shows to capture new parishioners. These religious holidays are no different for Hallmark, Target, and Best Buy; they spruce up their stores and adds to attract consumers, just like many churches do.

Pastors and religious leaders may no longer be wearing long flowing robes loaded with phylacteries or the priestly liturgical vestments with golden threaded sleeves. These religious garbs were used in their day to separate the clergy from the laity to hold the learned in higher esteem than the unlearned, commoner, or laity class.

Today, the learned clergy rely on postnominals to separate themselves from the laity. Postnominals are letters placed following a person’s last name to indicate educational qualifications, the title of office, decoration, or honor. White wigs, long flowing robes, and liturgical vestments may be passe among evangelicals and fundamentalists, but postnominals are not; these letters and titles grant them hierarchy.

“Your title gives you claim to the throne of our country, but men don’t follow titles; they follow courage.” – William Wallace

Courage means action. It means to serve the interests of others. To risk. To venture. Titles separate us from one another, but courage, real courage is contagious. It makes us all brave and inspired.

Real courage and bravery is sharing Christ to a world that hates him. Being a true disciple of Jesus Christ is loaded with risk, but only outside of chapels and steeples. In reality, the call to discipleship is more like Jesus saying, “Come die with me for the sake of the Gospel and the Kingdom.” Heaven is where all things evil are vanquished and where the real potluck begins, not once a month at local Methodist Church!

“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.” – Deitrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship

We must break free from the religious trappings of safety, comfort, and convenience.

Too much of this “tradition” of orbiting the pulpit, the building, and the alter is to the detriment of local and world evangelism. To the equipping of the laity and the average believer. To the expansion of the Kingdom of Heaven. Frankly, the high expectation of the clergy doing all of the work of ministry leaves most parishioners disengaged with their faith, their calling, and the development of their spiritual gifts.

The offices gifted to the Church from Christ were not for the clergy to do all the ministry, but that they would equip and train the laity (saints) to do the work of ministry, so that all may reach maturity in Christ. Equipping the saints is for the maximum productivity in the body of Christ and the Gospel. (Eph. 4:11-16)

Being the audience once or twice a week does not forge men, women, and children into saints; but faith put into practice and action with one’s spiritual calling and giftedness does. Far too many well-seasoned believers are simply benchwarmers or spectators of a game they have no skin in.

Brothers and sisters, we don’t reach maturity in Christ Jesus as spectators or simply being faithful to a 90-minute program. Weekly services without the exercise of spiritual gifts and calling create weak Christians.

In many churches, people run out as soon as they hear the final amen. In less than five minutes, the parking lot empties. Just like at the movie theaters, as soon as the screen fades to black and the credits roll, the theater and parking lot empties. What about fellowship, relationship, and koinonia? This proves that the service or show is more important than true fellowship and serious connectedness.

We believers must have a vital connection and role within the local fellowships, whether in commercial buildings or homes. This is why there are so many transient believers; they’re searching for belonging, meaning, and purpose.

The more risk and challenge for believers to exercise their faith and practice their spiritual gifts, the more spiritual growth and maturity will be realized. If this is allowed, edification will become mutual among the laity and not exclusively within the clergy.

For example, I moved from the Bay Area to a lake community in the Sierra Foothills. There is a substantial lack of spiritual urgency up here. It was a culture shock and frankly still is. Spiritual complacency is a real danger, and the 21 Century Western Church structure is responsible for it — sadly, it is what they are producing, spiritual complacency.

I have the privilege to speak with pastors and evangelists in India, Pakistan, and the Philippines. Do you know what they tell me?

They tell me they want to be like America’s big successful churches. This breaks my heart. We don’t risk our lives as they do, preaching the gospel or passing out bibles among Muslims and the Taliban. We aren’t threatened by Hindus, ISIS, or Boko Haram.

Here in America, we’re too scared to share the gospel with strangers, neighbors, or anyone shopping at Walmart. Our greatest threat here in America is getting jailed by Facebook, canceled by Twitter, and de-platformed or demonetized by Youtube. Our Americanized, homogenized, and pasteurized form of Christianity has been genetically modified to produce seedless fruit. We should not be in the exporting business.

I encourage them not to mimic Western Christianity and not to model their Churches and ministries after American mega-churches, TV evangelists, our wretched prosperity gospel pontificators, and the NAR movement.

I suggest they follow the authentic biblical model of Christian practice and the ecclesiastic men of Scripture. Christianity needs Indian, Pakistani, and Filipino believers and pastors to be themselves, not an Americanized version. I encourage them to study what the Holy Scriptures instruct and to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to their Churches. Follow Christ Jesus, not American pastors.

Perhaps the First World Churches need a Bible lesson from our brothers and sisters in the Third World. They are the courageous, bold, and faithfu onesl that we Westerners should be.

Be courageous, bold, and faithful like Jesus and bury the grave clothes of the religious order of men.