2 Timothy 4:1-4 (NKJV)
Exhortation to Timothy to preach the word!
1. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
1. I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
2. Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching.
3. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers;
4. and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.
There are those in the national spotlight of Christendom that are saying that the emerging church should be studying transcendental meditation. Yet there are others suggesting that it is should be acceptable to people of faith ... to be aborted unborn babies and that alternate life styles is not in violation of the scripture. There are those in Minnesota that are being subjected to harassment and abuse because of their faith and stand on the word of God.
Our world wants to call into question our thought processes as if to suggest that we do not have to do all that or that in some way we have been taught or believe the wrong things. I for one believe the Bible. I personally believe it means what is says and says what it means and does not require all of our input.
Proverbs 30:12 There is a generation that are pure in their own eyes, and yet is not washed from their filthiness. (KJV)
Could it be that this is that generation? It is just a question! I still believe that the wages of sin is death according to Romans 6:23. So what does that mean – what is sin? - the Biblical definition if sin is found in:
James 4:17 Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin. (KJV)
In John 3:20-21 the scripture says:
20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.
21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (NIV)Only those that truly FEAR God love truth. Unfortunatley what the world and this generation are seeing is a church that lacks FEAR and has little or no PASSION. The word fear means: to have honor, respect for; while passion means: desire, motivation to do!
You see the church at large has invested millions of dollars into buildings, media, audio-visual equipment, advertisement, cameras, projectors, etc. believing that this will cause people to be drawn to the gospel or create a passion for His house. May I be just brutally honest here for a moment? If all of these things were working as we believe we must ask ourselves the question: Why aren’t people being saved? That is not a condemning question just a soul searching one. With today’s technology and our ability to spread the word of God quickly over the internet via streaming – if technology is the answer ... then why aren’t people being saved? May I just suggest that the answer is in the churches lack of fear & passion.
The gospel has become diluted and watered down to make it acceptable for today’s generation and in the process we have forfeited our passion. The spirit of the age says: We do not want to offend or call into question ones motives so we say nothing and patronize the churchgoer in hopes that they will have a pleasant experience and come back.
Passion is about a desire that creates an appetite. You will find time to do what you really want to do - no question. Your desire is really about what you believe to be important. So then the question is: how do we prioritize what is important?
John Wooden the famous UCLA basketball coach once said: “There is a choice to make in all you do yet in the end the choices you make will make you”. As an example ... do you like ice cream? Is it good? Is it good for You? Does it affect you? Do you quickly see those affects? Yes ice cream is good as to if it is good for you that becomes relevant only to the person being questioned and their individual health history. But in answer to: does it affect you? Absolutely! You may not see the affect for a long time but eventually you will be wearying that decision around your waist. The choices you make will affect you. Your desire creates appetite for it and your belief’s grant the permission to indulge.
Now I am not trying to find fault or condemn rather make an observation. What was it that gave Moses the desire to pursue God when it was going to cost him a life time of achievements? Why did Jeremiah, Isaiah, and others continue to proclaim the very words that brought them persecution and hardships? Why is it that people in the early church were able to forsake their possessions, their comforts and even their very lives for the gospel? What was it they possessed that enabled them to boldly preach under the threat of torture and death when the greatest struggle for many today is overcoming a bad self image? I think the answer to these questions lies in their passion and unfortunately our obvious lack of it.
There is one thing you must know: It does not come without confrontation! While it is available to all those that hunger for truth it will not come without a fight. I want to make this so clear that no one can miss what I am trying to say: For those seeking TRUTH the fear of remaining the same far outweighs any painful encounter with truth because they are desperate for the Lord and desperate to hear from Him.
It is true that He loves us … we have heard it said and I have even said it myself but I want you to hear it with fresh hearing today – are you ready? He is more concerned with our condition than our comfort and He loves us enough to tell us what we need to hear even though we do not want to hear it.
The Spirit of the Age, what it does, how it affects and infects us, how to address it and what is on the horizon should the Lord delay His coming … will be discussed in a later blog. Suffice to say: Truth is only truth after you have experience it because until then it is just information. The church at large is educated far above our level of obedience. We have continued our practice of ever learning which has actually affected our ability to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Hebrews 5:13-14 (KJV)
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
It is time for the body of Christ to grow up and accept responsibility for the Gospel. When you mature you can handle the correction and redirection of the Holy Spirit when sin occurs in your life.
We started the year out with a fast which had great benefit for many of us yet I feel compelled to suggest to you that we only went on a hunger strike not a true fast. But I want to call another corporate fast - This one will not be from food but rather I want us to fast from whatever it is that keeps us from seeking the Lord. It can be television, video games, Facebook, computer games, newspapers, shopping, texting, phone conversations, emailing, busyness, over commitment. Our lives have become a constant distraction to a passion for Him. The deception of comfort, of happiness, of approval all create distractions that affects our passion.
I am calling for a true fast where we agree to just stop doing what we are doing and seek the Lord while He may be found. Our busy lives have become a distraction that has kept us from seeking Him. When we abstain from food we receive little benefit when our lives are filled with everything else.
A true fast is when we abstain - with the designed purpose of seeking Him. We place our focus on Him not food! The children of Israel were guilty of abstaining from food and then questioning God why He wasn’t impressed with them.
Isaiah 58:3-4 (NKJV)
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.
3 ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen? Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?’ “In fact, in the day of your fast you find pleasure, And exploit all your laborers.
4 Indeed you fast for strife and debate, And to strike with the fist of wickedness.
You will not fast as you do this day, To make your voice heard on high.
Step number one at building a wall against the spirit of the age is found in:
Isaiah 55:6 (NKJV)
Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
Seek the Lord while He may be found, Call upon Him while He is near.
Isaiah 55:7 (NKJV)
Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon.
Come on people of God ...
1. Seek Him while He may be found
2. Call upon Him while He is near
3. Let the wicked forsake his way
4. And the unrighteous his thoughts
5. Return to the Lord
Then here is what the Lord will do:
1. Have mercy on him
2. He will abundantly pardon
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