Recommended Reading 1

There are a number of books that I think are absolutely necessary for Christians to read. Here is a partial list.

In His Steps by Charles M. Sheldon

It is from this book that the popular question, "What would Jesus do?" came from. It is a novel in which a pastor challenges his congregation to ask this question in every situation and then do what is appropriate. The transformations and struggles are enlightening and encouraging. The Bible is the only piece of Christian literature that has sold more copies than this novel.

The Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Bonhoeffer was hanged in the concentration camp at Flossenbürg on April 9, 1945, one of four members of his immediate family to die at the hands of the Nazi regime for their participation in the small Protestant resistance movement . Nearly 1/3 of this book revolves around the Sermon on the Mount. But the whole of the book, though not a light or easy read provides valuable insight regarding the significance of being a disciple of Christ.

Calvary Road by Roy Hession

The book is around 100 pages long yet it takes two or three times of reading it through before the work of the Spirit through this book is done. It presents a challenge to brokenness, humility and purity that cannot be done in just one reading.

The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence

Here is another small, yet powerful work. It consists of a collection of letters and conversations by Brother Lawrence (a.k.a. Nicholas Herman) who was a monk in the 17th century. He spent most of his time washing dishes where he learned to "practice the presence of God", i.e. being aware of God no matter where he was or what he was doing.

That's all for now. Do drop me an email if you have found this blog interesting, helpful, encouraging or infuriating!

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Finding the Will of God - Integrity of Heart Gen. 20

This passage in Genesis 20, tells us of one of Abraham's struggles of faith. But the point of this writing has to do with Abimelech, king of Gerar. I first heard this teaching from Jack Hayford, pastor of Church on the Way in Van Nyes, CA about 20 years ago.

As was the custom and legal right of the king in those times, when he saw a woman that he wanted, he would add to his harem, if she wasn't married. Abraham had said of his wife, "She is my sister." So the king sent for Sarah and took her. Again, let me reiterate that Abimelech was perfectly within his rights as king to do as he did, if Sarah was not married.

We read this exchange between God and Abimelech in a dream.

But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him,"Indeed you are a dead man because of the woman whom you have taken, for she is a man's wife." But Abimelech had not come near her; and he said, "Lord, will You slay a righteous nation also? Did he not say to me, 'She is my sister'? And she, even she herself said, 'He is my brother.' In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this."
And God said to him in a dream, "Yes, I know that you did this in the integrity of your heart. For I also withheld you from sinning against Me; therefore I did not let you touch her. Now therefore, restore the man's wife; for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you shall live. But if you do not restore her, know that you shall surely die, you and all who are yours." Gen 20:3-7 NKJV

Let us have a clear understanding of the situation. Abimelech is not a part of the covenant that God had with Abraham. Therefore he had no legal relationship with God. Yet, God intervened to save Abimelech, his kingdom and, primarily, Sarah.

In the dream, God tells the king that he is a dead man - not the kind of thing you want to hear in a dream. God explains why this judgment is coming - he took a married woman. Abimelech's response is interesting.

"In the integrity of my heart and innocence of my hands I have done this." Gen 20:5 NKJV

An other translation puts it this way.

"I have done this with a clear conscience and clean hands." Gen 20:5 NIV

As Jack Hayford interpreted it, he was saying,

"Honest to God, I did what I thought was right!"

Integrity of heart speaks of wholeness, completeness. Abimelech did the best he knew how. With a whole heart, he did what he thought was right. However, it was wrong. It was sin!

What we need to take note of here is that even though Abimelech was outside the covenant of God, when he tried to do what was right and it turned out to be wrong, God intervened to keep him from sin. The reason for this - integrity of heart. He whole-heartedly was doing the best he could.

How does this apply to us today as Christians?

We have been bought with a price. When we accept Jesus as our Savior and Lord, we enter into a "New Covenant" with Him. We have a relationship with the Almighty God. Isaiah 30:18 tells us that "... the LORD longs to be gracious to you;he rises to show you compassion. NIV

Our Father wants us to do His will more than we want to do it!

And yet, how many of us suffer through the anxiety of trying to find that illusive "Will of God." We assume that He is hiding it or maybe we are not worthy enough, haven't prayed enough or fasted enough or whatever enough! Did your parents make it difficult for you to know what they wanted done? Or was it very clear that the grass needed mowing or the garbage taken out or the dishes washed? Did they hide from you their hopes and dreams for life - which career they hoped for or which college they thought was best?

Jesus posed these questions to His disciples.

"Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11 If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" Matt 7:9-12 NIV

If our parents or we, as parents, being evil in comparison to the goodness of God, will give us or our children what they need, how much more will our Heavenly Father reveal to us His will, His desire, His destiny for us if we but seek Him, follow Him with a whole heart. This is a heart that is undivided.

Paul writes,

And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10 so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ-to the glory and praise of God. Phil 1:9-11 NIV

This purity means "unalloyed", unmixed not a little bit of the world, a little bit of bitterness, a little bit of resentment or unforgiveness, not a little bit of lust and the rest godliness. No, No No! It means we belong to Him. He can do what He wants, when He wants and how He wants. But isn't that the crux of the matter here - knowing what the Father wants?

Now watch this carefully! Abimelech did not have a relationship with God. Hopefully you do! Abimelech was doing the best he could - out of the integrity of his heart. Hopefully you do the same. Because of this wholeness of heart, God prevented Abimelech from doing what was wrong. How much more do you think that your Father in heaven is going to keep you from doing wrong? You are His child!

If we will but do rather than always waiting around for the whole plan of God for the ages to drop into our lap, our Father will lead. Sometimes it will be those gentle nudgings of His Spirit to direct in the right path. But other times, it will be the slap up-side the head with a 2x4 of our spouse or pastor or boss or friend! In any event, if we seek Him with a whole heart, He will not let us miss His will!

I understand that there is a time appropriate for quietness and waiting on the Father. He longs for that intimacy with us. That is what enables us to hear that still small voice. But His will, his desires are not illusive.

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You don't know what's next!

"Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might..." Eccl 9:10 NIV

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men..." Col 3:23 NIV

Right out of Bible College, I founded and pastored a church. I was there for seven years. Then in 1984, I started my "grand adventure".

My young wife, Erica, and I moved to Atlanta, GA where we expected to be working for a missions ministry. Unfortunately, that didn't work out but proved to be the carrot before this donkey to get us to Atlanta where we assisted a local church in their move into the Charismatic Renewal.

However, I also worked at a health club where, believe it or not, I was certified as an aerobics instructor. Erica and I also received our first certifications as scuba divers - "Openwater Divers". Why you may ask? Keep reading!

We returned to Pittsburgh, PA, our home town, for a short time. While there, we pursed the scuba diving obtaining both "Advanced Openwater" and "Rescue Diver" certifications. During this time, I continued to teach aerobics while we helped a local church recover from some devastating happenings and get back on their feet.

There was a classified ad in the back of a scuba magazine looking for couples to work on cruise ships. Just for a laugh, we applied and went off to a summer camp. When we returned, we found a letter from this agency saying that they were interested in having us come and work for them establishing fitness and snorkeling programs on board passenger ships. We were qualified because of our aerobic and scuba certifications.

Without drawing it out, we spent 3 1/2 years working on cruise ships, taking a total of 77 voyages, for a combined total of more than 300,000 miles. While on board, I was the unofficial chaplain. I held two to three services per week plus had the freedom do special services for Easter and Christmas. We had an Easter Sunrise Service on the top deck of the ship as she was pulling into Montego Bay, Jamaica with the sun just breaking over the mountains. Incredible! The Lord gave us opportunities to share with the cruise staff and passengers and lead some of them to the Lord!

While on board, I also would fill in as the DJ from time to time. After leaving the ships, my experience as a DJ got me a job as a mobile disc jockey back in Pittsburgh, which qualified me for a job with Studebakers, an oldies club, which open the door for me to be accepted by a talent agency out of Nashville which was opening up new clubs in hotels called Coco Loco. Why would an ordained minister take a job as a night club disc jockey? Do you think that were Jesus here with us like He was with the disciples that He would be spending His time taking in meetings at churches or would He be where "many tax collectors and "sinners" came and ate with him and his disciples?" Matt 9:10-11 NIV

These folks worked until 2 or 3 in the morning. They could not get up and go to church on Sunday morning. How else where they to be reached? We were there. We shared. Sometimes we planted. Sometimes we watered and sometimes we reaped a harvest!

Anyhow, the agency for whom I worked wanted to start a new club in Memphis, TN and sent me there to assess the situation and give the hotel management a sample of what our style of entertainment was like. Eventually the hotel agreed to the concept and would sign with this agency but only if I was part of the package.

Erica and I prayed about it and even though, when Memphis was first mentioned, we had to look on a map to know where it was, we felt this was God so we moved. I was the head DJ and Erica was employed as the Promotions Director. While trying to find a church to attend one morning, we both discovered Christ the Rock. After attending CTR for just few months and still working at the hotel, the pastor asked us to lunch with his wife. While at lunch, he asked me to step in as the Single Adults Pastor, a position for which I was uniquely trained as a result of three years of working in the singles' scene in night clubs.

Beginning to see a pattern here? Pastor, aerobics instructor, scuba diver, cruise ship, DJ, single adults pastor!

But the story continues. All through this time, I continued to practice my Spanish - Costa Rica, Panama, Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guatemala. The Latino population in Memphis grew from 25,000 to more than 100,000 in just 5 years. So after finishing my time with the single adults, I spearheaded an outreach to the Latino community in Memphis.

We felt led of the Lord to leave Memphis for Myrtle Beach, SC in 2000. There I ended up working for a masonry contractor who was Mexican and who had about 80 Latinos working for him. I became the liaison between the mason crews and the contractors. While doing that, we started a bilingual home church. Needless to say, my Spanish greatly improved.

Two years ago, we answered the call to move to Mexico where we are today.

I always did what was in front of me by the grace of God. Whether it was carpentry, plumbing, computers, ministry, masonry, diving, aerobics or learning Spanish. If I had not applied myself to the opportunities that the Father gave me, if I had set my mind that "I am called to the ministry, I can't do that!" then I would never have arrived at the place I am.

Our journey is exactly that - a journey! You do not know what is next but you know what is in front of you. This you can do with your whole heart, as unto the Lord! Because you don't know what's next. What would have happened if I didn't apply myself as the health club director - no certifications, no cruise ships, no night clubs, no planting , no watering, no harvest!

You have to understand that I was as confused and bewildered at times as were my family and friends. Can you imagine the stigma of having a relative or friend who had pastored a thriving work now spinning records in a club - and he wasn't even backslidden? But we pressed on because we knew what we were to be doing now and we didn't know what was next.

If we hadn't gone to Memphis, we would never have adopted our beautiful children. Erica would not have had the chance to prove herself and exemplify the character of God in the market place. We can't fathom what would of happened but we do know what did happen. As we pursed God, He proved Himself faithful to lead and guide. We did not do it all perfectly. Sometimes we wrestled with Him over His will, but we always gave in.

You don't know what's next. But there are opportunities right in front of you that are being ignored because "that can't possibly be God!" Get over it! It probably is!

More on discovering the will of God at a later time. But for now, you cannot steer a parked car. If you are in a quandary over the will of the Father, starting doing something and stop sitting around contemplating your navel or counting ceiling tiles during your prayer time. As one fellow put "I'd rather be doing something for God, even if it's making mistakes!" God can forgive and correct our mistakes!

But someone will say, "You have faith; I have deeds."
Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by what I do. James 2:18 NIV

We are saved by grace but we must "continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling..."Phil 2:12 NIV

As one popular clothing company put it - "Just do it!"

If you would like to read more of the story of our journey, leave your email address in the comments and I will forward you a copy of our first newsletter which goes into greater detail!

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A Prepared Bride 1 - Rev. 19:6-8

Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:

"Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

Rev 19:6-8 NIV
There are several things in this passage that I would like us to focus on.

First, the whole host of heaven to shouting this declaration. This is not just a few folks but so great a multitude that John characterizes the sound like the roar of water or thunder. Can you imagine a sound as deafening as Niagara Falls just from the shout of glory to God? Incredible!

We use to sing part of this verse as a chorus in the early days of the Charismatic Renewal.
"Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give the glory unto Him!" Unfortunately, we didn't continue with the reason for the rejoicing!

This great multitude is singing the praises of God, in this instance, for a specific reason. That reason is that the time for the wedding of the Lamb had come. It was time for the marriage of the Lamb to His bride. Scripture teaches that the body of believers, the host of those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior are the bride. (2 Cor. 11:2, Eph. 5:23-32)

Therefore, this great excitement in the heavenlies is a result of our impending nuptials to our Lord and King. Certainly something to shout about but that is not all! The multitude states,

"and his bride has made herself ready"

When teaching this, I often ask the ladies present how they prepared for their wedding. Most all tell me that although they had help, basically they got themselves ready. For instance, they had to put their dress on.

When it comes to the wedding of the Lamb and His bride, she must prepare herself for her King. Others cannot do it for her. Since it is that we are this bride, it is given to us to prepare ourselves both individually and as the church. We must be prepared. We have One called along side to help us, the Holy Spirit(John 14:16, 26; 16:7) but we must do the preparing. We cannot wait around for someone else to dress us like some mannequin in a store window. We must get ourselves ready!

Further on these verses actually tell us the nature of this preparation.

"Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear."
(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

We have vestments, clothing, a bridal gown, as it were, which which we dress ourselves. A gown of fine linen, bright and clean, without spot or wrinkle.

We, as the bride of Christ, are first and foremost washed in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev. 1:5) to cleanse us from our sin, our rebellion against God. However, I believe that there is need for an on going cleansing or washing as Paul illustrates for us.

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Eph 5:25-27 NIV

Christ gave Himself up for us to make us holy or sanctified, set apart for Him. There is a cleansing that comes through the Word of God. Again, this is not painting the outside while the inside is fetid and foul. This is holiness because He is holy. This is righteousness imputed by grace not earned by works nor demonstrated by how drab your clothing or austere your countenance. This is the character and nature of God transforming us day by day as we look to Him.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18 NIV

What we behold, we become! What we give our life energy to, we resemble. What we worship, we are transformed into. If we worship success, we worship ourselves and become ego-centric. If we worship pleasure, if we seek it out, if we give our energies to it, we become depraved, even reprobate. It we seek God, Him first and Him alone, we take on His nature -

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Gal 5:22-23 NIV

The fruit, the harvest, the result of seeking Him above all else is that we become like Him. And we keep at it until He comes!

Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure. 1 John 3:2-3 NIV

Finally, the verses in Revelation define for us the nature of the vestments, the wedding gown.

(Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints.)

This fine linen with which we shall be clothed are the righteous acts of the saints. In other words, the right things that we are doing - our obedience to His Word.

"If you love me, you will obey what I command." John 14:15

But not just His written word but also His leading, His guiding each day.

"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth." John 16:12-13 NIV

and again,

As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." Heb 3:15 NIV

To be prepared, to make ourselves ready is to be washed from sin and to be cleansed from sins. It is to actively be seeking the face of God. It is to be obedient not just to the written Word but to His urgings and nudgings and leading each day. It is not enough to not sin, we must be actively doing righteousness. What good is it if you have huge passages of scripture memorized but your neighbor sits alone next door, unable to go out but neither is anyone going to visit. What good is it to have gone a whole week without gossiping and yet in that same week you never once told your kids how much you loved and appreciated them.

This preparedness is not an outward show. Sanctification is not isolating ourselves from the world. It is demonstrating the inward holiness of God through our lives, the way we talk, the way we care for the forgotten, the way we meet the needs of the unlovely. It is letting who God is in us, affect our daily lives.

We become what we behold!

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 NKJV

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Sunrise over San Luis Rio Colorado, Sonora, Mexico.

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A Word to the Wise on Benedict XVI

I am hesitant to write this today but sense that I must. Jesus, Himself, warned us,

"I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves. Be on your guard against men; they will hand you over to the local councils and flog you in their synagogues." Matt 10:16-18 NIV

The press has been quite prolific this week in writing about the new pope, the former Joseph Ratzinger. Most have joined in the throngs in lauding him and extolling his virtues, prophesying about his reign as the sovereign of the church. Some have criticized him and vilified him because he is a conservative who stands firmly behind the beliefs of his religion. I believe that he has much potential to do good in the world regarding the poor and oppressed, the unborn and the undefended. But I also believe he has just as much potential to do harm for the "non-Catholic" churched adn missionaries in Latin America.

It is reported that "Benedict took a cue from John Paul when he pledged Wednesday to work for unity among Christians and to seek "an open and sincere dialogue" with other faiths." AP April 21, 2005

However, we must be wise and vigilant and recognize as one commentator put it,
"Here's a newsflash: The pope is Catholic"

Being Catholic there are certain beliefs that he holds which are contrary to what we, as evangelicals, believe and even to what the Word of God says.

As Ratzinger, Benedict wrote a paper entitled "DOMINUS IESUS" in 2000. Please read carefully the following quotes from these document.

Point 16. "The Catholic faithful are required to profess that there is an historical continuity rooted in the apostolic succession 53 between the Church founded by Christ and the Catholic Church: "This is the single Church of Christ... Which our Saviour, after his resurrection, entrusted to Peter's pastoral care (cf. Jn 21:17), commissioning him and the other Apostles to extend and rule her (cf. Mt 28:18ff.), erected for all ages as 'the pillar and mainstay of the truth' (1 Tim 3:15). This Church, constituted and organized as a society in the present world, subsists in [subsistit in] the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him".54 With the expression subsistit in, the Second Vatican Council sought to harmonize two doctrinal statements: on the one hand, that the Church of Christ, despite the divisions which exist among Christians, continues to exist fully only in the Catholic Church, and on the other hand, that "outside of her structure, many elements can be found of sanctification and truth",55 that is, in those Churches and ecclesial communities which are not yet in full communion with the Catholic Church.56 But with respect to these, it needs to be stated that "they derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church"

He is stating here that the Catholic church is the only true church and that all other churches - Methodist, Baptist, Pentecostal, etc. - exist only because the Catholic church exists and that all, even though they are not yet in full communion with this one true church (there is somethign scary about that "yet"), are effective only because of the Catholic church.

Futher on, Ratzinger writes,
Point 17 Therefore, there exists a single Church of Christ, which subsists in the Catholic Church, governed by the Successor of Peter and by the Bishops in communion with him.58 The Churches which, while not existing in perfect communion with the Catholic Church, remain united to her by means of the closest bonds, that is, by apostolic succession and a valid Eucharist, are true particular Churches.59 Therefore, the Church of Christ is present and operative also in these Churches, even though they lack full communion with the Catholic Church, since they do not accept the Catholic doctrine of the Primacy, which, according to the will of God, the Bishop of Rome objectively has and exercises over the entire Church.

Again, Ratzinger states that there is only one church and the rest of us are fortunate to be around.

He continues,
60 On the other hand, the ecclesial communities which have not preserved the valid Episcopate and the genuine and integral substance of the Eucharistic mystery,61 are not Churches in the proper sense; however, those who are baptized in these communities are, by Baptism, incorporated in Christ and thus are in a certain communion, albeit imperfect, with the Church.62 Baptism in fact tends per se toward the full development of life in Christ, through the integral profession of faith, the Eucharist, and full communion in the Church.

If we don't do it their way, we are not churches in the proper sense. The comments concerning baptism are based on the Catholic belief that, "Baptism is necessary for salvation. Baptism effects the remission of original sin and actual sins and of all punishment due to sin;" A belief not held by most evangelicals.

Ratzinger continues.

65 "Therefore, these separated Churches and communities as such, though we believe they suffer from defects, have by no means been deprived of significance and importance in the mystery of salvation. For the spirit of Christ has not refrained from using them as means of salvation which derive their efficacy from the very fullness of grace and truth entrusted to the Catholic Church".

All other churches, outside the Catholic church, are defective. Though they can be used as a means of salvation, they are able to do so only through the grace and mercy entrusted to the Catholic church.

Ratzinger concludes,

If it is true that the followers of other religions can receive divine grace, it is also certain that objectively speaking they are in a gravely deficient situation in comparison with those who, in the Church, have the fullness of the means of salvation.

He is not even certain that salvation is available outside of his belief system. But if it is possible to receive salvation outside his church then those who are thusly saved are in a gravely deficient situation.

Do not be deceived brethren, this leopard will not change his spots. As I have mentioned before,(Pope John Paul II ) Benedict's predecessor was antagonist to evangelicals in Latin America. Here are excepts from an article from the Associated Press out of Mexico City.

Latin America's church confronts widespread poverty, dramatic inequality, lingering prejudice against the hemisphere's original inhabitants and the rise of Protestant competitors.

Polls throughout the region show that many Catholics ignore church teachings on issues such as birth control. Yet, especially among the poor, the church is losing ground to Evangelical Protestant groups that are often stricter about personal behavior than are Catholics.

Gutierrez said weak religious education is what leads many Catholics ``to emigrate to other religious confessions.''

Efforts to compete with the numerous Protestant pastors are made difficult by the lack of priests. Poverty in Latin America Faces Pope Wednesday April 20, 2005 9:01 PM By John Rice Associated Press Writer

Benedict XVI may be scholarly, jovial, quick witted and media-wise but he is first and foremost Catholic. In Latin America, in particular, that means that we, as evangelicals, are the enemy to be routed by "reevangelizing".

Understand me very clearly in this. I know that God loves all men but I also know through Jesus' example that He has little tolerance for men who cause others to stumble through the multiplication of man-made laws which have little to do with His Word or work in the earth.

Jesus had compassion on the common man. But he railed against the abuses by the Jewish hierarchy of these "little ones". Ponder this, who has replaced the Pharisees and Saducees in our day by adding, unnecessarily, to the burden of the Lord? Didn't He say,

"For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matt 11:30 NIV

Pray! Pray for the leadership of the Catholic church, that they will hear the Spirit as He grieves over the masses. Pray for denominational and non-denominational leaders worldwide that they will not lean on their own understanding but listen to Him who is speaking. As the writer of Hebrews as told us,

"See to it, brothers, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first. As has just been said:
"Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as you did in the rebellion." Heb 3:12-15 NIV

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To be Distinguished - Exodus 33:15-16

Moses was having a discussion with God about going up into the Promised Land. He wanted to be sure that God was going to go with them especially after the Israelites idolatry in the previous chapter.

Then Moses said to him, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here. 16 How will anyone know that you are pleased with me and with your people unless you go with us? What else will distinguish me and your people from all the other people on the face of the earth?" Ex 33:15-16 NIV

The Hebrew word used for "distinguished" is

palah --to be distinct, marked out, to be separated, to be distinguished
(from The Online Bible Thayer's Greek Lexicon and Brown Driver & Briggs Hebrew Lexicon, Copyright (c)1993, Woodside Bible Fellowship, Ontario, Canada. Licensed from the Institute for Creation Research.)

We can see this same word used in these verses as well.

But among the Israelites not a dog will bark at any man or animal.' Then you will know that the LORD makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. Ex 11:7-87 NIV

Know now that the LORD has set apart the godly for himself;the LORD will hear when I call to him. Ps 4:3 NIV

What Moses is saying to God in Exodus 33:16 is, "Unless you go with us, unless your presence is with us and manifested or clearly recognizable, there will be no way to tell us apart from the rest of the nations." In other words, how will the nations know that we belong to you unless there is some mark of ownership.

To explain this further, we have to go back to an old fashioned word, a word that is rarely used and even still even more rarely applied - sanctification. To be sanctified is to be set apart. Paul put it this way,

I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. Rom 6:19-20, 22 NIV

We are not our own but we have been bought with a price - the blood of Jesus. (1 Cor. 6:18-20)

As I mentioned in an earlier post (The Gospel According to Nixon), we are to be holy because He, our Father is holy. (1 Peter 1:15-16) However, holiness and sanctification too often quickly become just an outward show. We clean up the outside by cutting our hair, or shunning make up or wearing drab clothing and, of course, maintaining the obligatory scowl on our face while the inside is a filthy and putrid as ever, if not worse!

John the Baptist confronted this issue with the Pharisees - the religious leaders of his day.

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Matt 23:27-28 NIV

They had all the right moves - the clothes, the words, the air of piety, but were full of hidden agendas, gossip, backbiting and self-righteousness.

I heard a teaching once explaining wickedness. Jack Hayford, of Living Way Ministries, illustrated it this way. The word "wicked" has the same etymology as the word "wicker", where we get wicker furniture. Wicker furniture is made by soaking reeds until they becomes pliable and can be twisted. In a similar manner wickedness can be defined as "soaking in your own juices" long enough until you can be bent or twisted into an unnatural shape - emotionally, behaviorally, mentally.

On the other hand, holiness or sanctification is a result of a relationship with He who is holy. We cannot spend true, quality time with our Father and not come away changed. We become what we behold.

And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18 NIV

As one fellow put it,

"If you do the dos, you don't have to worry about doing the don'ts"

In other words, if we pursue God with a whole heart, if we seek Him, if we do whatever He has commanded, if we will simply love Him - heart, mind, soul and strength - we will be distinguished!

No matter where we are - the grocery store, the gas station, the beauty salon, a restaurant - people will know that we are different. Not because we have a "Jesus saves" label pin or a "Honk if you love Jesus" bumper sticker but in how we treat each other, in how our kids behave, in how we respect others. They may not know why we are different but perhaps that difference will draw them into a conversation wherein you can share what God has done in and through you.

"Do you bring in a lamp to put it under a bowl or a bed? Instead, don't you put it on its stand? For whatever is hidden is meant to be disclosed, and whatever is concealed is meant to be brought out into the open. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear." Mark 4:21-23 NIV

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More Than Conquerors - Romans 8:37

"I am not a defender of the faith! I am an advancer of the Kingdom!"
-Pastor Stewart Roberts, Oasis Life Training Center, Palm Desert, CA, Sunday, April 17, 2005

As I sat in the service last Sunday evening and listened to the impassioned preaching of Pastor Roberts, I realized that in this age of "political correctness" the church must be careful not sell out the truth of the Gospel for the sake of being liked by the community and other religious leaders. As I have mentioned before, I believe that truth, to be truth, must be held in tension.

It is true that Our Lord and Savior is also our peace (Eph. 2:14) but He is our peace in that through Him, we have been reconciled to the Father. (Rom. 5:10; 2 Cor. 5:18). However, Jesus also said,

"Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to turn "'a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law- a man's enemies will be the members of his own household.' " Matt 10:34-36 NIV

In one recorded conversation Jesus asks His disciples who the people are saying He is. In reply they give of long list of long dead prophets and such. Then Jesus asks,

"Who do you say I am?"
Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. Matt 16:15-18 NIV

There are many interpretations as to the rock but my interest at this moment is the phrase, "and the gates of Hades shall not overcome it" Among the many commentaries about this phrase, my favorite refers me back to Pastor Roberts' statement. The church is not to just stand and take all the assault of the enemy and his deluded, deceived followers but we are to do as Paul exhorts us,

Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Phil 3:13-14 NIV

We sing an old chorus in English and Spanish.

"I went to the enemies' camp and I took back what he stole from me!"

We cannot sit idly by and wait for the battle to come to us. If we do, we will lose! In some states, we have already lost. We lost prayer in school. We lost the right to display the Ten Commandments. We have lost Christmas displays and even the ability to say "Merry Christmas" in some workplaces. We nearly lost "one nation, under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance. We have lost the ability to protect the unborn and now we are on the verge of losing the ability to protect the infirm, the disabled, those who have no voice and cannot speak for themselves.

At the end of seven days the word of the LORD came to me:
"Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me. When I say to a wicked man, 'You will surely die,' and you do not warn him or speak out to dissuade him from his evil ways in order to save his life, that wicked man will die for his sin, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you
do warn the wicked man and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his evil ways, he will die for his sin; but you will have saved yourself.

"Again, when a righteous man turns from his righteousness and does evil, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. Since you did not warn him, he will die for his sin. The righteous things he did will not be remembered, and I will hold you accountable for his blood. But if you do warn the righteous man not to sin and he does not sin, he will surely live because he took warning, and you will have saved yourself." Ezek 3:16-21 NIV

We are the watchman! We must speak the truth! We have He who is the Truth and we must one day give an account for how we handle that Truth.

But what if they get offended or don't like us anymore?

For in Scripture it says:
"See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame." Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone," and, "A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall." They stumble because they disobey the message-which is also what they were destined for. 1 Peter 2:6-8 NIV

If we fulfill our call, if we are pressing on, if we are speak the Words of Life, we will offend. But why does this worry us? Those to whom we must speak are either in sin, if they profess Christ, and we must speak or be held accountable or they are already condemned, if they have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

We love John 3:16 and rightly so. It is our anthem and hope.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 NIV

There are even those who wax sentimental or romantic regarding God's love, saying that He loves and accepts all men but this is not so. God does indeed love all mankind but there is but one way to the Father and that is through the Son. (John 14:6) However, read on.

Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. John 3:18 NIV

They are already offended. They are already lost! We have nothing to lose and everything to gain if we will but speak and speak the truth in love! Remember the love of God is neither weak nor is it a human emotion!

We stand at the cusp for the Church. As Joshua said,

"Now fear the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the LORD. But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD." Josh 24:14-15 NIV

You must choose whom you will serve. Will you bow to the altar of the politically correct? Will you sell your inheritance for a mess of porriage at the table the status quo? Will you sacrifice your children to the god of the ACLU? Or will you "...put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." Eph. 6:13 NIV

Standing means not retreating, not fleeing and not giving up any ground!

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Eph 6:12 NIV

For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete. 2 Cor 10:3-6 NIV

We are in a war - a war for our children's minds, a war for righteousness in the public forum, a war for integrity in leadership, a war for the freedom and liberty to proclaim the Gospel, to gather openly to worship the One True God. Without the influence of God's Word through His messangers - you and I - all will inevitably descend to the lowest common denomination - human nature.

The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. Gal 5:19-21 NIV

However, if we stand, if we fight through prayer, faith and obedience, we can know that we will not be liked. We will be persecuted. We will be vilified. We will be mocked. However,

"...in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Rom 8:37 NIV

To be more than conquerors means that we do not just barely eke out a win but that we gain a decisive victory. There is no dispute as to who wins and who loses. We are not getting by "by the skin of our teeth." Through our Father's abundant grace, we are the victors!

Do not settle! Do not compromise! Do not tolerate! Vanquish! Overcome! Arise!

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The Gospel According to Nixon

That's how it is with people. Nobody cares how it works as long as it works.
- Councillar Hamann, The Matrix Reloaded

Nixon was a pragmatist and represented in his own personality both the best and the worst in human nature. From Muslim Extremists, Nixon, and Historical Revisionism by Dr. Robert D. Crane, March 31st, 2003

Nixon was actually a democratic pragmatist capable of engaging friend or foe to advance the strategic interests of the United States. Relearning Nixon By Douglas W. Kmiec, December 6, 2000

We commonly understand that a definition of pragmatism is taken from the Machiavellian philosophy, "The end justifies the means."

The essence of Machiavelli's revolution was to judge the ideal by the actual rather than the actual by the ideal. An ideal is good for him, only if it is practical; thus, Machiavelli is the father of pragmatism. Not only does “the end justify the means” — any means that work — but the means even justify the end, in the sense that an end is worth pursuing only if there are practical means to attain it. In other words, the new summum bonum, or greatest good is success. (Machiavelli sounds like not only the first pragmatist but the first American pragmatist!) The Pillars of Unbelief — Machiavelli by Peter Kreeft

Our God is not a pragmatist. In fact, I believe that He is more interested in how we travel the journey we call life than He is interested that we "fulfilled our call."

In Hebrews 11, we read a listing by the author (whom I believe to have been Apollos) of the "heroes of the faith" - Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, etc. Each of these men and women walked in faith. Each of these pursued God as their life's calling. Yet the chapter closes out with these statements.

These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect. Heb 11:39-40 NIV

Now that is not to say that God was not true to His word. He fulfilled many promises and prophesies in and through them. However, for God the Father, the end does not justify the means.

In some countries, China for instance, the Christian church is illegal. Read 'Termites to National Security' By Tony Carnes, Christianity Today. In many muslim countries, it is illegal to preach the Gospel or evangelize. In these instances, we must stand with the words of Peter,

"We must obey God rather than men!" Acts 5:29 NIV

However, whenever and where ever possible, Paul exhorts us in this manner.

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. Rom 13:1-3 NIV

We cannot afford to adopt or integrate the Machiavellian philosophy that success is good no matter the means to attain it. The police are permitted to lie to a suspect if that lie will or can produce evidence or illicit a confession. This is fine and acceptable for them. We, as Christians, must maintain a higher standard.

Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:13-16 NIV

If we are to expect the miraculous, we must walk sanctified!

We cannot afford to speak "evangelastically", exaggerating numbers and statistics. We can ill afford to show misleading video and photos. We dare not skirt around the law because it is too difficult or time consuming to do otherwise or worse, because its the way everyone does it. Our decisions cannot be based solely on economics, i.e. we decide to not function within the law because of how much more it will cost us.

Do we think that the Almighty God is concerned about cost in terms of money? The God of all creation paid the ultimate price to reconcile man to Himself. Are we so self-absorbed as to think that this same God cares more about a balance sheet than He does the one or ten or hundred than may be reached through effective, righteous ministry?

I think not!

Our Father in heaven in more interested in what is accomplished in us - His nature and character - than in what we accomplish!

For us, the end never justifies the means!

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Short Term Missions Trips - Observation 1

Early in His ministry, Jesus had already began to have quite a number of people following after Him. Some followed because of His teaching - this may have been the first time that they were hearing that God loved them and wanted to have a relationship with them. Others followed because of the miracles - that pesky water into wine thing, the lame walking, the blind seeing and the sinner forgiven. But there was another reason.

After feeding the 5,000 men which could easily have been a crowd of 15-20,000 with women and children, Jesus crossed over to the other side of Sea of Galilee by foot! The next day the people went looking for him.

When they found him on the other side of the lake, they asked him, "Rabbi, when did you get here?"
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." John 6:25-27 NIV

Here in a word of wisdom for you to consider on your next short term missions trip.

My first trip into Mexico was in the summer of 1975. I ended up taking a bus ride from Brownsville, TX to Uruapan, Michoacan, Mexico. It took about 36 hours! On the ride. I had a chance to see the countryside for the very first time and, even though the poverty in Mexico today is overwhelming for Americans, back then the sight of adobe huts on the hills and young children running around barefoot in tattered clothing was heartbreaking. But as mile after mile of this scene passed by my window and the same adobe hut and raggedy children could been seen repeated almost without number, the Holy Spirit spoke something very clearly to my heart.

"The presence of a need is not the indicator that you are to meet that need."

In other words, just because these people were and are poorer that me, or have less food than me, or have tattered and torn clothing, or have a one room house with no plumbing - just because the need exists, does not mean that I am to meet that need, that I am to provide clothing or food or housing for the whole of this country. What is does mean is that I must not lean on my own understanding, my own reasoning, what seems right to me. I mean, after all, look at this poverty, surely God wants me to alleviate their suffering!

No!

The people who followed Jesus after being fed had originally followed because of the miracles He had performed.

Some time after this, Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee (that is, the Sea of Tiberias), and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick. Then Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down with his disciples. The Jewish Passover Feast was near. John 6:1-41 NIV

However, the next day, they went looking for Him because their bellies had been full.

Therefore, when you are next in a foreign land, whether it is the inner city for you suburbanites, the mountains of Appalachia for you city folks, or outside the comfy borders those United States of North America, do not assume that you know what needs are to be met nor the manner in which they are to be fulfilled. Ask the locals - the indigenous peoples or the missionaries - where the real needs are and how best to meet those needs. Otherwise, you may draw a crowd by handing out food items which makes great pictures to put up on your missions bulletin board or really impresses the church board so that you can have more money for the next trip. but did not accomplish the Father's desires, His will for you and those to whom you are called.

We must decide which is more important the glory of the seen and lauded which fades with our photographs or the glory of the unseen which is hidden and eternal.

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Cor 4:18 NIV

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The Danger of the Blessing of God

I have always believed that truth is not truth unless it is held in tension. For example, we know that scripture teaches that God is love. (1 John 4:16) Yet we also can read that He will judge all mankind, sending some to the lake of fire which was reserved for the devil and his minions.(Rev. 20:11-15)
If we embrace the love of God without understanding that He is also The Judge, we end up with a philosophy of life that is essentially wimpy and tolerant of sin, i.e. "alternative lifestyles"(sodomy, adultery, promiscuity),"pro-choice" (abortion, euthanasia).

If we latch on to God as Judge without recognizing His mercy and grace, we become bound up in works and legalism, condemning everyone and everything in sight that does not measure up to our definition of righteousness which too often amounts to "whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness. Matt 23:27-28 (from New International Version)

So it is with the blessing of God.

Yesterday, I wrote of the need to expect more of the miraculous in our daily lives and in the life of the church. I believe that this should be the norm, not the exception. However, there is a danger inherent in this flow of glory and grace.

We can assume that God is satisfied with our lives because He is working through us. As a teacher and mentor, Costa Deir, once said, "The blessing of God is never the indicator that God is pleased with your life."

Two examples from the Old Testament

1. Saul
Saul had been made king over Israel. He was their first king. However, he chose to disobey God and Samuel. We read in 1 Samuel 15,

Then Saul said to Samuel, "I have sinned. I violated the LORD's command and your instructions. I was afraid of the people and so I gave in to them. Now I beg you, forgive my sin and come back with me, so that I may worship the LORD."

But Samuel said to him, "I will not go back with you. You have rejected the word of the LORD, and the LORD has rejected you as king over Israel!"

As Samuel turned to leave, Saul caught hold of the hem of his robe, and it tore. Samuel said to him, "The LORD has torn the kingdom of Israel from you today and has given it to one of your neighbors-to one better than you. He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man, that he should change his mind." 1 Sam 15:24-29 NIV

Even after this disaster, Saul remained king for a number of years, even though his successor, David, son of Jesse had already been chosen and anointed. Saul's years on the throne following his disobedience were not an indication that God was pleased. In fact, he was already doomed, he just didn't have enough sense to fall down - kind of like a fight who has been knocked out but is still standing. His brain knows the truth but his body hasn't gotten the message yet.

2. David
In 2 Samuel 11, we read of David's fall from grace with Bath-sheba. His armies were winning, his kingdom was expanding but he was lusting. This led to lies, betrayal and eventually the murder of Bath-sheba's husband, Uriah, a man loyal to David.

David's arrogance resulted in the death of the child conceived by this affair, rebellion and death with his own house, among his other sons and leaders. 2 Samuel 12

This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.' 2 Sam 12:7-10 NIV

He remained king during all this time. The ark of the covenant was still in the Holy of Holies. All seemed fine - on the outside!

For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. Eccl 12:14 NIV

For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open. Luke 8:17 NIV

Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. 1 Cor. 4:55 NIV

Paul writes to the church at Rome,

"...for God's gifts and his call are irrevocable." Romans 11:29

This means that once He gives a gift- salvation, tongues, etc., or calling - teacher, administrator, server, etc. (Romans 12) or an office - pastor, prophet, etc. (Ephesians 4), He will not revoke it as a result of a person's disobedience. (That is until reaching the point of reprobation- Rom. 1:28 - but that is for another time!)

Jesus made this statement.

Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matt 7:21-23 NIV

It is clear from this that many can and will do many wondrous things in the name of the Lord, but it is equally true that, after having done all that with the gifts and callings given, they will be lost.

Here in lies the danger!

As we walk in obedience and holiness before God and as He begins to move in and through our lives for His glory and His names' sake, our "old nature" raises its ugly head and we begin to think that we are something. The trouble comes when our arrogance leads us into self-deception, the most potentially fatal of all the deceptions we face. We begin to assume that the blessings are flowing because of who we are rather than who He is. Then, if we sin and the gift still operates, if the office still functions, or the calling still manifests, we, again, assume that God is either turning a blind eye or is pragmatic - the end justifies the means.

How wrong and how tragic! How many people have lost faith and walked away from churches because the pastor was revealed as an adulterer? How many faithful have walked away because the revelations of the abuses of those in the Catholic Church clergy? How many have returned to drugs and life in the street because their mentor was discovered still using?

therefore , we have this hunger to see the glory and power of the One True God manifested in our world and yet we must be good stewards of these precious gifts and callings.

Paul gives us this encouragement,

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death- even death on a cross! Phil 2:3-8 NIV

Jesus' confidence was in His Father, therefore He was not worried over His status. We must walk in this same way - humble before God, careful to give Him the glory for each touch of the Divine into our humanity.

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John 3:2 - Nicodemos

Recorded in John 3 is the famous encounter between Jesus and Nicodemos. Immediately upon mentioning his name, most evangelical Christians think of Jesus’ statement, “You must be born again.” I would like to draw attention to Nicodemos’ opening statement:

“Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." John 3:1-2 (from New International Version*)

In His reply, Jesus does not dispute the veracity of the statement. In fact, this truth is born out in other passages. For instance,

Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him (Jesus). They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?” John 7:32

Jesus and the disciples came upon a blind beggar. The disciples asked,

"Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?"

Jesus replied,

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:2-5

Later on the “no-longer-blind, no-longer-beggar” is being interrogated by the Pharisees and asked how he received his sight. After some derision by these church leaders and calling of other witnesses,

The man (beggar) answered, "Now that is remarkable! You don't know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will. Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. If this man were not from God, he could do nothing." John 9:30-33

Even Peter used this criterion in that first sermon on the Day of Pentecost.

"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know.” Acts 2:22-23

All of that to pose this question.

If the work of God is attested to by the miraculous – the blind seeing, the lame walking, the deaf hearing, the dead being raised, why do we settle for so little when "the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him?" 2 Chron 16:8-9
NKJV

This is the testimony that even Jesus Himself gave to John the Baptist’s disciples.

When John heard in prison what Christ was doing, he sent his disciples to ask him, "Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?"

Jesus replied, "Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is preached to the poor. Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me.” Matthew 11:2-4

Then we must expect these kinds of things to happen if the church is to be the church in this world, today. As a matter of fact, Jesus himself stated that it should and would be.

He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well." Mark 16:15-18

There is a sense of an imperative here. We, as evangelicals, are all about going into the world, about preaching the good news, about baptizing. We expect these to happen. They are mandates from Jesus. We have no problems with these things happening, planning for their eventuality, expecting the Holy Spirit to move up until that whole thing of the driving out demons, speaking in tongues, and raising the dead.

I mean, after all, these things are not PC (politically correct). What would the county coroner and the police and newspapers, let alone the families do or say if we, under the direction of the Holy Spirit just waltzed into a funeral home or morgue or the scene of an accident and raised the dearly departed from the dead!

They just might believe! They just might say things like “Only God can do that!” To which we reply, “Sure enough and allow me to introduce to Him. His name is Jesus”

Or they might react the other way they did in Jesus’ day.

Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.' If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: 'They hated me without reason.'”
John 15:20-25

To the true church, to the true believers, I say, “Arise and walk! Prepare the way of the Lord!”

To the sleeper and the skeptics, to the PC and scoffers, I say, “Behold, the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. Arise, take up you bed and follow!”

-The voice of one calling in the desert.

* Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture references are taken from the New International Version of the Bible

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Anyone else notice this?

Last week, Ted Koppel of ABC announced that he was leaving Nightline.

Yesterday, it was announced that Peter Jenning of ABC has been diagnosed with lung cancer. this will most probably have an affect on his ability to anchor the news.

We know that Dan Rather of CBS stepped down in March.

Also, Tom Brokaw of NBC retired at the end of last year.

The world is currently in the midst of mourning the death of John Paul II.

Monaco's Prince Rainer III passed away this morning.

Add to this list the famed O.J. Simpson lawyer, Johnnie Cochran.

Even the Moral Majority's, Rev. Falwell, has been hosptialized for the second time in a month.

I do not understand the significance of all this as yet but I do recognize it as significant!

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Protestants in Latin America

For almost a year now, I have been checking a website, Zona Latina. They offer links to news headlines concerning Latin America and links to many Latin American media.

Today, there are articles concerning the rapid growth of the Protestant, mostly Pentecostal, churches in Latin America. You may read them here:


In Mexico, Church's Influence Wanes as Evangelism Grows
By Mary Jordan Washington Post Foreign Service Tuesday, April 5, 2005; Page A01


Catholic Church Losing Ground in Latin America
By Frank Jack Daniel Mon Apr 4, 2005 7:35 PM BST Reuters

Essentially, both of these articles, written from a secular perspective, indicate to us that God is at work in Latin America and He is doing it just as Jesus did - person to person - discipling!

If you have not read it, I recommend "The Master Plan of Evangelism" by Robert Coleman. Though written in 1963, it is worth your time.

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An Interesting View on John Paul II

R. Albert Mohler, Jr.,president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky has a post worth reading on his blog.

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Pope John Paul II

It occurs to me, as I read over the various news reports and opinions about the state of affairs of the Catholic Church, especially from Fox News and My Way, in the wake of the death of John Paul II that we as protestants and evangelicals must pray.

I am reminded of a story told by speaker at a conference a number of years ago. When he first started pastoring, the building where he pastored, literally, sat in the shadow of a neighboring demoninational church building. He felt so threatened by the enormitiy of this building that he couldn't even look at the building while driving by. It was then that the Holy Spirit began to speak to him. He came to realize that every demonination, no matter how far they may have seemed to drift from their beginnings and passion, have, as their foundation, truth and more importantly, He who is Truth!

With this in mind, we can and must pray for revival. Revival is not, as many have preceived it, a scheduled event of week night services featuring a speaker from out of town and special music put on by the ladies of the church. Revival is an uncontainable, unquenchable, unreasonable invasion of God by His Holy Spirit to, as completely as we will allow Him, shatter the status quo. Revival is God sticking His finger into our comfortable, well-managed lives, stirring it around and messing us up! This is revival!

There is great debate with even odds-takers weighing in on who will be the new pope. Many are concerned that after 26 years of a conservative papacy that the more liberal factions of catholicism will want to have one of their own in power. Whoever is elected may have a profound influence on how Christians (i.e. non-Catholics) and Christian missionaries will be treated in Latin America.

What most North American evangelicals do not understand, even Catholics are unaware, is that Latin American Catholicism is very different from that which is practiced north of the US-Mexico border. The most inportant difference lies in the attitude of the Catholic leadership. In the US and Canada, Ecumenism is the word - we are all one Body in Christ. But south of the border, evangelicals in particular are regarded as the enemy. There is great concern in the Catholic leadership over the recent increase in the number of evangelical christians in Latin America.

An excerpt from an article on Fox News website:

" Three Latin American prelates — Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes and Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga of Honduras and Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Argentina — also have developed reputations as strong advocates for greater poverty-fighting programs and activism to counter the popularity of the evangelical churches. "

An article in Christianity Today in April 2001 states:

"Alluding to Protestant Pentecostalism, among other movements, Pope John Paul II called religious sects a "serious problem" in predominantly Roman Catholic Latin America and urged the region's bishops to reevangelize their flocks. "

The next pope could have a great effect on that by either embracing this advance of the Kingdom of God or by persecuting. We must pray. Pray for the Father's will.

"He changes times and seasons; he sets up kings and deposes them." Dan 2:21
(from New International Version)

John Paul, John Paul II's predecessor, was pope for only 33 days!

We must pray for revival among the Catholics worldwide. We must pray for that revival to start with us, as individuals.

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The Burgan Family in Mexico 

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Introduction

As we become more and more an information addicted society, I have become aware of the need for the Church to take advantage of this ever-increasingly popular technology. In a conversation yesterday, I pointed out that our God is a creative God and that satan, the adversary, cannot create, he can only counterfeit and pervert. Therefore, it would be wise for those charged with overseeing and feeding the sheep to avail themselves of this medium.

With that in mind I post this, my first entry, on my first blog with, hopfully many more to follow.

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