When I was a young aspiring athelete the one thing that I never shyed away from was competition. Any person(s), or team that was deemed to be the best at my level automatically became my target and my goal. I've always believed in the old adage, "if you want to be the best; you have to beat the best"... My competetive nature eventually spread to other challenging contests such as chess, cards, checkers and many other board games. The bottom line being that I simply wanted to win; a loss or tie was not an option for me.
Today I still loathe the thought of losing, but there is one arena inwhich my competetive nature will not rear it's head; and that arena is, "The Body of Christ".....you know; Church.....
Oh...you say the church is not an arena or a place of competetion?
Well incase you haven't noticed, the church as we once knew it has changed...."Drastically".... Sure, services are still being conducted regulary on Sunday mornings, and evenings at many churches. Pastors, Elders and Ministers are becoming more learned spending many hours studying the Bible and in the presence of God seeking a "Rhema" word for their respective congregations. There are still weekly Bible studies and prayer sessions being held, however attendance is often low. Those who are responsible for carrying the Gospel still labor Sunday after Sunday to deliver a message they hope will lead their membership on a path to righteousness, and effect change within the community and the world.
But let's face some very discouraging truths here....
Somewhere between "Thy kingdom come and Thy will be done" the purpose of not forsaking ourselves the chance to assembly together for the sake of the cross and winning the lost has developed into a competition of Olympic size proportions...
Let's begin with the first category:
- Member Enrollment aka. "Recruiting": First let me start by saying that there is absolutely nothing wrong with desiring to see your church membership grow; I believe that every congregation should seek to reach every soul in the community that their assigned to. But when churches purposely venture into other areas with a message that says we're better; and post billboards advertising their services directly across from another congregation, it boasts of arrogance, and speaks very loudly to their true motives. While the race isn't to the swift or the strong, its also not a contest of who's better or who can acquire the most members. Every Called Out Assembly is commanded to make disciples, while also being the life support and blessing to the community....If you've enlisted into this warfare to compete against another pastor, preacher, or congregation, then you have lost focus on your God given assignment.
- Choir Competitions aka, "Church Idol": Taking pride in the skill and anointing of your choir's and praise teams is nothing unusual, nor is there anything wrong with it. Music plays a very important role in our praise and worship service. Colossians 3:16 clearly states; "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and adminishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts To The Lord... So how is it that every single year church choirs are encouraged to compete in nationwide contests to name the best choir in the country while winning an enormous monetary prize?
Is this how we are to demonstrate the joy we have in our Lord and Savior, or am I just being much too puritanical?
I think not...
Those songs of praise and worship are not to be trivialized to the level of obtaining earthly gain in a choir competition. Praise belongs to the King of kings, and Lord of lords. I submit to you that when Jehoshaphat led the kingdom of Judah against their enemies putting the singers on the front line of battle, it was not for the purpose of competing within the kingdom for a prize. This warfare was of a spiritual nature and those songs of praise that went up before the Lord prompted Him to fight their battle
(Ref. 2nd Chronicles 20)
The church is failing in it's duty to spread the gospel, it's failing in holiness, we're losing the "Five Fold Ministry" of the church and concentrating on competing from within the body...
We must realize that every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every house divided against itself shall not stand...(Matthew 12:25) We are not called to be in competition with each other; we were chosen to stand together and prevent the gatesof hell from prevailing, separate ourselves from the way of the world, and demonstrate what it means to live victorious in Christ...
Get Back On Post Soldiers of the Lord!"
We are in it, to win it, by holding up the Light; not by beating up on each other for the root of all evil.
"For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war after the flesh: for the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strongholds;
casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exhalteth itself against the knowledge of God,
and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ" (2nd Corinthians 10:3-5)
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I remember the first 4 months of my 1st grade experience... almost everyday at lunchtime I'd get beat-up and chased home by the same to boys in my class...
Not only did they beat me up, but they took my 25 cent bag of barbacue potato chips in the process.
Well, as life would have it, my mom was fed-up with me getting beat-up everyday and decided that it was time to put an end to this violence against her first born son...
A huge smile was on my face when I saw my mother's resolve to bring my suffering to an end; but to my amazement, upon our return to school that afternoon mom did something that I never suspected.
First: she made me point out the two boys who were terrorfying me daily and grabed them by the collar.
Second: she said to me; it's time for you to learn to fight back, and you're going to take on these two bullies one-at-a-time.
Third: she gave me that age old ultimatum - "if you don't beat them, I'm gonna beat you!"
That was the beginning of my fighting career. From that single ordeal I lost all fear of fighting, and with each looming battle I gained more experience while sharpening my pugilistic and survival skills.
Learning to parry left and right, how to duck, bob and weave. Knowing how and when to pop-out a stiff jab and how to throw a timely upper-cut or cross.
It wasn't too long before I became comfortable with taking on challenges and challengers alike...as we used to say in those day; "I had a lot of heart".
So it wasn't strange to many in my family when I made the decision to join the Marine Corps. The way I figured it, if I was going to fight for my country I needed to be apart of the best world renowned fighting unit. The Marines are known as;
"A Force In Readiness".
History tells of their wartime victories, exploits, and feirce fighting skills...
While I'm no longer in the Marines I do still face many challenges and challengers, only this time it's in a different arena.
In Ephesians 6:10 Paul writes: "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places..."
How many times in our lives have we been caught off guard and caught up in situations that just seemed to occur from nowhere?
- Marital problems
- Financial woes
- Angry sons and daughters
- Disagreements with a supervisor
- Arguments with other saints
...and the list just goes on.
For the average human being, situations like those just mentioned would turn their worlds upside down... Average folk don't understand what it takes to get a prayer through, they can't fathom the real necessity for fasting or just laying before the Lord both day and night.
They become so taken by suprise and some never return mentally to the everyday process of just simply living.
The well prepared soldier in te Lord's army understands that there will be times when we all must suffer persecution, "but God" is more than able to deliver us out of them all.
We readily recognize the tricks and traits of the enemy, and our strategic responses to Satan's attacks are why Peter calls us "a peculiar people"...
What is it that drives our spirit-man to rejoice in the face of adversity?
First: We have the testimonies of the patriarchs.
In Psalm 271-2 David declared: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell..."
We understand all too well that eventhough we are caught in the midst of a battle, our battles belong to the Lord...scripture and even our own history has proven this fact time after time.
Second: Through-out our lives we've constantly heard others say; "prayer chenges things"...
Psalm 6:9 states: "The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer"...
Prayer has essentially been at the heart of every battle fought and victories won, which proves that God's eye is truly on the righteous and His ear attendeth to their cries...
Third: Our praise not only confuses the enemy, but it prompts God to take leave from His throne in Glory, and inhabit the praises of His people. Praise stirs up an unction in the Lord which cause Him to confound and destroy the enemy on our behalf.
In 2nd Chronicles 20:19-24 the children of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir set an ambush for the tribe of Judah; surrounding them with designed plans to destroy all. But Jehoshaphat led the assembly of Judah in prayer and sought instruction from the Lord..
As the entire tribe marched out to do battle, God instructed Jehoshaphat to order the fighting soldiers to the rear of the people, and bring the singers to the front. Once this was completed, they were ordered to sing praises unto the Lord in the beauty of holiness...what was their battle cry you ask?
"Praise The Lord; For His Mercy Endureth Forever!"
Then when their attackers witnessed their joy, and heard their expressions of praise unto the Lord; they forgot all about their initial purpose and began to attack and destroy each other....an do you know that all of Judah spent the next three days reaping the benefits of a battle that belonged to the Lord...
The moral of this message?
No matter how dark the night or how high the mountain we face in our daily walk, no matter the traps and snares the enemy sets in our way; "yea though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death" we walk not in fear, because our God is an awesome God who guides us over every mountain and through the valley low.
Our God equips us with weapons that no Devil in hell is able to overcome. We've been equiped with the "Whole Armor of God"....
Our experiences, and our super-natural weapons are what make us....
"Battle tested and Battle ready!"
Now unto Him who is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power, (His Power) that worketh in us!
Do you remember those night's long ago when testimony services were held in the church? It seemed that almost everyone in the sanctuary had something to testify about. Didn't matter if all they could do was say "I thank the Lord for waking me up this morning" the fact of the matter is that everyone had something to share concerning the goodness of God....
Those testimonies were the fabric which kept many believer so excited about God and not too concerned about their circumstance because they lived and operated in the realm of "Great Expectation"...to put it more plainly, they acquired a strong faith and trust in the Lord.
Then there were the street evangelist's...those patriot warriors of the Kingdom who stood at busy intersections some weekly and some daily, all for the purpose of proclaiming the Gospel of Christ to the masses. I remember this one woman of God who frequented the subway and El trains; she wore a twosided billboard and boldly shouted to everyone within the sound of her voice the joys of heaven and the horrors o hell...I vividly recall one Friday afternoon when she walked up and down the Broad Street subway train shouting; "IF YOU WANT TO SEE THE DEVIL JUST LOOK IN THE MIRROR!" Then she proceded to share the good news of the Gospel whereby mankind can be saved.
Not long ago I stumbled upon an article which pointed out that churches today have lost their zeal for evangelism...not many congregations are knocking on doors, or passing out tracks. There aren't too many "seed sowing" teams making an effort to affect the lives of those who are lost.
So the questions that roll around in my mind is these:
1st - "HAS THE HOLY SPIRIT VACATED THE PEOPLE OF GOD?"
My reason for asking is based mainly on scripture; Jesus said in Acts 1:8 - "you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses unto me in both Jerusalem, in all Judea, in Samaria, and the uttermost parts of the world..."
When we as body of believers willingly neglect to share the Gospel; many who would surrender their life to Christ are denied an opportunity to have eternal life. In 2nd Corinthians 4:3 the apostle Paul writes - "But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost..."
With that said; the lost soul is then without refuge from eternal death & damnation, leaving their blood on the hands of the believer who neglects to share the promise of salvation. (Ref. Ezekiel 3:18 & 33:8). Now is not the time for us to become ashamed of the gospel, it is much too late in the day for the church to sit on it's laurals while our communities go about as zombies; living, but not alive with the Spirit of Christ residing in their hearts...
2nd - "HAS GOD NOT BEEN GOOD TO YOU?"
There used to be a time when it was common to hear the saints expressing shear joy concerning the great things that God was doing in their life. Testifying to the goodness and mercies of God is a way of gaining spiritual strength which enables the believer to overcome the attacks of the enemy, even when we are going through hardships and tribulations. Revelation 12:11 states - "And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb, and the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto death."
When you are bold enough to share what God has done for you with others, Christ is glorified and people are drawn to Him. Your testimony renders Satan as weak and useless against the power and word of God. How can you; "a Christian"; remain silent when each morning God shows us brand new mercies?
After all that He's done for you there is no room for sitting on your testimony... Go on and tell somebody; and if you can't tell it..... "LET ME TELL IT!!!"
Let’s briefly examine a few of the latest news headlines:
1. RFID Chip Implants" Mandatory for All by March 23, 2013
2. Reaffirming the humanity of gay Americans, the Obama administration has signaled its strongest support yet for same-sex marriages, stepping into a controversial legal case and recommending that the Supreme Court strike down a California ban denying gay and lesbian couples the same rights to marry as heterosexuals.
3. Pope Benedict XVI, the leader of some 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide, resigned Feb. 28.
4.Twenty-six people -- 20 students and six adults -- were shot and killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut on December 14. Details continue to emerge about what precisely happened.
5. AMMAN, Sept 3 - A car bomb exploded on Monday in a religiously mixed district on the edge of the Syrian capital Damascus, causing casualties including women and children, state media and opposition campaigners said.
6. Jose’ Louis de Jes’us Miranda: He claims to be both Jesus Christ returned and the Antichrist, and exhibits a “666” tattoo on his forearm. Followers have shown their support by getting “666” tattoos on their bodies
In the 24th chapter of Matthew; Jesus begins to tell His disciples of the events which will occur before the end comes. He points out that many will come claiming to be the Christ, there would be wars and rumors of wars, that people would offend, betray, and hate one another. Jesus also spoke of nations and kingdoms rising against one another…and that’s only the beginning of sorrows. He reminds the disciples that false prophets shall arise and deceive many…
Iniquity shall abound causing the hearts of many to wax cold, however: those who are able to endure till the end shall be saved… But this message doesn’t end there.
In Romans the 1st chapter the Apostle Paul speaks to the sinful nature of mankind. He points out how mans belief in God has basically turned into the worship of false idols and that their total view of Him has been corrupted. Paul states that humankind has begun to commit gross acts of unrighteousness from fornication to altering the normal use and lifestyle of gender relationships…These and other sinful acts have caused God to turn them over to live as reprobates.
It’s no secret that we are living in a time when all of the above Biblical prophecies are unfolding daily, right before our eyes. One would think that with all of the evidence laid before us; the world would change course and begin to worship the Living God in Spirit and in truth.
What’s very clear is that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is sweeping across the globe like a consuming fire; and at some point very soon all the world will have heard the message of salvation. Once this is complete, we can look up and know that our redemption is drawing nearer than we think…
The time is vastly approaching when the antichrist will be allowed to reign over the entire world; and all will be forced to take the mark of the beast (RFID Chip) in order to buy food and other goods.
I ask you; how much more proof do you need before you finally surrender your all to Christ?
Some time ago my pastor delivered a message titled “11:59:59”….that represents the time we have left on the clock before Christ returns for His church.
OH WHAT A GLORIOUS DAY THAT WILL BE!
On that day we will rejoin those who’ve gone on before us, and see our Savior face-to-face.
Paul says it this way in 1st Thessalonians chapter 4:13-17;
“But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
These words weren’t written to scare you, but that you would be comforted with the hope of His glory…
So there you have it; time is winding up, the saints of God will soon fly away….
And That’s A Rap- - - - - - -ture…
Before we continue with this thought, let’s be clear on the definition of “Religion”…
Webster defines it as: a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices…
The Word of God defines it on this wise: “Pure religion in the sight of God the Father means caring for orphans and widows in their distress and refusing to let the world corrupt you…” James 1:27 (NLT)
Religion in it’s proper context is not a bad thing, however as disciples of Christ we are not called to be religious and most certainly we should never develop religious attitudes for any purpose.
I’ve found through the years that religious people often tend to be hardliners where much of their religious doctrine is concerned. But let me remind you that religious doctrine in many cases does more harm than good.
It is often in the name of religious doctrine that many are shunned away from the church and never reconciled or restored to the Body of Christ. Religion will at times bring about spiritual blindness causing you not to see or realize the redeemable qualities of another. It can kill your ability to be humble which will also lead to spiritual arrogance and snobbery.
How does one profess to be a disciple of Christ and at the same time allow his religious pride to dismiss, mistreat, or overlook ones fellowman and yet declare that God is love? What gives you the right to assassinate a persons character all in the name of your religion?
Only the arrogant will look upon another person and condemn them even though the Father sees far past our eye of condemnation and looks at the finished product which He ordained from the foundation of the world. Our religious view will see a devil where God has ordained a prophet, pastor, evangelist, preacher, or teacher...etc
A great quality is absent from the church because many have decided to appoint themselves as judges over the congregation instead of examples of Gods’ attributes and adherers to His precepts.
May I remind you that your religious thoughts and works are not the keys which gain access to the Kingdom of God, nor are they assurances of eternal life.
Paul writes in Romans 12:1- “I beseech you therefore brethren by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, HOLY, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service…”
Every blood-washed believer is called to be “Holy”, not religious.
1st Peter 1:15-16 states: “But as He which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; cause it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy.”
1st Thessalonians 4:7 clearly states: “For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.”
So then, what is holiness?
Let’s first start by declaring what it’s not: Holiness is not a religious doctrine or a systematic set of rules designed to govern the people of God.
However holiness is a lifestyle that brings glory not to the individual, but to God. It means to separate oneself from the profane things of this world.
Holiness means being dedicated and consecrated to God, it means to be cleansed and purified internally by the renewing of the soul. This lifestyle also carries with it faithfulness, kindness, and godliness.
Holiness is what drives us to love our fellowman….
Holiness causes us to obey Gods’ commandments at all cost….
Holiness pushes us to a relationship of worship unto the Father….
Holiness reminds us to give thanks for all that He’s done….
Holiness always overcomes hatred, anger, and arrogance….
Holiness opens the door to the wisdom that makes soul-winners of us all….
It gives us the mind of Christ and lets us see what He sees, while keeping us at peace with others because without holiness, we can’t even hope to see God. (Hebrews 12:14)
So remember; it’s not your religious beliefs or systems that mark you as a true believer.
“Holiness”….that’s the hallmark of a true disciple.
Having spent some time in my youth on the farms of some relatives in South Carolina, I can say that everyday was almost like being in the classroom. The great thing about it all is that the lessons were always hands-on...
There were no blackboards, no notebooks or pencils... Just the tools of the trade. Take plowing for instance; though it looks simple enough I can tell you a great deal of painstaking work is involved.
You must know how to take command of the beasts before you and always be sure to give the proper commands for going left or right, stop and go. All easier said than done.
My Uncle Harvey used to tell us; "the very first row that you plow will determine how straight the rest of the job will be".... but most importantly... "You Must Always Look Straight Ahead."
Looking behind you will not only take you off course, but even worse it will cause your row to become crooked, and let me tell you...it's almost next to impossible to make straight a row thats been plowed off course.
It also adds more time to the job (delays are unacceptable) while ultimately burning both you and your beasts of burden out.
Can I tell you that these same rules apply to everyone who's decided to follow after Christ...
Luke 9:61-62 (NLT) reads: And another said, "Yes Lord, I will follow you, but first let me say good-bye to my family." But Jesus told him, "Anyone who puts his hand to the plow (proclaiming of the Gospel) and then looks back is not fit for the Kingdom of God."
One cannot be too concerned with the things of this world while at the same time operating in the Kingdom realm. Isn't it enough that Satan daily throws stumbling blocks in our direction?
When we take ill advised peaks into our past, often times we find that our concentration will be on our past failures, and that is the enemies plan. Focusing on failure leads to depression and ultimately oppression; therefore locking you into a state of defeat.
It is also equally dangerous to allow oneself to become enamored with many of the attitudes and life-styles of this present age.
How is it that the Saints of God are more and more excited about the lives of secular artists, and hooked on so-called reality shows?
Some are even being hoodwinked into accepting such foolishness as "The Sisterhood" because it is supposedly about the wives of certain pastors; and although it may paint a perfect picture of the individuals involved in the series, it does not represent the "Body of Christ"...
Understand this:
Satan knows what your flesh likes and longs for so he goes about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour.
He will even entice you with rememberances of yourself B.C.
Reminding you of the pleasures of sin that seemed good in your seasons without Jesus.
However:
As disciples of The Anointed One, we have a duty to proclaim His Gospel by way of voice..."Go Ye Therefore..." and by the way that we live...."Let You Light So Shine..."
Knowing that God will never lead us into temptation, and is always at the ready to deliver us from evil.
So as you continue your Christian Journey, remember to keep looking forward, keep your focus on Christ...and above all...
"DON'T LOOK BACK!"
"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: AND THE GOVERNMENT SHALL BE UPON HIS SHOULDER: and His name shall be called Wonderful Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from h...enceforth even for ever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this." Isaiah 9:6-7
I'm appalled by the attitudes of those who've chosen to demonstrate extreme, and drastic attitudes towards the re-elected president of these United States...running over their spouses with automobiles for not voting, as if to say they were responsible for Mitt Romney losing his bid for the presidency....using the "N Word" to describe the president and calling for his assassination...signing petitions to secede from the union because the outcome of the election didn't go the way you hoped....
"NOW LETS REALLY GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER"
Where was this kind of outrage and out-pour when dishonesty on every level was being allowed to operate during the hotly contested Bush/Gore race for the presidency?
Every opponent of the democratic agenda dumped the fiscal failure of the country on this president, all the while forgetting that it took twelve years of Bush to bring our economy to it's knees...
Selectively they forgot that the mandate of the GOP was not to help President Obama successfully bring this country out of our financial dull-drums, and they succeeded in doing so...
When he tried to reach across party lines to bring about a better solution, the GOP turned their collective backs to him not realizing that their actions were actually hurting America...
"LET'S REALLY GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER"
In the dis-tasteful spirit of tokenism many of you who are against the president honestly didn't realize how really intelligent this man is. You really thought that he was just a "one-trick-pony" and were simply anticipating his demise with hopes of electing the next candidate who is not like him..."IF YOU GET MY MEANING"...
"LET'S REALLY GET TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER"
Truth-be-told, you never anticipated that an African-American would ever be elected to the most powerful position in this country; you never suspected that he could still put in good work against all odds, and you most certainly did not expect him to be elected to a second term "UNANIMOUSLY"
The truth: the whole truth, and nothing but the truth is that you honestly don't want him to occupy the oval office because of his race....
"NOW I SEE YOUR TRUE COLORS SHINING THROUGH"
Let me explain this for you who are of the clueless generation....
"GOD IS IN CONTROL OF EVERYTHING"...
...regardless of how favorable or UN-favorable it may seem to you; and because He's in control your hatred will never rule the day no matter what tactics you employ or snares you attempt to set. And just in-case you so-called righteous folk have forgotten, "God Is Love" and love is the greatest commandment from the Bible upon which lies all of the law and prophets.
(Matthew 22:35-40)
If you really want to stand against something, stand against greed, selfishness, racism and bigotry....and if you truly want to stand for something; stand for holiness and Gods' righteousness...
"LET'S KEEP THE COUNTRY MOVING FORWARD"
