"Rivers of waters run down mine eyes, because they keep not thy law (Ps. 119:136 KJV).
This world is a wicked place. We're surrounded by wickedness. We're bombarded daily with wickedness. How many in today's culture know what the Holy Bible really says? How can an evil world keep laws it doesn't know?
This world is full of Christians, yet not one will deny this world is an evil place. It's easy to speak of the evil. It's easy to point out the evil. Yet why is doing something about it so hard?
The psalmist David was grieved to his core because humanity of his day disobeyed the law of God. The man who left the world some of the finest poetry ever penned poured his heart out to God because of the wickedness of humanity.
Jeremiah grieved deeply over the iniquity of his people. He prophesied it then watched his prophesies fulfilled as his people were carried away captive. This is what he said...
"Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven (Lam. 3:48-50 KJV)."
When's the last time you shed a tear for the wickedness of humanity, Christian? When's the last time the grief and the sorrow of the wickedness drove you to your knees in intercession for the lost, Christian? Who among us is willing to shed rivers of water for the lost until God in Heaven beholds our tears?
The story of Job is a great one. He suffered tremendously. He endured, maintained his character and integrity with God, and God poured out a double-portion blessing on him in the end. But the blessing came only after Job interceded for the sin of his friends.
Christian, will you do as the label you bear implies? You see, even Christ grieved and shed rivers of water for the sin of his people (Lu. 19:41-42). Let's intercede for the sin of the land. Let's reach out to those trapped in the sin of the land. Let's win a soul for Christ. God bless...
Showing posts with label witnessing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label witnessing. Show all posts
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
See It, Touch It, Smell It
I knelt at the edge of the river and placed my hand below the surface of the dark flowing water. I felt the nudge in my spirit alerting me to God wanting my attention. His voice spoke to my heart, "You've seen, you've touched, and you've smelled."
What did I see? What did I touch? What did I smell? Was it the river? I saw it. I put my hand in it. I could smell it. I spoke with the pastor of the church where I preached the next day about this. He said, "You went to the wrong park. There's a better, cleaner, prettier one downtown." I still sensed in my spirit God was trying to tell me something more.
"For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines (Jer. 30:12-13 KJV)."
What does this verse have to do with putting a hand into a river, seeing it, touching it, and smelling it? A seriously infected wound stinks. It wasn't the river I was smelling that day. It wasn't the river or the sights of the city that I was seeing. It wasn't the river that touched while kneeling at its edge in that particular park. It was an infected wound. It was sin.
Sin stinks. I could see it. I touched it. I smelled it. The stench turned my stomach like the view and smell of a festering, infected wound. In the days which followed, I faced a decision. I could choose to do something about the wound or I could walk away and let the nature of the wound run its course.
Jeremiah 30:13 could stand as a serious indictment of Christianity today. Who is there to plead the cause of the ones who bear the infectious wounds of sin? Who is there to bring healing medicines and bind the wounds to keep the infection fro spreading? Who did Jesus command to go and make disciples?
The enemy is offering humanity many "cures" for the infected wounds of sin. They only assist in the spreading of the infection. The Church has the medicine to not only stop the infection, but to cure it once and for all. Jesus Christ is the only medicine which will sure the stinking wounds of sin.
The time is now for the Church to plead the cause. The time is now for the Church to take the healing medicine of Jesus Christ to those suffering the infectious wounds of sin.
I saw it, I touched it, and I smelled it. Yes, I was in the right park. Yes, I walked the right river walk. God put me exactly where I was supposed to be that day. The field is white, ready for the harvest. O Lord God, send laborers into the field. God bless...
What did I see? What did I touch? What did I smell? Was it the river? I saw it. I put my hand in it. I could smell it. I spoke with the pastor of the church where I preached the next day about this. He said, "You went to the wrong park. There's a better, cleaner, prettier one downtown." I still sensed in my spirit God was trying to tell me something more.
"For thus saith the LORD, Thy bruise is incurable, and thy wound is grievous. There is none to plead thy cause, that thou mayest be bound up: thou hast no healing medicines (Jer. 30:12-13 KJV)."
What does this verse have to do with putting a hand into a river, seeing it, touching it, and smelling it? A seriously infected wound stinks. It wasn't the river I was smelling that day. It wasn't the river or the sights of the city that I was seeing. It wasn't the river that touched while kneeling at its edge in that particular park. It was an infected wound. It was sin.
Sin stinks. I could see it. I touched it. I smelled it. The stench turned my stomach like the view and smell of a festering, infected wound. In the days which followed, I faced a decision. I could choose to do something about the wound or I could walk away and let the nature of the wound run its course.
Jeremiah 30:13 could stand as a serious indictment of Christianity today. Who is there to plead the cause of the ones who bear the infectious wounds of sin? Who is there to bring healing medicines and bind the wounds to keep the infection fro spreading? Who did Jesus command to go and make disciples?
The enemy is offering humanity many "cures" for the infected wounds of sin. They only assist in the spreading of the infection. The Church has the medicine to not only stop the infection, but to cure it once and for all. Jesus Christ is the only medicine which will sure the stinking wounds of sin.
The time is now for the Church to plead the cause. The time is now for the Church to take the healing medicine of Jesus Christ to those suffering the infectious wounds of sin.
I saw it, I touched it, and I smelled it. Yes, I was in the right park. Yes, I walked the right river walk. God put me exactly where I was supposed to be that day. The field is white, ready for the harvest. O Lord God, send laborers into the field. God bless...
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
The Lion and the Lamb
We're familiar with this verse, "And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire (Jude 23 KJV)." I like how the Amplified Bible puts it, "[Strive to] save others, snatching [them] out of [the] fire."
We're also familiar with the story of the young David rescuing a lamb from a lion and a bear. David was testifying of his exploits to King Saul because Saul doubted David's ability to face the giant, Goliath. I want to parallel the rescue of the lamb from the mouth of the lion to Jude 23.
We can read the details as given by David in 1Samuel 17:35. "And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him (KJV)." However, David gave the credit to God (1Sa. 17:37).
Who in their right mind would run down a lion and attempt to take away his meal? Who in his right mind would grab a lion by it's mane and kill it? Doesn't 1Peter 5:8 tell us the devil walks about like a roaring lion, looking for those he can devour? How many lambs has Satan trapped in the jaws of sin? How many lambs has he escaped with to devour?
As God delivered David from the lion when he rescued the lamb, so to do we have the promise God will give us the power to rescue the lambs who are trapped in the mouth of Satan. Notice David said in 1Samuel 17:35, "And I went out after him." If we're going to rescue the lost, we must go after them.
We are to be witnesses of Christ. We're to go and make disciples. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do this. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to snatch the lost from the jaws of Satan. It is our Christian duty to strive to save others, snatching them from the fire of an eternity in Hell. God bless...
We're also familiar with the story of the young David rescuing a lamb from a lion and a bear. David was testifying of his exploits to King Saul because Saul doubted David's ability to face the giant, Goliath. I want to parallel the rescue of the lamb from the mouth of the lion to Jude 23.
We can read the details as given by David in 1Samuel 17:35. "And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him (KJV)." However, David gave the credit to God (1Sa. 17:37).
Who in their right mind would run down a lion and attempt to take away his meal? Who in his right mind would grab a lion by it's mane and kill it? Doesn't 1Peter 5:8 tell us the devil walks about like a roaring lion, looking for those he can devour? How many lambs has Satan trapped in the jaws of sin? How many lambs has he escaped with to devour?
As God delivered David from the lion when he rescued the lamb, so to do we have the promise God will give us the power to rescue the lambs who are trapped in the mouth of Satan. Notice David said in 1Samuel 17:35, "And I went out after him." If we're going to rescue the lost, we must go after them.
We are to be witnesses of Christ. We're to go and make disciples. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to do this. The Holy Spirit gives us the power to snatch the lost from the jaws of Satan. It is our Christian duty to strive to save others, snatching them from the fire of an eternity in Hell. God bless...
Thursday, May 20, 2010
The Relevance of Local Churches
Are Christian churches relevant to their local communities? This is a broad question. What makes local churches relevant in their communities? This question is much more focused.
The answer to what makes local churches relevant is the same as what is the reason for the existence of Christian churches. We can find a clear answer to this question of relevance by examining the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost.
Jesus commands us to go and make disciples. Luke expands on this command in Acts 1:8 with these words of Christ, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me."
"When the day of Pentecost was fully come," the Holy Spirit arrived. The Spirit of God filled the house. The Spirit of God filled each person. They began speaking with other tongues (Acts 2:4). Peter preached the first message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"And the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Acts 2:41)."
"And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47)."
Why? The words of Christ in Acts 1:8 were being fulfilled. They had become witnesses of Christ. Those Christians of the first apostolic Church turned their world upside down. They became relevant to their world because they were witnesses to and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their priority was taking the Gospel to the lost souls around them.
What then makes today's local churches relevant to their communities? The witness of, and to, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Local churches will be the only Jesus Christ our communities will ever see in this life.
We must share the Gospel with those around us to bring them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We must love the lost souls around us, and not exclude them from the great salvation found in Jesus Christ.
This may be a hard statement, but the measurement of relevance could be taken by the number of lost souls being won to Christ in our local churches. Every individual Christian makes up the Church. It is the personal witness of each Christian that will determine the relevance of the Church.
Yes, you will be a witness. You may never utter a word to another person about Christ. The souls around you are watching you. You profess to be Christian. What witness does your activities display? What witness does your daily conversation portray? God bless...
The answer to what makes local churches relevant is the same as what is the reason for the existence of Christian churches. We can find a clear answer to this question of relevance by examining the birth of the Church on the Day of Pentecost.
Jesus commands us to go and make disciples. Luke expands on this command in Acts 1:8 with these words of Christ, "But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me."
"When the day of Pentecost was fully come," the Holy Spirit arrived. The Spirit of God filled the house. The Spirit of God filled each person. They began speaking with other tongues (Acts 2:4). Peter preached the first message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
"And the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls (Acts 2:41)."
"And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved (Acts 2:47)."
Why? The words of Christ in Acts 1:8 were being fulfilled. They had become witnesses of Christ. Those Christians of the first apostolic Church turned their world upside down. They became relevant to their world because they were witnesses to and of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Their priority was taking the Gospel to the lost souls around them.
What then makes today's local churches relevant to their communities? The witness of, and to, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Local churches will be the only Jesus Christ our communities will ever see in this life.
We must share the Gospel with those around us to bring them to the saving grace of Jesus Christ. We must love the lost souls around us, and not exclude them from the great salvation found in Jesus Christ.
This may be a hard statement, but the measurement of relevance could be taken by the number of lost souls being won to Christ in our local churches. Every individual Christian makes up the Church. It is the personal witness of each Christian that will determine the relevance of the Church.
Yes, you will be a witness. You may never utter a word to another person about Christ. The souls around you are watching you. You profess to be Christian. What witness does your activities display? What witness does your daily conversation portray? God bless...
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