...and The Light Shines In Darkness

John 1:5

5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

The Lord Jesus came into the world as the incarnate WORD of God, to reveal to the depraved mind of man, the truth of God's eternal love and His perfect holiness. He came into the world as LIFE.. to breathe 'new life' into the lifeless spirit of man, that lay dead in trespasses and sins, and with no hope in the world. He came into the world as the LIGHT of the world, to illumine the blackened soul of man, who in his foolish pride had sought to be as God.

It was through sin that darkness entered the heart of man, and it is through the Light of God's Son, that sin and death and darkness was overcome . He came as the Light that never be extinguished, in the heart, soul, and mind, of those who place their trust in the atoning work of our Lord Jesus Christ.

The gospel of John was written to introduce the Lord Jesus Christ to fallen man, as the eternal Son. He came as the incarnate Word and was born as the perfect Son of Man. He came from the Father to show us the Father.. for whoever has seen the Son has seen the Father, and Whoever has the Son in their heart, has the Father also... for Christ is the visible image of the invisible God, and He sent His Son into the world to reveal Himself to us.

For the first four verses in John's gospel, the Word is introduced to us as the living, breathing, human Word of God, Who was in the beginning with God, and through Whom all things came into being. That same eternal Son is Life and Light. That same perfect Son of man is the true Light that was given by God to shine Light into the darkness of man's soul, and the darkness was incapable of extinguishing the pure Light of God.

Man did not comprehend the enormity of what had happened in Bethlehem some thirty years earlier and throughout His ministry, men continued to misunderstand the Man, His ministry and His message. The depraved mind of the unsaved cannot understand the Light, for the god of this world has darkened their minds and blinded their soul.

When the Lord Jesus came into this world as the Light of Life that lightens every man that comes into the world, they did not comprehend Who He was or why He had come. He came to His own kingdom and His own people, but they did not receive Him. They rejected God's anointed. They were ignorant of the truth that "Jesus was the Light that shines in the darkness - BUT  the darkness is incapable of extinguishing it."

The evil schemes of the wicked one cannot quench the Light of Christ, for Satan is an enemy that was eternally defeated through His shed blood on the cross of Calvary. It is impossible for the darkness of Satan, sin, death, and hell to overcome the glorious light of the gospel of God. Darkness cannot overpower Christ's light, nor can it quench its illuminating rays.

Although the evil principalities of darkness will do all in their power to frustrate its almighty strength, the Light of Christ has already overcome the powers of darkness, and its penetrating rays will continue to invade the dominion of evil, with every soul that confesses Christ as Lord.

The opening statement of John's gospel lays out, in all its beauty, Who Jesus is and why He came. The Lord Jesus Christ is the Word of the most High God, who existed from eternity past and is co-equal and co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit. He is the very essence of God and united in purpose and power. He came to this world as The Light that shines in the darkness, YET the darkness could not comprehend it.

God is Spirit but Christ came to earth as a mortal Man to become our kinsman-Redeemer, for He is God of gods and Light and lights - but He is also Man of men. Only through the Man, Christ Jesus can men receive Peace with God and the Peace of God. Only in Him is Hope and Joy and Life everlasting, for God the Father decreed that God the Son should come to shine the Light of God's Life and Love into the world, so that all who believe on Him could be enlightened by the truth, reflect the light of His love and be enlivened with His life... but He was rejected as a result of man's sin.

Christ Jesus is that LIGHT that has been shining from eternity past, and it is only through Him that God's light and life and love and hope and joy and peace will flow, for God has decreed that Christ is all in all. May we bathe in the glorious light of His love for the eternal ages to come, and may we reflect His light in this darkened world and permit His love to flow through us to others - until I am nothing and He is everything.

My Prayer

Thank You, Father, that the Light of Jesus has shone into my heart, for I trust Him alone as my Saviour and Lord. May the light of Your love shine through me, to others, for Your praise and glory, until it is not I that shines in my life, but the light of Christ shining through me. This I ask in Jesus' precious name, AMEN.

See you next blog,

Ted

Happy are the Unhappy...

Happy people are unhappy people, because Jesus said, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” In the Beatitudes, the word “blessed” that Jesus used is interchangeable with “happy.”

To put it another way, happy are the unhappy.

“Well, that makes no sense at all,” you’re saying. “Either you’re happy or you’re unhappy.”

No, before you can truly be happy, you first have to be unhappy. You have to see your real state before God, which is a sinful state. And you have to mourn over that state.

Also, the word that Jesus used here for “mourn” is the most severe of nine Greek words for grief that we find in the Scriptures. It’s reserved for mourning the dead. While this verse applies in principle to all who mourn, let’s look at it in context.

Let’s go back to the previous beatitude: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3 NKJV). It’s a little scary to see what sinners we really are. But when we cry out to God and mourn over our condition, then we will find comfort.

As commentator Warren Wiersbe has pointed out, “It is as wrong to mourn when God has forgiven us as it is to rejoice when sin has conquered us.”

It’s better to mourn now and laugh later than to laugh now and mourn later. When you really mourn for your condition and repent of it, you can experience the true happiness that God wants you to experience.

Have you ever shed a tear over a sin in your own life? Have you ever done something you were ashamed of and wept over it?

The Bible tells us that godly sorrow will produce repentance (see 2 Corinthians 7:10). This can be a good thing, because that mourning can produce tangible results.

from  Pastor Greg Laurie

Count Your Blessings

By Rob Pue, Publisher Wisconsin Christian News

“But now think of THIS: Jesus Christ, our Lord, REVERSED that curse and conquered sin and death for us as He wore that crown of thorns on His head! Truly, those who murdered Him knew NOT what they were doing — and Satan perhaps even thought he had ‘won.’”

In these times of trouble and tribulation, with all that’s happening in the world today, it’s easy to succumb to a spirit of hopelessness, despair, and grief — for the deceived, lost and perishing people around us, and yes, even for ourselves. It’s especially grievious when those deceived, lost and perishing are people we know and love. Perhaps even our own spouses, children and grandchildren.

We look around and see how Satan and his demons seem to be in charge of everything now, and how truth is now regarded as “hate speech,” having fallen in the streets long ago. We see how successful the enemy has become at twisting hearts and minds, and fundamentally changing our society and culture and the entire world all around us, and it’s easy to become discouraged. There are so many lies, so much hatred, so many who have departed from the faith and chosen instead to follow doctrines of demons. Yes, it can become very disheartening.

But here’s what I KNOW:  “God’s Word is truth” (John 17:17). And the Bible He has given us, from Genesis to Revelation is FILLED with all we need to know about the history — and the future — of this world. It is FILLED with all we need to know to live our lives as God’s own children, to raise OUR children to know and love Him, and to learn to disciple others and share the Good News of the Kingdom and Jesus’ redeeming work on the cross with them as well. It’s also FILLED with warnings about what NOT to do, how NOT to live in this world… as well as instruction on how to fight the spiritual battles that threaten to ensnare us every day. In short, God’s Word is FILLED with everything we need to equip us to live here on this earth and to prepare us for eternity. We need no other instruction than that which He has already graciously given.

Having said that, I’d like us to consider today, just how much JOY, PRAISE, and BEAUTY we also find in God’s holy Book. And though it’s easy to take our eyes off of our Creator and dwell on the negative, there are virtually countless Scriptures that talk about God’s goodness, His peace, the Comfort of the Holy Spirit, and especially giving thanks.

Just as WE appreciate it when our earthly children are THANKFUL to us for all we provide and do for them, our Heavenly Father wants US to be thankful to Him as well. And we have SO MUCH to be thankful FOR! You know, you cannot be discouraged or depressed AND THANKFUL for all the many blessings you’ve received from the Lord at the same time… it’s just not possible. So I encourage you to be THANKFUL today… and every day to the One who Created us, and this amazing “habitat” called “Earth” that He designed as our temporary home.

I’m reminded of the old hymn by John Oatman, written in 1897, titled “Count Your Blessings.” It goes like this:

“When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed, when you are discouraged, thinking all is lost; Count your many blessings, name them one by one, and it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

   “Are you ever burdened with a load of care? Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear? Count your many blessings, every doubt will fly, and you will keep singing as the days go by.

   “So, amid the conflict whether great or small, do not be discouraged, God is over all; Count your many blessings, angels will attend, Help and comfort give you, to your journey’s end.”

Oftentimes, when I find myself loaded down with burdens and cares, I’m not able to sleep at night, or to calm my troubled mind. So I spend time in prayer and then I begin to count MY many blessings. A word of caution here: if you DO this — (begin to count your blessings) — instead of helping you fall into peaceful sleep, oftentimes I find myself UNABLE to name all the many blessings God has so graciously given me, and I find I’m actually so filled with thankfulness and wonder and awe at what God has done for ME, I’m too excited to sleep after not very long!

I think of God’s beautiful Creation — the entire universe, designed and set in motion and sustained by His mighty hand. Through a powerful telescope on a dark, starry night, I’ve seen with my own eyes the rings of Saturn, and other planets, close up; not to mention our own moon — created by God and placed in just the right spot to not just light our way at night but also to help sustain life on our planet.

And this beautiful, wondrous earth. I have been blessed to be able to see and enjoy more of it in my lifetime than I ever thought I would… I’ve been to the highest mountain peaks in North America (and played in the snow at those summits with my kids on my birthday in August) …as well as the lowest point called “Death Valley.” I’ve swam in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, I’ve been to tropical rain forests and desolate, wind-swept deserts. I’ve seen the raging rivers and the awesome power of Niagara Falls. Living in Wisconsin, I’ve spent much time taking in the splendor of the Great Lakes. I was even blessed to pilot a steamship part-way across Lake Michigan one time.

I’m constantly amazed at God’s creation. Just the sheer BEAUTY of it is beyond description. And I often wonder what Eden must have been like, before the fall. When everything was perfect. As incredibly beautiful as our earth is today, none of us can even begin to imagine what it once was — and will one day be again — when the New Heaven and New Earth appear.

Before Adam sinned, everything was perfect. But once mankind disobeyed God and brought sin and death upon us, our earth began producing thorns and thistles. There were no thorns before that… just beauty and perfection. I think of what Christ did on that old rugged cross for those who repent and call upon His name… and how His tormentors tortured Him so cruelly before nailing Him to that Tree… they even went “the extra mile” by fashioning a crown of thorns and jamming it into His head. Think of that: THORNS… the very thing that was brought upon this earth by our own disobedience and unbelief. Those thorns were part of the curse when God cursed the ground because of OUR sin.

But now think of THIS: Jesus Christ, our Lord, REVERSED that curse and conquered sin and death for us as He wore that crown of thorns on His head! Truly, those who murdered Him knew NOT what they were doing — and Satan perhaps even thought he had “won.” But God worked even that wretchedness together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Yes, He wore the crown of thorns — He bore the curse and He REVERSED the curse for all who will repent and turn to Him.

Yes, I’m very thankful for this beautiful world God made for us. And all the animals and birds and flowers He filled it with for our pleasure. Each one an incredibly amazing, unique creation. Some of you know I am a bird-lover; if you just look at the incredible design of BIRDS alone — the many different ways each one is designed… some colorful and bright, “painted” with such creativity and splendor by the Master Craftsman Himself. Some with unbelievable eyesight… I’ll always remember the time I was out on a lake watching in awe as a Bald Eagle soared high overhead, circling. Suddenly, he swooped down, just above the surface of the lake, and before my eyes, snatched a fish from the water and flew it home to his Eagle family for dinner! Yes, God let me see that. Amazing.

Some birds don’t even fly — they swim, like penguins. But each one is beautiful, and each is designed with everything it needs to live and survive, and each is FED by the hand of God.   Now think of all the other animals the Lord made; then think of the “lillies of the field!” Some designed to be our food; some just for the pure beauty of seeing them, because God LIKED them!

And I have to wonder, looking around JUST AT CREATION, how anyone could ever even question the fact that there is a God in heaven who made all this. Romans 1 tells us, “the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead….”  Yes, those who doubt God are indeed, without excuse.

The human body is also a miracle of Creation. There is nothing else like it, designed for our souls to live in on this earth, but also blessed with the senses of sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Did you ever consider God did not HAVE to give us all these things? But He wanted us to be able to experience ALL these wondrous aspects of His creation — and in the New Heaven and New Earth, I can only imagine the wonders He has in store for our new, restored bodies!

Then, think of the changing seasons. The warmth and beauty of summer. The spectacular colors and crispness in the air at harvest time. The restoration time when the world sleeps during the winter, and then the rebirth that comes in the spring.

If you look around, you’ll see there is such BEAUTY and MAGNIFICENCE in this world that God provided for our earthly home. It’s hard to believe there are so many who continue to hate Him, deny Him, persecute those who love Him and seek to destroy all that is beautiful, lovely, and good.

Yes, there is great beauty, but also great ugliness. One one side, you have the things of God and His incredible creation, His amazing design for mankind. You have the natural family, one man and one woman, designed to be united for life in holy matrimony, a covenant union, producing beautiful babies that we are to nurture, train up and teach all we know about our Heavenly Father, teaching THEM to honor and revere their Lord too. On the other side you have darkness, evil schemes, greed, lies, deceit, treachery, sorcery, demonism, hedonism, and death. Spiritual warfare continues and daily we are to put on the armor of God that we might stand firm in our faith and resist the wiles and temptations of the enemy.

And again, the work of spiritual warfare — which we are ALL, as Christians, CALLED to engage in, serving as a restraining force against evil in this world — is much easier for us when we count our blessings and remain THANKFUL to God for each one. Psalm 95:2, “Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise!” Psalm 106 and 107 both begin with the same words:  “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His steadfast love endures forever.”  And in case you didn’t catch the gist of those Scriptures, look at all of Psalm 136!

Philippians 4:4, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I say, rejoice!” And we all know Philippians 4:6 and 7, “Do not be anxious about anything but in everything, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God, and the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

And continuing on in Philippians, in Verse 8: “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”

We have so much to be thankful for. Yes, the world around us may be dark and growing darker every day. We may very well be at the closing end of days here on this earth, and we may be precariously perched on the precipice of the Great Tribulation, when the wrath of God is unleashed on all those who hate Him. But while we are still here, while we still have breath in our lungs, there is still good work for us to do. And our job is to BE His Church, to BE the salt and light of the world, to serve as His restraining force against the evil of the enemy, to preach the Gospel and make disciples, and to ALWAYS be thankful to our Creator and Sustainer and to praise Him in all circumstances. There is no greater calling and no greater purpose.

When the enemy of our souls has you discouraged and depressed — again, simply begin to count your blessings and name them, one by one. Thank the Lord for all He’s given you, and then with a grateful heart for the privilege of serving your King, pick yourself up, dust yourself off and get back to work. Use your talents wisely, because there comes a day, perhaps soon, when no man will be able to work; so let us be about His business as good stewards of the faith and press on, rejoicing always and thanking God for His abundant love and grace toward us. Let there never be found among us any hint of grumbling or murmuring or ungratefulness. Our Lord has made us His own children, and we’ve been blessed beyond all measure. Thank Him, every day, and let’s do EVERYTHING we do as service unto our Lord.   I pray you and your loved ones will have a blessed and happy time of Thanksgiving this year — not just for a day, but every day, as you work to minister to and serve all those around you!

Your brother in Christ,

Ted

When you feel outnumbered and surrounded by the enemy...

Ever find yourself in a situation where you felt like there was no obvious way out? You’re not alone. Here’s how someone from scripture handled that same situation.

Actually, there could be any number of examples we could draw from in this situation. David, Moses, Hezekiah, and others. But let’s focus in on Elijah’s protege, Elisha.

Like Elijah before him, Elisha was NOT ‘too spiritual’ to meddle in the affairs of politics. He told kings to their face when they had wronged God, and demonstrated the LORD’s lovingkindness to those his own culture would consider the least deserving.

Not surprisingly, being bold in the name of the Lord has consequences. Like most other things in life, taking a strong stand on something is a good way to make enemies — taking a stong stand on Truth and God’s word is among the best of them. Countless believers through history have lost their heads over it, literally.

In his role of prophet, Elisha was frustrating the Syrian king by warning the King of Israel about every military trap he was planning to spring, even before he set it. The Syrian king got word that Elisha was the cause of his frustration, so he adjusted his strategy and turned his army against the prophet himself, seeking to silence him. (Logic was not his strong suit.)

He took his army and surrounded Dothan (See: 2 Kings 6:8-23)

He and his servant (who would be viewed today as ‘the rational one’) were at home when the army showed up and surrounded them.

When the servant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, behold, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. And the servant said, “Alas, my master! What shall we do?”

That’s the standard answer so many of us would give today, isn’t it? You look at the situation, see it through the rational lens of statistical analysis and throw up our hands at the impossible situation.

But he has forgotten who he is standing with: the only prophet in the Old Testament that has seen the Lord heal a leper; the only prophet in the Old Testament that has seen someone come back from death. Elisha is not seeing things merely through the context of what human effort can do… but he’s seeing it through the context of what GOD can do.

Elisha answered him: Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are more than those who are with them.” Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.”

What would those of us in modern, ‘respectible’ Christianity have thought in that situation? Would we have defaulted to functional athiesm and done the situational calculus without leaving roo for the arm of God? Or would we have boldly trusted to His promise? How many of us would have said, ‘Bro, have you been in the hot sun too long? What do you mean by more with us? Can’t you even COUNT?’ There are two of us, and a whole freaking ARMY out there waiting to kill us.

Here’s what happened next:

So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw, and behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha. And when the Syrians came down against him, Elisha prayed to the Lord and said, “Please strike this people with blindness.” So he struck them with blindness in accordance with the prayer of Elisha. And Elisha said to them, “This is not the way, and this is not the city. Follow me, and I will bring you to the man whom you seek.” And he led them to Samaria.

As soon as they entered Samaria, Elisha said, “O Lord, open the eyes of these men, that they may see.” So the Lord opened their eyes and they saw, and behold, they were in the midst of Samaria. As soon as the king of Israel saw them, he said to Elisha, “My father, shall I strike them down? Shall I strike them down?” He answered, “You shall not strike them down. Would you strike down those whom you have taken captive with your sword and with your bow? Set bread and water before them, that they may eat and drink and go to their master.” So he prepared for them a great feast, and when they had eaten and drunk, he sent them away, and they went to their master. And the Syrians did not come again on raids into the land of Israel.

He dealt with those who came looking for his head in a most amazing way. He prayed for them to be struck blind — they were. Suddenly they were helpless, so Elisha led them to the Jewish king they had been warring with. He showed kindness to them, spared their lives, and sent them on their way.

This act of trusting God not only helped the prophet personally, but it brought an end to the militarly harrassment the Syrians had been bringing upon their king.

When given the power of life and death over his enemies, the man of god offered them back their lives (that’s grace), and solved a political / cultural problem (that’s peace) in the process.

Moral of the story?

Be open to God’s solutions to your situations — even the supposedly ‘impossible’ ones. Because even though it might feel like you’re ‘surrounded’, you might come to realize that God had ‘the enemy’ surrounded all along, but you couldn’t quite see it.

When you ARE open to God’s solutions, and have the guts to follow them, their ultimate impact could be far greater than you could possibly have imagined. In fact, more often than not, that’s exactly what happens.

If you have trouble hearing it from this scribbler of words, hear it from the Lord of Glory himself: “I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.”

For those of you that want to get better at shifting your paradigm to make room for a really BIGGGGG GOD! I highly recommend Doug Giles Book called Rules For Radical Christians!

TEN REASONS: Why Pathetic Pastors Stay Silent on Serious Issues

Lately, I've had people tell that they go to church to find answers but then all they tend to get is a feel-good message. So they set up to counsel with someone from the church or the pastor himself because they have some serious questions that need answers. They are searching but they may be told they are trying to hard to get answers that only God can answer, or they are told they need to get in touch with themselves and learn to love themselves as they are. There are many of these feel good answers that have nothing to do with the GOSPEL MESSAGE that Jesus wanted pastors and elders to give to the people who inquired. The Lord challenges to be ready to give an ANSWER to any who ask 1Peter 3:15 says: 
but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect...  WITH RESPECT IS IMPORTANT!  
I found that Doug Giles is also tired of hearing the same things I am hearing from those who inquire...please read all of this!
Ted

TEN REASONS: Why Pathetic Pastors Stay Silent on Serious Issues
Here are 10 reasons why pastors avoid political and cultural issues:

1. Fear of man. If you purport to be a man of “the cloth”, then your regard for God and his opinion must trump the trepidation of the creature he created from spit and mud. Come on, man of God – don’t fear us. We’re ants with cell phones who’ll shoot Botox into our foreheads. We’re friggin’ weird and fickle weather vanes of the modern media. Lead us – don’t just follow us!

Man of God, fear God! Declare his will and his way and let the chips fall where they may. Within both the Old and New Testaments there are very unmuddled, eternal opinions on current political issues. These opinions should be embraced and shouldn’t be publicly curbed and bridled because some deranged deacon, some quacky congregant or a preening politician doesn’t agree with the scripture and might get their panties in a wad over a particular political issue. Never live for a nod from the congregation or some political twerp or a particular party, especially when said group is way off biblical base.

2. Ignorance. Most people are not bold in areas where they are ignorant … always excepting Michael Moore, of course. I know keeping up with all the pressing political issues is maddening but that’s life, Dinky, and if you want to be a voice in society and not an echo, you have got to be in the know. Staying briefed, running each political issue through the gauntlet of the scripture and determining God’s mind on a certain subject is par for the course, for the hardy world changer. It’s the information age. Get informed and watch your boldness increase.

3. Division. I hate the current non-essential divisions in the church as much as the next acerbic Christian columnist. Squabblin’ over the color of the carpet, who’ll play the organ next Sunday or who the Beast of Revelation is! Puhleese!

Dial down on the inconsequential seditiousness, okay, Jedediah? Relax. Go into the desert and get focused. The church is currently so divided and defeated with such minutiae that we can’t agree on which shade of white to paint the vestibule!

4. Last Days Madness. Many ministers do not get involved in political issues because they believe that, “it simply doesn’t matter” since “the end has come”, and Jehovah is about to run the credits on this failed earth flick. These defeatists believe that any change in the jet stream, war, earthquakes, success of a corrupt politician, even a new Britney Spears video, is “proof” that God is getting really, really, ticked off and His only recourse is to have Christ physically return and kick some major butt.

Their only hope is in ‘The Rapture’. They see the church and themselves as impotent and having no real ability to change things culturally with any long-range ramifications. Thus, any stab at a better tomorrow is simply an exercise in futility for this crew. Attempting to right culture is, in their eyes, equivalent to polishing brass on a sinking ship. They are, therefore, content to simply pass out tracts, tramp from Christian rock concert to Christian rock concert, eat fatty foods, and stare at Christian TV.

5. Sloth. Classically defined, sloth is lethargy stemming from a sense of hopelessness. Viewing our nation and the world as an irreparable disaster, where our exhortations, prayers, votes and labors will not produce any temporal fruit, leaves one with all the fervor of a guy who’s forced to French kiss his sister.

If you wonder why your flock is so apathetic, ask yourself, Pastor Grim Carnage, if you have stolen their earthly hope that their valiant efforts can actually prevail in time, and not just in eternity. If you constantly pump the doom and gloom message, if you teach them that evil will ultimately triumph on our terra firma, if you spew messages that consciously or unconsciously convey “big anti-Christ and little Jesus Christ”, then you have effectively zapped what’s left of your parishioners passion.

6. Tax Exemption Pre-emption. Many pastors, priests and parishioners have been cowed into inactivity by the supposed loss of their tax-exempt status if they say anything remotely political. This can make folks who don’t or won’t get good legal advice as politically active as Howard Hughes during the flu season … but it needn’t.

First of all, there’s no need to have an IRS 501[c][3] tax-exempt charitable status to assemble and be a proper church. The church has been around a little bit longer than the 501 [c][3] statutes, right? We are afforded the right to assemble, by God and by the Constitution. Not having the tax exempt status simply means you’ll have to pay taxes at Costco when you buy hot dogs for the church picnic.

Secondly, 501[c][3] or not, we are called to obey God rather than men, and God has called his leaders to be involved in civic affairs, and to represent Christ and his word in all areas of society. And that entails expounding the biblical worldview all the time, including election time. Sometimes you have to rebel against unrighteous, limiting laws. There’s nothing wrong with proper civil disobedience when the need arises, especially if the government tries to stifle your scriptural rights and obligations.

Off the clock, in his personal capacity, the pastor or priest can endorse and support – or oppose – whoever or whatever he wishes, like any other citizen. There are no limitations to the individual; the ones which do exist under the 501[c][3] statute are only for the church entity and/or the pastor in his official capacity, not for the pastor or the members who make up the church.

7. Paltry pietism and the separation from the world mentality. Pastors and priests avoid politics because such concerns are “unspiritual”, and their focus is on the “spirit world”. Yes, to such imbalanced ministers, political affairs are seen as “temporal and carnal”, and because pastors and priests trade in the “eternal and spiritual”, such “transient” issues get the same attention from them as Rosie’s AbBlaster does from her.

What drives this type of clergy and Christian? Well, this brand of believer desires a “personal relationship with Jesus only” type of religion. This bunch is primarily into heavenly emotions and personal Bible study, tucked away from society and its complicated issues. Being preoccupied with looking inward and upward, such solipsistic saints inadvertently chain themselves to the never ending treadmill of spiritual introspection. They forget that they are commanded to be seriously engaged with our culture. The effects of this type of “Christian” separatism/pietism proved disastrous in pre-Nazi Germany, and aided and abetted Hitler in mounting his hellish warhorse.

8. The Thought Police have Tali-banned us. Pastors and priests have muffled their political voice because they fear being lumped in with the radical Muslim extremists by the politically correct thought police. The correlation made between Christians’ non-violent attempts at policy persuasion and Taliban’s kill-you-in-your-sleep campaigns is nothing more than pure uncut crapola. Here’s what I’m talking about: A minister who wants to protect the unborn, preserve the Biblical and traditional view of marriage, maintain our nation’s basis in some semblance of Biblical righteousness all of the sudden gets grouped up with Osama and his nuclear-suitcase-carrying cabal.

Ministers, please blow off the tongue wagging blowhards who try to intimidate you into silence by making quantum ludicrous scat laden analogous leaps in equating the implementation of a Biblical worldview with the Taliban’s cross-eyed perspective.

9. Mothering the Minute. Ministers can’t get involved in studying or speaking out regarding political issues simply because of the ten tons of minutiae they are forced to field. Spending time wet nursing 30-year-olds without a life and being bogged down in committee meetings over which shade of pink paint should be used for the Woman’s Aglow ministerial wing of their church, ministers are lucky if they get to study the scripture nowadays, much less anything else.

In the unending, need-driven narcissistic American church, pastors work overtime for spiritually overweight parishioners regarding issues that ultimately are inconsequential. This is both the fault of the ministers (messiah complex) and fault of the congregants (me-monkey syndrome), and both have got to have an exorcism or something if the church is going to tackle pressing cultural issues.

10. It’ll cost them Money. The creepy thing about a lot of ministers is their unwillingness to give political offense when offense is needed, simply because taking a biblical stand on a political issue might cost them their time share in Aspen and their Chrysler Mini-Van. Oh well, what do you expect? Christ had his Judas and evangelicalism has it cheap prostitutes.

Anytime a pastor takes a sturdy stand on a substantial issue, it usually ends up offending some people. If a congregant gets angry because you have just barbequed his favorite ideological golden calf, his cash will leave weeks before his physical body departs to find a church that’ll tickle his ears.

Never fear, pastor. Even though nailing your colors to the mast during putrid political times might cost you a parishioner or two, don’t sweat it. There are also tens of thousands of serious parishioners who are looking for leaders with the ‘nads to lead the church to make its proper stance during days of declension. So, my advice to you, Mr. Minister, would be to stay the Biblical course against the secular corrupters. I guarantee you four things:

God will send you better soldiers of the cross,

He will supernaturally increase your revenue to labor for His cause,

You won’t have to look the other way when you approach a mirror, and –

You will sleep better at night knowing that cash couldn’t buy your convictions.

If Christian ministers would crucify their fear of man, get solidly briefed regarding the chief political issues, not sweat necessary division, not get caught up in last days madness, maintain their hope for tomorrow, understand their liberties under God and our Constitution, not become so heavenly minded they’re no earthly good, focus on the majors and blow off bowing to cash instead of convictions, then maybe … just maybe, we will see their influence cause our nation to take a righteous turn away from the secularist’s putrid path.


Written by Doug Giles on September 29, 2019

The Lasting Effects of a Godly Life

By Greg Laurie

“So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.”

—Ephesians 5:15–16

There are times when one of the best things to do to engage a nonbeliever is to just listen for a while and get to know them a little better. Then when the Holy Spirit prompts you to speak up about your faith, speak up.

In the book of Esther we read that she “had not told anyone of her nationality and family background, because Mordecai had directed her not to do so” (Esther 2:10 NLT). Some would say that she should have identified herself as a Jew, and by not doing so she was effectively compromising her faith.

There’s some merit to that argument, but there are some flaws in it as well, because sometimes you should speak up, and sometimes you should be quiet.

The problem with some Christians is they’re always talking about their faith but don’t back it up with their lifestyle. You might be surprised to hear me say this, but I think some Christians speak up too much. They feel they have to give a complete presentation of the gospel to everyone they meet. It’s this constant drone, and it isn’t the best way to do evangelism.

One of the great secrets of Billy Graham’s effectiveness was that he not only was a great preacher, but he also was a great Christian. He backed up his words with personal integrity. He loved his wife and children, and he was a humble man. That gave him even greater effectiveness in his ministry, because he never contradicted it with his lifestyle.

It’s a huge plus for the church when Christians live godly lives. They work hard and with integrity. They’re faithful to their spouses and keep their marriages together. Or, if they’re single, they don’t have sex before marriage. That’s a great testimony. Do that. Be that.

Harvest.org

Will You Join the Revolution?

Do you ever ask yourself why am I here? Does God really have a purpose for me? Scripture tells us that God has a general will and a specific will and empowers those who perform the general will and His  specific will. However, if you really want to know what God's purpose is for life here is the place to start: We are commanded to go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them into the faith in our Lord and Savior and proclaiming the Good News of His resurrection. Our job then becomes one of encouragement not to give in to the world and it's evil system.

See you next blog,

Ted

Will You Join the Revolution? Matthew 5:13-16 When the history of this generation is finally written, it may well be that the last fifty years will be called the Age of Revolution. First, we had the cultural revolution, then we had the sexual revolution, which was followed by the digital revolution. In the last few years we have had a political revolution. In some ways we are living out the famous words of Charles Dickens: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair. On one hand, we live in a time of technological marvels. Last month we received a FaceTime call from our son Nick and his wife Sarah. Through some miracle of the internet, we could sit in our room at Word of Life Lodge in Schroon Lake, New York and talk with our grandkids Hannah and Josh in Chicago as if they were sitting in the room with us. That wasn’t possible ten years ago. The other day I saw a phone booth where the pay phone had been removed. When was the last time you made a call from a phone booth? It’s been so long that I can’t remember the last time I did. Someone remarked that a pauper today lives better than a king did 125 years ago. It’s true. On the other hand, we live in a time when hatred threatens to tear apart our society. Despite all its benefits, social media has made us cranky, inconsiderate, demanding, suspicious, and accusatory. If you want to get your blood pressure rising, spend a few minutes on Twitter. We live in dangerous times with hot spots all over the globe. At any moment things could spiral out of control in North Korea, Hong Kong, Iran, the Horn of Africa, and in India. I don’t have to say much about politics because we all know how divided America is. It happens that I’m writing this sermon in the summer of 2019. We are fifteen months out from the next national election, and the temperature is rising daily. Who knows what tomorrow’s headlines will say? Almost everyone seems angry about something. If there was ever a time for the church of Jesus to stand up and be counted, this is it. But if anything, our influence seems to be waning. A recent poll shows that church membership in the US has dropped sharply in the last two decades, from 70% in 1998 to an all-time low of 50% in 2018. Among millennials (those born after 1979) church membership drops to 42%. If you ask about actual church attendance, 22% of Americans say they attend church every week. In an increasingly secular world, we should not be surprised that the church has lost its influence in the community. There are many reasons why this is so, but one reason stands out above the rest. The church has lost its influence because Christians have neglected their responsibility to be salt and light in the world. As we have neglected to be what God has called us to be, the world has decided to ignore us. And the flip side is also true. When Christians decide to be salt and light, the world pays close attention to what we say and do. Let me say it simply: When we are salt and light, the world listens to us. When we aren’t, they don’t. We need a Salt and Light Revolution in our day. Let’s talk about what that looks like.   Salt of The Earth These are the words of Jesus in Matthew 5:13:   You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. These words have become a proverb in the English language. If someone is genuine, useful, honest, straightforward, and without hypocrisy, we say he is a “salt of the earth” type person. What did Jesus mean? Salt was one of the most common substances in the ancient world. Roman soldiers were paid in salt and would revolt if they didn’t get their ration. Our English word “salary” comes from the Latin salariumwhich means “salt-money.” Our expression, “That man is not worth his salt,” reminds us of the high value salt had in biblical times. Let’s go a step further. Salt has five primary uses. First, salt seasons food. Almost everything we eat has some salt in it. Even cakes and pies contain a pinch of salt. Second, salt preserves. This was no doubt its main use in Jesus’ day. Salt retards spoilage. It doesn’t prevent the process of decay, but it slows it down and prevents its spread. Meat left to itself will spoil. Cure the meat with salt and it will last a long time. Third, salt stings. We speak of pouring salt on an open wound. In that sense, salt is an antiseptic that first stings and then heals. It kills some types of bacteria. Fourth, salt gives strength. Without it, your body quickly weakens. That’s one reason the Romans gave their soldiers salt. They knew putting salt on their vegetables would give them needed strength. Fifth, salt creates thirst. That’s why we put it on potato chips and pretzels. It creates thirst and causes you to crave something to drink. We are not the honey of the world. We are the salt of the earth. There is a difference.   The 2% Solution How does this apply to the followers of Jesus Christ? We are to be the salt flavoring a tasteless world, and we are to be the salt that preserves a decaying world. Jesus had no illusions about this world because he knew its true character. It is like a piece of rotten meat, putrefying more and more each day. On every hand we have the most advanced technology. Every day brings new breakthroughs in medicine, science, communications, and mass-production. And yet at the same time, the moral climate grows darker and darker. Let there be no mistake. We live in a morally decadent society. It is like a piece of meat left all day in the sunshine. The decay is slow at first, and then suddenly the whole thing is rotten. What does it take to arrest the spread of evil? Salt. That’s what Jesus was talking about. I spoke with a young man who is preaching on contemporary issues to his congregation. He told me that he would soon be addressing what the Bible says about homosexuality. Given the moral climate of our day, that’s not an easy thing to do. His security team has spent time preparing for possible disruptions in the service because some people don’t want anyone saying anything against the gay rights movement. Some Christians prefer not to hear about it on Sunday morning. But the pastor said that a man in his church told him, “I’m proud of you because you aren’t afraid to speak out on controversial issues. We need to know what the Bible says.” That man is right. Being salt means taking a stand for truth even when it isn’t popular. Here’s the exciting part. It doesn’t take much salt to do the job. Just a little bit in the right place will do the trick. Do you remember the story of Abraham praying for God to spare Sodom because his nephew Lot lived there (Genesis 18:16-33)? He said, “Lord, if I can find fifty righteous people, will you spare the city?” And the Lord said yes. So Abraham said, “Well, Lord, if I can find forty-five righteous people in the city, will you spare it?” The Lord said yes again. So, he tried forty, and the Lord said yes. Then he tried thirty, and the Lord said yes again. But Abraham didn’t think there were thirty righteous people in the whole city. So he tried again, “How about for twenty?” And God said, “I will spare it for twenty.” Then Abraham took a deep breath and said, “Lord, what if I can only find ten?” “I will spare it for the sake of ten righteous people,” God replied. Think of it. A whole city saved because only ten people were righteous. Remember, Sodom was a thoroughly wicked place. It was evil through and through. Yet God would have spared it for ten righteous people. As it turned out, Abraham couldn’t find ten people who were righteous. So God prepared to destroy the city. But before he could do anything, Lot and his wife and his two daughters had to leave. God wouldn’t destroy the city while the righteous were still there. It doesn’t take much salt to do the job. According to sociologist Robert Bellah, “The governing values of a whole culture may be changed when 2% of its people have a new vision.” All you need is 2%, and you can change an entire culture. That applies to your church, your classroom, your workplace, your neighborhood, and it applies to every village, town, and city in the world. It’s time for the salt to get out of the shaker and into the soup.  There are always reasons for salt to stay in the shaker: “I don’t like the soup. It’s hot in there. There are potatoes floating around. And carrots. And rutabagas. I just saw a huge piece of meat float to the top. If I go into the soup, I’ll disappear. No, thank you! I like it in the shaker. I fit in here. I’m comfortable here. All the other pieces of salt look just like me. I think I’ll stay right here.” But that’s not where salt belongs. Salt was made for the soup. As long as the salt stays in the shaker, it can’t do any good. But when the salt goes into the soup, two things happen: 1) the salt dissolves, and 2) the character of the soup is changed forever. You may disappear, but your saltiness will change your world for the better. A handful of salty Christians can change a classroom, a neighborhood, an office, a company, and even a nation. Get ready, salty saints. Out we go, into the world, for the glory of God.   Light of The World But that is not the whole story. Listen to the next three verses:   You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father who is in heaven (Matthew 5:14-16). The dictionary defines light as “a source of illumination.” That provides the key to our definition. What does light do? It penetrates. It reveals. It exposes. Most people hate being alone in the darkness, especially when we are in a strange place. You lie in bed trying to go to sleep when suddenly you hear an odd sound in the darkness. You strain to see, but you can only make out vague shapes. Darkness distorts reality. Everything looks different. It is only when you turn on the light that you see things as they really are.   This Little Light of Mine Notice the simple application in verse 16. “Let your light shine before men.” The key is in the little phrase “before men.” If you turn on a light in an empty room, it will dispel the darkness but no one will see it. Likewise you can live the Christian life in secret, but no one is going to be helped. If your light is going to make a difference, it must shine before men. Somebody must see the light before it will do any good. Jesus said two things would happen when you shine your light:   1. Others will see your good deeds. The word “good” means attractive or beautiful or lovely. Jesus is saying people will be attracted by the beauty of your life. Others will be drawn to Christ by the way you live. When you say a good word for Jesus, when you stop and smile at a friend, that’s a good deed. When you send an encouraging text to someone going through a hard time, when you bake a chocolate pie and give it to a neighbor, or when you stop by the hospital to check on someone through chemotherapy, or when you stop to help your supervisor get her car started--all of those are good deeds that attract people to Jesus. This is evangelism backed up by a winsome personality. Note that Jesus said, “When they see your lovely ways.” He could have said, “When they hear your great preachers, or when they sit in your lovely sanctuaries, or when they clap for your choir, or when they read your Statement of Faith.” He could have said that, but he didn’t. He simply said, “When they see the way you live.” Here are a few sentences from a poem called “The Living Sermon” by Edgar Guest. They drive the point home with crystal-clarity.   I’d rather see a sermon than hear one any day. I’d rather one would walk with me than merely tell the way. The eye’s a better pupil and more willing than the ear. Fine counsel is confusing but example’s always clear. The best of all the preachers are the men who live their creeds. For to see good put in action is what everybody needs. A second thing happens when you shine your light before others:   2. They give God the credit. Verse 16 says, “They praise your Father who is in heaven.” Did you notice that the word “your” is used three times in this verse? Your light … Yourgood deeds … Your Father in heaven. When you let your light shine before men, they glorify your Father in heaven. That’s how much influence we have. We can point men to God. We can lead them out of darkness into the light. It’s wonderfully simple. We do the shining and God gets the credit. And here’s why. Light does not call attention to itself. It provides illumination so that other things can be seen as they really are. When people see a beautifully lit city, they don’t discuss the lights; they talk of the genius of the architect. When they gather around a Thanksgiving table, they don’t praise the light by which they eat; instead, they give the credit to the one who prepared the meal. When our light shines to those around us, they see the beauty of our good works, the darkness falls away, and God gets the credit.   Saints Let the Light In I cannot imagine anything higher or greater. We have in our hands enormous influence for good. We are the light of the world. We can make an eternal difference to the people around us. As they see the beauty of our lives, they will be attracted to the Jesus we preach. As they see the light in us, they will see the One who gives us the light. They will be attracted to our Savior and God will get the credit. Let me tell you the most exciting fact about all this. If you are a Christian, you are already salt and light right where you live. You don’t need a Bachelor of Salt or a Doctor of Light degree. You have everything you need right now. You’re salt. So get out of the shaker and into the soup! You’re light. So crawl out from under that bushel basket and let it shine! A little boy was sitting in church with his mom one day. As he looked up at the beautiful stained-glass windows, he saw faces in the glass. “Mom, who are those people in the window?” he asked. “Those are the saints,” she answered. The little boy thought for a while and then said, “I know who the saints are. They’re the ones that let the light in.” I spoke earlier of the moral decay going on all around us. Let no one despair. The darker the night, the brighter the light shines. When the world is at its worst, the people of God should be at their best. We were made for days like these.   The Salt and Light Revolution I began by saying the church has lost its influence in our society because we have neglected to be salt and light in the world. This world desperately needs light, but we have hidden under the bowl. In the meantime, the world has gone from bad to worse. What will have to happen for us to once again become salt and light in the world? 1. We must become purifying agents who hinder the spread of evil. 2. We must illuminate the spiritual darkness around us by the boldness of our speech and by the beauty of our life. Let no one be deceived. It will not be easy. The world doesn’t want salt and light, but it desperately needs it. The world won’t give you a Medal of Honor for joining the Salt and Light Revolution, but you ought to join up anyway.   A Place to Begin Here are two simple commitments we can make: First, there is the Salt Commitment: I will rock my world with God’s truth. That may mean speaking up at the office. It may mean refusing to get involved in certain holiday traditions. It may mean taking some criticism for your faith. It may mean taking an unpopular stand on public issues. Remember, salt stings and then it cleanses. Second, there is the Light Commitment: I will be bold and beautiful so that others can see Christ in me. That certainly involves deeds of everyday kindness. You may have to roll up your sleeves and get involved with hurting people. It may mean going out of your way to help a friend. It no doubt means openly identifying yourself as a Christian. It will probably cost you some money and some time. Remember, the primary function of light is to reveal things as they really are. When you’ve done your job, people won’t talk about you. They’ll talk about Jesus. We can’t save the world, but we can make a difference. We can’t do everything, but we can do something. And what we can do, we ought to do. That’s what being salt and light is all about.   Swimming to the Light My wife and I spent a week ministering at Word of Life Bible Institute on Jeju Island in South Korea. One evening a friend took us to a restaurant with stunning views of the ocean. As darkness came, I noticed dozens of bright lights filling the horizon. Our friend said those were squid boats. Just after sundown, the pilot turns on powerful lights that penetrate the darkness of the ocean. The squid are attracted to the light, and that’s how they are caught. That’s a living parable about how we will reach those trapped in the darkness of sin. If we will turn on the light of Christ, hurting people floundering in the darkness will swim to the light. So many people stay in the darkness because they think they have no option. But when the light shines in their darkness, many will swim to the light. Here is a good word for those who despair about the overwhelming cultural darkness. We can’t do much in and of ourselves to stop the cultural slide. But we can let our light shine. We can live for Christ. We can serve others in Jesus’ name. As they see the light in us, they will see the great Light-Giver. They will be attracted to our Savior, and God will get the credit. Don’t despair. Don’t give up. It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness. The world is dark and getting darker. It’s time to shine the light. It’s time to be salty saints and bright-light believers. Jesus is calling! Will you join the salt and light revolution? Lord Jesus, grant that we would not be even slightly disappointed by the condition of the world.   You have made us for times like these.   Help us to be salt and light for you! Give us a new vision of the difference we can make in our world. Amen. COMING EVENTS Sep 3-6 Word of Life Bible Institute, Husdon, FL Sep 17-20 Word of Life Bible Institute, Pottersville, NY Sep 27-29 Celebrate 2019! Omaha, NE Oct 18-Nov 2 Trip to Philippines and South Korea MY WEBLOG You can also subscribe to my blog here, where I post shorter devotionals, comment on current events, personal news and more. VIDEO Did you know that we have a number of videos on our website? I answer frequently asked questions - and even less frequent, but important questions, like “What do I do when my pastor strays from the truth?”. We also have sermons, sermon summaries and illustrations on video as well.

Follow on Twitter | Friend on Facebook | Forward to Friend  Copyright © 2019 Keep Believing Ministries, All rights reserved. This email list allows you to receive the free sermon email from Pastor Ray Pritchard, President and founder of Keep Believing Ministries. Our mailing address is: Keep Believing Ministries P.O. Box 257 Elmhurst, IL 60126 Add us to your address book