Radical or Submissive...?
i was reading Ken's Nov. 13th blog. The things he has 'forseen' are, i think, going to happen...without a doubt. Yes...we made a good decision in the election of an evangelical Christian to the office of President. Yes...we slammed ALL of the same-sex marriage amendments that were on the ballots of 11 or so states. These things are good, without doubt. BUT, i beleive they are too little..too late. We have already sunken so far, that the evil that guides these things has already taken hold and become an 'excepted' part of our culture. And the President is only a man...not God.
As i talk to Christians around the country as i travel, i hear the voice of fear, inconsistency, unbelief, and an unwillingness to STAND....NO MATTER WHAT ! It seems that we will be strong Christians....until it offends someone! When we hear false doctrine, we do not want to rebuke it. We seem to feel that we have no right to tell someone that they are WRONG! i have heard things like.."That's not very Christian"....."Who are we to tell (him or her) that they are wrong"...."Well, God loves them anyway"....The Bible that i read says something very different. The things of the world have become accepted in the church....certainly we don't want to offend ANYONE! But, as for me and my house, "We must obey God, not man". mark

TRUE WISDOM

"I think God wants me to be a world-famous musician."
"I'm just curious to know what it's like to have one time. Then I can resist."
"If God made me gay, doesn't He want me to be happy?"
"I decided that I will make that person feel bad for hurting me."

A variation of all of these comments has been made in my office in recent weeks. They lead to the interesting question, "How do I know if I am hearing from God's voice or my own?" When two very logical options stand before me, and I can justify them both as seeming to be wise, is there some sort of a simple test to determine true wisdom? I think there might be.

Actually, there are two kinds of wisdom, according to the Bible. There is worldly wisdom, and wisdom from above. Both are called wisdom, because they seem wise on at least one level. I can live a consistent life following either kind of wisdom. But there are some clear symptoms of each, listed by James (chapter 3).

Here's how to know if my wisdom is from the earth: it is full bitter jealousy and selfish ambition. Jealousy and ambition lead to disorder and every kind of evil, but they will get me "ahead" in this world. So any so-called wisdom that feeds the sense of jealousy or ambition in me is not from God. Period. If I measure my "wise" idea against the rule of jealousy and ambition, I will see whether it is worldly or not.

Of course, Satan will pose as an angel of light, and his demons are capable of saying lots of seemingly-wise ideas. But God gives us the Holy Spirit, or the spirit of holiness, and He will always, without fail, lead us to what is pure. Purity, both short- and long-term, is what the Spirit provides. Wisdom from above is also peace loving, gentle at all times, and willing to yield to others. It is full of mercy and good deeds. It shows no partiality and is always sincere.

So the next time I am faced with the question of "whose wisdom," I hope to remember to ask the simple test question, "AMBITION or PURITY?" Then I will know where that wisdom came from.

"LORD, I want to hear Your voice. The voice of others speaks so loudly some days that Your quiet wisdom is almost drowned out. But I am determined to know You, to hear Your voice, and to know Your ways. And I will follow You all of my days. And I will follow You all of my days. In the name of Jesus. Amen."
-ker

TROUBLE AHEAD?

I have been watching the news, reading the Bible, and hearing from some prophets for the last few years and months, and I sense trouble ahead. Several scenarios are possible: a terrorist attack kills many thousands and brings economic collapse; ungodly politicians rewrite the laws and persecution increases dramatically; the housing market and personal debt catch up with Americans, and many must declare bankruptcy; radical Islam spreads and gains favor, enforcing strict Muslim law.

In any scenario, what happens is that the Holy Spirit stops holding back evil, and Christians in America join their brothers and sisters in persecuted countries around the world. God's favor is removed from our land, and believers are forced to suffer in ways that we are unprepared for.

What happens to me when such a time occurs? Do I keep my personal faith? If I am personally exempt from the economic collapse or the terrorist attack, to what degree do I sacrifice to help my brothers and sisters, perhaps in my very congregation, to survive? What happens to my retirement plans, to my savings, to my security? What happens to my career, to my position of respect, to my children and their children?

Many people naively imagine that they will be raptured away before such suffering comes. But that kind of suffering is already taking place in most of the world today--shall I be so Amero-centric to think my country is exempt, and that the collapse of my own country must be what brings the Appearing of Jesus?

I think that God is wanting to prepare His church for something far more radical than we have imagined. Yes, we are called to unity, to community, to loving and helping one another, and we are doing that. But we may in a very few years be called on to unimaginable sacrifice.

Most of the time when I hear people talk about revival, they talk about great harvest and positive societal changes. We consider a revived church to be dynamic in the measurable numbers: people, dollars and bricks. But as I read through the book of Acts, I see a different picture. I see sacrifice, persecution, famine, riots and trouble, as well as the joy that comes from repentance. The Kingdom is forceful, and forceful men take hold of it, as Jesus said.

I think Jesus is advising us to brace ourselves and get ready to stand strong in the days ahead. We are called to prepare ourselves financially, not so that we can weather economic downturns, but so that we can be generous with others. We are called to prepare ourselves educationally, not to get a good job, but to know how to help others. We are called to know doctrine, not to survive a postmodern crisis, but to encourage others.

The Kingdom isn't Pretty. No, but it's Beautiful. It isn't Easy. No, but it's Rest. It isn't about Me. It's about Others. And mostly, it's about Jesus.

"LORD, You have whispered warnings to my heart for many years now. I'm not ready, and I'm scared. But if You will be with me, I am willing. Lead me, Father, for the sake of Your Son and in the power and joy of the Holy Spirit. Amen."
-ken

THE DEATH OF A CULTURE

The recent election seems to say that America is not yet ready to give up on family values. So, at least for the moment, we are choosing traditional morality. However, I am far from giddy over the general direction for our society, for I believe that there are indicators present that show we are already well on the downside of the slope of decay as a nation. The United States will continue to exist, but perhaps historians of a future generation will point to some of these factors that show it is the beginning of the end for our nation:

1. ECONOMICS: State-run lottery. Under the guise of helping children (education), our government has turned to "the gaming industry" for income. Giving a hope of getting rich quick (which Proverbs tells us will not be blessed in the end, anyway), our government has decided that an economic parasite is a morally excusable method of raising revenue. When the government feeds on its own people by amusing them with gambling, it has raised taxes on the poor and undisciplined.

2. MORALS: State-funded abortions. Under the guise of health care, our government has decided that destroying the lives of the next generation of its citizens is moral. It is a sobering fact that by the next presidential election, we could have killed the one who would have been our most qualified president before he or she was allowed to be born. When moral wrong becomes moral right, future hope is gone.

There is hope that some of these trends might be turned around, but it will only happen with a major revival. The awakening church is what reelected our president, but only a truly revived church will be able to turn the spiritual and moral tide of this country.

"LORD, bring revival to this land. We believe that it is Your will, and we will cooperate with Your plans. We know that riots and revolutions will follow, and we are ready to go to the death, not as protestors of moral decay, but as witnesses of Jesus. Make us bold, Lord Jesus! Amen."