Knowing Our Place In This World

I've neglected my blog for a while now. I partially blame this on Facebook, because I can make instant "posts" to what is affecting me in this world at any particular time. That one thing has severely hindered my will to write blog posts for a couple of years now. It's not that I don't have anything to say, I just say it multiple times a day, through a different outlet.

Saying that - some things require a different outlet, as a small comment window on Facebook, filled with blog post worthy ramblings will often go by unread, even if the content is spot on. People are just too lazy to read. But, that doesn't mean that God will not draw the attention and focus from those who He would have read the post, even if it is only one or two people.

I made such a rambling just now and knew that I had to put it in blog form, as my Facebook feed will go largely unseen. So here is my post, copied and pasted for the whole World Wide Web to possibly see, instead of my current 563 friends on Facebook alone. This is my heart right now, in light of the recent things happening in my world, in our world.

Sinners are going to sin. Period. It's not our "job" to call them out on it, it's our "job" to continue loving them. Period. This is the same as Christ's example of dining with tax collectors and prostitutes, because it was so radical in His day to do so.

I have friends who are sinners. I enjoy their company. I enjoy talking to them and building friendships with them. I may not have the bond with them as I do with a brother or sister in Christ, but there are bonds there.They do not agree with me on everything, and they still love me (like, some may call it because the term "love" is strong for some folks). I do not agree with them on everything and I still love them.

The world is our mission field. Our command is to "go, make disciples", not "go, tell people that they are sinners", although that topic will come up from time to time. God has placed each Christian within their very own, personal mission field no one else has your scope of influence, no one knows everyone in your circle, do not take it for granted.

The recent events in Kentucky have given me new perspectives. I am firm on my definition of marriage, because I know from God's Word what marriage is to Him- It is the earthly picture of Christ's love for His Bride, the Church and anything contrary to husband and wife is a distortion of that picture. But, the world is going to be the world. Those who do not know God are not going to follow God. That does not mean we cave or bend to the world, it means that we continue to stand on God's Word and show the world Christ's example. We do not say "yes, you're correct and we need to re-examine our stance in this time and understanding place in time" - We continue to say "This is what God says and even though I disagree with you I still love you, I still call you my friend, my brother, my sister, my mother, my co-worker, my son, my daughter, my boss, my server at the restaurant, my check out person at the grocery store, my tax collector, my banker, my ........".

We are salt and light to this world. We are to show how God has made us different. I have seen this example in others and have learned (discipled, if you will) into a better understanding of what Christ meant when He said those words. This doesn't mean that I condone any sinful lifestyle, this means I love my friends regardless, even when everyone else turns their back on them. This means that I extend my hand any time they fall and not say "I told you so". It doesn't matter the particular application, we are to simply be Christ to this world. Period. How that looks to each member of the Body will vary, but all will have the same goal - To glorify the Father through Christ.

I always stand on God's Word as authority, even in these dark days, with major issues in opposition to God here in the USA; especially in these days. I will not bend, I will not waver, but I will continue to love my neighbor just as Christ did.

I could go into the implications of standing firm for God, being called a "hater" a "bigot" ,etc. but nothing could be further from the truth. The reaction from the world should not deter or make us waver. Continue to love. Continue to extend your hand. Continue to be Christ, even to death if that is the final outcome, with the words of Jesus ringing true from your mouth, in hopes that some will be saved "Father, forgive them. They do not know what they do".

The Scope Of Your Influence

God has graced me with, what I think is, a good job with a good benefits package that includes vacation time. This week is vacation time with the first 2 days were spent watching our sick grandson instead of sending him to daycare which was a great time. Yesterday and today have been chore days, which makes me think this is not really a vacation after all, but it is good to not be bogged down with “work”.

This morning, before venturing into chore mode, I came across a video of Phil Robertson of Duck Dynasty/ Duck Commander fame. I was first introduced to Phil and his family via the Duck Dynasty TV series and first heard of the show in my Sunday School class. One of the teens in there said they were watching it and said that they were Christians, so I had to check it out. Now, let me be upfront, I have never been duck hunting in my life and only been any kind of hunting one time, for rabbit, which I felt bad afterward and never went again. I have the luxury of not having the need to hunt, but would and will if the need ever arises, so I do not think hunting is “wrong” and is actually quite “right”. If you watch the video series I post at the end of this posting you will hear just how God designed us as hunters.

During the video I heard a little about hunting, which is to be expected, but then heard a LOT about God. It was awesome and I soon began to realize that God had given these men favor, through hunting, to preach the Gospel. Their scope of influence is broad now, thanks to a love for hunting and God's working in their lives to put them in the a large scope of influence. This got me thinking about my scope of influence.

While my “world' is not as broad as the Robertson family has been given, my task is the same – Preach the Gospel to everyone I come into contact with. This means my job, when I go shopping, to my neighbor, to the mailman, the UPS man, the counter person at McDonalds and in my own home. Just because these men have been given a larger “audience” doesn't mean that we are to have a large audience to proclaim the Gospel. Everyone's audience is given by God for specific reasons. My audience could never be the same as Phil or Jase Robertson as I know nothing about hunting, but not a single Robertson can have my audience or your audience. And please don't misunderstand my use of the word “audience”, which is not meant in an entertainment since, but in a “who God puts in my life who hears my voice and who I can tell about Him”.

So I ask anyone who may happen across this posting, who God has put in my scope of influence, to look around you. Look at the opportunities that God places in your life everyday to tell of His glory. You don't have to keep asking “God please give me the opportunity to....” because He already does, they are already there. Turn that prayer into “God please allow me eyes to see the opportunities you have already given to me, to share your Gospel, to share your love”. I guarantee you He will and while you may never get a reality TV show you will be partaking in the Great Commission of making disciples.

I encourage each of you to watch these videos and see how God has placed hunting in their lives in order to share the Gospel. If you are a Christian you will be greatly encouraged. As you watch pray and ask God to show you the opportunities that you may have to do this same thing, in the scope of influence He has placed before you.  

Phil

(6 videos, about 10 minutes each)

Jase

(Almost and hour long, but great)

day 94: Fun, Fellowship And Video Shoot

Today was the first semi large video production day for Oak Grove and Real Truth Matters. I will not go into full detail of the shoot, but will say it was set in the year 1800 in the sticks of Kentucky. We all wore period costumes that were very fun to wear and see others in. All I know is that I am very glad that the button up vests with a dozen buttons on them are no longer fashionable. We have come a long way in our wardrobe choices and comfort level.

Today's production will be edited and up in the next week or so. I will let you know when it is up along with a link to the video. The series of videos in production are a great resource for you and your church. Lane Chaplin has been wonderful in posting this series on his youtube page, giving RTM some great exposure. I highly recommend that you watch the full series, either via Lane's Blog or via RTM's Vimeo page, which is in High Def. The series titled "The History of the Modern Gospel" outlines the history of what is taught in most mainstream "Christian" churches today, how it has deviated from what biblical Christianity really is.

Please bookmark the Real Truth Matters homepage for future reference. All videos will be featured on the homepage when released.

Day 48: Oh, How Corny Is That?

This picture is of a corn field close to my house. Don't worry, I did not take the picture myself, I had Forrest take it on our way to church this evening. This is a common sight around here as we have gone for several weeks without substantial rainfall and over 90 degree temps, even in the 100s.

The crops are parched, the farmers are looking at a reduced harvest and lots of people are grumbling about the weather. This could be painted as a picture of the Christian harvest too. True conversions are very minimal these days. There are those that appear to be converted, but dry out like this corn has. There are some that sprang forth, shooting toward the sky only to get burned by the Sun and wither away. Then there are those that get tangled in the vines and are pulled back by the entrapment. Then there are the true converts, the ones that carry on, knocking away the vines that try to ensnare them, springing forth at a steady pace toward the goal, their roots growing deeply in the Word, their nourishment full and rich.

These are all laid out in Luke 8:4-21 as Jesus tells the parable of the soil types and then explains it to His disciples. This parable is the same today as many are deceived into a false profession, have their faith snuffed out by their friends that ridicule their "decision", some spring forth with as much zeal as anyone only to be disillusioned about the false promises they were told, some even hear the truth of scripture but have the enemy twist it into something they can not understand or distracts them with worries of the world so they do not listen.

But God has promised that His Word does not go out void. If we sow the seeds of His Word, He has promised to bring forth the harvest. He has told us that the harvest is great, but His workers are few. Why is this? It is because His church sleeps and most of the other professing churches are sowing corrupt seeds and reaping a corrupt harvest of false converts who in turn sow more corrupt seed and so on. His church must be awakened and turn back to Him. We have to hold ourselves to the holiness God demands so we can be effective witnesses for Him. We have to repent from our evil ways and turn to Him for the power we need to spread His Word in truth, love and power.

Even The Demons Believe and Tremble. Do You?

In Mark 5:6 we see a sight that doesn’t seem that extraordinary to us, a man falling at the feet to Jesus. That is, not extraordinary unless you read the rest of the passage. The man just so happened to be possessed. Not just by a single demon, but by a Legion, as they described themselves.

This demon-possessed man, whom had been chained by those of Gadarenes, had broken free of his chains and shackles. He screamed out day and night as he journeyed between the mountains and the graveyard. One day he happened to see a boat approaching and he recognized one of the occupants. Now, how could this man know who Jesus was? I’ll say he didn’t, but the demons that indwelt him knew fully that this Man was Jesus.

What happens next is what is truly amazing to me. This demon-possessed man fell down and worshipped Jesus. The most evil entities of the Earth fell to the feet of Jesus in worship, for they knew they must. This goes right along with James 2:19 – “You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!”

This is truly amazing if compared to most professing Christians today, who live in luxury and only seek God when things “get tough”. This most evil creature knew and recognized the deity of Christ and bowed in His presence. You all know the rest of the story in which Jesus called the demons from the man and sent them into the swine, which then in turn ran into the sea and perished. Jesus then set down with the newly freed man and conversed with him.


The other town’s people were frightened by what happened for some reason. Scripture does not say why, all we can do is take it at what is said. They did ask Jesus to leave. Why? The Bible doesn’t say, but the only one that seems to want Jesus to stay is the man freed of the demonic possession. This single man had been the whole reason Jesus journeyed across the sea, to show His glory and for this encounter to be recorded in scripture.

What I get from this is exactly how it appears; we do not worship our Lord, as we should. We do not recognize the deity of Jesus as fully as we should and we do not bow to Him in worship even close to the degree required. This is one of the areas where man fails God daily, hourly and by the minute. We do not acknowledge the God of the universe in all that we do.

What do we do about it then? We do as the demon-possessed man did and fall on our faces in worship to God and allow Him to heal us. We repent of our lack of worship of Him and ask for a revival of our spirit to be in harmony with His Spirit. This is true revival, not what is being hailed these days by the traveling “evangelists” Their call is to the lost (so they say) and is called a revival, what true revival is can be defined what revival sounds like – a return to the normal.

Cry out to the God of Abraham and Moses to revive you. Fall on your face and worship Him and Him alone. Know Him more intimately than you could ever imagine. Study His Word and hide it in your heart. Cry out for revival in your own heart and ask that it spread to your family, your church, your city, your country and the whole world.

Revive Us O'Lord

When most people hear the word revival they think of a move of God across the land and people getting saved. There are, most of the time, revival meetings planned months in advance, tents are rented or a brush arbor may even be erected. A designated time when a weeks worth of sermons will be delivered, often from a traveling evangelist. Church members will come and they will also bring friends, neighbors and relatives. There may even be potluck dinners each night to sweeten the call to come. Sadly to say, these meetings are getting fewer and farther between. Attendance has waned as the preaching of the True Gospel of Christ has been diminished across the globe. Man has tried to substitute so many man-centered things into God’s message, that the Power of God is not present at theses meetings, no matter what you call them.

But are these actually “revival” meetings? Do these fit what being revived actually means? Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary defines revive as : 1 : to restore to consciousness or life 2 : to restore from a depressed, inactive, or unused state : bring back 3 : to renew in the mind or memory. So the way the word revival is used in “revival meeting” is not accurate. It is being used to mean, instead, an awakening. This is typical of what present day “revival meetings” are meant to be. A call to sinners to repent (hopefully and not the heretical Americanized “gospel” ever present from most pulpits) is not revival.

Biblical revival is a return to a normal state of Christianity. Where believers should be, they have to be revived, renewed or brought back to a former state of being, in essence – a return to where one should be anyway. Then what most people call “revival” happens, an awakening begins as Christians cry out in repentance, others notice. The power of God is seen in believers lives as they become much closer to God, they become more aware of their sins against a Holy God and they become more embolden to speak about the things of God to others. The Lord uses this to draw whom He wills to Himself and thereby an awakening begins. Upon true revival society is changed, God’s wrath is averted and people come to know Him. All things my country desperately need right now.

Lamentations 5:21 Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored; Renew our days as of old,

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Peter speaks of “days of refreshing or revival - Acts 3:19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord

Psalm 85:4-7 Restore us, O God of our salvation, and cause Your anger toward us to cease. Will You be angry with us forever? Will You prolong Your anger to all generations? Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You? Show us Your mercy, LORD, and grant us Your salvation.

Habakkuk prays for revival - Habakkuk 3:2 O LORD, I have heard Your speech and was afraid; O LORD, revive Your work in the midst of the years! In the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy.

The sad thing is, as humans we soon forget the power of God working in us. We return to our comfortable lives, our 9-5 grind and to our daily household chores. We then need revival again. What I pray for is a revival, a return to where I was when God first saved me. I want to be as close to Him as I was that day and I don’t want to move back away from Him again. I want to move closer and closer to Him daily. I need personal revival first, then I need sustained fellowship and God in turn will use that to His glory. I pray for this in each of my local church body family and the corporate body of Christ.

Oak Grove Baptist Church, my church family, is in prayer for just such a revival. I ask you take this to your congregation as well. Pray for revival first in yourself, then your family, then your church body and then a move of God. There is no formula for revival, but most have begun with the honest and repentant turning to God from our sinfulness. A true broken and contrite spirit of how we have sinned against our Father. Upon a broken nature before our Lord, we ask Him to pour out on us His grace and mercy to be in fellowship with Him. We plead for souls to be added to His Kingdom. If God is gracious and hears our cries, He will move across the land and He will be glorified. We simply want and need to be His vessels; in whatever way He sees fit to use us. “Nominal” Christianity is not acceptable to our Lord and we must seek Him to correct that. At least any true believer should desire that. If not, then you have a much larger problem before you, your souls danger of eternal damnation. True children of God should desire this and need this closeness with our Father.

Cry out to Him to expose the darkest recesses of your heart so you may cry out in repentance to Him. Get on your knees, dear Christian, and plea for revival in your own heart. Get on your face, brother and sister, and shed tears for your lost family members. Just cry out to God and know that He will hear His children.