We just celebrated Christmas yet how many realize the significance above and beyond the typical yuletide setting.  When you boil it down to the basics, Christmas is about the epiphany of the One who would make a way for all of us sinners.  Yes the beautiful baby Boy appeared on this earth for one reason and that was to suffer on the Cross for the sins of mankind.   You see we are Guilty!    There is no getting around it since we all sin and because of those sins Jesus chose to take our place.  For the Born Again believer this is not new news, however the obstacle of guilt may be a huge barrier for you to overcome.  Chet what do you mean by the obstacle of guilt?   Well first off we are sinners and unless we recognize our sinfulness then we are doomed.  A short little fellow in the Bible came to understand this concept in Luke 19:1  Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. 2 Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. 3 And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. 5 And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, “Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house.“  NKJV   You see for any of us to ever Heaven, Jesus must come stay in our house.  We must invite Him to come take away our sins and remake us in His image.  Simple yet so profound!  Reading further in Luke 19 we see in 8 Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold.“ 9 And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham;  10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.“ NKJV  You see how meeting Jesus changed Zacchaeus to the point that he was willing to make a life change.  His guilt caused him to allow Jesus to change him and what a change it was.

Now I wish to talk about another aspect of guilt that prevents many Christians from ever being effective.  It is implied in Scripture that Zacchaeus cheated many out of their hard-earned money.   Zacchaeus probably was embarrassed by his behavior once the light of the Lord shined on him, however he spends his time living his new life rather than focusing on all those evil things he had done.  So many believers see themselves as having committing past sins that exclude them from ever serving the King.  Such thinking is so erroneous and so far way from the teaching of Christ or the examples of early Christians.   Let’s face facts in that we are dreadful sinners.  We are guilty as charged, but as believers we are also forgiven.  We are forgiven based on the finished work of the Cross, not due to any of our own efforts.  Now since God has forgiven us why on earth would we continue to focus on past sins that Jesus has covered with His blood.  Zacchaeus sought restoration then service not self-mutilation.  How can a believer become a difference maker if they don’t accept the forgiveness that Jesus has granted them.  It is almost as though some believers have a cafeteria menu in which they choose which sins go to the cross and which sins stay on our head.  It is as if some have an addiction to misery by hanging on to the turbulent past.  Jesus forgives us all our sins.  The Cross is big enough for the worst of sinners if we will only let go.

Romans 8:1 says  There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.  NKJV  If we are in Jesus then we are forgiven.  He doesn’t see us as past drunks, prostitutes, liars, thieves, or criminals.  Jesus sees us as His!  We are children of our Father in Heaven and the accusations no longer hold sway.   We are totally forgiven and totally justified by the justifyer of our faith our Lord Jesus.  The little man Zacchaeus received big forgiveness and so can you.  Simply confess your sins and all the healer of our souls access deep within so forgiveness can reign.   My friends God wants to use you as a difference maker, but you cannot disqualify yourself due to you own inability to allow God’s forgiveness to reign.  Allow the love of God to guide your heart and you will become exactly what God wants you to be a difference maker in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus.

Blessings

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You can hear the entire sermon at http://fbcbagdad.org/sermons

This time we will discuss the obstacle of self-control.   Most of us are in control of our lives.  We direct our affairs and we control our own interest.  We are CEO’s of  “My Life Inc”.  To become a difference maker we cannot be in control.  Difference makers relinquish control to the One who ultimately is in control of everything.  Let’s face facts we don’t really have much control of anything.  We cannot guarantee anything without God’s intervention.   We will take a look at those who gave up control so God could do the miraculous in their lives.

The first person I want to discuss in the man called Naaman.  Naaman was commander of the Syrian army, however he came down with leprosy.  Naaman was used to being in control, but now his life was completely spiraling out of control.  God had a plan for Naaman for His glory.  All Naaman needed to do was relinquish control to the King.  Scripture tells us in 2Kings 5 Now Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Syria, was a great and honorable man in the eyes of his master, because by him the Lord had given victory to Syria. He was also a mighty man of valor, but a leper. 2 And the Syrians had gone out on raids, and had brought back captive a young girl from the land of Israel. She waited on Naaman’s wife. 3 Then she said to her mistress, “If only my master were with the prophet who is in Samaria! For he would heal him of his leprosy.” 4 And Naaman went in and told his master, saying, “Thus and thus said the girl who is from the land of Israel.”  5 Then the king of Syria said, “Go now, and I will send a letter to the king of Israel.“  NKJV   Leprosy was a death sentence.  Naaman was now living in the land of faith.   Again Scripture says in 2Kings 9 Then Naaman went with his horses and chariot, and he stood at the door of Elisha’s house. 10 And Elisha sent a messenger to him, saying, “Go and wash in the Jordan seven times, and your flesh shall be restored to you, and you shall be clean.” 11 But Naaman became furious, and went away and said, “Indeed, I said to myself, ‘He will surely come out to me, and stand and call on the name of the Lord his God, and wave his hand over the place, and heal the leprosy.’  12 Are not the Abanah and the Pharpar, the rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? Could I not wash in them and be clean?” So he turned and went away in a rage.  NKJV  Naaman didn’t like God’s plan.  It didn’t fit into his concept of how a healing should take place.  How many times have we discounted God’s plan for our lives.  It just doesn’t fit with plans you have for your own life.  We can be like Naaman and risk missing a move of God in our lives.   Again in 2Kings 13 And his servants came near and spoke to him, and said, “My father, if the prophet had told you to do something great, would you not have done it? How much more then, when he says to you, ‘Wash, and be clean’?” 14 So he went down and dipped seven times in the Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God; and his flesh was restored like the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.  NKJV  Naaman finally releases control and he receives an incredible miracle.   He sees the move of God in his life when he allows God to lead the way.  Our lives are in so many ways similar to Naaman’s in that we realize the greatest move of God when we allow Him to lead the way.  A difference maker must be willing to allow God to lead in order to see His incredible miracles.

We see the same scenario with the blind man of  the Gospel of John.  We read in John 19:13 They brought him who formerly was blind to the Pharisees. 14 Now it was a Sabbath when Jesus made the clay and opened his eyes. 15 Then the Pharisees also asked him again how he had received his sight. He said to them, “He put clay on my eyes, and I washed, and I see.”  16 Therefore some of the Pharisees said, “This Man is not from God, because He does not keep the Sabbath.“  The man was instructed to wash in the Pool of Siloam to receive his sight.  He followed the instructions of Jesus and his eyes were opened.  We read also in John 19:18 But the Jews did not believe concerning him, that he had been blind and received his sight, until they called the parents of him who had received his sight. 19 And they asked them, saying, “Is this your son, who you say was born blind? How then does he now see?”  20 His parents answered them and said, “We know that this is our son, and that he was born blind;24 So they again called the man who was blind, and said to him, “Give God the glory! We know that this Man is a sinner.“ 25 He answered and said, “Whether He is a sinner or not I do not know. One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.“ NKJV  My friends we all have to be willing to have our eyes opened.  We cannot be in control and make a difference for the Kingdom of God.  The blind man would have never been able to see without allowing Jesus to direct his paths.  God has a miraculous path ahead of us if we will just stay in the lanes God has ordained for us.  More so to become a true difference maker, we must follow the Messiah wherever he leads us.

How much of our Christian life has been dedicated to My Life Inc.?   Isn’t it time we begin to fully yield to the King’s life.  Remember the blind man and some of his most memorable words “One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see“.  When will we see?  Don’t let the Obstacle of Self Control limit you service to the King.  Allow Jesus control and you will be on your way to making a difference for Jesus Christ.

There is Hope in the Cross

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Here this sermon in it’s entirety at http://fbcbagdad.org/content/december-11th-2011-1100am-service

As I said my friends it is more than simple head knowledge.  You will never see the miraculous power of God with such belief.  it is the kind of faith that Noah exhibited.  Noah was asked to build an ark on dry land for an event that had never happened to that day.  Noah had never seen a rain storm, yet God told him in 120 years I will flood the earth.   Imagine the ridicule when Noah started building the scaffolding.  Imagine his friends and family telling him, “Noah you are embarrassing us so come on down”.  Noah believed God and as a result he was instrumental in saving the human race.  His faith led to action and obedience.  Understand faith without action and obedience is no faith at all.  Ans it will certainly keep you from ever being a Difference Maker.

Let’s take a look at Abraham.  Yes he struggled with his faith at times especially telling the King that his wife was his sister.  Like all of us Abraham had struggles, but he also had times of tremendous faith and is in the hall fo Faith in Hebrews.  Scripture tells us in  Hebrews 11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; 10 for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  NKJV  My friends Abraham left his homeland for a promise of God that he couldn’t see.  He just simply obeyed and because of him the nation of Israel resulted.  God called Abraham a man of faith because his faith led to actions and obedience.  To become a difference maker we must simply trust fully in God’s provision.   It was God who saved the world through Noah and it was God who delivered on the promise to make Abraham a great nation.  He may not tell us where, when, and why but He will tell us how.  How is by the power of the Holy Spirit.

My friends men like Abel, Noah, Enoch, and Abraham acquired a good testimony because of their faith in God.  How is your testimony these days.  Is it good because you are a man or woman of faith, or is it poor because you will not trust in the one true God who delivered you from your sins.   God tells us in Hebrews 11:13 All these people died having faith. They didn’t receive the things that God had promised them, but they saw these things coming in the distant future and rejoiced. They acknowledged that they were living as strangers with no permanent home on earth. 14 Those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for their own country. 15 If they had been thinking about the country that they had left, they could have found a way to go back. 16 Instead, these men were longing for a better country—a heavenly country. That is why God is not ashamed to be called their God. He has prepared a city for them.  GWT   Men and women of faith follow Christ wherever He leads them.  They only consider the cost of disobedience and that cost will always be too high.  What is God telling you these days? Is He telling you to share the Gospel with friends, neighbors, or family members?  Are you willing to go to that unknown land for Jesus no matter the cost, or with the Obstacle of Unbelief stymie your service the Holy King.

Finally my friends, make like the penguins.   Penguins are born on the ice shores of Antarctica where they grow by being fed by one of their parents.   There comes a time when the parent goes to the sea for the last time and never returns to the icy cliffs to feed the adolescent penguins.   These adolescents then gather on the edge of the continent with one of two choices.  They can either jump in and live like a penguin or they can stay on the shore and starve to death.  Sure there are dangers in the sea but that is what it is to be a penguin.  You dive in and live like a penguin.  So many Christians take the scenario where they stay on the shore and they simply spiritually starve to death.  They never share the Gospel with another soul and they never live like a Christian.  My friends overcome the Obstacle of Unbelief, let your faith dictate your service and jump in the seas of service to the King.  Become a difference maker!

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To access this sermon go to   http://fbcbagdad.org/category/sermon-title/obstacle-unbelief

Hello my friends!  In phase two we will discuss the second obstacle to becoming a difference maker in the Kingdom of Jesus Christ.  Last time we discussed the obstacle of pride, however this time we will discuss the obstacle of sin.  Now everyone sins including yours truly.  The type of sin I am referring to is Unrepentant Sin.  Unrepentant Sin is sin that you have allowed, excused, and or embraced in your life. Unrepentant Sin is sin that has a stronghold in your life.  It is sin that you place above God whether willingly or unwillingly.  And the existence of such sin in your life will keep you from ever becoming a Difference Maker in the Service of Jesus Christ.

As we mentioned before for us to become difference makers we must go through a time of correction.  We enter into a time when we do an inventory of our motives, actions, and beliefs in order to ensure we are ready to embrace whatever it is that God has for us in His service to Him.  Removing the Obstacle of Sin is crucial to this journey.  Paul teaches us in Romans 6:12 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. 13 And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. 14 For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”   He is telling us to choose our King!  He says sin has no more dominion over us.  In other words we are not forced to sin, we just choose to sin.  Paul said our members are not to be used as instruments of unrighteousness.  God called us to serve Him not ourselves or even satan.

When we choose sin we are making a conscious effort to say “I love this sin more than I love Jesus”.  It is really that simple although many steeped in unrepentant sin would not want to admit it.  For example take the sin of pornography and all of its implications.  It is a destructive sin for any individual let alone a Born Again Believer of Jesus Christ.  When a believer is considering whether or not they want to surf the web for such sites, he or she is making a choice that says “Jesus I don’t love You enough to not do this.  In fact I love my self more and therefore I am going ahead”.  It is a selfish choice that brings shame and remorse time and time again.  It is a stronghold in your life that needs to be brought into submission by the power of the Holy Spirit. A stronghold is a deception you enter into based on the influence of sin.  It is a pattern of bondage that enslaves an individual and is usually accompanied by demonic oppression.  God doesn’t want His children locked in strongholds.  Paul teaches in 2 Corinthians 10:3 For though we walk in the flesh, we do not war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ.   NKJV   My friends through the power of the Holy Spirit we can overcome these strongholds and receive forgiveness from Jesus Christ.  It starts with confession then repentance then victory in Jesus.  In my own personal life I have been delivered from drunkenness through the power of the Holy Spirit and I have met so many who have overcome many strongholds in their lives.  You don’t have to answer to this master.  Your Master is Jesus Christ and He will give you the Power.

Finally take a look at John 8:7  So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.”  8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”  11 She said, “No one, Lord.”  And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”  12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”   NKJV   The woman mentioned was a slave to sin, sexual sin.  When she met the Savior she received forgiveness.  Jesus told her “Go and sin no more.”  That command still exists today for all of us who receive forgiveness.  We never hear the woman returning to the life of sin.  She had an encounter with the Savior of mankind.   To be a difference maker, we must rid ourselves of unrepentant sin.  Only then will God be able to use us to our greatest potential.

Blessings

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The first type  is arrogant pride.  Proverbs 16:5 says “Everyone proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord;  Though they join forces, none will go unpunished. ”   The word abomination means loathsome and detestable.  To say God hates pride is a huge understatement.  It is a failure to understand who and what you are.  Isaiah states it well in  53:6  All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.   We are wretched just like the hymn Amazing Grace states.  It may not be popular to preach such a thing these days as people flock to feel good messages which laud the goodness of man.  Let me assure you that God sees us for who we are and that is desperately wicked apart from the grace of Jesus Christ.  Arrogant pride fails to take into account this fact and we have a much higher opinion of ourselves.  Arrogant pride causes us to reject the word and to choose our own path in spite of the teaching of scripture.  How can you become a difference maker if you are arrogant?  How can God use you if you are unwilling to change?  Why would He use you?  My friend this type of pride is a disqualifying attribute that will never allow you to reflect the image of Jesus Christ.

The second type is self-deceiving  pride.  Sometimes we are the last to know that we have this type of pride because by nature we are deceived.  Proverbs 13:10 states ” By pride comes nothing but strife, But with the well-advised is wisdom. “  People suffering from this type of pride are deceived and it takes the efforts of close friends or family to alert them of their sin.  King David suffered from this type of pride when he had Uriah executed to get to his wife Bathsheba.  It wasn’t until Nathan opened his eyes to show him his sin that David finally realized his pride.  Many of us live oblivious to the pride that rules us and we need the council of godly men and women to get our attention so we can redirect our lives.  My friends we cannot become effective difference makers if we are deceived and full of pride.

The third type is self-promoting pride.  This type of pride wants to take credit for everything.  It is the type of pride that says “Look at me!”  We see an account of this in Acts with Simon the Sorcerer.  Acts 8:18  And when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles’ hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also, that anyone on whom I lay hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”  20 But Peter said to him, “Your money perish with you, because you thought that the gift of God could be purchased with money! 21 You have neither part nor portion in this matter, for your heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this your wickedness, and pray God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by iniquity.”  When the apostles were healing and casting out demons they were giving glory to God.  Simon wanted to receive the glory for himself.  He wasn’t interested in reflecting the image of Jesus, but instead he wanted to take away from God’s glory and place it on himself for his own glory.  This is the reason we see so many church splits, and issues in local churches.  Imagine you are living at the time of Christ and you see Him hanging on the Cross at Calvary.  Self promoting pride would be similar to saying, “Come on down from the cross Jesus, I can do better than You”.  It is inconceivable that we could even imagine such a thing, but that is what you do when you try to take the glory.  We are kicking Jesus off the throne so we can sit down.  How can God use you in such a state.  Men and women with self promoting pride want to be in control and want to receive the credit.  My friends only Jesus gets the credit and the only praise we ever need to receive is from our Lord Jesus when we get to Heaven.  A difference maker wants to deflect the praise so it falls on the One worthy of receiving it.

Finally the fourth type is self-preservation pride.  This is the kind of pride that says “I love my self more than Jesus”.   It is the main reason most in churches will not ever share their faith with anyone. Statistics show that 95% of members in evangelical churches  never share the Gospel with anyone.  They may invite someone to church but they will not share how they came to know Jesus Christ as their personal Savior.  Such a statistic is a disgusting commentary on the church in America.  I do not believe Jesus will think highly of our behavior.  We see an example of this type of pride in John chapter 18:25 “Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”  He denied it and said, “I am not!”  26 One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” 27 Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed”  Peter wanted to preserve himself so he denied Christ.  And many Christians want to preserve themselves from ridicule, embarrassment, discomfort, or harm.  That is why the church has collective lockjaw these days.  We are involved in so many enterprises all except the one Christ commanded us in the Great Commission.  That is when self-preservation pride kicks in and we deny Christ by our inactivity.  It is cowardice at a high level and we should apologize to Peter for thinking ill of him for his actions.  Self preservation pride places our own well-being over the cause of Christ and you will never become a true difference maker if you are in bondage to this pride.  There is forgiveness for having self-preservation pride.  Take a look at John 21:15 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?“  He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.“ He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”  16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?“  He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.“  He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”  Today Jesus is asking you “Do you love Me, then spread the Good News about Me”.  He is waiting for your reply!

My friends if you truly want to become all that Christ would want you to be in His service, then you need to lose your pride.  Imagine the joy you could experience knowing that your service is pleasing to Jesus.  It only takes repentance and a willingness to seek the power of the Holy Spirit to enable and empower you.   It is then that you will be on your way to becoming a  true difference maker.

Blessings

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This past Sunday evening I announced to my church a journey that some of us  will begin shortly.  I explained to them that Scripture demands of us a deeper commitment and a deeper walk with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.   We as Christians are to reflect the image of Christ, but often we only reflect the image of ourselves.   In my own life I want to reflect the image of Christ in a way that will bring Him glory.   I know that in myself I do not have the capability, but through the Holy Spirit of the Living God, I can be a Difference Maker.  A difference maker is a believer that does not play churchianity.    The focus is on living as Christ taught us, allowing the Spirit to direct our paths.  Let me ask you a simple question.  Do you reflect the image of Christ?  How about one more question?  Do you believe that you are living your life in the way that Jesus wants you to live?  If you were completely honest then your answer would have been no.  I want to embark on a journey with you to become all that Jesus wants you and I to be.  Understand I am on the journey as well and it is my goal to become a Difference Maker.

So why did I select  the term difference maker?  Well obviously Jesus was the difference maker.  It was His sacrifice for our sins that made the difference between Heaven and hell.   He also was a difference maker in that He sought the needs of other first.  He is our example to live by.    A difference maker will reflect those same values that Christ taught us and lead other toward the saving grace of Jesus Christ.  I was conducting a Bible study at the local Crisis Pregnancy Center when a young lady hijacked my intentions.  She went to her church but felt empty.  She wanted her faith to be real, but up unto this point it was just a bunch of traditions and rituals.   She said “I want more, I want there to be a difference in my life.”  She was introduced to the ultimate difference maker.  Ask yourself another question.   Would it appeal to you to be intimately used by the Savior for Kingdom appointments?   If your answer is yes than you may want to read on.  You see Scripture teaches us that each and every believer has a part in the Great Commission.  Jesus wants us to be difference makers in the lives of lost people everywhere.   It is my desire to obey my Master and that is why I am taking this journey.  I hope you will too.

Over the next five weeks we will take a look at ourselves.  This will be a starting point where we take a deep hard look into what reflection we are projecting.  Remember the goal is to reflect Christ not ourselves.  Afterwards we will go through a  Difference Maker training.  You will be able to do this on-line or if you are a member of FBC Bagdad, then you will be able to do it in person.  My hope is to have video in addition to the audio that will be on our website.  It is our goal that you would be able to become all that Christ would have you to be.  Our goal is to become different, more of a reflection of Christ.  What we don’t want is to go through some lame teaching and find ourselves stuck right back into downtown churchianity doing the same things we did before.  Jesus deserves so much more from us.  I want us to find ourselves in the midst of personal revival where living for Christ is the greatest high we can acquire.  My friends I believe this is the will of our Father in Heaven and I believe He will honor our desire and efforts to know Him more.

One final note that I should tell you.  This teaching will be a delving into your personal life in a way that may bring discomfort at times.  It will also come with a cost, not of money but of commitment.  You see we make commitments when we buy houses, we make commitments when we get married.  As believers we make commitments when we trust in Christ Jesus and that is where we need to begin.  Part of this teaching will require us to make a commitment to follow through with where God leads us.  This is the part where I will lose most of you because simply put many would rather sound or look holy rather than live for the King.  So stay tuned but if you want to sign up simply respond to the post and reply ” I want to be a Red Cap”.  You see we are going to live like we are Under the Blood.   It may sound kind of hoke but you will understand further as we get further along.

In Africa a young baby was thrown into the garbage dump because his parents had AIDS and he would have been an orphan.  A woman who gave here life as service to the King found this young baby crying and nourished him back to health.  The woman came to Christ as a result of a missionary sacrificing time and money to go to South Africa to witness to the lost.  That man was a difference maker and the young lady became a difference maker, and now the young lad is on his way to becoming a?  You guessed it a difference maker.  My friends I want to be a difference maker, so what about you?

A red cap in Christ

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Now how does this all apply to me.  What traditions are regulations do you hold is such esteem yet you leave the matters of the heart undone.  Are you like a balloon that has not been stretched.  You know you go to blow it up and basically pass out trying to inflate it.  God cannot fill you because you are so rigid and hard to stretch.  You take that same balloon and stretch it out in every direction and you find the balloon easy to blow up.  Are you allowing God to stretch you?  Are you looking beyond the superficial aspects of what you wear or some other man-made tradition.    I told a story of the choir singer and hippie.   Two men join the church on this specific day and one was a well dressed choir member who spoke well and looked the part.  The other was a man with a pony tail and many tattoos.  He was rugged looking and had the scars of life to prove it.  They both joined the church and it came time to welcome them into the fellowship, but only the well dressed man with the beautiful voice and pleasing image was truly welcomed that day,  The hippie was sort of welcomed but only at arm’s length.  As time went on and the hippie became one of th most beloved members of that church and a force in the Kingdom of God, while the choir member had an affair with a married woman in the church and caused incredible harm.  Looks can be so deceiving.  Unfortunately throughout many churches the same scenario plays out day after day and  year after year.    Most would not welcome Jesus because he was not dressed up enough for some churches.  We have this fallacy that if we dress up and come to church on Sunday, then we are good to go, but nothing could be further from the truth.

God is looking at our hearts and He could not care less what you look like.  He could not care less for our traditions.  All God wants is for us to have His love in our hearts.  He wants us to care for each other and to share the Gospel of Light to a fallen world.  Most lost people don’t know the church protocols.  They don’t know how to act in church and we have made it so uncomfortable for them to even make an attempt to come and sit through a service.  It should not be that way and I believe God is changing our hearts slowly but surely here in America.  So we know God looks at our hearts and not our clothes or bank accounts.  We know that God is pleased when we fulfill the great commission and not the great dress code.  We know that God wants us to be used to lead others to Him and not lead others away.  God’s idea of a beautiful Christian is a man or woman who loves the Lord with all his heart and loves his neighbor as himself.  I see no where in the Scriptures that says make sure your outside is pretty and prim so that you can please God.  That is one of those traditions that somehow infiltrated the church.  I do see Jesus telling us to examine our own hearts before we make judgments on others.  If we clean out our inside then we will be better able to help work in the outside.

There is Hope in the Cross

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Now many treat churches across this country as sacred relics.  It is as though God really needs these buildings to sleep or rest.  Nothing could be so far from the truth.  The early church met in homes and even many churches today meet in homes especially in Asia and Africa.  Somehow we in the U.S. determined that our church buildings demand some sort of sacred status.  Instead of understanding that we as believers are the church, we substitute wood, brick and mortar.  Instead of understanding that we are to go into the highways and byways to present the Good News of Jesus Christ, we expect the lost hoards to come to our sacred shrines to find redemption.  Obviously this is not the message of the Book of Acts and it is not the Gospel message that we have been intrusted.

Jesus did not die on the cross to have us revert to creating sacred relics and churches.  The only thing that is sacred and holy is God. He chooses to dwell in the hearts and souls of believers.   What is sacred on this earth is the precious sinner turning his or her life over to Jesus Christ.   My friends we need to get out the building and into the world where we are useful to the Kingdom.  That is where the value of the church really is.

blessings

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So I tell all of you who are bludgeoned by life to look off afar.  There is a blessing coming, but if you decide to sit down and go no further then you will miss it.  Remember Jesus and His mission to reach the cross.  When Jesus was walking down the Via Dolorosa (the way of suffering), He could have sat down and given up.  Satan was telling Him “Just die on the way since your wounds are great”.  Jesus kept going because the Blessing was over the next hill called Golgotha.  It was there that His redemptive mission would be finished.  My friends giving up is not an option for you or me.  Our calling is to strive.  Our calling is to press on.   Our calling is to see the blessing.  My friends when you can’t walk another step run two, when you can’t stand another day, live another year.  When your heart is so broken that you can’t stand it, love the more. When your spirit is so downcast, look to the Holy Spirit of the Living God and we will give you the power to conquer all.

So I write this blog cause I am tired, hurting and beat down.  So I will love with a vengeance, I will praise with my all, and I will march like I never have before.  My spirit is longing for You oh God.  My heart is buoyed by Your great Love.  My vitality is growing by leaps and bounds and I will not lie down.  My God I will be counted in the number of your saints and I will not be defeated.

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In China people meet in homes but call it their church.  In Africa people meet in a field yet they call it a church.  All over this world you can find churches centered around the cause of Christ.  Unfortunately I can find many churches where the building is the focus, the color of the carpet, the physical nature instead of the spiritual nature.  Worse yet I can find many “churches” where  disciple making is the job of the pastor, where praising God is engineered and cold and where sharing the Gospel is non existent to the vast majority of the people who attend.  Folks that is not the way it should be and I am reminded of the words of Jesus in Revelation Rev 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love.  5 Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent and do the first works, or else I will come to you quickly and remove your lampstand from its place — unless you repent (NKJV).  As I am prone to preach “it is all about Jesus”.  Once you understand that then you will come to the correct understanding that it is all about the Gospel.  The first love was Jesus.  the first works are sharing the Gospel and discipling.  How many have left their first love and how many churches have the building, the possessions, or the constitution as their first love.  Christianity is spreading like wildfire in 3rd world countries yet it is stuck in neutral in the United States and declining in Europe.  Ask yourself why?

Now I will really make some folks mad.  I think some preachers would rather argue the intellectual arguments found in seminary circles than share the Gospel with a lost soul.  I believe more Christians are willing to argue Calvinism than give the Bread of Life to a  person heading to hell.  I believe more church members are willing to argue silly arguments at business meetings than tell someone about the hope that is within them.  I have to tell you I am very embarrassed by it all.  I liken it to being in a convention center and it catches on fire.  Many of the exits are blocked but we have a group of pastors huddling together saying “But they are predestined to burn”.  Over there is another group saying “There is no such thing as fire”.  Over here you have a group of people saying “we can’t evacuate until the committee meets”.  Another group is stammering saying “I am not called to share the exit strategy with others”.  Meanwhile the whole shebang is going up in smoke.

I guess I get my sanity from missions.  I see the way new believers look at the Scriptures and how they look at their responsibilities as believers to share the Gospel, disciple, and worship.   I see the joy in their faces and how they step up to be used by Jesus for whatever, whenever, however.  Unfortunately that is not common in this country.  Now their are some churches that get this but I believe they are few and far between.  You may not like my assertion, but if you are really honest, just ask your church one simple question.  Is seeing one soul legitimately come to Christ worth every cent in savings and  worth the building in which you worship.  Most would say no because of the investment they have in such things.  I tell you Jesus would tell you absolutely and to do so without question.  Maybe the concept of what would a man give for his very soul should read what would a church give for there very building or savings account.  How about answering question number two?  Is seeing one, just one soul worth you getting out of your comfort zone, sacrificing your savings, your time, your energy, and your safety worth it.  I will tell you that Jesus would say “absolutely”.   Yet our churches are still playing church and the lost are lined up in droves to enter the gates of hell.  And our churches fit more into the category of a club but not the body of Christ. Not good.

My daughter Chelsie introduced me to a Charles Spurgeon quote that says it all.  He said “If sinners be damned, at least let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies. And if they perish, let them perish with our arms wrapped about their knees, imploring them to stay. If Hell must be filled, let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go unwarned and unprayed for.”   That is the passion that is missing in churches today.  We have to get back to our first love.  Not buildings, not philosophies, not committees, but the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  One more quick zing for those not sufficiently agitated with this post.  I had a discussion with a pastor once and he told me “I am not gifted in evangelism so I don’t spend a lot of time witnessing”.  I was mortified when I heard this, but he then spent the next hour pontificating on the merits of Calvinism.  My friends, I am not as critical of his second action as I am his first.  Did Jesus Christ tell any of us ever that we did not have to worry about the lost?  NO!  Did he ever tell us that it is not our job to share our salvation with others?  NO!  Did he tell us make sure you know everything there is to know about Calvinism (just kidding).   My point is that we can get fired up about systems of religion but neglect the directive from the Almighty to go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them ….   If you have lost your first love then repent and ask God to revive your spirit.   We should be ashamed for our lack of zeal as a church in America.  I for one will not be ashamed any longer.  My resolve is to do the will of my Father.  How bout you?

blessings

pc