Wayward.
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8, NKJV
The extent of Grace that God gives the lost, wayward and the saved is immeasurable. He is long suffering, we are impatient. I’m glad God is God and I am not.
Here I am in church on Mother’s Day jotting down the notes for this post because I’m feeling very sorry for myself – only one of my sons bothered to call me for Mother’s Day. But more than that, I am much more worried for their souls. I want them to make Heaven. And right now, I’m not feeling very confident that they will. I see other moms feeling the exact same way, powerlessly seeing their wayward children purposely destroying their lives and not believing there is an expected end. As much as I hate seeing ANYONE go to hell for not knowing Jesus as LORD, I am inconsolable when it comes to my own children.
Eternity is a very long time to be wrong.
So many of us have grown kids that are either backslidden or not yet come to Christ. As we mourn for our lost and wayward kids, we tend to forget that we were also lost and needed a Savior. Someone prayed us in, as my sister likes to remind me from time to time.
For what took years for most of us to come to the Lord Jesus, we have to have patience enough for our lost and backslidden kids. We think we can’t afford to be patient in this vast, fast and evil world but we have to trust God to be God for them as He was for us.
The extent of sin that our kids are in is actually not as important as the danger they put themselves in every minute of every day that they continue their unrepentant lives. The danger of dying in the ‘world’ instead of the presence of God is ever prevalent to the backslider and lost whether they admit it or not.
Keep praying; someone prayed you in…and it took YEARS.
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The Sword.
Is the pen mightier than the sword?
Not my Sword.
“For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” Hebrews 4:12
How much can a person exegete that scripture? It says it all, no twists and turns. The Bible is the basis of everything; it’s the way of the Cross, the way of Salvation.
“And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints – and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel…” Ephesians 6:17-19
God never meant to bring us to a place of not being prepared to do battle with this world. He gave us the tools that we need to bring tranquility to those that are in turmoil, and boldness to those that have less than none. We are meant to be His, armed and ready for battle.
Holy Week.
Here I am, commiserating over a lousy few days in my life, being introspective about things – by the way, that means regurgitating the past – and God said to me, “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.”
I am miserable, His love is immeasurable. Christ died for ME.
I’d say that Jesus had a pretty rough week a couple of thousand of years ago; who am I to complain. The least I can do is see this vapor for what it is…temporary until the day He comes to get us.
We are so busy being angry and depressed that we forget something so key to our mere existence: “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Not so mere, is it?
We are our own worst enemy. We make hundreds of decisions every day, from what to wear to what to watch on television. But the one decision we need make is one that we put off and let languish…where and with whom we will spend Eternity.
I didn’t have it in me anymore to fight it. I had to ask. And it got me saved.
His Cross was chosen before the foundation of the world because God knew we needed – not wanted – a Savior.
Jesus Saves.
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Utterance.
I considered what some might think to be ‘out loud’ Christianity – or boldness of spirit. Interestingly, we typically hear from loose cannons instead of those that are of sound doctrine. Or we hear from armchair preachers that only have opinions, not knowledge.
“And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them UTTERANCE.” Acts 2:4-6
Ah – there it is. Our boldness is from the Holy Spirit that gives us UTTERANCE not just in spirit but to be heard. Maybe it’s my fault for reading and believing the entire Bible as it is written?
“I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all UTTERANCE, and in all knowledge.” 1Corinthians 1:4-5
Now that makes perfect sense of what is wrong today; we are not saying out loud our knowledge of Him who died for us. We aren’t confessing Him daily and with strength to not just the unsaved, but those that don’t show fruit of being saved by the Blood.
“Therefore, as ye abound in every thing, in faith, and UTTERANCE, and knowledge, and in all diligence, and in your love to us, see that ye abound in this grace also. I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love.” 2Corinthians 8:7-8
Our utterance of His Word makes the devil and his demons flee. Our words of Faith through UTTERANCE and prayer are what we are expected to do but it blesses each and every one of us beyond measure!
“And for me, that UTTERANCE may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.” Ephesians 6:19-20
I take my Christianity seriously knowing that good people are going to hell because no one told them the truth. I speak up because no one else will. Our unborn die silently every day and the Church says nothing. Men and women in nursing homes wait patiently for death, but does anyone ask if they know the Lord?
“Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of UTTERANCE, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds: That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.” Colossians 4:2-4
Ask God for the right words to say – I ask God to give me what I need from Him to impart to another. But truly we are expected to give an account and to bold in our speech and countenance.
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The ‘kind’ Christian rebuke.
More than once I’ve been accused of being a bit tough on Christians for not standing up to do what Christians are supposed to do. I am told that I don’t show the love of Jesus by being so one-sided. I say…you are wrong. Any Christian that does not call out other Christians and Pastors that are in grave error is not a Christian at all…they are only church goers with a Bible not yet read.
“I have set watchmen on your walls, O Jerusalem; they shall never hold their peace day or night.” Isaiah 62:6
Now, my first thought was (and not to be cliché), ‘What would Jesus do’? After all, being rebuked by other Christians is sometimes a high honor; I must be doing something to bring that kind of response in a somewhat public forum.
“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12
My second thought was how interesting it is to hear from those that do nearly nothing for the Kingdom to have such unkind things to say to someone that actually IS doing something.
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’” Matthew 25:37-40
Then my third thought was how Christians AND secular people think that Jesus Christ is this weak, slight of a man. Let me be the first to tell you that nothing is further than the truth.
“Then Jesus went into the temple of God and drove out all those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who sold doves.” Matthew 21:12
We are called to boldness, not weakness of nature, “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”
How dare I NOT tell you the truth? I have to give an account if I do not, why would you think you do not? Christian, we are supposed to be on the same team. It is because of the love of God that I profess Jesus Christ first and then an advocate for the unborn.
Christian, read the word of God and listen to His voice through His mighty word, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”
Vinegar brings self-righteousness and bitterness; Honey brings seeker-sensitive weak Christians…but the TRUTH is what makes us true Disciples of Jesus Christ. Because what I do, I do in HIS name, a name without blemish and spot, “And you shall know thet TRUTH, and the TRUTH shall make you free.”
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The things people say…seriously.
You know, I sometimes get my best subject matter from people that search KeepLifeLegal. It’s usually easy to see if it’s from ignorance, blatant stupidity or maybe just to be critical.
A person looking through my blog and others typed in the search box, “evolution of baby to humanhood”. WOW. If that doesn’t tell you a mindful of what that person believes…?
As a Christian…
The poser is this: You are walking down a street and come across a person that has not eaten in days and seems to be in dire need of food, water and shelter. What would you do?
“When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’”
This isn’t a hard question to answer. Anyone with a heart would help that person get food and water right away and find a place for them to rest and get well. Surprisingly, some would not.
As a Christian, what would you do? The answers I’ve heard would surprise you.
There is nothing wrong with being a conservative Christian – I am one. But I am aware of the same said Christians that would step over that person on their way to church. Or, even worse, that they would tell a starving person they need the LORD while holding their own lunch in their other hand.
“Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these MY BRETHREN, you did it to Me.’”
One preacher said that if he had a sandwich in one hand and a bible in the other, he’d put the bible (a specific one that I won’t mention) in the hands of the starving person. Now, I agree that all need to know the LORD, but can’t that sandwich be given to the starving person with the love of GOD and let him/her know that the LORD loves them?
“Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’”
This scenario did not go unnoticed in Scripture; Jesus spoke of the ‘least of these’ being those that the rest of us have forgotten that need the basics of survival and that we should help them in His name:
“Then they also will answer Him,[ saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”
As a Christian, after that person has gotten what they need to survive, you would share the love of Christ and witness to that person that they may know LORD in Eternity. As a Christian, you want all to know the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and that when that day comes, we will see each other in Heaven.
And as a Christian, you would do it in LOVE.
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An immediate need, an impending end.
This world goes so fast we tend to forget what our true immediate need is – nourishment from the Word of God and His reassurance that with Him, not only are all things possible but that our impending end will be with Him.
Our sense of worldly sensibilities overshadow what our basics needs are, and thus they stay overshadowed. No one is exempt, we are all at fault. Incredibly, as our world became more ‘user friendly’ and has freed up our time, we put other worldly things in the place where the LORD should be. Think of it – 100 years ago people made more time for prayer and church than they do now and they didn’t have permanent press clothes or a Kroger to buy their food.
How did we get so far from GOD?
Psalm 30:12 says, ‘There is a generation that is pure in its own eyes, yet is not washed from its filthiness.’ Our current church society has raised itself up so high to be equal enough to GOD to not need him anymore. Didn’t the lesson from the Tower of Babel make enough of an impression to quell these things?
Man said: “Then they said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and bake them thoroughly.” They had brick for stone, and they had asphalt for mortar. And they said, “Come, let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top is in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.” Genesis 11:3-4, NKJV
And GOD said: “But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of men had built. And the LORD said, “Indeed the people are one and they all have one language, and this is what they begin to do; now nothing that they propose to do will be withheld from them. Come, let Us go down and there confuse their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech.” Genesis 11:5-7, NKJV
Even so, while we continue as people of this current society, the web of deceit continues to enrapture us to hold us from GOD, not point us toward Him. Even after the days of Noah when the Tower of Babel was built, we see quite clear that society has always tried to be equal with GOD, just as it is today.
The impending end, when Jesus comes for His Church, is coming quicker than anyone gives GOD credit for. He has His plan written plainly for us to read, study and prepare for. The LORD knocks and knocks, but everyone is waiting for someone else to get up off the couch to answer.
Our immediate need is the knowledge of Him, our impending end is knowing Him for an Eternity, “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.”
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The Revelation of Christian Death & Life
Every one of us are victims of Original Sin. EVERY ONE. 
I just read a story of how a brother’s faith rocked because his sister is dying from cancer. Why her??? he says…we’ve all questioned the fairness of it. It’s one thing knowing we are going to die one day, but when it comes much too soon we question God. When is too soon? Since we are going to die one day, why do we bemoan and wail just because it’s too soon for our sensibilities?
“And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them. Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died…..David perceived that the child was dead. Therefore David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servants said to him, “What is this that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the LORD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” 2 Samuel 12:15-23, NKJV
Have you forgotten we are on God’s time schedule, not our own? God listens to prayer and supplication but we are still ultimately under His subjection and His decisions. He is perfect, we are not. Our decisions are based on emotions; His are based on Perfection and fact.
That’s the human nature that we carry with us – being a victim of Original Sin.
But getting back to the root of it all – back in the Garden – and really getting the revelation that we are all victims of Original Sin, we will finally come to the conclusion that it is our responsibility to KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR so that when death comes, it’s with barely a whimper and great joy:
“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” 1 Peter 1:7-8, KJV
Our hope is with Jesus Christ and what He did for us at the Cross so that we would only taste death for a fleeting miniscule moment and have an Eternity with Him, “It is finished.” John 19:30
“So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 5:6-8
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The Bruised Christian.
As we journey through this Life, we encounter many people, places and things. However, as Christians we will meet and befriend other Christians and other Churches besides having to deal with the secular world. Sadly, people of the Church are much like the unsaved – rude, indignant, haughty, vain and arrogant; precious few Christians, it seems, are loving and giving like the Scriptures purport what we are to be…‘Christ-like’.
When you read the Gospels, look at how Jesus walked with everyone. He never wavered on His belief or faith; He became our example of how Believers are supposed to walk, talk and work on this earth until He comes back. While Jesus was here, there were no ‘churches’ – Believers instead met and congregated to pray, serve and worship. It didn’t take long for fakes to arise to pull Christians from Jesus and focus on another gospel, another Spirit, another ‘Jesus’:
“And Jesus answered and said to them: “Take heed that no one deceives you. For many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.” Matthew 24:4-5
And the Apostle Paul said:
“I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.” Galatians 1:6-9
How many churches and/or ministries does the average Christian belong to and give to in their lifetime? How many churches does a person ‘visit’ before selecting one that satisfies what they want in a church? The true Church is harder to find than you think. Real born-again Christ-centered Christians want to go to a church that loves and shows love, is bible-believing and charitable. You would think that should be easy.
Look at this survey by ChurchAbuse.com:
- Does your church tightly control the flow of information within its ranks?
- Does your [church/staff] spiritual leader use public shaming as a method to gain the compliance of followers?
- Is your [church/staff] spiritual leader intolerant of questions or critical inquiry?
- Is your [church/staff] spiritual leader the exclusive means of knowing “truth” or receiving validation?
- Does your [church/staff] spiritual leader have unreasonable fears about the outside world such as evil conspiracies or persecutions?
- Are you discouraged to associate with former members, being warned that they are “evil” or “defiling”?
- Is leaving your group to join another church equal to leaving God?
- Does the surrounding community view your church as a cult?
- Does your [church/staff] spiritual leader consider it evil persecution when criticized or questioned?
- Do the goals of your [church/staff] spiritual leader seem to supersede any personal goals or individual interests?
- Do you fear being rebuked, shunned, or ignored for expressing a different opinion?
- Do former members often relate the same stories of abuse and reflect a similar pattern of grievances?
Worse yet is a congregation that mimics what it sees and calls it normal. Church members get ostracized and spoken of in tight-knit groups as if we’re still in middle school. Making another Christian to stumble is outlined in the Book of Mark:
“…But whoever causes one of these little ones [new Christians] who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.”Mark 9:42
Any church or ministry that has spiritually abused a member of their congregation or organization is preaching another gospel, another Spirit, another Jesus. Spiritual abuse causes those that suffer from it to be paranoid, immobile, untrusting, angry, physically sick, indifferent and worst of all, without a church and perhaps eventual apostasy.
