Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Church attendance, Evangelism, Faith, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Fake Faith or Different?

fake faithThere are times that I wish God had not made me such a vocal, passionate soul. I only wish it for a second… and then I get passionate about something else and forget my frustration. But life would be much simpler if I didn’t care so deeply. Caring gets me and usually my mouth into trouble.

The verses I claimed for my ministry are found in Ephesians 6:19-20.

 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.

Well, there it is. How do you claim a verse like that and not live by it? If you’re the Jesus Chick, you can’t; or at least you shouldn’t. So when I get into tight places, meaning where others disagree, I try my very hardest to stay on task and biblical. I am very aware that my passion can also cause my flesh to take control.  So when given a moment of passion to defend God’s stance, I have to reflect back and ask myself, was I defending God? Or Shari?

On the subject of “Fake Faith.”

That was the subject. And it took about thirty seconds to get my knickers in a knot! I am a defender of faith not of a denomination. Let me preface this blog by saying “I am a happy Baptist!” But I’m not just a minister to the Baptist, so when I hear words of discouragement about anyone’s faith or denomination it breaks my heart. I loved it when my Pastor has said in his sermons on several occasions that we need to take a stand on what we agree on, not argue with what we don’t, in regards to denominationalism. Let me also say that those are Christ, born of a virgin, dying on the cross, raised the third day, the way, the truth the life, churches. But on the subject of worship style, you can almost get a knock down drag out argument started with anyone of faith who is also passionate about what they believe. But on the subject of “fake faith,” I personally don’t think it should ever be a part of a conversation. And yet there it was… and there I was… and by the time all was said and done, I just didn’t say anything because I knew I wouldn’t change minds and I wasn’t so sure it wasn’t going to a place that children of God ought not go. Anger.

But my knickers were still, and are still in a knot. So today I’ve decided to do what I often do and that’s talk to God and write it out. So here’s the questions in my mind: “What is fake faith and what does the Bible say about it?”

Me Focused Faith

That’s almost a cult in itself! And it’s not discriminatory of denomination. It’s the idea that your church was founded for you. You are the final authority on all things God, and if things change you should be notified in writing with a letter from God. Now I know that’s extreme and no one would confess to that being so, but they’d like it if it were possible. And I’ve met them.

Church Focused Faith

It’s akin to “Me Focused Faith,” in that people believe their denomination is exclusive to salvation. There’s just one major problem with that… the Bible is our final authority and there’s no denomination mentioned. Yes there’s doctrine, but not denomination.

Fickle Faith

It’s really not faith at all, but it’s under the guise of faith. It’s the appearance of strong faith when all is well and everyone and everything is in its place. But let trouble come into your life, or things change in the church and it’s time to move on, out of church or in search of another church that has all the answers.

Fool Proof Faith

That’s not faith either. It’s the notion that you have God figured out and there is no wiggle room. The structure of faith is having all the “I’s” dotted and “T’s” crossed. Theology is where it’s at and the notion of worship comes from the book, not the heart.

Those are what I define as “fake faith.”

What I don’t define  fake faith as:

  • Someone who worships differently than I do.
  • Someone who uses another version of the bible. (although I am a King James Version gal, and have reasoning and belief that it is the protected Word of God)
  • Someone who goes to another church.
  • Someone who tries to prove their faith too hard. (meaning that perhaps they get a little zealous about a certain person or thing in the church) It’s sometimes hard to separate our love for God’s people with our love for God.
  • Someone who gets in the flesh. (else I’d be lost)

Even the Apostle John was concerned that folks weren’t like him when he expressed those concerns in Luke 9:49

And John answered and said, Master, we saw one casting out devils in thy name; and we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.

But Jesus answered him in verse 50:

And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not: for he that is not against us is for us.

Someone who worships differently isn’t being fake, it’s being who they believe God called them to be.

I sometimes think that God made me a little weird. It’s usually when someone who’s not like me questions why I am like I am. Be very careful on questioning another’s faith or actions of faith, lest you discourage a child of God and He’s not happy.

Posted in Leadership, Life Inspiration, Political

Not by Happenstance – a Presidential Truth

american chickI know that the bible is relative to the day, but it still gives me a moment of pause. And so I re-read what was written and it’s as if God says, “Yes, that’s what I wrote. What part of the “Living Word of God” did you not understand?” So, I’m reading through 1st Samuel and I’m in the 10th Chapter, reading the story of the anointing of Saul to be King. I need to preface this with a Facebook story. God woke me up at 5:30 ish this morning and I knew I needed to get up and read the word of God and see what He’d have me focus on today. But it was so toasty beneath the covers that so I lay there scrolling through Facebook and catching up on the latest meme’s, prayer request and antics of somebody’s baby. And low and behold, this will shock you, I came across an anti-Trump post. Now that’s rare in my Facebook world because most of those who are on my feed are Trump supporters or at least they’re not negative nellies. But one such character, a preacher no less, was a very vocal Obama and Clinton supporter and although we’ve not locked horns about the issue, his post bother me. So in frustration, I hop up out of bed and head to the living room to get into God’s word. That’ll teach me not to obey God the first time.

Not by happenstance, I’m in 1st Samuel 10.

Verse 9

And it was so, that when he had turned his back to go from Samuel, God gave him another heart: and all those signs came to pass that day.

Samuel had just laid the news on Saul that he was about to become King of Israel. Saul didn’t understand. He was of the tribe of Benjamin the smallest of the children of Israel, he didn’t have any training and he was just trying to find his dad’s wayward mules, not trying to become king. But God had another plan. It had never been God’s plan that His people would have another leader besides Himself. But they chose that path, and so God allowed mans will to become the way. But it still didn’t take God out of control. As Saul turned to leave Samuel, somewhat in shock I think, it says that “God gave him another heart.

When Obama was elected in 2004 and 2008, I wasn’t happy. But he was President and I knew that God had allowed him to be President and who was I to question God. I spent those eight years watching as the American dream was flushed down the toilet and Christianity was mocked from one end of the country to the other. Yet, I still respected the office of President of the United States. So when 2016 came you better believe I was on my knees begging God for a change in our Nation’s leadership before the whole country found itself searching for God in the house of the Lord and having Him not be found. When President Trump initially ran, my first thought was “I don’t think that’s God’s man.” But as time went on I became a Trump believer. Not because he was a godly man, but because he was a man God could use. And then, when he added Vice President Pence to his team, a man of God and proud to be, I had my answer.

So when I scrolled across that post this morning of side by side images of Obama and Trump at the National Prayer Breakfast, with their opening words being used to tear at the political seams of our Country, I was upset. Obama had opened up with scripture, Trump opened up with a joke. Now, for the record I never watched Obama’s national day of prayer speeches because I fully believe the man is Muslim, not a child of God. At every opportunity he thwarted the efforts of Christianity and promoted Islamic terrorism. But back to the prayer breakfast… Trump was stirred up after he had heard Chaplain Barry Black preach one of the best sermons I’ve ever heard and a salvation message to boot!  God is at work on the heart of Donald Trump, I believe it. So he opened up with a joke about who appointed Black and that his job was safe whether he appointed him or someone else. It was Trump trying to be funny… he doesn’t always master that.  But what he mastered in his speech at the National Prayer Breakfast was the fact that he is willing to fight for Christian freedom. That was never Obama’s agenda.

I’ll shush at this point, because I really don’t like being political. But I needed to get that off my chest and I have a platform for which I pay a month subscription that gives me the right to do so. And I figure if you’re not a Jesus Chick fan, you’ll likely not read it anyway. And if you’re a fan of mine, you’re probably a fan of President Trump. Yes, I’m aware for the biblical scholars that Saul later failed. Trump’s not Saul and our story doesn’t have to be his. This is about who God appoints and the fact that we have no right to question but to follow scripture that says that we are respect authority.

The end of that chapter says this in verses 26 and 27.

And Saul also went home to Gibeah; and there went with him a band of men, whose hearts God had touched. But the children of Belial said, How shall this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no presents. But he held his peace.

I see God moving in our country in a way that I’ve not experienced for a very long time. And I’m just saying for the record that those stirring division are not of God, because God unites Christians. Satan divides.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Political

The Antics of the Enemy

anticsIt’s a funny thing for me when the word of God leaps from the page and reads as if it were a Fox News account of the antics of today’s politicians. And so it was this morning as I read a few chapters from the book of Acts and the story of Paul (who I in no way am comparing to President Donald Trump) but the antics of his enemies are like yesterday’s headlines. And while the Bible is pure truth and the media is mingled greater with lies, it is my prayer that Christians unite and stand firm on the side of President Trump, who I believe has good intentions for our Nation, and his enemies are tools in the hands of Satan.

Paul vs. the Preachers & Politicians

As for the story of Paul, he preached and was willing to die for the very faith he had once murdered people for professing. That’s quite a bit more serious than the cries against Trumps sins of the past. But when Paul discovered the truth he was willing to stand up for what he had once fought against. And to put it in plain terms, people hate the truth. They’d rather believe a lie and live in either religious separation or rebellious liberal anti-law viewpoints than to allow a Nation to work together for the good and safety of its people. The religious leaders of Jerusalem didn’t care if people got saved, they were happy being in control of the people they had, and when they saw both Jew and Gentiles worshipping together, it got ugly. Paul went into Jerusalem in Chapter 21 of Acts knowing that there were Jews wanting him dead. They were not happy he had opposing views and through the power of the Holy Spirit had the ability to prove his views worthy of acceptation; and people were getting saved, both Jews and Gentiles alike. This angered the religious crowd into lying about Paul, and stirring up the crowds into a rebellious tirade. Sound familiar?  Dear Heavens! If Christians cannot see the hand of Satan in today’s political endeavors they are blind. The crowds attacked and beat Paul within an inch of his life until he was rescued and taken into custody by the law. Seriously? The law had to take religion into their own hands? Very much like it is in our day with Christians being censored everywhere!  In verse 34 of Chapter 21 it says that “And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.”

There was so much junk being spewed that they couldn’t tell fact from fiction. Hello? I have a feeling there was indeed a modern day CNN of biblical times, stirring with a big stick! And the people cried “kill him.” But God had other plans!

God chose to use a man who was once His enemy, to bring thousands to salvation. Can God not use President Trump to bring America back into the fold of His grace? Why do you think Satan’s got that stick out continuously?

When Paul spoke it silenced the cities because the people wanted to hear what the ruckus was about. (Acts 21:40)

I’ll say one thing, Trump has America’s ear. Every word by Tweet, news briefing or rumor mill drops like a pin in the room. This man can make a difference. He’s not perfect by any stretch of the imagination and he has said things that I for certain disagree with. But if the people of this country (who want the change to be a nation of good moral stance, and the freedom to walk not in fear of one’s faith and the blessings of Almighty God) get behind the administration and proclaim it openly, not in secret.  We could see our nation turn around again.

God would turn Israel on a dime when they turned their hearts back to Him. He would wipe out every enemy they faced without them so much as getting a hair out of place. He’s still that God. He has not changed. But this nation has.

We need to get a bigger stick people!

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Your Sphere of Influence

172017

Canst thou bind the sweet influences of Pleiades, or loose the bands of Orion?

Job 38:31

I heard that verse preached too many years ago to count, but the scripture has fascinated me since.

There in the book of Job, the oldest of books in the bible, is an astronomy lesson and should be a “wait a minute…” moment for scientist who try to convince themselves there is no God. God is asking Job to remember who it is that has power over the universe, including Job’s life. In so doing God reveals hidden scientific truths which accurately describe the nature of the constellations and stars. We all know that I’m not a scientist, so I have to rely on researched facts by people of scientific know how. It is they (coldcasechristianity.com) who help me to understand that Plaeiades is a group of hundreds of stars formed from the same cosmic cloud, bound to one another by a mutual gravitational pull and compared to a flock of birds going toward the same destination, bound in unison just as God described them. That’s awesome wisdom right there!

Orion is a belt of stars forming a linear band at Orion’s waist. These stars are not gravitationally bound, but are headed in different directions, and yet in a straight line. Coincidental science? Not likely.

God uses these two illustrations in His conversation with Job to ask if he thinks that he can keep the stars that are supposed to be together, together; and those that are supposed to be apart, apart from one another. Of course he cannot. I can’t even keep my little life together. But God can! It’s another amazing fact about the God we serve that, He who controls the heavens, can certainly control our lives and our sphere of influence.

It amazes me the people that drift in and out of my life that are such blessings and were it not for the connection of Christ, drawing us into the same purpose, I would never have known them. Be it California, Philippine Islands, Papua New Guinea, Minnesota, New Mexico or Alabama, they are all worlds apart from West Virginia, and yet God caused their paths to connect with mine and now we form somewhat of a constellation on earth, traveling together, yet separate to the same destination. Each of us have an exclusive purpose for God and a sphere of influence that like those stars we are meant to draw into Christ.

Christ said that He would draw all men unto him if He would be lifted up from the earth. (John 12:32).

God certainly controls the universe and all that’s there in, but He’s given man freewill to go about life as they desire. There is for certain a draw toward Christ, but the great imitator Satan also has a draw of his own that draws men away from the Lord. God allows us to play the role of Pleiades and Orion by traveling in unison to Heaven but in separate places, separate spheres of influence, and yet one. That too is awesome wisdom!

So who are you influencing today and how? Who has God sent across your path to show them His glory?

Be awesome today!

Posted in Bible Journaling, Leadership, Life Inspiration

When there’s no way out but up!

12

Have you ever been there? You have used your last ditch effort and all human hope is gone, you’re praying there’s nothing lower than where you are, because where you are is no where you wanted to be. It wasn’t that you intended to be there, just… one day you were. In Luke Chapter 8 there are two lives that collide that had me taking note in a new way for this space and time of my life. It was new for me, maybe not new to you, but maybe so! Two people, whose lives were at the bottom, seek Jesus. And they find him in an extraordinary way.

There was Jairus, a ruler over the synagogue who had no doubt heard Jesus’ name a time or two in the Jewish circles. The religious leaders weren’t happy about the Man Who claimed to be God. They liked religion just the way it was. Controlled. There were rules and they could put people neatly in their place.

  • You can come close.
  • You may not.
  • God will meet with you.
  • You, not today. Perhaps tomorrow when you’re clean.
  • Perhaps next week.

Religion makes life tidy. It’s repetitious. So tonight I’ll be teaching this thought to my teens. Pray for us as we

Delve into twelve

Jarius had a daughter of the age of twelve, who the scripture says was dying. That’s a hopelessness I can’t (nor do I want to) imagine. But it’s been very real for some people. Darius didn’t go to his religious friends.

I wonder why? Perhaps because you don’t find answers or hope to something new in repetition. It’s the same ol’ same ol’, is it not? He was experiencing something he’d never had to face before. The loss of his most prize possession… his child. He’d do anything to save her. And so he sought Jesus. And when he found him he fell down at his feet. He’d never done that at his church.

What was different? Jesus had power. That’s what the church needs! We need the power of God in our lives doing mighty and miraculous things; but we don’t have it because we’re stuck in repetition.

What do you suppose the reaction would have been by his religious friends? They’d no doubt question him, perhaps laugh, scorn or criticize. He might even lose his position. But Darius didn’t care! If he didn’t have hope, the job was nothing.

And then the collision

She doesn’t have a name, but if you know any bible and I say “she had an issue of blood”, you know her. She had had this issue twelve years. Hmmmm…. Jarius’ daughter was dying at twelve and this unnamed woman had suffered twelve. Significant? Probably far more significant than I’m about to try and explain, but for me it was an “aha” moment for my ministry.

The woman, like Jairus, had no hope of her own. She’d spent every dime she had, she had no doubt lost every relationship she had because no one could be with a person unclean. Her children couldn’t touch her, her husband couldn’t love on her and she was desperate for healing.  But what she was about to do was to take her life in her own hands, when she, who was unclean, reached for the Priest. It was forbidden. Her life could get a lot worse and very quickly if anyone knew.

What kind of faith would that have taken? A bold faith! Do you have it? I pretend I do, but I’m not so sure. She crawls on the dirty ground to touch the dirtiest part of his garment. The part that had been dragging through the streets of camel poop and pee and heaven knows what else. She didn’t care! She knew if she could just touch the hem of His garment she would be made whole. So she did… and she was! And He knew!!!

What would have been her reaction then? I’ll bet her heart leapt into her throat! But even so she confessed to the Lord what had happened and His words to her was “Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.”

Wow! Was where I was when I read that today. Here in the midst of Jesus traveling to heal Jarius daughter, He finds another daughter who needs Him too. An old one… like me. One who needs a miracle in her life and she receives it through faith. But just before the party is about to break out the streets someone comes to Jesus from Jairus’ home and says “don’t bother, the girl has died.”

But He went in any way and there was grief everywhere. But Jesus said she wasn’t dead. And they laughed Him to scorn. But the last laugh was to be on them when Jesus raised that little girl from the dead and told them to get her a bologna sandwich!

Two daughters. Two miracles. One old. One young. The old needed healing. The young needed resurrection.

Can I say that the leadership of the church needs a healing and the bleeding to stop. Jesus’ blood covered it all. Every sin, every wicked thing in our life has been healed by Jesus and we need to get on with life.

So what about the young? They need resurrected! Time is short and there is a host of young people going to hell because they’ve believed what the world has said. The parents and the leaders need to humble themselves and fall before God, and the young need to listen and allow Jesus to give them a new life.

Delve into Twelve? How many months have we just been given? Twelve. What will we do with them? Are you Jairus, the woman or the child? Or… are you the repetitious religious one without hope? God has what we need to make 2017 amazing but it’s going to take some bold believers! Be one.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Church attendance, Evangelism, Leadership

We have 17 days to prepare, Are you ready?

then-comes-satanThen cometh the wicked one… saith the scripture in Matthew 13, verse 19 in the parable of the sower of the seed. Those words make my stomach queasy. It’s not by happenstance that Christ uses the seed in His parable; stealing the seed has been from the beginning the goal of Satan. He attempted to steal, kill or at least mar the perfect seed of God that was placed in the womb of Mary. He was of course unsuccessful, so he had to come up with plan “B”. If he couldn’t rid the earth of God’s Son, he would do his best to mess with God’s productivity through the church, and on that scale his successes far out weigh ours.

I must say that I’m excited about my ministry for 2017. I’ve been laying the foundation for the last few months in my teen class to warn them in advance that I had expectations for 2017. It was often times met with the sounds of crickets or a look of resistence to the possibility but I have not let that deter me one iota. I’m tired of the status quo of the church vs. Satan and we have no one to blame but ourselves. There’s no wonder as to why the state of America is what it is… it’s that way because we’ve allowed it. And although Trump is a partial answer to prayer, he isn’t the answer to America’s problem.

I’ve watched in my own church as we fought valiantly to stay together when we were without a Pastor, only to go into a state of rest when the Lord delivered a great one into our lap. What America falls at risk to now is the status quo becoming “enough.” Satan loves it when America says it has “enough.” Not too much Jesus else we’ll be a fanatic, not too many services or it cuts into “family” time. Don’t’ get me started on there’s no need for Sunday School because worship is enough. And then when worship time comes, we don’t want to get excited, wasn’t showing up enough.

One by one Satan picks at the seeds planted in the church until there’s nothing left but barren ground because we’re not discipling saints or leading leaders. Soul winning is left to the Pastor because the liberal crowd has convinced us to keep our mouths shut in the world because the world finds Christ offensive. We send kids into the world and tell them not to be like the world, but yet the world is their only example; being that the adult Christians in their life don’t have the back bone to open their mouths about how good God is, or show by example how to invite and encourage people to come to church.

Church has become the lowest priority on the list, and the first one off the list if something better comes along, or folks just are feelin’ it.

Wow… that was harsh wasn’t it. No, it was just what I needed to hear and likely what you need to hear to kick start 2017. Now the task is set before us not to let off the throttle. I can very easily do it when I’m met with resistance. I’ve began filling my calendar with action, not just talk.

While it’s true that the new President elect has created in me a freer expression of my Christian values, if America doesn’t do something with those Christian values, and the economy takes off, the world views will take off with our children and the church will continue to go into decline. Proven fact is prosperity doesn’t draw folks to Christ, it usually draws them away. And as evil as this nation has become there are plenty of things to draw them to. So we need to get a head start. President Trump takes office the 20th. We have 17 days to prepare, what are you going to do with yours? You can mark it down that Satan already has a plan.

Posted in Christian Service, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Are you ripe for the pickin’?

 

The Jesus Chick Attending the Calhoun County Christian Fellowship Dinner at Brooksville Baptist Church with Chuck and Rosemary McDonald
The Jesus Chick Attending the Calhoun County Christian Fellowship Dinner at Brooksville Baptist Church with Chuck and Rosemary McDonald. Photo bomb compliments of Donna Steigleder 😀

It seems like yesterday I had my car packed for the Windom, Minnesota revival with excitement and expectation of what the Lord would do in that place. It seems like yesterday because the revival that started for me in that place is still burning in my heart. From that revival I came back with a hometown desire to see Jesus at work in our neighborhoods and God is ever so faithful to give us the desires of our heart, especially when He is glorified!

The movement of Christian friends had already began with several men gathering each month from several different churches for a fellowship. So, even before I gathered some gals for a breakfast and ask if they’d like to follow suit, God had prepared the foundation. I was just a willing participant that God chose to use in our plight to see revival in our home town. My friend Dewey Moede was the vessel for Windom. His prayer did not come to fruition in a day or two… it took years. It’s all about God’s timing. That was my response to a friend who ask last night, “How did the fellowships begin.” We were ripe for the pickin’ and God picked us to begin a great work. I believe that.

It has to start somewhere.

Ripe for the Pickin’

I recently read of the great New York revival in 1857 and it has once again stirred the fire of desire within me. The North Dutch Reformed Church of Manhattan decided to reach out to the lost masses of people who surrounded them and to accomplish this, the congregation employed a 48-year old businessman, Jeremiah Lanphier, as missionary to the inner city. That one man started a group of men praying, who became thousands and thousands across America.

Lanphier handed out a pamphlet that on the reverse side said:
A day Prayer Meeting is held every Wednesday from 12 to 1 o’clock in the Consistory building of the North Dutch Church, corner of Fulton and William Streets. This meeting is intended to give merchants, mechanics, clerks, strangers and businessmen generally an opportunity to stop and call on God amid the perplexities incident to their respective avocations. It will continue for one hour; but it is designed for those who find it inconvenient to remain more than 5 or 10 minutes, as well as for those who can spare a whole hour. Necessary interruption will be slight, because anticipated. Those in haste often expedite their business engagements by halting to lift their voices to the throne of grace in humble, grateful prayer
.

Following the economic crash of 1857 over 30,000 jobs were lost in New York City. That and other tensions in our nation made that city “ripe for the pickin’” by God too. According to some eyewitnesses, within six months’ time these noontime prayer meetings were attracting 10,000 businessmen, all of them confessing their sins and praying for revival.

Some would say it was just a knee reaction, well, I guess it was if being on your knees is the reaction they’re talking about. Yes, the crisis I’m sure lead to some crying out, but that’s the thing about despair, its usually not until then that anyone bothers to cry out. It’s all about the timing. America is certainly in a time of despair.

Our favorite revival verse 2 Chronicles 7:14 says If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.”

Ready for Repentence

The people in that city had repentant hearts. They confessed sin, they acknowledge and honored God, they were ready to make things happen once God had chosen them and allowed them to be in the place. Perhaps that’s what’s happening in America now. God is getting ready to do some amazing things because we’re desiring it with a humble heart. It takes a humble heart to get past the name over the door of a church. Revival cannot happen among people who are more concerned with the name of a Church than they are about the name of Jesus. That’s good preachin’ right there.

There are differences in churches attending the meetings in Calhoun, with the exception of Jesus Christ. They are men and women who love the Lord and want to see people come to know Him. They all believe that He is the Way, the Truth and the life and that no man cometh to the Father except through Him. And God is honoring us in this place.

I’m excited about the fire kindled in my soul and I’m praying that it spreads to your town too.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Evangelism, Leadership, Life Inspiration, Political

Not Without Jesus

sheepfoldThe story of Deborah in the book of Judges has always had a fascination for me. To see a woman in leadership at that time in history was amazing. It ought not to have been so by tradition. But there she was traipsing off to war with Barak who had been instructed to take the men and go and yet refused. So brave hearted Deborah calls his hand on it and he says, “I’ll go if you will.” (Shari quoted, not scripture). So Deborah went and the battle was won. In Chapter 5 is the song of Deborah and Barak, at which point she again calls out the men when she sings to the tribe of Rueben in verse 16 “Why abodest thou among the sheepfolds, to hear the bleatings of the flocks?”

The tribe of Reuben knew Israel was in battle, yet they opted just to sit with the sheep rather than go to war. And for me that was a grim view of the churches in America. There they sit with their sheep while Christians are on the battlefield and they’re content to listen to the “bleating of their sheep,” who’d rather stay safe in the fold than come against the liberal crowd on the battle field. All the while the gospel is being watered down beyond recognition and the word of God is being challenged as lawless because it offends those who live in sin. Somebody needs to sing this song… today it’s me.

I see a new hope on the horizon in America. I must confess… I’m a little excited. But last night as I watched the news and the hope spread through economic forces and American leaders my first thought was… “Not without Jesus.” The churches of America better be ready to reclaim some ground along with the government reclaiming control of our borders, military and economy or this plan won’t work either.

The Tribe of Reuben were on the wrong side of Jordan to fight in the battle. And the churches in
America (collectively) have been on the wrong side of the battle in our land. Pastors have cowered down to the liberals and refused to dole out the word of God that convicts and cleanses the heart of the hearer. What God has called out to be sin: homosexuality, abortion, etc. – the churches of America have deemed it either forgivable or a misnomer of scripture.

Why is the American church cowered down among the sheep? If there is a hope to be found in America it will be found on the right side of Jesus, or it won’t be found. Old Testament or New, God says “come out from among them.” It’s a good word for America right now.

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

P.S. ~ He doesn’t call pew sitters

a-pew-sitterI can’t seem to make it too far in the book of Judges before I’m under conviction and or in a state of frustration. At the end of Chapter two we read the words of God frustration with Israel:

20 And the anger of the Lord was hot against Israel; and he said, Because that this people hath transgressed my covenant which I commanded their fathers, and have not hearkened unto my voice;

21 I also will not henceforth drive out any from before them of the nations which Joshua left when he died:

22 That through them I may prove Israel, whether they will keep the way of the Lord to walk therein, as their fathers did keep it, or not.

23 Therefore the Lord left those nations, without driving them out hastily; neither delivered he them into the hand of Joshua.

Israel had again and again turned back to following the false gods of the people dwelling in their land. So in frustration God decided that He would “prove” their loyalty to Him by allowing the troubling parties to stay in their country, thus giving Israel the choice to choose the God of all creation or the created gods. God would send leaders in like, Joshua, Caleb,  and Othniel and judges to govern and guide, and yet each time they either ignored or waited until the leader was gone and then went back to following the ways of the world. History would repeat itself again when Israel would cry out, God would deliver, and they’d follow for a while and then fall away. Such has been the case with Israel, America and the church.

I watch in sadness as the American church goes two directions. Those who stand on the ground they’ve been given refusing to look at any other method of worship as even a possibility, and those who take their worship far, far into a worldly perspective and turn godly worship into a worldly celebration without the holiness of God anywhere in the equation. And then there are those of us in the middle, watching and wondering when Jesus will come and take us out of this mess. But all the while there is a need for the gospel to go forth, but those willing to take it are fewer and fewer.

It hit too close home when I read that as soon as Johua, Caleb and and Othniel passed away, Israel went into disarray.  Why wasn’t there a strong enough leader in their stead? I can say the same about the church, collectively and personally5sq. I’ve watched as strong leaders pass away or move onto other ministries and those in the balance are not ready and have no desire to be ready.

Was it the previous administrations fault?

Did Joshua, Caleb and Othniel drop the ball in training others to be in their place?

Possibly but I doubt it, and that excuse only flies so far. At some point people see the need and choose to either step up or step back. If everyone steps back, succeeding that is usually the ruination of a body of believers. They begin getting lethargic in their service to the Lord, their personal walk with God goes by the way side and slowly but surely a community is in captivity of Satan because the saints of God failed to step up in the position of leader.

I wish I had the answer. Following last week’s election there should have been people lining the altar on Sunday and proclaiming that they were to ready to step into the places God had opened. I didn’t see it at my church, did you see it at yours?

What’s it going to take for people to realize that God may call us home soon and there’s a world in need of Jesus that we were supposed to tell. Or… He may not call us home for a while and He’ll tire of us as He did Israel and say… you wanted the world… there ya go. Welcome to captivity.

My prayer is that one by one we’ll declare our loyalty to God and our churches and our country will turn back to God. But it has to start with us singly looking at God’s desire for our life.

P.S. ~ He doesn’t call pew sitters. Get busy!

Posted in Bible Journaling, Christian Service, Leadership, Life Inspiration

Is there a fire in this generation?

brother-and-sisterI’ve been involved in the lives of six generations of people, and although that makes me feel a little more than aged it also brings me great joy when I reminisce on the days of Great Grandma Florence, Mommaw Vada, Aunts, Uncles and my own Mother and Father; and now watch as beneath my generation are two more. I am blessed. The generations have not been without heartache and woe but praise God each have been filled with strong Christian witnesses that I can look to for strength when I struggle in the these days of wickedness and woe. So when I read the following passage in Judges 2 it breaks my heart more than a little.

Judges 2:8-11

And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died, being an hundred and ten years old. And they buried him in the border of his inheritance in Timnathheres, in the mount of Ephraim, on the north side of the hill Gaash.  And also all that generation were gathered unto their fathers: and there arose another generation after them, which knew not the Lord, nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. And the children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord, and served Baalim:

The new generation that God brought into the Promised Land, whom He had told “I will never break my covenant with you,” (Judges 2:1b), that generation waited one generation to break away from Him.

The same held true in America. Leaving their country for a land that would promise religious freedom, it took only a few generations for the decline of American spirituality. A great revival in 1857 in New York brought a new hope to the children of God and spread near and far, but not until a crash of the economy. It’s been about that long again, maybe a little more since America has felt the hand of God heavy in leadership and family. As I read the history of the great New York revival my heart longed for that leadership to be in place again today.

It started with one man hired as a missionary to the inner cities of New York. Jeremiah Lanphier, a 48 year old businessman, who was moved by the spiritual plight of the masses, began to visit homes, passing out literature, praying and encouraging others to do the same. A noon time prayer meeting of a few men turned into thousands and thousands across America. Not for preaching, but for praising and praying for the souls of friends and family.

Oh for that fire to ignite in America now…

It has to start somewhere. A recent happening in our county is a countywide Christian fellowship which stirs my heart with great joy. Because I can see the fringe of a mighty fire if we keep seeking Jesus as a unified body of Christ. Letting our churches be “our” churches but incorporating a time of fellowship between all churches to come together to praise God and pray for our friends and family. November 28th is the next event at the Brooksville Church.

If we lead believing… I believe there will be followers. And the body of Christ, the brothers and sisters in His name will grow. It gives me great hope, I hope it encourages you too!