Salt Please?!

We, the Church, look too much like the world.  We live here, but we should model ourselves after the Kingdom of God.

How is it that we look and act so much like the unsaved, perhaps not on every issue, but so much so, that we often blend right in.  Many saints like their off-color jokes, questionable movies, free-flowing alcohol, live-in partners and sexy clothes.

No wonder unbelievers question our sincerity and have little or no regard for us. They know the difference between right and wrong and wonder why we follow them in their questionable pursuits.

We have a lopsided belief system in America.  We lean too heavily on the grace of God and His wonderful loving nature.  We have forgotten that He is also a holy God who loves righteousness and truth.

I know He sees the righteousness of Christ when He looks upon us, but should we come into His presence with a slight odor of the world on our garments.  He died for our sins and here we are participating in a good number of them.

He's looking for sons and daughters that resemble Him--not the world.  He wants to see His character developed in our lives.  This is what is pleasing to His heart.  The more we share in common with the Lord, the closer we can get to His presence.

He wants to bless us.  "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever."  (Deut.  5:29)

Hear His heart. Can you detect the regret that His people do not follow His ways, so He can bless them even more.

While there are varying degrees of involvement with the world, we all need to ask the Lord to give us a sensitivity for those things that offend Him.  We are to live for Him.  Desire the conviction of the Lord and leave the ways of the world behind!

Tell It Like It Is!

I can't get away from II Chronicles 7:14--"If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Not only are we to search our own hearts, but I believe we are to speak the Word of God to one another.  We have kept our mouths shut long enough in America.

In general, Chrisitans in America lack the fear of the Lord and we have adapted the Word to fit our culture.  As a result we are no longer a blessed nation and we need to stand up and declare the truth in hopes of establishing the plumb line once again.

No one wants to offend --myself included, but I do believe the Word of God is being withheld to such and extent that an imbalance has occurred and sin is rampant among the saints.

This is the Word of the Lord to the American church today.

Ezekiel 3:4,7-11
Then He said, "Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages.
But the house of Israel will not listen to you, because they will not listen to Me; for all the house of Israel are impudent and hard-hearted.
Behold, I have made your face strong against their faces and your forehead strong against their foreheads.
Like adamant stone, harder than flint, I have made your forehead; do not be afraid of them, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they are a rebellious house.
Moreover He said to me: "Son of man, receive into your heart all My words that I speak to you and hear with your ears.  And go, get to the captives, to the children of your people and speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, 'whether they hear, or whether they refuse."

Ezekiel was to speak to his own people.  The house of Israel represents the church and the Lord is telling us not to be afraid of our brothers and sisters.  The Lord has been trying to turn believers around in America for years and now we are seeing signs of judgments in our county.

We are to apply the Word of God to our own lives first (receive My Word into your heart) and repent and then speak the truth, in love, to our brothers and sisters who the Lord calls 'captives'.

The church in America has its own compromised version of the Word of God and the Lord says we are a rebellious people who will not listen to Him.  He is requiring us to speak, despite the fact that most will not listen, but will be stubborn and give us angry looks.

I was floored upon receiving this.  How was I to muster up enough couragge to stand my ground when my approach is usually laid-back?

The key lies in Ezekiel 3:7.  The Lord says, "I will make your face strong against their face."  The NIV translation says, "I have made you as obstinate and hardhearted as they are."  This is what He did for Ezekiel, so he could carry out His commmand and He'll do it for us as well!

My personality is the opposite of what is being required here, but He often chooses those that are completely lacking to show Himself strong in their lives.  All I have to do is cry out for this change.  It may, or may not be an immediate change, but I am to continually ask for His grace to speak the Word boldly.

Ezekiel 2:8 states that if we do not speak out the truth, we will be considered rebellious by the Lord and verse 18 says their blood will be upon our heads if we don't tell them.

We are not to club people to death, but we are prayerfully speak the truth in love.  Hang on saints.  The Lord is requiring a change  and we must keep up with Him!

S-T-R-E-T-C-H You Can Do It!

Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you.

The Great Commission was given to all that are called by His name.  These were among His last words.  The LAST thing He wanted to leave with us.  Yet most would say that this does not pertain to them.

"Oh, I am not an evangelist."    OR    "That's not for me.  I'm terrible at that."

Well, I was, too.   But that was His last command and while I don't have an evangelistic gifting, He has made me into a 'fisher of men'.

I didn't want to go knocking on doors or speak to my co-workers.  I still don't ---but I know that's what He wants.

He has taught me techniques and given me favor--all because I cried out for help.

I was terrible at the beginning.  I would ring the bell, wait 2 seconds, leave the flyer and be two doors down before the original person answered the door-----then I'd wave at them!

I would cry out to the Lord to make me bolder---to come out of myself and not worry what they thought of me---to preach the entire gospel. 

After a while, things came together and while I'm not perfect---I can generally get the message out in its entirety.

He heard my cries, saw my struggles and knew I wanted to shrink back, but because I didn't QUIT, He eventually was able mold me into one who can share the gospel effectively.

S-T-R-E-T-C-H!  You can do it!