Monthly Archives: June 2014

It is Going to get Harder

Romans 8:1 There is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit

I am still in the midst of processing what the Lord has shown me over the past two weeks. There are two words that describe it: urgency and aggressiveness.  I have seen altar calls answered by masses of people coming forward and falling on their knees before the cross, finally giving up their fight and surrendering  their lives to Christ. I have been present as an entire congregation wept openly for the condition of their loved ones who do not know the Lord, the condition of their communities, the condition of the world, and the condition of the church at large. Hearts are being won, the body of Christ is being convicted and refocused; The spirit is on the move! I believe that God is mobilizing His church for a revival the size and scope of which will be unmatched in human history.  Mathew 5:14: You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 

Believers are called to be a reflection of God’s  grace and mercy to this dying world. 1 John 1-5: This is the message which we have heard from Him and we declare to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all. The light of salvation through Christ Jesus does pierce the darkness. It is Jesus who wins souls from the evil one; we are simply called to be His messengers. What an  amazing thought! The creator of the universe wants to use believers to communicate His message. Scripture tells us that as believers we are to be in this world but not of it. Romans 12:2: And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God. We are to stand apart; to stand on biblical principle, on the principle  of God not man. By basing our opinions and actions on the truth of the word of God and not on will of man we will begin to see the world as God sees it. Once we begin to live in the spirit of the Lord we will be used to reach the perishing.

While there has always been a distinction between the world and the body of Christ, I can safely say that never before has that distinction been so sharp or apparent. We live in a world fraught with danger on all sides  both spiritual and physical. The spiritual danger to the lost is an eternity spent separated from God – a polite way of saying that those who don’t accept Christ as their savior will go to Hell when they die. For believers called to  reach the lost the physical dangers run the gambit from ridicule to imprisonment and death.  Just pick up the newspaper or surf the internet and you will find stories detailing the persecution of the body of Christ. Matthew 24:9 Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and kill you, and you will be hated by all nations for my name’s sake.  The words of Jesus echoed in my head this week. The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing it is offensive. Jesus states in Matthew that believers will pay for their offense to the world with their lives. The blessing is, though we are condemned by the world system; man’s system, in Christ there is no condemnation for the believer. This is a promise from God found in Romans 8. This is the gift of salvation. So, steady on, square you shoulders and speak the truth.

The word of God has never changed. John 1:1 In the beginning was the word and the word was with God and the word was God.  The world has, over time become more and more corrupt. The hearts of man have become more and more prideful and hard, forsaking the truth of scripture. It is going to get worse and as the world becomes increasingly morally corrupt and harder of heart the path that Christians walk – the narrow path will grow ever narrower. As sin becomes accepted in the name of equality, the line between what is right and wrong according to the world, becomes blurred. As for the path of Christ, the path that believers follow – it has become less acceptable by the worlds standards; pushing Christians out on the periphery. This brings me hope if only because it proves the sovereignty of God because Jesus predicted this in Mathew 24.

I believe that in my lifetime we will see increased persecution of Christians, not in far away lands (that is already happening) but right here in the United States. I know that is not the most encouraging rallying cry. The encouragement comes from scripture and the promise found in Romans  8:1 ……there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. In short, fear God not man. Man’s condemnation is temporary, Gods salvation is eternal. I pray that God would give us discernment, protection, and boldness to be a reflection of His love to a dying world.

Grace & Peace

LD

*If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, email me at savedIIserve@gmail.com and let me know! I will be happy to lead you through what the bible says about salvation and accepting Jesus Christ as your savior.*

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The Lord Knows When the Rent’s Due

Philippians 1:6 “Being confidant of this very thing, that he who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.”

it is time to tell my story. This is a testimony of sorts, it is one that has been building to a crescendo since June 30, 2013 and I am confident the Lord is not done yet. This is a story of fear and faith; brokenness and triumph and a renewed focus . while this my story, I am certain that it is your story as well. It is my prayer that my story will touch you and bring you hope; a hope that though it might be but embers in your heart, would spark with the knowledge that you are not alone; the knowledge that your race is not yet run until the great and glorious day of Jesus Christ.

I saw myself A as a success. I had it all: a great job that I  had bled and struggled over a fourteen year career to attain, a beautiful little girl who was starting high school in the fall, a lovely wife who the Lord used to speak truth into my life daily, and my faith in God, I was serving again in the body of Christ after a long period of growth and molding by the master potter; life was good.  When I took the time to categorize my priorities I listed them in the following order: 1. The job  2. My Family  3. My relationship with God. This is how I laid out my life and I was happy with it. I even had a tag line. I would tell people I met in the sanctuary before and after service, “The Lord knows when the rent’s due,” meaning that God was in charge, He knew what was needed before we did, so trust Him and all will be well. It was and is good advice. Revelation 22:13 I am the alpha and the omega, the first and the last.  This is Jesus telling us that He is the beginning and end of everything – He is in charge. I can tell you with confidence that I did believe it then. When I said, “The Lord knows when the rent’s due,” I knew it was true. The thing is, Jesus knows our hearts. 1 John 3:20 For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things. He knew that I was a work in progress.

The Lord moved on June 30, 2013. looking back on it now, I knew it was coming; like a whisper in the wind, that still small voice started saying, ” Get ready….I’m on the move……trust in Me.” I remember telling a friend early in the month that I was going to update my resume’. There was no earthly reason to do it. I had just maxed out bonus for the prior quarter and received a commendation. All was well and yet, I updated my resume’. Then, on June 30 at 10:30 in the morning,  my 14 year career came to an end. I was at peace. I accepted my severance package, said my goodbyes and went home.

On my way home, I prayed as I drove. It was nothing elaborate just a prayer for help and focus. The Lord brought me to Philippians  1:6. That verse became the anchor in every storm that followed over the next 8 months. From June-February the Lord kept the promise He made through Paul in Philippians. My family never missed a meal, the bills were paid on time; all of our earthly needs were met and exceeded. As for me, I had spiritual needs that I was unaware of.  Exodus 20: 2-3 I am the Lord you Go who brought you out  of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other Gods before me.  I had another god. I had even placed it above Him; it was my job. I had not intended to do so but I had. I had another god who had also taken residence in my heart above Him as well: my family. In short, my priorities needed to be reorganized and over the 8 months I spent depending on the Lord of the universe, Jesus worked that out in my life.

It took me eight months to find a job. During that time God worked to strip away my self-reliance; teaching me to trust in Him first; reminding me of  scriptures that say, through Him all things are made I Corinthians 15:28 and then, through my circumstances, proving that in my life. By the time I took my new position, I was a changed man. I had grown up spiritually and my perspective on my hierarchy of needs – that had changed as well. I have come to truly understand that God is in charge of my time, my possessions my entire life! He is a jealous God who was here before it all started and will be here after it is over. God will  never abandon me because I am His child, bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus Christ who is the author and finisher of our faith. Hebrews 12:2. God knows our hearts, and when we need His perspective on our lives, when we need a priority review, He will provide it. In short, the Lord does know when the rent’s due both literally and spiritually. He is the Landlord!

Has it been awhile since you committed your life to Christ? Have you fallen into old habits pulling you away form a relationship with the landlord of your heart? If so, recommit now. the Lord knows when the rent’s due. He also knows when you will turn in your last check. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. If you have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and savior, simply pray for Jesus to become Lord of your life admit to your sins before Him and repent (turn away) from them. Jesus doesn’t want your money, there is no way you can fund this rent check. It has already been paid for with the blood of Jesus as He sacrificed Himself on the cross for every sin you and I and the world were guilty of.

Grace and Peace,

LD

*If you would like to know more about a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, email me at savedIIserve@gmail.com and let me know! I will be happy to lead you through what the bible says about salvation and accepting Jesus Christ as your savior.*

 

 

 

 

 

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