9-15-2018 The Little Lost Child, Revisited

           Lack of God’s love                          Love of Christ thriving in our hearts

On July 8, 2017, the blog entry was titled “Little Lost Child.”  It talked about how the orphan spirit comes into lives of people, how we can recognize it and what can be done about it.  The orphan enters in through trauma in our lives but an orphan spirit can thrive in church people through lack of love. 

I’m aware of many people who do “street evangelism”.  I encountered a ministry, in Hagerstown, several years ago that would minister to people in music and the word or bring in guest speakers to minister the word.  They would meet once a month in a local building.  Now, this ministry clearly stated that they were not a church.  So, I met with the leaders and asked “what do you do with the souls who commit to Jesus during one of your gatherings.”  Their response was that they were connected to multiple local churches in the area and they would connect those souls with one of those churches.  I’m good with that.  Now this same ministry has since discontinued those monthly gatherings and focused on helping the community with various community services which they had also been doing.

Well, this past year and more than once, I got to thinking about the ‘street ministries’ with which I was familiar.  I had never talked with the people involved before about what they would do should someone receive Christ through their ministry.  I don’t encounter these people on a regular basis.  You know the syndrome – when they are around, I don’t think about it and when I do think about it, they aren’t around.  Oh well.

Yet the question still remains what do they do with the souls who commit to Christ during their ministering.  One of my brothers from church, however, did have the opportunity and did ask (he told me much later when we were talking).  He was told “Not my problem.  I get ‘em saved then they have to work their own salvation out for themselves.”  When Paul wrote those words to the Philippians, that’s not quite what he meant (Phil. 2:12).  He said to work it out with fear and trembling.  That is, as we walk closer with the Lord, we recognize who He is, who we are and do our best to abide in His will.  Just how much of us will we yield to Him?  We just don’t go out there and make willy nilly decisions about how we should live.  Hopefully we read the bible and we may need guidance and direction from others until we’re able to get a handle as to what our own relationship with the Lord should be.    

Work out their own salvation?  Hooooonk!!!  Wrong answer.  Jesus didn’t tell us to just go out there and get people saved, He told us to go out and teach all nations (Matt. 28:19).  Teach them what?  Who God is, about His kingdom and how we should live in accordance to His word and His will.  Paul tells Timothy to share what he has received with other faithful men so they might be able to go and share with others (2 Tim. 2:2).  In other words, we are to help people understand the relationship they just entered into with Jesus.  Why?  So when they’ve become mature, can go out and help other people. 

You don’t learn relationships in one two encounters.  When we meet somebody, we don’t suddenly know all about them.  It takes time to develop that relationship with another person.  And so it is when we let Jesus into our lives.  We don’t know all that there is to now about our relationship with Him.  All we know for sure is that He opened the door to eternal life for us. We spend the rest of our lives learning to live with Him, in Him and for Him.

So just what did Jesus do? 

As He was walking by the sea Jesus saw Andrew and Simon (Peter) and said to them “Come, follow Me and I will make you fishers of men” (Matt. 4:19).   Later, He saw James and John, the sons of Zebedee and called them (Mark 1:19-20).  He saw Matthew collecting taxes from the people and said “Follow Me” (Matt. 9:9).  Jesus called seven others and walked with them and other disciples for about three and a half years teaching them about the kingdom of God, explaining the principles of living for God and showing them the relationship they should have with others, as He developed His relationship with disciples.  When Jesus fed the 4000, they had been with Him for three days listening to His teaching (Matt. 15:30-39).  Three days!  Not just an hour or an hour and a half, three days.

Paul didn’t just go into a town and get people saved and then go on his way.  He spent months and sometime years in an area establishing souls and a leadership core so the church could survive after he left them.   And, by the way, that’s exactly what Jesus was doing with His apostles.  Training them to carry on the work of building disciples after His ascension.

Coming back from Arabia, Paul spent three years in Damascus (Gal.1:17-18), a year in Antioch (Acts 11:26, Acts 14:26-28), Thessalonica for three Sabbath days (three weeks)(Acts 17:2) and Corinth for three and a half years (Acts 18:1-11).  My point is Paul didn’t just duck in for the weekend then leave.  “You need to get saved.  Praise the Lord, see you later!”  He stayed for a while.  What was He doing?  Well, Titus was under instruction to set the church in order and he ordained elders in the church (Titus 1:5).  They weren’t just getting people saved and then just sitting around and singing Halelujah.  Not that praise isn’t good and necessary, but there was also work to be done.  The church needs a leadership core to survive.  A core that can grow and train others.  When Paul wrote Timothy he urged him to continue in the things he has learned and noting from whom he has learned them (1 Tim. 3:13-17).  That is, don’t listen to anyone who was preaching something else.

The point is?  We don’t just get people ‘saved’.  If we aren’t mature enough to help them grow, find someone who is so that the new Christian is not left to his own devices.  Lack of knowledge makes us prime targets for the enemy to undermine.  There are ravening wolves out there just waiting to pounce upon and discourage new and impressionable Christians (Matt. 7:15).

My question now, is just how many soul winners, how many churches make a pointed effort to ground a new soul in God’s word?  How many of us not only take the time to welcome a new soul into the faith but also take time to encourage them, or even make sure, that they continue coming to church or get into studying the word (bible) for themselves?  How many of us will take time to see that those “babes in Christ” get into a proper Sunday School class?  How many of us take time just to be a friend to that new convert and share our experiences with Jesus as an encouragement for him to take those first steps, then press on? 

When I was a young Christian, I thought everything was supposed to be peaches and cream.  I thought all my troubles were over.  Hooooonk!  Satan doesn’t like or even want us to get close to God.  If he had his way, we wouldn’t get anywhere near our Lord so once we make that commitment, or even look like we’re going to receive Jesus into our lives, the devil does everything within his power to discourage us.  He wants as much company as possible in that lake of fire (Rev. 20:10). 

But as we grow, we realize we don’t have to fight the battle.  We take Jesus’ yoke (Matt. 11:29-30) and God fights the battle for us (Exod. 14:13-14).  Remember Gideon (Judges 7:1-9)?   God kept cutting his army down to where an obedient handful of men set the enemy to flight without drawing a sword.  All Gideon and his 300 men did was break the pitchers which contained lit candles and blew trumpets and the Midianite army drew their swords against each other and fled (Judges 7:19-22).  .  Moses was God’s representative to Israel when they fought with Amalek.  When Moses hands were raised, Israel prevailed, when his hands dropped, Amalek prevailed.  In the end, Israel won by the hand of God (Exod. 17:9-13)  because Aaron and Hur held Moses’ hands up when he got tired.  God may use us to accomplish His will, but it is still He who wins the battle for I can do nothing of myself (John 15:5) but through Christ Jesus I can do all things (Phil. 4:11-13)!

We’ve seen how Jesus and the apostles shepherded new converts and some examples of how God brings us victory.  But, can the church produce orphans?  Of Course.  When we were children, I knew a man whose dad was in the house but that dad was an alcoholic.  Even today, though one who is driven by substance abuse may be in the home, they are of little or no use to the family because they live for their addiction.  Christians who d nothing the help others grow are like the addict.  Even today, all too often, the church neglects its responsibility in shepherding new Christians.  For whatever the reason, and that new Christian doesn’t receive the guidance they need.  So even in the church, they become an orphan, lacking proper ‘parental’ guidance.

And we may wonder why the church has strayed from its original foundation.  Yes, all the “Christian” churches profess Jesus, but not all live for Him.  Yes, many churches have many awesome programs for their people, but all too often, the new Christian decides whether he participates or not.  As I said, many of those programs are good, but do they really disciple?  Jesus reminds us that His brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it (Luke 8:19-21).  No, we can’t force people to do things, but when we take time to get to know them. When we take time to be a friend or even a mentor, we can surely encourage them to get involved not only in the church, but growing in their own lives and living for Jesus Christ.

How many of our churches have orphans, those not properly taught the will or the word of God?  Even though many young Christians attend church, how many of our churches have left them to their own devices to ‘work out their own salvation’?

The person who wrestles with an orphan spirit wrestles within himself.  Others can give them direction in finding God’s love so the orphan spirit can be pushed out but the orphan does have to make the choices.  The orphan spirit is driven out only when the love of God gives that person a sense of worth, responsibility and direction and that soul finds fulfillment in loving God. 

An orphan is one who has not received love nor proper nourishment.  God’s love heals the orphan.  But it is up to mature Christians to express that love and nurture the young so they can grow to be strong.

Can the body of Christ have orphans?  Yes, when the church fails in its responsibility to nourish and give direction to those young souls.  When they are left to their own devices.

Let the love of God reign in our hearts so the world can see that love in us and others will know that we are disciples of Jesus Christ (John 13:35).

Amen

9-1-2018    The Bloom

                                                           From seed to full bloom

Have you ever considered how a seed planted into the ground starts to grow?  The stem is forming in the seed pod and then starts sprouting upward through the ground producing the plant’s shoot.  The shoot becomes a stem sprouting leaves and then the bud forms.  When the time is right, that bud starts opening up into a beautiful bloom which we can look at, take in its sweet fragrance and enjoy.

A simple process, but nonetheless a process which can take a few weeks to all summer, depending on the plant. 

The seed was planted when Jesus came to this earth and died for our sins on the cross, cleansing us from all unrighteousness and our sins.  But the seed isn’t just the redemption.  It also His resurrection and ascension back into heaven as He waits to fulfill His promise to come back for us so we can be with Him forever.

 The church has been talking about a new revival that’s coming.  I’ve called it a spiritual explosion.

A revival means that we awake something that has been dead but a spiritual explosion means taking something that is not yet fully developed and bringing it into its full stature.

The bible tells us that before Jesus returns for His church, there will first be a falling away (2 Thess. 2:1-3 [if you feel bold, read the whole chapter]).  Those who would not receive the truth would be given over to the lies of the evil one.  It was happening in Paul’s day and it is still happening today.  But, we’re not talking about just the world.  Look at today’s church!  What has (and is) happening to God’s truth in all those churches who are striving to be “politically correct” or being sure not to offend anyone?  Hasn’t God’s truth watered down? 

When Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time, the church rulers asked that He quiet the crowd.  The clamor was embarrassing.  Jesus responded that if He did, even the rocks would cry out (Luke 19:37-40).  Creation can hardly wait for the flower (the church) to blossom into its fullness (Rom. 8:15-23).  Since the early church, the seed has fallen back into the ground.  The church has been sleeping for much too long

Father desires that none should perish.  When the Lord does come, He desires to find us being diligent in His Word, living in His peace, abiding without spot or blemish (2 Peter 3:8-14).  Without spot or blemish?  That means that as soon as we realize we have sinned, we confess, repent that sin leaving it at the cross – having no ‘unrepented’ sins in our life.  Then, as God puts our sin behind His back, in like fashion, we set our iniquities behind us and allow the lead of the Holy Ghost to get us back on track in our life in Christ as we press toward “that mark” (Phil. 3:14), which is knowing that we have eternal life in Jesus Christ (1 John 5:13).

Paul tells us that we should run the race as if we expect to win (1 Corinth. 9:24).  To  share eternal fellowship with Father through Jesus Christ,  we do have to do is finish the race.  Then we ALL win.

The coming Spiritual Explosion is like the blooming of the flower and in the current season in which are, we are already halfway between the seed and the bloom!

 According to the Jewish calendar, the season we are currently in began in September 2014, Rosh Hoshana.  According to the Julian calendar (what we use today) this event started in January 2015. 

Father has already brought His church through six seasons of growth.  In the late 1300’s Father prompted John Wycliffe to produce an English translation of the Latin Vulgate bible so the common man might have a copy he could read and understand without having to be proficient in Latin or Greek.  Over a century later, Father encouraged Martin Luther with the same concept.  The advantage Luther had over Wycliffe in those early days of the 1500’s is that reproducing the bible had become much easier with Guttenberg’s movable type printing press, invented in the mid 1400’s.  Luther didn’t have to hand write each copy of the bible produced.

Getting the written Word into the hands of the common man was indeed the seed breaking forth into the light.  Man could read for himself (if he could read) what the Word said and not rely just on what the priest said from the podium.

The Protestant Reformation and various “awakenings” between the 1500’s and the 1900’s have been the flower’s “shoot” growing upward.  The stem has grown upward and the leaves have sprung forth from that stem.  And, then, during the twentieth century (1900’s), the bud has been forming.  Now, as we are into the twenty-first century (2000’s), that bud is starting to unfold into its full bloom.    

We are in the seventh season of growth and maturity.  Count them.  Six seasons from 1400 to 1900 (inclusive), each season is one hundred years.  Now in the 2000’s, the seventh season (another 100 years), the bud has formed and is now starting to open up.  This seven year period is a season within a season (if you will).   It is a seven year period at the beginning of a new century and the new century is its own season.  By the end of this seven year period (2015 – 2022) that bud will mature into full bloom and enter another seven year period (season) Where the Spirit of God will manifest Himself to the world (in many different ways) and in power and in glory. 

Do we see some of the flower as the bud is already starting to open up?  Of course!  Even now we see evidence of the bloom trying to open.  How many preachers are preaching a closer walk with the Lord?  How many preachers are now starting to emphasize truly living in God’s love?  The bloom is struggling to open but we won’t see the full bloom until the season is right.

As the flower comes into full bloom, the Spiritual Explosion begins in its fullness.  Yes, we will see beginning rudiments before this seven year period is complete, but at the end of this season, that Spiritual Explosion bursts forth into full bloom! 

Father will pour out His Spirit upon man like never before. 

Will the enemy (Satan) counter attack?  Of course.  His time (that tribulation period) is also coming.  But for now, Father will offer man the opportunity to come into His glorious Kingdom – big time.  I’m not just talking about going to heaven.  I’m talking about learning to live in God’s love, in His kingdom here, now, in this world.  Living in His love, it can be done! 

This spiritual explosion will be such as the world has never seen before.  And though the powers and principalities of darkness stand against it, Father will touch the hearts of all those inclined to receive Him.  The eyes of many may be blinded, but the hearts of many will be opened up to God’s truth and love.  Darkness will not prevail against the Light!  And that Light is Jesus!

The time is coming where there will be a boldness where “Christians” will not be ashamed or afraid to share what God has given them, no matter how much or how little.  Father’s love will rise to new levels, new heights.  His true love will show itself without using intimidation or fear tactics nor will it be intimidated nor fearful.  Yet in power and might, God’s love will be demonstrated for all to see. 

Souls will come into a deeper relationship with Father, through the Son because the Holy Ghost is alive, well and operating in our hearts.  Those who receive Jesus Christ into their hearts will come to know, beyond a shadow of any doubt (1 John 5:13) that their eternal existence is assured. 

Make no mistake, man was created an eternal being.  And Adam, through his disobedience brought man from an ‘infinite’ existence to the ‘finite’ existence (having a beginning and an end) we experience.  (Gen. 3:22-24).  After this life, man will return to an eternal existence either with God or apart from Him.  Apart from God in the eternal lake of fire (Rev. 20:12-15) or with God in eternal heaven (Rev. 12:1 – Rev. 22:5).  And make no mistake, God will make a new heaven and a new earth, free from the ravages of sin (Rev. 21:1-27).

The flower is preparing to bloom.  It will burst forth as an explosion showering mankind with the love of God.  Who dares to enjoy the beauty of its petals and the fragrance of its nectar?  Forever.

Amen