Seeing Jesus

Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil for You are with me Psalm 23:4 Joni Eareckson Tada, a woman much acquainted with suffering, said that "There is nothing more heavenly than seeing Christ in your hell." I know that she's right. I know it from my experience, and I know it through the testimonies of so many others. Just today a lovely young woman who has gone through two deep losses in the last two years, shared with me how she "saw" Jesus in the midst of her suffering. It was beautiful to hear, and I don't doubt a word of it. I have similar instances where He "showed up" in the midst of my pain and heartache. On a bitterly cold winter night near Christmas, on the lonely church campground I was living at, I returned home from work. I was feeling more lonely and forgotten than I ever had. Satan was tormenting me about it all, throwing darts at my mind about the seeming absence of Christ and His faithfulness. When I got into the little cottage I was staying in, I went to my Bible and came upon Paul's words concerning his trial before Caesar. He said, "At my first defense, no one stood with me, all had abandoned me, but Christ came and stood with me." His words leaped out of the pages of His Holy Word. I knew exactly how Paul must have felt. What happened next is mystical but remains as real to me as if it happened just yesterday. As I contemplated what I had read, I suddenly "saw" in my mind a scene of myself, being attacked by the devil in the form of a lion. Scripture says that he goes about seeking whom he might devour. He was certainly trying to do so with me. Suddenly, I saw my Lord Jesus enter the scene and wrap me in His arms of love. With a gesture, He put the lion to flight. The scene ended, but I knew it was real. He had come. Indeed, He'd never left, and He showed me that He hadn't. Like the old hymn goes, "He was there all the time." That's how I know how true Eareckson's words are. Nothing is more heavenly than when Jesus Christ appears in our hell. If you're walking through hell today, beloved, don't stop. Press on. He'll give you the strength to keep going, and I believe that if you're at that point of giving up, as I was, He will appear. He will put the tormentor to flight. He'll remind you again, that He's been there all the time. He never promised to keep us from suffering. He has promised to be there with us in the middle of it and take us all the way through, stronger, deeper in Him than we ever thought we could be. He has never promised to answer every question or make every hard place easy. He has promised to walk through it with us, or when needed, carry us through. A young woman named McKinnon Galloway who has been suffering through painful surgeries and debilitating physical losses since the age of 16 said, "Faith is not having all the answers. It's holding onto God when nothing else makes sense." Hold on. I believe that as you do, the old hymn words will come true for you. "It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. One look at His dear face, all sorrows will erase." This will be fully true in eternity, but I believe that as you cling to Him, you will also see Him. Hold on! Blessings, Pastor O

Hearing and Seeing

“But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. Matthew 13:16 Jesus spoke these words to His disciples just after he had described the generation He had come to as having eyes and ears to see and hear, but they could not see and they could not hear....but His disciples could. I believe He speaks these very words to our present generation as well. Most especially those who would describe themselves as His followers. We cannot expect those who do not know Him to either see or hear the things of the Spirit. They have no ability to do so. Jesus wasn't speaking to a generation of people who knew nothing of God's Word. They did, yet they could not see or hear that Word as it was right before them in the Person of Christ. Here in the 21st century church, we also know of His Word, and He is definitely working and speaking in the midst of all that is happening right now in our culture and in the culture of the church....I have written in my prayer journal, Father, we see but don't see, hear but don't hear. In the events unfolding before us, let us see what You're doing and hear what You're saying. Jesus was speaking to professing believers, but most did not hear what He was saying or see what He was doing. Where do we fit today? With the "most" who see and hear without seeing or hearing anything, or with that much smaller group that does? I think what we're seeing unfold everywhere around us, as well as within the church itself, has deep ramifications for us on every level of life. For our nation, the nations, for ourselves and our families, and especially for the church. I have been praying for the Father to raise up a generation of "men of Issachar," men who recognize the times they are living in and know how to respond and act in those times. Most especially are such needed in the pulpit. The church is desperate for those who can bring forth the depths of His Word in the power of His Holy Spirit. Men and women who hear what the Spirit is saying to the church. Those who move and speak with a holy boldness, fearless, whose hearts burn to share what the Lord is saying to them and to His church. Those who are willing to be "Watchmen on the wall." Those with discernment, wisdom, and understanding. It will be a lonely calling. In many ways an unpopular one. Those who love comfort and ease do not enjoy being shaken awake. There is so much more that could be said. I simply close sharing with you the call I believe He has sent forth to His people. God never called the prophet Isaiah by name. He simply spoke, "Who will go for us?" Isaiah heard the call. Isaiah went, and Isaiah spoke. The need for a generation of Isaiah's of every kind is desperate. Who among us hears? Who among us sees? Who among us will speak up and speak out? Blessings, Pastor O

Deceived

“Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” – 1 John 4:1...."Deception is the penalty for rejecting truth." Dudley Hall..."Seeking God for discernment must be our first priority." Francis Frangiapane Dudley Hall's words concerning the ultimate cost of rejecting His Truth have been playing out since the Garden, when the serpent asked Eve about God's warning to not eat of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. He asked her, "Did God really say that?" Satan convinced her to doubt what the Father had said, and deception took over. Satan hasn't changed his tactics since. He has cloaked the world in deception to this day. He's also managed to deceive, at various times and degrees, much of the professing church as well. The reason, at root, is that we don't know His Word or the power of His Truth. We're letting the enemy continue to ask, "Did He really say that?" as well as related kinds of questions like, "Could that still be true in this modern world where so much has changed?" and a multitude of other questions that all bring the truth and authority of His Word into question. When we entertain these questions and thoughts, we open the door to being deceived, and many have. We're living in days when so much of the church lacks Holy Spirit discernment, wisdom, and understanding. His Word may be known in our heads but it's not hidden in our heart. That was Eve. She knew what God had said, but it wasn't internalized, a part of her. Then, we not only don't test the spirits that speak the things we're listening to, we question whether such spirits even exist. A literal devil and the demonic power he operates in is doubted by more than a few. Satan gleefully rejoices in this. It gives him a wide open door into the minds and hearts of those who profess to know and follow Him. He's gotten so many to question and doubt the authority of Scripture, or even doubt that Scripture is really rooted in the personality and being of Almighty God. He spoke to His people Israel in the OT, "My people are being destroyed for lack of knowledge." We are still being destroyed. How much longer will the destruction go on? It's my prayer that the Father will raise up a generation of preachers who boldly proclaim the whole word and counsel of God. Preachers who fear God but have no fear of what the hearers of His truth might say or do in response. It's also my prayer that He will raise up preachers and teachers who instruct and teach on the realities of the spiritual realm; that we have an enemy who really does move about constantly seeking those he might deceive and then destroy. It's my prayer that He will raise up a church that proclaims the reality of sin, of hell, of holiness, and of the cross of Christ. Scripture says that when Christ is lifted up, He will draw all humankind to Himself. We lift up the Christ who truly is, not a Christ as we wish or want Him to be. A Christ fashioned by our own desires. I believe that when the church does this, deception will be crushed, His Truth will reign, and the people of God will walk in the fullness of His discernment, wisdom, and understanding. Lord, make it so. Make it so now. Blessings, Pastor O

The Crisis

I recently listened to a brother talk about a number of men that he has worked with who never seem to really enter into victorious and abundant life in Christ.They live in cycles of defeat. I understood. In more than 40 years of ministry, I have encountered the very same thing, and I believe I know why it is so. I'm an adherent to Wesleyan-Arminian doctrine and teaching, the teachings of John Wesley. Wesley was a strong advocate of what he called a "second work of grace," what we call "entire sanctification." To be sanctified is to be set apart for Him alone, with no part of our heart, lives, or will held back. Paul said that we are "crucified with Christ, and it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us (and through us.) Our will and desire to control our lives is crucified, and we are fully yielded to His will and His Lordship. The result of this is the fullness of His Holy Spirit entering our being and we now have the power and ability to live a holy, overcoming and victorious life. The power of those things that once controlled us and held us in bondage has been broken. Wesley's brother Charles wrote of it in his great hymn; "My chains fell off, my heart was free, I rose, went forth, and followed Thee." This deeper work of grace comes about as a result of a crisis. We are brought to a place where we are confronted with our inability to free ourselves from those things holding us in captivity, be it alcohol, drugs, pornography, raging anger, lust, and a seemingly endless range of "masters." This deeper work of grace happens at His cross. We come to His cross, and at His cross our will is crucified so that we might come fully alive in the fullness of His. We begin to live in His resurrection life and power. The things that hold us captive are the things of death. His Cross yields life, His life. At the cross, the cycles of defeat are broken. We can now live in the power of His risen life. Space doesn't allow me to tell you of how I came to know the truth of all this. Let me just say that for the first year of my walk with Him, growth was very difficult. Habits, ways of thinking, attitudes, and more were stumbling blocks in my walk. I kept failing at the same things. Finally, after another failure, I had reached my crisis point. I had come once more to His cross. This time I didn't turn away, I surrendered. Everything. I died to my way at the cross and came alive to His way. Abundant and overcoming life was the result. Yes, there were still great challenges, and yes, there was still much needed growth in my life, but the cycles of defeat were over. He kept calling me upwards and I kept walking by the power of His life. I still am. Not perfectly, but consistently. Maybe you're at another crisis point in your life. Maybe you think all this just isn't possible. I invite you to run to His cross, not away from it. Let Him crucify all that is not Him in your life so that you may live in the power of all that is His life. All you have to lose is your prison cell, and you gain all the fullness of His life. At the cross you will find life. He promises it. Put that promise to the test. All you can lose are your chains. Blessings, Pastor O

For Joy

Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Hebrews 12:2 We live in a fallen world. Because of this, life can contain a great amount of pain and suffering. Followers of Christ are not exempt from any of it. As Scripture says, it rains upon the just and the unjust. Hebrews 12:2 shows us the way we are to live in the midst of this reality. We are to keep our focus on Christ, the Author, the Pioneer of our faith. This can be deeply challenging, especially in some of the dark places that life can take us to. The death of loved ones. The waywardness of our children. Divorce, strife, the estrangement of families from one another. These all bring deep cuts into our mental, emotional, and spiritual well being. It can all be, it all will be, too much for our human strength to endure. It is not too much for Him. Psalm 23 tells us that we will walk through the valley of the shadow of death, but it also tells us to "fear no evil." Shadows cannot really harm us. We're also told that He is with us there, and He is, but too often, we end up living and thinking like He isn't. So, we end up living as victims of the valley rather than overcomers in it. We overcome by continuing to look to Him, and we are able to do so because we are abiding in Him, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. We keep looking to Him, and as we do so, the joy of the Lord becomes our strength. His joy is always set before us and it is not just some future reality, it's a present one. Joy is not a feeling. Joy is the deep assurance and presence of God Himself. Through it He sustains us on the journey and assures us of all the beauty of eternity that awaits us in all of its fullness. It's so easy to become distracted and distanced from His joy. Satan specializes in making it so for us. He wants us to look at what is going on all around us, at his handiwork. Christ calls us to look past it, at Himself, at who He is, what He does, and where we're going. This is how we live in the joy of the Lord. We abide, we press on, we overcome, we endure. We know this life is not all there is. We know we will have all the fullness of His promises realized in part today, and in all their wonder on that day. When we're looking at everything but Him, we're living outside of His joy, peace, and strength. When we abide in Him, we overcome, because He is living through us. We become, as Scripture promises, more than conquerors. Today, may we abide. May we fix our eyes on Jesus, who has conquered all that could ever come against us, including death. He's already in the throne room of the Father. That's His place. Our place is in Him, which means we are there as well. Let us live out that truth and reality....for the joy set before us. Blessings, Pastor O

Given Over

Furthermore, just as they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, so God gave them over to a depraved mind, so that they do what ought not to be done. Romans 1:28 If you're 40 or older, perhaps even 30 or older, you likely have heard it said and even say so yourself, that the world has gone insane. We're seeing things in our nation and in the world that would have been unthinkable just 20 years ago. How did it get to be so? What is the church's response? What is yours and what is mine? In Romans 1, Paul the apostle points out what the problem is; the sinfulness of the human race. The choice of most to rebel against God and worship themselves rather than Him, despite His constant reaching out through His grace to bring them to Himself. This has caused Him throughout history at key times, to turn the cultures and nations over to a "depraved," that is, fallen mind. In short He let them have their way, and let them reap the awful consequences of doing so. Believe it or not, He didn't and doesn't do so from a desire to destroy but to draw them back to Himself. Oftentimes, most times, it's the only way to open their eyes to their need and condition. I believe we are in such a time right now. I believe that the Father has turned our nation, all nations, over to such a mind and condition. Instead of bewailing how awful things are, I believe He is calling His church to seek His face in brokenness, and to intercede for a people intent on destroying themselves....and who have no idea that they are. I can't remember who said it, but I have it in my prayer journal that when the darkness grows ever greater, the problem is not with the darkness, it's with the Light. We, who are to be His Light to the world, have not been so. In too many ways we've sought to accommodate the world spirit rather than see it crushed. We've wanted to be liked and accepted. We've resisted speaking and preaching about sin, holiness, and yes, hell. We invite people to Jesus Christ, but too often, it's a Christ who bears little resemblance to the Jesus Christ of Scripture. As a result, the darkness has grown, and the rebellion of humankind has grown with it. Hatred has grown in every segment of society, but against the authority and message of Jesus Christ most of all. That's seen in the response of telling people that not only is He the Way, the Truth, and the Life, but the only Way, the only Truth, and the only Life. Rebellion is the way of the world right now, and we're seeing it everywhere. So again, how do we respond? I believe there is no answer but to humble ourselves before Him. For us to repent of our own sin, to seek His cleansing of it. All of it. Then, for us to, in holy love, intercede for this lost human race. That He would pour out His grace and His Spirit upon His church and then through His church, minister to a lost world. That we would cry out for a move of His Spirit that crushes the darkness and shines His Light wherever the darkness has reigned. To pray without ceasing until He comes with power, which is the only way He ever comes. We talk much of how God will judge all that we see. We forget that His Word says that judgement begins (always) in and with the House of God....the Church. May we not just rail against the darkness. May we come against it in Holy Spirit Light and power. And.....may we come against it first.....in our own hearts and lives. Blessings, Pastor O

Awakened

This is why it is said: “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Ephesians 5:14 I came upon a news item this morning that I'm sure has gone unnoticed by the majority, even the majority of the professing church. Two villages in Nigeria were attacked by Islamic terrorists, with 168 killed and the villages burnt. I didn't know. You likely didn't either. Yet I do know about Bad Bunny and the half-time show at the Superbowl. I also know about the alternate show put on by Turning Point USA. I also know a lot about my favorite sports teams, entertainments, and a host of other subjects, but I didn't know anything about this. Oh, I know there is persecution of believers going on in Nigeria and so many other places in the world, but those places are so far away. The things that have my attention are much nearer, and come to mind so easily, but I wonder today, what impression do "these things," my things, make upon the heart of God? I know the answer to that, so why, when I know how these things grieve Him, do they not grieve me as they should? Could it be that the places that these terrible persecutions are taking place are so far away, and make so little impression upon me...and you, is because as concerns them, my heart is also far away from His? I'm thinking out loud here, and I don't care for the answers I'm getting to my questions. It's very hard for us American believers who are so focused on our comfort, happiness, and success, to be much moved by anything that doesn't contribute to maintaining and expanding that. More than 40 years ago, Jesus Revolution singer Keith Green wrote a song titled, Asleep In The Light. One of the lyrics asked (you and me?) How can you be so dead, when you've been so well-fed? Brethren, God is moving upon His church here in America and everywhere in the world, but how deeply is He moving upon you and me? Are we more asleep in the Light than we are empowered by it, awakened by it, called to action by it? Those 168 men, women, and children, were brothers and sisters in Christ, as were the thousands more who have been killed in Nigeria alone. How moved have we been by this? How fervent have our prayers of intercession for them been? I heard the late Derek Prince say that we can pray, fast, and come together pleading for revival, as many are, but that we will see no revival without the first and most important step, that of humbling ourselves in repentance before Him. In too many areas and ways, the western church has been sleepwalking. It cannot go on. It is time to be awakened by His Spirit. It is time, past time, to cease being "dead men and women walking." It is time for the Light of Christ to shine fully upon His church in America, for His church to "rise and walk." His time is always "now." May that now time take place in His church...in you, in me, in us. Blessings, Pastor O

Who?

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” John 16:15 Jesus had just asked His disciples who the crowds believed Him to be. They gave a diverse number of answers while Jesus patiently listened. Then He confronted them with a question that had to be asked and that His disciples could not avoid answering. Peter, impetuous Peter, answered; "You are the Christ!" The Messiah. The Savior. Jesus blessed him, saying that Peter knew this because the Holy Spirit had revealed it to Him, and not the reasonings of men. I've been thinking this morning about how it seems so many who profess to have faith in Jesus Christ seem to know so little of who He is. We can recite who the Bible says He is, but if we're pressed to answer who He is to us, we often stumble. We know facts about Him, but we know little of Him. We know little because we have experienced so little of His reality. When we come into our times of crisis, we often flounder about because facts lodged in our heads have little impact upon what is going on in our hearts and in our spirit. We can "believe" that He is our Healer, Provider, Protector, Champion, Almighty God, and all the Bible says that He is, but we have never really experienced Him as such in our day to day lives. He's a historical figure whom we know is real, but He's never been "real" in our daily lives. The key to understanding all of this is found I believe, in Jesus' statement to Peter, that he was blessed because he didn't know this by his own reasoning but because the Holy Spirit, at work in his heart and through his experiences with Him, had revealed to Him who this Jesus was. And there was so much more knowledge and understanding yet to come for Peter and all the disciples. The Father, through the Son and His Holy Spirit, longs for us to know Him. For you to know Him....beyond anything you ever thought possible. In His Word He says, "I have so much more for you than this," but that so much more is too often not realized. We're satisfied with bread crumbs instead of bread, fresh and whole. We're satisfied with second-hand knowledge and second-hand faith, trusting in what others say about Him or have experienced in Him, but never really experiencing Him ourselves. We sit as paupers at the doorway to His riches. May we, wherever we are on our journey, constantly seek to know Him in ever deeper ways. Ask His Spirit to reveal to you deeper understanding and knowledge of Him. To shape you, transform you, to take you ever deeper into the reality of who He is. It can start with the simple prayer, "Lord, I want to know You. The real You, as You are, and as You wish to be with and in me." Ask for a burning passion for Him and be sure that He will answer that. I don't know how He'll respond to you in that, but I know this; when He asks "Who do you say I am," you'll be able to answer from your heart, because His Spirit will have revealed Him to you, and you can trust that He will never stop doing so. Never, ever. Blessings, Pastor O

Invited

 Matthew 11:28. Most of us know it. Many of us use it to invite people to Him. "Come unto Me all you who labor and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest." A powerful invitation, and a true one. But is it really true for you..for me? This invitation has a prominent place in most Bible believing churches. Does it have a prominent place in the hearts of Bible believing Christians? I'm not so sure.

The Book of Hebrews says, "there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God." This is a rest that lives in the very center of His peace. It's a rest that too few of His people know anything about. Wesleyans have always seen this promise in Hebrews as His invitation into a rest that comes from a deep, all-encompassing surrender to Him. When He comes into a heart He does save, He does cleanse, and He does bring peace, but He doesn't stop at this. There is a deeper call upon us. A deeper surrender. A complete one. And the fruit of it is His peace, His joy, His abundant life. It comes from the complete laying down of our will and the full entrance into His. It's a scary invitation because to enter into that rest is to leave behind all our desire to control and direct our lives, which will always be accompanied by much stress and strife. To know the peace, He speaks of means we have to yield all to Him.

T. Austin Sparks said that we have no right to invite unbelievers into His rest unless we too know it, that His rest is "the practical outworking of the belief that He is Lord," and that His Lordship is struck at by "the unrest of His people." How often has His Lordship been "struck at" by my own unrest? By yours? How often have we allowed the stresses and pressures of life so fall upon as to harm the witness of the peace we say we have in Him? In so many ways, we in the church are as exhausted, stressed out, and worn down as the world around us that we're seeking to reach. This is so because we're still trying to work out our affairs in our own strength, wisdom, and understanding, and it's crushing us. Anxiety, irritability, frustration, and hardness of heart and spirit will always be the fruit of that. We're living outside of His heart and life, and it's obvious to all...except...too often to us.

Jesus describes Himself as a Door and a Gate that He calls us to come to and go through. We come to that Door, we even go through, but do we do so fully? Sparks wrote that, "The Door is essential, but it's what it leads to that justifies going in at all." On the other side of that Door is all the depth and wonder to be found in Him. Christ is the Door through which all the fullness of that Sabbath rest that remains is found. We have to leave our will, our self-life there to enter into that Sabbath rest that awaits us. Too many of us can never do so. We know the Doorway, but we don't truly know the depths of what the Door leads to. 

Satan, the thief, is always seeking to steal from us that which has been given to us in Jesus Christ. Our peace is one of his most prized trophies. Where is he stealing yours and mine? Where is our unrest? How much of that Sabbath rest is still unknown to us? His invitation does not just leave us at the door, standing with hat in hand. His invitation takes us into all the fullness of the life He has invited us into, and He goes with us through all of its depths. That invitation is given to us each day. May each day we accept it, as we journey ever deeper with Him.

Blessings,
Pastor O

Christ Crucified

 For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.  I Corinthians 2:2

I'm heartsick. Beyond heartsick really. As I watch our nation, society, and culture continue to disintegrate, I grieve. It is clear that no matter where you might stand in the political spectrum, there will never be any kind of accord between the two views. We are past the point of "agreeing to disagree, agreeably." Our enemy, Satan, is gleefully at work on both sides, mixing in vast amounts of hate. Hate that begets violence. Violence the leads to death. I see no end to it.

There is only one hope for us. He's the only hope we've ever had, though most, even in the church, have been blind to it. Jesus Christ. The true and real Jesus Christ. The crucified Jesus Christ. The risen and alive Jesus Christ. In the midst of all the chaos, His church has been sleeping. Obsessed with comfort and pleasure, we have watched the disintegration with varying degrees of concern, but mostly, so long as it didn't affect us, we were not overly bothered. What has been needed, what we've neglected, is to be a church alive unto Christ. A church that has the message that Paul brought to the Corinthians. A church that doesn't claim to know anything but Jesus Christ, and Him crucified.....and risen....and alive...and victorious. A church that takes this message of blazing light into the darkness and puts the darkness to flight. A church that does not fear to arouse the power of the darkness because it knows and experiences the infinite power of Christ.  A church that has ceased to argue about non-essential issues and has centered on the Good News of Christ the King. A church that hasn't chosen to stand on the right or the left, but on the side of Christ alone. On the side of the Kingdom of God.

I believe the Lord has already kindled the fire. The media that has managed to captivate so many will only show us scenes of mayhem and violence, will not show us the scenes of renewal and revival that are taking place everywhere. Let us, as real believers in and followers of Jesus Christ, commit ourselves to being those who claim to not be experts at anything but the knowledge of the crucified, risen and alive Jesus Christ. Jesus. Shepherd. Warrior. King. He is still the Savior of the world. Of our world. Let's lift high the name of Jesus and let's take Him with us wherever we go. Boldy, without apology, and in confidence. The church is waking up. Let us awaken with it.

Blessings,
Pastor O

A Way Home

 See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.  Isaiah 43:19

I've been battling sickness most of this week, and still am, but it's on my heart to get this out. Many within the church are heartbroken over loved ones who've walked away from the church. Others, myself included, grieve over loved ones who have never known Him. I have this prayer, related to the Scripture above, in my prayer journal. I share it with you today.....Father, for all those who have wandered away, make a pathway in the wilderness, that they may come home.

I encourage you to pray this with confidence. As a father, mother, brother or sister. As a friend. My confidence lies not in the prayer, but in the God to whom it is prayed. I believe that He will literally move heaven and earth to make a way for a lost soul to come home to Him. Despite what you see in their surface behavior, ask God to plant seeds through His powerful grace in their hearts. Pray that He continues to water that seed by His grace. Pray that He will bring that loved one home to Himself. It's His will that they should come home to Him, so believe that He will be faithful to act in response to your prayer.

Focus on Him as you pray. Ask Him for insights on how you should pray for these ones. Ask for words to speak  to them, for wisdom and discernment on when to speak to them. Pray in confidence of His hearing and moving, but pray also with all of it submitted to Him. Cast the burden you carry for them upon Him. You can't really carry it. He can and He will.

This is not a "guarantee prayer." Each of us does have a free will, but I believe when such prayers are lifted to Him, His grace and power are released in ways beyond our knowing. He pursues until the very last breath of that loved one. Commit them to Him, and trust Him to work. God works. Always God works.

Blessings,
Pastor O

Have We?

Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.  John 6:68

Peter and the rest of the disciples had just witnessed a devastating event. Great crowds had been coming out to listen to the preaching of Jesus, and to see His miraculous works. Especially the works. They loved what He was doing for them. They had less interest in what He wanted to do in them. This was proven in their response to His most recent words. He'd told them that no one could follow HIm who was not willing to completely die to themselves and their own desires and then follow Him to wherever He would lead. Scripture says that at this, many turned away and would follow Him no more. What had been many now became just a few. Jesus asked the remaining disciples if they would leave Him as well? Peter spoke for them all with his words shown above. Where would they go? He alone had the words of life they so desperately needed.

In my prayer journal, I've got the question, "Have we made the choice that, no matter what, we are going on with Him?" I don't believe we can truly follow Him until we've made that choice and answered that question. We're sure to be tested in it.The choice needs to be made before the crisis comes, and there will be a crisis. If our commitment to Him has yet to be made, it is unlikely we will go on. The crowd didn't. It's easy to be part of the crowd. It's far harder, impossible really, apart from His grace, to be a disciple. And our discipleship will be tested regularly. With loss, disappointment, sacrifice, failure. The pull of the fickle crowd will be there. Is our walk with Him so entwined with His heart and life that the pull of His heart far outweighs that of the disposition of the crowd?

I've shared often about the hard places of my life. Many of them were devastating beyond words. Yet, I never considered turning away from Him. I knew there was no place to go if I did. I knew that going back to what my life was without Him would be far worse than anything that might come with my life in Him. I knew that death was all that awaited me in my turning away. Scripture talks of those who would rather have the riches found in Him than to own all the treasures of this world. I knew in my heart that the lyrics of the old hymn were gloriously true; It will be worth it all, when we see Jesus. One look at His dear face, all sorrows will erase. It will be. It is. 

Losses and crosses will mark our lives on this side of eternity. Have we made the choice that none of that will deter us from following after Him? Have we? Have you? 

Blessings,

Pastor O 

The Goods

 I have a question in my prayer journal, asked by A.W. Tozer. He asks, "Are we silencing the scoffers? We'll only do it by being what we are created to be, by being in possession of 'the goods.' We're to embody His rest, peace, strength, and presence." 

That's a really convicting and piercing question. Who are we in the midst of the pressures of life? How do we deal with the unexpected crisis? How do we respond to suffering, loss, and....failure? When we feel disappointed, especially by God, what do we do? We live in a fallen world, so all of us who take the name of Christ will experience these things. What do the witnesses of this world see when we do, especially those who scoff at and ridicule our faith? Do we exhibit peace in the storm? Maybe we've told some of them that they can have His peace in their life storms. Do they see us to be in possession of that peace? The same goes for having His joy, His strength, and the grace that allows us to experience it all with a dignity only He can give us. How we walk through our own dark valleys will be the only means we have of shutting the mouths of the lions of this world. The scoffers, the mockers, the unbelievers.

Then there is another crowd of witnesses. Hebrews speaks of the great cloud of witnesses in heaven who are beholding the living out of our faith. I confess that I don't fully understand what that "looks like," but I like to think that they are somehow cheering us on, exhorting us to stay the course, finish the journey, and do so by bringing honor to His name. If this is so, in the hard places of our lives, are we giving them anything to cheer about?

The last witness is the One who matters most, our 3 in 1 God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. What are they witnessing? Are we glorifying them in the midst of our personal struggles and pain, or do we diminish them in our complaining, anger, and resentment of our trials? I believe it was Augustine who said that the chief end of man was to glorify God. It's in the hardest places that we have the greatest opportunity to do so. Are we?

Like I said, these questions convict and pierce us. Will we close mouths by how we live for Him in the midst of the storm, the darkness, the trial, or just add to their scorn, making them think, by our actions, that our God isn't real? Because we don't really have.....the goods.

Blessings,
Pastor O

Thoughts

 Today, I thought I'd share a few thoughts/quotes from my prayer journal....

There's nothing they can take from us when everything we have already belongs to Christ....Voddie Baucham....How many times have we sung the lyrics to All to Jesus I surrender, all to Him I freely give? Beautiful words. How well do we live them?....We are natural born "clingers." We're going to cling to something or someone. If it is anyone but Jesus, we have no hope of at some point losing it or them. Scripture calls us to "follow hard after Jesus." The language used is following with a closeness that makes it impossible to distinguish between the One who leads and the one who follows....because they are one. We cannot do this when we try to hold onto our treasures. They have to be surrendered to Him. They must pass from our hands into His. Husbands, wives, children, bank accounts, investments, homes, and on and on. We live in fear of losing these....unless we have given them all to Him in trust. It's a tremendous burden to try and hold onto everything in our lives. Let us release our grip on what we cannot hold and hold to the One who will keep us in His grip of love.

We want just enough Jesus to get to heaven but not enough Jesus to change us on earth.....The church seems to be filled with those who fit this description. They want a faith that secures them heaven, but not a faith that seals them in Jesus Christ. I don't believe that such a faith even exists, but many are living like it is all the same. Someone said that many professing believers are "atheists unawares." They live out their day to day lives as if Jesus doesn't exist. He is not sought in life decisions. His wisdom takes a backseat to their own. They are more influenced by politicians, celebrities, therapists, and even their pastors, than they are by Jesus Christ. Jesus is their free pass into heaven, but He is not their way, their truth, and their life here. Where do we fall in all of this? 

Believing in God but not obeying Him is exactly what Satan does.....I don't remember who said this, but it's truth is chilling. Most professing believers will recoil in horror at this, but how guilty might each of us be in its truth? The devil knows fully who the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit is. He knows completely who they are and the extent of their being.There's no doubt in his heart, if he has one, at all. Yet he exists in open rebellion against Him. Wherever disobedience exists in our lives and heart, we share this trait with him. Someday, we will each stand before Him to give an account of our faith lives. The very thought should make us tremble. May there be no part of my life or yours that puts us in the company of the enemy of God and the enemy of our souls.

Just a few thoughts. May we meditate upon them today.

Blessings,
Pastor O

Distractions

 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith  Hebrews 12:2

George Barna said that we live in the midst of a distracted culture. Not just in the secular realm, but the spiritual one as well. That makes living out the truth of Hebrews 12:2 impossible for us by any other means than by His Holy Spirit. Only He can work so that nothing else has the power to draw our eyes and our heart away from Him. And the distractions available to us are nearly unending. Here are a few. To what degree are they at work in us?

Comfort - We're obsessed with our personal comfort. Our efforts to provide a comfortable life for ourselves will always push Jesus off the center of our being. It makes any idea of "taking up our cross and following Him" an impossibility. His cross does not offer us comfort. It offers us His way of life. It offers Himself. Comfort has no place for the cross.

Entertainment - We are being entertained to death. Not just in the culture, but in the church. So much of what we call "worship" involves seeking to provide congregants (actually the audience) a good church experience. There's little difference between a Hollywood studio wanting the audience to leave the movie house feeling well entertained and the church wanting the congregation leaving the church house with much the same feeling. Our lust for entertainment is killing us by inches....and Jesus has no place in it.

Pleasure - We're pleasure seekers. We always have been, but our hunger to feed our desire for pleasure, sexually, emotionally, and physically, is leading us to spiritual destruction. Again, there is no place for His cross. No self-denial, no hardships or suffering. We medicate our lives with sex, drugs, video games, Tik-Tok, and relationships. Relationships with anyone and everyone but Christ.

Survival - This may be our greatest distraction. Countless lives are affected by the simple action of just trying to hang on, to make it through the day, the month, the year(s). Get the bills paid. Provide for our families. Keep our jobs. Find a job. Pay the rent, the mortgage, the car. We're not really living. We're just surviving, and for many they think it's "victory" if they do. We are born with an instinct to survive. It is so strong in us as to render Jesus Christ as an afterthought, if He is any thought at all. Worst of all, Christ offers a life that will thrive, but most often, we choose one that allows us to survive. Barely.

These are just a few of the distractions. Where are they found in your life and mine? What ones are there for us besides these? How much of a field day would George Barna have for his statement about distraction if he were to use you or me as His example?

Blessings,
Pastor O

New Song

 1Sing to the LORD a new song;

sing to the LORD, all the earth.

2Sing to the LORD, bless His name;

proclaim His salvation day after day.

3Declare His glory among the nations,

His wonders among all peoples.

Psalm 96:1-3

How does one sing such a song in the midst of this fallen world? A world filled with sorrow, pain, and suffering? As I look around the landscape of my life and the life of our church fellowship, I see wreckage and suffering everywhere. Loved ones lost to death. Families being torn apart. Marriages ending. Children rebelling, walking away from their families and from God. How can anyone sing any "song" other than one of hopelessness in the midst of all that? For me, for us, I think the answer is found in Scripture, as all answers are; Mr Redeemer Lives! He has not left us at the mercy of all this. He is with us. Fully, completely WITH US!

The enemy of our souls, through an unbelieving world will ask, If He is real, why does He allow this? This is a fair question if we seek to absolve ourselves from all responsibility for the existence of evil, which we do. Sin, and all the spiritual, emotional, and physical wreckage that flows from it, first entered humanity through the sin and disobedience of Adam and Eve. The human race has been tainted by it ever since and is unable to break its power. God, in His love, made a way out by sending His Son, Jesus Christ, to be the antidote and pathway to freedom and life for all who would believe and follow Him. This does not mean that all who believe would be free from all pain and suffering. We are not. We still live in this fallen world, but our lives and eternal hope are not bound up in this it, but in Him. We are born again unto a Living Hope in Jesus Christ. Nothing in this fallen world can touch or diminish that. We are not victims in the midst of this world, but overcomers. Eternal life is at work in us right now, and in the midst of all suffering, the joy of the Lord is our strength. We have a hope that the deepest and darkest sin cannot extinguish. That is why, in the midst of the darkness, we can sing the new song. He is the Light and the Life that overcomes sin and the world system it operates through.

I rejoice today in the new song He gives me. This day and every day. It isn't dependent upon how I feel or what is happening. It's rooted in Him. It allows me, even in the deepest darkness I have or can experience, to declare His glory and His salvation. To bless His name, and sing of His glory before all the earth. I don't discount the reality of suffering. It's real. He is more real. This world and its suffering are passing. He is eternal. He is forever. My destiny isn't found here. It's found in Him. My Living Hope. Because of that I can sing the new song. Oftentimes with tears in my eyes, but the song grows greater and deeper, along with my hope.

We're in a new year. Only He knows what lies ahead for us. In whatever comes, He invites us to sing His new song. By His grace, I intend to. Will you, by His grace, sing it as well?

Blessings,
Pastor O