Pastor's Blog
Pastor's Blog
Preparing the Fields of Revival # 5
As we continue to prepare our fields for rain we must enter the field of purpose. Revival has a purpose, a purpose in your life and in others. You honestly must feel that there is a purpose to your life--specific God-given purpose, because there is.
We mentioned earlier that our general purpose is to glorify God and bring Him pleasure. We can only do that if we are experiencing spiritual life. If we are living in a state of non-revival, God neither gets the glory nor the pleasure that you were created for.
Gather your purpose--The very fact that you are breathing is an indication that God has a plan for your life. Ephesians 3:20 says, “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.” The word “abundantly” means superabundant in quantity and superior in quality. It means in excess, both in quantity and quality. God wants to give you more than could ever be dreamed or imagined, but we short-circuit ourselves by not living according to purpose.
Your purpose is found in Jesus Christ (Philippians 1:21). Your life and everything in it is to be centered on Him (Colossians 3:17). Your life is in no way about you. It is in every way about Christ. To reach your purpose, to be truly fulfilled, you need to give up on yourself and turn it all over to Him. You must get your life centered on Christ and revival will come. By the way, if you are centered on Christ, you are revived.
Give of your purpose—A paradox, according to Webster, is “a tenet or proposition contrary to received opinion or seemingly absurd, yet true in fact.” The Bible is full of paradoxes. One of them is found in Luke 6:38, “Give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom...”. Biblically, the way to get is to give, but we should never give just to get. God knows the heart and attitudes as well as the actions.
Give your purpose away. Knowledge that you have of the Word of God is to be shared. His Word will not return void. Do not be afraid to share just because you may not know all the answers. Just share what you know. A witness is one who only reports what he sees or knows as a fact. One of the best ways to witness is to tell someone what Jesus did for you. If He has changed your life, you have a story to tell. Prepare your field for rain by speaking out for the Lord Jesus.
Give of your time. Invest your time in the life a child. Children hold a special place in the heart of God. Let them hold a special place in your heart, too. Invest your time in service for the Lord. Teach a Sunday school class. Go soul winning. Volunteer to help with transportation. Paint a room. Clean a toilet. Do something for the Lord.
Active people are generally joyful people (at least if we are active for the right reason—Jesus Christ). The more active you are, the more you will accomplish and the more joy you will spread. Joy truly is contagious. Work at making your joy visible.
Give of your treasure. A prepared field means that we are following God’s conditions for income use. He requires 10% of your gross income to go to His church. He also expects offerings to be given (Malachi 3:8-10). Without belaboring the point, you will put your money where your heart is. Although we may not like it, the money you give to the Lord is in direct proportion to your love for Him. Give little—love little. Give much—love much!
Gain from your purpose—Galatians tells us that we will reap what we sow. We will reap if we faint not. God’s promises are sure. The Bible lists seven laws of harvest. If we apply them, we will reap.
Laws of the Harvest:
1. We reap only what’s been sown (Gal. 6:7, 8)
2. We reap the same in kind as we have sown (II Sam. 12:9)
3. We reap in a different season than we sow(Eccl. 3:1-11)
4. We reap more than we sow (Mark 4:1-8)
5. We reap in proportion to what we sow (II Cor. 9:6)
6. We reap the full harvest of the good only if we persevere (Gal.6:9,10)
7. We can’t do anything about last year’s harvest, but we can about this
year’s (Phil. 3:13)
If we study and follow these laws (that work every time), we would reap more. Others as well as you have planted much in your life. There will come a day of harvest if you are true to the principles of God’s Word. This does not happen by chance. There must be a plan.
Preparing the Fields of Revival #4
We can not expect revival in our lives without prayer. We also can not expect revival in our lives without purity. God demands that we be a pure people. God can only work through a clean instrument. God needs you to be pure, to be holy.
Purity is Irrespective--God is not a respecter of persons (Acts 10:34; James 2:1). He expects the same from each of His children. He expects us to be holy (I Pet. 1:16).
If we could not obtain holiness, God would never have commanded it. Simply put, holiness is obedience. If we are living a life of obedience, we are living a holy life. But obedience goes much deeper than most of us think. God expects complete obedience from each of us. None are exempt. There are no excuses. So stop making them.
God is looking at your heart as much as He is looking at mine. God is not a respecter of persons in this matter of purity. He not only expects holiness from each of us, but He deserves it. We have become His dwelling, and we need to keep a clean house for the Lord.
If you are serious about seeking revival in your life, then you must take inventory of yourself. You must be willing to deal with what God shows you. Although God expects holiness from all of us, I am only responsible for holiness in my life. You are only responsible for holiness in your life. Do not worry about anybody else. Look at yourself!
Purity is insistent--We must insist on purity. Unless we mean business, we will remain impure. I am not talking gross immorality. I am talking purity. Unless we make a conscious move toward purity, it will never happen. Right this minute, what sin is God pointing at in your life? It must be dealt with. It must be confessed with a heart of true repentance. Read Psalm 51:2-4. David’s desire was to be pure, to be washed. The only way that was possible was to face his sin squarely and recognize who he had sinned against. When our sin does not line up with purity, we are out of step with God. Therefore we can have no fellowship (Amos 3:3). Neither are we in a position to receive blessings from God.
We must insist of ourselves that we live purely before the Lord. Daniel purposed in his heart not to be defiled (Dan. 1:8). When the time came to face defilement the decision was already made. There was nothing to consider. We too must purpose in our hearts not to defile ourselves with sin.
When it came time for Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednigo to worship the image, they answered the king, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (Dan. 3:17, 18).
Their decision of purity was made ahead of time, and there was no questioning it when the time came for temptation. I Corinthians 10:13 reminds us that there is always a way to escape temptation. They were prepared for the temptation and, therefore were able to avoid the sin.
Purity is ideal--Will we sin? Unfortunately, yes. But we do not have to. God provided everything we need to be pure and holy. According to Romans 8:9 the Godhead lives within you. Matthew 28:18 says of Jesus, that all power is given to Him. You have the power to overcome anything any time—if you choose. I John 3:9 teaches us that if we are born again, we can not sin. This is not teaching in any way the doctrine of sinless perfection, but rather that the new nature that God has placed within every believer can not sin. However, the old nature that remains can sin. That is where the battle is --between the old and new nature. Living in the Spirit controlled by the new nature of God is to be preferred.
When you were saved, you were taken out of satan’s domain (Rom. 6:14), out of his kingdom and placed in God’s kingdom. We no longer live under the power of sin. We are no longer held in bondage to habits. Why then do Christians struggle with the old, carnal nature? Although we will sin from time to time, I believe that in the life of a growing Christian that we should be sinning less and less. I also believe that we do not have to be bound to any addictive behavior.
There are all kinds of psycho-babble today to explain away our bondage to addictions and bad habits, but the simple truth is we choose that behavior. Our past, circumstances, childhood learning, etc. may influence our choices, but the truth is you and I do what we want to do. As Christians we have the power (through Christ) to say no—to stop stubborn habits. Philippians 4:13 says that I can do all things through Christ. “All” includes addictive behavior. Stop making excuses for the wrong that you love and just admit it. Then get right. Ideally, that is what God wants for you. You must prepare your field if you truly expect the rain of revival.
Preparing the Fields of Revival #3
Preparing the Field of Prayer
In the last section we looked at some things necessary for personal revival. Now let us turn to the matter of corporate revival—revival within a church, a town, or a nation. Corporate revival will never happen without first having personal revival in the life of someone. Will you be that someone?
Revival in a church will never happen until someone in the church first gets the burden for personal revival. A town will never see revival if God does not raise up someone within the town to carry the burden of revival. Revival is a work of God. It has everything to do with Him, but yet He requires some things of us. We looked at some of them in the last chapter. Now we must put some things into practice.
As was mentioned, revival will never happen without prayer. Every great revival that ever took place was empowered by much prayer. If you are seeking God to send a revival in your life, your church, your community, it will cost you much in the way of prayer. There are three things to consider in this great matter of prayer.
Prayer must be consistent. Revival probably will not happen after one five-minute prayer. Revival usually requires days, weeks, months, and in many cases (most cases) years of consistent prayer. Sincerity is proven over time. Sincerity is proven by consistency. We may be on fire for the Lord today and be as cold as ice tomorrow. It could very well be that you begin to pray for revival today and next year at this time, it may still not be realized. Keep praying. Anything worth having from God is worth the struggle of prayer.
This is not at all meant to be a “how to” lesson on obtaining revival. Only God can send revival. Only when He is ready will He send it—but our fields must be prepared. Only to those who are humble, seeking Him, repentant, and praying will He send it. Only to those who are prepared to receive it will He send it.
Prayer prepares our hearts. Philippians 2:5 tells us to have the mind of Christ. That is not natural, but supernatural. Prayer cultivates the field of our heart. Just as Christ would desire revival in our churches and towns, so does satan desire to see revival fail. The more we pray, the more satan attacks. The more he attacks, the more we need to pray. So the pattern goes. Remember I Peter 5:8 warns to be on guard because satan’s desire is to devour us.
Praying for revival will not be easy, but it is necessary. Consistently staying on our knees will make the difference. The battle may be long and difficult, but yet it is worth it. People in your church, your town are counting on you. They may not be aware of it, but nevertheless it is true. Seeking revival means committing to prayer for the long haul. Be consistent. Pray daily. Pray much that God will work in your life, in your church, in your town.
Prayer must be complete. Pray about everything (Ephesians 5:18). If need be, make a revival prayer list to help cover all that you feel needs to be included. In other words, pray in detail, not just generalities. Share your heart with the God of Heaven, and just as importantly, allow Him to break it. There is something about prayer that will change our hearts if we allow God to work.
Pray especially for your pastor. He is constantly under attack from satan’s army. Pray that God will keep you from temptation (Matthew 6:13; 26:41). Pray for the power of God on his life - that God will work through him in a mighty way. Pray that his love for God will always be hot.
Pray for sin and vice to be removed (specifically name the sin or vice). Pray for the leaders of your town. If they come to Christ think of the wonderful way they might influence the people of your town. Pray for other religious leaders in the town that may not know the Truth (Matt. 7:21-23).
Pray that God will use circumstances in the lives of people to draw them to Himself. Sickness and tragedy often have a way of pointing hearts to spiritual things.
I believe it is impossible truly to pray for others and not receive a burden to want to do more. True prayer will lead us to action. Love is action.
In Matthew 9:38 Jesus tells us to pray for laborers for the harvest. We must pray, but notice in verse 36 that Jesus was moved with compassion. Here is another catch-22. Compassion will lead us to pray, and prayer will cause us to be compassionate. Jesus was moved with compassion. His compassion caused action. As much as we need to pray, our prayers may not be complete unless we put action behind them.
As you share your heart with God about “Uncle Joe”, God may speak to you about your need to witness to him. As you pray for your town, God may impress upon you to take the message to someone in the town. The important thing is that you are obedient to the will of God. The important thing is that we are tender to His voice and listening to His every Word.
Prayer must be connected. By that, I mean that our prayers need to be connected to the God who answers prayer. In John 13: 13 and 14, Jesus twice promises that He will do anything we ask if we ask it in His name. The word “name” has to do with authority. That is, if we ask anything in the authority of Jesus Christ, he will do it. If we ask anything according to His will, He will do it.
Is it not God’s will that His people be revived (Revelation 3:1, 15, 16)? Is it not God’s will that all men come to salvation (II Peter 3:9). Unless I am reading this wrong, or unless God is a liar, it seems to me we ought to be able to pray for revival and expect it. Would it not please the God of Heaven to revive your tired, cold heart? Would it not please him to light a fire in you that would spread to others? Then ask in His name. Give Him the opportunity to work. Volunteer to be the spark!
Jude 20 tells us to pray in the Holy Ghost. Sometimes praying involves listening. We pray in the Holy Ghost when we listen to what the Holy Spirit tells us to pray. Be sensitive to His direction in your prayer time. Ask Him to guide your prayer time. Elijah listened to that still small voice. We need to listen as well. Instead of constantly bringing our requests to the Lord, it would do us good to just be quiet before Him and let Him tell us what we should pray for.
That is what praying in the Holy Ghost is about. Realize, too, that as we pray to Him what He tells us to pray, that He has every intention of answering that prayer. In other words, praying in the Holy Ghost is praying in Jesus Name. He promises to answer anything we ask in His name. We just need to connect with His heart, His desires, His programs and make them our heart (Philippians 2:5), our desires (Psalm 37:4), our programs. God is obligated by His Word to work.
Preparing the Fields for Revival #2
Principles of Revival--1. Humility
2. Prayer
3. Searching
4. Repentance
Revival will never take place in the heart of the proud. One of God’s qualifications for revival is humility. The word “humble” in II Chronicles 7:14 means “to bend the Knee.” We will never be ready for revival until we first bend the knee. God is God. Who are you?
It does not matter who you are, or who you think you are. Life is all about Christ—not you. Remember you were made for His glory. We are not to think more highly of ourselves than we are (Rom. 12:3). We need to bend the knee before the God of Heaven and realize that everything we have is from Him (James 1:17). Your very breath is from Him. Realize that we deserve to be burning in hell right now. We must bend our knees and bow before the Lord in submission to be on the road to revival.
Revival is a matter of serious prayer. We will look closer at prayer later, but realize that personal or corporate revival never takes place without much prayer. Prayer is mentioned in Ephesians 6:18 as being one of two offensive spiritual weapons. The Bible is the other weapon. If we become immersed in Bible study and prayer we can not help but to be revived. It is prayer, that lifts us above this world into the very presence of God. If you expect revival, expect to spend much time bending your knee in humility and prayer.
If we are to be revived, we must seek the face of God. We know God. We know what He is about (or so we think). We have a relationship with Him. But that is not enough for revival. The average, dead Christian knows what God is about, but we are talking about something much higher. We must develop a longing to know Him in a most intimate way. Paul said “For me to live is Christ. . .” (Phil.1:23). Let that sink in. His life was Christ. So must ours be.
Every breath we take is to be about Christ. Everything we do is to be about Christ. Everything we say is to be about Christ. Unless we seek Him, we really will be unable to live Him. Prayer, much prayer, is a principle of revival, but so is the use of God’s other offensive weapon—the Bible. We must drench ourselves in His Word if we are to build that intimate relationship with Him. If we are to live Him, then we must know Him. The only way we can know Him is to seek Him.
If we are to experience true revival in our lives we must turn from our wicked ways. We must repent of our sins. I am not talking about repenting for salvation. I am not talking about sinless perfection. I am saying what the Bible says. We are to turn from our wicked ways.
I Peter 1:15 and 16 says that we are to be holy. God would never have told us to be holy if He did not expect us to be. He would have never told us to be holy if we could not be. Holiness in these verses means to be physically pure and morally blameless. God expects His people to be physically pure and morally blameless. Holiness goes beyond actions of the physical body. Holiness enters our thought processes as well. Psalm 66:18 and Isaiah 59:1 and 2 both bring out the idea that our sin separates us from God, and thus from revival. God can not revive a dirty vessel and allow it to remain dirty. Revival brings with it the need to clean up, to turn from sin, to be holy.
I do believe that sometimes we do not really understand the cost of revival. If you truly desire to see revival in your life, it will cost you dearly. It will cost you dearly, but it will be well worth the price. God wants to bless you more than you will ever know, but we must be faithful to His program. We must humble ourselves. We must spend much time in prayer. We must seek His face through the Word and prayer. We must, turn from known sin in our lives. We must be sold out 100% to Christ and His cause.
If you want revival in your life, then now is the time to prepare for rain. Prepare for God to open the windows of Heaven. Prepare for the work God has for all of us to do. Revival begins with you.
We will look at some of these principles closer next week, but take a moment to examine your own life now. Where are you at right now? What changes is God speaking to you about? Are you willing to make those changes? If not, you will not see revival or the total blessing of God on your life. You will miss part of what God has for you. Perhaps you will miss most of what God has for you. Spend some time in prayer and let the Lord speak to you in the quietness of your heart and just be obedient to what He has for you.
Preparing the Fields for Revival #1
With The Great American Fast XIV coming soon I though I'd repost this series on Revival. Expect it in 6 parts.
This is part one in a series of articles on seeking the Lord for revival. I hope we will be better off for considering the Scriptures in this matter of personal revival. Please look for the next installment next week.
I once heard a story of two farmers that were experiencing a drought. The ground was very dry, and there was no rain in sight. Surely there was no rain in the forecast for many days. While both prayed for rain, only one worked his field and prepared his field for the harvest. Which one do you think was really trusting God for the harvest? Which one do you think was able to reap the harvest? And so it is with revival. Which one are you? We must prepare our fields now so that when the rains of revival come we will be in a position to reap the harvest.
The definition of “Revival”--1. Return, recall or recovery to life from death or apparent death; as the revival of a drowned person; 2. Return or recall to activity from a state of languor; as the revival of spirits; 3. Recall, return, or recovery from a state of neglect, oblivion or depression; as the revival of learning; 4. Renewed and more active attention to religion, an awakening of men to their spiritual concerns.
In the sense of spiritual revival, we are dealing with that which is dying or that which was once alive coming to life again. In other words, spiritual revival takes place among born-again Christians. It is a quickening of our spirits. It is allowing the God of Heaven to control every aspect of our lives—our speech, our deeds, our thoughts (Col. 3:17; I Cor. 10:31). When God is in control, we are living at our best. We were created for His glory and for His purposes. When we understand and practice this principle, we are living according to the owner’s manual (the Bible), and we will fulfill our individual purpose and will experience the abundant life (John 10:10). Jesus says here that He is the reason for abundant life. If we are not living our lives to the fullest, it is because we are not living in Him (John 15:1-5). When we are living in a state of revival, we will not only be more joyful, but we will be more fruitful, thus fulfilling God’s will for our lives.
As was mentioned earlier, you were created to give all glory to God (Isa. 43:7; Rev. 4:11). A bird was created to build its nest in the trees. Fish were created to live in the water. A bird in the water would soon die. A fish in a nest would soon die. You were created to live in God’s sphere and to follow certain instructions that aid in your well-being and happiness. Anything less than that will cause you to soon die (to fall away) spiritually. That does not mean that we can lose our salvation. The Bible is very clear about that, but our effectiveness for the Lord will be hampered. Our fellowship will be hindered.
When we live according to The Owner’s Manual we will function at our fullest, just as a car will run at its best when its owner’s manual is followed.
There are no secrets to revival. The Bible clearly lays out the strategy for revival. Several principles can (and must) be considered. As we look at these principles, take the time to evaluate where you are in your Christian life. It could be the difference between living your life at its fullest, or just coasting.
Are We Experiencing Normal Christianity?
Webster defines revival in part, as "a recovery of consciousness from unconsciousness". He describes the word revive in part, as bringing back to a normal condition. I want us to take a minute and consider these two thoughts. How much are we really conscious of the spiritual need around us? How close are we to normal Christianity?
I still remember sitting in a 9th grade science class. The room was very hot and we were all crowded into a a small corner of the room to watch an experiment. Slowly, little by little, the room began to spin and everything turned black. Eventually I met the point of no return. I do not remember a thing from that time until the time of recovery in the nurse's office. For sure, there was activity all about me, but it was completely unknown to me at the time. I have no recollection whatsoever of that time period.
Could it be that we are spiritually unaware of a world that is spinning out of control and is covered in the blackness of sin? We do not have to look very far to see it, but do we? It is there, but are we conscious of it? Could it be that at one time in our lives we stood against sin, and for the Savior? But now, we have given in to worldly pressures, family pressures, possibly even church pressures? Our zeal and spiritual energy have been drained to the point of numbness, and we are not even aware of what is taking place in the spiritual battle. We have become spiritually unconscious. Meanwhile satan (I do not believe in capitalizing his name) is working his plan just as Christ desires to work His plan.
Maybe you are not unconscious, just a little tired of the battle. Maybe just a little sleepy. May I remind you that there is a lost and dying world out there that is counting on us to make a difference, even if they are not aware of it. The same was true in Jonah's day. Can you hear the world call "What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not" (Jonah 1:6). Remember that God through the Apostle Paul tells us to be stedfast, unmovable, and of course, always abounding in the work of the Lord (I Corinthians 15:58). Remember too, not to be weary in well doing (Galatians 6:9). The rest of that verse goes on to say "...for in due season we shall reap, if we FAINT not."
God never expects us to faint, to grow weary, to sleep, to become unconscious to the battle going on around us, but yet all too often it happens. Do not allow the things of God to become dull in your thinking. Keep on keeping on for the Lord.
As I awoke in the nurse's office, I can remember things seeming a little fuzzy. It took some time to understand where I was and what had happened. It took a few minutes for me to return to normal. If we have gotten away from the Lord, returning to our first love may seem a little strange. There may be some major obstacles we need to overcome, and it may not happen all at once. Gradually, little by little, God can and will allow a return to normal Christianity.
By your choice, He will fan a spark in your heart and cause it to grow into a holy fire. Could it be that at this time you do not desire to be revived, to be on fire for the Lord? Could it be that you are content to live a life apart from God? Returning may be a little fuzzy", but return anyway. Ask God to give you the desire, to give you that little spark that He can fan. He will.
Eternal Insecurity
It has long been debated within the Christian Church. Can one lose their salvation? If so, what are we to make of Jesus’ words in John 10:28? - “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish . . . .” If the words of Jesus are true, does that mean we can do anything we choose and still dwell in the heavenly palace of the King?
To understand our eternal destiny in light of the Bible we must go back to the very beginning and examine salvation. After all, it is salvation that is being questioned. Are we saved once for all, or do we have a part in keeping it? The difference between our eternal destiny of Heaven or Hell relies not on what we can do or don’t do, but have we merely received the gift God has provided for us?
So what exactly is salvation according to the Bible? What is this gift of God? No, it’s not being saved from a car accident or a drowning accident. It’s not a matter of escaping an abusive relationship. It is a matter of being saved from a literal, fiery hell and placed into the family of God
This can only be accomplished one way. Jesus said in John 14:6, “. . . I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” Notice the closing phrase, “. . . no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” There is only one entrance into Heaven. There is only one door. The Door’s name is Jesus Christ (John 10:9). Baptism may be good, but it doesn’t save. Attempting to keep the Ten Commandments is commendable, but it’s not the door. Loving your neighbor is wonderful, but it won’t get you any closer to Heaven.
Perhaps the best-known verse in the entire Bible is John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” If we are to believe the words of Christ The Christian’s salvation is based solely on a gift – a gift that God gave. We neither pay for a gift nor work to earn it. We just accept it.
But what about the thought, if we accept it, can we also lose it? Scripture is clear on the matter although to many it seems to be confusing. You will need your Bible for this study as I will only mention the Scripture reference. Consider the following thoughts.
Your salvation has been purchased not only by the shed blood of Jesus on the cross but by the blood of God as well (Acts 20:28). Should not the blood of God be sufficient to not only purchase your salvation but also to keep it? Since my salvation was purchased, it belongs to the one who purchased it - Jesus Christ. It is His responsibility to keep track of His purchase, not mine, not yours.
We see in Hebrews 5:9 that Jesus Christ has become the author of eternal salvation. Eternal means without end. For someone who has truly come to Christ for salvation, they can know that it will last forever.
Philippians 1:6 assures us that He (Jesus) who began the work of salvation in us will continue until we are with Him in Heaven.
Jesus Himself tells us in John 6:39, 40 that the will of the Father is that those who have come to Jesus should have everlasting life. God’s will be done. There are no two ways about it.
We learn in Romans 8:15 that we are adopted into the family of God, and a family relationship exists. He is my Father and I am His child through adoption. Further, we are told in John 3:1-7 that we must born again. We were born once physically. Now, to have an everlasting relationship with the Father, we must be born again spiritually. I was born into this world as a Kovacic. Everything I am was given to me by my parents. I can hate them (which I don’t). I can turn my back on them (which I haven’t). I can even legally change my last name. But I’m still my father’s son. Nothing can change that. Neither can anything change my standing as a child of God.
John 6:37 is another clear verse on the issue of eternal security. We are told plainly that all who come to Christ will never be cast out. Why is it so hard for some to accept the simple teaching of the Bible?
We have the promise in Psalm 48:14 that God will be our God forever and will carry us our entire lifetime.
That beloved verse, John 3:16, is so important, not only as it discusses true salvation but as it speaks of the fact we cannot lose that salvation. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” Time and time again in Scripture we are told that God has provided everlasting life, eternal life, for those that come to Him His way.
Paul mentions in Romans 8:38, 39 that “. . . neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Really, what’s left to separate us?
The Old Testament book of Psalms (Psalm 84:14) points us very clearly to the fact that God will not cast us off, nor forsake us – ever.
I John 2:25 gives us the promise of eternal life - “And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life.”
Soulwatch
Some people call it flash fiction. I much prefer the term, short story - very, very short story. Regardless of what you call it, the question remains - am I my brother's keeper?
The question was first posed by Cain 6,000 years ago. After murdering his brother, God comes looking for him. We read in Genesis 4:8, 9, "And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?"
The answer really is "Yes". We are responsible for the care of others whether we like it or not. We are to send the warning call for all to hear. If they refuse to listen, that is certainly their choice. Still, we have a responsibility. We have been made watchmen/women on the wall.
Much of Jesus' ministry was spent sharing parables. Parables were a special kind of story that shared a veiled meaning. Those who listened on the surface would miss the real meaning. Those who truly sought the Master would understand and respond. To those of us who want to follow in the steps of Jesus, the meaning is clear. We must sound the trumpet and warn those lost in darkness before the darkness overtakes them. Will you respond?
Grab your trumpet and come along!