Shacked Up

Christians don't shack up with their boyfriends/girlfriends & then float along in life, serve in ministry, pretend to be one thing at church while living in sin. It's a terrible testimony. It's learned behavior. It's sin. It's wrong. It shouldn't be celebrated...it should be repented of.

When there is true REPENTANCE, there will be REVIVAL in our lives & homes...then that REVIVAL will sweep into the church.

If you're sinning. Stop.

I rebuke this manipulating spirit in the name of Jesus.

When we know better, we should do better. Knowing right from wrong doesn't mean you don't or won't sin. Knowing right from wrong is an awareness God put in us. We have ALL sinned & come short of the glory of God. So, I do not say these things as a sinless person...but as a person whose sins are cleansed. Everyday, I'm clinging to the cross of Jesus.

And for anyone that says, "Pastor we aren't supposed to judge." Let me encourage you to believe the Scriptures. One of which teaches us that we are entitled to make a righteous judgement if we ourselves are willing to be judged by the same judgement.

As God's children, although we must be cautious in our judgments concerning ourselves & others, we cannot ignore our Lord's commands that instruct us to make judgments. In John 7:24, Jesus said "Do not judge according to appearance, but judge with righteous judgment"

But what does it mean to judge with righteous judgment? Jesus revealed this earlier in John 5:30: Jesus spoke, saying, "I can of Myself do nothing. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is righteous, because I do not seek My own will but the will of the Father who sent Me."

If we seek and follow the true will of God, which can only be found in His word, then when it comes time for us to help people discern between right & wrong, then we will not judge with our opinions or what we think is right, but just like the mind that Christ had, we will only seek to do the will of the Father. Following the limitations for judgment that are taught throughout the Scriptures, all we are to do in order to judge righteous judgment is to hear God's word, & judge using His standard.

How can anyone honestly say that Jesus didn't judge? For that matter, when our Lord's true followers make righteous judgments, based on His word, in order to expose sin & help the lost to be saved, why would anyone ever think that Jesus would condemn them for that? Jesus has plainly revealed that those who abide in His ways will judge with righteous judgment.

Friends, if you love your family & friends enough to not want them to spend eternity in HELL...you'll love them enough to teach them the TRUTH of The Word of God. We don't celebrate or tolerate sin. We love anyone & everyone who sins (including ourselves) to the point that we would rather they find their way out of bondage into the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ.

Ask yourself?

"Am I sending a mixed message to my family?"

"Do I live one way at church & another at home?"

"Do my children have respect for me, based on my character?"

"Am I leading my children to a consecrated life in Christ?"

Lots to ponder today. Love you all.

Lord, Bring Back the NEW Again

I long for a Christianity that is full of VITALITY!  Where we're not just going through the motions of attending church, partaking in communion and reading our Bibles...BUT there is no life, no change and no transformation.


When we have real TRANSFORMATION...it will show up in our living, our churches, our communities and our businesses. 


Jesus promised that His people would be filled with the Spirit, ambassadors of the Gospel and forerunners of His Kingdom.  We are supposed to be God's image bearers in the world, manifesting His glory everywhere.  We are supposed to be DIFFERENT.


Our forefathers prayed, preached, worked and hoped for something more.  REAL CHANGE.  They believed that God would come and transform His people so that they would live in the world as He intended.


I believe every generation longs for an AWAKENING...God's empowering presence to RENEW His people for more vital living and more faithful ministry in the world.


Does God want TEMPORARY or LASTING renewal?  Temporary could be described as getting a spurt of transformation during a season of dryness, only to dry up again later.  Lasting is a continual renewal that is sustained regardless of dry and barren conditions. 


Surely, God must want our renewal to be be LASTING!  He longs to send a revival that will provoke us to join His cause and regain our fervor!  He longs for His people to receive His divine touch and then do something with it.


Think of it like this...God gives birth to a plant in your garden.  We can all agree that this in itself is a miracle from the Lord.  But to make the plant grow, the gardener needs to work hard: cultivating, planting, weeding, feeding and watering.


What is REVIVAL?  re-viv-al = an improvement in the condition of strength of something; a reawakening of religious fervor; a restoration to bodily or mental vigor, to life or consciousness, or to sporting success.


Perhaps Revival has key elements that we need to consider...


Renewal 
When you look at a clock on the wall, you expect it to keep time.  However, if the battery is running low, it slows down and will not keep the correct time.  The same thing happens to us...we run down spiritually, emotionally, physically and even missionally.  We need to be REMINDED and RENEWED so we can be REENGAGED in the work of God.


Renewal happens when we are revitalized.  Just like a battery...it cannot recharge on it's own...it has to be plugged in for a charge to take place.


Reformation
Reformation is the ongoing practice of bringing every aspect of life and ministry into a greater conformity with the Gospel.  Unlike renewal...God's supernatural gift...reformation takes place when we work faithfully to address our shortcomings and areas of weakness.


We are called to action.  Even if God visits us with a supernatural "touch" of renewal...we must still be active in pursuing His will for our lives.  Going to church does not make me a Christian.  Standing in my garage does not make me a car.  Going to church is part of the process God uses to GROW me and RENEW me...therefore it is essential that I do my part.


Revival
God is still reviving His people.  We can describe it as a "great awakening" that sweeps through our country or visits a local church...but in essence REVIVAL renews God's people for carrying out God's purposes in God's world.


We see this in the Old Testament and also in the New Testament on the Day of Pentecost...when God poured out His Spirit to INDWELL and EMPOWER His people for ministry!


The Bottom Line
The Gospel of Jesus Christ is the GLUE that holds it all together.  If we rely simply on reformation, we'll approach our Christian walk as a task and a goal we can achieve if we work hard enough.  However, that will lead to pride, frustration and eventually exhaustion.  If we simply rely on revival, we'll approach our Christian walk with a heightened excitement, passion and felt empowerment that has to constantly be stirred up or sought after.


True renewal is a gift from God but it is one that involves His empowering Spirit and our faithful response.