What if?

What if you were told you only had a short time to live, say a week. Would you live it any different? People who have been diagnosed with a terminal disease usually spend time getting their "house in order". They then live as if evey day was their last day to live. For Christians it is living with the anticipation of seeing Jesus face to face and the comfort that brings wth knowing in your mind and heart by faith where you are going.

What if the hand of God wrote in the sky that Jesus was coming back in one week, would it change anything about the way we live? Would it change the way we act and react to our family members? Would it change the way we see other people? Would it change our understanding of who God is and what Jesus Christ did on the cross as the sacrifice to God for our sins?

What if we lived each day as if Jesus was coming back, just like it says in the Bible? It is something to think about.

Who's Church is it?

Here is something to think about. When Jesus ask his disciple, Who do people say that I am? He went on to tell Peter, after His personal cofession that Jesus is Lord, that Upon this rock He would build His Church. John's gospel teaches that He is the way the truth and the light unto salvation. Then in 1 Corinthians 12 Paul discusses the diversity of gifts that are given for the building up of the church. He finishes that chapter by saying the gifts are given to each christian according to His purpose.
Here's the thought, If Jesus is the establisher of the church, and if salvation is of God, and if He gives gifts according to His purpose for every beleiver, and if they are for the building up of the church. There really cannot be any question as to who's church it is. And if it is His church we are to be about the ministry He has called us to and to serve Him as bondservants.

Is Revival Relevant?

I was discussing with a group of pastors the question, Is Revival relevant for today? The response was mixed. Some said a resounding yes, while others said not practical. Those who said not practical pointed to the fact that the schedules of the modern family have become so filled with sports and educational activities that time for scheduling a two or one week of services for Revival would be counterproductive. They also sighted that children today are involved with multiple hours of homework every night. Some of the pastors recounted times in their life when churches scheduled two weeks for Revival Services. The first week was dedicated to getting the saints stirred up and the second week was for getting the sinners saved.
All believe that there is a genuine need for revival. The moral decay in the world and the way the world standard has changed point to a genuine need for a spiritual revival of the church. The question needing to be addressed is whether we are talking about placing emphasis upon an event called Revival or emphasizing the process for obtaining revival. In both cases the goal is to see believers spiritually renewed and recommitted to the task of kingdom expansion.
Here is a question I have considered; do you have to have an event called a revival to have a revival? In looking back upon the Great Awakening within the United States there was always the elements of prayer, humility, and the seeking of the face of God that preceded any spiritual renewal of the Christians. When the Christ followers seek the presence of God through humility, the Spirit of God reveals areas of life that individually need confession and repentance. Through confession and repentance the child of God receives a cleansed heart and a reviving of God’s Spirit within their life that prompts them to service. Service to our Lord is evidences by the living out of our profession daily before a world. By allowing Christ freedom to live through the believer others will see and be drawn to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is genuine revival. A specific service or series of services referred to as Revival Services may be used as the focal point, but the key to revival is the process used to get the God inspired outcome of the followers of Christ. It can only happen through a renewed relationship with the Father through Jesus Christ. The momentum of revival can only be sustained in what is planned for following up the revival process. There is a greater need to focus on what is needed for Spiritual Renewal than about a set event. After all according to Webster, revival is defined as to return or restore to consciousness or life.

It is approximately a month before Easter. In the same way we look forward to Christmas, we need to look forward to celebrating the ressurection of Jesus Christ on that first Easter sunrise. But we must never forget what Jesus did that allows us to celelbrate His ressurection. Each day there will be a new post to assist in the preparation for Easter.

Day 31 Luke 9:51 “When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem.”

Consider the fact that Jesus had twice foretold of his treatment and death in Jerusalem to His disciples. Yet after the transfiguration, the casting out demons and the settling of an argument between the disciples, Jesus set his face toward Jerusalem. He did this knowing that he would be rejected by the religious leaders and eventually killed. Jesus determined to accomplish His God given mission, resolved to follow through with the task, and became unwavering in His steps. In His obedience he died for the sins all mankind.

A House of Sacrifice

At a Building dedication the pastor was preaching from 2 Chronicles 7, when Solomon was dedicating the temple in Jerusalem. After all the sacrifices had been made and Solomon had prayed God answers Solomon and Israel with these words, "I have heard your prayer, and have chosen this place to Myself for a house of sacrifice." That particular statement caused me to think in terms of the buildings we call our houses of worship. The question I wonder is do we make these places "houses of sacrifice"? The simple answer would be to say yes, we offer the sacrifice of praise that spoken of in Hebrews 13:15, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praiseto God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name."
I think the harder answer can be found in Romans 12:1, "I beseech you therefore brethren that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, pleasing to God, which is your reasonable service.
The Old Testament sacrifce involved the giving of the firstfruits, the first born, the best that they had. It literally was a sacrifce on their part. God sacrificed His firstborn, his firstfruit, his best for all mankind. All we truly have to offer is ourselves to God. Our worship should involve the sacrifice of our selves at the altar of God. It's something to think about.

Christianity-lite?

I read recently Christianity being described as Christian-lite. the statement got me to thinking about the Great Commission and the practices of the church. In the church we talk a great deal about sharing the gospel of Christ so that people can become Christians. The Great Commission says "As you are going make disciples of all me". Are we more interested in making Christians or in making disciples? And is the Great Commission a corporate command, or is it an individual opportunity to partner with God in transformation of an individual into a maturing disciple of Christ? It's something to think about.

How important are relationships?

How important are relationships? According to Oscar Thompson in Concentric Circles of Concern, "The most important word in the English language, apart from proper nouns is relationship. You say, but love has to be the most important word. Love moves through a relationship." Since the creation of mankind, life is about relationships. There are two basic relationships in life. One is a vertical relationship that exists between man and God. the other is the horizontal relationship that exists between persons. The first relationship in the Bible is God's relationship with man as the Creator. God's stated objective was to create man in His own image and to have the reasoning ability and to be able make moral choices. Man was created with the capacity for personal interaction with God and with others. In the Genesis account of creation God and man are presented interacting together and in relationship with the third part of relationships woman. In the creation story there is both vertical and horizontal relationships.

In the Gospels, Jesus is seen entering into relationship with those He encounters. According to John 1:35-51, as Jesus was going about his day, He invited individuals to enter into a relationship with Him in the statement, Come and see. With every person Jesus encountered in the Bible there was an opportunity for relationship building. this same scenario can be seen when Jesus, while passing through Samaria, encountered the woman at the well. Jesus seized hold of the opportunity to establish a relationship with the Woman at the well as described in John 4. he met her where she was and spoke to her as an equal. this relationship resulted in many more from her city meeting Jesus as their Savior.

In the Matthew 28:18-20, Jesus tells His disciples that they are to make disciples as they are going. Making disciples is about establishing relationships and building upon that relationships. It is about taking hold of the opportunity that is presented and to be Jesus to others who do not know Jesus. After all didn't Jesus say to his followers, "As the Father has sent me, so send I you." It is not about withdrawing from the world, nor is it about warring with those who disagree, and it is not about walking in the same lifestyle as others. It is about being Jesus in our speech, action and reaction. It's something to think about.