Thoughts on a Sunday Morning 05/16/2010

Thoughts on a Sunday Morning 05/16/2010

The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is anesthetized by the world.
The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is dull and lethargic.
The Church of the Lord Jesus Christ is slumbering.
Sin has permeated the air and acts like a sponge to abosorb the Word of God before it can take root in the heart and mind and soul of the body of Christ.
The world can only be saved by the Church.
The purpose of the Church is to be the Salt and Light of this world. Only through the revival of the Church can the course of human history and action be changed.
Because sin permeates the air everywhere the word SHOUT or CRY is used in the Bible.
The prophets had to SHOUT to be heard over the noise of sin that perpetually hangs in the air in this world and in this life.
If world events and people are going to be changed, the change must first happen to the Church - the Bride and Body of Jesus Christ. As long as the Church is numbed by the world - as long as the Church is insensitive to the sin around it, as long as the Church is unburdened by the millions upon millions who enter into eternity every day and are dropped into the fires of Hell without anyone thinking or caring, then the world will contiune on its course of self destruction.
Only a living, breathing, fully awake and revived Church can change the world by the power of Prayer and Action.
Only a Church that is comitted to love each and every living soul - no matter how lovable or unlovable they may be - as Jesus Christ loves them and gave His life to save them from an eternity apart from God. When the Church is revived then the love of Christ will be seen and felt and known in this world, but not until then.
Ezekiel 9 tells of a vision - Israel was wholly given over to sin. Idolatry, Adultry, lying, murder were common practice because Israel had left their first love - the Lord Jehovah.
Even thought they knew that the Lord had delivered them from Egypt and had worked amazing miracles among the people in their wars with the enemies of God, they soon forgot the Lord and started serving gods made of wood and stone and natural elements.
The Lord tells the angel with an inkhorn (we would call it a Sharpie today). to go out throughout the land of Israel and make a mark on the forehead of everyone who sighs and cries because of the sins of the leaders and the people of Israel.
Then he tells the destroying angel to go behind the angel with the Sharpie and slay everyone who does not have a mark on their forehead.
But note what the Lord says,
Eze 9:5 And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Eze 9:6 Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and
begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house.

Six angels - called men. One had an inkhorn, the other 5 had their destroying weapons. Begin at my Sanctuary! The wrath of God does not begin upon the world or its leaders, but upon the Holiest place on Earth with those who have served God the longest being singled out as the first ones to be killed if they do not have the mark! The elders - truly an example of the last being first and the first being last!
Notice Ezekiel 9:1 "He Cried" - that means SHOUT! Why? Because like now the air is so thick with sin that it absorbs God's Word. You have to SHOUT to be heard over the deafening roar of sin in this world. Spiritually, we can only hear clearly when we transport ourselves into the Throne Room of God because only there can we hear clearly spiritually. No wonder Paul says "Pray without ceasing."
Notice I use the word 'says' here. Its is because the Word of God is Living - the words of the Prophets and Psalms and Jesus and Paul and Peter and all the others in God's Holy Word are ALIVE. So when I refer to the Bible the Word of God SAYS - not SAID! Present tense, not past tense.
Jesus put it this way - Luk 20:38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
I think that this is an important point. When quoting the Bible use the present tense not the past tense! It sets the Bible apart from everything else that is written in the world! The other books of the other religions can use the past tense because they are not Holy, not Living! But the Bible is Alive and Well and it has the power to change the hearts and minds and souls to men, women and children. And it alone has the power to save the eternal soul.
There is a tendency today to relegate the Word of God to just another piece of ancient literature to be studied by scholars and CHANGED.
I thank God that He is able to keep His Word Pure, and that no matter how language scholars may massacre the Bible it still has the power to convict of sin and change the Human Heart and save the Human Soul!
As teachers and preachers we must NEVER let out guard down when it comes to the Word of God - because if we do then truly "The foundations will be destroyed and what can the rightout do?"

Some Things I cannot do as a Christian - When God says NO!

As a Christian, there are certain things that I cannot do. These are things that others may be allowed or able to do, but the Grace of God upon me prevents me from doing these things:

First is the Obvious - As a Christian I cannot:

1) Sell any alcoholic drink - I cannot partake in the creation, distribution or sale or use of any alcoholic drinks (beer, wine liquor, whiskey, ect). This means I cannot work in a convenience store in any city where alcoholic beverages are sold. I have taken a vow to the Lord. As Jesus said at the Last supper he would not taste of the fruit of the vine until he drinks it anew with his apolstles in the coming Kingdom of God. Good enough for me as well. I will not drink any alcoholic drink - including wine, until I sit at the Lord's table and he serves me in the Kingdom of God.

2) Sell any pornographic material. This means I cannot work in any store that sells pornographic books or magazines or any other media. That means I cannot work in a common bookstore like Barnes and Noble or Books a Million. Also this means I cannot work in any convenience store that sells pornographic magazines.

So those are the obvious restrictions that the Grace of God has placed on me in regard to where I can and cannot work and what I can and cannot sell.

However there are a few things that might surprise you that I cannot do as well:

I am married therefore I am restrained by the Grace of God from having physical sexual relations with another woman. I know that people and Christians do it all the time, but I cannot. However, I can imagine a situation where it may occur, but I belive that the Grace of God keeps me from those situations. I am restrained by Grace.

Also, I am not allowed to have an Apple iTouch.
I had a plan.
When my Blackberry curve 2 year cell phone contract expires in 2011, I was going to go with a simple Track Phone and and iTouch on WiFi. The Track phone would be just a phone, and the iTouch would do everything else that my current smartphone does.
However, I am constrained by Grace.
I cannot have an iTouch or iPhone or any other Apple technological product. Why? Well, I guess its because I see Apple as EVIL. From the first kits that Apple sold mail order for $666.66 - their origional computer (I know that the 2 Steve's started this business in their garage). The symbol for Apple is the Apple from the garden of Eden with a bite taken out of it - the symbol of the Origional Sin of disobedience against God which caused Jesus to have to live among us - die on the cross - be raised from the dead - and redeem a lost and dying mankind from the ravages of sin. The line drawings of the Apple have been Eve giving Adam the fruit (presumably and Apple) in the garden of Eden. Glorifying disobedience and rebellion against God. I know all this, I've seen it and lived through it. So, God will NOT allow me to have an Apple technological product.
I tried.
My son has an iTouch and I used his for awhile- he was going to give it to me, but then my wife developed moderate to severe pancreas attacks and I had to give it back.
However I thought if I buy one myself I would be allowed to keep it. So, I went to eBay and bought a new one. However when I received it I discovered my mistake. My wife became sick again and I had to loan it to a friend at work.
How do I know that the Lord does not want me to have or do something?
I know when things go wrong.
I loose the Blessing of the Lord on myself, my work, my family.

When God says NO, he means it!
The Israelites had to wait 40 years in the desert because of their lack of faith in God as their protector against the people of Cannan. There was no repentence on the part of the Lord. That entire generation had to die in the wilderness and not until a new generation had grown up could the nation of Israel cross the Jordan River and begin the occupancy of Cannan.
Not long after that an act of disobedience on the part of Achan caused 36 men to die and 3000 to flee before the people of Ai. The nation mourned and their hearts melted as water. All day they fasted and prayed and at evening God told Joshua to get up - because the people had sinned in taking the accursed thing in a previous battle against the Lord's strict orders. Achan had to be found out by lot and killed before the people of Israel could go on.
It's the same in the life of every Christian. The Accursed thing must be destroyed out of our lives before the Lord will continue on with us on the Road to Christian growth and fellowship.
So, God has allowed me to have many things that I enjoy - a computer, PSP, DS, Blackberry curve smartphone. These things are allowed, but an iTouch is not allowed.
And no touchy of any other woman than my wife as well.