Tag: christianity

Battling For the Life of our Nation

I Corinthians 15:45-47 TLV:

“If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. So it is written, “The first man, Adam, became a living soul.” The last Adam (Jesus, Son of God/Son of Man) became a life-giving spirit. However, the Spirit is not first, but the natural; then the spiritual. The first man is of the earth, made of dust; the second man is from heaven…”

‘First the natural, then then the spiritual’, a principle that we must understand that is foundational to understand the Word of God, the message of the Gospel, and the work of the Holy Spirit in our life after we become a believer in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

I want to use this principle to put before you a question regarding this nation’s national election on November 5 (Today is October 30, 2024).

When the electorate in the nation cast their vote, whether by mail, early voting, or on election day, each individual vote represents the heart and mindset of that voter. The outcome of the entirety of all the votes cast will show the heart of the electorate in this nation.

The results may be extremely close or even lopsided.

Who knows?

But an outcome will take place.

Not only will the selection of a new president show the heart of the electorate, but, also, the results for each individual choice, at the state level , will reveal the heart of the electorate, too.

I am concerned.

Why?

Let me ask you, each individual voter, this question?

Will we ‘abort’ this nation’s life, or will we ‘sustain’ this nation’s life?

I believe this will be clearly seen when the votes are tallied, the dust settles, and a direction for this nation has been determined by its electorate.

I encourage you to vote.

I encourage you to vote with a Biblical world-view; not a worldly mind-set that trust in the wisdom of man and ignores the wisdom of God.

blessings to my fellow believers in Christ, deo

Five Weeks And Counting…

It is now less than Five Weeks And Counting-November 5 will be here soon!

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic, as the ‘unprecedented unrest’ is mounting…as the light of political truth reveals the secrets that have been hiding in darkness…as the volume of accusatory rhetoric increases…as the level of irrational wrangling escalates…we as a nation, a Constitutional republic will be going to the polls on or by November 5, 2024. Today is October 17,2024 and Five Weeks And Counting started, October 1, 2024.

As a believer in Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, what is my responsibility as a citizen of the United States? I have dual citizenship. I am a citizen of the Kingdom of God, and Christ is my Lord; and I am a citizen of the United States and Joe Biden is my President.

I am told, and have understood, that many believers are in a valley of decision regarding the upcoming election. They are torn, not wanting to vote in this election. It is documented that many believers in the past elections have not voted because they were dissatisfied with the choice that was put before them in our national election for President.

I understand that struggle.

I, too, wrestled with the choice before me. But I was able to come to a ‘somewhat’ peaceful conclusion in the past elections and vote.

How? I had to identify what is most important to me as a citizen of the United States of America.

I want to encourage you, as a Christian, to vote.

It is important. Really important!

If you are in a valley of indecision, I want to encourage you not turn a blind eye away from the election process; but that you “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full into His wonderful face, And the things earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.” (Words by Helen H. Lemmel, Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus)

Your initial response to this might be: are you telling me then to ‘turn a blind eye’; no, in fact, I am trusting the Holy Spirit, that as you turn your eyes upon Jesus, you will look at your nation and see the upcoming election through the eyes of your Savior and Lord.

I contend that as you turn to Jesus, you will receive His focus upon the events shaping our nation, and give you understanding as you walk through your ‘valley of indecision’.

I believe the outcome will be that you will not ‘shrink’ from your responsibility to vote as a citizen of the United States because you will see that to vote is being a responsible citizen of the Kingdom of God.

What is our responsibility in the hour in which we are living?

As the title to this post declares, Five Weeks And Counting will be our national elections both at the federal and state levels.

As a citizen of the United States of America, voting has evolved throughout the history of our nation. Originally the states were given the determination who was approved to vote. This led obviously to quite a bit of variation among the states. We as a nation are still wrestling with the question of who can legally vote. Unfortunately, this wrangling has caused numerous issues in our recent elections.

Is it important for you to vote?

Absolutely.

Your vote, expresses your support for the nation. The process of voting is to keep our Republic strong by electing officials who are best suited to keep our nation moving forward based upon the strengths of our founding documents.

V.O.T.E : Voting Offers a True Expression of what you personally believe.

Unfortunately, over the course of our national history, there have arisen factions that want to change our founding foundation. Since the 1900s the thought of change has grown in intensity; and in the past 60 years, the proponents of change have become more demonstrative, both verbally and behaviorally.

From my perspective the fruit of those seeds of influence are now being expressed as ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our nation.

Some will automatically call me conspiratorial. That is not my heart.

The fact is that such a label of advocating ‘conspiracy theories’ is one of the issues that is at the heart of our current election rhetoric. People who disagree with the truth, or who want to ignore the thinking of those who raise credible contradictions dismiss their opposition’s claims with ‘name calling’.

Such is a current bedrock in our nation’s political rhetoric.

The SOUL, the LIFEBLOOD, the FUTURE, and the STABILITY of our nation, may indeed, be changed based upon the outcome of the November 5, 2024 election.

If you listen carefully to both political sides, that is exactly, what they are advocating.

Both sides are claiming to be saving our nation, our democracy, our very existence as we know it.

In fact, it is no secret, but both sides are praying to God for victory and their opposition’s defeat.

To me that is parallel to two competing athletic teams that have Christian players on both teams praying and asking God for victory.

What does one conclude when the winner and the loser become a reality, the contest is over, and victor is known?

How do you ‘feel’ when your favorite athletic team loses?

Are you ‘bummed out’?

*A personal testimony*

If you are a believer in Christ, confused, turned off to politics, bogged down in a valley of indecision, who has made the decision not to vote, I want you to know that I am not out to manipulate, pressure, or coerce you; however, I am asking you to seriously reconsider your decision.

Why?

We are not wrestling against flesh and blood (people/and their personalities); but we are wrestling against principalities, powers, and rulers of spiritual darkness. (Ephesians 6:12) (insert mine)

Consider this, your non-vote is a vote supporting those in our nation that want to dismantle our founding principles that will cause our Constitutional Republic to become weak and/or completely destroyed.

Yes, I am aware that those are strong words; but think seriously about the ramifications of our nation being changed negatively from within!

What is the S.O.U.L. of our nation? It is Saving Our Unalienable Liberties (or Lifestyle). It is about our life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

I suggest that if you clearly understand this; you will vote.

A couple of weeks ago, I came a point, where I realized that I did not need to hear any more words; I did not need to read any more headlines and their subsequent content. I have been purposely avoiding the news shows and the cable pundits because their analysis and rhetoric is verbal venom poisoning the minds of the voting electorate. I was certain I was not going to hear anything new. (As I update this post-I confess that there have been articles that have caught my attention. The latest is one about the number of Christian that are projected not to vote. It could be as high as 42 million. I believe that is wrong.)

[I am convinced that the Lord is uncovering the deeds and words of darkness bringing to light the lies and deceptions that have been perpetrated by both sides of the political isle. (If you would like to read more about this, go to livingwordsofencouragement.com and see the post, The A.R.R.O.W. of God.)]

I came to the point where I understood that my mind was mentally settled and that I could rest in my decision to vote.

Let me tell you why I needed to vote.

It is my responsibility as a citizen of the United States of America.

I need to live at peace with the Lord.

I need to live at peace with myself.

I need to have a clear conscience.

I need to be able to pray for the next President, just as I now pray for President Biden. The Word of God tells us to pray for those in authority over us “so that people can live peaceful and quiet lives.” (I Timothy 2:1-2)

I desire to be in that group of ‘people’. The scripture does not say that I have to agree with their decisions. Most of President Biden’s decisions I do not personally agree with; but that is not an excuse for me to avoid praying for him, and others in authority over me with a clear conscience.

Therefore, as I mentioned above, I do not need to be persuaded how to vote listening to the rhetoric of the political parties, and their pundits pontificating every day.

I am at rest in the Lord.

What has brought me to that rest?

That rest has been created by the Word of God.

I have chosen the Biblical worldview to come to my decision.

The Biblical worldview is Absolute Truth.

Both parties platforms are the expressions of man’s wisdom for the hour in which we live and are written explaining what they believe and they want to be accomplished to this nation forward.

They believe their platform will bring about the course correction needed for this nation.

What do you believe is necessary for a course correction for our nation?

If your course correction rests completely upon a candidate and his or her personality and/or characteristics, then I must say to you that you have fallen short of what is best for our nation?

Both platforms are NOT without serious shortfalls from the Absolute of God’s Word; but using the Word of God to evaluate both parties platforms, I have concluded that one of the two parties platforms provides for a resting place for my own personal peace and a clear conscience as a believer in Jesus Christ.

I am NOT saying that the party platform I have chosen perfectly aligns with the Word of God.

I have chosen the platform that I believe is more aligned with the Word of God than the other platform.

As I said previously, my decision brings rest and peace to me personally.

Why is that important?

It allows me to pray for this nation’s next President with a clear conscience, and not riddled by guilt, or regret.

It gives me a spiritual position of being able to quench the ‘fiery darts’ of the enemy that wants to assail me with accusations of fault.

In Christ, I can confidently submit myself before God, resist the devil, and he will flee. (James 4:7)

Therefore, I encourage you to prayerfully consider your personal position as a voter in this nation’s upcoming election.

What are your beliefs?

Do they align with the Word of God?

Are you at peace and rest as you approach the time to cast your vote?

There are major issues on state ballots that need voting upon by a responsible informed electorate.

Jesus said, that the enemy comes only to kill, steal, and destroy; but that He has come that we may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10)

God has blessed this nation abundantly. Yes, we have misused those blessings; but we, too, have been able to bless many other nations and individuals.

Let us make sure we do not lose our founding principles because we choose not to vote or vote ignorantly listening only to the wisdom of man and not be guided by the wisdom of God’s Word.

It’s time to pray, be informed by Godly Absolutes, and vote intelligently and conscientiously.

Blessings, a brother in Christ, deo

Note: I want to give credit to my brother, David, who sent me a text that had the words, five weeks and counting, that I used for the title for this post.

Chaos+Confusion+Corruption =

On August 14, 2024, a post was composed with this word equation as its title.

Today is September 16, 2024. I would like to share some additional thoughts regarding the post.

It’s no ‘new’ news to those that follow my posts that I have been sharing about the ‘unprecedented unrest’ coming to this nation.

We have seen and heard of events that have escalated the ‘unrest’ in this nation.

As the day of our Presidential election gets closer, things will continue heating up. The political climate will become hotter and hotter each day.

What is contributing to these elevated temperatures throughout the nation?

The clash of words. We are in an incendiary moment. There is a ‘war of words’ that are igniting worry. They are proceeding from both political parties and even from Christian ministries that mean well. Their words can cause anxiety too.

The ‘war of words’ reminds of the story of Chicken Little who is constantly crying out, “the sky is falling, the sky is falling”. I am using these words because we are being told by both political parties that the end of our nation is eminent if the ‘other side’ wins.

The political rhetoric is to emphasize traumatic worry within the minds of the voters.

Let me share my thinking in a more forceful way.

The ‘words of this world’ that generate worry are like ‘water boarding’ a prisoner attempting to break their resolve and vote like they are told.

The words of our political process are like a ‘constant dripping’ of a faucet that needs to be turned off.

The ‘many words’ of the political process are like a heavy weight upon the mind that is pressing down the very souls of the voters.

Strong words, yes; but I believe that they are true.

What is the SOUL of our nation: Saving Our Unalienable Liberties.

Both sides are saying they are the answer to saving the SOUL of our nation.

The problem is that the wisdom of the world does not have the answers.

The wisdom that we need is the ‘Wisdom of the Word’.

The ‘Wisdom of the Word’ does not bring worry. Let me state that again. The ‘Wisdom of the Word’ does not bring worry.

The Wisdom of the Word brings light that exposes the darkness; life that conquers death; peace of mind that overcomes anxiety, worry, fret, uncertainty.

I want to share with you a personal testimony.

Several days ago, I came to the place where I was mentally tired of all the words that were being shared, regurgitated, re-analyzed, dug-up, etc. This realization became apparent to me in spite of the fact that I have been personally avoiding not being caught up in the political rhetoric; yet trying to be somewhat savey of what is going on.

I found myself at a place where I didn’t need to hear any more words. I was at peace in my mind. I had a clear conscience about how I was going to vote.

Now it was time to thank the Lord for His Sovereignty regarding the election in our nation. I was resting in the ‘Wisdom of the Word’.

Regarding the election, it will be God’s will. There is no room for another conclusion.

My choice of vote is not based upon a person or his/her personality.

My choice is based upon honoring my Lord according to His Word.

Jesus Christ is our Wisdom. He is the Wisdom of the Word. He is the Word.

I Corinthians 1: 27-31 NKJV says, “But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound (put to shame) the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound (put to shame) the things that are mighty; and the base (insignificant) things of the world, and the things that are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and the things that are not, to bring to nought (nothing) the things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence. But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God, is(became for us) wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (inserts from the marginal notes of the Study Bible)

Thank you Father, I am resting in my Lord, and giving Him the glory.

Therefore, for me, personally, Chaos+Confusion+Corruption is negated by resting in Christ, Who is my Wisdom in the midst of the verbal political conflict perpetrated by the ‘words of the world’ that are foolishness in God’s sight.

These words are connected to the previous post of August 14, 2024.

If you would like to read the original post for the first time, or for a second time I encourage you to do so.

I especially pray that the Lord will fulfill for you Philippians 4:5-7.

I encourage you to read it, reflect upon it, and pray it, believing that the Lord will give His peace of mind in these stressful times.

Blessings, a brother in Christ, deo

Chaos+Confusion+Corruption =

Upcoming Trilogy

Today, March 20, 2024, I published a post entitled “Author Unknown”. It centers on the Gospel, the Cross, the death, the burial, and the resurrection of Christ. God’s redemptive plan of salvation that He has graciously and lovingly done Himself to offer the means of reconciliation for sinful humanity to receive eternal life through His Son, Jesus Christ.

I recommend that you read it, reflect upon it, and call upon the name of the Lord for salvation. If you already know the Saviour as your personal Saviour then rejoice in the salvation that is yours in Christ;

After celebrating Resurrection Sunday, I will be re-posting three articles that I shared a number of years ago. They center on the Sovereignty of God, our government, our leaders, our nation, and the response of the Church.

I encourage you to read this trilogy and pray for our nation as it moves full speed ahead into the heart of the presidential election period that will take place in November.

Our nation is at a critical crossroads. The Church must make its voice heard in heaven and at the ballot box. This election is not about personalities. This election is about what direction this nation is going to pursue.

The voting electorate is going to hear a lot of conflicting rhetoric about each Presidential candidate, his agenda, and the direction that this nation will go depending on which individual is elected.

Our attention, as believers, must be focused on the God’s Sovereignty.

Our God reigns.

Amen.

Have a blessed resurrection celebration,

a brother in Christ, deo

Author Unknown

This morning I was trying to find a teaching that I had written many years ago. As I was rummaging through my papers, I found this. It’s message is apropos for this time of year as we reflect on the Passion Week, Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Beneath the blood -stained lintel I with my family stand; A messenger of evil is passing through the land. There is no other refuge from the destroyer’s face; Beneath the blood-stained lintel shall be our hiding place.

The Lamb of God has suffered, our sins and griefs He bore; By faith the blood is sprinkled above our dwelling’s door. The foe who seeks to enter doth fear that sacred sign; Tonight the blood-stained lintel shall shelter me and mine.

My Saviour, for my dear ones I claim thy promise true. The Lamb is for “for the household”–the children’s Saviour too. On earth the little children once felt Thy touch divine; Beneath the blood-stained lintel They blessing give to mine.

O Thou who gave them, guard them–those wayward little feet, The wilderness before them, the ills of life to meet. My mother love is helpless, I trust them to Thy care! Beneath the blood-stained lintel, oh, keep me ever there!

The faith I rest upon Thee Thou wilt not disappoint; With wisdom, Lord, to train them, my shrinking heart anoint. Without my children, Father, I cannot see Thy face; I plead the blood-stained lintel, Thy covenant of grace.

Oh, wonderful Redeemer, who suffered for our sake, When o’re the guilty nations the judgment storm shall break, With joy from that safe shelter may be then meet Thine eye, Beneath the blood -stained lintel, my children, Lord, and I.

Father, we thank you for Jesus Christ, Your Son, the Passover Lamb, that takes away the sin of the world.

Thank you Father that , “…without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.”(Hebrews 9:22)

Thank you Father that, You, “made the One (Jesus) who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him (Jesus) we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21, TLV)

As you reflect upon the work of Christ, His Passion Week, His death, burial, and resurrection, remember that it was God, the Father, who sent His Son into the world to be a sacrifice for sin on the Cross, so that His creation of mankind might be saved.

Consider the following: “For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through Him. The one who believes in Him is not condemned; but whoever does not believe has been condemned already, because he has not put his trust in the name of the one and only Ben-Elohim (Son of God).” (John 3:16-18 TLV) (inserts mine)

This is the grace, mercy, and love of God demonstrated and poured out to all of mankind. God, the Father, sent His only Son, so that He might have a larger family of sons and daughters for eternity. God was willing to personally take on the issue of separation that sin created between Himself and His creation when Adam sinned. That is the message of the Gospel.

God loves you and desires that you become a child of His, by accepting His Son, Jesus Christ, as your personal Saviour.

Ask Christ, to be your Saviour; ask Christ to forgive you of your sin; thank Christ for His forgiveness and eternal life.

God’s Word says, “… For Everyone who calls upon the name of Adonai (the Lord) shall be saved. (Romans 10:13, TLV, insert mine)

May the Lord richly bless you this Resurrection season, your brother in Christ, deo

THE RAIN/REIGN OF GOD

“It’s beginning to rain, hear the voice of our Father, Saying “who-so-ever will come drink of my water; I promise to pour out my Spirit on your sons and your daughters.” If you’re thirsty and dry, look up to the sky, it’s beginning to rain.”

That is a chorus from IT’S BEGINNING TO RAIN, Words and music by Gloria Gaither, C. Aaron Wilburn & William Gaither.

As I have been sharing in my lastest posts, the storm clouds are gathering and there will be ‘unprecedented unrest’. I am referencing that ‘unrest’ in the context of Jesus’ words found in Matthew 24, 25 (NKJV).

Storm clouds bring rain, some times, torrential downpours, such as the world experienced in the days of Noah. Jesus referenced those days in Matthew 24, telling us, that “as the days of Noah were, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” Based upon what He had earlier explained in Matthew 24, those days will not be pleasant.

As we enter a new year, many individuals are looking forward with anticipation to fulfill personal goals and even lofty expectations. That excitement is not wrong; however, as I have been sharing , there is an ‘unprecedented unrest’ thundering in the storm clouds that have and are forming throughout the world. That unrest is ‘shaking’ nations. It is even shaking our nation, and I suggest that that shaking will increase. What kind of ‘flood’ will deluge on our nation will be seen and experienced in 2024 and possibly beyond.

The good news is that while this ‘unrest’ is shaking our nation, God, the Father, has a parallel outpouring that is, and will continue to grow, and take place on the nations of the world, and on our nation.

That parallel outpouring is an outpouring of His RAIN. What is that rain? It is found in the words of the chorus above. He is pouring out the rain of His Spirit on His sons and His daughters. This is an outpouring of His Presence, His Power, and the Preaching of the Gospel. This activity is accomplished by His Spirit poured out upon His Church, His followers of Christ, the Bride of Christ, and His sons and His daughters. Matthew 24:13,14 NKJV, ”But he who endures(holds one’s ground in conflict) to the end shall be saved, And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.” (insert mine)

It is time, not to get caught up in the ‘what ifs?’ of the ‘end-time’; it is time to focus on the gospel being preached to the nations.

Yes, the dark, foreboding, clouds have and are continuing to gather. There are two types of rain being poured out upon the world. The rain of ‘unprecedented unrest’ and the rain of the Holy Spirit.

The first rain is described by Jesus in Matthew 24:4-8; the results of this ‘unrest’ are outlined in Matthew 24:9-12. All of these are “precursors to the end times”. (notes in Spirit Filled Life Bible).

As previously mentioned in Matthew 24:13-14, Jesus alludes to another rain. Let me offer this thought: The rain of the Holy Spirit is a manifestation of the ‘reign’ of God.

God, the Father, sovereignly rules over all rain being poured out on the world.

Jesus is emphasizing His reign as the King of His Kingdom. 

We, as believers, are ‘in Christ’. Jesus is our ARK. The ARK is A Righteous Kingdom. The Kingdom, Adonai’s Righteous Kingdom, is ruled by Christ Jesus who is our King. In the Kingdom, we are governed by the Holy Spirit, God’s rain, who directs us to fulfill His reign in our lives.

We are in the A.R.K. In the ARK, we are safe and secure in the midst of the storm. (We are not immune to suffering) The ARK is our place of refuge. It is our dwelling place in the Presence of the Most High God.

Matthew 24;8, referring to the previous seven verses, outlining the tumultuous times; Jesus says, “All these are the beginning of sorrows.” (Matthew 24:8, Spirit Filled Life Bible study notes: Beginning of sorrows refers to “labor pains”, which were expected to precede the end, making the transition from this age to the Age to Come. The severe labor pains, followed by delivery and fulfillment, are also a pledge to the end and the joy at the time of “delivery”.) 

We are being told what it will be like now, what to expect, what we are to do, and what the end result will be when Christ returns. 

In the previously written posts, we, have understood that this current ‘unprecedented unrest’ is NOT the great tribulation. These storm clouds are bringing God’s Sovereign intervention into the affairs of mankind. There are issues that must be judged; but simultaneously, there will be an outpouring of His grace and mercy seeking to redeem His fallen humanity before the return of Christ. That is the work of the cross.

In Matthew 24: 15-28, Jesus shares the details surrounding the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D..

In Matthew 24:29-31, Jesus redirects His dialogue to the time of His return; then in Matthew 24:32-35, He tells a parable to His listeners focusing them on a natural event that prepares them for His next statement, a parable about the fig tree.

In Matthew 24:36-41, He reflects upon the days of Noah (see posts entitled: The Storm Clouds Are Gathering; The Entrance To The Ark Is Shut; go to livingwordsofencouragemnt.com) explaining what the climate of the culture and the society will be like prior to His return. I think that it is safe to say that we are living in that same climate and that is growing increasingly hostile and becoming more corrupt.

In the previous posts that I recommended that you read, it was emphasized that we needed to be be grounded in our relationship to the Lord, knowing that to be ‘in Christ’ is to be in the ARK. Saying it again, the ARK is a Person; and that Person is Jesus Christ. In Him, we will ride out and weather the storms that impact our nation and the nations of the world.

It’s 2024, It’s beginning to ‘rain’ as He continues His ‘reign’.

I want to encourage you to re-read Matthew 24: 1- 41.

Now, turn your attention to Matthew 24:42-44.

This is where I will begin in the next post.

Blessings, reminder, “It’s beginning to rain, hear the Voice of the Father, if you are thirsty and dry, lift your hands to the sky”… because the rain of the Holy Spirit is coming afresh to fall upon you. You are His sons and His daughters in Christ.

deo

A MOMENT OF DIGRESSION

Part 8

For the past several weeks, I have heard teaching messages from three different pastors at the local church I attend.

The content of their teaching has confirmed the words that I have been sharing in the current post series.

I am grateful for the Holy Spirit’s confirmation of His direction through the Word being shared by other ministers in the Body of Christ.

On November 12, 2023, Jeremy Pray shared from Romans 8:18-30 outlining how the Lord uses suffering in our lives today. He encouraged us by emphasizing that “God is for us!” Life can be hard; but God works it out for our good.

He listed seven statements of hope from the text of Romans 8:18-30.

He closed his teaching emphasizing that as a believer we have no cause to worry as long as everything is ok between the Father and the Son-we have no issues to fear.

Therefore, in the context of the blog series, we have ‘no issues to fear’ as believers in Christ during the time of ‘unprecedented unrest’.

The following week, on November 19, 2023, Matt Rehrer’s, sermon was a continuation of the text found in Romans 8. He shared verses 31-39.

His teaching was entitled: Anchorings, and Moorings of the Soul.

He began with showing a picture of a vessel in a severe storm that was painted by Leonardo da Vinci, entitled ‘The Storm on the Sea of Galilee’.

When I saw the picture on the screen, I immediately thought of the impending ‘unprecedented unrest’.

Pastor Rehrer shared our moorings in Christ.

  1. If God is for us, who can be against us? Who can wrestle me from God? Is my sin too much for God? The answers are unequivocal: No one, No one, and NO!
  2. “In Christ, I am not just, justified, but I am declared righteous.”
  3. Not only did Christ die, and was resurrected, but He, also, ascended to heaven and sits at the right hand of His Father. The act of being seated speaks to us of the permanency of His atoning work. His work is finished. His work is completed. He said, hanging on the cross before He died, “It is finished”. Jesus eternally secured our salvation.
  4. In heaven, He is our High Priest and He ever lives making intercession for the saints. Hebrews 7:25, NKJV, says, “Therefore, He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him since He always lives to make intercession for them.”

Therefore, as we go through the storm of ‘unprecedented unrest’, our High Priest is making intercession for us before the throne of grace. We have that mooring.

Because of our moorings in Christ, we can walk in security. We can ‘ride out the storm of ‘unprecedented unrest’ as we stay focused on Christ.

We are secure in Christ, Who is our Ark. We are safe and secure just as Noah and his family were safe and secure inside the ark being tossed about in the ‘unprecedented storm’ that God unleashed to flood the earth.

After sharing about our moorings, Pastor Rehrer shared from the same passage our anchors in Christ.

Does God have a purpose allowing us to encounter storms in our life? Is there a purpose for suffering?

I ask, Does God have a work He is doing in the earth using a storm of ‘unprecedented unrest’ at this time in our nation and the nations of the world?

As I have previously shared, I see a two-fold purpose. The two-fold purpose is judgment and grace. God’s judgment upon those who need to be judged; and God’s grace available for those who turn to the Lord to receive the message of the Gospel. It’s a picture of Calvary. The Cross judged sin and becomes the instrument of new life in Christ.

As Pastor Rehrer emphasized, ‘in Christ’, we have an anchor of security in the present and security in the coming age. In Christ, we have safety. I do not need to live in fear and doubt. ‘In Christ’, no circumstance will separate me from God’s love. He is the anchor of my soul. ‘In Christ’, my suffering, my trial, my tribulation, my personal turmoil is not pointless.

Let me turn our attention to Hebrews 5: 5 b, 7-9, NKJV. It is written of Christ, “You are My Son, Today, I have begotten You…Who(Christ), in the days of His flesh(in a human body); when He had offered up prayers and supplications, with vehement cries and tears to Him(His Father) Who was able to save Him from death, and was heard because of His godly fear, though He was a Son; yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been made perfect (Gr. teleios, mature, a word that means the goal, purpose or end for which something exists or is performed.) He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him.” (inserts mine)

Q: If God’s Son, Jesus, learned obedience here on earth through suffering, robed in human flesh, how do you think, we, who are here on earth, robed in human flesh ,are going to learn obedience and grow into maturity?

A: Through suffering: suffering is the paramount means that God will use to bring His children to maturity in Christ. It comes by the way of the Cross throughout our life. It is the ‘inwrought’ discipline that takes us through the process of sanctification.

Consider Paul’s words found in Colossians 1:24-29, NKJV.

Q: What is the goal of Paul’s ministry as he understood it from the Lord?

A: “I now rejoice in my suffering for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body which is the church, of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God, the mystery which has been hidden from ages, and from generations, but now has been revealed to His saints. To them God willed to make known (ginosko) what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect (teleios, mature) in Christ Jesus. To this end I also labor striving according to His working which works in me mightily. (insert,emphasis mine)

What did Paul understand regarding the impact of his ministry ? Preach Christ, and water that preaching so that believers could mature ‘in Christ’, NOW!

I realize that this ‘diversion’ has been extensive; but I believe that it is necessary because it verifies that God is doing a work in the earth. He is stirring the ‘unrest’; He is moving the puzzle parts of the nations; and He is pouring out His Spirit saving the lost in a darkened world.

In the midst of this ‘unrest’, our security, safety, and refuge is in our ARK, Christ Jesus, the Lord.

Recalling Psalm 64:10, NKJV, “The righteous shall be glad in the Lord, and trust (find their refuge) in Him. And all the upright in heart shall glory.” (insert mine)

We now give our attention to the Senior Pastor at NCC.

On December 10, 2023, Pastor Kent Dresdow, shared from Matthew 20:17-34.

At the conclusion of His teaching, he addressed the congregation forcefully, yet compassionately as a shepherd feeding and tending his sheep.

In Matthew 20: 29-34, it records an interaction between two-blind men, calling out to Jesus, and a large crowd that was following Jesus. The two-blind men called out to Jesus saying, “Have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David!” The crowd accompanying Jesus, “warned them that they should be quiet; but they (the two-blind men) cried out all the more saying, “Have mercy upon us, O Lord, Son of David! (insert mine)

Jesus stood still and called to the blind-men, and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” There response was direct, “Lord, that our eyes may be opened.”

Pastor Kent confronted the congregation lovingly inferring that we, in the days in which we are living, can be like these blind-men, not seeing what is happening around us and to us. He said that we need to cry out to the Lord that we may see.

How so, you ask? We are blind to the darkness and death all around us.

Strong words, but words we need to embrace in the hour in which we are living, because the ‘days are evil’.

We are not spiritually aware (seeing) what is happening daily in our homes, our families, our community, our work place, our state, our nation. He exhorted us and encouraged us to be like the blind beggars who cried out, “Have mercy upon us, O lord, Son of David!” For what are we crying out? to receive sight!

He warned us that just as the crowd told the beggars to stop it; the world, will tell us to stop it; you won’t find any help from God, from religion, from Christ. Are we going to listen to the world; or are we going to turn to the Lord?

Pastor Kent, told us that we can be as ‘blind-men’ in this age. We need to cry out to the Lord. We need to humble ourselves, ask the Lord to heal us, so that we may ‘see’.

Why? So that we will have eyes to see the world as it is; to see the Lord working in our lives; but most importantly to see the world as the Lord, Himself, sees the world.

In summary, these three sermons have been sharing the same subject matter that the Holy Spirit has been emphasizing in the current series of posts.

Jesus said, Matthew 24:37-39 NKJV, “But as the days of Noah were, so also will be the coming of the Son of Man be. For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and did not know (ginosko) until the flood came, and took them all away, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be.” (insert mine)

Jesus’s words imply blindness to what was happening in their midst. Noah obediently built an ark for the safety of himself and his family, and all the animals, creatures, and fowl God directed to come into the ark. But the people who witness the construction of the ark were blind to what was taking place.

The ark was God’s appointed place of safety for the coming ‘unprecedented unrest’ that He was going to unleash upon the world, in the form of a flood.

As I shared, in the previous post, the storm cloud have gathered; there is ‘unprecedented unrest’ in our world. It is growing throughout our nation, and the nations of the world. Do you ‘see’ it?

God has provided a place of safety for His people during this season of ‘unrest’. We are in a time of preparation to ready ourselves for the ‘unrest’. We need to pray and ask the Lord to ‘see’ what is going on, and how to be prepared for what is coming.

The truth is that all who are ‘in Christ’ are always in have a place of refuge. Do you as a believer understand that? Is that knowledge just a fact or a living reality?

We are citizens of His Kingdom. We live in a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.

Knowing (edoi) that and Knowing (ginosko) that are two different things. (inserts mine) [see the post: Knowing is not Knowing: Edoi is not Ginosko]

We are safe and secure ‘in Christ’.

We will be going through a ‘suffering’ (an unprecedented unrest) that will shake the nation in which we are living and that same ‘unrest’ will be used by the Lord to grow us in our ‘teleios’ (made perfect) which manifests itself in maturity as a son or daughter of God.

end of Part 8

tbc

a brother in Christ, deo