We Have Settled For So Little

"Now whatever city or town you enter, inquire who in it is worthy, and stay there till you go out."  (Matthew 10:11)

Luke's version says, "And remain in the same house....Do not go from house to house."  There is a principle here, a strategic principle.  This is not just how to win the lost in some "door to door campaign."  This is how to take a city, influence the culture, which leads to transformation.  It begins with looking for "key" people.

Much of evangelicalism's approach to evangelism has been to get individuals "saved."  This is not outside the intent of, "Go into all the world."  If one considers the history of revivals, however, they mostly affected individuals, and added to the membership of local congregations, nothing wrong here, of course, but regional societies were little affected.  Look at New England, the "cradle" of American education.  Look at the "Bible Belt," where they taught Sunday School classes, catechized children, baptized people, held revival and camp meetings-------- and hanged black people by the thousands.  This is travesty of the first order.  Most KKK members were also members of local churches.  Throughout American history, the Gospel was preached, in many cases, the meetings were huge, but societal impact was small.  

Much was as today, churches grow, "Christian" television rakes in millions upon millions, yet all the while the American Culture "around" the churches remains largely unaffected, and is sliding more and more into the abyss.  Half of the United States have legalized same gender marriages, while national news media touts homosexuals and lesbians kissing.  If American Christendom remains as it is, this will only increase.  A year after I graduated from high school Americans stopped praying in its schools.  Two years after, Americans stopped reading the Bible in schools.  Twelve years after, Americans legalized the murder of the unborn and lost a war for the first time in its history.  None of this could have happened without an impotent religion.

"Inquire who in it is worthy," literally, "Inquire who in it has weight."  Look for "key" people in the city; look-for-leaders, I believe is a foundational principle for city-wide, national transformation.  It is true in business, in the media, in government.  Some would scoff at this and say it's not possible.  I say, "What does, 'Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,' i.e., "ethnos," mean?"  Read the Old Testament and one discovers that God is God of the nations.  He desire the nations, as well as individuals to come to Him.  From Abraham's battle to retrieve Lot to Daniel reigning as Prime Minister of the Media Persian Empire, our Lord Jesus shows that the "spread" of the Gospel starts with individuals, and leads to the transformation of nations.  All through the Bible we read of, "who in it has weight," evangelism, e.g., the Lord's "first" disciples, most of whom were small businessmen, and Matthew, a government official, the highly charged, very political, "Simon,the Zealot," the centurion of Acts 10, Lydia, "a dealer in purple cloth," and so many, many more.

Of course this is not elitism; how ridiculous the accusation.  But there is one "thing" I wish to leave with you.  Who better to be instrumental in transformation of a culture than, "who in it has weight"?

Father, in Jesus' Name, lead me to people, "who in it has weight."  Amen.

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Great article on the global intent of Arab Islamism and how it was first stopped historically:   jhs58.blogspot.com

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"Forever"-- What A Great Word

"As for me, You...set me before Your face forever."  (Psalm 41:12)

You probably think you know what I am going to say, and may hit the "delete" button; I understand.  I just hope and pray that you never do this with those most "familiar" Bible passages.

"You...set me before Your face forever."  The NASB says, "You...set me in Your presence forever."  And, yes, I'll say it again and again.  Anyone in whom Jesus Christ lives need never talk of coming "into His presence."  We live there; He in me, and I in Him.  Right now, with that "smart phone," before your computer, iPad or whatever, you are not alone, not abandoned, though at times this feeling may come over you, even overwhelm you.

Believe Jesus today.  Jesus is the, "Faithful and True."  Jesus is, "The Word of God," the One of Whom Paul wrote to Titus, "....in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began."  There is is; "God... cannot lie...," He just cannot.  God tells us that Satan is, "the father of lies."  We can say, however, with absolute accuracy, "God is the Father of Truth."

Each day as I read the "God-Breathed" Words, there is always some Word which Jesus seems to emphasize to me; today it was our text; hence, "....You set me in Your presence forever."  This promise is, before time began and after time will cease; that's what, "forever," means.  Now my mind cannot "get around" this.  But I accept Jesus and His Words; I receive Jesus and His Words, and, I enjoy Jesus and This Word------ Blessed Presence, Blessed Ever Present One.

Father, in Jesus' Name, I can never thank You enough that, "You set me in Your presence------------- FOREVER."  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"I Waited Patiently For Jesus; and...."

"I waited patiently for the Lord; and He inclined ("extended, stretched out) to me, and heard my cry.  He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps."  (Psalm 40:1, 2)

Of course He did/does.  That's Who the Living Triune God Is.  That's what He does in Jesus Christ.  From the promise to Adam to the promises of Revelation, the Blessed Trinity tells humanity that no matter what the global situation, no matter the situation in a specific nation, in a city, a work place, a family, just wait, "patiently for...Jesus; and He [will] incline[] to [you]."  He will hear your cry.  He will bring you, "up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay," and, "set [our] feet upon a rock, and establish [our] steps."  

I also read Psalm 37 this morning.  What "outlandish" promises David makes about our Lord God, promises which the person who walks by sight and not by faith would argue with, reason as to how they are just not true, how history concurs with his unbelief.  But you and I are not of such.  Rather, "we do not lose heart.  Even though our outward man is perishing," even though the "natural" mind would reason doubts, even unbelief, you and I stand, stake our lives on the "God-Breathed" Words, "while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.  For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal."

So this morning I encourage you to also, "....wait[] patiently for the Lord Jesus."  Our "waiting" is never in vain.

Father, in Jesus' Name, "Great is Thy Faithfulness."  Amen. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2

"Stephen Prayed," What Else Could He Do?

"While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.'"

Stephen had been telling the Jews before him that what had occurred in their generation was a fulfillment of what their Scriptures had foretold from the beginning, aka, "In the beginning...."  He rebuked them for not believing/obeying the Word of God.  He laid out before them what has kept the Covenant People of God going from the beginning, the absolute, total Faithfulness of, "The Word of God," Jesus, the Face of the Blessed Trinity, and the One Who appeared many times over the last thousands of years, "to all who have loved His appearing." (2 Tim 4:8c)

If you read the Bible you discover that everything happening in the world around us has been foretold.  The serious (is there really any other kind?) disciple of Jesus is a person whose life is governed by the Words of God, his life style, his political beliefs, his interpersonal relationships, his business dealings.  Now we should not be surprised when people want to "stone" us for such a life; they have been doing this since Cain.

It grieves the heart of a person in whom Jesus lives when they react to us as the unbelievers did to Stephen.  But we have a great example for us as we consider how Stephen reacted to such, "When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him.  But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God....'Look,' he said, 'I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God'....While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed"------ the best reaction to the worst of human behavior.  "Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.'"  Who knows; there just may be a Saul of Tarsus somewhere in our lives also.  Paul never forgot, to the day he died, what he saw that day.

Father, in Jesus' Name, may I live as Stephen did.  Amen.

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

"Looking unto Jesus"
Hebrews 12:2