All Nations

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands; and they cry out with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."

Revelation 7:9-10 NASB

For several years now we as American Christians have had an unparalleled opportunity to reach the nations with the gospel of Christ. Most of us don't have to leave the cities we live in, as the nations are coming to us. In fact, people from some of the most dangerous countries to proclaim Christ in, are coming here. They would be otherwise unreachable, but God has opened up a marvelous way for those who would otherwise never have a chance to hear the good news, to not only hear, but live as followers of Jesus in security.

I urge everyone who calls themselves a Christian to take advantage of this while the door is still open. Even now as I write this the door is closing on this great opportunity. While many view the vast numbers of people entering our country as a problem to be dealt with, I view it as God making it possible for everyone to have a chance to hear the gospel ( see Acts 17:26-27).

Behold, My servant will prosper, He will be high and lifted up and greatly exalted. Just as many were astonished at you, My people, so His appearance was marred more than any man and His form more than the sons of men. Thus He will sprinkle many nations, kings will shut their mouths on account of Him; for what had not been told them they will see, and what they had not heard they will understand.

Isaiah 52:23-15 NASB 

But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the booty with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sins of many, and interceded for the transgressors.

Isaiah 53:20-12 NASB

Jesus, the Lamb who was slain will receive the reward for His suffering. He did not die in vain. There will be a multitude out of every nation, purchased by His blood, who will glorify Him throughout eternity.

And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy are you to take the book and break its seals: for You were slain, and purchased for God with your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom of priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth."

Revelation 5:9-10 NASB

And I saw something like a sea of glass mixed with fire, and those who had been victorious over the beast and his image and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, holding harps of God. And they sang the song of Moses and the Lamb, saying, "Great and marvelous are your works, O Lord God the Almighty; righteous and true are your ways, King of the nations! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy; for all the nations will come and worship before you, for your righteous acts have been revealed."

Revelation 15:2-4 NASB

Jesus has commissioned his followers to go into all the world, to make disciples of all nations. Again, at this time in history, multitudes from some of the most dangerous countries in the world to be a Christian are here, where we can reach them without traveling more than a few miles. God has given these people an amazing chance to hear the gospel, and those of us who follow Him an amazing opportunity to participate in the "harvest."  It would be tragic to allow this opportunity to slip away without becoming engaged, and worse yet, to find in the end that we were actually denying the Son the reward of His suffering by our resistance to the foreigner in our midst.

True Saltiness

25. Now large crowds were going along with Him; and He turned and said to them,

26. "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple.

27. "Whoever does not carry his own cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.

28. 'Or which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?

29. "Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who observe it begin to ridicule him,

30. saying, 'This man began to build and was not able to finish.' 

31. "Or what king, when he sets out to meet another king in battle, will not first sit down and consider whether he is strong enough with ten thousand men to encounter the one coming against him with twenty thousand?

32. "Or else, while the other is still fat away, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace.

33. "So then, none of you can be My disciple who does not give up all his own possessions.

34. "Therefore, salt is good; but if even salt has become tasteless, with what will it be seasoned?

35. "It is useless either for the soil or for the manure pile; it is thrown out. He who has ears to hear, let him hear."

Luke 14:25-35 NASB

Over the last few years there has been a lot of talk of "engaging the culture", of being salt and light. However, a lot of what we have been seeing has very little to do with being salt and light compared with the expectations of the one we are supposed to be following, Jesus.

Context is important. When we read the words of Jesus stressing the importance of saltiness we must consider the whole passage if we want to understand just what Jesus is teaching.

From this passage we see several things or requirements that Jesus sets down as conditions for those who would follow Him.

1. Our allegiance to Jesus must surpass all other relationships. Family must not stand in the way of our obedience to Christ. In fact our very lives are no longer our own to live as we please. In actuality our allegiance belongs to Christ alone, no one else.

2. If we are to follow Jesus we must be willing to follow Him even unto death. A disciple is called to deny himself, take up his cross and follow the Lord (see Mark 8:34-35). As stated above, we are not our own. Our plans and purposes in this life must be put aside for the greater plans and purposes of Christ. That is self denial. 

A man carried his cross on the way to a certain death. At that moment he was as good as dead. He had no plan or purpose from that point on. Only one thing was certain, he was going to die. Jesus is painting a picture here of an individual whose only purpose in life or death was to serve Him. 

3. It is vital that we count the cost. How many people who profess to be  Christians have actually sat down and seriously considered the weight of passages like these? You know, denying self, following Jesus at all cost, including family relationships, and even the inclusion of all our possessions? I fear many start out without realizing the true cost and commitment involved in being a disciple of Jesus Christ. And what is the result of this? There are many false Christians out there, Christians in name only, and this is what is so tragic.

To be able to "engage the culture" with any degree of success we must be like Jesus in our speech and actions. The world is not fooled by a Christian who lives, talks and behaves in the same way they do. To live a life that is drastically different from the life Christ has shown us by example, will negatively impact the very world we are trying to engage. In fact it will repel them.

In His sermon on the mount Jesus stresses the importance of brokeness, humility, a hunger for righteousness, showing mercy, heart purity, being a peace maker, and a willingness to suffer persecution for one's faith. Again, this is the context leading up to another statement concerning our being salt and light (Matthew 5:2-16).

How much selfish behavior, pride, anger and division do we see Jesus allowing us if we are to be effective in reaching the world with the gospel?  

Our being salt depends upon these things set forth by Jesus in His sermon on the mount. There is a correlation between our conformity to Christ and our ability to be salt to a lost world. If the salt has lost its taste it has become useless. A Christian's testimony ruined will turn others away from the savior. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.

Salt and light

Jesus tells us, His followers, that we are to be salt and light to an unsaved world. We read this in Matthew 5:13-16,

13. "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is good for nothing anymore, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

14. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 

15. "Nor do men light a lamp, and put it under the peck-measure, but on the lamp stand; and it gives light to all who are in the house.

16. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven."

The apostle Paul also states that we are to be lights before the world. 

14. Do all things without grumbling or disputing;

15. that you may prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,

16. holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may have cause to glory because I did not run in vain nor toil in vain.

Philippians 2:14-16

To state it plain and simple, if you claim the name of Christ, the world is watching you. Does your life mirror the teachings of Jesus, or do you look more like the lost world around you? You are either bringing glory to God by your life and conduct, or causing His name to be blasphemed. How quickly our salt can lose its ability to season the world around us by compromising with the ways of this same world.

At what point is a Christian's testimony ruined beyond repair because of sin? This is a question that we should all ponder. I understand God's forgiveness and grace, but yet we can lose our credibility before a world that sees no difference between us and them.

When the world views us they should see Jesus. We should be kind-hearted, compassionate, humble, treating others as we would have them treat us. I could go on, but you get what I mean. Pride, arrogance, anger, hatred, and selfishness are the ways of the world that we have been saved out of. These we must put off.

James warns us,

You adulteresses, do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

James 4:4

A similar passage is found in 1 John 2:15-17. Again we find that we cannot have worldly pursuits and represent Jesus at the same time. The two are incompatible.

15. Do not love the world, nor the things in the world. If anyone  loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world.

17. And the world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God abides forever.

And we read this in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18,

14. Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness?

15. Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever?

16. Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I will dwell in them and walk among them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

17. "Therefore, come out from their midst and be separate," says the Lord. "And do not touch what is unclean; and I will welcome you.

18. And I will be a Father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me." Says the Lord Almighty.

When we as Christians align ourselves with unbelievers we are forming unions between two completely opposite things. It cannot work. We as followers of Christ cannot "touch what is unclean" and expect to remain clean ourselves (see Haggai 2:12-14). And even worse, we are dragging Jesus into our sin, our partnership with unrighteousness, our fellowship with unbelievers.The world, as a result sees a different Jesus, a Jesus who looks completely different than the Jesus portrayed in Scripture. His name is reproached. 

Instead of conformity to the ways of a corrupt world, we must maintain our separation from it. We are in it, but not meant to be of it. Our mission is not to fix it, but to represent Christ to it. It is His kingdom we are to build, one soul at a time. 

 True Christians obey Jesus. They allow His teachings to shape their life. In fact they are being transformed into the image of Christ, more and more each passing day. This, and only this, is what it means to be salt and light.

(Scripture quoted taken from the New American Standard Bible 1977 text)

 

Ashamed Of Jesus.

"I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that have no more that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear the One who, after He has killed, has authority to cast into hell; yes, I tell you, fear Him! Are not five sparrows sold for two cents? Yet not one of them is forgotten before God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear; you are more valuable than many sparrows. And I say unto you, everyone who confesses Me before men, the Son of Man will confess him also before the angels of God; but he who denies Me before men will be denied before angels of God. (Luke 12:4-9 NASB)

 Jesus warns us that we are not to fear man, who can only kill the body. Rather, we are to fear the one who after He has killed the body, can cast it into hell. This is a very solemn warning that we need to pay more careful attention to. It can be so easy to remain silent when those around us are mocking Christianity. Like the ten spies sent into the land of Canaan, we too are often overwhelmed by fear, and perceive that those who stand in opposition to Jesus Christ are much larger than they really are. Yet, as Jesus says, they can only kill the body and no more. We are not to fear them, but to fear God.We also receive the comforting promise that God cares for us. The same God who cares for the birds, cares for us as well. We read of Stephen, as the enraged mob was about to stone him,  

But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, "Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." (Acts 7:55-56 NASB)

God gave Stephen what he needed to face the hour of trial, the Lord Jesus himself standing up for His faithful martyr. 

We are given the promise that if we confess Christ before men, He will confess us before the angels. We are also given the warning that if we deny Him before men, He will deny us. In Mark 8:38 we read, 

"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of Him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38 NASB) 

Indeed, we live in an adulterous and sinful generation. There are many who compromise with the world around them. There are those who choose to remain silent out of fear, or out of a desire not to offend someone. To them, Jesus' warning is clear and sobering. We dare not be ashamed of the one who gave His life for us. His words are truth and bring life. How can we, His followers, be ashamed of Him and His words? Yet, the temptation is very real, and like Peter, even though we may say we would never deny Him, we so often do (Matt 26:33-35). 

The same Peter who denied Christ, was filled with boldness on the day of Pentecost, as he stood before the jeering crowd and boldly proclaimed Christ crucified and risen from the dead. From that point on, we see the boldness and zeal of the early Church, as they spread the gospel in the face of persecution. May we possess that same spirit today, and boldly stand for Christ in our generation.

The Necessity of the Great Commission.

     Every so often someone brings up the question of what happens to people who never heard the gospel; people in a far away remote land who never had the chance to hear the gospel of Christ.
     I am surprised to see the large number of so called Christians who believe that God in His mercy overlooks their sin because they never had a chance to hear about Christ, therefore they could not believe.
     I find problems with this view based on the scriptures. Remember all scripture is God breathed, (1Tim 3:16), and is our final authority on this and other matters of faith and practice. This is God's word to us, telling us His desire and will concerning this question.
     Jesus commanded that we should go to the farthest corners of the earth with the message of the gospel (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:14-16; Luke 24:46-49; Acts 1:8). If those who had never heard the gospel were saved in their ignorance of the truth, wouldn't it be better if they didn't hear? It would seem that Jesus is commanding us to go and do something that might just be the thing that damns a soul rather than saves it. If they were saved anyway, it would be better for them to have never known the truth, than to risk rejecting it.
     Look at what Paul tells us about those who sin without the law. They will perish without the law (Romans 2:12). Why? Because they are a law unto themselves. They understand right and wrong even though they have never seen a bible, never heard a gospel message, never met a missionary. Their conscience condemns or approves their actions, because the work of the law is written upon their hearts (Romans 2:14-15). 
     They need someone to tell them the good news of Jesus Christ, because they have sinned against the knowledge that they have, however dim it may be, and they are lost!
      Look back to Romans 1:18-23. God has revealed Himself to all mankind in every place, whether through His word, or through creation. We are condemned when we reject this revelation and worship the creation instead of the God who created it. Look at the all of the idolatry throughout the world. Consider what it must be like in unreached places! These individuals are lost, and we must reach them!
     Finally the Apostle Paul speaks of confessing Jesus, and believing in Him for salvation (Romans 10:9-10). This is how we are saved, by turning from our sins and self, and by faith surrendering ourselves to the lordship of Christ, casting ourselves upon His mercy. 
     Look further on though when he mentions those who have not believed or heard the message of the gospel (Romans 10:14-15). He says that they cannot hear or believe unless someone is sent to them! He says the feet of those bringing the good news of salvation are beautiful! If it is true that they are saved because they have never had the chance to hear, then why would Paul say the feet of those sent to proclaim salvation to them are beautiful? It would be better to stay far away from them and let them remain in their ignorance, than to risk their souls by telling them the truth.
     The truth is we are all lost apart from Christ. We all need to be saved from our sin no matter where we live. It is this sin, this rebellion against God that separates us from Him and subjects us to eternal damnation. God desires that all have an adequate opportunity to hear the message of life, and have a chance to repent of their sins, and trust in the mercy of Christ and be saved (1Tim 2:4). They are lost if they are not reached!
     
     
     

God's Hatred.

       The Lord is in His holy temple; the Lord's throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The Lord tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
                   Psalm 11:4-5 NASB

     We don't like to think that God would hate someone. We tend to think that God is all about love. We would agree that God hates the sin, but surely He does not hate the sinner, but that is not what this verse is saying.  In God's view, the sinner and the act are not separated. The act of sin is such that it flows out of the heart. This is a heart that stands opposed to God and His rightful rule over ones' life. This is the attitude of the heart spoken of in Romans 8:7.
     There are many passages in the Bible that call the individual by the name of his or her sin. 1 Corinthians 5:11 mentions immoral persons, revilers, drunkards, and swindlers. Murderers, sorcerers, idolaters, and liars are referred to in Revelation 21:8. There are probably many more, but these suffice to make the point, that a person who lies is a liar, one who kills is a murderer, one who steal is a thief, one who is unfaithful to a spouse is an adulterer, etc. In the eyes of God, the sin is not separated from the individual. God hates the sin, and hates the sinner as well.
     You might wonder, what about John 3:16? Doesn't God love the lost? Yes He does! He loves the lost so much that He sent Jesus Christ to die for each and everyone of us! He has made every provision necessary for us to be forgiven, restored, and delivered from our sinful lifestyles. He is not willing that any should perish. He is longsuffering toward us, giving us ample time to repent of our rebellion against Him (2 Peter 3:9). Yes He loves us, but sinful man does not want anything to do with this God who loves him.
     God is a holy God. He is also perfectly just in all His ways. Righteousness and justice are what His rule is founded upon (Psalm 89:14). As such, He has a perfect hatred toward sin. He must judge it, His very nature demands it. What would we think of an earthly judge who coddled criminals, and overlooked serious crimes? We would all think it was wrong, an injustice! How much more then is God perfectly just in all of His ways?             When I say that God hates, I am not referring to the type of hatred that we see in so many individuals. This is not an exasperated or hardened heart type of hatred that is found in fallen man. This is a holy hatred that the holy God has for evil. We often fail to understand how evil sin really is, how wicked the individual sinner is, and how abhorrent this all is to God. We often fail to understand that vengeance belongs to God, and He will act on it (Hebrews 10:29-31). Sin is an in your face act against God. I understand that scripture differentiates between unintentional sin, sins of weakness, and such. This is not what I am referring to. What God hates is rebellion. The mindset that I am in charge of my life. I will do whatever I want, and I don't care how it affects God or anyone else. Self on the throne instead of God! It is out of this mindset that we see so much evil in the world. This is what God hates, these are the people that God hates, and will someday punish.
     Jesus Christ gave of Himself for us, to redeem us. He bore the judgment for our sin, so that we could be forgiven, so that we could live in God's loving presence. As I mentioned, God loved us enough to make a way for us to be spared His wrath. It is up to us to submit to Him, receive His pardon, and let Him change our lives completely.
     Consider yourself a defendant in court. You have just been found guilty of murder and are now waiting for the judge to pass sentence. You have appeared before this judge many times. When you were fourteen, he let you off with a warning. You were caught with the wrong crowd, and he wanted to give you a second chance. The next year it was petty theft, and you had to check in with a probation officer. Over the next decade you were in and out of jail for various offences. Theft, drugs, DUI, domestic violence. You received suspended sentences, reduced sentences, time off for good behavior, and so on. You appeared before this judge over and over and over. He was lenient, he was kind, he was patient. Now you are waiting for sentence. The crime is more serious this time. You know it looks bad, but this judge has always seemed fair in the past. He asks you to rise, and make any final statements you would wish the court to hear before sentencing. You tell the court how you messed up again, how you have struggled to live a productive life, how sorry you are. You tell how you will never do it again, you will reform if you just get another chance. You remind the judge of his past kindness, and ask for mercy.  What you hear next shocks you to the core. " I have dealt with you for the last twelve years. I have shown mercy over and over. I have been lenient toward you in the hope you would reform and become a productive citizen. You have shown by your actions that I was wrong. I never want to see you in my court again. I sentence you to be taken to the place of execution in three days, where you will be hung by the neck until dead. Guards remove the prisoner!"
     This might seem harsh or shocking to some. God loves us. Even while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). God is giving us time to repent of our sin, our hostility toward Him. He does not want to see us die (Ezekiel 18:23,32). However, if we neglect our salvation (Hebrews 2:2-3) there is nothing left for us.
     Choose Christ today, and abide in His love. Let Him wash you, cleanse you and make you a new creation (1John 1:9, 1 Cor 6:11, 2 Cor 5:17).
    
    
    
    

God's way.

     It is not individuals who pray for God's blessings on their efforts who succeed. It is those who seek God, live close enough to Him to hear him, and enter into His work. These are the ones who find success.

Mere entertainment?

     This is the Christmas season, and churches are now busy getting ready for the Christmans program. Kids are learning their lines, costumes are being made, candy bags are being put together, and presents are being bought. All this is fun, and most everyone enjoys this time of year.
     It is also at this time that the "unchurched" come to church. They come to see kids or grandkids in the christrmas play, they come for presents, they come out of tradition, and many come out of guilt. Pastors get excited at the chance to present the gospel at this time.
     But, is the gospel really presented? Everyone gets to see a play about the birth of Jesus, and then hear a brief talk by the pastor, perhaps followed by a "blanket" sinners prayer, the kind where everyone repeats after the pastor. This looks at it is a good thing, and everyone hopes that someone actually prayed and meant it, but are people really getting saved? Did we allow the Holy Spirit to work in power convicting the lost? Was the whole gospel presented, sin and depravity, God's just wrath, man's hopeless condition, Christ's death and ressurection, repentance, submission to His Lordship?
     This might sound like I'm complaining, but in truth I see the same thing every year. The same people coming to these events for entertainment and leaving the same way they came in. A Christmas program is a great thing if done to exalt Christ, and perhaps there is a chance to see an individual saved during one, but let each one of us be filled with the Holy Spirit, and ready for any chance we have to reach the lost all year long!