Being A Christian: The Light of Christ

I'm sure you have experienced this as I have ... when the subject of faith comes up, people often define themselves by saying, "I am a Christian". But what does that really mean to them? Is there a universal understanding of what makes someone a Christian? Does the person who describes him or herself with that designation have a fixed and unalterable idea of what the term means? I ask because I think it is important for the effectiveness of the Christian faith for those who identify as such to be able to discern and clarify the characteristics, attributes, and values of a Christian. 

When my husband and I are meeting someone who has been referred to our ministry, we take the time to sit and visit with them in order to make them comfortable with us, of course, but also to establish how they view and experience their faith. How a person views God will ultimately determine how they live their life on this earth, especially as a Christian. We explain, that the heart of our ministry is to partner with Jesus to help them attain the freedom and abundant life that He died to give them. We don't have any magic pill to make the pain of this world [or anger, fear, shame, or unworthiness, etc.] go away. We can only offer them Jesus, and we work within His guidelines.

Invariably, they respond with "I am a Christian. I believe in Jesus". Some can elucidate their faith quite well; showing an erudite understanding of God's expectations of the Christian life and His redemptive plan for all mankind through faith in His Son, Jesus. They know the history of this divine plan and they know the future that He promises us -- both the miracles, signs, wonders and eternal life, along with the struggles and persecution. Being a Christian to them is more than just a name. It's a condition of their heart and spirit.

Then there are those who say they are a Christian, and are Saved, yet when we ask, "If you were to die right now, are you certain you would go to Heaven", they are unable to say yes. Some will say they are a Christian, but express doubts concerning their salvation. But they identify as a Christian because "I come from a Christian family". 

I bring these thoughts up because I believe it is most important in this particular time in world history that we are in need of true Christians who follow the teachings, commandments, practices, and example of Jesus's life in order to overcome the evil that threatens our very existence. But for too many self-identifying Christians, it has become as simple as appropriating the label because they own a Bible or go to Church. In all honesty, that is probably how I started out on my "Christian walk". I didn't pursue Him out of a hungry spirit to know my Creator and my purpose. In fact, I didn't even realize that I couldn't just choose to become a Christian. I had to answer the invitation or calling on my life and then repent [or change the way I lived my life; viewing how I lived from my Heavenly Father's perspective]. That requires developing a real relationship with Him so I can hear His voice and begin the journey for His kingdom that I was sent here to do. And being baptized was an important part of changing from my old sinful existence into a new covenant by being born again by water and receiving the Holy Spirit, who would begin to counsel and teach me the spiritual truth of God and His Word. 

I submit to you that it is important for us to truly understand [and agree!] on what it means to be a Christian. Otherwise, it's too easy to settle for being religious or claiming that our excellent moral conduct is the standard that qualifies us to be a Christian. [And we know how hypocritical that can look to the lost who we are supposed to be showing, by example, why they should receive Jesus's invitation to follow Him]. Far too often, that only leads us to imitating our idea of what a Christian looks like, instead of imitating all that Jesus was and did. And that flawed imitation often leads to judgment of others, which can lead to the squelching or suppression of the movements of God among those He has called and invited to represent Him. That limits what God wants to do in His redemptive plan; what He can offer to elevate our understanding, relationship, and participation with Him. 

It's not about expecting everyone to look like our version of a Christian which can lead to comparisons and indictments of imperfect faith! God is so big and can do a mighty work with someone who does not look or act or sound like us. He didn't make us all from a cookie cutter mold, and the only comparison we should be making is whether a person resembles Jesus. Is he [or she] kind, righteous, modest, compassionate, trustworthy, forgiving, faithful, loving, discerning? Are they steadfast in the face of mistreatment, discrimination, or persecution; able to teach, prophecy and encourage? Unwilling to compromise their beliefs in the commands of God? Do they speak of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit with reverence, seeking to share the Good News of their salvation and the kingdom that is theirs? No one can entirely embody the perfection that is Jesus. But if we can recognize a heart that focuses on following Him as much as is humanly possible, then I think that is the definition of a Christian.

I admit that I have not attained the fulfillment of that goal. None of us have. But I am continuing to pursue my purpose in God's plan, and I can certainly discern those who are trying to do the same. And I am willing to accept that God may be doing something different in someone else to show an attribute of Himself that I do not possess. And I trust the Holy Spirit to show me who is a true representative and spokesman, and who is a false mouthpiece of the enemy. I never want to inhibit a move of God in another's life, nor do I want to fall for lies and deception. A true Christian will be so in tune with the gifts of the Holy Spirit that there will be no doubts. 

Father, help us to take our focus off the world's definition of what it means to be a Christian. After all, the world didn't understand our faith after Christ's ascension in the first century, and we've had 2000 years to confuse the nature, scope and significance of our identity. Let us become what it originally meant ... "little Christ's". May we all become true imitators of all He was. Let the Enemy of God and his agents be put on notice that "as Jesus was, so shall we be". The world needs us to grow up into the maturity of being Your representatives and no longer compromise nor tolerate the strategies of the devil. Let us take off the Christian "mask" and reveal the true identity of a Christian ... a child of God; a spirit joined to Jesus; the temple of the Holy Spirit; a conqueror in Christ; a daughter/son of the King; a healer; part of a royal priesthood; an ambassador of Heaven and the Kingdom of God; the light of Christ; and so much more through the grace and faithfulness of our Lord. These attributes are far from complete, but I thank you for sending us to represent You, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit in this place and this time. It is a privilege to submit all I am and all I have to Your cause. Amen!

#whatisachristian #meaningofchristian #representingjesus #littlechrists #christianmeaning #thelightofchrist

Ephesians 5:8    For once you were darkness, but now in union with the Lord, you are light. Walk as children of light.  

 

 

 

 

 

  

"Christian Nationalism": What Does God Say?

The night before He was crucified, Jesus prayed for His followers. In His conversation with the Father, He lamented that the world hated them because they were not of the world anymore than He was. He asked that we be protected from the Evil one, set apart by His Truth. And so, we Christians who seek both His Spirit and Truth, have found that our position in the world is not easily or readily accepted, or understood. The world tries to classify us or categorize us by any number of different and rigid standards; pigeonhole us if you will -- and usually in opposition to whatever the current cultural ideology that is prevalent. And before you know it, the world has determined they know what our beliefs are and proclaims that there is a new Christian "movement".

I feel compelled to comment on the latest extremist label we've all been assigned to, which is "Christian Nationalism". What exactly is that? If you ask 10 different opinion-makers, you will get 10 different answers ... everything from Christianity.com who defines it as "fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ", to the Encyclopedia Britannica's definition of "the Christian whose devotion and loyalty to the nation-state surpasses other individual or group interests", to The Atlantic opinion editor who labeled Christian Nationalists as "religious radicals". In other words, if we are a Christian, love this country, and believe we are better when we follow God's principles, we stand in danger of being labeled extremist. So, not knowing any Believer who identified as a Nationalist, I was curious to see if there was actually an organization for proclaimed Christian Nationalists. Sure enough, there was!

ChristianNationalism.com is the official media outlet of the Christian National Alliance and gives their mission statement as follows: "We believe in the principle of America First and advocate the Three C’s: Christianity, Culture and Capitalism." The ten tenets of their Alliance are founded on various social, political, religious, and cultural beliefs. In fact, the Alliance openly states that a Christian Nationalist "adheres to a political platform that advocates for Christian principles in government and law." This of course naturally leads to the argument of "Separation of Church and State". It also leads to the consistently controversial Romans 13:1-2 minefield ... Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. Naturally, there's a lot of room for disparity and misunderstanding in what exactly a Christian Nationalist is.

I find that whenever there is a new adjective or descriptive phrase that the culture bandies about, there's lots of room for distortion and confusion. I mean, there will be factions within the so-called "movement" that don't even agree on what they stand for, let alone those on the outside that want to throw shade to discredit the movement with their sneering expressions of contempt or disgust. And what do you get? Division, discord, lies, and alienation ... just what Satan delights in!

So how should we Christians approach this ideology? Is it Biblical? Would Jesus approve or support Christian Nationalism? I will be honest and tell you that considering the state of our nation today, I was concerned that the passion with which I've seen Christians pursuing political answers to our national problems would outweigh what I clearly see as spiritual issues. I really had to step back and see what God had to say about nations in His Word. Was nation-building part of His plan? I found a fascinating article on tomorrowsworld.org that made me pause and seriously deliberate these questions in light of our own situation. Let me share what I discovered for your own contemplation ...

First of all, I knew that the Gospel of the Kingdom of God that Jesus brought with Him was all about what a moral and righteous government looked like. I knew He was bringing a new system of lawfulness and fraternity to a world deeply in need of a new way to govern itself. And I fully understood that God knew what He was doing when He chose Abraham to be a part of His world governing plan: I’ll make you a great nation and bless you ... All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you. So, it looks like God is in favor of nations, per se. 

Then God got down to business with building the nation of Israel when He ordained Moses to bring them out of slavery in Egypt. He fully intended them to be the role model for other nations to follow. And this is what He instructed Moses to tell them: I’m teaching you the rules and regulations that God commanded me, so that you may live by them in the land you are entering to take up ownership. Keep them. Practice them. You’ll become wise and understanding. When people hear and see what’s going on, they’ll say, “What a great nation! So wise, so understanding! We’ve never seen anything like it” (Deuteronomy 4:5-6).

After establishing a model of government, what was God's next step in building the nation of Israel? He put them on a solid religious footing with correct religious beliefs [taking them out of the idol worship of their 400 years in Egypt] and establishing foundational values for the new nation. These laws would make them stand out from the other nations of the world, and the laws were free to be used by any other developing nation. God next trained and instructed good Godly leaders for the nation of Israel. As the article points out, "God told Moses to staff his government with "able men, such as [those who] fear God; men of truth, hating covetousness" (Exodus 18:21). God indicated that He would choose the king, that foreigners were not to lead the nation of Israel and that a leader should not use his office to enrich himself (Deuteronomy 17:14–20)." How far have we strayed from that principle?

This advice would lead to God's standards and keys to good government; not today's criteria by which we choose our political leaders: popularity, voter appeal, good television presence, excellence in repartee and skill at fundraising. So we must ask this question: How far have we strayed from God's principles, and where does Christian Nationalism stand on this issue? Are Nationalists concerned with how candidates for national office fare according to God's standards, or the current criteria for office-holders?

The next step in God's process of Nation building was to establish a model for education. God's instructions always emphasized the parents' role in teaching children the fundamental truths and values of God... to grow in wisdom, to gain knowledge of how to serve others, and to develop the mind and character of God. Unless Christian Nationalism endorses a change from the current education system that gives more power to educational leaders than to parents, and unless they propose a return to a Biblical foundation of learning versus modern political philosophies and systems of government, then "America First" will never re-establish our greatness or prosperity. 

So, now we come down to the crux of our dilemma regarding "Christian Nationalism". It clearly means different things to different people. To the writer of The Atlantic op-ed, even Catholic rosary beads have become a symbol of radical Christian Nationalism. He writes, "Just as the AR-15 rifle has become a sacred object for Christian nationalists in general, the rosary has acquired a militaristic meaning for radical-traditional (or ‘rad trad’) Catholics ...
On this extremist fringe, rosary beads have been woven into a conspiratorial politics and absolutist gun culture. These armed radical traditionalists have taken up a spiritual notion that the rosary can be a weapon in the fight against evil and turned it into something dangerously literal." Really?!?! Spiritual warfare through prayer is a spiritual weapon that God authorizes to defeat Satan and his demons. It is hardly comparable to a weapon of metal made by man.

On the other end of the spectrum, to the Christian National Alliance, political power is at the center of their "God and Country" philosophy. They seem to believe that the solutions to our national problems lie in rebuilding our national structure according to strict and rigid religious and government philosophies. But, I always have to ask myself if this is what Jesus preached. Taken too far, we can easily see the Pharisees and how they used religion and political power to limit the freedom of people to see God. I agree that this nation has deteriorated into a dysfunctional system of crime, violence, greed, sexual perversion, lawlessness, and selfish ambition. And yes, we need to return to Biblical principles, but Jesus never taught us that we could build Godly nations through our human efforts. We would always need to be willing to hear from Him, the Father, and Holy Spirit, and act on their instruction.

In fact, He tells us that conditions in the world will grow worse and "nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom", until Jesus, Himself, will have to intervene to prevent us from destroying each other and ourselves. Jesus will restore this earth to the dominion of God and establish God's Kingdom on earth, "as it is in Heaven'. It is Jesus who will take over the government of the earth and appoint qualified saints to positions of authority and leadership in civil and religious roles. It is Jesus and His saints that will institute true nation building and only then will the nations of the world come into alignment with His righteous religion, righteous government, and righteous education.

I don't like attaching labels or movements to Christians. Through right relationship with Him, and acting in our callings and appointments, we should be able to walk in unity to see His holy and righteous government instituted. I honor and revere the Christians in our national history who stood for their beliefs and hopes that this nation would adhere to God's Biblical tenets of nation building. And I would like nothing more than to see Godly men rise to the challenge of making this country fit the role model God outlined for us in the Bible. To be honest, I'm not sure we can achieve it at the rate we're going. Remember, it was God who built the nation of Israel, and they were only as successful as the men who walked in obedience to His plan. BUT THIS I KNOW! There is a day soon to come, when the government of this world will rest on the shoulders of our Lord, and all nations will walk in peace, comfort, and joy. Nations and families will be rebuilt; wars will be no more; and the environment will be restored. The Prince of Peace will reign and the glory and the honor of the Lord will be on full display! That's the future I believe in! 

#ChristianNationalism #BiblicalTruth #GodsPlansForTheNations #ChristianMovements

Isaiah 14:26-27   This is the plan determined for the whole world; this is the hand stretched out over all nations. For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?

   

I'm A Christian Contrarian, And I Wouldn't Change A Thing!

It has taken me a while to come to the realization that I'm a contrarian by nature, and when you add "Christian" to that identity, it has led me on an interesting path in my faith life. So you know where I'm coming from, let me define "contrarian" as it pertains to me -- and I'm pretty sure to a growing number of my Christian brethren. I'm a person who is not afraid to question or look deeper into conventional beliefs, opinions, views, or philosophies. I do not "go along with the crowd" for the sake of needing to belong with the majority. I guess the simplest way to describe it would be to say I'm a seeker of truth, not a blind endorser of conventional or prevailing philosophies. That doesn't mean that I reject traditional or mainstream thinking. I am simply not a mindless follower. I'm sure many of you identity with me.

When it comes to my faith, I am a believer that attempts to be as Biblically correct as possible [in my understanding], even when my views and opinions are unpopular or do not follow the status quo of accepted Church doctrine. Again, my goal is not to willfully and purposely reject established teachings, but to correctly discern God's message. I just want to be as close to God's perspective as it is possible for me to be. That has often resulted in finding myself outside accepted interpretations, but rewarded with a richer understanding of God's original purpose for inspiring the Scripture. As you can imagine, that doesn't always mean I'm welcomed with open arms in religious circles, but I'm okay with that. I have a greater fear [as in awe and reverence] of my Lord, than I have a fear of man.

You see, I often hear that my understandings of Scripture are not "biblically correct" because they can't be found in chapter and verse in any of the various translations. They are often purported to be false or misconceptions; even myths made up by men. So I guess that would put me in company with C.S. Lewis, who is quoted as saying, "All myth is an attempt to shine light on truth. True Myth is the ultimate Light shining on the ultimate Truth". As an example of C.S. Lewis's thoughts on this subject of divining God's Truth from myth, consider this example he gave ... Now the story of Christ is simply a true myth: a myth working on us in the same way as the others, but with a tremendous difference that it really happened: and one must be content with accepting it in the same way, remembering that it is God's myth where the other's are men's myths. In other words, the pagan stories are God expressing Himself through the minds of poets, using such images as He found there, while Christianity is God expressing Himself through what we call 'real things'." 

Are you with me so far? All the stories and myths and fables [many of them written down and preserved] from antiquity that mirror the "God stories", including a death and resurrection component, are often dismissed by modern Christians as "pagan" because they can't be found written in whatever version of the Bible they believe is the best one. And they are often relegated to the genre of "mythology" and dismissed as having any veracity. But the pride in which we view our twenty-first century knowledge of Scripture misses the possibility that those ancient myths still exist because it was God speaking to those writers in their time, and in their languages and images that their faculties could understand; that He was choosing to give "a description of Himself" in a way that fit their experience and ability to comprehend. Does it occur to anyone today that our "doctrines" are simply how our faculties and minds have translated the concepts and ideas that God revealed to later "poets" and "writers" that resulted in our Bible? And please know that I recognize the divinity of our Bible and do not mean to say that all writings throughout antiquity have been God-inspired, and therefore deserve equal status with the Bible. I merely want to present the idea that some "myths" may actually carry the seed of God's Truth and are worthy of consideration as we study to filter through the prejudices against them.

All that being said, as a Christian contrarian, I firmly believe it is not my duty nor responsibility to persuade or convince someone of the "rightness" of my own reasoning in spiritual or Biblical matters. In fact, I am more interested in sharing what I've discovered in the hopes that it will encourage others to do their own research and reap the joy and blessings of receiving more of God. Make no mistake, I'm not afraid to present a different view from mainstream Christian thinking or well-established doctrinal positions. But I don't do it out of rebellion or a desire to confuse or cause skepticism [about the Bible] among the faithful. In other words, I'm not out to disagree for the sake of disagreement, but rather to search out the real truth of God's heart on a specific matter instead of simply accepting man's interpretation. In that sense, I am convicted about researching the literal meaning of words, the cultural context in which Scripture was written, letting Scripture interpret Scripture, and listening to what Holy Spirit counsels.  And that sometimes puts me at odds with conventional Church understanding. So be it.

To be honest, I welcome more contrarians like myself. I do not want to see our faith and beliefs become subject to a method of interpreting Scripture according to what is agreed upon by a majority. That comes dangerously close to what is called "groupthink", and I hope we can agree that our society, our culture, and yes, even our churches have fallen prey to this psychological phenomenon. Groupthink occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome. Cohesiveness, or the desire for cohesiveness, in a group may produce a tendency among its members to agree at all costs. The Word of God deserves greater consideration!

I fear that as history takes us further down the road toward the persecution of Believers [that Jesus prophecies in Matthew 24], we will see the "go along to get along" attitude of the Church that has resulted in compromised denominations. As the pressure increases upon the Body of Christ to conform to accepted practices and ideologies, the need for more Christian contrarian voices will be vitally important. We must be diligent to resist calling them heretical, New Age, or some other derogatory epithet just because they refer to an ancient or pagan myth in clarifying some point of Scripture.

 For instance, I'd like to share this opinion from Apologetics Press and Dr. Caleb Colley: "Many times in Scripture, inspired writers use other sources of information; sometimes these sources are inspired, and sometimes they are not. For an example, one occasion when an inspired writer used an uninspired source is in 1 Corinthians 10:4, where [the Apostle] Paul apparently made a reference to Jewish legend to support his own inspired interpretation of Israel’s wilderness wanderings (Lenski, 1937, pp. 392-393). On other occasions (Acts 17:28; Titus 1:12-13), Paul quoted from pagan poets to support his own assertions, and even told his audiences that the specific portions of the pagan writings he referenced were accurate. Did Paul claim that these extrabiblical materials were inspired? Certainly not. Paul used supporting materials that would have been meaningful to his audiences. The noncanonical works that were cited by New Testament authors were highly respected. The fact that Paul used noncanonical sources to add an extra dimension to his message should not motivate us to regard any of Paul’s writings as inferior, or to totally disregard them."

Now, you may or may not agree with this opinion, but can you see that this additional information about the sources of Paul's writings adds another dimension to the understanding of them? For me, I am able to discern that God inspired Paul to use those sources, and in no way does it disparage the Truth of the Bible. It stands as it does today, sufficient for the spiritual needs of Christians. But I also believe that God can and will use contrarians such as Paul, and writers and believers like C.S. Lewis and Dr. Colley [and in some small way, even myself] to broaden and expand revelation and understanding in order to shine His ultimate Light on His ultimate Truth. I stand convicted ... I am a Christian Contrarian, and subject to the divine inspiration of my God as I search for more of that ultimate Truth!

Acts 17:28    For in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being], as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His children.’

Culture Wars: Straight Out Of Satan's Playbook... Again!

      

     You've heard me say multiple times that Satan uses the same tactics over and over through the centuries. Why? Because they keep working! Mankind never seems to learn the lessons. Because of God's mercy and grace, if there is a remnant that recognizes the Enemy's strategy and repents and truly seeks righteousness, there will be a revival or movement that sets mankind back on course. But I'm beginning to wonder if we've run out of reset opportunities as I watch the world careening toward escalating chaos.

     The violence in the streets is getting worse. The hearts of men are growing colder. When you can beat a man and kick him in the head, knocking him unconscious, and then brag about it on social media, and the major news outlets refuse to report it, then I fear we have crossed into a new and deeper sphere of wickedness and lawlessness. 

     The mainstream media likes to dumb things down to keep secret the hidden agendas of those who seek to control the world by manipulation and unscrupulous control/influence. So they use terms like "culture wars" and "systemic racism" and "social justice warrior". They try to identify and define the changing morals in the world by using these coined phrases, but it's just a repeat of Satan's plan to dominate mankind and the world.

     According to Dictionary.com. the term "culture war" refers to "a cultural conflict between social groups and the struggle for dominance of their values, beliefs, and practices. It commonly refers to topics on which there is general societal disagreement and polarization in societal values is seen." In Biblical terms, that means there is a conflict between God's values and Satan's; a conflict between morality and immorality; and a conflict between righteousness and lawlessness. Those in the media and politics would have us believe that one side is being unjustly treated, therefore they have a right to use anything within their means to get what they want and equality. The end justifies the means, as long as you play the social injustice card. In other words, violence is permitted to atone for real [or perceived] ill-treatment, regardless of personal responsibility.

     But my purpose is not to debate whether injustice has been carried out against any social group, or whether violence should be stopped at any cost. I want us to realize that division within a nation has been a popular [and successful] tool of the Enemy. Currently there are conflicts and clashes between Black Americans and White Americans; between Republicans and Democrats; between Fascists and Marxists; between Believers and non-Believers. But these conflicts are nothing new. From the very beginning of time, a "culture war" was created in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve chose to follow Satan's temptation and believed his lie that God's value system and culture was contrary to their best interests. That clash between values can be seen throughout history.

     You have the clash between Cain and Abel; between the Fallen Angels and mankind in Genesis 6; between the nation of Israel and the pagan nations; between Jesus and the Pharisees/Sadducees; between the Jews and Gentiles; between Christians and Muslims in the Crusades; between Jews and Arabs today... the list can go on and on. All serve Satan's purpose to cause division and chaos in the world. We can even see the culture war that destroyed the ancient nation of Israel -- resulting in both the northern kingdom (Israel) and the southern (Judah) eventually being taken into captivity because they abandoned the values of God and disobeyed His commandments. 

     The kingdom of Israel fell into apostasy and worshiped false gods and adopted the rituals and belief systems of Baal. Heavier taxes on the people and the abandonment of  Jerusalem as the home of the House of the Lord, in favor of two golden calves to submit sacrifices to [one placed in Bethel and one in Dan], led to the eventual capture by the Assyrians and the disbursement of the 10 tribes of the northern kingdom across the globe. The southern kingdom and the people of Judah "did evil in the sight of the Lord. They provoked Him to jealousy more than all that their fathers had done, with their sins which they had committed. For they also built for themselves high places [to worship idols] and sacred pillars and Asherim poles [for the goddess Asherah]. These were on every high hill and under every luxuriant tree. There were also male cult prostitutes in the land. They committed all the repulsive acts of the nations which the Lord dispossessed before the Israelites" (1 Kings 14:22-24).  

     Can we say that our nation has sinned any less? Abortion, same-sex marriage, human trafficking, child porn, greed, corruption, idolatry with false gods -- all are against God's values and His commandments and the culture of Heaven. Are we any less deserving to be taken into captivity? 

     The Enemy is bolder than I've ever seen him. Is it because he has been so successful in tempting hearts away from God? Or has man willingly chosen to disobey God's commands to serve his ultimate god ... himself? And I know we, the remnant, see clearly the machinations of the Evil One, and some of us may be getting weary. But we cannot take a break from these "culture wars"; we cannot let our guard down. We are engaged in a very real war; one that will decide the destinies of many people on earth. We cannot relinquish the field of battle to the Enemy. 

     We must remain stalwart and unwavering in our purpose -- to bring the Kingdom of God to bear against the kingdom of darkness. The culture war in our nation right now is increasing and becoming more violent and resistant to the Lord and to our presence. But we do not fight alone! The King of kings and the Lord of lords is fighting with us! He has told us to occupy territory until He returns. We must stand our ground and fight back alongside the Heavenly Host. The war is being hotly contested from both sides and we cannot give an inch. And we can't escape this war, even if we want to -- we are here for a reason in this season of the history of the world. We must remember that God is sovereign over the kings and the kingdoms of the earth. The Enemy will be defeated! The victory is already the Lord's! But until He comes with His army of angels, we represent the Light in this present darkness. Let's hold the line!

 1 Chronicles 29:11   Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head above all.

 

 

Wolves In The Church

     I'm sure you are familiar with Jesus's Biblical warning in Matthew 7:15 which says, Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Implicit in this warning is that wolves of deceit have snuck into the Church and are ready to devour any true Christian sheep who are gullible enough [or unwise enough] to fall for their wrong teachings.
     And, boy, has the institutional Church used this alarming admonition to squelch any new revelations from God that are outside the established doctrine of any particular denomination. First of all, those who are quick to attack a fellow Christian's attempt at edifying the Body regarding something God or the Holy Spirit has revealed to them, don't bother to read Matthew 7:15 in context. Jesus says in the very next verse, You can identify them by the fruit [of their character], that is, by the way they act.  Scripture goes on to say that it's pretty obvious that you don't pick sweet grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from a tumbleweed. In other words, if you hear a different interpretation of Scripture, or a different teaching of a Biblical concept, the character of the "bringer" should be taken into account and easily discernible. If their testimony or word is plainly against Scripture, and if they don't possess a reputation of the fruits of the spirit (joy, love, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness and they are not displaying the Lordship of the Spirit in their life), then you can rightly discern they are intent on damaging the Church. But if this fellow Christian is of good character, and his heart displays a visible love of the Lord, and his actions bear good fruit, then perhaps he or she should not be so quickly castigated.
     Yet, I have found far too often that the Church members will react in indignation and self-appointed authority in deciding that any new proposed understanding of Scripture that differs from the orthodox teachings is unacceptable, and it borders on either blasphemy or heresy. And that really saddens me, because this is a picture of the Church that is far different from how it began in the aftermath of Christ's resurrection and ascension.
     From the moment that the Disciples were filled with the Holy Spirit and Peter preaches the first sermon at Pentecost, the idea of "church" meant "a fellowship of believers". The Bible clearly teaches that these believers were faithful to follow the teachings of these first apostles or "sent ones". (Re-read yesterday's post on my view of what makes an apostle}. They regularly met in devoted believers' homes, with the express purpose of sharing the Lord's Supper as a sign of their unity. They prayed, studied Scripture, sang songs, and the focus was always on edifying the body of believers who were present. I think it is important to note the Apostle Paul's exhortation to these "home churches", as stated in 1 Corinthians 14:26: Well, my brothers and sisters, let’s summarize. When you meet together, one will sing, another will teach, another will tell some special revelation God has given, one will speak in tongues, and another will interpret what is said. But everything that is done must strengthen all of you. Do you see that in the modern Church?
     Can you see how different this is from what the modern Church has evolved into? First of all, I would like to reiterate and re-evaluate Jesus's statements in Matthew 7 ... He isn't even talking to a group of Christians gathering in a Church building or denomination as we know it today. He is talking to disciples who are following Him around the countryside, and learning from His teachings. Shouldn't that describe each of us, regardless of which denomination we claim allegiance to? And doesn't He make it clear that we should look at both the character and the actions of our fellow believer before condemning their teaching/interpretation as deceptive? There are at least 34 verses in the New Testament that speak of the importance of fruit in the life of a believer, yet we seem too eager to judge based on shared theology.
    And, yes, Scripture is sufficient for us ... it contains all there is to know about our God, but as I have quoted from Scripture over and over, God conceals the revelation of His word in the hiding place of His glory. But the honor of kings is revealed by how they thoroughly search out the deeper meaning of all that God says (Proverbs 25:2). He reveals Himself through Nature; through our spirits who testify to His existence; through His Son Jesus as presented in the Bible; and finally through His written Word -- and through all these ways He gives us knowledge of Himself through our experiences with Him! It is not merely through our denominational doctrines and head knowledge! That is why the Greek translation of the New Testament talks so much about experiential knowledge -- knowledge that comes from experience.
     Have we, as the institutional Church, forgotten that God is a rewarder to those who diligently seek Him? Why is it so difficult for our fellow Christians to discern that God could reveal Himself to an individual believer today through the Holy Spirit? Why are we so quick to judge a fellow believer's testimony, just because it expands on accepted doctrinal beliefs? Why can't we think God might want us to know more about Him? Do we really think our doctrine is all there is to know about God? And for mercy's sake, why are we ignoring the character and actions of our fellow believers? Do we no longer believe that the Holy Spirit leads and directs us? Before condemning someone for what they are bringing to the Church Body, can we stop for a moment and spiritually assess the heart of the person, and look to see if they have borne fruit for the Kingdom of God?
     In fact, I often wonder just how Church members assess the fruits of their fellow believers. Is it based on the number of times they have been in the pews on Sunday morning, or the number of the Church activities they are involved in? Do they ever stop to think that perhaps there is fruit they don't see -- that this believer's fruit comes from being obedient to Jesus's commands when they invite Him to be present as they lay hands on someone who is in need of healing? What about the fruit that comes from the power of the Holy Spirit to defeat the spirit of unworthiness in a lonely and abandoned young girl, as this believer partners with the Spirit and Jesus to set her free from this torment.  All these experiences are revelations of the Presence of God in a believer's life and evidence that seeds are being sown and fruit is being produced.

     The Holy Spirit reveals God to our spirits through our experiences. The Holy Spirit reveals God through Bible passages; and through our thoughts, and ideas that He brings to our minds.  He is fluid and flowing; always ready to reveal an aspect of our God that magnifies Him; that amplifies His glory. John 3:8 says, For the Spirit [wind] blows as it chooses. You can hear its sound, but you don’t know where it came from or where it’s going. So it is within the hearts of those who are Spirit-born!” The Holy Spirit is not bound by Church doctrine!
     So, I ask you, how is it that Christians within the Church think they are qualified to decide how the Spirit is leading or directing a fellow believer [who exemplifies good character; whose actions portray a heart diligently seeking after God, and whose deeds bear fruit for the Kingdom]?  Could it be that the Church barely resembles those early gatherings of Spirit-filled believers who encouraged each other to share and edify the body with what the Holy Spirit was showing them?
     I am in no way negating the warning to be on guard against the wolves who bring false teachings. They are real, and I'm pretty sure the Enemy has been infiltrating them into the Church for hundreds of years. I don't see those early "home churches" being overly concerned with real estate, building programs, staff salaries, utilities, mortgages, pulpits, pews, sermons, elaborate worship programs, or how much money they had in the bank. When did the focus change from "going out" to "protecting our turf"?
     We all agree that wolves are definitely a danger to innocent sheep. And what I'm about to say may offend some, but I have personally witnessed a pack of wolves within the church driving innocent sheep out of the building where their Good Shepherd is waiting to feed them and lead them to springs of living water. It is not my attention to offend, but rather to give us all pause when meeting with our fellow believers, and before judging them.
     So, yes, we need to be persistent in keeping the wolves at bay and safeguarding the purity of Scripture. Lord knows, they are vicious and ravenous and waiting to destroy the Body of Christ. But let's not limit our oversight to one man's [or one denomination's] conditional and designated understanding. Let us give the Holy Spirit the freedom to reveal to a person's spirit what God would have them know about Himself. And then let us offer love and kindness and a heart that is willing to receive more of God. It just might bring more joy and peace to your spirit and to the entire Body. And that would be pleasing to God.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3     Knowledge [alone] makes [people self-righteously] arrogant, but love [that unselfishly seeks the best for others] builds up and encourages others to grow [in wisdom].  If anyone imagines that he knows and understands anything [of divine matters, without love], he has not yet known as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God [with awe-filled reverence, obedience and gratitude], he is known by Him [as His very own and is greatly loved].

 

Light Dawns In The Darkness

    The last few days have been a whirlwind and I realized that I haven't posted anything in awhile. So I need to explain why... As you all know my state of Texas has been devastated by Hurricane Harvey. Mark and I spent a rocky Friday night, a week ago, as we heard things crashing into the side of our house during 90-100 mph wind gusts.  But as I told you last week, we declared our home and property to be the Land of Goshen, safeguarded and shielded by our Creator.  And it was so. While others in surrounding cities and neighborhoods suffered tremendous damage to their premises, with huge oaks uprooted, and tin roofs peeled away like tin cans, we barely lost minor branches.  We were blessed and fortunate beyond anything we expected.
     And as the reports and pictures started coming in from around the Lone Star state we could not escape the sorrow and empathy we had for the people of Houston who were (and still are) suffering from Biblical-proportion flooding.  But it was the smaller towns along our Southern coast who seemed to get lost in the immensity of the catastrophe.  One such town is Rockport, the first place where Harvey made landful in the early morning hours of August 25th.

     Throughout Mark's childhood, Rockport was a sleepy little fishing village that would also become a community of second homes for the wealthy and affluent.  Rockport has maintained that dual personality in the years since, but now it's 10,000+ residents all share the same misery and heartbreak... homes destroyed and lives forever changed.
     Since Mark and I suffered no loss, we were determined to find a way to help those less fortunate.  So we took some of our tithing money, accompanied by the same from a close neighbor and we bought some water, gatorade, peanut butter, tuna, gloves, towels, toothpaste and toothbrushes, soap, antibiotic ointment, vitamin C, and other supplies we thought would be important in these first days when people had no power, and little hope.  A group of us Christian women got together and made up relief bags. The next morning Mark and I loaded up our truck with water, and along with our neighbor's son, Cole, we three set off to offer our help.
     It was unimaginable. The devastation was beyond any sense that I had ever known.  Houses completely demolished. Trailers just a pile of rubble.  And the trees.... they were everywhere they shouldn't be, and contorted into what seemed like impressionistic sculptures.  The supplies that we had brought suddenly seemed so insignificant. How could we make a difference when these people needed so much, and we had brought so little?
     But then I remembered what my good friend Kim had prayed over us before we left that morning. She said, "I'm praying for warrior angels to surround your truck; to make a clear path through the muck and debris, and to protect your lives as y'all travel today.  I'm praying for ministering angels to go before you and prepare those whom God has in place to be blessed by you today.  And I'm praying for the Holy Spirit to be so evidenced in your lives today, that the spiritual atmosphere of the cities and towns you drive into will be changed... desolation turned to bright futures, despair turned to hope, exhaustion turned to energy, and hatred and anger turned into joy.  May you bring comfort through our Comforter to those who need it desperately!"
     These are the words that I would remember as I stood, holding hands with a woman named Yolanda, and prayed with her.  She lived by herself, and her house was a scene of destruction and desolation.  She had been approved for FEMA housing, but there was nowhere in Rockport that qualified for housing and all the surrounding communities were just as demolished.  She would have to travel several hours to find suitable lodging and she didn't want to leave her home, abandoned to the elements or looters.  We offered her water, but without ice, the water was hardly refreshing in the steamy heat.  But she was grateful for the relief bag we had brought her, and thanked us for what we were doing. In reality, we felt like we offered little more than what amounted to a drop in the ocean.
     But like everyone we approached with our meager offering, Yolanda left us with a smile and "God bless you".  But we needed to do more! And what did that look like?  And then we turned a corner and ran into José, who was the obvious leader of a group staging at the Little Lights Learning Center, a daycare facility for children.  He was organized, efficient, and unflustered... everything you need to create calm out of chaos.  When we left that day to return home, I told him I would find a way to do more, and what did he need?  "Cleaning supplies and protein" was his immediate reply.  I was determined to make that happen.

     And as we left the wreckage of Rockport behind us, the Holy Spirit offered His solution. I would tell our story of that day, and show the world the pictures of Rockport, setting up a public fundraiser for this little town that was the first to take a hit from Harvey.  I decided to turn the fundraiser over to Jesus, telling Him, "It's yours. Make it what You want it to be, and Mark and I (and others of Your faithful followers) will be Your hands and feet. Just tell us where to go".  So, I came home two days ago, created the website "Relief 4 Rockport" and surrendered it to the Lord.  And I think He wants to do great things with it!  The response has been amazing, and Mark and I, along with my prayer partner, Kim, are headed back to Rockport this morning with two trucks full of provisions -- Cleaning supplies and protein, of course! What a blessing to be used by Christ to show His mercy to those in need!
     The last thing I want to stress is that I do not want undue accolades for this work we do for the Lord.  It is no more than what thousands of others are doing as we try to alleviate the misery in the lives of our fellow Texans.  And it is just what we are called to do by the One whom we serve.  The heroes are the people who will put their lives back together, one day at a time, hopefully looking to Jesus for comfort and strength.  And if I can share His presence and His peace with any of them, then that will be an honor.  So please keep Texas in your prayers.  We have a long way to go to recover, and we're down now, but not out.  Pray that this will be a season of turning to the Lord and great growth in individual's relationships with Him.  And pray that Mark and I will be effective ambassadors for His Kingdom, showing everyone we come in contact with His mercy, His grace, and His tender heart. And please pray that we never miss an opportunity to speak of His boundless love.

Galatians 6:2    "Carry one another’s burdens and in this way you will fulfill the requirements of the law of Christ [that is, the law of Christian love]".

What's Your Real Security?

     As I wrote this post, AT&T cell coverage for nearly the entire state of Texas and major cities on the East Coast (including New York City and Washington, D.C.), the middle of the country (Cleveland, Detroit, rural Missouri), Southeast (Atlanta), and West Coast (San Francisco), was nonexistent for about 5 hours.  Not only were cell phones useless, but banks were unable to conduct business; grocery stores could not sell their goods; and businesses, in general, came to a grinding halt.  Those people and companies who rely on wireless cell coverage for their internet access were suddenly left unconnected with the worldwide web. I heard rumors that other major wireless carriers were also encountering problems.

     Fortunately for me, my internet access comes from a local cooperative, and I was able to write this post and see what was going on across the world. When checking AT&T's website, there were over 16,000 comments reporting that outages were either occurring now, or in some cases, had been reported for over 3 days. Funny thing is, there was no media outlet reporting this phenomenon! No crawlers running across news station feeds; no reports on major social media sites; not even a mention on the conspiracy sites.  On top of that, the Stock Market took a pretty steep dive (supposedly because of doubts that the Congressional House will pass a new health care bill) -- but was that the real reason? Regardless of all that, in interacting with people in my local area, there was a sense of underlying alarm ... what did this mean?  I witnessed people withdrawing money from their banks (those transactions being done the old-fashioned way, by hand; and gassing up their cars). I will admit that I took those same precautions; primarily because I needed to fill up my car anyway and didn't want to get in a long gas line (I still remember those of the 1980's).
     Without appearing to be a fearmonger, it was not out of the question to suggest that this could be a nefarious act -- someone (or nation) attempting to disrupt the business and/or economy of this nation; or at the very least, causing confusion, an interruption in day-to-day activities, and an unsettling sense of anxiety.  So, now comes the crux of what I want to say in this post ... how secure would all this make you feel?  Are your first thoughts for your physical safety, or like me, would you have a calmness in your spirit, knowing that you are not of this world? That no matter what chaos ensues, I am secure in my spiritual safety.  I seek the shelter of Almighty God and picture myself running into a strong tower where I am protected from the disorder and pandemonium swirling outside.

     I ask these questions because we are living in an increasingly unsafe world.  Terrorism, nuclear weapons, and radical ideologies are the modern weapons of this world; weapons that man is far too familiar with.  But there is a growing wickedness and evil that are dangerous spiritual weapons against us, too.  Believe me, I am seeing that in the people God is bringing to us through our ministry.  And I will tell you that ten years ago, I never would have believed that I would be hearing from people who have experienced demons trying to convince them to end their lives; or demons identifying themselves as Lucifer during a healing/deliverance session; or heard the soul-searing pain that so many have suffered in their childhoods.
     But I have also witnessed women who have seen Jesus, in their spirits, change their filthy rags into a gown of white. And I have witnessed the Holy Spirit help a hurting heart forgive the one who transgressed against them so long ago, and experienced with them, the joy of a life-long weight being lifted from their soul. I have seen soul ties broken; oaths meant to keep generations in bondage be renounced; and childhood experiences integrated into the identity of the adult, all under the compassionate authority and guardianship of Jesus.
     And that is why I can approach the uncertain and unknown [that is a reality in our world today] with complete confidence and with peace in my spirit. I am aware of the dangers in this world -- those that are possible, and those that are inevitable. I read my Bible and Jesus makes it clear that if we follow Him, we will not leave this life unscathed. But if the gates of hell were opened tomorrow, I know that He is the rock upon which I would stand, making my steps secure.  My spirit will find rest in Him, knowing my faith in Him is my shield, behind which I can abide in total confidence and trust. And I feel safe, knowing His faithfulness [to me] will protect me from the fiery darts of the Enemy. His Word promises that He will fight for me, because I am precious to Him; bought with His blood! What in this world can offer any greater security?
     So, the "wireless crisis" passed after several hours, with no apparent explanation. And I do not doubt that when the "time of difficulty" comes upon the earth, the chaos will cause widespread panic and fear.  That is the time that we Christians need to know where our real security lies. We need to know the Authority and the Power we will have to wield over the forces of evil, while being prepared to lay down our lives for our friends. The coming destruction will be sudden, and that's why we need to be settled in our spirits this very moment. Know that if Jesus is your Savior, you are not condemned to God's Wrath on the Day of the Lord. Jesus is your Rock, your Fortress, and your Deliverer. There is no need to fear because His Arms are everlasting, and He is a refuge and strength, and abundantly available to help in times of trouble. Any security that this world has to offer is inadequate and insufficient.

Psalm 16:8   "I have set the Lord always before me; because He is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken".


   

A Couple of Thoughts On The Future...

     It happens one week from today ... the nation is waiting breathlessly as our country experiences the peaceful transfer of power.  As I watch the circus that has become our political process, I am not sure that anything in this world will change until Jesus returns.  I sense that half of the country is eagerly expecting a new beginning of honesty, authenticity, and trustworthiness among those who govern us; while the other half is anticipating oppression, repression, and suppression.  T
     Those who lean Left, politically, fear the loss of all they've gained in the last 43+ years: their newly acquired right to marry anyone of their choice, regardless of sex; their ability to choose to destroy a fetus; and their newfound freedom to culturally express themselves as any gender on any given day.  Those who lean to the political and religious Right hope to see the demise of all those "freedoms".
     We, here in America, pride ourselves on our bedrock of Freedom and Human Rights.  As I contemplate our future, both here at home and abroad, I am deeply concerned that we are too far down the path of unrighteousness to effect any dramatic turn in direction.
     Take this for instance: the First Amendment to our Bill of Rights protects the free exercise of religion and the freedom of speech, right? But for far too long, our Churches have restricted themselves from being able to express their opinions on moral, cultural, or political issues.  

"No one can serve two masters ..."

      We are all familiar with the 501(c)3 tax status, which exempts churches from paying federal income taxes as a non-profit public charity.  But as I look around at the mega-churches and the healthy bank accounts of even small town churches, I hardly consider churches "non-profit".  What I see is this ... in an attempt to benefit from man's laws, the Church has become a privileged government entity, receiving monetary "favors" in exchange for operating under and representing private civil law.  In other words, our churches now operate under man's law instead of the freedom of God's Law, trading the headship of Christ for the mandates of the State.
     Now, along comes Donald Trump, who as our President-Elect, declares that he will remove or repeal the Johnson Amendment, which limits freedom of speech from the pulpits.  This amendment is a change in the U.S. tax code, made in 1954, which prohibited certain tax-exempt organizations (including churches) from endorsing and opposing political candidates.  In this election cycle, Christian citizens received this as a ray of hope that the pastors in our pulpits could return to speaking God's whole Truth without fear of government intervention or retaliation.
     But I wonder if it is really the fear of the government that has silenced our pulpits, or the fear of cultural disapproval?  Haven't we really silenced ourselves in an attempt to appease and pacify the growing cultural objection to our Biblical belief system?  Not only have we kept silent, but we have actually adopted the culture as our guiding model for administering our churches.  Same-sex marriage is not only becoming more acceptable in Christian churches, but abortion as a sin is minimized, and the Bible is increasingly discredited.
     When I consider that more churches will adapt to these kinds of Biblical sin, yet condemn a healing or deliverance ministry as "too controversial" (even though Jesus modeled both for us!), then I know that Satan has infiltrated the Church and the seminaries.  And it saddens me that we, the Body of Christ in our nation's churches, would look towards the repeal of a piece of legislation as our lifeline, rather than the pure, unadulterated, and solid Word of God.  In reality, all the Johnson Amendment did was to limit pastors from endorsing or opposing political candidates.  But what stopped them from speaking out about political corruption (and preaching what God is really saying in Romans 13); or speaking out about LGBT activism, abortion, cohabitation, unwed mothers -- any of which have become celebrated statuses in our culture?
     The truth is that no new administration is going to change our culture overnight, and if we are pinning our hopes on Trump and his gang of "outsiders" to effect any great shift in the direction of our government policies or societal culture, then I'm afraid we are going to find ourselves hugely disappointed. And it is not just our churches that determine whether our Christian principles will be upheld.  Our governmental offices and institutions have the ability to stifle our worldwide Christian outreach as well.

     Take for instance, the nomination of Rex Tillerson as President-Elect Trump’s Secretary of State. Many are excited about his executive management skills and I've read more than a couple of inspiring stories about the righteous character of the man.  But I'm also curious to know about the man; especially when I read that, as head of Exxon, Tillerson oversaw large donations to Planned Parenthood.  Are we to anticipate that this organization's radical abortion agenda will be supported as part of our foreign policy?  Also, Mr. Tillerson served on the Boy Scout national board when that organization extended troop leadership to homosexual males.  As a Christian, those actions give me pause, because as Secretary of State, he will have considerable influence on the global impact of the United States, and I am seriously concerned about what social policies we are exporting to the world.
     For instance, will he continue to uphold the October, 2016 rule for the administration of USAID (The United States Agency for International Development; the government agency which is primarily responsible for administering civilian foreign aid)?  This rule, enacted by President Obama (without Congress) prohibits organizations that contract with USAID from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity in the administration of aid. In other words, as expressed in an article on Barbwire.com, "authentic Christian principles must be betrayed in order to serve poor, diseased, displaced and suffering people".  Will Christian-affiliated mission groups be barred from service to the disadvantaged of the world unless they endorse the homosexual agenda?  As Roger Severino, director of the Heritage Foundation’s DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society, said, "Disaster relief agencies may now be required to open their women’s shower and sleeping facilities to biological males who self-identify as women or be stripped of all funding for alleged ‘gender identity discrimination' ". Is that the message we want to send to the world? And is that truly representative of Jesus's form of social justice?
     So, as much as I hate to say it, I'm not so confident that change is in our future ... that anything like repealing the Johnson Amendment will affect the culture of our churches.  I fear that our churches have become institutions unto themselves, more concerned about perpetuating their existence than discipling followers of Jesus in how to live a Biblically righteous life.  And I am waiting to see if the attitudes and behaviors of elected government officials will reflect a desire to promote Christian values at home and in the world, or if we will see the continued advancement of our culture's immorality.
     To tell you the truth, I am more excited and optimistic when I talk to fellow Christians who, single-handedly, are walking out the Great Commission -- Believers who are being bold and taking advantage of the opportunities presented to them to engage with their fellow man and share their faith.  I'm talking about people who, in the course of their day, share Jesus with their physical therapist, the waitress at lunch, the grocery store clerk, or the child in their classroom.  These are Believers who are not ruled by the laws of men; who do not let the opinions of the disbelieving culture inhibit them from shining the Light of the Lord into someone's life.
     I know that will sound like a fantasy dream to some.  But I honestly believe that these simple acts of faith will be honored by God more than all the repealed laws and extraordinary government appointments man can make. Jesus didn't ask us to build massive church buildings and congregations in His Name, or institute powerful governments to represent Him.  He asked us to make disciples of men, baptize them into the Kingdom of God, and teach each man, woman, and child all that He has commanded us.  We do that one person at a time, compromising nothing in our message, and fearing no one but Him.  THAT is the future that I'm ready to witness!  Let it begin with me!

1 Peter 3:15   "but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,"