Month: August 2023

How Much for the Prayer of Salvation? | The American Church Today, Part 2

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Once Upon a Time…*

The sun was just peaking up from the horizon, when Zara lowered the bucket into the well. It was already warm today, so she was glad she had come a little early to gather water. Beads of sweat began to rise on her forehead as she pulled the full bucket up and poured it into her first jar. Some water splashed on her sandal and she found herself remembering a day long ago at the seaside.

It had been a day much like this one, but she and Isaac were newer and thought they had so much to look forward to in life. Zara was so happy to see the Galilee, that she had run right into the waves lapping at the shore. Isaac laughed at her childish heart—and her soaked sandals. But he found a high rock to dry them on and had rubbed a bit of oil on them when they dried, to soften them for her. He is such a kind man, she thought. He still treated her with honor, in spite of the grief she had brought into their marriage.

She lowered the bucket once more, and imagined she could feel the cooling breezes that had made that hot day long ago so bearable. She remembered he had laid down his cloak for her to rest on, while he caught fish to roast for their meal. She laid out a fresh loaf of barley bread, some lentil stew, and half-a-dozen figs from her father’s grove. They enjoyed quite a feast that day.

Remembering their happiness made Zara’s heart feel light. Everything about the day had been so special. How she wished they could restore the hope that once filled their hearts. Instead, their lives had been marked by grief upon grief, and she knew it was her fault. Still, Isaac loved her. A tear landed on her cheek. She quickly wiped it away. “Be strong, Zara,” she chastised herself.

Suddenly a voiced cried out from behind her, a friendly call that interrupted Zara’s daydreaming. She turned around to see her lifelong friend, Eliana, running towards her. “Zara! Zara! I’m so glad to see you here!” Eliana dropped her water jars beside the well and embraced her friend. Eliana’s eyes were bright and a broad smile crossed her face.

“Eliana, how are you? I am so glad to see you.”

“Oh! I am more glad to see you. Zara, I have wonderful news to share!” She held her friend’s shoulders and looked into her eyes. She could see the lingering shadows on her friend’s face, and felt all the more excited to share her good news. “Zara, have you heard that Jesus is coming today?”

“Jesus, the son of Joseph? From Nazareth?”

“Yes! The very one!”

“No, I had not heard.”

“He will be at the seaside this afternoon,” Eliana told her. “He will be there to pray for the sick, Zara.”

“The sick?”

“Yes! The sick are made well, when He prays for them, Zara. Just like that!” Eliana clapped her hands together. “Just like that!”

Zara had heard about Jesus. She had heard of the lame being able to walk, the blind being made to see. Could He…? She was afraid to think He could bring life to her womb. That must surely be too much to ask.

Eliana could see a glimmer of light in her friend’s eye. As if reading her mind, she answered the questions in her heart. “Yes, Zara, He can. I know He can.” Zara almost smile, but the fear of hoping caused her to turn away, She lowered the bucket and asked, “Where will He be?”

“He will be at Galilee.” Eliana took her friends arm and Zara turned back towards her friend, gazing into Eliana’s lively eyes. “Oh, Zara, let’s go. Let’s go see Jesus. It could be your day to receive a touch from the Master. Tell Isaac. I know he and Jacob have spoken about Jesus. I know he believes. We can all go together.” Zara’s heart began to fill with hope.

“I do want to go, Eliana. I really do!”

“Then, let’s hurry home and get ready.” Eliana was drawing her water now. Zara raised her jars to her shoulders. “Let’s meet at the great rock, and travel together. There will be many people, and this way we won’t lose each other in the crowd.”

“But, do you think there will still be tickets, by the time we get there?”

“Eunice told me that’s why He’s coming to the seaside, to allow for many more people to hear Him speak.” She positioned her jars and walked beside Zara. “It is five shekels more to have Him pray for you, but I’m sure Isaac will agree that it is worth the price.”

With every step back to their homes, hope and excitement filled Zara’s heart. Maybe, this really would be her day, the end of her shame and Isaac’s mourning. Oh, how she longed to give him the son he deserved. He was such a good and kind man. How could God continue to deny him a child? She and Eliana parted with a kiss on the cheek, and Zara hurried home to share the good news with Isaac.

“Isaac,” she called. “Isaac!” She saw him at the table and set her jars down. “Isaac, I have some—.” She stopped herself mid-sentence, as she stepped closer to him and could see his purse was poured out across the table. He had been counting his money, over and over. Her tone changed from excitement to concern. “Isaac, what is wrong?”

He looked up at her; weariness covered his face. “We have lost our ox. Phineas gave me the news. The ox died during the night.”

“Oh, Isaac.” She came closer and leaned over him with a gentle embrace.

“We don’t have enough to replace him. I will see what I can sell at the marketplace. Meanwhile, I’m afraid we will have to make due the best we can.”

“Of course. I have plenty of stores to get us through.”

“I thought I would have a happy surprise for you today, but instead I only have this bad news.”

“You are always my happy surprise, Isaac.” She knelt at his feet and rested her head against him.

“This was special, my Zara. Jesus is coming to the Galilee today, and I wanted to take you to see Him.” Zara caught her breath, stopping herself from revealing her disappointment. She forced a smile and looked up at her beloved. “There will be another day to see Jesus, Isaac.”

She turned her face to the floor and closed her eyes, forcing the tears back. Isaac bent down and kissed the top of her head. He had also heard of the miracles Jesus had performed. Hope had been rising in his heart that morning, too, but the news of their ox had once again shattered his dreams. The hope of a child of his own would have to wait. The price was too dear, when they had an ox to buy.

Eliana and Jacob waited for almost an hour at the great rock, but finally went on without their friends. As they were traveling with other neighbors they would learn about Isaac’s ox. Eliana openly cried for Zara and uttered a word of gratitude that she and Jacob were in better circumstances, at least today. At least today, they could afford to see Jesus.

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:3 ❤

*This is a work of fiction.

“I Want to Attend a New Testament Church!” | The American Church Today, Part 1

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The last time I made this appeal to God, I was utterly frustrated over a situation in my church. It was so hard for me to understand what was happening. Instead of agreement on the objectives and rejoicing in the accomplishments, there was every manner of resentment, stress, opposition, criticism, competitiveness, deceitfulness, narcissism, and misuse of spiritual authority. I was so confused! Didn’t we all want the same thing? It wasn’t good, and I was not doing well. We say hindsight is 20/20, and I will say the Holy Spirit has been giving me eyes to see now what I struggled to see then. I ultimately had to reconcile myself with the fact that there was nothing I could do that would ever win me the grace of these sovereigns. That was a very painful thing for me, still so in bondage to the fear of man. but there came a point where God intervened. It’s just not healthy to want the acceptance or approval of a person who chooses to hurt and curse you.

When God hardened their heart against me1, they did what was most logical for them to do: expel the vermin! I continue to pray for them, but I remain sad for how the church has fallen away from what we think of when we think of the New Testament church.

Yes, we idealize. We forget that the NT Believers met during a time of severe persecution: the threat of death was real. They saw leader after leader tortured. Roman Christians met in catacombs, surrounded by human remains, to avoid being caught. It was illegal for these new Christians to “go to church,” yet, they we’re desperate to be together. 

Church for us today is different. We aren’t so desperate for fellowship that we would risk torture and death. We don’t know desperate. I get letters from guys inside who long for fellowship, Bible teachers, Christian literature, someone to pray with, a Bible, someone to just talk to about God. Most of us can’t relate. We have the luxury of choice. And, I think that has played a big part in the Christian becoming a consumer, the pastor becoming a service provider, and the church becoming a business. What would 1st century Christians have to say about us?

Listen, if you attend a bad church, you should absolutely leave. You don’t need a sign from God. You know as much as I knew, but fear of man or fear of violating your club’s social norms keep you stuck. You think it’s virtuous to tough it out. “No,” you admit, “I’m not being fed there, I’m not growing from the ministry there, but I listen to sermons online and I worship God on my own.” If you need a sign, that’s it. It doesn’t matter if your club has the best music or potlucks, and all your closest friends are members, too. It doesn’t matter if you serve in a high position, or vowed you’d never go. God has nothing to do with any of that! Friend, if you aren’t leaving church well-fed, you’re being slowly starved. Eventually, you’ll lose your appetite for spiritual cuisine all together. You’ll lap up the slop you’re being served and learn to love it. In fact, you’ll soon not be able to tolerate solid food at all. That’s deadly, folks! Run away from any church with a pastor who fails at his only assignment: Jesus said, “Feed My sheep.“ (John 21:17) 

If we want to be in a New Testament church, we need to be New Testament Christians first. We need to be desperate for the presence of God. We need to be desperate for the preaching of God’s Word. Yes, preaching! That means a word from God, a fresh word from Heaven; an anointed presentation of scripture that convicts of sin and leads to spiritual transformation! It’s not recounting illustrations based on TV shows or movies. It’s not retelling another pastor’s sermon. It’s not standing in front of the sheep talking about yourself and all your good works. Don’t stay in those churches! Don’t make excuses for these men or women who carry a title. That is not God’s anointed, Brother or Sister. God’s anointed is as desperate for God as you are and knows they will give account for every word. They preach with fear and trembling, not jokes and personal anecdotes. Any pastor who isn’t spiritually nourishing Christ’s sheep isn’t a shepherd: he is a human trafficker. He doesn’t care about these who are trusting him with their spiritual care. He uses them! He counts his sheep each week, keeping score.

There’s just too much to say.

Christians are in trouble. They need pastors who don’t care about the numbers. They need pastors who care about them, pastors who seek God until they hear from Heaven. They need pastors who don’t answer to the sheep, but to God—they prove that by preaching what the sheep don’t want to hear, and then hold themselves to the same holy standard. I think Christians also need pastors like Moses, willing to weep before God on behalf of the broken, hurting, struggling, and back-sliding.

Is that too much to ask? No.

Folks, it’s time. Jesus is coming for a Bride without spot or wrinkle, and He isn’t kidding. I often think He delays His coming as much for His wrinkled and spotty Bride as He does for the lost. We really do need to repent for being willing to compromise by staying in a church that is compromised. Then, we need to go. Get out fast! If you’re saying, “But, where will I go?” I say, pray. Ask the Holy Spirit to lead you to that one He has called to pastor—not the one trying to build an empire or have the coolest club in town. Then, visit churches. Seek God. Get in His Word. Listen to nourishing sermons online2. Reach out to other Christians and fellowship. Pray together. Have Communion together. It’s okay for there to be a time of transition, but you do have to take responsibility for your spiritual life.

Anyway, church is a big topic and I have more to say about it, but I’ll stop here. It’s already a monstrosity, so I’ll be surprised if anyone gets to the end. LOL

“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 1:3

❤

1 To be clear, I wasn’t in this alone, but I do not want to speak for others in my family.
2 www.TSCNYC.org is a good place to find a lot of good, spiritual food.

Some Thoughts on Weeds

/ SaxophoneWife / 1 Comment

“The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden
as its gardener, to tend and care for it.” Genesis 2:15 (TLB)

 I didn’t used to like pulling weeds when I was a kid, because that’s all I was allowed to do, and it seemed like a waste of time. “They’ll just grow back,” I’d complain. When I got older and decided to try my hand at gardening, I began to understand weeds better. Mind you, I know almost nothing about gardening, but I have learned four things:

  1. Before you can even plant a seed, you have to make a place for it. If you tuck a seed in the middle of a patch of weeds, it won’t stand a chance. Weeds won’t make room for seeds.
  2. Seeds need sun, soil, and water. Simple. Except, weeds deplete the soil, hog all the water, and grow so fast that they quickly overgrow the seedlings and block out the sun. Weeds are greedy!
  3. If a weed is left to grow, it will spread. Some have very shallow roots, but they self-seed when left to their own devices. And, some will shoot their roots down deep into the soil, or across the garden bed. Those weeds can become entangled with the delicate seedlings, and pulling or digging them out risks injury to the plants you are trying to grow. So, the sooner you address the weeds, the better. Don’t let them take root!
  4. The best thing I’ve learned though, is that if you stay on top of the weeds, you won’t have to weed so often. Nip it in the bud!

SUCH IS THE CHRISTIAN’S LIFE

We all have a “spiritual garden.” The Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13 talks about this. It is where things of God take root and grow—or where they fail to grow and die. One thing that causes spiritual seeds to die are spiritual weeds. We need to uproot these weeds as soon as possible! However, sometimes we don’t recognize them for what they are, or the damage they can do.

  • Some weeds are pretty: we mistake them for flowers. Instead of taking them out, we make a place for them. We water them.
  • Some spiritual weeds are so deeply rooted, we haven’t got the strength to pull them out. We clip away at the green parts when they start to show, and hope no one notices that the root is still intact.
  • Finally, some spiritual weeds are so discreet, they’re hidden amongst the fruitful vines and secretly choking away the life of the good things we’ve planted.

These spiritual weeds, you see, are those little sins we justify; our worldly beliefs that have compromised God’s truth. They are grudges and unforgiveness, and unbelief in the Word of God that leads to us interpreting scripture according to what suits our will. It’s rejecting biblical correction, and resisting the Lord’s command to surrender and obey. Instead of resisting Satan’s temptation, we yield to our flesh and choose what feels right. These are all weeds in our spiritual life that will eventually choke out the goodness of God. The Word of God tells us:

“Try me, O God, and know mine heart:
prove me and know my thoughts,
and consider if there be any way of wickedness in me,
and lead me in the way forever.”
Psalm 139:23-24 (GNV)

If we will ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes and shows us what needs to go in our life, He will show us. It’s God will for us to grow spiritually and thrive in our walk of faith. However, we have to tend our spiritual gardens. We have to stay alert and pluck those deadly weeds out as soon as possible. The Holy Spirit will be faithful to show us the things we need to change, stop, repent of, or surrender. Will we be faithful in obeying Him?

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord will give grace and glory;
No good thing will He withhold from those who walk uprightly.
Psalm 84:11 (NKJV)

❤