Has The Church Become Militant?

Written by: Johnny Israel

In the Book of John 15:27, just before Christ suffered on the cross, He said to His disciples, "And you shall bear witness because you have been with me from the beginning." For nearly three years the disciples were with Jesus 24/7. They were eyewitnesses to His mighty miracles. The sick were healed, the lame walked, the blind received their sight, and the dead were raised to life. Yet at one point, they wanted more. They desired to see Israel free from Roman domination. In their hopes that Jesus has come to set Himself as King of Israel, they asked, "Lord have you come to restore Israel?" However, Jesus had bigger and better plans, not just for Israel, but for the world. The disciples had their eye on a man created government. Jesus' eye was on the world as a whole. Instead of addressing government rule, Jesus instructed His disciples to (1) heal the sick, (2) cast out demons, (3) raise the dead, and (4) preach the Good News. In other words, the purpose of the Gospel is to bring souls into the Kingdom of God. The government Jesus was setting up was one of Good News, not politics, or fighting causes for this or that. He was after the heart and souls of men. His followers were given one mission, win souls for the Kingdom. Even though the political spectrum was overbearing at the time, Jesus refused to participate in the rights or wrongs of the political agenda. That was not His mission or purpose.

Jesus' cousin, John the Baptist is locked in prison. John sent his servant to Jesus, inquiring if He was the One the prophets foretold about, or should they look for another? Two things transpired here. John did not address the horror of confinement, or his wrongful conviction. He needed assurance from Jesus that He was the Christ. John's eye was on God's promise to send the Messiah. In his oppressive state of captivity, he sought assurance from Jesus that He is the Christ. Look how Jesus answered him in Luke 7:22. "Then Jesus answering said, "Go your way, and tell John what things you have seen and heard; how that the blind see, the lame walk, the leper are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, to the poor the Gospel is preached." Brother that was all the assurance John needed. Notice how Jesus never addressed John's captivity or the evils of the Roman government. Was John wrongfully imprisoned? Yes. Did John have a right to complain against the government? Yes. Yet, neither John nor Jesus said one word against the Roman government. Jesus did not hold rallies, nor did he gather the believers together to march in protest of John's imprisonment. He stayed the course the Father sent Him on.

Today's church has taken a different turn in the road. Called to preach the Good News, the church has become a political machine. In these last few years the church has preached more on politics than winning souls for Christ. She has attacked the judiciary, politicians, promoted canidants, fought against laws, marched and rallied for this cause and that... all in the Name of Christ. We've argued over the placement of the ten commandments, prayer in school, abortion, homosexuals, the marriage of gays, federal laws, state laws, and local governments. The list is endless. We have held our banners high, saying we will no longer tolerate the unbelievers' way of life. Our Christian flag, we said, bores battle scar wear. We declared we possess the love of Christ; and out of the same mouth we declare ourselves as militants for Christ. How wrong can we be? Has the church traveled so far off track that they lost sight of the Great Commission? Paul the Apostle said, "We fight not against flesh and blood, but against pricipalities, against rulers of darkness, against spiritual wickness in high places. In other words, the believers fight is in the spirit realm, not the physical. We pull down stronghold through prayer. Not establishing tougher laws, forcing the nonbeliever into submission.

If the church is going to fullfill the Great Commission of Christ, we must return to our first love. It is time that we take our eye off the world's agenda and placed them Christ's agenda. While I agree we face disturbing issues of abortion, as well as political chaos, the scope of the believers' faith is Christ. It is prayer that changes circumstances, not a political agenda. When prayer changes the situation it is permanent. However, political laws are temporary, they are subject to change at any given moment. One is a conversion of the heart, the other an outward temporary change subject to the whim of man.

Psalms 32:8

Written by: Johnny Israel

"I will instruct you and guide you in the way you should go, I will counsel you with my eye." Psalms 32:8

All through the Bible, God promise the believer that He not only will watch after them, He will personally guide them and instruct the believer in the ways of his life. So often, we have drifted along trying to figure out what we should be doing with our life; and how accomplish it. Yet, God specifically says He will personally guide us, not only that, but instruct us along the way. So then why are we worried about our jobs, vocation, or goals? Is it because we willfully ignore the Holy Spirit's direction by attempting to work things out within ourselves? Personally, there are times when I have not listen to the Spirit's prompting, and traveled off in my own direction. The end result was distresses. Was it God that failed me? Or was it me failing to trust Him to guide and instruct me? Of course it was not God failing me. Would I have listened to the Holy Spirit my choices would have turned out differently. Don't we really make His promises out to be difficult by not trusting him, even when we believe our way is the best way? The Bible says, "As many as led of the Spirit are called the sons of God." The key to personal success, whether financial, marital, or social, is following the leading of the Holy Spirit. Remember, it is His responsibility to speak to us, it is our responsibility to follow his direction. Once we apply the two, we have guaranteed success. In the Book of Numbers 23:19 it says, "God is not a man that He should lie, nor the Son of Man that He should repent. Has he said, shall he not do it, has He spoken, will He not make it good." There are times we literally must take our hands off what we believe to be best for us, and allow Him to instruct us in the matter. The Bible says, "Call unto me, and I will answer you..." Jeremiah 33:3. All through the old and new testament, God offers his services to guide us in every aspect of our lives. Isn't it about time we allowed Him to be the Lord in all of our decisions?

Justified By Faith

Written by: Johnny Israel

Romans 5:1 says, "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." What does it mean justified by faith? The word justified means "vindicated" "blameless" or "to be made right." It literally means "without sin." When we receive Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior, the Bible says we are cleansed by the shedding of His blood, and made whole, or without sin. He vindicated us or justified us by our faith in His death on the cross and resurrection from the dead. Justification is worked by faith. Faith, simply put, means "a firm belief in something said or an act." Jesus died on the cross, yet you or I was not present at the cross to witness His death. We accept this fact by faith. We were not present when the disciples saw Jesus ascend into Heaven. Again, we accept this by faith. By doing so, our faith justifies us from an unrighteous state to righteousness. Justification is empowered by faith. Faith is the unseen force the works justification. You can not be justified without faith, yet faith is the foundation to justification. What does this mean for you and me. We simply acknowlege that Jesus died on the cross for our sin; and by faith we accept His forgiveness for our sin. Then a mighty transformation takes place in our heart and spirit. We become a new creation, the old self has died to sin, the new man, or self is justified or make right, by faith. We are a new creation in Christ Jesus. God's plan of salvation for man is simple, so simple that it bewilders us that He suffered and rose again. The Bible states that righteousness has come upon all men, yet not all men will receive His righteousness. Reach out to Him in simple faith, and He will esteem you as his righteous child. Justified by faith.