Mandate for Mission

“I will seek to lead my church to accept its full responsibility for community and world service.  The church has a mandate from God to evangelize the world.  Give to home and foreign missions and as many service arms of the organization as you can.  The members of your congregation need your direction in these vital areas.”  -UPCI Manual. 

It is imperative for every minister of the gospel to periodically evaluate his or her position and direction, using the God-given mandates for the church as reference points.  Jesus established one of these mandates in his closing words to His disciples:  “Go ye therefore and teach all nations…”  Matthew 28:19.  While the church serves many purposes in meeting the needs of its members, the mandate for missions must be elevated to become its primary reason for existence.  All other roles are subordinate to this one.  In fact, it may be said that this mission encompasses all other aspects of the church and its work in the world. 

While it is neither practical nor scriptural for each person to go to all nations, the church as a body must nevertheless embrace world missions as its purpose.  No member is exempt from the call.  That means that the church is to ordain and send out missionaries, provide financial support for them, and offer as much assistance as we can through prayer, encouragement and blessing.  These functions will not happen without organized leadership.  Pastors must assume this responsibility as an essential part of leading the local church.  

To effectively lead a church to be engaged in missions, both at home and abroad, the pastor must continually present the need of missions to the congregation, regularly provide opportunities to pray and give to missions, and preach about sharing the gospel as a staple of his or her preaching fare.   Any pastor who does not know how to do this must enlist the help of others who have successful missions programs.  This also includes a major emphasis on reaching out to other local communities that do not yet have a witness of this gospel.  

We live in a world that is becoming more complex and conflicted with each passing year, causing the ministry to focus on the spiritual needs of the congregations.  This must be done, but not to the abandonment of our primary mission.  Indeed, one vital way to maintain the spirituality of church members is to continually point them to the greater purpose of their lives—spreading the gospel of salvation to the whole world. 

Missions must be considered as a matter of ethics because the slogan of the United Pentecostal Church, International is “The Whole Gospel to the Whole World by the Whole Church.”  This statement is based directly on scripture.  The only way for us to be true to our mission statement is to purposefully structure the activities of the church to fulfill this goal.  It must be said that we make our mission “the great commission!”

Grown Up Youths

“That our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth; that our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace.”   Psalm 144:12

Boy preachers?  Girl singers?  Teen teachers?  How could the church possibly survive—let alone thrive—with a radical strategy that thrusts young people into the forefront of critical functions that can only be done by seasoned, experienced and trustworthy (read “gray-haired”) men and women of God? God forbid.  What about the sound warnings against exalting novices before the people because they are so susceptible to pride and arrogance?  What about the foolishness and indiscretions of youth? 

 The sobering truth is that the church is among the few organizations that close the door of full participation to younger people.  The army, navy, air force, marines and coast guard understand that their survival depends upon recruiting eighteen to twenty-four year olds into military service.  After one or two years of training, many of these youths are flying multi-million dollar aircraft, operating complex computer systems that govern our nuclear arsenals, and getting clearance to the highest levels of security in our government.  When this nation wages any kind of warfare, the boots on the ground are filled by many who are not out of their teens.  

The premier corporations in America send agents out to the colleges and universities every year to harvest a new crop of bright young men and women.  Their thinking goes beyond mere compensation for attrition through retirees and move-aways.  They understand the dynamics of fresh ideas, creativity and willingness to experiment that are part of the basic nature of young people.  Political parties covet the energy and raw passion that consumes the minds of young people.  That’s why they continually troll through the PolySci schools of the nation, fishing for a new crop of mayors, governors, senators, congressional delegates, and a few electrifying presidential candidates for the future. 

Unfortunately, there is a darker side.  Extremist groups are making full utilization of the internet to draw young people into their sinister webs of hatred and terrorism.  Solon Magazine recently printed this quote, “The movement for ages has been interested in getting brighter people into its ranks… What it’s really looking for is its future leaders, its tacticians and strategists who can create a second revolution—as opposed to those who can just beat up a few people. And this is something the Net may really be helping with.”  Web of Hate, Salon Magazine.  

I entitled a previous article on these pages, “Are We Getting Too Gray?”  It was a play on words because I was actually talking about the blurring of the separation between the church and the world.  Now, however, it is indeed time to talk about age.  It is vital for the twenty-first century church to take inventory of our demographics and address the crisis.  With dwindling numbers of young people entering the ministry, the graying of the church is probably the number one characterization given to it by young people.  It used to be their father and mother’s church.  Now, it is their grandfather and grandmother’s church!  If a generation gap exists between parents and children, how much more pronounced is it when separated by another generation?  If the trend continues, boot hill is in sight. 

We can fix this problem!  To succeed, we must take the church back to the day when youthful preachers were the norm, not the exception.  The ministerial ranks were filled with youths who were in their late teens and early twenties.  Not only that, young ladies as well as young men were accepted as legitimate ministers and were encouraged to pursue the ministry.  In our early years, gender was not an issue, race was not an issue, and nationality was not an issue.  These became issues years ago for reasons that did not serve us well then and do not serve us well now.  The clarion call must go forth:  Young People, join God’s army!  Accept your calling; listen to the voice of God to know where to go and what to say.  Church:  it is time to point the way!  We must believe in our youth, we must allow our youth to shoulder responsibility, and we must give training and mentoring to our youth to prepare them for the primary work of the church. 

But, what does the Bible say?  David is the classic case.  “And Saul said to David, Thou art not able to go against this Philistine to fight with him: for thou art but a youth, and he a man of war from his youth.” 1 Samuel 17:33  “And when the Philistine looked about, and saw David, he disdained him: for he was but a youth, and ruddy, and of a fair countenance.” 1 Samuel 17:42. “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.” Lamentations 3:27.  “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”  1 Timothy 4:12.  These scriptures form a powerful premise for sending young people into ministry.  This is not to say that youth alone is a qualifier for ministry, but neither should it be a disqualifier. 

The church softball team must not be the big reason why we recruit young people; they can do more than just play the guitar or drums in the band; they can do more than help out in the nursery.  It is patently absurd that we should push them to be doctors, lawyers and CEO’s, but consider the ministry beneath them or unacceptable for them.  We betray our own claims about the importance of the church if we do not believe that the ministry is suitable or desirable for our children!  Preaching, praying, leading, ministering, teaching and doing missionary work are all legitimate avenues for their callings and giftings.  Unless they are shown that they can do real, spiritual work for God in the church, they will grow discouraged and seek significance elsewhere.  We must not hold them back because we fear losing them will thin out our ranks at home.  We must send them in order to multiply the numbers of believers in the world! Our missionaries know exactly what this strategy entails.  

Typically, every generation’s assessment of its upcoming replacement is negative.  And yet, the record shows that the new generation always steps up to the challenges and succeeds.  The next generation now coming up in the church is neither better nor worse than any other generation.  If we give them the affirmation they need, if we open the doors of opportunity to them, if we encourage them to “go for it,” then we will create an unstoppable future for them and the church.  

Long ago, a Bible college instructor told my class of ministerial hopefuls to be grateful for any pastor who dared to let us up behind his pulpit and risk turning his people over to us for half an hour.  Now, the proverbial shoe is on the other foot.  It is imperative for us who inch closer and closer to retirement to grab those young people and put them behind our pulpits.  It’s the only way to secure the future of the church. 

Before we know it, it will be their church anyhow. 

The Particularity of God

“Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.” 1 Corinthians 12:27

Speed-readers excepted, anyone familiar with the Bible is acutely aware of its details.  Gung-ho newcomers soon discover that the excitement that sears the pages of Genesis and Exodus cools down to somewhere just above freezing in the sacerdotal rituals of Leviticus.  Minutiae like the begats, the intricacies of tabernacle furniture, listing the animal entrails for sacrifice, and so on, seem superfluous to the twenty-first century mind, but they send a strong signal to the reader:  Pay attention to the details! 

God’s insistence on particulars doesn’t square well with the evolution of Biblical hermeneutics of the last few decades.  The theologians’ brushes have grown increasingly broader, while they softened their fundamentals from convictions to preferences.  Formerly untouchable doctrines are now mere footnotes in recounting many church histories.  The distinctions between denominations began blurring in the early twentieth century as the social gospel gained popularity, and, consequently, doctrinal differences diminished in importance.  Cries for ecumenism resonated with seminarians, and eventually, with the laity.  The search was on to find the lowest common denominator among all who called themselves Christians. 

In 1983, Martin E. Marty wrote “The Baptistification of America” in which he contended that  Baptist polity and power had displaced other denominational traditions as influencers and shapers in American religion.  Two years later, the editors of Christian History responded with this:  “Marty sees the two alternatives as both opposed yet complementary and ‘urges the need for both styles if the church is to be healthy …’ He observes that: ‘For the moment, baptistification is the more aggressive and effective force, and the circumstances that make it so could prevail for a long time to come.’”  The ultimate doctrinal position that appeared to satisfy everyone was the quintessential Baptist formula, “accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.”  All other planks in the theological platform were subordinated to this one, overarching tenet of faith.  

As reasonable as this development seemed, the next step was predictable to interested observers—once started, it couldn’t be stopped.  The slide was not a function of achieving a goal, but rather moving in a liberal direction.  The momentum that carried American religion to the Baptist position only stayed there temporarily.   To the chagrin of the Baptists who had exulted in their victory, the bulk of Christianity kept going to a more generic belief of “love Jesus.”  Then, “love your neighbor”, with the connotation being that we should love our neighbor whoever he is and whatever he believes.   The prevailing position is now deeply rooted in multiculturalism and diversity.  We are pressured to affirm that other belief systems are as credible as Christianity, and in some cases, even superior to it.  

This trajectory also has a negative side.  Those who failed to join the majority as it moved toward ecumenism were initially classified as ignorant, hopelessly stuck in the past.  True believers became the butt of many jokes, routinely vilified in the media, and often the targets of the movie industry’s antagonism.  All kinds of pejorative names have been used to characterize fundamental Christianity:  “Bible-thumpers,” “screamers,” “mouthbreathers” for starters.  Much of this flies under the radar because overt or codified persecution could still wind up in a lawsuit.  Yet, the reality of this subtle bigotry is undeniable.

 Now, the official word is that we are in a post-Christian era.  Those who maintain an allegiance to the Bible often find themselves forced into awkward positions because the prevailing view is that this is no longer a Christian nation.  Many issues that once could be downplayed as irrelevant to public life, e.g. sexual orientation, sanctity of life, same-sex marriage, cohabitation, tolerance of alternative faiths, creationism vs. evolution, etc., are now essential to one’s résumé for all to see—and judge.  

Answers in Genesis President/CEO Ken Ham recently surveyed 200 U.S. Christian campuses about their belief in the Bible and creationist view.  His results should shake Christian churches to their foundations.  Only 17.3% of Christian colleges believe in the authority of scripture. Moreover, a mere 35.3% said they are taught the bible is true. “The two most popular answers after that were ‘it is inspired by God’ (25%) and ‘it is a book of guidelines’ (23.1%).  When the administration says it believe the bible is “foundational” and “inspired by God,” Ham says they are misleading prospective students and their parents.  Their definitions are very different from the inferred meaning of those who are checking them out.  “We’re well down the road” of secularism, Ham said.  The survey also covered many related topics about faith, social values and traditional convictions of fundamental Christianity. 

Ham’s book, “Already Compromised,” issues a strong warning about the shocking drift from orthodox Christian beliefs into secularism.  He wants to force Christian families to thoroughly scour so-called Christian colleges and universities.  We are at a crisis moment. 

The point of recounting these trends is this:  once you begin to freely move from particulars to generalities, something begins to shift in your attitude about the Bible.  To that end, one organization discarded all of their “holiness” standards and replaced them with holiness principles.  While all the logic seemed to validate such a move, the unintended consequences were staggering.  Not only did they lose their standards, they also lost their principles!  Yet, it should not have been so mystifying.  If principles cannot be translated into practical, real world applications, then the principles lose their meaning.  For example, if a pastor were to say that he upholds the principle of modesty, but will not define what that means in practical terms, then modesty will mean whatever an individual wants it to mean.  The algorithms of such a strategy can almost be documented ahead of time. 

There is much more to be said about the particularity of God.  Nearly every Bible subject— salvation, lifestyle, doctrine, discipleship, spirituality, and on and on—is replete with scriptural premises from which we draw our positions.  One of the first things to consider is the timeless question of “why.”  Why did God pay attention to intricate details throughout the Bible?  We then need to consider “what.”  Who, when and how are not far behind.   

I will attempt to explore these ideas more in depth in future posts.

The Incredible or Inedible Word?

Few scenes are more heart-wrenching than those of starving children.  Eyes sunken, bellies distended, they cling to the necks of mothers who extend their hands for a few pennies so they can feed their babies.  Their haunting looks stab the core of our consciences, despite the fact that most of their suffering can be blamed on politics and war.  But there are legitimate famines due to draughts, natural disasters, crop failures and poverty.  Without a safety net, those trapped in developing countries resort to the most degrading ways to alleviate their hunger.  When their best efforts fail, the toll on the human welfare can be shocking.  Nutrition-starved bodies experience deterioration of the organs and tissue.  At a certain point, the damages to health are irreversible.  

In the same way that the natural man needs nutrition for the physical body, the spiritual man needs food for the soul.  If the soul goes for a long time with no spiritual food, permanent damage can occur to the spirit, the conscience and the character.  Indeed, Jesus said “It is written, that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.” Luke 4:4.  In order to compensate for the lack of food for the soul, people will begin to ingest disgusting substitutes to satisfy the hunger pangs, even if it poisons them.  The soul must eat.  

On this note, the Prophet Amos issues a dire warning.  “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD.” Amos 8:11-14.  There is a widespread famine in the world today.  It is not a famine for bread, but for the Word of God.  The country we live in and love, this country that was founded on the Word of God is in full-blown crisis because of politics, moral failures, and faith crop failures.  Even worse, the Word is under vicious assault from enemies within the ranks of Christendom.  Subversive forces are changing the incredible Word into something that is inedible.  We are warned about them in the Bible itself.  “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.   Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.”   Acts 20:29-30.   

Apostolic preachers must preach the Word of God today in a straightforward manner.  I underscore this need because contemporary thinking about how to “do church” is conjuring up some bizarre takes on preaching.  Some think preaching is to explore interesting concepts together and each draw his own conclusion.  Others think preaching is to build up low self-esteem, to make people feel good or to address societal problems.  Not so.  The purpose of preaching is to proclaim truth in order to save souls.  “It pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.”  1 Corinthians 1:20-21. 

Preaching must not be a philosophical discourse.  To raise questions that the Bible does not answer grossly distorts the purpose of scripture.  It does people no good for the preacher to stand behind the pulpit and say “I don’t know,” or “I’m not sure” when dealing with core gospel issues like salvation, heaven or hell.  Those who proclaim truth are not to be considered arrogant, condescending snobs because they dare to say they know truth.  Personally, we know nothing.  Good preachers, however, CAN say with supreme confidence that the Bible is true!  As long as we say what the Bible says, as long as we stick with the Bible definitions, as long as we preach Christ and Him crucified, we speak the truth! 

We are now encountering a new wave of the subversion of scripture called the emergent church.  This movement holds truth proclaimers in contempt.  Many of them have kneaded the leaven of existentialism and other subjective, postmodern philosophies into cardinal doctrines.   Their fundamental tenets of faith have undergone such extreme makeovers that salvation, the atonement, the efficacy of the blood of Jesus and even the way the gospel is preached is largely unrecognizable.  The postmodern Jesus is no God incarnate.  He is no bold truth proclaimer.  He has been down-sized to the status of a fellow traveler on the journey of life. 

This postmodern “philosobabble” is generally espoused by those who are in a protracted state of spiritual and scriptural confusion.  If you stop a confused person to ask for directions, don’t be surprised if you end up lost.  Geographical confusion is a result of having a distorted mental map of your surroundings.  Scriptural confusion is the result of not knowing, believing or caring what the Bible says.  

The position if the United Pentecostal Church, International is to preach and practice the Bible without reservation or embarrassment.  We believe it is verbally inspired, infallible in its autographs, and complete in its doctrine.  If you want to know how to get to heaven from Ohio—or wherever you happen to be—you can find out in the pages of the book we call the Bible.  Taking it step further, you will find the directions in no other pages.  A step further yet holds that anyone who does not follow the precepts of this text will never enter into the narrow gate that leads to life eternal! 

“THIS BOOK contains the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe and practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler’s map, the pilgrim’s staff, the pilot’s compass, the soldier’s sword and the Christian’s charter. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory, and a river of pleasure. It is given you in life, will be opened in the judgment, and will be remembered forever. It involves the highest responsibility, will reward the greatest labor, and will condemn all who trifle with its sacred contents.”  -Anonymous

The Word of God, in the state in which it was handed to us, is the best food source for the soul.  Reject the new recipes that strip the spiritual nutrients from the Word and change it into some inedible concoction.  The ultimate test is not how it is presented nor how it tastes but whether or not it is good for us.  Incredibly, nothing tastes better than the edible Word!  Ezekiel wrote, “’Son of man, feed your belly, and fill your stomach with this scroll that I give you.’ So I ate, and it was in my mouth like honey in sweetness.”  Ezekiel 3:3 (NKJV)

Why Communicate?

(The following letter was sent out to my leadership team.  I thought I would share it with you in case you were looking for something that addressed the same problem in your church or organization.)

To Ministry Leaders, Project Coordinators, Task Managers:

How would you like to walk into your classroom and find that all your furniture is missing? Or, how about having a van reserved only to find that the keys were missing and the van wasn’t available anyway?  How would you like to show up for a scheduled meeting to find that it had been canceled?  How would you like to retrieve that piece of equipment or musical instrument and realize that it was gone?  How about opening up the bulletin and seeing a major mistake in the time, date or place of a meeting?  Need more examples?  Probably not.  These are all things that happen when communication goes bad. 

Communication is the life line of effective ministry.  In a large congregation, information must flow freely to the leadership without being diverted or getting stopped in the process.  Otherwise, a few people may know what’s going on, but others who need to know are left out of the loop.  Much depends on your information that involves other people and ministries.  For example, scheduling, use of rooms, use of equipment, clearances to recruit people, approval for activities, and much more, requires good communication to make happen.  

If you are leading a ministry, taking care of a special project or you have been assigned a duty, you must make sure the pastor or appointed leader knows how you are progressing.  You must not assume that if “they” want to know, “they” should come and ask you how you’re doing.  As pastor, I have dozens of responsibilities I’m handling at any given moment.  Even if I remember that I should ask you about your project, I may not see you at that time.  Other demands or emergencies then take my attention and I may not think about it until later.  By then, it may be too late.  The real solution to this comes back to communication. 

Reporting does not need to cover all the minute details.  A few main points may be all that’s necessary.  If concerns arise about the ministry or project, you will probably be asked some follow-up questions.  You should be prepared to answer in as much detail as is needed.  The point is that it doesn’t have to take much time.  It only takes awareness that the information is vital and it must be conveyed.  

Many important ministries and projects have bogged down for months or years due to lack of communication.  Without it, feelings get hurt, wrong assumptions get made about motives or interests, and people waste much time and effort in working on something that ended up being greatly changed or scrapped altogether.   Communication is based on respect for others.  Consider how you would feel if you did not know what was going on.  You would feel hurt, snubbed, insulted and taken advantage of, simply because someone didn’t think it was important enough to tell you. 

Sometimes, people withhold information because it reflects badly on them.  It seems easier to keep quiet and hope nobody asks you any embarrassing questions than to confess your sins.  If you were supposed to do something and didn’t get it done, we still need to know.  Maybe it was no fault of your own.  You may have misunderstood the project, you may have needed some help or you may not have had the money or resources to get it done.  Whatever the reason, you need to tell us the facts.  Others depend on your sharing. 

The bottom line is this:  If you don’t tell anybody what you’re doing, nobody will know!  Your private and personal life is one thing; working for God in a church setting is entirely different.  We are all in this together.  What one person does impacts everyone else in the congregation is some way, even if it is indirectly.  The church operates as a team, not as independent people absorbed in their own world.    

Let’s talk!  We will all be the better for it. 

Pastor Jordan

The Missing Peace

Most of us may be faulted for looking for hidden meanings woven into obscure scriptures while breezing past basic doctrines in plain view.  The obvious is boring, we think; the good stuff is always lodged in cryptic verses discovered only through intense study and gifted insight.  In fact, the most significant doctrines of the Bible are stated in such clear terms that they are often seen without rigorous study.  One of these doctrines is peace. 

The church today needs a rediscovery of the foundational, towering strength of peace.  In its absence, even the noblest quests fail.  Differences caused by war, conflict and argumentation have probably thrown churches and Christians into confusion than any other dilemma.  And yet, we run past the vital role that peace plays in all of our endeavors.  Galatians 5:22 tells us that it is a fruit of the Spirit.  Jesus taught, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”  Matthew 5:9.  Peace is the missing piece.  

Peace is the intended outcome of war, yet, ironically, it is far easier to recruit people to fight than live in peace. Too many people get more pleasure from the fight than from the calm.  Yes, there is “the good fight.”  The “weapons of our warfare” and the “whole armor of God” must never put down.  We need them to defeat the real enemy.  Too often, however, we misidentify the enemy.  When we classify unbelievers as the enemy simply because they trapped in their unbelief, or, when we fight against brothers and sisters over minor disagreements, or, when we instigate conflict in our homes, schools and workplaces in the name of righteousness, we err.  Fight to love, yes.  Love to fight, no.  When faced with conflict, the first impulse of a Spirit-filled Christian should be to pursue peace, not rise up in righteous indignation.  

The Peace Offering in the Old Testament symbolized a healthy relationship between the person who offered and God and the priesthood.  It signified peace with God and peace with others.  In the New Testament, Jesus is our peace offering.  “Christ Himself is our peace” (Ephesians 2:14), because “we who were once far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:13). “Having been justified by faith” (by the sprinkling of the blood at the Burnt Offering Altar) “we have peace with God” (Romans 5:1). Jesus restored our fellowship with the Father through faith in His death and shed blood. 

Christ is also He “who has made both (Jews and Gentiles) one.”  To believers, the cross is the place for us to be one.  We cannot be “one” while conflicts rage.  Only death makes oneness work.  Without death, conflict reigns. Only as we begin to know “the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death” (Philippians 3:10) can we “be of the same mind in the Lord.”  Philippians 4:2; 2:5-8.  Remember Euodias and Syntyche?  In this passage, Paul appealed to them to get their differences straightened out.  (It is interesting that Euodias means ‘sweet aroma!)  But, Christ is our Peace Offering, not conflict offering. “Christ Himself is our peace” Ephesians 2:14. 

Granted, waging peace is difficult and messy.  If you have the intestinal fortitude, read the Old Testament verses that describe the Peace Offering (Leviticus 3:1-5.)  The priests were to cut out the entrails of the sacrificial animal and burn them in a particular pattern.  To the western mind, this is a disgusting and outrageous passage.  We want to be spared the gory details.  But, there is a purpose in such intimate detail.  I believe it is this:  Peace can be laborious and complicated.  Sometimes it is based on little more than good will, hoping for the best, and the ability to walk through minefields of explosive feelings. How can we find peace when we are faced with sinful behavior?  How can we expect to make peace when we are insulted, ridiculed and shocked by grossness?  It’s not easy, but Psalm 34:14 commands us to “Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.” 

The same Bible that teaches us to love everyone also instructs us to seek peace with everyone.  But, how does this work?  If I disagree with someone, whether friend or foe, should I leave the point of our disagreement alone and seek peace?  Shouldn’t I address the problem in order to maintain my integrity?  The answer lies in the now clichéd saying, “What would Jesus do?”  Good question, and there is an answer.  “He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.”  Isaiah 53:7.  This is the Jesus peace. 

Is the Jesus peace your missing piece?  “ Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”  John 14:27.  The Jesus peace does not signal compromise.  It does not mean vacillating between opinions.  The Jesus peace is not weakness dressed up in church clothes.  To the contrary, it establishes strength of character.  It engenders respect.  It shows the willingness to win a soul than win an argument.  Peace creates the opportunity for love and ministry to do its finest work. 

Is Judgment Day Coming May 21, 2011?

This question is based on a current Bible program on the radio in which the speaker has predicted that Judgment Day would take place on May 21, 2011 and the end of the world would happen on October 21, 2011.

This man, Harold Camping, co-founder of Family Stations, Inc., (Family Radio) refers to an abundance of scriptures, plus some very complicated math formulas on which he makes his predictions.  He forecasts these tumultuous events in a time when the world seems to be in utter chaos:  earthquakes, tsunamis, release of deadly radioactive contaminants, destruction of significant amounts of food and water supply, protests, demonstrations and riot in countries that have been peaceful for many years (France, Greece, Italy, Egypt, Libya, Syria, and England) thus adding to the plausibility of the prophecy. 

Added to this scenario, there is what we know as the Mayan Calendar, a pre-Columbian civilization calendar, which supposedly predicts that the end of the world will occur in 2012.  “Apocalypse 2012”, a Hollywood movie, will premier April 7.  You can read all of this on www.December122012.com. 

You may ask if I believe this is going to happen.  My answer:  I do not know.  When God gets ready to move, it may or may not correspond with someone’s prediction.  He may pour out his wrath at a different time; he may pour it out precisely at the time predicted. 

I do know this:  Harold Camping predicted that Jesus would come September 6, 1994.  This, amazingly, was after he had chosen the date of May 21, 1988 for the return of Christ, which should have proved him as a false prophet in the eyes of the world.

I will guarantee you this: Jesus will not come because in order to help this man save face.  He will come when he is ready to come.  Yet, predictions like these have the power to stir emotions and make people think.  Rather than simply point out the errors in Harold Camping’s scheme, I want to take this opportunity to reinforce some scriptural teaching.  There are some definite teachings that ought to make us take a thorough inventory of ourselves.

Specifically, I want to answer these questions: 

• Does the Bible predict a judgment day?
• Does the Bible predict that the world will come to an end?
• How does judgment day affect us?
• What is the most important judgment day?

First, does the Bible predict a judgment day?

The Bible prophets foretold many events that took place in one day or began on a single, designated day.  In some cases, it is very specific about the date.

The seven days of creation (Genesis 1)

Noah’s Flood

Genesis 7:11-12 (KJV)
¹¹ In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.
¹² And the rain was upon the earth forty days and forty nights.

Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah

Genesis 19:24-28 (KJV)
²⁴ Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;
²⁵ And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.
²⁶ But his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt.
²⁷ And Abraham gat up early in the morning to the place where he stood before the LORD:
²⁸ And he looked toward Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward all the land of the plain, and beheld, and, lo, the smoke of the country went up as the smoke of a furnace.

Fall of Jericho

Joshua 6:20 (KJV)
²⁰ So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.

Fall of Babylon

Daniel 5:28-31 (KJV)
²⁸ PERES; Thy kingdom is divided, and given to the Medes and Persians.
²⁹ Then commanded Belshazzar, and they clothed Daniel with scarlet, and put a chain of gold about his neck, and made a proclamation concerning him, that he should be the third ruler in the kingdom.
³⁰ In that night was Belshazzar the king of the Chaldeans slain.
³¹ And Darius the Median took the kingdom, being about threescore and two years old.

Jesus spoke of a day when judgment would come for the city of Jerusalem.

Matthew 24:1-2 (KJV)
¹ And Jesus went out, and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him for to shew him the buildings of the temple.
² And Jesus said unto them, See ye not all these things? verily I say unto you, There shall not be left here one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.

Luke 13:34-35 (KJV)
³⁴ O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not!
³⁵ Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord.

Does the Bible predict a day when the world will come to an end?

The Book of Revelation

Revelation 8:7-13 (KJV)
⁷ The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up.
⁸ And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood;
⁹ And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed.
¹⁰ And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters;
¹¹ And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter.
¹² And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.
¹³ And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound!

The destruction of Mystery Babylon, the Great

Revelation 18:9-10 (KJV)
⁹ And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning,
¹⁰ Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.

How does this judgment day affect us?

So, the real question is, how should all of this Bible knowledge affect us?

If I set myself up as a critic of false prophets, is that the point of all of this?

If I proclaim myself as some sort of expert in Bible prophecy, is that the point?

If we all leave here scared out of our wits, is God’s purpose being fulfilled?

There are two great reasons why we need to consider the impact that judgment day will have on us and on the world.

First, there will be a personal judgment of all persons who have been born in this world.

Hebrews 9:27 (KJV)
²⁷ And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Revelation 20:11-15 (KJV)
¹¹ And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
¹² And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
¹³ And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
¹⁴ And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
¹⁵ And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

There is a sense of justice that God will not violate.

There have been far too many unsolved crimes, unpunished offenders, unjust decisions in this world to escape the notice of God.

We should never think that God is “too busy” to notice what’s going on in your life.  Do you think the God who made us is incapable of watching over us?

• Our heart beats around 100,00 times every day.
• Our blood is on a 60,000-mile journey.
• Our eyes can distinguish up to one million colour surfaces and take in more information than the largest telescope known to man.
• Our lungs inhale over two million litres of air every day, without even thinking.
• We give birth to 100 billion red cells every day.
• When we touch something, we send a message to our brain at 124 mph.
• We exercise at least 30 muscles when we smile.
• We are about 70 percent water.
• We make one litre of saliva a day.

This body contains from 50 to 75 trillion cells, and God knows each of them.  The population of the world is under 7 billion.  Yes, God knows every heart, mind, soul and spirit. 

But God has not left us without recourse to confront the problems of sin and guilt.  He has provided the means for us to apply his sense of justice to our own hearts before we are ever judged by him.  And, the best thing you can do in this life is to judge yourself by the Word of God!

When you believe in Jesus, you activate judgment against the deceptions and illusions of this world. 

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)
⁶ But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

When you repent of your sins, you are performing a judgment against the personal sins of your life.  You cannot bear your own sins.  If you bear your own sins, you will have to answer for them before a God who will not—cannot—tolerate sin. 

When you are baptized in Jesus’ Name, you are judging your sins though obeying the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Acts 22:16 (KJV)
¹⁶ And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.

John 3:5 (KJV)
⁵ Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

The birth of water is a clear reference to baptism, and a new birth signifies the rejection of the old birth, the sinful birth contaminated with the sin of Adam.

When you receive the Holy Ghost, you are judging your sins by yielding yourself to the control of the Spirit of God and rejecting the influence of Satan over your life. 

Ephesians 2:2-6 (KJV)
² Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
⁵ Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
⁶ And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:

Acts 1:8 (KJV)
⁸ But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

When you listen to the Word of God preached, when you look into the Word of God as a mirror, when you ingest the Word of God into your life and live by it, you are judging yourself.  You are judging yourself of impurity, sinfulness and evil desires. 

Hebrews 4:12-13 (KJV)
¹² For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
¹³ Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

This is what the Judgment Day means to every saint of God.  If you come under the judgment of God in this life, you do so in the age of Grace when you still have access to salvation. The writer to the Hebrews goes on to say:

Hebrews 4:15-16 (KJV)
¹⁵ For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.
¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

What is the most important judgment day?

Many people look forward in time toward a coming day of judgment.  Many do so with fear and trepidation.  Many with ignorance and confusion.  Many with unbelief and disdain.

I do not look forward to that day with fear, ignorance or unbelief.  Do you know why?  Because I look backward in time to the greatest judgment day of all. 

John 19:1-30 (KJV)
¹ Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him.
² And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe,
³ And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands.

¹³ When Pilate therefore heard that saying, he brought Jesus forth, and sat down in the judgment seat in a place that is called the Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha.
¹⁴ And it was the preparation of the passover, and about the sixth hour: and he saith unto the Jews, Behold your King!
¹⁵ But they cried out, Away with him, away with him, crucify him. Pilate saith unto them, Shall I crucify your King? The chief priests answered, We have no king but Caesar.
¹⁶ Then delivered he him therefore unto them to be crucified. And they took Jesus, and led him away.
¹⁷ And he bearing his cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha:
¹⁸ Where they crucified him, and two other with him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst.
²³ Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.
²⁸ After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst.
²⁹ Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
³⁰ When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.

At the Cross

Alas! and did my Savior bleed And did my Sov’reign die?
Would He devote that sacred head For such a worm as I?

Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, Thine—And bathed in its own blood—
While the firm mark of wrath divine, His soul in anguish stood.

Was it for crimes that I had done He groaned upon the tree?
Amazing pity! grace unknown! And love beyond degree!

Well might the sun in darkness hide And shut his glories in,
When Christ, the mighty Maker died, For man the creature’s sin.

Thus might I hide my blushing face While His dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears.

But drops of grief can ne’er repay The debt of love I owe:
Here, Lord, I give myself away, ’Tis all that I can do.

• o    At the cross, at the cross where I first saw the light,
  And the burden of my heart rolled away,
  It was there by faith I received my sight,
  And now I am happy all the day!

The Cross is my judgment day!  If I go there, I don’t have to fear some future judgment.  People who are afraid of pain and suffering, shame and embarrassment, loss and dishonor need to kneel at the Cross.

1 John 4:17-18 (KJV)
¹⁷ Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
¹⁸ There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.

The cross is beckoning you today.

Relationships

Some random thoughts on relationships:

If we are smart enough to manage certain aspects of our lives, why can’t we be smart enough to manage our relationships?

You cannot enter into a relationship without influencing and being influenced.

In a relationship, you become a meaningful part of each other’s history.

Relationship realities:

• We like each other.
• I like you, but you don’t like me.
• You like me, but I don’t like you.
• I used to like you, but I don’t anymore.
• You used to like me, but you don’t anymore.
• I like you a little, but I like someone else more.
• You like me a little, but you like someone else more.
• Because I like someone else more, you don’t like that person.
• Because you like someone else more, I don’t like that person.
• I’m trying not to like you.
• You’re trying not to like me.
• I can’t get over you.
• You can’t get over me.

Relationship hazards:

• Relationships that get too close and things happen.
• Relationships that got too close and now are broken off.
• Relationship in which people hurt each other. (Friendly fire.)
• Relationships that make you change your relationships with others.
• Broken relationships are like pulling an arm off of your body. (Pain, infection, healing, intimacy, gifts, pictures, cards, letters, words, promises, secrets, adventures)
• Broken relationships still remain part of your history and your memory.
• Relationships that end and begin other relationships.
• New relationships that find out the history of old relationships.
• The “other” parties in new relationships that have to deal with feelings about the past.

 Relationship Wisdom:

• Your relationships need to be in the will of God.  (Romans 12:1-2)
• Impose strict guidelines and rules on your relationships.
• Any relationship that leads you away from God or spirituality is bad.
• Your most important relationship is with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Philippians 3:1-11, New International Version