March/April 2000
Volume 11 No. 2 |
Richard L. Roberts, Director
|
A Rebel Within?
". . .let him who boasts boast of this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am Yahweh who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness on earth; for I delight in these things, "declares Yahweh." Jeremiah 9:24 (NAS)
.......Perhaps you have seen the trend of our last two newsletters. We first identified that the mess in the world is a direct result of the lack of light coming from The Body of Christ. We then looked at three examples, within the church and saw we are guilty of upside-down thinking in the areas of evangelism, leadership and expectations of the world. If you have seen where we are going perhaps you won't want to read this newsletter. Because it is in this letter that we get to the root of the problems in the world. We put aside excuses; we stop looking at others: the world, church leaders, denominational infighting, and we ask the important question, "Am I the rebel within?"
.......Could it be that I am a part of the revolution which is accepting the darkness of the world in place of the light of Christ? "NO! Absolutely not! That isn't my intent! I have sought to be faithful! How is it possible that I could be a part of the problem?"
.......Put quite simply, we have lost our focus. We have bought into a description and definition of "church" without personally stopping to analyze if this is how God defines it. We have learned to see the Bible piecemeal as it has been fed to us rather than seeing it as a whole, the whole gospel, the whole witness of God. And in seeing it as a whole comprehending God at work from the beginning until now. And in that comprehension understanding the "proper working individual part" for which I was made (Ephesians 4:16).
.......We have accepted the technology God has given to us as being God's means for spreading the gospel. And in doing so we have begun to look at man through the opposite end of the spectrum. Does God care about the BIG things? Of course He does! But it is only through our warped reasoning that we believe these technological tools are the way for His work to be accomplished. Let's turn back to the Bible for the truth.
The Focus of God
.......Are you aware of any limitations on God? Other than acting contrary to who He is, can you think of anything He can't do? For example, could God display the life of Christ on the sky above (like a BIG screen) so all men could see Him, hear His voice and be touched by the authority with which He communicated? It sounds like a silly idea because God didn't do it that way but, yes, He has the power to do so. Could He build a mega-media corporation, called The Church, so as to inundate every human being through music, video, books, newspapers, magazines and the Internet by which every member of the human race is confronted with the gospel? Sounds a little silly, because God didn't chose to develop the church in this manner but, yes, He could use the church like that. But that wasn't what He chose, was it? What did He choose and are we being faithful to His design?
A Personal God
.......Let's start in the book of Genesis, chapter one. After God made the earth, separated the heavens and the earth, the waters from the dry ground, after He made the plants, animal and fish He said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness . . . ." Genesis 1:26. How many men did God make? One. When God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, how many women did God make to be a help-mate for him? One. What did God do in the cool of the day? He joined Adam and Eve in the garden. Why? Because this was His plan, this was His intent, this was His desire, to have a personal relationship with man and woman.
.......Jesus reiterated the importance of one persons relationship with God in the parable of the lost sheep (Matthew 18:12-14). I am limited by time and space so I must appeal to you to search the scriptures and you will find this not only was God's plan but continues to be God's plan today. One of the miracles of God is that He desires to have a personal relationship with each of us! With You!
Relationship with God
.......Contrary to the media mind-set (which the pride in each of us desires to believe), life is not about you, its about God; it is not about what you want, its about His Kingdom; it's not about your pleasure but about His purpose and it is not about your goals but about His design. He has designed you for His Kingdom and to be a part of His purpose. Life is about God and you have been made to bring Him glory, honor and praise.
.......To begin to honestly answer the question, "Am I the rebel within?", you must first turn your focus from all else and ask yourself what your relationship is with God. You need to clear your mind of all else and honestly search your heart. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord? Have you been washed in His blood, cleansed from your sins, received the freedom which comes from His forgiveness? Can you call God "Father"? Is yours an intimate relationship with Him? Do you accept the sovereignty of God in your life, moment by moment? Is your every focus, purpose, word and intent to please Him, bring glory to His name, to add to His Kingdom with the righteousness of your life? Because of the blood of Jesus Christ, do you recognize yourself as holy?
.......Have you felt His discipline? Have you yielded to His correction? Do you see your mind being transformed into His? Do you see His values becoming yours? Do you see His hand molding you into the likeness of His Son?
.......When you are discouraged, have you felt His arms around you? Have you climbed up into His lap when things around you seem to be falling apart? When Satan attacks, have you been comforted by His reminder that you are His child and He will never leave you or forsake you (Hebrews 13:5)? Can you say with Paul, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish in order that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him, and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death..." Philippians 3:8-10? (emphasis added)
.......If your relationship with God is not personal and intimate, you are among those fighting the revolution against God.
Relationship with The Word
.......After asking yourself the hard questions about your relationship with God you need to ask yourself what your relationship is with His Word. Setting all else aside, you need to ask yourself, honestly, what is your relationship with the Bible? Can you say with King David "Thy word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against Thee?" Psalm 119:11 and "Thy word is a lamp to my feet, And a light to my path." Psalms 119:105
.......What of the Bible in your life? Is it your "instruction manual"? Do you search it for the truth about the things of life? Are the principles in your life, big or small, rooted in what God has told us should be our viewpoint? Are you convicted by His "living, active Word"? (Hebrews 4:12)
.......If you were confronted today to explain why you live the way you do, would you be able to justify it according to the Word of God? Where you work, why you work, how you treat those with whom you work, your attitude toward government, your relationship to those in your community - are they grounded in the Word of God? Do your personal relationships with parents, spouse and children reflect those defined in His Word? Are your moral and ethical standards defined by how He has designed us to live in Him described in His Word?
.......If His Word is not at work in your life daily, you are part of the revolution in the church.
Relationship with The Holy Spirit
.......Not much is said about the Holy Spirit's role in the life of the Christian. Yet our relationship with the Holy Spirit is vital to the ministry of The Church. Jesus said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you." John 14:15-17 ". . .the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things. . . ." John 14:26 "But when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth. . . ." John 16:13 (emphasis added)
.......Jesus left but did not leave us alone. He gave to us the indwelling of the Holy Spirit that He may teach us all things and guide us into all truth. This is His gift to you! This is a personal gift. You, if you have accepted Christ as your Savior and Lord, have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you this very moment! Because of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 2:16 ". . .we have the mind of Christ."
.......What is your relationship with the indwelt Holy Spirit of God? Have you given Him the reigns of your life? Are you allowing Him, moment by moment, to teach you all things and guide you into all truth? Have you been asking Him what the truth is about your life? Have you listened to His response? Have you followed His lead as He directs you to the written Word or to a time of prayer with the Father? Who is in control of your life, you or Him? Do you know the voice of the Father as He speaks to you through His Holy Spirit?
.......If you are not on intimate terms with the Holy Spirit, you are part of the revolution against God in His Church.
.......The church will go as you do. Why? Because, God is a personal God. If you are faithful in your relationships with Him, His Word and His Spirit He will have His way with you and you will be a solid building block for His Church. There are too many people inspecting the building blocks around them and not enough people going to the Father to make sure their relationship with Him is holy and righteous. As you change, so too does The Church.
Are You A Rebel Within?
Life Focus Ministries is a faith
mission serving churches without regard
to their ability to pay. For information on
how to support this mission outreach with a
tax-deductible gift please go to Feedback.
