"Majority Rules!"

  When I was a kid we played games outside a lot. When all the neighbor kids came over, it was rather interesting. We had an empty lot across from our house. All kids need to have that empty lot that's a whole block long once in their childhood! The house at the next block was always our goal to hit a baseball that far. What an incredible feeling to hit the side of their house breaking a window or chipping off a piece of their wooden fence. You might say that's not good but you see, we just hit a baseball the length of the city block! We could deal with the result because to hit one that far as a kid was what all the kids in the neighborhood had as their goal. It gave you respect in the eyes of all because you were the 'power hitter!'

  Many times in the different games we played, whether football, baseball or just chasing each other around being silly, when we would want to change a rule we simply stated 'majority rules!' The vote was cast and that was that! 'Majority rules' was the end to every matter. What I have learned since that time is the majority is not always right. In fact, the majority is rarely right! That might come as a surprise to some. We live in a day and time where 'majority rules' seems to set the standards on how we approach life. What we learn from the word of God is whatever the majority is doing or believes, that's probably not the course to take.

  If the 'majority ruled' the Israelites would have returned to Egypt as slaves when the mighty hand of God brought them to freedom. They were voting to return to bondage! If the 'majority ruled' David would have never stepped forward to stand against Goliath who taunted God's people and spoke evil of the Almighty! David would have stayed with the sheep and nothing more.

  When the 'majority rules' they made their own god to go before the nation that had witnessed the mighty powers of God to help! Many lost their lives and souls. When the 'majority rules' the people became fearful of listening to God thinking they would fall prey at the hands of their enemies and refused to go into the land of promise. The result, two men were allowed to enter. The majority died in the wilderness. When the 'majority rules' they wanted to stamp out the truth of God's word as spoken by the apostles and stay with what they wanted to believe. When the 'majority rules' man chose Barabbas, an evil and murderous man, over Jesus and killed Him.

  God will have the final say in the lives of every man and woman that has lived and will ever live. Remember, the majority aren't going to make it in the end and that's the word of Lord Jesus Christ spoke while on this earth (Matt. 7:13-14).

"Jesus Is More Than a Forward or Bracelet"

  We see it all the time whenever we get on the internet, especially in groups like twitter and facebook. People post things about God and end up with the words: "If you love Jesus (God) repost!" or a challenge to repost it to prove your relationship. Sometimes it comes in other forms that someone sends an email which end up with the words: "If you love the Lord, please forward this to 10 others and send it back to the one who sent it!" People line up to do it and agree. I want you to know that I am not bashing this. Too many get caught up in the game that reposting or returning something proves your relationship with the Lord.

  The love for the Lord is shown by your walk not your talk (Luke 6:46/I John 1:6-7). It is easy to talk the Lord but to give Him right, give Him complete entrance to your life is another thing. People wear the little rubber bracelets that ask, "What would Jesus do?" A relationship with the Lord is beyond a rubber bracelet and forwarding some message. It is our life living and sharing in His life.

  What happens as the result of a living relationship with Jesus? You bear fruit in His name. Your tongue comes under His control. Your attitudes take on the nature of Jesus. Your life becomes a life of service to lead others to the gospel message that would save them. People say we are to confess Jesus before men as that's what Scriptures teach. Maybe we need to know what it means to confess. It's not just saying, "I love the Lord"  or "What would Jesus do?". The word confess literally means to speak the same thing. We are to speak the truth that God speaks about His Son. That means we must speak the  same truth as the Lord spoke. If you note, the apostles didn't go around saying, "If you love Jesus, tell 10 others and come back and tell us!" They spoke a gospel saving message to change lives into the likeness of Jesus.

  Please understand again, this is not to hurt anyone but to call us to an awareness that sayings passed down by others means little. Living the life we have been called to is what makes the difference. If I have to proclaim my own love in words and not in the way I live daily, there is something missing. A living, loving relationship with the Lord is beyond forwarding some email, a comment on facebook or twitter and a rubber bracelet! "Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and in truth." (I John 3:18)

"What Does God Think Of You?"

  Holiness is demanded by God because of our relationship to Him. Peter spoke openly about the holiness of a saint that our behavior is to be a behavior that is holy (I Pet. 1:15-16). Where does that leave us? Fearful at times. We don't want to come across to others as self-righteous or not seen as one who 'judges' the sins of others. What we seem to miss is when we judge the sin of another, we also are standing in judgment against our own sin and pursuing holiness. Listen, it's not a sinful hypocrisy to pursue a purer, stronger, more honorable lifestyle than we now possess if what we do is because of our Lord Jesus Christ!

  It's not hard to understand that we don't want people to see us as smug or 'holier than thou' in their attitudes. But let's think about this. If we allow fear to hold us back from pursuing the holy things of God, isn't that denying who and whose we are? We are not to water down what we have been called to be in our behavior and attitude. We can't join with others in their sins or smile at wickedness. Where are we missing it?

  We are overtaken too much by what others think than what God has called us to in relationship to Himself. God's holiness in our lives takes a back seat. I'm not talking about acting like we are above others or giving out the impression that we are above sin. We shouldn't be acting as if sin and ourselves are complete strangers while condemning others. We all have sinned. We all have need of the cleansing blood of Jesus but to some, that has become an excuse NOT to pursue holiness in their behavior. Because they know their sin and weaknesses they approach their lives with that mindset never reaching for the a life of holy behavior. When holiness is called upon and their behavior isn't striving for that, they simply shoot the person down with their tongues.

  Where has this led us? To the mind set of, "We're no better than anyone else!" That's a statement lacking God. We are fearful of being 'saintly.' We don't want to appear too different from others, nor sound too righteous so we begin to protect us and our reputations before the eyes of others. God's reputation, with whom we have been called into fellowship with, is set aside. This must disappoint God greatly! So here we are, not overly concerned about holy behavior after being sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling and now to reflect His holiness in our behavior. We are concerned more with what others think of us and God is pushed to the side. Our eye is not to be on people and what they think about us as it is to be on God and what He thinks about us!

"Maturity"

  One of the greatest things we need to remember is the faith you have must be your faith. It must be your faith formed from your conviction because of the word of God (Rom. 14:22-23). Some people in the church try to bully others into things they don't want to do. Preachers can whip the brethren to try to guilt them into praying, giving or being involved in programs set up but that doesn't make them pray, give or be involved. That shames them to be involved which is not from faith. Many guilt others into reading their Bibles but that doesn't breed a faith that will lovingly embrace the truth. Guilt is used is so many wrong ways to motivate people. What are we left with when we operate the church of our Lord like this? A bunch of immature, faithless and weak people. There's a great difference between encouraging people and guilting people to conform for fear of being ostracized.

  Paul encouraged the Corinthian brethren to: "Be on the alert, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong." (I Cor. 16:13) It is an encouragement to grow up and be mature but how does one do that? Maturity is not gained by forcing or guilting people. Maturity is a response of faith because you choose it from within. It's completely your choice. It's not doing something because you have told me to do it that way. It is my faith, my behavior being expressed from my heart as distinct from what I do to gain your favor!

  Look at when we approach someone to serve in the assembly. We make them feel 'unChirstlike' if they choose not to serve. They are intimidated by the one asking. It's not their choice, left to their choice. They are made to feel like rebels or faithless. (And where did Jesus ever say one would be lost for not serving in His assembly?)

  For us to mature, it is more than orthodox or approved conduct. It must be from my faith and my choice! That's the sure way to grow. There are weak people in the church and weaknesses isn't condemned. In fact, Paul points that the weak are necessary and are given more honor from God (I Cor. 12:24).  Maturity and personal growth is more than giving memorized answers and conforming to someones demands. It is the ability to weigh in the heart from faith what needs to be for you, the individual in light of Jesus. Sometimes we must step out of our comfort zone because of our faith in Christ. That's maturity! Sometimes we say 'no' because we aren't ready. That's maturity! Sometimes we forfeit our rights for the sake of others. That's maturity! Whatever we do, never live on another's convictions or carried along by their convictions without being fully persuaded in your heart of faith!

"A God Who Will Go Before Us!"

  In Exodus 32:1, the people cried out to Aaron, "Come, make us a god who will go before us!" These weren't just any people. These were those under bondage, slaves and God took them by His mighty hand and delivered them from the greatest kingdom of oppressors that existed in their day and time. They had witnessed God's protection, provisions and direction and yet when things settled down, they wanted a "god" to go before them. A man-made god in their own image.

  God responded if He were to go before them in their midst for one moment, they would be destroyed! (Ex. 33:5) Their own mind and desires had led them away from God who rescued them. That's a good description of man. What does all this have to do with us today?

  We are more sophisticated with more technology and education that any people that have ever existed on this earth, aren't we? We marvel at how far we have come and the great insights we have learned from our medicines to religion. We have travelled from the dark ages to the age of enlightenment. We don't worship a golden calf or cut some tree and make an idol out of it! That's silly and immoral! Just look how far we have come in our worship alone!! We have introduced things the word of God doesn't condemn and have found in this our god! Worship for the body of Jesus has become so little because many have made it about us! Who needs Jehovah God? We are wise among ourselves, aren't we?

  How many ideas have taken hold, promising us the greatest of blessings while breaking away from the chains of the past? Where has it taken us really? It has created more division. It has created confusion. It has created labels on one another. The very shackles many have tried to take off have shackled us more. More and more "smarts of man" are being employed yet we look around and more and more people are feeling lonely, hurting and wondering when they are going to find relief. To the resuce we come with supplies and help, but where is the spiritual help? Wasn't it Jesus who spoke the the multitude to work for the true food which endures to eternal life (John 6:27)? We use to ask, "Is it true?" Today we ask, "Does it make us feel good and bring us worth?" What are we missing?

  Israel paid a high price looking for a "god who will go before us." What are we doing? We will never be free from the need of the Almight Jehovah but until we go back, look at His record, listen to His voice and apply His word properly without our philosophies and higher education, we will continue to set up others gods to go before us. The price is being paid!

"Us Compared To Jesus"

  "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 2:5) What attitude? Humility of mind!

  It was on a news program that comes on weekly and it was featuring a school which put "self esteem" above everything else. They had one student after another stand before the class telling everybody of their own individual greatness. Many of them couldn't do their school work, some were struggling greatly in simple things of reading and writing that should be learned in school but they all had "self esteem." What made the program worse is the teachers were thrilled!

  It becomes very difficult not to equate this so-called modern day "self esteem" with what God's word speaks as "pride" and "vanity." Too many are on a diet of their personal greatness that God condemns. I once heard a statement made: "Pride must die in you, or nothing in heaven can live in you."

  Maybe we need to examine our lives standing next to Jesus. Here are a few things for us to think about:

(1) We are proud of our status - Jesus emptied Himself taking on the form of a bond-servant.

(2) We are proud of our profession - Jesus was a carpenter, a rather lowly profession in His time.

(3) We are proud of our family status - Jesus grew up in the home of a peasant.

(4) We are proud of our "luxurious homes" - Jesus had no place to lay His head.

(5) We are proud of our "wealth" - Jesus had none.

(6) We are proud to rub shoulders with those in "high reputations" - Jesus walked with fisherman.

(7) We are proud of our "high social circles" - Jesus was in the homes of sinners and tax collectors.

(8) We are proud of our "abilities" - Jesus said He could do nothing of Himself.

(9) We are proud of our "education and learning" - Jesus never attended a place of higher education.

(10) We are proud when we push enough to "get our way" - Jesus sought God's way.

  It should make us pause and look at who we really are. Did we make ourselves, create our lives or did it come from a heavenly eternal source? How did we become reconciled to God? What have our efforts really done for us?

"Our Purpose?"

  Sometimes I wonder what many of my brethren believe is the work of the church. I wonder what leads us forward? Is it God's word or our word thinking it is God's word? Too many insert a verse here or there thinking they have found the nugget to prove their point while there are other verses that speak differently to their conclusion. What are we to do?

  If we are the church Jesus spoke of in Matthew 16 that He would establish and build, we need to build things according to Him and not us. That means everything done is about His glory, not ours! The church didn't come into existence by the people!! It came into existence because of the sacrifice of Jesus. It was Jesus who called us to Himself. It was God who showed His grace and glory to man and we responded. It was God that worked everything out over the many centuries after the counsel of His will and formed the whole. The church is not a "community church" but a Christ-centered people that reflect a Christ in all His glory. People need to be drawn to Jesus not the church. The church never saved a soul but the saved are the church because they belong to Jesus!

  For the church to do the work the Lord intended must be built upon what the Lord intended. Listen to Peter's admonition: "You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from you own steadfastness, but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen." (II Pet. 3:17-18) That's the conclusion to Peter's inspired writings from the Holy Spirit. It is easy for us to be carried away if we aren't careful. How does it happen? We stop growing in the grace and knowledge of or Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! We stop seeking and presenting His glory and insert ours. For the church to continue on the truthful and right track it takes sound preaching in line with the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. It takes brethren committed to the same. It takes hearts set on loving Jesus which means they will be warm and loving toward others in the body. That will reflect on those outside the fellowship of Jesus to make them want to find what we have found.

  To glorify the Lord, to grow in His grace and knowledge means our purpose in this life is to save the lost! That is and always should be our goal. That means we MUST share a message of salvation with this community. When we have an outreach, it must be with a saving message, not just doing nice things! As a part of the New Covenant Church we need to help people find the covenant that God has brought to man through Jesus. The world, no let's start here, our city needs to hear the gospel truth and we need to commit ourselves to growing in that gospel truth (grace and knowledge) so we can share that with others. That's the plan of Jesus!