Dating vs. Courtship

One of the challenges for many Christians is the issue of dating. Being single for a believer is hard because there are no hard and fast rules in terms of how to biblically negotiate one's interaction with the opposite sex. The world has no true blueprint for premarital interaction because the church's witness is not sound. For this reason we need to distinguish between dating and courtship.

Let's set the record straight, Christians are not supposed to "date," we are supposed to "court." What is the difference? Dating is based upon physical attraction, personal chemistry, mutual interests and a desire for companionship. Courting is based upon a pursuit to identify if a person has been ordained by God to be your spouse. The difference is that you can date someone without being overly concerned about whether you're going to marry them or not. Such is not the case with courting. Once you identify that the person is not the one you are to marry the courtship ceases. I've had plenty of people that I've dated who, after a while, I knew was not going to be my wife; but I continued to date them anyway! This is not of God. The church has to get back to the Divine Design of how relationships are supposed to lead to marriage, and dating is not the way.

With courtship there is no physical, romantic contact. No kissing, no making out, no heavy petting, no inappropriate touching; this type of activity does not transpire in courtship. Why not? Because that type of intense physical exchange is reserved for marriage. In typical dating, even Christians who date, if you're not sexually involved (which is not a given even in the church), usually you're "pushing the line" to see how far you can go without "sinning." Once again, this is not the will of God. When you're courting, you're deliberately and intentionally trying to find out "who the person is" so you can accurately discern and ascertain if God has ordained them to be your spouse. A lot of times it's hard to stay "objective" when physical involvement has transpired.

I know this concept is not popular, let alone readily taught, but Saints, we've got to restore Divine Order to the relationships that lead to marriage. We need to "kiss dating goodbye" and embrace the consecration of courtship.

The Judgment of God, Part 2

As we continue to explore the concept of the judgment of God, let us remember that judgment is not punishment. Judgment is deliberation, evaluation and assessment. Every human being that resides on this planet is accountable to the God that created him or her. Therefore, everyone is subject to the judgment of God.

Another area that we don't often explore is that the judgment of God is not restricted to individuals. God also judges communities, regions, states and nations. Once again, this is not a popular teaching in the mainstream church, but it is biblical. The Bible clearly states that the God we serve does not change (Malachi 3). Therefore, if God judged nations back in the Bible days, He's judging nations now.

This is where I get concerned, because I firmly believe that America is on the path of judgment. There are some things that this country have embraced and endorsed that simply are not of God. People mistakenly think that they can do whatever they want to do. This is not correct! Hopefully we've established that every human being and every nation is accountable to God. And when you have a nation that is on the verge of legislating what God considers abomination, judgment is inevitable.

Saints, let me make it plain: if the United States Supreme Court legislates same-sex marriage in this country, America will be judged. People can blow this off if they want, but the signs are already in place. Why do you think the states in the Northeast have gotten hit so hard with severe weather over the last few years? Right now Massachusetts is experiencing "record snow falls." Remember New York and Hurricane Sandy? Some might consider these "coincidences." No saints, they are signs of judgment. And it is not a coincidence that many of the states in the Northeastern part of the United States, like New York, Massachusetts and New Jersey were some of the first states to legalize same-sex marriage. Coincidence? I think not.

Remember, the judgment of God is not punishment, it's evaluation, deliberation and assessment. In the state of Michigan (where I happen to reside), same-sex marriage was blocked by the Hand of God, and was NOT legalized in this state. Do you think it's a coincidence that we're experiencing one of the mildest winters that we've had in years? And don't fool yourself, the flood that hit Detroit in August was a warning! By His Grace, we were passed over.

What I'm trying to express more than anything is that the judgment of God is real, and if things don't turn around, America's going to experience judgment in a way that she never has before. Saints, we have to stand in the gap. We have to pray that God will divinely intervene and not allow the Supreme Court to pass this legislation. If the children of God pray, God said not only would He hear us, but He would also heal our land (2 Chronicles 7).

The Judgment of God

One of the concepts that is not frequently preached from the pulpit is the understanding of the judgment of God. Preachers are quick to talk about the Blood of Jesus, His Resurrection from the dead, and our going to heaven when we die (as well they should). But eternal salvation is not the only aspect of the character of God that we need to be familiar with if we're going to experience a fruitful relationship with the Father. We must understand that the God we serve is a God of judgment.

Let's first clarify the concept of Judgment. Judgment is not punishment. Judgment is deliberation, evaluation and assessment. When a teacher gives a student a grade, that teacher is not "punishing" the student. The teacher is giving the student a grade based upon an evaluation of the work performed in the class. If students do well, they get an A. If students do poorly, they get an F. That's not punishment, that's judgment. When a court renders a verdict or a judge gives a sentence, that's not punishment. The judge or jury looks at evidence to conclude whether a person is guilty or not guilty. That's not punishment, that's a judgment.

The God we serve is a God of judgment. Because He is the Creator of the universe and the Author of all life, all creatures and living beings are accountable to Him (Acts 17). This includes human beings, saved and unsaved. Therefore, God judges every human being that walks the face of the earth. And what the church needs to understand so that we can have an appropriate witness is that God doesn't just wait until after a person dies to render judgment on that person's life. Just like there are mid-term exams, final exams and even pop quizzes, God looks at our lives on a daily basis and evaluates and deliberates as He Sovereignly sees fit. 

For this reason, we have "the right" to live any way that we choose. We are all accountable to the judgment of God.

Religion vs. God

The witness of the church in America has not been as strong as it could be for several reasons. One of the main reasons for the American church's weak witness is our preference for religion over God. There are thousands and thousands of people in this country that go to church on Sundays. They more than likely would profess to be Christians, but the problem is they don't know God.

What religion does is take the concept of God and wrap it around doctrine and dogma that is designed to regulate the behavior and thinking of the adherents to that particular faith system. What we've done in the church is defined this faith system as Christianity. However, it's really not Christianity, it's church religion. Christianity is about having a personal relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ.  True Christianity isn't about "living right," it's about knowing God. And unfortunately, there's more than a few Christians that understand church religion, but they don't know God.

Why do I say this? Because when you have a personal relationship with God, you understand that God loves you in spite of you. You're not trying to "earn your way to heaven" because you stopped a few sins. You understand that you'll never be good enough to go to heaven. But the Grace of God says that Jesus' Blood has already made you good enough. Hallelujah! That's called Grace and that's knowing God. But religion will tell you that if you don't "get it together" you're going to hell.  This is not of God, and this is not Christianity.

It's time we stop embracing the religion of church and adopt what true Christianity is: knowing God the Father through the Redemptive Work of His Son, Jesus the Christ. Once we get to know who God really is, the church will have an authentic witness and we will in turn change the world.

One Church

One of the challenges that the Body of Christ is going to have to deal with in preparation for the Kingdom Move that God is getting ready to release in the Earth is the challenge of racial prejudice. Whether we want to admit it or not, there are more than a few Christians that are prejudiced.

Being prejudiced means that a person has developed pre-conceived notions and biases against other ethnicities which are not their own. It doesn't mean that they "hate" people of other racial backgrounds, it means that their interaction and perception has already been tainted by stereotypes rather than facts.

The reason we know that the church still suffers from this disease is because people still talk about going to a "black church" or a "white church." People are now talking about "the Hispanic church." Saints, there is no such thing as a black church, white church, Hispanic church, Korean church; we're just the church! (Galatians 3:28). The fact that we still refer to the church on racial or ethnic terms shows that we're still infected by this prejudice spirit.

The Bible doesn't refer to the church based on ethnic composition, it refers to the church based upon geographical location. Therefore, the question isn't what is the status of the "black church" or "the white church" or the "Hispanic church." The question needs to be, what is the status of the American Church. And as long as we're making reference to the church based upon skin color and ethnic background, it will remain a divided church, not One Church.

The Issue of Abuse

One of the major social issues that was highlighted in 2014, was the Issue of Abuse. With the incidents that occurred in the NFL last year, a lot of debate and discussion took place in regards to domestic abuse, not only in sports but in our society at large, Unfortunately, domestic abuse is not an issue that's restricted to the secular world. The church too must deal with domestic abuse. More than a few families in the Body of Christ are being challenged with this social dysfunction.

Let us first define abuse. Abuse can be defined as hurting or injuring someone by mistreatment or ill-use. When it comes to our families, we have husbands abusing wives, wives abusing husbands, parents abusing children and children abusing parents. And please, let's set the record straight, women and children are not the only ones being abused in our society. Even though the media doesn't really address it, there are women who are abusing men, and there are kids, teenagers and grown adults, that are abusing their parents.

Believe it or not, at some level, many of us are proponents, as well as victims of abuse, and don't even know it. Society focuses a lot on physical abuse, but what about verbal abuse? When you talk to someone insultingly, degradingly and without respect, that's verbal abuse; whether you mean to be abusive or not. Then what about emotional abuse? When you refuse to be considerate of other people's feelings, particularly your spouse, children or parents; when you are blatantly insensitive to the concerns and needs of those within your household and it detrimentally affects their self-worth and self-esteem, that can possibly be emotional abuse.

Before we start pointing the finger at the people on TV and in the news, we might do well to take a look in the mirror and ask ourselves the question, "Are we ourselves guilty of perpetuating this Issue of abuse?"

Divine Intervention in the NFL

Seattle Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson 

Recently I was watching ESPN'S First Take, and on the sports show the question was raised, "Does God care about the outcome of football games?" I'd like to respond to that question emphatically by saying YES, HE DOES. Why do I say that? Because God cares about everything that happens in the earth, and He cares about everything that pertains to His children.

One of the things that is often overlooked when people talk about God is that He is a Father. The prayer that Jesus teaches us in the 6th chapter of Matthew (typically described as "The Lord's Prayer") starts off with us saying: "Our Father." God is a Father, and I have never met a human father, that's actively engaged in the life of his children that isn't concerned about everything involving their child. Whether it be sports, recreation, education, relationships, it doesn't matter, that father is concerned about how it's going to affect his child. 

God is the Greatest, most Compassionate Father in the universe. So, if His children, and there are several born-again believers that play in the NFL, are involved in playing football, God cares! The NFL is more than just athletic entertainment, it's more than just a billion-dollar sports industry, it's the career and livelihood of hundreds of men. And for those football players who are saved and play in the NFL, yes God cares about the outcome of their games.

Does this mean that it was God's will for the Seattle Seahawks to beat the Green Bay Packers to win the American Football Conference because Seahawks' quarterback, Russell Wilson, is saved? I can't answer that. Does that mean God actively favors some teams to win over others? I can't answer that, either. But what I can say is when you have a child of God operating under the Divine Favor and Blessing of God the Father, regardless of the arena of his or her activity, including professional sports, yes, God is Sovereignly involved.

The Disease of Individualism

There is a social disease that is crippling the very heart and soul of our country. It is called the "Disease of Individualism." 

Many people in our country are infected with a mind-set of being preoccupied with only me, myself and I. Even many Christians, swept away with a misunderstanding of the "prosperity gospel," make serving God and being a Christian strictly and solely about themselves. Needless to say, this is not the will of God.

There's been a lot of discussion on "restoring the middle class." Even though I can understand this economically, we need to understand that socio-economic status is not the problem in our country. We've created a society where we are literally obsessed with personal consumption, upward mobility, and status quo. What we don't realize is that this spirit of individualism tears at the very fabric of community and the thread of unity and togetherness slowly unravels.

What we need is a commitment to serve, to the Glory of God. Not our glory, but God's Glory. When we learn to serve others to the Glory of God, our obsession with self will diminish and we'll learn more to depend on each other and be there for each other. 

We're entering some days where you're not going to be able to make it on your own, you're going to need some help. Wouldn't it be wonderful if as a nation we were already acclimated to helping each other in the name of service and glorifying God? I truly believe that we "can" be "One Nation Under God," if we get delivered from the Disease of Individualism.

The Scope of Leadership

One of the challenges that America faces right now is what I'd like to describe as a leadership problem. Not in terms of the leaders who exist like President Obama, members of Congress and other high-profile individuals within our society, No, I'm talking about our "concept" of leadership.

America tends to think that "one leader" or a particular group of leaders can and should be responsible for solving the critical problems that face our country. This is one of the reasons why President Obama won by a landslide when he ran for the presidency in 2008. People really believed that he was going to bring about "Change." With all due respect, it's time that we grow up.

We need to forsake this "Messiah-Complex" of leadership (until Jesus actually returns) and quit looking for a Savior in a man or woman. We're at a point in our country where everybody needs to be a leader. Everybody needs to take a look in the mirror and start asking, "What is my responsibility in the betterment of America"? 

Communities, cities, neighborhoods, local organizations, are going to have to start coming together and collectively start working out and working through some of the stifling challenges that are facing our country, politically, economically, educationally and spiritually. 

The days of waiting for one man, one woman, the government or a certain organization to save us are gone. If we want America to get better and to be better, we're going to have to enlarge our Scope of Leadership.

Grace Reigns

There is a grave misconception regarding the nature of Christianity, that unfortunately some Christians tend to perpetuate because of the lack of knowledge regarding our own faith. The activity of God is not determined by a person's goodness or the lack thereof. This is important to understand because many times you will find a person professing to be a Christian, doing things that are not of God. When people witness this in professing believers, particularly those that are unsaved, they will question the authenticity of their faith and label them as hypocrites. This is incorrect.

A person is not a Christian based upon their moral behavior, they're a Christian based upon their confession of faith in the Blood of Jesus Christ for the remission and forgiveness of their sins. The Bible says that all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God (Romans 3). Therefore, no one has the right to judge whether or not a person's Christian faith is authentic. If a person hasn't learned how to crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit (Galatians 5), then that person is going to demonstrate behavior that is more reflective of the world than it is of God.

That's why the consistent witness of the church has to be that we are saved, made Christians, by Grace--God's Unmerited Favor. Even for those who are more "spiritually mature" in certain areas, it's not you, it's the Grace of God! And if it is you, then it's not God, it's self-righteousness, which is the spirit that crucified Christ. 

Let's not be hasty to label people's faith because of our awareness of certain sins they commit or issues they wrestle with. Let us remember that Grace Reigns (Romans 5).

The Issue With Same-Sex Marriage, Part 2

As noted in the previous blog post, "The Issue With Same-Sex Marriage Part 1," the U.S. Supreme Court is preparing to hand down a decision in regards to the legislation of same-sex marriage across this country. As Christians and believers in Jesus Christ, we want to understand that the heart of the issue is not homosexuality. The heart of this issue is the concept of marriage.

Marriage is not simply a social institution, it is a sacred institution. Marriage was not humanly derived, it was Divinely Ordained. That being the case, if the argument of marriage is going to be approached properly, regardless of the context, it has to be understood that marriage is of God.

The question that is often raised in regards to the legality of same-sex marriage is, "Don't those who engage in homosexual relationships have the right to get married?" The answer is NO. But why? Because people don't have the right to re-define what God has already established. 

The Bible makes it clear that God created male and female and brought them together for the purpose of marriage (Genesis 2). The Divine Design for Marriage is the union of the opposite sex. Is this discrimination? It most certainly is. But not from a "civil rights" standpoint, but from a definition standpoint. God has already distinguished through His Word who has "the right," if you will, to get married. It's men and women marrying each other; not members of the same sex marrying each other.

I know this perspective is not "politically correct," but the church hasn't been called to be politically correct, we've been called to stand on the Word of God! No matter how maligned and alienated we may become, as the Body of Christ we have to stand on what God's Word has established for the Divine definition of marriage.

The Issue With Same-Sex Marriage Part 1

The Supreme Court of the United States has finally decided to make a decision regarding the legality of same-sex marriage in this country. My understanding is that the ruling is supposed to be handed down sometime in the spring of this year (June 2015). 

This landmark decision will in large part determine the fate and destiny of this nation. The church and Christians-at-large cannot afford to sit idly by and watch our country literally slap God in the face with legislation that is an abomination to Him.

However, if we're going to take an "intelligent stand of faith" we need to know what the heart of the issue is. The heart of the issue is not homosexuality. Yes, homosexuality is a sin and it is against the Will of God, but that is not the main issue here. The heart of this matter is the issue of marriage. 

God has made it clear in His Word that marriage was Divinely Designed to be between a man and a woman. If America legalizes nationally the redefinition of marriage, then in essence America is saying that God is wrong and doesn't know what He's talking about. This is something that God doesn't take kindly to.

God has grace, mercy and forgiveness for sin, even the sin of homosexuality. But a nation stands in judgment when it goes so far to blatantly say that what God calls sin is going to be nationally and culturally condoned. 

Saints, we cannot allow this to happen. We must stand in the gap, get on our knees, and intercede for America so that this distortion and perversion of God's sacred institution will not be legalized by the Supreme Court. 

God can turn this around, but He's looking for Heaven and Earth Agreement. If the church doesn't rise up and take a stand, and this legislation passes through the Supreme Court, in the days to come you will soon see an America that you don't recognize.

The Witness of Martin Luther King, Jr.

As we celebrate the birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., we want to make sure that we celebrate and acknowledge the witness and the ministry of this great American and servant of God. 

Dr. King was not a perfect man. He had flaws and issues just like every other human being whose name is not Jesus the Christ. However, one thing that Dr. King made sure he did as a public servant and national leader in this country is take a stand. He took a stand on Civil Rights. He took a stand on Voting Rights. He took a stand on Economic Rights and economic justice in this country. He took a stand on the Vietnam War.

A lot of the things for which Dr. King took a stand were not always popular. He was not always "celebrated" as he is most of the time since his death in 1968. But as a man of God, he took a stand for what he knew was right. 

My prayer saints is that we all look within our hearts and prepare ourselves to take the necessary stands for what we know represents the Divine Will of God for our lives and for this nation. That is the witness of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Governor

Back in the eighties, I used to drive a car called an Electra 225 (or some use to call it "deuce and a quarter"). This car had a feature that I don't see on more modern cars. The feature was called a "governor." What the governor did was restrict your speed limit by setting how fast the car could go. So, if you set the governor at 60 miles per hour, the car was not going to go any faster than that. And unlike the modern day feature of Cruise Control, even if you put your foot on the gas pedal, the car still wouldn't go any faster until you "re-set" the governor.

Saints, that's what a lot of us need to have established in our spiritual lives, a Governor. There are areas in our lives where we've just gone too far and we're going too fast. But when you let Christ set the Governor in your life, you then have Divine Boundaries that regulate various decisions in your life. 

We need to have the Governor of the Word and the Holy Spirit regulate: 

• our relationships
• our speaking
• our opinions
• our habits
• what we watch on TV
• what we listen to.

As children of God we can't just "be out there" and we can't just go at life at any speed we want, we have to be regulated and restricted by the Governor of Jesus Christ for our lives.

Moving Forward

As we progress into the New Year, one of the challenges many people have is being faithful to their "new year's resolutions.".After the newness of the year wears off, the excitement and enthusiasm that we possessed to "make that change" seems to wane. However, a lot of our lack of commitment has less to do with a lack of discipline, and more to do with a lack of focus.

In order to progress and Move Forward in the direction that God has ordained for our lives, there are some things that we're going to have to leave behind. Paul said in the 3rd chapter of Philippians, "I press toward the mark for the prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus.". And he makes it clear that the only way to truly press is to forget those things which are behind (Philippians 3:13).  

Saints, what are those things that God is calling you to leave behind so you can effectively press into His Divine Will for your life? Is it a relationship? Is it family ties? Is it old habits? Is it a job? Is it a career? Whatever it is, leaving it behind is the only way that you can truly Move Forward.

The Kingdom of Righteousness

As we anticipate the Return of our Lord and Savior Jesus the Christ to the earth to establish His Millennial Kingdom, we want to understand that it will be a Kingdom of Righteousness. 

The Dispensation that we currently live in is the dispensation of Grace, which means that the believer's relationship with God is regulated by the shed blood of Jesus Christ and faith in the Son's death, burial and resurrection for the remission and forgiveness of our sins. 

However, in the Dispensation of the Kingdom, our relationship with God will not be regulated by Grace and the forgiveness of sins through the Blood Covenant of Jesus Christ, it will be regulated by the Righteousness of Christ and His Reign over the earth as King of Kings and Lord of Lords. 

With this understanding, it should be the goal of every believer to demonstrate and be a witness of the Righteousness that will rule the earth at Christ's Return. Let us not wait to submit and yield our lives to the Kingdom of Righteousness.

Jesus is the Man

Photo Courtesy of Dr. Ashraf Fekry at Flickr

One of the primary objectives of salvation is to restore to humanity the original design God intended for Man. Jesus is described in I Corinthians 15 as the "last Adam." Paul refers to Christ in this manner because He is the only man that was born sinless, like Adam was created sinless when God breathed into him the breath of life.

What this means is that the original design for man (male and female) is found in the model and witness of Jesus Christ. A lot of times as Christians, we look at Jesus' life as the exception. No saints, it is the rule! But not just for the saved, but for ALL of humanity. The natural finite existence that man has been conditioned to because of Adam's Fall is not the way God originally designed man to operate. We were created to operate in the Supernatural. We were made to walk on water. We were made to tell tornadoes and hurricanes to be quiet. We were made to bring wholeness and healing to creation. 

Don't be satisfied with the definition of man that you've inherited through society. Look to Jesus, and know that He is the Man!

It's In Our Hands

A lot of times when people look at the news and the various catastrophes and tragedies that are taking place throughout our world, they are quick to place blame. People want to blame President Obama or the U.S. Government. People want to blame Wall Street and the multi-national corporations for the economy. And the list goes on.

But I'd like to contend that a large part of the reason why the world is in the shape that it is in today is because of the witness, or lack thereof, of the Church. Jesus said that we are the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Jesus said after He was raised from the dead that ALL power in heaven and in earth is in His hands. The Church has access to the greatest love and the greatest power in the universe. We have dominion over this planet in Jesus' name! 

Therefore saints, we can no longer complain and point fingers as to why things are the way they are. It's in our hands.

The Power of God

One of the problems of the church today, particularly mainstream, traditional churches, is that they lack the power of God.  God has not ordained His church to operate in spiritual weakness and supernatural ineptitude. God has saved His church to be a powerful church.

One of the reasons so many churches, and so many Christians, lack the power of God is because at some level, we're not aware that we're supposed to be operating in power. Many Christians think that if they're born again and are trying to "live right" according to the Word of God, that should be sufficient. This assumption is incorrect.

The objective of the church is to be Christ-like and conformed to His Image. Therefore, if Jesus opened the eyes of the blind, that's being Christ-like. If Jesus raised the dead, then that's being like Christ. If Jesus turned water into wine, then that's being Christ-like. Let us not be satisfied any longer with a Christianity that's devoid of supernatural manifestation. Let us reach for the Power of God.

Paid In Full

Many times you'll hear people make the statement, "You have to pay for your sins." The scripture does support this statement when it says, "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). However, for the believer in Christ, this is not totally true. The Christian doesn't have to "pay for your sins" because Jesus paid the total price for our sins when He shed His blood on the Cross. Our sins have been Paid In Full!

When this point is made in regards to Christians not having to pay for their sins, a lot of times Christians misinterpret this to mean that they then have a license to sin. This is incorrect. Romans 6: 1 also states, "What shall we say then, shall we continue in sin that Grace may abound? God forbid.". So the fact that Jesus paid for our sins is not a license to sin, it's a provision for the sin that we inevitably commit. 

Don't try to be right with God based upon your own efforts to be good or moral. Rest in the Grace of Christ and be assured that all of your sins are Paid In Full!

Living for Eternity

Many people believe that Eternal Life is a concept that is applied after our lives here on earth have expired. We think that Eternal Life is a gift that we receive in the "bye and bye" after we die. But saints, this is incorrect. Eternal Life is not something we receive and experience "after" we die, it's a quality of life that we experience in the here and now.

Eternal Life is true life with God. It is not based on time, it is above time and beyond time. The privilege and honor that the believer in Christ receives once they are born again is that they get to experience eternity in the here and now. That's what Adam and Eve experienced before sin entered the human race, and that is what Jesus experienced when He walked on earth as the Son of God and the Son of Man.

This Eternal Life brings with it supernatural power and divine authority to rule this planet in representation of Jesus the Christ and God the Father. The reason more Christians don't experience Eternal Life in the here and now is because they're too restricted to worldly norms and carnal perspectives. Let's quit living for the temporal and as the children of God let's start Living for Eternity.

Jesus Is Real

Photo Courtesy of Isaac Torrontera
at Flickr

A lot of times when people think about Jesus, they think of a historical figure who was a religious leader in the Jewish community. They think of someone that was a Prophet and Teacher and who performed marvelous miracles and good deeds for the people. 

Of course, people think of His crucifixion on the cross, His death and His Resurrection; but a lot of these things seem mythological and legendary at best. But saints, what we need to remember is that Jesus is Real!

Jesus is not a legend, He's not a myth, He's a real Man and He is God. Jesus is a real, live Person with skin, bones and feelings. As real as He was nearly 2,000 years ago, He's as much alive today in the 21st Century. 

We need to recognize this and be a witness to the fact that Jesus IS the same today and He's alive, and not just in Heaven! Yes saints, Jesus Is Real!

Developing Satanic Resistance

The Bible says in the 4th chapter of the Book of James that if we resist the Devil, he will flee. We are in a time where as the children of God we have to learn how to resist Satanic temptation. We must learn how to develop satanic resistance. 

A lot of times, when it comes to combating the Devil, we try to avoid sinful temptation. When it comes to dealing with the wiles of the Devil, this method will not suffice. It's not enough to try to "stay out of harm's way," we have to resist him! 

We must proactively and assertively use spiritual force, if you will, against the spirtual deception Satan is trying to throw at us. We must take a spiritual stand and fight against the kingdom of darkness! As we stay in the Word and stay on our knees (in prayer) God will give us the wisdom and the strength to develop satanic resistance.

The Deconstruction of Self

Many Christians believe that the biggest challenge to spiritual growth and our walk with Christ is sin. However, this many not necessarily be the case. The biggest obstacle to the believer's growth in Christ may not be sin, it may be self.

Jesus didn't say in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew to "deny sin." He said, "deny yourself." Jesus died for our sins, but the self is still very active in the soul of all believers. If we want to be true disciples of Christ we're going to have to deconstruct areas of the self, such as: 

• self-centeredness
• self-promotion
• self-indulgence
• self-pity
• self-reliance
• self-confidence 

The list goes on. 

When you allow your focus to be on your self as opposed to Christ, you're retarding your spiritual growth and progress. It's time we take the initiative to deconstruct the self.

Faithfulness to the Cross

Many Christians get excited and inspired when thinking about the Cross. The Cross is where Jesus died for the remission and forgiveness of our sins. However, people rarely get equally excited when thinking about the cross that we've been called to bear. 

Jesus says in the 16th chapter of the Gospel of St. Matthew that if we're going to be His disciples, we must deny ourselves, carry our cross, and follow Him. The Cross represents our upreach to God and our outreach to man. In order to follow Jesus, you have to love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength; and your neighbor as yourself. This requires sacrifice and a spirit of selflessness that unfortunately is not the norm in the contemporary Christian church. 

Let us not just be faithful to our devotion, let us not just be faithful to our ministries and to our congregations, let us also demonstrate faithfulness to the cross.

The Ministry of Marriage

One of the areas that Satan has attacked within our society and within the church is the institution of the family. The Enemy has vehemently assaulted the family with the intent of destroying the basic social unit that God has ordained. One of the ways that the Devil is doing this is through the erosion of the institution of marriage. 

The statistics have been relatively consistent for years that 50% to 60% of all marriages in the United States end in divorce. This is not the will of God. 

Marriage is more than just two people of the "opposite sex" saying "I do" because they supposedly love each other. Marriage is a ministry from God. It is a holy and sacred union ordained by God. And unfortunately, there aren't enough people, including Christians, that understand that you don't get married to be happy, you get married to glorify God. We need to restore the ministry of marriage.

Fight The Good Fight

As we enter the New Year and this New Season, as Christians and believers in Christ, it's important that we recognize that if we're going to walk by faith, we're going to have to fight. 

Entering the Kingdom of God and possessing the Promised Land is not going to be an easy task. We're going to have to fight for it. This is significant because a lot of people, including the church, likes to "go with the flow." The less strain and stress, the better. But this is not the mindset of the Cross.  In order for Jesus to fulfill His Divine Purpose and Destiny, He had to bear His Cross. In other words, He had to fight. 

At the beginning of the year, let us gird up the loins of our mind, put on the whole armor of God, and prepare to engage in the necessary battles to win the reward and receive the prize that God has ordained for His people. Let's fight the good fight of faith.

Bringing In The New

The Lord has blessed us to see another year. I am very excited about all of the many blessings and miracles that God has in store for His people. My prayer is that as we enter the New Year, that we are actually able to bring In the new. 

The Book of Isaiah, chapter 43, states that God is doing a new thing. But the scripture also states that you can't put new wine into old wineskins. If we are going to experience the new that God has ordained for His people, then it is imperative that we "put away the old." We must "put off the old man" and put on the new man (Colossians 3). 

God is calling us to be pure and holy in 2015. Only under these conditions will we be positioned to bring In the new that God has ordained for us this year.