Love, Actually

Love, Actually 

We serve the Eternal God, and it is first and foremost to His glory that we submit our lives to Him: for His approval, for His guidance, and for His help, without which it shall never succeed. We are to be about our Father’s business, and beyond His glorification, our service has many purposes. 

Firstly, our mission is to serve and to edify others, both believers and non-believers through love expressed openly and tangibly. This is a global mandate for followers of Christ, best embodied by the empowerment of the Church at Pentecost, and in the following period as detailed in the 2nd chapter of the book of Acts. 

“And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.”  Acts 2:42-47 

The level of committed service and fellowship described can only be accomplished through the power of the Holy Spirit, and I pray for a like outpouring in this day. The vision that God has given is for a level of engagement by the worldwide congregation of believers that would provide for needs globally. 

Secondly, the natural benefit of a profoundly regenerate lifestyle is that of church growth. For Jesus said “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.”  John 12:32 (ESV) When we lift Christ up, when we exalt Him to primacy in our lives, He will draw people to Him. We need only make Him our first priority, our life’s pursuit, and the Holy Spirit will work persuasively through our loving commitment to appeal to others without our needing to strive to convince them. No fancy laser light shows, concerts, or Super-Christian speakers needed to promote an evangelistic outreach program. Evangelism and outreach are both integral to the lifestyle of a believer.

Necessary to the success of the Church are two components. First, a deepened individual commitment to the lifestyle of following Christ. “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field. Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant in search of fine pearls, who, on finding one pearl of great value, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” Matthew 13:44-46 (ESV) Second, that such an all-or-nothing commitment be widespread among the people of God. It seems that many have failed to take the Word of God literally in their pursuit of Him, myself included. Fundamentally, however, Jesus Christ’s emphasis seems to be on the denial of one’s material goods for the sake of all, and that as a first step of faith in entering the kingdom of heaven. 

The first challenge, of course, is to engage the congregation locally, specifically you, the reader. I have done my best to communicate inspirationally the examples and instructions from Scripture that support a high level of commitment to Christian service on par with the examples of the Apostles and the early church. Essential to accomplishing this end will be the prayerful engagement of a growing number of believers committed to the vision. As in the 2nd chapter of Acts, time spent together in prayer, in fellowship, and in the pursuit of God are essential to His movement. 

The greatest hindrance to the progress of this plan will be the selfishness of believers committed more fundamentally to the norms of our modern culture than they are to the supernatural guidelines of of the Kingdom of God. In short, we must first see ourselves as citizens of Heaven, not as citizens of the United States of America. In opposition will be patriotism versus loyalty to the Living and Eternal God, self-sufficiency versus interdependence, personal enrichment versus communal edification, insecurity versus faith, materialism versus eternal investment, self-righteousness versus grace, pride versus humility, and selfishness versus self-sacrifice, to name a few. It is only by a powerful movement of the Holy Spirit that such will be accomplished, and that elicited by earnestly seeking God in prayer and through seemingly everyday acts that transcend our flesh and that God exalts to the level of worship. 

If you will indulge me my opinion, I believe that we shouldn’t expend much effort on attempting to convince people in opposition to this vision, even within the church. “For this people's heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed.” Matthew 13:15a (ESV) If these don’t wish to be involved, God will certainly raise up others who will be. It is also my belief that once word of our work begins to spread, a number of willing partners will arise to join us in such a compelling vision. We most certainly want to take in the tender-hearted who hear our plan and see our vision, and we should prayerfully seek that our example of the Gospel spreads far and wide. As such, if you believe that the Holy Spirit is stirring your heart to action, please share this article via social media, or just tell the people you know about it. As I stated beforehand, this movement needs to be widespread for it to be effective. 

I don’t believe anyone necessarily looks forward to confronting these issues, especially within the church, but it is my belief that it is necessary to the prosperity of the Gospel that we confront the Gospel of prosperity within our own walls. After all, “no one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money,” but “let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow” Christ.  Matthew 6:24 (ESV) &  Matthew 16:24 (ESV). 

It is not at all my intent to come across harshly, but we should face the stark reality that our choices to further our own pleasure or to find false security in riches reveal that we would rather choose the world instead of God. While “the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God,” Romans 8:19 (ESV) the church in the United States dithers in self-centered luxury while our brothers and sisters in our own communities, and throughout the world go unfed, unclothed, untreated, and unhoused. It is for our revelation which creation waits longingly. “As you did it to one of the least of these my [Christ’s] brothers, you did it to me [Christ].”  Matthew 25:40b (ESV) It is to our collective shame that we leave Christ thus unloved. On this point, we fail in obeying both of the greatest of commandments as given by Christ,“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Matthew 22:37b-39 (ESV) I dare not point the finger at the collective American church without confessing to my own shame that I have failed personally in this way as well. I dare not, however, remain unrepentant in this regard to preserve my pride by failing to acknowledge my wrong, nor should the church do so.

I must admit my own deep insecurities regarding my own lack of commitment, though I believe they stem again from a collective lack of commitment to Christ in the American church. Envision with me the American church, in perhaps our Final and Greatest Awakening, freed from preoccupation with worldly pursuit, her commitment to Christ above reproach. This church, full of believers who the poorest of which the majority of our world would consider wealthy, sacrifices its belongings, its resources, its time, and its talents for the betterment of all people. Each one gives as he or she is able, freely and cheerfully, for the sake of the Gospel. Each cares one for another in all seasons, providing food, shelter, clothing, care, and relief, ensuring every brother and sister is well to the glory of God the Father. Is this normal by the standards of our American culture? By no means! Is it what it right and good in the eyes of our Lord and Savior? By all means, it is. For “everyone to whom much was given, of him much will be required, and from him to whom they entrusted much, they will demand the more.” Luke 12:48b (ESV) We are those who have much, and I believe that the time is ripe for us to recognize that God requires and demands the more from us. 

Does this dramatic shift of culture and practice within the church address insecurities in committing more deeply to Christ for believers? Absolutely. If every believer is aware that he or she has in truth a community on which to lean during trial for support of every kind, he or she is then free to pursue God’s will in the belief that He is working through all of his people to provide for each one. What need of greater assurance do we need? Not only is it necessary we develop a deeper trust in God to accomplish this, but a deeper trust in one another, and in that we are collectively allowing the Spirit of the Living God to work in and through us. It is only by the supernatural outpouring of the Holy Spirit that the church will thus forsake the world for the sake of Christ, and it is for that I pray, and with which I hope you find agreement. 

It’s my belief that our end goal should be toward an interconnected worldwide network of believing communities that support one another in achieving sustainable independence from the world. While we may never fully reach the goal, I believe that we should always leave room for God to bless our endeavors in building His kingdom. In fact, it is the growth and edification of His kingdom on this earth for which we work. Additionally, it is in the most literal sense that I believe God intends to establish His kingdom further through our efforts. We must stand outside the system of the world in brilliant contrast. 

“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”  John 13:35 (ESV)

&  John 15:13 (KJV)

By all we know, and much that we have yet to learn, we may understand that God intends for our love to be all-consuming and self-sacrificing, as the very love of Jesus Christ was in life and death, in eternity past, present, and future. It seems so very mundane that the lofty goals of our Great and Eternal Father may be fulfilled in our planting gardens, digging wells, building homes, and sewing clothes….until we see the eyes of Christ shining back at us from those whom we serve. In these moments, we will touch Heaven, bringing a glimmer of God’s light into this deadly, darkened world. “And night will be no more. They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.”  Revelation 22:5

It is my hope and my prayer that I have compelled you to consider this vision, not by my words, but by the earnest stirring of the Holy Spirit within you. If this is the case, and you have found truth in the Word of God as I believe the Holy Spirit led me to present it, it is not enough to stop at consideration. I beseech you to pray, to surrender your will to God, and that you decide to develop and to implement the establishment of the Kingdom of God further with me to the glory of God our Father in Heaven. 

The Disease

While many celebrate, or, conversely, lament the legalization of homosexual marriage in the United States, it seems so many have forgotten how we arrived here. In truth, the legalization of homosexual marriage is simply the latest symptom to present itself in a society sickened by sin, by what I would term THE original sin of humanity.

Even back to the Garden of Eden, the temptation of Adam and Eve was that they would become like God, able to make their own determinations as to what was right or wrong outside of the commandment of God. This self-determinism and self-rule ARE the disease, the sin that leads to all others. When we come to the decisive moment of temptation, believers in particular must wrestle with the decision to either submit to their own sinful desires or to God's commandment. Even if one is without the knowledge of God's command, He has equipped humanity with a conscience with which to wrestle.

In this sense, all such sin results from a decision to place one's self in the throne of one's will, and reject the lordship of God. In the United States of America, the symptoms of our universal disease have expressed themselves through every form of sin. Those symptoms most responsible for the moral crisis of legalized homosexual marriage are lust, fornication, marital infidelity, greed as expressed through prioritizing career before family, and divorce. Each of these has devalued marriage and male-female romantic relationships to such an extent that they are trifles in the eyes of the majority.

Because many of the aforementioned moral failures are rampant throughout Christendom, we must accept responsibility for this crisis. When the people of God, meant to be the salt preserving the earth until its end, make excuses for sin, we demonstrate to the world how easily we nullify God's word by the traditions of men. It's yet another example by which self-determinism usurps the rule of God, and "if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot."

Through our ignorant sinfulness, we have amplified the effects of our sin in the world, and turned over moral authority to the world, which has no objective moral standard. If we claim Christ as Lord, then we must submit to His rule, regardless of how we feel about it. If you personally have no intention of doing so, please do the church and the world a favor, and stop claiming Christ as Lord, and Christianity as your religion, because neither statement is true. Otherwise, the church has a dire need for sincerely and seriously committed people who are desperate to flaunt their own desires and the traditions of men to glorify God. Let's join together, forsaking all else, with this worthy endeavor as the objective of our lives.