When Christians Suffer, by Pastor Ed Evans

Scripture: 1st Peter 4:12-19

¹² Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. ¹³ But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed. ¹⁴ If you are insulted for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you. ¹⁵ But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler. ¹⁶ Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. ¹⁷ For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God? ¹⁸ And “If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?"  ¹⁹ Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.

When I was a teenager in Seattle, Washington, we were always invited to Youth for Christ rallies on Saturday nights downtown near the wharfs and loading docks.  In the 1950s there were not a lot of great things for teens to do on Saturday nights, when there wasn't a high school football game, that didn't involve getting into trouble.  The green forests and blue water of the northwest Puget Sound didn't offer much excitement, but at the youth rallies there was always a lot of music, a big name Christian music star now and then, and it seemed all the prettiest girls went there.  In fact, it seemed like those who were Christian had the best lives, lived well, got the breaks in school, and never suffered.

However, once I became a Christian, I found that was just my perception.  I learned that Christians put their faith in God in tough times and just didn't talk a lot about suffering.  And for most of us, suffering is still an unpopular subject.  You have to admit, talking about salvation is more pleasant than suffering, just like heaven is more pleasant than heartache.

But let's be real here.  As evangelist Ravi Zacharias says, "Let my people think."  Suffering is a real part of life; something with which we all have to deal.

Every hospital we pass says that suffering is real.  Those sirens screaming in the night say suffering is real.  And not only physical but mental anguish is a big part of it.  People like Ann Landers and Dr. Phil have made their fortune listening to people and sharing advice about suffering.  In every city and state we have suicide prevention organizations and hot lines.

And just like the society we are part of, Christians also have trials, but as our scripture from 1st Peter points out, we should not think it strange that Christians have trials.  And yet just as we did as teenagers, on the outside looking in at the Christian life, some people still think salvation means no more trials, no more suffering.  But to think that is to misunderstand what the followers of Jesus Christ are up against in this world.  It's not an easy road to heaven.

There is no way we can avoid facing trials and sufferings, even as Christians, because we live in a fallen world.  We are part of a fallen race trying to make our way in a world of tornadoes and earthquakes, in a world where sin runs rampant  and greed brings violence.

Why is this?  Because of the power of Satan in this world.  We're not home yet.  Everyone in this fallen world is susceptible to the tricks and trials of Satan, but Christians especially are targeted.  Ephesians 6:11-12 not only tells us we have an adversary, but what to do about him: "Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.   For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places."

Followers of Almighty God, because God is truth, will quickly become aware of Satan on the job, as the Father of Lies.  The difference between God's plan and Satan's plots becomes obvious, and there is no need to be surprised by his attacks.

The fact is, Christians have trials because we are on a collision course with this world.  In John 15 we read why Jesus was despised and rejected, because His life was in opposition to the ways of this world.  So you can see that if those outside of God rejected the King of Glory, they're not going to cozy up to those who follow Him.  The followers of Jesus Christ have suffered down through the centuries; it's nothing new. 

But while it is true that just like those outside of Christ in this world, Christians also suffer, the trials of the Christian are different.  In the first place, those who belong to Christ do not suffer alone, but other Christian brothers and sisters stand with him.  The Christian also has the day of glory to look forward to, as described for us in Romans 8:18 where Paul put it into perspective: "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us."

For we can find joy even in jeopardy, just as we read in Acts 16:25, where a Philippian jailer and his entire household were brought to belief in Jesus Christ in the midst of tragedy.  We read, "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them..."  And a group of strangers found Christ.  For even in a Christian's darkest hours He who loved us first is still working through us to accomplish the will of the father.

Then, of course, we cannot escape the fact that there are those times when even Christians bring suffering and calamity upon themselves, as verse 15 of today's scripture alludes: "But let none of you suffer as a murderer or a thief or an evildoer or as a meddler."  Belief in Jesus Christ will not save us from the consequences of our actions.  And lest we think that the threshold for such action must be at the level of murder, we need to pay attention to truths such as we find in 1st John 3:15, "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him."  Even a busybody is a murderer, of people's reputations.  For loving one another is the law that underlies it all, pulling the claws from anger and hypocrisy, both of which only invite suffering.

For there are those who think they are looked down upon for their testimony, when it may be only because of their meanness.  Christians are not immune from engaging in habits and practices that bring on suffering, and such backsliding results in chastening from the Father who loves us.  Hebrews 12:6-7 reminds us, "For the Lord disciplines the one He loves, and chastises every son whom He receives.  It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?"

So we come to the question of whether we are willing, as members of the family of God, to endure necessary suffering now for glory later.  And perhaps more importantly, are we willing and committed to making necessary life changes in order to avoid bringing suffering upon ourselves?  For in the end our purpose here is not merely to endure suffering, but we have a mission to share the love of God while, as the last verse of our scripture today tells us, "doing good."  Surely a life goal worthy of the family of God is that of giving back, sharing, allowing Jesus Christ to multiply far beyond our abilities that precious love He first shared with us on the cross at Calvary.  In the midst of His own hurt and suffering, He locked that love into you and i with the words, "It is finished."  He loved you then; He loves you now.  Amen.

Let us pray...

Father, hear our prayer on behalf of Your unfathomable love for us.  We praise You, Lord God, as in the midst of our own purposes and self-dreams we see yet Your hand at work in our lives, hear Your voice calling us home.  We pray, in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, for those yet mired in the mud of their own plans and purposes and ask that they might recognize Your directions in their lives, become aware of Your love in the actions about them, and see Your purposes in providing for their rest.  May we reach out to one another with the loving hand of Jesus Christ to heal the broken hearted, lift up the fallen, bring freedom to those yet imprisoned by their own habits and desires.  May we love them, as You have loved us, and share in the trip home.  Thank You, Father.  Thank You.  Amen.

Jesus Teaches Compassion for the Poor

Our lesson today has to do with having compassion for the poor.  And that's an important topic for both the church and society as a whole today.  There is quite an animated conversation going on outside the doors of the church concerning the poor, who they are, why they are poor, and how to deal with them.  Our God has quite a bit to say about them.

In that respect, there are three verses I would like us to consider:

Matthew 25:34-40

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'"        

Romans 15:1-2

We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.

James 2:15-17

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead."

Now, perhaps you've heard the old saying that God must have loved the poor, because He made of many of them.  Well, perhaps He had so much to say about them -- I collected them all and printed them out, and it came to 8 pages! -- maybe He had so much to say about them because He loved them so much. 

To return to what I said earlier, there is quite an animated conversation going on outside the doors of the church concerning the poor, who they are, why they are poor, and how to deal with them.  There are all sorts of suggested solutions, all sorts of programs and words and titles.  One of the more infamous words out there is the word "entitlement."  Many people feel they are entitled to have what everyone else has.  In some cases they not only expect it, but they take it when you're not looking.

My own favorite phrase about many those folks is that they all want to swallow, but they don't want to chew.  Some people have said they grew up poor like I did in the early 1940s, but they didn't know they were poor.  I knew we were poor.  Going to bed hungry will tell you that you are poor.  I knew what others had and I did not.

I won't go into the story now, but I was moved from home to home, from house to farm, and there was not always enough food for the new kid.  And yes, we thought we deserved more, deserved better.  So do people today.

But guess what, the Constitution of these United States speaks only about people being created equal, about people having an equal opportunity.  Nowhere does it say we all have a right to come out equal in the end.

But look here what the Word of God says, first in Micah 6:8 -- "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." 

Then in Zechariah 7:9-10 -- "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'"

So by acting justly, loving mercy, and walking humbly we are going to try and avoid those sins that set us against the poor, and against God.  For it would appear that in Zechariah, we act against the poor, we are acting against God.

But the Word of God tells us there are both sins of omission and commission, aren't there?  So let's talk about that for a moment.  Sin of commission might things such as lying, stealing, cheating ... any others?

And then under sin of omission we find what?  Lack of generosity, spending too little time with your children, failing to help a neighbor in need, avoiding discipleship involvement such a Bible study, prayer and worship.

But Jesus seems to be talking about something much more than radical than just helping a neighbor in need.  In scripture Jesus warns us about collecting treasures here on earth -- treasures that can rot, burn, or be stolen -- rather than treasures in heaven.

More than simply helping a neighbor in need, Jesus connects our generosity with our eternal destination.  And that's part of what got the Pharisees all riled up, for they loved their money more than their neighbor.

Returning then to Zechariah 7:9-10 for a moment -- "This is what the LORD Almighty says: 'Administer true justice; show mercy and compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other.'"

Well, the Pharisees failed that test.  But that's not my point.  My point in bringing it back to you, again, is to ask you to please notice that nowhere that Jesus speaks of the poor does he engage in a discussion of whether or not they "deserve" help, deserve mercy.

And I bring that up because whenever there is a discussion about the poor, inevitably the charge arises that they don't do enough to help themselves.  If they really wanted to work, they would find work.  What you hear is that "They just sit on their big behinds, collect their unemployment and their food stamps, they don't take care of their kids, they don't try to better themselves, they just live of you and I, off of the government."

And because in my lifetime I've known so many of the poor, of all sorts of nationalities, I can assure you that in some cases that is true.  But before we get into a really hot discussion about what the poor should and shouldn't do, let me share with you some verses concerning an incident in the book of John that involved Peter. 

I so identify with Peter.  Sometimes it seems like Peter's purpose in life is to be a bad example, so we can look at Peter's bumbling and misguided excitement and tell our children, "Don't be like Peter!"

But in this instance, Peter has just gone through a very humbling and traumatic incident, in John 18, where he denied Jesus three times.  Although Peter boasted he would never do that, he did it.  And it broke Peter's heart.  But Jesus did not go off into eternity and leave that on Peter's heart.  When Jesus revealed Himself for the third time and met with His disciples, three times Jesus asked Peter if he loved Him, and Peter had three chances to answer, just as he denied Jesus three times.  The first two times Peter didn't use the same word as Jesus.  It was more like, "Lord, you, you know I like you."  And then, "Lord, you know I like you a lot."  But the third time Jesus asked, Peter broke, saying, "Lord, You know all things, You know I love You."

But then, typical Peter, he notices John, known as the disciple Jesus loved, following them, and Peter asked Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"

And it is Jesus' answer to Peter I would like us to consider this morning.  For Jesus said to Peter, "What is that to you?  You follow me!"

What is it my Lord has said to me about the poor?  Does He tell me to consider what other men do?  What does it say in Micah 6:8 -- "He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God." 

In 2nd Corinthians 1:3-4, I read, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God."

So, look here ... It isn't even my compassion, it's His.  It isn't even my comfort, it's His.  How can I not share it?

One short story, then I'll end.  It's late one night in downtown Nashville, raining, cold, I'm leaving the Federal Building down on 9th and Broadway late.  This was when the Mission was located nearby.   As I walk across the street to the dim lit parking lot there's only one car left.  Mine.  But along the other sidewalk on Demonbreun I see a figure barely moving along.  He's got a on raincoat, a hat, his head is hung down, he's soaking wet.  He looks like he carries the world on his shoulders.  I reach in my pocket, my fingers close around a $5 bill, I pull it out and very loudly across the empty parking lot I ask, "Will $5 help?"

He stops.  He looks at me.  I keep walking toward him.  He doesn't reach for the money.  After a moment, he asks, "Are you Jesus?"  His question hits me with such impact I can't answer.  After a moment he takes the money and moves slowly away through the rain.  I think to myself, yes, just for a moment there I was the hand of Christ, offering compassion, offering comfort, a friendly voice in the darkness and the rain.

Don't miss that opportunity.  You never know who is on the receiving end of that handout.  Withholding the compassion and the comfort -- that actually belongs to Christ -- is to pick your own pocket.

Let us pray.....

Our Lord, as a good father of children You use so many different situations to teach us what you would have us to know and to learn.  We thank for what we have.  Help us to be satisfied with what you have provided to us, and help us to share with those about us who may not be so fortunate.  We thank You for Your Word, and for the freedom to study and live our lives by it.  We ask Your blessing on each one reading this lesson, upon our elected and appointed leaders in our communities, our states and at the national level.  May they seek Your face, Father, heal this nation's wounds and lead America on toward Your glory.  Amen.

Renew, Rebuild, Restore

by Ed Evans

[A political sermon; no collection, but with lots of prayer.]

That great conservative American, troop-loving musician extraordinaire, Charlie Daniels, is also an outspoken patriot and essayist; a voice for this troubled age.  In his "Charlie Daniels Soapbox and Messageboard" at http://charliedanielssoapbox.com/view_topic.php?id=10302&forum_id=4, Charlie has zeroed in on a specific public malady the American news media cowardly refuses to address.

Reminding us that the conflicts of defined battlefields disappeared with World War II, Charlie goes on to write, "The war we find ourselves engaged in these days is not, for the most part, territorial but ideological religious fanaticism fueled by centuries of violent indoctrination and tribal loyalties that have existed since biblical times.

"There is so much about our enemy we don't understand, but one all-important fact we must understand.

"There will be no truce or armistice in this fight, there will be no cessation of hostilities no matter what kind of pie in the sky treaties and agreements desperate Western diplomats are able to get the enemy to sign.

"The Obama-Kerry initiatives, while noble in outward appearances, will not deter Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear device, but enable them to do so as sanctions are lifted and Iran gets it's fiscal house in order it will be business as usual, deadly business.

"Is there anybody gullible enough to believe otherwise?

"Our President and Secretary of State seem to think so."

And right there I believe Charlie Daniels has put his finger right on the very sorest part of the American wound, a painful, seeping, growing wound that will not heal quickly.

I also believe that Charlie Daniels is stopping short of the real conclusion accidentally, or perhaps because he makes his living entertaining people, he stops short because he doesn't want to alienate hi entire listening audience.

But for whatever reason, I say he has stopped short.  Charlie states that the President and Secretary of State apparently are gullible enough to believe that material, financial handouts to our enemies in Iran will stop their nuclear device development, which they believe will give them Muslim domination of the world.  In fact, material and financial handouts have not worked to better the status of poor Americans or America's economy, so why would they believe it would work on people foreign to the American ideals and ethics?

No, I say it is impossible to believe that Obama and Kerry, having organized their financial and political careers to such advantage, having reached the pinnacles of power they have, with deep and wide-ranging information sources available to them, could be so gullible.

That leaves only deliberate planning for the one-world government, the financial upheaval, and the curtailment and control of individual freedoms to come.  Logically, based not upon what is said but what is done, guided down a chute of careful preparation, what obviously lies ahead of America is deliberate and planned.

The moneyed, powerful leaders of the world's financial and political hierarchies believe that they "know best" for the rest of the great unwashed in the world.  The fences of containment set up by our American forefathers of Christian-based ethics and humane justice for all are slowly but most surely being eroded and set aside by a carefully packed judiciary.  Profane ethical and social mores that only a few years ago would have been summarily dismissed as a danger to the future citizens of society now seem to fit responsibly on a shelf of citizenship fashioned by liberal educators who have been teaching the current generation, and are still teaching the next, that truth is subjective, absolutes don't really exist, and anything goes.  It can be seen in our fashions, our communication,  in the business world, and rotting away the framework of society.

Such quotes as that by Conrad Hilton, CEO of Hilton Hotels, "If his wife can't trust him in the bedroom, how can I trust him in the boardroom," no longer have any impact in the business world or in society.  Anything goes.  Profit is everything.  Winning is all that is important.  But what if someone gets hurt?  If you can't afford to lose then you shouldn't be in the game.

And life has become a game.  There are now only winners and losers.  The human family that God began no longer matters, because God no longer matters.  Tomorrow?  Only today matters.  Right now.  Tomorrow will take care of itself.  After all, even God said, " Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."  And that's what you run into, the idea that God doesn't matter, unless you can use Him to make a point for yourself.

There are still those innocent souls who continue to believe that if they can just set the right environment for understanding, just bring together the right words, provide just the right platform for agreement, they can change the mind of the moneyed and politically powerful.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  For "the truth" is only their truth, and it is not up for discussion.  Their minds are made up, and you and I were never part of the decision.

I submit that those who have embarked on a "new" and "one-world" direction cannot be moved.  Their hopes, dream, indeed, their treasures are "just ahead" and can only be brought to fruition by the guidance of their hands.  Keep your hands off the steering wheel.  Once again, this is not a discussion.  The decision has been made, the direction chosen, and you and I are not "bought in."

I return to my original point.  What we are seeing, what we are experiencing, is deliberate.  

That being the case, the only solution can be one of deliberation, as well.  The leadership now in place, leading America astray, must be replaced.  America being the nation it is, with a military dedicated to not participating in governmental coups, thus far resting on the surviving U.S. Constitution, that change must come about by election.  The time is approaching.  Perhaps for the last time.

In one sense, the time is ripe, conservative state Governors have a leading edge in the coming election, many liberal Democrats are giving up their seats this year, and this will be a fruitful opportunity to elect conservative Representatives and Senators.  But the infighting, the litmus tests that have shattered the conservative movement must cease.  There must be a widespread commitment to putting conservatives in office, across the board, and deal with individual sacred cows once those forces are in office.
It must be a two-pronged attack, in traditional military language, with equal commitment to the forces to remove current leadership -- flawed, misguided, and wrong -- and commitment to the conservative cause. 

It will not be easy.  Liberal incumbents will attempt to move heaven and earth, to cause dissension among conservatives, to destroy commitment, for they know that if they can just get past this coming election, they will rule.  That cannot be allowed to happen.  This is most very likely the conservatives' last chance on a level playing field.

This is it.  Last chance to renew, rebuild, restore.

Come Home

by Pastor Ed Evans

            I got up late that morning.  Working on a project the night before, I stayed up late and slept in the next morning. 

            Nearly one o'clock, I got up, showered, took my daily ration of pills, made coffee and sat down in my favorite chair to enjoy it.  The house was quiet and to break the silence, I clicked on the television.  Up came a program about The Gaithers.  The quartet with some of my favorites was in the middle of a song.  Don't recall which one. 
But the program was nearly over.

            The scene was a small country church with large, lit candles up and down the main aisle, with the

             They began to sing their last song, "Come Home."  As I listened to their harmonizing a special poignancy filled me and I wondered why this song should mean so much to me.  Then, as I listened to the words, I understood. 

            My Lord had died on a painful cross, on a hill named Golgotha, naked before His enemies, to free me from the sins that passed for the life I had led.  And even now, if I claimed I never sinned I would be lying, and even those my Jesus both knew and covered for all time through His blood.  Then, before a disbelieving world, and in consensus with prophecy after prophecy throughout ancient times, God the Father raised the Son from the grave, so that we have a living Savior who knows our life in the flesh, knows our emotions, our hurts, and our hopes.

            And now, down through the empty halls of time, whatever happened to me, whatever happened to you, comes the call of the Savior, "Come home....come home."  While there were times I was not faithful to Him, He was forever faithful to me, and the song "Come Home," was His call to me, across the ages, "Come home ... come home."

            Wherever you have wandered, wherever you have lain, for personal reasons, for what you believe are very logical reasons ... it doesn't matter.  It's not so someone else wins, or He wins, not even so you win.  He loves you, He cares about you.  You know what you have done, He knows what you have done, said, left undone.  But ... He's not accusing you, the one who loved you first is simply saying, "Come home ... come home."

            Perhaps coming to Guild of Christ at http://www.guildofchrist.com/, or one of the Facebook online church pages, Guild of Christ or Christian Church Online will help you get home.  Another good spot is my friend Pastor Bernie Lutchman Jr's blog, The Write Stuff, at http://bernielutchman.blogspot.com/.  They are places of worship built around praise, prayer and communion with the Living God.  Not home, but they are on the way home.

            We all have some sense of where home is.  Home has different nuances for each of us.  But through it all, there is one home for all of us, and that is where our Lord Jesus Christ is at.  Wherever Jesus is, there is home.  And so there is special poignancy to His call to you and to me, "Come home ... come home."

The Falling Fire

by Pastor Ed Evans

            A recent program by the Love Worth Finding ministry of Pastor Adrian Rogers broadcast a sermon titled "Let the Fire Fall."  Adrian Rogers was a three-time President of the Southern Baptist Convention, and passed away Nov. 15 of 2005.  Eight years after his death, his recorded ministry and the truth he taught continues.

            In this sermon, Rogers talks about the time of King Ahab and the prophet Elijah.  In this instance there had been no rain for three-and-a-half years.  The herds upon which they depended were starving.    So Ahab tells his man Obadiah, "You take half of the herds and go that way looking for grass, and I'll take the other half and go this way."

            Sounds like a plan, but very much like what is happening in America today, Ahab was avoiding the obvious.  There was no rain.  And there was no rain because God was punishing the kingdom.  Instead of charging all over looking for available grass, Ahab should have had his people praying for rain, and rain wasn't coming until they obeyed God.

            Just as with the Israelites then, there are those who don't want to hear that their nation is under judgment today, don't want to hear that what they are doing and saying and supporting is making them an enemy of God. 

            "But it feels so right," they will say.  "It's logical," they claim.  "You're not the boss of me," is the childish challenge.

            And yet, the record of God's actions show He is not making His decisions based on our feelings, on our version of logic, or whether or not we accept God as our "boss."

            Very much like the sin-filled situation the Prophet Elijah was facing, the people had not only turned their back on the Living God, but many had begun worshiping the idols Baal and Asherah.  Actually, there are many today who say the religion of Islam may trace back to the loveless, inanimate idol of Baal.  However, worshiping a dead idol is its own reward, but turning your back on the Living God incurs a price all its own.

            All across America concerned citizens are urging fellow citizens and those in power to look for grass, instead of praying for rain, instead of maintaining their faith in Almighty God, instead of obeying God.  What God asks of us is prayer, faith, and obedience.  Turning our back on Him and hoping, miraculously, that a way out of the hedonistic, greedy, immoral fog that America has wandered into is tantamount to expecting Satan to sit on the sidelines while we thumb our nose at God.  Won't happen.

            The title for Adrian Rogers' sermon, "Let the Fire Fall," comes from a defining incident during the foul reign of King Ahab.  Elijah had pointed out that he was only one prophet before God, but that those who worshiped Baal had 450 prophets, and then there were another 400 prophets of the idol Asherah.  So the people were very mixed up, ignoring what they knew of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  Hence, God's punishment.

            In 1st Kings 18:21, we see that "Elijah came to all the people, and said, 'How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.' But the people answered him not a word.'"

            Elijah then challenged those of Baal with a contest where a blood sacrifice would be made, on a pile of wood, on an altar of stone, and the fire to consume it would come from the most powerful god.   Elijah poured a large amount of water over his sacrifice and asked God to reveal Himself by consuming the sacrifice. "Then the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood and the stones and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench" (1st Kings 18:38).  And we read in 1st Kings 18:39, "And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The Lord, He is the God; the Lord, He is the God."  Lies, falseness, evil divides us, but what happens at the altar of God brings us together, unites His own.

            At this moment in time, there is no Elijah in America challenging the prophets of all the many false idols to a contest with the Living God.  But there are many ordinary Christians, as well as Pastors, Evangelists, and entire churches urging that Americans enter into prayer, strengthen their faith, and walk in obedience to the Living God.

            And yet, as if mere disobedience, lack of faith and prayer were not sordid enough, the American society is replete with false religions, atheists, anti-theists, agnostics, skeptics, freethinkers, humanists, and pantheists.  And even as I write this, secular humanists are coming up with more titles.  Even now a man from South America claims to be in the bloodline of Jesus Christ and heir to His holiness.  Others claim to have been given special prophecies, special powers, special abilities, and the enemy of God runs rampant with errant claims, fallacious promises, and duplicitous lies.  In this age, as in all others, those not grounded in Christ will believe any spiritual fantasy.  This year formally trained "reformers" are being sent out to churches to convince congregations that the Scriptures allow for homosexual activity.  But they are all still looking for the free grass, seeking miracles out of nowhere, running from repentance, instead of praying for rain; instead of praying, being and seeking to be faithful, and seeking obedience to the Living God.

            It seems our worst behavior shows up in politics and in our government systems.  When a person is elected to a political office they become victims of the three "P's"; power, pay and perks.  And however much they have promised to serve the people, they spend most of their effort in remaining in office to make the most of their power, pay and perks.  The more power, pay and perks they accrue the more willing they are to do anything to keep it, even selling themselves into evil for it.

            Our understood decency, as a nation, has fallen down around our ankles like a pair of dirty pants, embarrassing us in our human filthiness.  And yet all the while we pretend everything is okay.  But here's the strange part, something about us knows everything is not okay, and will not let us rest.  We have a God-shaped hole in our heart that only the Living God can fill.  And all of our worthless efforts to make all of life about us are just that, worthless.  We cannot change anything about yesterday and we can only marginally affect tomorrow until we get there.  And yet we serve a timeless God to whom time is a river, all power is His, and there is nothing about us or anything else that He doesn't know.  So who do we think we are?

            The exciting reality is, however, that whether those who are outside of Jesus Christ decide to obey God or not, the Living God is faithful to answer the prayers of His own, as we are told in 1st John 5:14-15, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And ... we know that we have what we asked of Him."  

            The fire will fall, just as it did for Elijah; fire in the form of revival in America.  Just as in the dark days of Elijah's Israel, days of apostasy, apathy, and horrible sin, those who are praying, faithful, obedient to God will see Him usher in a time of spiritual revival that will tear loose the roots of greed and excess, selfishness, abortion, avarice, debauchery, and bring men and women to see Godly wisdom, integrity, character, service and love to others. 

            It is time to stop believing the lie that you are a victim, that you are all alone in this life, that you don't need repentance, and know that you are a child of a loving, caring, forgiving God.  Cease looking for the grass you didn't plant, the fortune you didn't work for, and all that is outside of obedience to Almighty God.  Matthew 6:33 advises us, "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you."

            As was the Prophet Elijah's experience, the fire of the Holy Spirit consumes, convicts and converts.  Pray hard because it is coming, and time is short.

Mistakes in the Middle East are only the Beginning

     Pres. Obama is about to step on a land-mine of his own making in our dealings with Egypt.        Worse than his international faux pas, he is utterly destroying the ethics, morality and dignity of the USA.  His second term in office is marked by his obvious and extremist support of the Muslim Brotherhood, pettiness driven by the refusal of freedom-loving people to knuckle under to what his agenda demands, appointment of people to high positions with even less commitment to American ethics and morals than himself, and a total lack of servanthood leadership that has achieved the high water mark in previous American Presidents.
     It appears there is a gulf of great disparity between the American people and this President. They want good, solid, forward-looking leadership.  Barack Hussein Obama wants a kingdom, or perhaps as some see in his Muslim educational background, a Caliphate.
     It should by now be obvious to everyone that these opposing forces are leading to a whimpering collision.  It will not be the violent collision the White House seems to seek which would justify martial law and an opportunity to "remold" and "remake" America.  Instead, through the wisdom of America's forefathers there are safeguards in place to prevent military and political coups.  Nevertheless, a collision comes, and it will be an Pyrrhic victory for America, taking us many years to climb out of the financial and moral abyss.
     So far, statesmanship, personal discipline and an adherence to the United States Constitutional government have kept this wavering ship of state upright.  I must believe that will continue, so long as love of country and love of Almighty God prevails.
     There are those on both side of the issues, aside from political partisanship, who would be quick to "pull a trigger".  No doubt.  But calmer heads and the built-in give-and-take of American justice will, I believe, continue to hold sway among men of conscience, if not men of power.
     Someone has said that all politics is local.  But it goes even deeper than that, for all commitment, both patriotic and religious, is more than local, it is individual.
     The continuation, the salvation, of America for tomorrow's generations lies in that individual commitment to God and to Country.  And its genus lies in the hearts of men.  So long as we, as individual persons, are faithful to our God and to our nation, we cannot be overturned.  The secret lies in our personal, individual relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; in our prayer life, in our sense of faith, and in our obedience.
     Those who will not talk to God don't have a prayer.  Pray hard.  Time is short.

Why Doesn't the Church.....?

by Pastor Ed Evans

In the opinion piece headlined "'Liberal' Kirsten Powers rightfully rips Churches" (http://shoebat.com/2013/09/28/liberal-kirsten-powers-speaks-persecuted-christians/) I must call that a shot and a miss.  The wrong target was addressed because the target addressed does not exist as an entity to be held responsible.  If there are individuals the church's critics believe in error, those individuals should be addressed specifically. 

Walid Shoebat I'm familiar with, but I couldn't tell you Kirsten Powers from Martha Stewart, or Ben Barrack from Ben Affleck.  As for Kermit Gosnell, as many media sources as I access, I know very little about that situation as well.  But then, there have been many incidents of bloody evil right here in this nation that our own news media have very nearly ignored, to the public's ignorance.    The old guest preacher was asked what he was going to speak on, he said "sin."  He was asked what he was going to say about it.  He said, "I'm ag'in it."  That's been God's point of view all along.

I can speak only for the church I attend here in Nashville, Tenn., and to my own posted sermons, and in that respect I am unaware "the church" per se is ignoring the persecution and slaughter of Christians.  Incidentally, there is a Facebook page titled "Voice of the Copts", with 2,887 members which continually details persecutions such as mentioned by Barrack and Powers.  Those 2,887 members, like myself, pick up that news and share it on our own sites, asking for prayer and fasting, sending notes to our legislators, doing what we can.

However, since "the church" is a living organism, Biblically consisting of individual worshipers worldwide, there can be no specific answering for those who hear their own voice over that of the Holy Spirit, nor for those who launch out on personal agendas, ignoring the Word of God.  To blame "the church" for ignoring evil is like blaming the medical profession for late appointments.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that Christ did not tell His church to "Go into all the world and take up arms against evil."  Even the notable Shakespeare seemed to be ambivalent about such action, whether it was better to simply accept such trouble and tough it out or take action.  He penned in Hamlet, Act 3, Scene 1: "Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the sling and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them?" 

Not that the church has stopped followers of Jesus Christ from taking arms against the enemies of God.  History is replete with such instances.

What has stopped Christians and others from "taking arms" is the current political regime in the White House which has placed known Muslims in sensitive political positions, sent FBI agents to places like Tennessee to lecture communities against their efforts to contain the growth and influence of Islam and Sharia Law within their neighborhoods and schools, neutered laws against arming terrorists so they could provide arms to Syrian rebels who have massacred entire villages of Christians.

Very recently a young pastor's wife who is personally known to me was arrested outside the White House grounds for falling on her knees to pray regarding President Obama's actions, as were two Catholic nuns who knelt with her to pray.  The Christian church worldwide, made up of individual worshipers, is well aware of Christians being martyred, but how they deal with that continuing fact may not be within the understanding of those outside of Christ.

When I was a senior enlisted Marine late in my military career, civilians, those outside the Marine Corps, would often take the opportunity to tell me what they thought the Marine Corps should be doing about this issue or that one.  But my orders, the impetus to my actions, did not come from what they thought.  It's been observed that outside the Marine Corps you cannot explain it, while inside, you don't need to.  The same might be said of the Christian church.  Its detractors and those outside of Christ seem quick to tell the followers of Jesus Christ what they should be doing.  But those who have an active relationship with the Living God are listening to the words of the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, our Messiah, something not obvious to others.

When I pastored a church, I forever shook my head at the propensity of some people to assume everything within the church was the Pastor's responsibility.  "Pastor, someone spilled cookie crumbs in the foyer," or "Pastor, someone left the water running in the ladies' room," or "Pastor, there's a window open in the back classroom and the rain is coming in."  My answer was always the same, "Well, take care of it."

I appreciate being well-informed, but I don't have to join in every fight I'm invited to.  The Lord God sets my path and equips me for the encounters He purposes for me as a follower of Jesus Christ.  And those who follow Him most likely know why.

As for Kirsten Powers and Ben Barrack, I would suggest if they have a problem with evil in the world, that they do something about it, something more than point the finger at others to do something about it.  The followers of Jesus Christ have made their position about evil very clear.  They, we, are against it, and our marching orders are not set by critics and the news media.  My advice is to pray hard.  Time is short.