Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and he shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is lightfor my yoke is easy and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:29-30)
There is an intensifying battle raging for the souls of all people. Particularly in our own country, the United States, there is a battle waging for the very souls of every living member of our society. With the modern marvels of the internet and an ever-expanding social network, information is being dispensed at a never before seen pace. Propaganda, much of which is false, is spreading like wildfire throughout our world. One nation under God, although a form of propaganda within itself (as we have never been completely united), has become a rare commodity as our “me” society continues to divide people for every reason while espousing to unify. There is the “I want to keep my culture”, “I want to keep my individuality” interpreted to the absurd. Everyone seems to want to assert their uniqueness but not pay the price for unity. As Jesus once stated to the Pharisees, you “strain at insignificant things (assembly, form of worship, rules, etc.) but leave the greater things (visiting the sick, those in need, sharing the gospel with the hurting by loving them and ministering to them, taking care of the elderly, etc.) undone…” Even the individual has not escaped this rampant movement to de-unify. Many individuals have conflict within themselves and now have trouble identifying themselves. Absolute and obvious truths are ignored. Every truth is relative, and no one wants to take any responsibilities for living out objective truths. Everything is about the individual until it is time to take responsibility for something and suddenly the individual is a victim of another individual. We are fast approaching a season when everyone is a “victimizer” and everyone is also a “victim” of something. As responsibility for actions and accountability fades in our society, chaos is on the rise. What do we do? We blame each other. We choose to listen to the information that only supports the lies that we have already bought into. We further separate from one another while discussing how we are becoming better as a people and more “enlightened” than we have ever been in the past. Suicide, Murder, Rape, Mental Illness, and a whole host of other problems continue to increase at alarming rates. The Church has become a silent bystander as we are now two generations into the “lets take care of our own” mentality. Churches have been resting stops for the weary (and sometimes not weary but lazy) Christian as a rule for the last 50 years. The radical message of the New Testament to “go into all the world (which includes our next door neighbor), has been somewhat forgotten except for the occasional mission offering. Our Lives have focused on us. Not them. Not the focus of Jesus. As a result, the stagnation that has resulted in the condition of many modern churches has led to their closing or a membership so meager that they struggle to keep the lights on week to week. As isolation becomes rampant we retreat to our Amazon served homes and come out only to go to work, the occasional outing, and to any number of “fun” activities. Pop Psychology has replaced prayer, self-help seminars have replaced fasting, and movies have replaced preaching. Making the gospel a modern production is the quest of the day to compete with the other forms of entertainment. But where is the power? Where is the conviction of Sin? Where is thirst for righteousness? Where is the deliverance from persistent Sin? The bottom line is: Where is the Holy Spirit? Where are the changed lives?
Did you know that most public schools, even those in rural areas, have many students who laugh at the Cross of Christ and consider the gospel message an outdated myth? With the information of falsehood flowing rampantly on the internet, many of these students are witnessing more to these things than many Christians are standing up for their faith. There are many other students who believe that with more education, they “outgrow” the beliefs of the Bible and that Christianity (and the Church) is just one of many “institutions” that are a hold-over from a less enlightened age? Colleges and Universities have positioned themselves as “enlightened” institutions that subtlety(often brazenly) contradict the teachings of God’s Word. Christianity, for many Christians, has become more of a label than a life-changing experience.
And we wonder why we have so many problems We wonder why there is so much depravity in the world. The “enlightened of this present world” don’t stand a chance against the forces of evil. Only God in Christ can overcome the world. Only a heart change can make the world better. Billy Graham said it best in one of the last messages he preached when he said that America and the World will not survive without a true revival among the people of God that brings conviction of such power that Christians recommit again to God and many that are lost turn to Him in Faith through His Son Jesus Christ. Only Prayer and Fasting can bring this about. Are we willing to do it? Or will we keep our heads in the sand and believe that “this too shall pass”. The only thing that can change our nation now is an outpouring of the Spirit of God in such power that lives are radically changed and those who profess Christ take a stand and put on his yoke. We have to choose. Jesus said take my yoke. It’s easy to take his yoke. We simply believe and follow (obey) him. The Heavy Burden of watching the world crumple around those we love will become lighter as we watch Him change what only HE can change. Deception begins to lose its power in light of the Truth overflowing in those who know Him.
Revive us again;
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
Fill each heart with Thy love;
May each soul be rekindled
With fire from above.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
Hallelujah! Amen.
Hallelujah! Thine the glory.
Revive us again.
Perhaps there are those of us who seem “legalistic “ in our thinking that God has given us a pattern to live by. Perhaps some may even call them “rules” or “laws” or “commands”. But remember, when God favored Able’s sacrifice over Cain’s? God demonstrated his desire for obedience in a way that was pleasing to Him. What about the rules of the old law. God used those very strict rules in order to teach discipline and faith through action. This would lead to the new covenant in which grace would abound! But that grace comes only after the demonstration of faith which requires action. James 2:14, “faith without works is dead”. Yes, we are abundantly saved by grace, and thankfully so, but works and grace can and does coexist. It’s not a tallying of good deeds, it’s merely a demonstration of faith. Remember when Uzza was struck down because he lacked the faith that God would take care of the Ark of Covenant? Remember when Saul lacked the faith that God knew what he was asking him to do by destroying all the Amalekites? These events required faith to do what God asked them to do. It could be considered a work, but it truly was an act of disobedience. Not preaching that baptism is a necessary component to salvation because it would be considered legalistic or actually a “work”, would be a false teaching. It is an act of obedience that demonstrates ones faith, it is not considered a work. Why are we so afraid that our salvation is dependent upon us being obedient? Why must the denominational and now the modern non-denominational preach that our salvation can’t be gotten by anything we do?? It’s preached everywhere that adultry is a sin. Is it a work if I don’t commit adultry? I’m being obedient if I don’t do it. I’m a sinner if I do. When the 3000 that Peter was speaking to asked, “what shall we do?”, what did Peter tell them?? Acts 2:38, “arise and be baptized and wash away thy sins”. Romans, “Baptism doth now save u”. Ethiopian eunuch to Philip, “see here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?” The analogy to the cleansing power of water was when the earth was flooded and removed the sin from the earth. The Levite’s would wash in the laver before entering the holy of holies. A man must be “born again” Analagous to the birthing process. Yes immersion baptism is a public display of ones acceptance of Christ but it is where we come in contact with that blood of Christ which gives us that saving grace. It can and does coexist.
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