Christ-Centered = Jesus Is Lord

This week, Michael writes: Christianity is not about religion, rather it's about an intimate relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ. A culture doesn't suddenly become abased. The decline of a culture and of a people is a gradual erosion. However, our Lord still reigns. Though nations and governments rise and fall, the Word of the Lord lives and abides forever. Christians are sons and daughters by birth, having been born again. We are born again not of corruptible seed, but by incorruptible seed by the Word of God. We have our Father's DNA ... His genetic code of the Word of God is within us. It's who we are and whose we are.

Mary and Martha, two sisters in the Bible, had different priorities when they were in the presence of their Lord. Martha was busy serving, but Mary sat at the Master's feet.  Martha came to Jesus and complained that her sister wasn't helping her. Jesus said, "Martha, Martha, Mary has chosen that better thing." Mary had chosen to sit at the Master's feet and to rest in Him. The commandment is "Casting all your cares upon him, for he cares for you."  The question is, "What is it that you value most?"  Are you faith-based or works based?

As a man or woman of God, there are five goals.  First, we are faith based and grace driven. Second, we are men and women of God under the authority of the Word of God. The third is that the Bible is the final authority. Our fourth goal is that we are men and women of prayer. Our prayer is that God will bring into our lives the fifth goal: that we link together with like minded men and women. The Word of God is sometimes difficult to hear. A prophetic friend speaks the word of truth and tells us what God wants us to hear. Often the counsel is to turn the other cheek and to go the second mile ... to bless them that persecute you, and to pray for your enemies. The goal is to become Christ centered. Our prayer is not to align God's will with my will, but rather to align my will with his will.

Jesus said that a house built on the firm foundation of the Word of God will stand when the storms of life rage around us. Therefore, rest in and within the Word of God. Listen to the truth of the Word of the Lord. To turn to the Lord, we must give up our insidious preoccupation with self. Our prayer is, "not my will but thine be done." Jesus said, "He who holds on to his life shall lose it. But he who loses his life for my sake shall find it." The Lord said to Israel, "If my people who are called by my name shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and shall turn from their wicked ways, then shall they hear from heaven and I will forgive their sins and will heal their land."  Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a nation is for God to withhold His hand of earthly material blessings from the land. This is so that the people can repent and turn their hearts back to the Lord. In the times of need, a people can understand what really matters ... fellowship with the Lord and a relationship with Him. The kingdom of the Lord is a rescue mission from the King of kings. Becoming a citizen of the kingdom of Heaven is the ultimate salvation from the tribulation of the world. Linking with likeminded believers and becoming a man or woman of prayer unifies our fellowship with our Lord.  The power is in the called-out ... the church of the living God.  

The battle is not against competing political platforms. The battle is against spiritual wickedness from on high. With whom shall we stand? Stand with Jesus Christ and with likeminded Believers. Stand on the firm foundation of the truth of the Word of God.  Stand therefore, in the Liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again in the yoke of bondage. Our responsibility is to stand for the values of the truth of the Word of God. God will bring a nation to its knees so that the nation can repent. Our freedom in Christ is to bring everything captive to the knowledge of Christ ...casting down imaginations and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. God has called us to stand up for the righteousness of the Word of God. Though "political correctness" may attempt to force us to bow down to the things of this world, remember the words of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before they were cast into the fiery furnace: "our God will deliver us, and even if he doesn't deliver us, we will not bow down to your idol."  According to 1 Timothy 2, God's will is that all would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth ... that every knee shall bow and confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. According to the sermon "Do you know my King" by Dr. S. M. Lockridge, "His Word is enough, His grace is sufficient, His reign is righteous.  Herod couldn't kill him.  Death could not contain him...the grave couldn't hold him." He is the resurrection, the truth and the life ... that's my King!

May God richly bless you!
Your brother in Christ,
Michael