IN THE MIDST OF "DELUSIONAL" MEN

Years ago there was a young man in our fellowship that decided he was going to venture out and start his own business. Throughout his being a part of our community my husband had encouraged and supported this man in his endeavors. In spite of the fact that others considered him socially awkward my husband saw a man in need of affirmation and fellowship. One day this man came to our home offering his professional services and after some consideration we had to decline. The moment my husband let him know we were not interested his demeanor changed. Obviously offended he decided he was going to tell my husband what he really thought of our community and his pastor. Sitting in our living room he looked straight at my husband and said, "When are you going to realize you are delusional?"  He went on to question the call of God, in my husbands life, and "exhorted" him to give up.

Why did this man think my husband was delusional? Was it because our community was not in the hundreds or thousands? Could it be my husband did not fit a certain mold for today's pastor or leader? Was it that my husband never managed a successful business or served as an executive in a fortune 500 company? It was obvious his words, spoken from hurt and rejection, were meant to humiliate.

Since the month of October is pastor appreciation month I thought I would give a big shout out to all the men and women who have been told they are "delusional" for following the call of God. 

Just this past week I was in Kalamazoo attending a conference with pastors from around the country. During one of the breakout sessions I heard the stories of men and women who have given their lives to serve God and others. As these servant-leaders shared their stories, with authenticity and transparency, tears starting streaming down my face. But, why was I crying? In each story there was a common denominator that spoke to a deep place within my spirit. What touched me were the hearts of shepherds who are willing to give anything and everything to answer the call of God.

Story after story I heard the familiar burden of true shepherds. These are the unknown soldiers, serving in the trenches, who cannot abandon the call to serve. Many of these men ,according to western church thinking, fall into the category of delusional, unsuccessful, ill-equipped and failures. But I would suggest the following:

• These are the men who have prayed and pleaded, before God's throne, for our families. Would any person selflessly do this?
• These are the men who study God's Word so, above all else, our souls prosper. Is that not worth more than gold? 
• These are the men, with the eyes of a shepherd, who see us wandering before we realize we have strayed. Are not their words of counsel and wisdom worth paying attention too? 
• These are the men who in spite of adversity, disappointment and hardship endure to the end. Shouldn't we encourage and support them along the way?
• These are the men who give of their own limited funds to help you pay your bills when your in need. Did you know that?
• These are the men that rejoice with you when your child is born, you get a job promotion and your children marry. Ask yourself, when was the last time you rejoiced for your pastor?
• These are the men who will admit they are far from perfect and, at times, will make imperfect decisions. Are they not worthy of our mercy and patience? 
• These are the men that, when the phone rings at 5:30 am, are willing to get out of bed and meet with you as well as minister to your need. Would we do the same?
• These are the men that, when they are on vacation, will always answer your distressing phone call and never let it go to voice mail. Are we on call 24-7?

• These are the men that sacrifice their lives, and family needs, for a salary that rarely covers their living expenses. Would we do the same?

NO ROOM FOR HORSES AND CHARIOTS

When we read the psalms we find over and over again: don't trust in horses, don't trust in chariots, put your trust in the Lord. The simplicity of the statement, "put your trust in the Lord", yet so complex to walk out in our every circumstance.

For the past several months I have been combing through the pages of the book of Isaiah and learning a great deal about God's desire for us to TRUST HIM and HIM alone.  If you have ever said to yourself I want to read the entire Bible and never have been able to do so, I recommend you read the book of Isaiah. This great book is literally the whole Bible in miniature form.(plug for the prophet Isaiah)

If like Israel we find ourselves struggling to survive in the midst of adversity. We make plans and alliances with others greater than ourselves in order to achieve some type of success or victory. We run frantically attempting to hold all the pieces of this crumbling world system together until we realize, we can't do it. We are not designed to be independent from the ALMIGHTY. Nor are we designed to "falter between two opinions" (1Kings 18:1)

 First and foremost, we are God's people and His message has always been, FEAR NOT I AM WITH YOU. Panic, anxiety, fear, vindication are not the Kingdom way. The scripture tells us quietness and confidence in HIM shall be our strength. When we find ourselves up against the wall with the forces of evil pressing hard all around us, when you know that you know, disaster is coming at the speed of a bullet, quietness and confidence in GOD shall be our strength. 

I think any of us who have walked with the Lord would confess one time or another we have panicked and gone around desperately seeking help anywhere and everywhere. When we took the time to quiet down and seek the Lord we found that in quietness and confidence in HIM there is peace and strength.

The WORD of God is the greatest reminder that HE is with us: 
 
 Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; therefore he will rise up to show you compassion.For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! Isaiah 30:18 

Though a host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. Psalm 27:3

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Isaiah 41:10
 
As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all them that trust in him. 2 Samuel 22:30  


SHALOM, Jeannette

PEOPLE OF THE TRACKS

In my prior blog  “A tribute to Linda…Life Matters” I shared the true story of two lives that by the worlds standard seemed insignificant and quite ordinary. Shortly after, I received an email from Linda telling me how she and Al enjoyed hearing their story.  What I didn’t know about Linda is that she literally sacrificed her entire life, family and health for the “People of the Tracks”.  This “unknown” woman has lived her life doing extraordinary work in the ordinary of life.   

Do you remember the movie Civil Action starring John Travolta? It was a true story about a water contamination legal case in Woburn, Massachusetts. This is the exact town where Linda has been ministering to the homeless who lived by the train tracks all year round. 

Linda asked me if I could share the story of Captain Tom. He was another one of her homeless friends who always wore a captains hat, which is why he was known in the community as Captain Tom.  

Captain Tom like Al was another tormented soul that sailed the greater part of his life with a liquor bottle in this hand.  He might have started his journey differently than the others at the tracks but he eventually ended up at the same destination. It is told that Captain Tom was a “functioning” alcoholic able to work and be drunk at the same time.  He was familiar with the people of the tracks and lived a life of denial thinking he would never end up at that address.  As time passed his addiction consumed his entire life and he like the others had to dock his boat at the port of the train tracks.

For many years Linda witnessed to Captain Tom never missing an opportunity to tell him about the love of Jesus.  Week after week Linda invited him to church and finally one Sunday he hesitantly came along. The Lord touched Captain Tom and a seed of belief was planted in his heart.  He didn’t change he continued his life of addiction and approximately 15 years after that seed was planted Linda witnessed the fruit of her labor.  

Captain Tom ended up in a wheelchair when one day Linda saw him wheeling himself into the liquor store.  To his surprise Linda went after him and said, “Tom come to church with me the Lord does not want you drinking”.  

Eventually Captain Tom was so sick he lived his remaining years in elderly housing and Linda would visit him frequently. She would tell him how much the Lord loved him and she never quit inviting him to church. Until one day Captain Tom said if you cut my finger nails I will go to church with you. Of course, Linda was happy to fulfill his request.

Sunday came and as he sat in church he wept the entire service. The Pastor turned to him and said,” Sir, are you saved”? He looked at Linda and said, “What is he talking about?” Linda, said “Tom have you accepted Jesus as your Savior”?  That Sunday, Captain Tom received Jesus as his Lord adding his name to the Book of Life like many of the other “people of the track”.

A couple of weeks later Captain Tom was admitted to the hospital and Linda spent hours praying with him and assuring him he had nothing to fear.  As he laid in that hospital bed ready to cross into eternity he tightly held Linda’s hand as she told him about the beautiful journey he was going to embark. That night Linda received a call that Captain Toms soul had sailed across the horizon to be reunited with the many other "people of the track” that came to receive Jesus.

 I pray these stories have deepened your view of the value of a human soul as they have mine. For we serve a merciful God.

  Let’s us remember the words of King David in Psalm 136:

Who remembered us in our lowly state,
     For His mercy endures forever; And rescued us from our enemies,
    For His mercy endures forever; Who gives food to all flesh,
   For His mercy endures forever.

Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
    For His mercy endures forever.

A tribute to Linda... LIFE MATTERS

 

Have you ever gone down memory lane and wondered about people who have crossed your path? Years ago my husband and I worked for a large church in New England and as you can imagine we met a multitude of people of every walk of life.

In a split second my husbands says,  “I wonder what happened to Al? Al was a local homeless man in our community an alcoholic and to be frank he hardly looked human.  He and many other homeless men and women where brought to our church services on a weekly basis by a precious lady named, Linda.  I can remember thinking Linda herself fragile and sickly seemed to be as needy as those she helped. In spite of her own ailments Linda faithfully week after week brought food and clothes to these souls and she spent her time talking and praying with them. Many times we would be working when Al would walk through the door crying broken and completely overtaken by his addiction.  He didn’t come looking for money he would weep and say Josh, pray for me.

At least 13 years have passed and we were able to get word about Al’s life. He is sober and walking with JESUS. When we heard the news we both cried, saying life matters to GOD. His mercy and loving-kindness extends to all who will embrace it.  Of all the homeless that where brought to our church Al is the only one living.

Praise the Lord for Linda she is one of those anonymous servants that no one will ever know of all the beautiful works she has done for her Lord. I can’t wait for eternity to see the rewards she will receive when she sees the Master face to face. I pray to be in the sidelines gazing upon that great day rejoicing with all the souls that entered the kingdom of heaven because of her faithfulness. 

Life matters to God and like Him we need to be patient  sowing seed into every Al we encounter because as wise King Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 3:11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God's work from beginning to end.

TO THE CHURCH AT MARANATHA, FRANKLIN TN

Have you ever read a book where it wasn’t until the fourth or fifth chapter that the story really began? It's the portion of the book that starts to grip you and you don’t want to put it down. There is such beauty contained within the chapter that you read it several times over to assure your heart, mind and every fiber of your being has grasped the gems within its pages. 

Our church Maranatha has taken the endeavor to understand the book of Revelation from a multifaceted perspective. We have learned world history and how it is interwoven with this end time message. We have learned the Greek meaning to significant words in order to understand the context in which Jesus was speaking to the churches. The journey has been nothing but spectacular.

As we reached Revelation chapters 4 and 5 it’s as if the LORD has spoken to us and said “Come up here”, the throne room reality suddenly is becoming our reality. We as a fellowship just like John  have fallen at His feet as dead.  There is this overwhelming sense for many of us as we gaze into the Throne room that nothing else matters, that our desires, our hurts, our impossibilities melt like wax at the Fathers greatness. There is no earthly language that can express the grandeur of our Heavenly Father and what He has done in and through His Son Jesus Christ.  I know of several who have come to me and said my mind cannot comprehend it all; but all I can do is weep. What is happening? I would say the Throne room has caused us to stop and examine ourselves and our response is that of Job:

I have heard of YOU by the hearing ear, but now my eyes see YOU.  Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust and ashes. Job 42:6

The beauty of repentance knitted with pray is now telling the story of what God has done and will do with us at Maranatha. Yes, HE is calling us back to our first love. There is no other response than to join the living creatures, the 24 elders and sing the new song saying:

You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God
persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kings and priests to serve our God,and they will reign on the earth. Rev 5:9-10

Thank you Maranatha Fellowship for your endurance and love for the WORD of the LORD.

In Him,
Jeannette 

DRAWING A LINE IN THE SAND

Nested in the history of Israel we find the story of King Ahab and his wife Jezebel. They were an abominable duo who did more to defile the land than any leaders before them.(1 Kings16:33). Their ungodly reign caused the faithful of God to be burdened with the consequences of their idolatry. Jezebel had the prophets of the Lord killed and was desperately seeking to kill the prophet Elijah. (1 King 18:13). Clearly, Ahab and Jezebel were no friends of God or of His people.

Such was the prosecution of the prophets that King Ahab had men hunt nations and kingdoms in search for Elijah to end his life.  The Bible recounts of a day when the Lord spoke to Elijah telling him to present himself to King Ahab. How would you like that calling? Here he had been protected of the Lord and know he is being asked to meet Ahab face to face. (1 Kings 18)

Can you picture this great confrontation? The arrogant wicked King sees Elijah and has the audacity to say  “O troubler of Israel”. Elijah responds with the boldness of a lion proclaiming Ahab is the trouble- maker because he has forsaken the Word of the Lord and followed the baals.  Elijah tells Ahab, gather the people of Israel and the prophets of baal and asherah to Mount Carmel.

 Elijah stands before the people and in a proverbial sense DRAWS A LINE IN THE SAND saying:

 “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him” (1st Kings 18:21).

 Now God’s people had not completely stopped following Him.  History tells us they tried to follow God and the false gods of the day. Elijah’s words were clear, concise and left no room for interpretation.

The Bible says that after Elijah spoke the people of God answered him not a word. 

Elijah than challenges the false prophets saying let’s make sacrifice, you call on your gods and I will call on the name of the Lord. The one who answers by fire HE IS GOD!

Baal didn’t answer then Elijah prepares the sacrifice and prays this powerful and amazing prayer:

"O LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, O LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, O LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again."(1 Kings 18:36-37)

As Elijah finishes his prayer the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the sacrifice down to the wood, stones and the dust.  The people of God saw this and fell on their faces saying:

“The LORD, He is God! The Lord He is God!

In an instant they went from faltering between two opinions to proclaiming HE IS GOD, THE LORD HE IS GOD.

 GOD’S drawing a line in the sand is not about hate, intolerance, inequity, injustice, unfairness and single mindedness. It’s about LOVE, HIS LOVE for HIS people, plan and purposes. 

In His mercy, loving-kindness He revealed Himself in power so that Israel’s heart would turn to Him.

Have the voices of today brought you to falter? Has the accuser of the brethren caused you to doubt? Do you have little strength left?

The Lord is calling‑ rebuild the altar of your broken heart and tell the world:

              HE IS GOD, THE LORD HE IS GOD…

DOES GOD HAVE AN IDENTITY CRISIS?

Just this week I read an interview of a famous performer’s reflections about God and Jesus Christ. As I read the article as beautiful as it sounded full of compassion, love and mercy the words on the page reflected a  dichotomy more than a representation of the biblical ONE TRUE GOD. 

Here is an excerpt of the performers opinion on God and Jesus:

“I accept the Old Testament as more of an action movie: blood, car chases, evacuations, a lot of special effects, seas dividing, mass murder, adultery. The children of God are running amok, wayward. Maybe that’s why they’re so relatable. But the way we would see it, those of us who are trying to figure out our Christian conundrum, is that the God of the Old Testament is like the journey from stern father to friend. When you’re a child, you need clear directions and some strict rules. But with Christ, we have access in a one-to-one relationship, for, as in the Old Testament, it was more one of worship and awe, a vertical relationship. The New Testament, on the other hand, we look across at a Jesus who looks familiar, horizontal. The combination is what makes the Cross. – “

“The God of the Old Testament”, that statement always seems to bother me. The first time I heard it I was sitting in the front row at church when the Pastor suddenly declared, “ Aren’t you glad don’t serve that mean God  of the old testament”.  To my surprise this type of thinking is extremely prominent in western Christianity.

Does God truly have an identity crisis?

The reality is the Bible does not support this type of distinction. Throughout scripture we can see the different characteristics of God at different times and circumstances but scripture clearly tells us HE IS THE SAME, YESTERDAY, TODAY AND FOREVR! (Hebrews 13:8)

The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Colossians says, “For in Christ all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form”.   This scripture has to be one of the most important points in all of Christianity declaring all the full measure of God has made residence in Jesus.  It’s not that Jesus is simply a human being that looks familiar to us. He was and is the bodily form taken by God Himself, HE IS GOD IN ALL HIS FULLNESS. 

When we use language that makes a distinction between the old testament God and the new testament Jesus, we minimize Jesus and disregard the Father.  I encourage you to go back and search the scriptures entirely, from Genesis to Revelation. You may be surprised to find some of the greatest examples of grace and mercy. (Joseph, the Exodus, Ruth, Jonah, David and many more)

He is the immutable God, meaning He is forever constant. He is and has always been good, loving, holy, righteous, perfect, merciful,slow to anger, abounding in love, faithful and forgiving…

EVOLVING WORDS**TRUE WORDS**THE BIBLICAL JESUS

The fact that the Word came in the flesh to teach me what true life looks like is beyond fascinating. The longer I walk with Jesus and study His Word I come to understand what it means to consciously turn to the Light.  It’s an invitation to participate in the fellowship of the Triune God.

The Biblical Jesus never changes and we cannot undo that regardless of what society tells us.  I have personally come to despise the word evolve, why? At every turn I make I continue to hear the voices of many in today’s society saying, Jeannette you need to adapt and evolve in your thinking.  My response to this is. NO! I have to trust the Bible because it’s the only manuscript that points me to the true identity of Jesus and only in Him there is true life.

My heart grieves when I see and hear that brothers and sisters in Christ run to other philosophies to find peace and help when from the beginning of creation Jesus was fully realized and came to teach us how to live. 

A quick glance at the news tells us our world has changed in the blink of an eye.  It’s as if there is a great awakening of those who call good evil and evil good. The king’s of political correctness are changing the English language in order to mask the sting and implication of what words really mean.  This metamorphosis of language is intentional in order to obscure the truth and it has seeped into every area of society.

 Don’t be fooled from the beginning of time Satan has been on a quest to distort the truth with the goal of dehumanizing God’s creation.  Let’s go back to Genesis and see how the word war started:

Genesis 2: 16-17 (God speaking to Adam and Eve)

And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”        

Genesis 3: 3: 1-6 (The serpent to the women)

The serpent was more  clever than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. The serpent said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat the fruit of any tree that is in the garden’?” The woman said to the serpent, “We can eat the fruit of the trees that are in the garden. But God did say, ‘You must not eat the fruit of the tree that is in the middle of the garden. Do not even touch it. If you do, you will die.’”

⁴ “You can be sure that you won’t die,” the serpent said to the woman. “God knows that when you eat the fruit of that tree, you will know things you have never known before. You will be able to tell the difference between good and evil. You will be like God.”

From the beginning deception came in by the distortion of the God’s Word.  Had Eve heeded to God’s Word of instruction our lives would be quite different.

Man can attempt to change truth but the reality is IN the Beginning WAS the WORD and it will END with the WORD and the WORD will endure forever. 

The Kingdom; True Freedom and Equality

 

Years ago I was at women’s meeting and the older women were talking about the decline of morality in our society.  As a young women in my early twenties I did not realize the urgency and importance of the conversation.  As I heard them talking about the end of the age being upon us I was literally thinking some of the comments were hyperbole and completely outlandish.  More than two decades have passed since I sat in the midst of those godly women and have come to realize that even their worse hyperbole can’t come close to the decline we are currently seeing today.

Only two in a half decades have past since that conversation and there has been a complete redefinition of truth, morality, how humans communicate, connect, entertain, educate and the list goes on and on. But the greatest concern I see is the church conforming to this redefinition and encouraging disciples to evolve since society is evolving. It’s a terrible day when alleged theologians, pastors and teachers are taking the Word of God and redefining it’s meaning in the name of love.

The message of the Kingdom of God is far more powerful and liberating than the co-exist rant our modern evolving society so easily embraces.  There is a depth to the absolute truth of the message of gospel that resonates in the spirit of man. What society has done is dilute the truth with its man made philosophies tearing down its original purpose which is to bring freedom to humanity.

The truth is the Kingdom message is one of true equality. The book of Galatians tells us there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. The Lord has no favorites however he does not rule His Kingdom like a democracy nor does He accept everyone’s opinions about anything and everything.  The message of the Kingdom does mean there are no ethnic, geographical, cultural or moral barriers for those who have repented by turning away from that which God calls sin. Only then is true forgiveness extended and a NEW LIFE IN HIM begins. When we are His and live according to the reality of the Kingdom we become a regenerated man, by the Spirit! How’s that for equality and acceptance!!!!! Now that is how God’s love wins!

To all contemporary thinkers, theologians, pastors and seekers who boldly declare freedom is found in the message that no longer stands on the infallible Word of God I would like to echo the words of George Orwell.

         “The more I hear people screaming freedom, freedom, the more I hear their chains rattling.”