Saved or Safe?

How would you, the church, describe your “Redeemed Life” in Christ? Are you living a Saved life or a Safe life? In not so many words, this very question was presented during a Bible Study. So I pose it again here.

What does it mean to be the church? Has Salvation become a status, a position, or even a condition that we have become self-satisfied and content in -- SAFE?

There is nothing that indicates that the church should be inactive and complacent, but have we become just that?

Christ’s example to us was in His coming from heaven to earth (from the church to the streets) to pull us up and out of the mock and mire of this world. To clean us up and set our feet on solid ground.

Picture Christ in a deep gorge of filth, grime, dirt - - sin! He is there chest deep in the mess reaching down to pull us out, calling our names, rescuing us from what seems to us a hopeless situation. Although he is chest deep, there is no sin in Him. He is not infected by the sin of this world.

When we are touched by Christ and repent from our sins and receive His forgiveness, He SAVES us…in other words he inoculates us. We are then called to go out and to get into the mock and mire with Him to pull out our brothers and sisters. We need to rid ourselves from the fear of becoming infected, congregating among those who look like and act like we do…living SAFE. We have received the vaccine, and we have been healed and covered with the perfect Blood of Jesus!

So be encouraged, you have been vaccinated and you will not become infected again. Stop living the SAFE life. Christ says “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.” Turn back and lend a hand to someone in need and in order to extend your hand, we must be where we can reach them. We can’t reach them in the safety of our church buildings when they are in the streets and back-alley ways. We must go where they are. Christ left His place of worship to come to us…

The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he would send forth laborers into his harvest.

Todays "stone" - Witnessing, The First Thing...

For those in your family….
John 1:40-42 says that “one of the two who heard…followed Jesus. The first thing he did was to find his brother and tell him. We have found the Messiah (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus.” Birthdays, Valentine’s Day, Anniversaries, and Christmas are some of the occasions along with many others that we search for the perfect gift to give those that are close to us. There is no greater gift than the gift of Salvation. Jesus told the disciples that “you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). In other words, witness where you currently are (home) then spread out to the neighborhood, then to the city, then to the county, then to the state, then to the outer regions of all of the earth. Are we witnessing in our homes and in our families? Are we witnessing to our neighbors or neighborhood? If not, why not? What hinders us? Is it that we feel that we would lose our relationship with loved ones; perhaps our neighbors would label us fanatics. The truth is that if we are afraid to lose someone we need to realize that if we withhold the gift of Salvation, they are already lost.

Pay close attention to the photo. Although we have a lot of things in common (age, looks, background, etc) there was one very important difference...one is alive and is living an abundant life in Christ, the other was not. Can you tell which one?

On the outside, we all look OK, but on the inside we can be dead. We have to ask the question to those we encounter "Do you know Jesus the Christ for yourself?”, and if not, to introduce them to Jesus as Lord and Savior.

Though it's not scripture, it is scripture…

Recently I moved in with my 92-year-old grandfather to assist with his caretaking. To be honest, I struggled at first with the thought of doing it, as would anyone would do having to move from the comforts of our own home and become the caretaker of another person. Though he is 92 and his body is deteriorating with every moment, his mind is still as sharp as it was when he was younger. Growing up I don't recall him ever him being a spiritual influence in my life; I'm sure he was but I just didn't recognize it at the time. He was always the one teaching me how to be a man, teaching me how to fix things and, most importantly, because of his life experiences he always had a better and/or easier way of doing things that he was willing to share with me. But recently I noticed something that he says to me every morning when I leave the house and though it's not scripture, it is scripture! Let me explain. He says three things: "God bless you Rod, I love you Rod, and have a good day!" Though it's not scripture, it is scripture. This has made me realize that at some point during his journey he learned Matthew 22:37-39 "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Though he doesn't recite exactly what the scripture says, what's in his heart to say to me as I'm leaving for work is what the scripture is telling us to do.

Jesus commands us to love God with our heart, mind, and soul. The Message Bible says, with "all our passion and prayer and intelligence," and then He commands that we love others as our self. I believe with all my heart that this is what my grandfather is saying to me. I'm not so sure that he would be able to tell me where this verse is in the Bible, but somewhere in his journey it has been placed in his heart. And now when he says a simple goodbye in the morning it has become a part of him. This is something to think about, the very scripture that we read and learn about is becoming the life we live and the talk we talk about.

Inspired at a Basketball Game

John 8:56 – Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.

The other evening I attended a basketball game for the son of a friend of mine. She began telling me how she was blessed with the sermon that she had heard on the previous Sunday on faith. The Scripture lesson was from Genesis 22 “God tests Abraham”.

So, as she talked, I listened. Then I shared with her the portion of this passage that spoke to me about faith, that although Abraham was told to take his son and offer him as a burnt offering unto the Lord, Abraham instructed his servants “Abide you here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.” (Gen. 22:5)

We are told in this story that Abraham and Isaac gathered what they needed and they went both of them together. The altar is constructed and Isaac is bound and placed on the altar. Abraham then takes his knife and stretches forth his hand to slay his son. The angel of the Lord called out of heaven and said “Abraham lay not your hand upon the lad, neither do any thing to him for now I know that you fear God, seeing that you did not withhold your son, your only son from me. Abraham lifted his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering instead of his son.”

Here it is: Although the conversation surrounded the passages in Genesis 22, I was led to John 8:56, which now has new meaning to me.

Abraham was released from having to sacrifice his son, he indeed rejoiced when he looked in the thicket and saw the ram – a shadow of what was to come…the Lamb of God. It began with faith which led to worship, and that with worship, there is release and with release there is rejoicing!

Worship Him, no matter the situation….after Abraham worshipped and he and Isaac began to walk up one side of the mountain, the blessing was already on its way up the other side of the mountain.

He did it for Abraham and He’ll do it for you.

Today's Stone "Do not deprive one another"

For those who are married....
1 Cor 7:3-5 Illustrates to us how we are to love our spouses. Wow, what a revelation! Your body is not your own, and her body is not her own. You belong to each other. The picture says it all...when you truly treat each other as God commands there is Peace. I've heard it somewhere before--where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty (Peace). Outside of the Father there is no one in the entire world that can bring you this kind of peace--No ONE!. God ordained marriage and blessed it and He wants you to honor and enjoy the spouse He's given you. Be blessed.

Today's Stone "A fathers love"

Romans 8:33 "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth."
Study the picture....see the child "covered" in her father's love. She is IN her fathers love. She is in his protection. She is near his heart. Notice how there is no other entry point to the covering of this child. This is how God loves us. Paul said that he is convinced that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus. God is Truth, God is Love, God is Immutable--that means he doesn't change. That means He still loves us as though we are curled up in His arms. God loves His children unconditionally! Don't place conditions on His love. You've been tattooed--so what; you've pierced your body--so what; you've made bad decisions--He still love you; you're trapped in addiction--He wants to free you; you don't go to church--He misses you; you don't read your bible--He wants to speak to you; you left Him--He's calling you. Crawl back into His arms, lay your head upon His chest, allow Him to cover you once again. This IS The Fathers Love--there is none greater. Be blessed.....

Just my thoughts...

Blessings will come!

Ken White

Today's Stone "My Witness"

Most of us (whether we admit it or not) are often held prisoner of how others perceive us socially, professionally, religiously, and spiritually. By Divine Design, we're driven to want to be accepted, wanted, and appreciated (that's why satan's main goal is to alienate/isolate us, make us feel rejected/unwanted and he tries to de-value or make us feel unappreciated). God intentionally designed us this way, we need each other, we need community, ("it's not good for man to be alone--all one"). So much so we begin to "act" the part. This is often played out in:

• our social gatherings where we tend to morph into someone or something we're not
• it could happen on our jobs where we perpetrate a persona of "importance" (I'm the only one who can do my job...)
• we see it happen in the church "as Methodists we/I can't--won't..., as Baptist we/I can't--won't..., as Pentecostals we/I can't--won't...)
• and finally spiritually, I/we must be seen as separate, distinct, called, tuned in, tapped in....it goes on and on.

In all of this the question is, What/Who are we witnessing (or in today's term "modeling") for? Ourselves; our families; our traditional beliefs; our Pastor; our church; our denominational affiliation? Jesus said you will be "MY" witness. Any other witness is counter to what He demands of us. That's why we feel condemnation when we try to witness to anything/anyone other than Him. We place judgment on ourselves and others. When we get to the understanding that He accepts us (and He does) we experience His forgiveness and Love, His acceptance and approval, His strength and power. Our witness is false when it involves us trying "to be" what "we want" others to perceive us to be, but when we witness for Him He will testify on our behalf that our witness is true by working signs and wonders through us. If our witness is false we will bare no fruit for we have no part in Him. Jesus is Faithful and True. It is He that we are called to be witnesses for and it is He that witnesses for us to the Father (see Luke 9:26) In the reference scripture below, Jesus teaches us that even He doesn't bare witness of Himself but there is another that does and that witness is True.

Scripture reference: "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true." John 5:31

Thought to ponder: "If I bear witness of my-self"...my-self acceptance; my-self approval; my-self righteousness; my-denomination; my-religion; my-traditions..., my witness is NOT TRUE.

Be blessed....

Today's "stone" - John 3:1-5

Nicodemus (a leader, an authority) among the Jews says to Jesus "we know that thou are a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him". Jesus responds: "...Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God". Nicodemus then asks the most important question we can ask "how can we be born again? How can we re-enter our mothers womb? Then Jesus continues by saying "...Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God..." So here's the question:

1. You who are a born again believer, have you seen the kingdom of God? How and in what ways?
2. What does being born of water and of the Spirit mean? Water baptism? Explain.

Looking forward to reading your input/thoughts. This blog site is not meant to ponder only those things that hinder our belief or cause us to miss our blessings because of unbelief but can and should be used as an open forum to talk about Him!