Lost In The Wilderness

I initially started typing this near the end of 2011 when I was going my dark spell (in fact, part of ties directly into the epilogue of my novel Deaf, Dumb, Blind & Stupid). Of course, I had to stop working on this blog to deal with my issues and complete the novel. But now it’s time for me to pick this back up. Everything that’s in red is what I typed at the end of 2011 and 99% of it is kept in its original form.

The children of Israel in Numbers 13 & 14 were a perfect example of what it means to be lost in the wilderness. Instead of relying on God that they could take this land, they chose to have a pity party. In fact, they thought they could live on top of the world by going back to Egypt, so they said amongst themselves to choose a leader and then go back to Egypt. Joshua & Caleb were the only 2 out of the 12 spies that said that the children of Israel could take the land. And what do stubborn/selfish people do, they do what’s right in their own eyes (and they said to stone Joshua & Caleb with stones). As a result, God forced them to suffer in the wilderness for 40 years. But there was one problem; Joshua & Caleb were to also suffer because they were part of a team.

Now let’s define what wilderness means: it means barren area, or it could mean an uncomfortable situation (that makes somebody feel confused, overwhelmed or desolate). So, the children of Israel were to remain lost in the wilderness for 40 years and they would die. Now, let’s fast forward to today. Many people are lost in their personal wilderness and if we don’t minister to their needs, they could die there (but there could be blood on our hands if it was in our power to pull them out).

Our lack of sympathy for those who are hurting is going to cause a lot of casualties. I believe in the future that many will sacrifice their lives to save a soul and some will die in misery to their own selfishness. We need to stop focusing on health and finances for self-glorification and start caring for others. I’m sure if an issue attacked your home, you’d call your cousin and your family for prayer. This selfish spirit needs to go! In Acts, healings and miracles occurred when the church was on one accord. We need a shakedown! It’s sad that we can’t agree on what’s right and what’s wrong (example: is abortion a sin or not). Can two walk together except they be agreed? And we’re allowing the devil to create this division.

To say that the body of Christ is perfect, is called being blind to reality. We are sinful people and we’ll never be perfect. It’s our job to ensure that we push each other to holiness for the glory of God. To pick on people who nit-pick the problems within the church (especially if it’s legitimate – such as pastors sleeping with little boys), is defending sin. We can’t afford to be lost in the wilderness like the children of Israel.

2 Cor. 4:3-4 in summary says if the gospel is hid to those who are lost for the god of this world has blinded the minds of those who believe. I could plant a seed, but when 99% is swarmed in darkness, it's going to require more than a seed plant - the seed has to be watered with prayer and possibly fasting. These are tools that the Christian has, but are failing to utilize unless it's for our own loved one or for someone in their closed circle (that's fine, but what about expanding it as well). What about the lost people, we need to pray for them. Translation: we need to get out of the - what's in it for me prayer!
Part of the reason why we as a church get an F minus is because of selfishness and lack of togetherness. I pray this for me, me, me and this is why we're losing its effectiveness in the world. People don't need to remain lost in the wilderness to end up going to the lake of fire with the help of the church.

If the church can’t come together on one accord, what chance does the world have? If the leaders within a church can’t come together on one accord, what chance does the sheep have? If we don’t change and care about the things that matter to God; people are going to die with the help of the church. As a result, there will be a lot of blood on our hands. Maybe I should become selfish and focus on the needs of my family. We have forgotten within the book of Acts, healing and miracles occurred when people were on one accord, and one mind. I would like to believe that the apostles dropped everything to ensure they were on one accord. In other words, their lives were not their own. It was all about serving and not to be served. Christ came to serve and not be served. It’s a tragedy to even think that we can’t even do that. Our lives are for the glory of God and He doesn’t want anyone to perish. We can quote John 3:16 back and forth, and we should have a burning passion within us to not see anyone perish.

Someone needs to stand up and say “enough is enough. I can’t continue to leave in the ‘it’s all about me’ mentality.” Think about this: when we have a crisis in our lives or within our circle, we’ll stop what we’re doing and ask everyone we know for prayer. It’s a grave concern when we don’t think about someone we may not know who needs to experience the love of Christ. We don’t want to take the time to understand what’s going on in their lives. We’ll just shake our head and say “I’m sorry, I’ll pray for you.” We need to seek God and intercede for people in need of love, healing, etc. In order for us to make a major impact in the world, we can’t afford to stay in our comfort ones. Yes, we can encourage each other, but what about the lost sheep. I hope we don’t get so caught up on the 99 sheep that are found that the lost sheep stays lost and ends up lost forever. What’s the point of staying a Christian if we’re staying in our own bubble?

This is why the world doesn’t want to come to church. Why come to church and be divided when I can stay home and be divided?

In summary: the wilderness is not a fun place to be. Looking back between May 2011 and February 2012, I was in my personal wilderness and I’ll be the first to tell that it is not a fun place to be. I do thank those who stayed with me through it, and now that I’m out, I’m obligated to help somebody else out of their wilderness.

Blessings:

The Mayne Man

The AMCC (Part 3: The Ostrich Syndrome)

I sat on this blogpost since the end of 2012. We had a guest preacher come to our church, and I was so glad that I was sitting in the back of the church. He delivered a message that left me no choice but to stand (and snoopy dance in a pre-dominant Caucasian church that’s about as quiet as a Presbyterian church) because it moved me to the core. Note I was near the exit in the back so no one could really see me (smile). Another brother (Caucasian) was also on his feet and we were both surprised that the church wasn’t moved to the core. In fact, 95% of the church felt as if he was either speaking Greek or he offended them because they were comfortable in their little seat in the church. Now mind you, my church (with both services combined) is about 1000 people. So, what was the sermon about? Getting off of your behind and fulfilling the Great Commission. To see the 95% respond as if they were appalled just showed me that some people (and not just in my church, but probably other churches in the world) are living in the ostrich syndrome. A person living with this syndrome doesn’t want to face reality, hear the truth, and hopes everything goes away by sticking his head in the sand. Many people who name the name of Christ are doing the same thing. The mentality of the ostrich syndrome in the AMCC is this: As long as it doesn’t bother me and my family (to include those in our Christian circle), I’ll stick my head in the sand. Tragically, it’s prevalent in the AMCC – I beg you, if you’re trapped either in this syndrome or in the church, please escape.

A little bit more information about the ostrich syndrome in the AMCC. Peter tells us the Jews to live among the Gentiles, but those in the ostrich syndrome are focused on separating from the world in totality. Of course, this is contrary to the “in the world, but not of it” mentality. It’s interesting that when we came out of the world, we were ecstatic. Now when we see others stuck in the world, we stick our heads in the sand and try to avoid them. That’s not fair to them (and we then sit and wonder why they won’t come to church).

OK, this was the gist of the lesson (and you will see when this is over, why this would offend someone in the AMCC) – focus scripture is 1 Samuel 14:1-23:

1. No political party will is going to ever bring reconciliation to Southeast Asia or this nation, it’s only Jesus.
2. God calls us to not be comfortable but to be courageous!
3. Tutoring for kids where schools have to clean dung off of cafeteria tables so the kids could have a free breakfast. Again, not a political issue, but a church issue.
4. We must die to self so that Christ can be glorified.
5. The church needs to step up and defend the poor and needy!
6. The church has been chillin’ too much! What do we do, be comfortable.
7. We base church success on buns (how many buns are in the seats), buildings (how big is the building) and budgets (how big is the budget).
8. The world doesn’t see who Christ really is because the church is so isolated and insulated.
9. God is calling us to get out of our comfort place
10. In the American church, we say if we don’t have it in the budget, we don’t do it.
11. Without faith, it’s impossible to please God (it doesn’t say “without it being in the budget”)
12. In the church, we live with the mindset that we have to have everything mapped out and there’s no room for God to work (thinking perhaps the Lord will be with us)!
13. If you just work out of compassion, you’re going to die! If you work out of a calling, God will fill you up and take care of you!
14. Too often in the church, we’re looking for the Red Sea experience when God is saying, “Would you just do something? Would you just put your foot in? Would you know that I am with you? Be bold and be strong and be courageous for I am with you wherever you go!”
15. The church sits back while the world goes to hell! We sit back while our neighbor is battling through everything when we’re more worried about the leaves that blow in our yard than their salvation!
16. If you’re chillin’ in your house, at your job, in your church, at your school, God cannot and will not use you! Stop waiting for God to give you a “Yes.” He’s told us to go and spread His kingdom, make disciples! We don’t have to wait for a YES!
17. Summary: we must go when we don’t have the dough; we must go when we don’t know and we must go until God says no!

What Breaks The Heart of God (Part 3: The Partial Commission)

This post is dear to my heart because I know so many people want to know the Lord Jesus Christ, but they have scales over their eyes. These people are like Saul and are searching for an Ananias like us to lay hands over them and share the gospel. Here’s what’s interesting, they’re in our state, our city and in our backyard.

Now, I don’t want to bash any mission ministry in churches. I applaud missions, and I have a heart for missions. I think the focus of missions has been misguided in some churches today (where we’re fulfilling the Partial Commission and not the Great Commission). What am I talking about? Either one of two things are the focal points when missions are talked about:

1. Talk to your next door neighbor to bring them to church
2. We’re going to share the gospel of Jesus, but it’s going to be in different countries

Jesus (when speaking to His disciples) said in Matthew 28:19-20: Go, then to all peoples EVERYWHERE and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.

To me, everywhere includes going to people in your backyard as well as different cities, states, regions, and countries! I remember when I was a young Christian; some of us men went door to door in the city we lived in. It wasn’t to ask them to come to church; the focus was sharing the gospel, and also asking them if we could pray for them for whatever they needed. You don’t hear much about that anymore.

What created this blog was a sermon a heard a few weeks ago about this, and I thought about a conversation I had with a very good friend of mine. My friend was sharing about how churches in the area where she lives think. She said that the churches have a fire for God and sharing the gospel of Christ, but it’s in other countries. What breaks my friend’s heart (and it broke mine when she told me) is that there is a huge mission field in her area (in fact, more than 55% deny the deity of Christ and are worshiping a dead prophet). It’s been said that the churches in that region burn out in their mission work to those who deny the deity of Christ in that area; however, I have to pose a question that must be answered by us Bible-believing Christians: are we sharing the gospel on our own strength? If we are sold out for Christ and we are constantly in prayer, constantly fasting, constantly interceding for anyone who is outside the body of Christ, there’s no limit to what God can do if we would simply be obedient to the Great Commission.

So, if we have a heart for lost people, share the love of Christ to someone around you. As we continue to hang with our typical group of people enjoying our salvation and point fingers at those who are lost, dying and on their way to hell, we’re seriously breaking the heart of God when He loves those who are lost and wants them to know Him for who He really is.

Getting Down To Kingdom Business

I’m learning as I get older that a real friend is one who will take time out of their busy schedule to pray for you and your concerns (especially if it's Kingdom business and concerns the heart of God - which is a person's eternal soul). If you believe that He's not willing that any should perish, then we should have the same fervor and pray for these lost souls. There's a harvest out there, get from the walls of your church, your "they're cutting into MY blessing," and reach out to them.

It's a tragedy when we don't go out to the world and help somebody else. We ridicule abused victims, those who aren't living large like the leaders. It's all about "self gratification and how many numbers we can get into a church." We forsake their soul in the process. You can call me a cynic, but it's the truth whether you want to admit it or not. Where's the evangelism? I'm willing to believe a friend of mine when he says this: pastors are so introverted into their own church that they never reached out and refused to even try. There is no unity in reaching out to lost souls. How can a pastor walk out of a church when we bring up the idea of reaching out to souls who are hurting, abused, dying and lost? What kind of an example is this? We have the power of God in us; it's time for us to stop keeping it to ourselves. We all need help and encouragement. No one person is immune from attacks, and I don't care how spiritual you are. (I know, it looks like I'm doing my blog now). Anyway, we need leaders who are on fire for the Lord, focused on His will and not trying to hoard talents for the church, sapping resources for that church. We are to share it with everyone. There should be NO lack in the church. Again, the harvest is plentiful. I say no more. If I have to go it alone, then I will. But we're going to have a lot of blood on our hands if we don't change. This spirit of, egocentrism, holier than thou, ignorance, and competition for self-aggrandizement needs to go. We can say we love God, but turn around and say "forget those who need prayer, I'm better than them anyway." This ignorance is sending people to hell first class! One reason (and there are plenty more) why the church isn’t being effective is because we’re too busying quarreling over who the next president is going be versus seeking and saving the lost. Another reason is we’re arguing over petty things. Example: One is considered “anti” if you argue with someone or disagree in the slightest when it comes to church. Think about this: if you are professing to be a church for Christ, why is talking about Jesus in your church so taboo? Why is a man (living or dead) exalted higher than Jesus in your church?

I believe with all of my heart that someone needs a divine revelation of the reality of heaven is AND a divine revelation of the reality of hell is. The world needs us to perform if we are calling ourselves Christians. Someone is coveting our prayers. If you want to be richly blessed, bless someone else.