4/19/17

Why Christians Will Live and Die For Christ


Resurrection day is now several days behind us. I have considered what it must have been like for those who saw the empty tomb and the resurrected Christ. The emotional roller coaster would exceed anything in history. For 40 days about 500 people encountered the resurrected Jesus establishing marking the most earthshaking turning point on earth. Over the centuries naysayers devised conspiracy theories about the empty tomb, yet not a single objective witness ever came forth to say ‘I have found the body’ or ‘I saw the disciples take it away’ or ‘I know where they took him.

Of the eleven disciples, Thomas was the most doubting of the resurrection because he had not yet personally seen the resurrected Jesus. Then Jesus approached him and Thomas put his hands into the nail holes of Jesus body and said ‘My Lord and my God!’

The strongest, most compelling evidence of the resurrection is the fact that the followers of Jesus, especially the twelve apostles, would live and die declaring that ‘He lives!!’ Against all odds and opposition, they laid their lives on the line to declare Jesus’ resurrection and ascension. They refused in the face of abuse, persecution, torture and martyrdom to recant the resurrection and the God-nature of Jesus. They scattered across the known and unknown world to spread the gospel of His Kingdom. They lost contact with each other as they were separated by geography and captivity. Yet all 12, except for John, died via torture and a grizzly death because they refused the recant the resurrection. Their personal testimony overcame every conspiracy theory and speculation.

The historian Eusebius ( about AD 314-318) said it well in a speech regarding the ludicrous idea that Jesus followers would devise a lie and die with the lie: ‘Let us band together to invent miracles and resurrection appearances which we never saw and let us carry the sham even to death! Why not die for nothing?—Why dislike torture and whipping inflicted for no good reason? Let us go out to all nations and overthrow their institutions and denounce their gods! And even if we don’t convince anybody, at least we’ll have the satisfaction of drawing down on ourselves the punishment for our own deceit.'

Men will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not die for what they know is a lie. Former US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia said regarding the absurdity of denying the resurrection; ‘The wise do not believe in the resurrection of the dead. It is really quite absurd. So everything from the Easter morning to the ascension had to be made up by the groveling enthusiasts as part of their plan to get themselves martyred’.

While some conspiracy theories continue to be bantered around today, there is only one conspiracy that stands test of time.  Yes, there was a conspiracy, a conspiracy between Father, Son and Holy Spirit. They conspired to bring the will of heaven to earth by way of giving the Son, so that all who believe may live and never die.

Like this post from Harvey?  Check out this one on atheism.

4/7/17

The Warrior Class


Ephesians 6:17(NIV) "Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God."
In the Body of Christ, the church, I see believers that are potential overcomers, potential prophets, and potential victors against the unseen enemy of their soul.  But many deny the enemy, ignore the battle, or refuse to fight. Some simply believe that ‘the battle is the Lords’. Yes, the battle is the Lord’s, and He established victory through the cross and resurrection. But He delegated authority and warrior status to the church to appropriate the victory He has won. The satanic/demonic realm is very real and active. The victory Jesus accomplished over them is very real and available to you and me. Individuals and churches must not passively submit to the enemy thinking they have no active, assertive role in enforcing what Jesus has done on our behalf.

The reality of our spiritual life is that we live in a combat zone where satanic entities are like street fighters determined to win by any means. Some believers have very restricted rules of engagement; they refuse to fight until life gets so bad they have neither the energy nor the knowledge to fight. They know Ephesians 6:17, Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. They memorized it. They ‘put on the armor’ every day including the sword safely sheathed in its scabbard, but they seldom draw it. They have theoretical authority, but do not assert authority. They believe that since Jesus won the war they can ignore, deny, or pacify.  In so doing they render the power of the cross to the realm of the dormant, rather than the dominant. The sword of the Word stays in the scabbard, passively sheathed to avoid harming anyone, including the enemy.

That’s the bad news. Now the good news. I see today a warrior class arising within the church; a remnant reminiscent of Gideon’s 300, David’s 400, and the 120 in the upper room. This warrior class not only wears the armor and the sword but engages and defeats the enemy with it. Their rules of engagement are to win. To enforce what Jesus provided. They know the enemy is a street fighter, a jealous jihadist who fights for personal and geographic territory. They know that the Sword of the Spirit must be drawn and become a swift sword in battle. They know there is no Geneva Convention in this conflict. The sword is meant to be thrust into the heart of the enemy through any means necessary. The scriptural references to ‘sword’ indicate offensive use, rather than passive.  In Revelation 19:15 John saw Jesus on a white horse and Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.  Warriors know they have peace with their Heavenly Father, but there is no peace treaty with the enemy of their soul. This rising warrior class is the enforcer of divine dominion. They wield the Sword of the Spirit by declaring our victory over the enemy, demonstrating acts and actions forcing him to retreat and flee, and willfully establishing dominion over Kingdom territory AND EXPANDING Kingdom territory!

The warrior class moves the church from dormant to dominant. Enlist in the warrior class today!!