Presence – Page 4 – Cross Culture Church

Mediation: January 18

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“For thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘Once more (it is a little while) I will shake heaven and earth, the sea and dry land; and I will shake all nations, and they shall come to the Desire of All Nations, and I will fill this temple with glory,’ says the Lord of hosts.” Haggai 2:6-7

The people of God were discouraged because God’s Presence appeared to be withdrawn from among them. Their Temple had been destroyed for over seventy years and the workers who would rebuild it had become weakened and wearied. There are times when it may appear as if God is silent and all hope is lost; then God gives us a prophetic word that He will be restored all who put their trust in Him while all things that others relied upon will be shaken. There will be signs in heaven and signs upon the earth. Strange phenomena will happen so that the nations of the earth will be forced to look beyond themselves for help. Then there will be people of all walks of life that will look in our direction because our eyes will be constantly focused upon Him. Only the Church of the Living God, where the message of Jesus Christ is heard, will provide a sanctuary for the bewildered souls who opted to trust in other things rather than in God. Nations or people-groups will be shaken so that God’s original intent may be established among them. Then His “glory will fill this temple” says the Lord of Hosts.

04 Jan 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: January 4

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here.” Exodus 33:15

As we move forward into this New Year, we need the Presence of the Lord. We stretch our hand into the darkness of uncertain experiences, but by faith believe that there is another Hand on the other side to take hold of it to guide us throughout the year. We trust God who has gone before us and has full knowledge of the end as well as every beginning. But our plight is for His Presence to be with us. As Jesus became man to dwell among us, we need His Presence daily to assure us that we are not alone. If God be with us, who can be against us? He will guide us through every pitfall and entrapment of the enemy as long as He is doing the guiding and we are not merely following the dictates of our own heart. It is our prayer to be changed this year in order for our hearts to be after His own thus having the will to fully follow Jesus wherever He may lead. “If He does not go with us, we do not want to be brought from here.”

02 Jan 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: January 2

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see.” John 9:25

God has allowed us to see the entrance of a New Year. Sight is such a precious thing. Without it we would never see the beauty that surrounds us nor be able to discern the difference between it and the most horrifying and disgraceful thing that may appear. God gives sight to the blind and restore those who have lost their way. Often it is the knowledge gained of other things that appear which makes it more difficult to believe in the invisible. Even when God is not seen the signs of His Presence are all around us. They speak of His majesty, splendor, and power. As New Year’s Resolutions are being made, the greatest would be to draw our hearts and minds in the direction of Jesus Christ. If He is known He will make His Father known to us. Then our hearts would be settled on the one thing that really matters. When we see Him through pure eyes, we would be enabled to see all things that pertain to life and godliness. Those things that accompany salvation would become as priceless jewels. But the greatest gift of all is that we would know that our names are indelibly written in the Lambs Book of Life. He gives us sight that we may see Him. One day, we will see Him face to face.

01 Jan 0Comments 0Likes

January 2017 Article: “The Year of God’s Manifest Presence”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

This year, as never before, we are invoking and anticipating God’s Manifest Presence – – invading the scene and filling the void left in those attempting to manage life without Him. Emptiness resonates in every arena of life leaving a trail of failed hopes and dreams. Setbacks and failures are not always negative, for they often sound the alarm that awakens one to face reality. God is real and has always been real, but unless we invoke His Presence, many will not even know that He exists. In light of this, I invite you to read the following speech by Benjamin Franklin during the Constitutional Convention on June 28, 1787:

Mr. President:

The small progress we have made after four or five weeks close attendance and continual reasoning with each other — our different sentiments on almost every question, several of the last producing as many noes as ayes is, methinks a melancholy proof of the imperfection of the human understanding. We indeed seem to feel our own want of political wisdom, since we have been running about in search of it. We have gone back to ancient history for models of government, and examined the different forms of those republics which, having been formed with the seeds of their own dissolution, now no longer exist. And we have viewed modern states all round Europe, but find none of their constitutions suitable to our circumstances.

In this situation of this Assembly, groping as it were in the dark to find political truth, and scarce able to distinguish it when presented to us, how has it happened, Sir, that we have not hitherto once thought of humbly applying to the Father of lights, to illuminate our understandings? In the beginning of the contest with Great Britain, when we were sensible of danger, we had daily prayer in this room for the divine protection. Our prayers, Sir, were heard, and they were graciously answered. All of us who were engaged in the struggle must have observed frequent instances of a superintending Providence in our favor. To that kind Providence we owe this happy opportunity of consulting in peace on the means of establishing our future national felicity. And have we now forgotten that powerful Friend? Or do we imagine that we no longer need his assistance?

I have lived, Sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth — that God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without his notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without his aid? We have been assured, Sir, in the sacred writings, that “except the Lord build the house they labor in vain that build it.” I firmly believe this; and I also believe that without his concurring aid we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel. We shall be divided by our little partial local interests; our projects will be confounded; and we ourselves shall become a reproach and a by-word down to future ages. And what is worse, mankind may hereafter, from this unfortunate instance, despair of establishing governments by human wisdom, and leave it to chance, war, and conquest.

I therefore beg leave to move — that henceforth prayers imploring the assistance of Heaven, and its blessings on our deliberations, be held in this Assembly every morning before we proceed to business, and that one or more of the clergy of this city be requested to officiate in that service.

01 Dec 0Comments 0Likes

December 2016 Article: “He Was Born for This”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

We are compelled to face life’s greatest challenges. To provide an answer to age old and new questions that will arise out of controversy. Our lives are lived in search of meaning and our values are determined by how we interpret the meaning of life. It is both quietly and overtly expressed by unsuspecting people who are drifting through life allowing circumstances to define them. The ever-changing world squeezes them into the mold of modernity. They become whatever others are becoming—neutralizing their wills by popular opinions and paralyzing their minds by the prevailing ideas of the times.

Jesus came to change concepts and to modify the established order by transforming it into a thing of beauty (“He makes all things beautiful in its own time.”) And fortunately, Christ came to usher in a new season of change and restore all things to their original purpose.
God, who made all things, is the One who assigns meaning to His creation. But the question is, what is God like? Even though he was described through the prophets and His personality was demonstrated through their lifestyles, that was merely a glimpse into the reality of God and the full display of His glory. Their attempts fell short of expressing His life and pointed us in the direction of His acts and ways. His Person, by the intimate expressions of His love, were only implied and not expressed. So many have settled for implications and never shared that intimate fellowship provided through Jesus Christ. What Adam had lost in Eden is more than one could imagine—hearing His voice daily and being acquainted with His Perpetual Presence.

The Fallen needed restoration, but who can measure the distance of the fall? A fallen world adapted its condition as its current reality. Bloodshed penetrates the soil rather than circulates through the veins, and reduces the meaning of life to personal survival than kingdom and cultural advancement. How could I wish for what I had never experienced? Sadly, the cry for spiritual union lies deep within the soul.
Within his soul, the son of the slave carries the marks of his ancestors under the mastery of slave owners. He must overcome the daily pain from the established patterns that restrict his current motion. While his DNA contains the genetic code of a bloodline that is inclusive of past experiences, his bloodline did not begin merely two or three centuries ago. It can be traced in creation and established in Adam. Thankfully, the blood of Jesus purges us from our former sins and the effect of sin in our lives. His life promises the necessity of a New Beginning, for Christ came for this very purpose: old things are passed away and behold, all things have become new! He allows the newness to be made evident for all to see! Behold; look at how new you have become because of Jesus Christ!

You become a part of the change that is necessary for all humanity. As Christ came to change the order, the order is changed because of you and not despite you. People do what they do as result of what they know. Jesus’s prayer on the Cross was, “forgive them for the know not what they do.” Their ignorance is driving their actions and leading them to self-destruction. He was born for this and now He offer the New Birth that you might be born again for this! In Christ, the believer participates with God in reconciling all things back to God’s original meaning. Your true purpose for living is hidden in Christ. Politics, education, economic prosperity, or no other means is capable of accomplishing what Christ alone can do through those who allow Him to be Himself in them. Spiritual maturity is reaching a level of understanding of God’s original intent. These are the sons of God being led to glory. They can then more fully express the will of the Father. May earth receive her King that His Kingdom may be established in the hearts of mankind.

01 Oct 0Comments 0Likes

October 2016 Article: “How Far Has the Church Become Separated From the State?”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

Although the State served a bill of divorce to the Church many years ago, they have remained cordial to each other. Now that the divorce is final, hostilities have brooded on the part of a State that despises even the mention of her former spouse’s name. His memory gives rise to hatred as if all oppressions suffered in her past were the result of his cruelty and negative influence over her life. Now that she is free, her state of affairs express an opposing view in all that he attempted to instill as a standard. Now the Church, as a jilted lover, is willing to accept any innuendoes of kindness on her part as a signal that reconciliation may be possible.

The visible Church in America has opened its doors wide to influences and voices that speak flattering words yet lack the ability to deliver on any of its promises. It is a reactionary measure to avoid obvious pitfalls for subversive and subtle nuances that are just as dangerous, but cloaked with contradicting rhetoric. The state of the nation is expressed by the will of the people. People choose their candidates for political office, and their choices reflect their current state. Whoever is elected is merely a way to determine the basis on which this nation now stands and not the basis from which it was founded. Even though the system has always been flawed, the intent was to move in the direction of a more perfect union. Perfection is no longer the case while the imperfections are currently being celebrated. The Church was intended to be the conscience of a nation, but now the conscience has been seared as with a hot iron. Does it matter any longer as to whether the persons representing us are honest or not? Are we really being honest with ourselves? The presence of the Church ought to remind the State of God’s standard of righteousness. When the salt has lost its saltiness, it is good for nothing but be trampled over as if it was nothing but pavement. These are the consequences when the Church’s influence is being ignored, influenced by worldliness, or tainted by the current trends that opposes God’s standard.

When God’s standard of righteousness becomes arbitrary and is interpreted within the context of fallen humanity’s vices and considered as a progressive view of reality, we are doomed to the demise of society. The faulty theology of those who attempt to reconcile vices and virtue reinforce error and society loses its coherence. For everything, absolutely everything, above and below, visible and invisible, rank after rank after rank of angels — everything got started in him and finds its purpose in him. (17) He was there before any of it came into existence and holds it all together right up to this moment. (18) And when it comes to the church, he organizes and holds it together, like a head does a body.” (Message Paraphrase Colossians 1:16-18) Candidates running for political office may try to integrate spiritual language into their vocabulary, but if the intent is to say what is right without believing in what is right, they will find themselves stumbling over their own tongues. What’s the difference between flip-flop and flimflam? They both involve telling the people what they want to hear for the sake of gaining their trust, or moreover, their vote.

I encourage you to vote your conscience in this election. But before you pull the lever, check and make sure that your conscience has been conditioned and not hardened so that the tenderness of God’s love through the Person of His Son, Jesus Christ, may reach you. Even if you stand at the crossroads like so many of us who prayerfully stand between two positions where our faith is not represented, ask the question…What led to this dilemma and what will we do moving forward so that we may never have to face this moral crisis again?

14 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: September 14

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“For I will take you from among the nations, gather you out of all countries, and bring you into your own land.” Ezekiel 36:24

People who are in exile are a people removed from their place. We see Israel being scattered among the nations and some taking on the character of the nations where they had been forced to occupy. Sin does not ask for our permission, but imposes its character upon those who occupy its territory. A culture of sin produces a people who readily adapt to the environment. It is then difficult for them to remember what God’s original intentions were for their lives. They merely see what others are doing and seemingly enjoying and adjust to their standard of living. But God stands up and makes His Presence known among them. He lets them know that even though they are in a strange place, Israel still carries His name. When His name is hallowed among the nations and a difference is made known by them to the other inhabitants, then deliverance will come. God will bring them into their own land. He is says to us, are we to represent Jesus where we are. Should He only be honored in Church? What about the workplace? The places where His name is profaned require a people who would stand up for Him there. We deny Him when we are in strategic places and are ashamed of the gospel and acquiesce to the lifestyle of others. We must stand up and stand for righteousness regardless of what price we may have to pay. God will then deliver us into our own place of promise if we are willing to take a stand for Him right here.

01 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

September 2016 Article: “Heavenly Confirmations”

Posted by wwalker Categories: Articles

The power of agreement is of vital importance in an environment where so many things are separated and dislocated. It is through agreement that progress is made in life and any other endeavor in which people may be engaged. While this is a biblical principle, it is not always applied towards those things that glorify God. When an agreement is reached, the people are of one mind and purpose, and the momentum set in motion has the potential of enlisting unengaged bystanders and absorbing them into the effort of accomplishing that goal. The erection of the Tower of Babel would have been completed unless God Himself had not intervened. We have seen groups of people come together and organize movements either in defense or defiance of a particular cause. It is especially effective when those in favor take ownership of that cause. Yet the question of rightness and wrongness is yet to be determined. However, a conclusion can easily be reached from the surface. But there are variables that could completely change the equation, and if known, could influence the decision of those who had committed themselves to that end. It was stated, “believe nothing that you hear and half of what you see.” Even our eyes and ears can be deceived, and it is pride that will cause one to hold on to an opinion when the current information contradicts all that he once believed. If my eyes and ears cannot be completely trusted, then what can I trust and who can I trust? There has to be an absolute from which all other things originate. It must be above all things, yet inclusive of any facts that are known or may be discovered in the future.

It is our agreement with God who has full knowledge of all things that will bring peace on earth and peace within our souls. The frustration of the soul that often leads to violence and rebellion is merely an indication of the disharmony that exists between man’s intent and God’s will. It is not His intention that any would find perfect peace and contentment by any other way. The Holy Spirit rested upon Jesus like a dove after His baptism, thereby indicating the stillness of His soul. He only rests as a dove when there is no turbulence and disquieting within. The announcement from heaven was, “this is My Beloved Son in whom I Am well pleased!” His submission to baptism was more than a mere ceremony. It was His inauguration into the work that led to our salvation. He, through baptism, demonstrated His submission to the will of the Father, and expressed the course in which His life was to take in order to provide the way for all to be rightly related to Him.

Today, as with Jesus, the Lord both affirms us as being His own and confirms that His Presence is currently with us. The voice was not for Jesus, but about Him to others. He knew that He was the Son of God and that His ways pleased the Father, but did others know? Today, God confirms His Word with signs following. We are embarking upon a time when the signs, wonders, and miracles of God will manifest among true believers like never before! Yes, there will always be the counterfeit attempting to disprove the authentic. How can one distinguish the difference between the true and the false? All that is true will lead to the development of character. The confirmation will not just be the demonstrated power of Christ, but His power leading to the character of Christ lived. It will be in Word and in power in the Holy Spirit with much assurance, so you may know what kind of men were among you for your sake. (1 Thessalonians 1:5) Those who were waiting on the Lord to manifest Himself must come to realize that God had been waiting on them to come into full agreement with Him. When we meet His criteria, He will open Heaven and rain down His Spirit upon all manner of flesh!

22 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 22

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.” Hebrews 8:5

God gave Moses specific instructions as to how to build the Tabernacle. It was not arbitrary, but rather what God showed Him while he was in His Presence was the design for its construction on the earth. It requires both hearing and seeing from heaven to engage in such a sacred task as leading others in the way of God. We are not here merely to survive, but our lives are to be lived with such exactness as to leave a legacy for those who come after us to follow. They must see Christ in us if they are ever to impact their generation. They are to build upon the foundation that we have laid. The baton is passed from one hand to another. Even though great things are accomplished by those who are mighty in the eyes of the world, none of what they say or do will receive any rewards in heaven. It is only those things shown to us by God and proclaimed in concert with the whole Body of Christ that God will honor as His work. Take heed what we hear and how we hear it. The pattern of God in heaven is to be reflected on the earth.

19 Jul 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 19

Posted by wwalker Categories: Meditations

“He who walks uprightly, and works righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart” Psalm 15:1

The benefit of abiding with Christ is the motivation to act is governed by the Holy Spirit rather than merely our own minds. The thoughts generate from God and are transferred to the heart so that the will is to do His will rather than what previously occupied our time and attention. It is not a matter of consciously manipulating the mind to think right. There is a continual flow from the heart to the mind maintaining an awareness of God’s Presence at all times. Then it is not as much of a strain to make the right decisions in relation to our walk. Though temptations may come and trials may test our faith, we know that He is with us and we know that He working in us. Now when we speak, we speak from a changed heart. His Word is hidden in our hearts and no other language is our own other than what is being translated into life within us. What marvelous position to occupy when God is able to convey His truth boldly through an earthen vessel that has been transformed by the renewing power of the Holy Spirit!

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