Word of God – Page 27 – Cross Culture Church

Meditation: July 6, 2012

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Meditations

“And to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, even Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. ” 1 Thessalonians 1:10

The posture of the follower of Jesus Christ is anticipation for what lies ahead. The word of God received has lifted his sights above the persecution of trials and the tests that come against him. It has the ability to stabilize us even when the circumstances remain the same. It is word upon word that increases faith and raises the level of expectation for the return of our Lord. Nothing could be more valuable than this. Jesus, whom He raised from the dead provide for us a model of what awaits our future. He was delivered from death through death. The wrath of man measured against us in this world is nothing in comparison to the wrath of God. We must endure the intermediate in order to experience the ultimate. He has delivered us from the wrath to come against all unrighteousness and now we are a part of His kingdom where righteousness reigns. Our deliverance is as result of hearing and obeying the message delivered to us from heaven. It was delivered to us to deliver us from the wrath that is sure to come. As we wait for the return of the Son of God who is in heaven, we must patiently wait for Him to turn the tide in His favor. All things are working together towards this end.

30 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: July 1, 2012

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Meditations

“But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things which are mighty.” 1 Corinthians 1:27

God very often uses simplicity in order to convey complexity. One’s rationale may cause them to miss out on the most important and profound things in life. They are hidden in the mysteries of God. He discloses Himself among poor and the downtrodden. He may even be found among little children rather than professors of higher learning. If we are not careful, we may miss Him when He speaks of things pertaining to issues we would feel to be unimportant. God whispers His Word in the midst of the shouting voices of our day. His silent gaze may be the extent of His message among the fanfare and excitement drawing the attention of the masses. He has chosen foolish things and foolish people who do not make much sense to us. Their message is strange when we have more important things to do. Our wholeness may be sought with vigor, while the key to it rests within the simple act of solitude and surrender. When we are still before Him and not too busy seeking what we ourselves are able to find or achieve, God can then show us what we were incapable of seeing alone. The world is blind to this, but His children are the only ones who have been enabled by His Spirit to see and possess that which comes exclusively from Him.

30 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: June 30, 2012

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Meditations

“And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.” Mark 11:23

Jesus expected figs out of season as He approached a tree bearing leaves. The closer we are to Him, time no longer the measure for seasons of change. His Presence is sufficient to cause flowers to blossom and fruit to be borne. Seasons are a means of measuring natural things. The almanac records planetary alignments and climate changes. The time for planting is different from the time of reaping. Then what grows must mature before it is ripe for harvest. Yet Jesus expected fruit to be produced before harvest time. Since nothing but leaves were there He cursed it so that nothing would ever grow in it again. The lesson was for His followers. There is a moment in time allotted to us by God that must be seized. It not, the heart is hardened and mind is fixed to remain as it was. He says to us, seize the moment while the Word and Spirit combined brings in a new day. God awaits the opportunity to show Himself strong on our behalf. The fruit of our lives is there to serve the world and in particular, this present age, If we do not bear fruit we will be condemned to never bear any. We are to bear much fruit and our fruit is to remain.

20 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: June 20, 2012

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Meditations

“Beloved, I now write to you this second epistle (in both of which I stir up your pure minds by way of reminder)” 2 Peter 3:1

Our minds are purified as the result of hearing a pure word. The clutter of a misguided conscience and the pollutants of compromised values are removed and replaced with an understanding of absolutes that can withstand the scrutiny of contemporary questioning. A pure mind is to be treasured above all things. It means that the mind has processed what the heart has embraced. Then one is able to give a reason for the hope that is in them. They can defend the faith and withstand the scrutiny of error. Now that we can receive words of wisdom, we are not to entertain thoughts and ideas that can lead to moral failure. Our minds must remain pure in order for us to receive from God instructions for daily living. There are many things to be added to what we currently know. These are the building blocks that contribute to our becoming a spiritual habitation. They cause us to further set our minds on the things above and not be distracted by things around us and beneath us. We are reminded as to whom we are in Christ and with Christ. He is our example and our guide. I write these things to re-mind you of these things. When we rewind, we remember what otherwise would be forgotten. We are on a journey, a mission of hope. We are encouraged through the right message to make it to the end.

12 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: June 13, 2012

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Meditations

“but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head — Christ. —“ Ephesians 4:15

The alternative to flowing with the wind and being influenced by the culture is hearing that we might do what the Word says. It was Paul’s passion to speak only what the Lord had to say. Even though the message is a challenge to current culture, it is the expression of a higher and deeper dimension of love. It is spoken in love when the desire of the heart of the messenger is to see those he has been called to address grow into developing the character of Christ. Often the growth of the hearers may excel beyond the level of the speaker, but he should not be jealous of his spiritual children. Instead, he should encourage them to take what they have received beyond his level of understanding for the Word alive within the hearer increases as seed to produce a great harvest. Ministers should not waste time addressing every other subject rather than God’s Truth. There is no growth is these side issues. Christ is the answer to every problem but He can only be known through faithful ministers. We are obligated to counter the movements that prevail against the soul of the wayward. Then they have a course set before them leading them to life.

02 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Meditation: June 2, 2012

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Meditations

“I know your works. See, I have set before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name.” Revelation3:8

The faithfulness of the saints provides endless opportunities in the future. Our future is determined by the decisions we currently make. An open door is set before those who know the name of the Lord. When His character is known and given expression He can then work through that individual without the objections of the flesh. The Holy Spirit’s assignment is to make Christ known to us. He reveals Him in the midst of even the most trying of circumstances. When He is known in truth, He will not be denied. We must maintain a steadfast faith in Him even though doors may now be closed before us. He can open doors that no man open and He can shut doors that no man can close. Even the little strength that is maintained is enough when His strength is at work within us. He will do His work among the weakest for His strength is made perfect in our weaknesses.

13 Mar 0Comments 0Likes

March 2012 Article: “The Prevailing Purpose of God”

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Articles

“We humans keep brainstorming options and plans, but God’s purpose prevails.” Proverbs 19:21 (The Message Paraphrase)

God brings an end to the grandiose ideas and plans put into action that do not generate from Him. Many may even have the semblance of permanency, but their success is short lived. The seed of destruction and ruin is deeply embedded in its core because it did not originate from the Originator. Even though He will not allow a mere human to elevate his purpose above His own, many continue their pursuits because of their God-given abilities to reason. Instead of using it to seek deeper levels of knowledge regarding Him, they foolishly explore the contradictions of faulty reasoning to strengthen their resolve that they do not need Him.

We live between the tensions of self-determination and perpetual dependency. Many are telling us that we can make it if we only believe in ourselves, while Jesus reminds us in His Word, “without Me, you can do nothing.” Who are we to believe, when the popularized opinion is most palatable and God seems to be archaic and out of touch with our personal life’s experiences? Often the conclusion is to give Him an honorable mention as a fleeting thought confined to an hour or two on Sunday mornings after which, “His time is up, back to the real world.” How sad that so many will compete with God unknowingly yet taking deliberate action against Him by pushing our agendas without any consideration given to His will. Good intentions are not enough. We would be blinded to the larger picture and remain a prisoner to the smallness of ideas and efforts of vanity with severe consequences. They appear important because one’s position will determine one’s opinion. From heaven, God’s perspective of reality takes into consideration the past, the present, and the future. His purpose is defined from eternity, so how can we argue over what we do not understand? It would be much better to pray, asking Him to show us what we do not see.

Our destinies will not be determined by political decisions. We are to exercise our right to vote because we are in the world, but not of the world. Our plight is not so fatalistic as to hinge on the outcome of the consensus opinion of a fallen people, but rather, His eyes are upon His Church to judge her first before the judgments fall upon the nation. He will raise up prophetic voices to proclaim His purposes even among those who may be shortsighted and dismissive of the things that really matter. His voice will unstop deaf ears deafened by the soothing sounds of error lulling them into a state of stupor. The election will only reflect the ideals of our generation. We are allowed to measure the climate of our day by whoever the majority are willing to elect into office. But theKingdomofGodtranscends the limits of man’s decisions. His purposes shall prevail! “Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the Lord guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain.” Ps 127:1

Finally, God’s purposes will prevail over all opposition. As in the construction of theTowerofBabel, from all appearances, nothing was able to impede their progress and end their efforts but they did not consider the gift of communication as originating from God. Even though numerous avenues exist today where telecommunications can spread propaganda, if it were to be confounded, the people would be stilled enough to listen. God’s Word communicates truth to a confused world and He will have the final word and His purpose will prevail.

03 Jan 0Comments 0Likes

January 2012 Article: “2012, The Year of Divine Order”

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Articles

As each year is met with its special challenges, we must be prepared to navigate wisely and safely through it. Nothing is just circumstantial or by chance, but everything exists in a cause and effect relationship. Things might appear to be random, but there is an established order that must be maintained. Its origin is before the foundations of the world therefore we do not have to engage in guesswork and carelessly assemble what has been strategically designed. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. Each of us was made for this time and a place fully known by God. When we are out of place, nature cries out in rebellion to our forceful habits of trying to make something that is not meant to be. We often wonder why things are not working right and life does not make any sense. It could be the disorder of one’s life working against the order for which all things are subjected to and must be surrendered if its truest purpose is ever to be realized.
God orchestrates order out of chaos. He is the only One who can bring forth light out of darkness. He does not have to find the light but rather, He produces the light that dispels the darkness regardless how dark it may be. “God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all.” What if it was said to you that the only instrument of peace is Jesus Christ alone? In an environment of chaos, it would sound biased and extremely prejudiced against all other attempts to provide counsel and relief to our current crises. Yet there is no light without Him. A convergence of light and darkness will cast a gray shadow. The cloud of error has eclipsed the true Light thus contributing to the chaos and confusion of this generation. This is a generation of compromise. Compromise competes with the ageless truth requiring conformity to a more contemporary order that is sensible to this generation. There is no compromise sufficient enough for us to meet the deep and desperate needs of the soul. What price have we paid and are now paying for the allowances made for the vices of society that should be condemned? Only when we accept God’s choices will there be deliverance from influences that allure people further away from them. Either we believe that He is God or not. There is no safe middle ground. If He is God, then all things generate from Him and were made to glorify Him alone. If He is one among many other gods, then we are permitted to debate whether His way is the only way, and collaborate concerning the rightness or wrongness of His Word in light of other information made available to this present age.
We have prayerfully entitled this year “The Year of Divine Order” because God alone has established the order for government, family, religion, economics, education, world peace, and our personal lives. Every contending force is in opposition to His will and must be proven false and ineffective. Our objective this year is to provide historical evidence that manufactured kingdoms have ultimately fallen over time for no other reason than God stands alone in His sovereignty. When His Word is rightly divided, in essence, preached through those who are authorized by Him to speak on His behalf, the power of change is released enabling the hearers the privilege to conform to His will. Before one can receive His order, the disorder must be exposed and renounced through repentance. The Holy Spirit then does His work of constructing lives that can fulfill the purpose for which each was born. When God is pleased with our lives, we experience a dimension of peace that surpasses all understanding.

02 Sep 0Comments 0Likes

Article: “Wilderness Crying”

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Articles

Isaiah 40:3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

There is a clear voice of reason crying among many clouded voices that appeals to the conscience of this generation that rests its experience on feeling rather than thinking. And where there is though, is conscience a part of the process? The voice has become the minority that has been forced into obscure places. If truth has the power to remedy the ills of society and there is an important question, why must it be sequestered in the wilderness instead of placed in the public square? The voice of truth cries out, although muffled by the hustle and bustle of the crowd in its rush towards self-destruction. A cry may be a loud proclamation or a grievous lamentation. However, Wisdom proclaims her distressed message loudly because she has been forced into unoccupied places. The wilderness journey of truth has led her on a path where only those who seek after her may find her. She is not lost but rather rejected—exiled among the nomads who take the road less traveled and are ridiculed by the crowds of fools rushing in where angels dare to tread.

All voices sound alike to those who are hearing impaired. A foreign language is mere babble and gibberish to one who cannot interpret the strangeness of unfamiliar words. But when we speak the same language, senseless communication can spread through its mutual sharing. The world is on the process of becoming one language and one mind, similar to the days when the Tower of Babel was erected. It persists on television, radio, and other forms of media with a message that none can miss. The outsiders are those who disagree, reason on a different level, and can no longer assimilate with the rest of society. As a result, they exist on the fringes; banished to the wilderness to cry out among themselves.

Repetition has the power to wear down the resistance of the will. Brainwashing occurs when one seeks justification for a thing because he feels that if it is endorsed by many, it must be true. Our generation is being brainwashed without even knowing. This is not what the majority once believed, but it is what they have come to know. The shift occurred gradually and strategically, forming a mass mindset directly opposed to the Word of God. This is the “great delusion” and “spirit of error” prophesied in days past. Yet, in the isolated places away from public opinion, the voice of God calls, making an appeal to any who would listen with their hearts to what their ears may never hear. Deep within the soul is that place of dissatisfaction where nothing fits correctly.

When we come out into the wilderness to hear the Word of the Lord, we are changed. But not only are we changed, the wilderness becomes a place of provision for us. The Psalmist writes that “He turns a wilderness into pools of water, and dry land into watersprings” (Psalms 107:35), where we can be both nourished and refreshed. God does not always follow the way of convention. The desperate soul will not be satisfied with the crumbs of knowledge that may fall from the table as a result of science, technology, religion, or any other source. The desperate nature of the soul will be in pursuit of seeing and knowing the Lord, and it is the voice that cries in preparation for Him to make a highway in the wilderness on which the Lord Jesus Christ will blaze with His glory.

01 Aug 0Comments 1Like

AUGUST ARTICLE: “Things Have Changed”

Posted by Cross Culture Church Categories: Articles

The world is changing at neck-breaking pace. Opinions are shifting in different directions and it is becoming more difficult to identify with individuals who adhere to the old standards of morality that appear archaic to a burgeoning moral system. The leaders of today study trends and patterns in order to keep tempo with the rest of the world. They logically conclude that if they do not change, and both methodologies and taboos are not destroyed, there can be no progress.

People continue to encroach up the line of demarcation, yet few oppose this egregious action. The gradual conditioning of our generation’s mass mind has prepared it for the societal changes without objection. There is a sense of camaraderie among those whose moral judgments keep them separated from others who remain indifferent to moral dilemmas. The question on the table is, “now that we have gotten these things out of the way, where are we headed?” This is a generation that has greater freedoms to do as they please, but lack direction to do what is wise. When we settle on hedonistic pursuits rather than what is right, we create a recipe for disaster. Once guiding principles are absent from our moral landscape, it is only a matter of time before the collapse in morality triggers a domino effect that erodes the economy, heightens criminal activity, and sparks the search for answers in places where they cannot be found. We desperately need a moral compass. Are we progressing or are we losing ground in the battle for the heart and soul of this generation? Every year, the criminal mind continues to develop earlier in children because even at a young age, pivotal decisions rest on their shoulders regarding the life they choose to live.

There are no paternal and maternal influences to guide them in the decision making process. This is being taken away in the form of children’s rights and jeopardizes parental rights to govern their own households. Yes, it is true that abusive behavior must be regulated and restricted, but now there are questions as to the definition of abuse. The State of Georgia tried a case where a parent was accused of invading the privacy of the child by kicking down the door to the room while the child was being stubborn and insubordinate. Is this intrusion when rebellion dwells in the household and order is enforced by children rather than law officials? This issue raises questions as to the extent of governmental involvement in policing the home of those who uphold the standards, methodologies, and morays from past generations. If we are not careful, it will be against the law to preach the Word of God lest someone be offended. Then those who uphold a biblical perspective will be considered our modern day criminals while the morally and spiritually bankrupt Barabbses will be celebrated.

There is a tremendous need for established absolutes in order to become a principled nation. The only absolute is God and the only way to know Him is through the preaching of His Word. Our prayer is that somebody is listening and paying attention to the shifts that have taken place and the shifts that are yet to come. If nothing more is done than what is being done now, we are in deep trouble. But the Word of God has been given to us. God is yet speaking to us that we might be changed. Hear His voice and do not allow the shifts of society to harden your hearts.