Not of This World

  In the world but not of it?

  

  How can we as believers live in this world and not be a part of it?

  Believers in Jesus Christ are simply in the world—physically present—but not of it, not part of its values. As believers, we should be set apart from the world. This is the meaning of being holy and living a holy, righteous life—to be set apart. We are not to engage in the sinful activities the world promotes, nor are we to allow our minds to be corrupted by worldly views. Rather, we are to conform ourselves, and our minds, to that of Jesus Christ. This is a daily activity and commitment.

JOHN 17:14-15

   I have given them your teaching. And the world has hated them. The world hated these men, because they don't belong to the world, the same as I don't belong to the world. I am not asking you to take them out of the world. But I am asking that you keep them safe from the Evil One.

ROMANS 12:1-2

   Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-- this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

   Being in the world means we can enjoy God's creation. The sunrises, mountain ranges, the smell of flowers or the taste of fresh honey on hot bread. This is being IN the world. 

    Being apart (set aside) from the world means we do not conform to this worlds values or morals. 

    How else can we be a light in the dark if we are not set apart, different from those who are lost??

  In my life I have been both in the world and of the the world. Seeking worldly pleasures and riches. To be in and of the world, we become committed to making ourselves priority number one. Once we are no longer of the world, we have put God first above all else.

   Once I totally surrendered to the Holy Spirit, all things became clearer. I was a very lost puppy, whose heart had become hardened by the world. I have written some of my testimony. All my past was covered by the blood Jesus shed on the cross. Praise His name that he didn't pick and choose which transgressions he would forgive and which he would not, He forgave ALL of them.

   I challenge you to "set yourself apart" from this world and live for Jesus. Make a difference in this world by being different then everyone else. Allow Jesus to be seen thru you. 

  This is by no means the easy way, the easy way is just go with the flow of the world as it spins itself into destruction. Stand for Jesus. Stand for your faith. No compromise. Spread the good news of Jesus to all nations my brothers and sisters. Never judge....always with love and compassion. The same love and compassion that Jesus gives us every minute of everyday. God Bless

Rebel Deacon

    I was given this nickname when I was a Deacon in the Baptist church. I guess you could say it fit....long hair, tattoos and rode a custom Harley. The wife and I kind of thought it was pretty neat... for a while. The more we thought about it, tho I dressed the part, I didn't want to be rebellious to what God had for me going forward.

  Remember (if your old enough) the movie with Marlon Brando,  "The Wild One"

Mildred (girl in cafe) asked Brando "What are you rebelling against?"
Brando answers "What do you got"


  The more I thought about it, the more I felt that wasn't me and when we changed churches I dropped the alias. I just wanted to be me. I wanted to follow Jesus where ever he led me, I'm not a "rebel"..... well I didn't think I was.

  If you have read some of my past post, you may see a trend. I'm not into compromise when it comes to God's word. I'm also not really tolerant about some of the more politically correct things going on in my country or with Christian Churches. Call me old fashion, but I never once heard in the Bible Jesus being politically correct, or watering down His message so not to offend someone. Our loving Savior always spoke with love and forgiveness. He didn't judge them out of the sin...He loved it out of them.

  So I guess when it comes down to it, I must be some type of a "rebel". Jesus was a rebel in His day. He spoke out against the corruption in the temple; He loved and forgave the adulteress and he dined with prostitutes and tax collectors. Praise God that he sent His Son for "those" people, people just like me.....and you. To love us and forgive us every time we stumble or fall into sin. He picks us back up, dust the dirt away, holds us close and tells us how much He loves us. Then He forgets we ever fell in the first place.... isn't that just awesome!!!

  My ministry is to spread His message to all! Even those who feel they have really blown it and Jesus could never care or love for them again. He can and He does.

  If your reading this, or someone sent this to you, it is because they care about you and I do too. Your not forgotten. The blood that covered my sins, covers yours too. How do I know? The Bible tells us over and over about God's love for us and His forgiveness.

  King David "a man after God's own heart" was a murderer, an adulterer. He broke the commandments. When he realized (thank you Nathan the prophet) that he had sinned and totally blown it. He asked for God's forgiveness, he repented of his sins and God forgave him. He does the same for all of us who slip and make mistakes.

  I know some of you that are reading this may have been "saved" at an early age, or maybe you fell away after some time, I know I did and it was a tough road getting back to the path He had for me, but I made it and so can you. It's about developing a relationship with Him. You can know the guy down the street but not have a relationship. Jesus wants to have a relationship with you and I.

  The road coming back is a hard one, I'm not going to lie to you, but my brothers and my sisters it is so worth every step. That I can promise you.

  Rebel Deacon mmmm I think I like it more now then before, maybe one day it will be Rebel Reverend???? Brothers, Sisters.. I love you

New Breed Believers taking cues from the First Believers

We preach:
Atonement, not attainment
Relationship, not religion
The Christ, not the church

We practice:
In matters of morality, purity.
In matters of faith, unity.
In matters of opinion, liberty.

In all things, LOVE.

We are Radical Believers.

The Church today needs:
RENEWAL
REFORMATION
RESTORATION
RECONCILIATION
REUNIFICATION
REVIVAL

Roger Born wrote these declarations in 1996. The Christian Church is still in need today.

   The church that Jesus built is not a religion.
All religions are man-made. Exception is the religion given to the Jews by God.
Jesus ushered in a new covenant, He came to set us free from religion and the
man-made laws.

    Jesus is the head of His church
Jesus placed few commands on his children. Love one another as He first loved us.
Go spread the the good news of Jesus and salvation.
Believers are free to worship Jesus and to serve Him as they feel led by Him.
All other laws and traditions are just that..man-made.
We keep focused on Jesus and the moral questions are easily answered.

   The Secret
If you are more concerned about serving others, rather than yourself, you will be very careful for their feelings, their conscience, and their souls. This is"Hesed". What is "hesed"? This is a Hebrew word that has no Greek equivalent.  It has many meanings. It means...service, servitude, loving-kindness or gratitude. The angels visiting Abraham were shown Hesed. The angels showed Hesed to Lot in taking him to safety. Boaz showed it to Ruth; Rahab to the spies and God to the Jews in dealing with them as a nation or a person. These were all Old Testament examples. What about in the New Testament? The word Hesed is never used. As stated before there isn't a word that is equivalent in the Greek language. Strange how such a powerful word could not be translated, but there is a solution.....Jesus is Hesed but first Jesus is LOVE.

  We do need unity in the church, but we need this unity to come about without compromising what Jesus taught. We need more radical believers to step up and be counted, take a stand for what you know is right.

Radical Believers

Have you noticed? God is raising an army.


  Radical Believers are popping up all around. A new breed of Christians wanting the truth, the solid truth without all the trimmings. Believers who want to follow Jesus without compromise. Believers who want to share the Gospel without compromise!
   The radical believers who are coming will not look like the traditional believer. Some will have long hair or no hair. Some will have tattoos and piercings. The radical believer may look like a business man, in a suit with a short haircut. They all have the same desire in common....to share the message of Jesus, to help other Believers develop a stronger relationship with God.

  How many souls are not going to church for fear of judgement? How many avoid church because they have been beaten up by "religion"? How many use the excuse that the members are hypocrites, pretenders? One person on Sunday and another the other six days of the week?
   Just want to tell them to "get over it" and go to church anyway?? How's that working? Church attendance has been dropping steadily over the past several years. Churches are filing bankruptcy. Is it working yet?

   Are you a Radical Believer? Being a Radical Believer means to believe Love and Forgiveness not tolerance and compromise.
    Radical believers don't care what you look like or how much money you have in a portfolio. The care about your soul, your heart and your relationship with God.

  What are we really talking about? We are talking about the Believers of the first church. Everywhere they taught the Gospel, anywhere where these believers lived their faith. There was radical christianity! This was not because they were religious and adhered to manmade traditions but it was because they truly loved the people.

   They loved people exactly the way Jesus did!


Matthew 5:13-16

    ¹³ “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.

   ¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

  Read the passage from Matthew again.. We are called to be Radical!!

 What made Jesus radical in his day???


   The world taught...hate your enemies.....work hard get rich......forget the poor... and show no mercy.
    Jesus taught....love your enemies....take no thought about tomorrow...give to others and show mercy.


   We are not called to be religious. We are not called to judge others. We are not called to force our opinions on others.
   We are called to be radical. We are called to love others, we are called to forgive others, we are called to share Jesus with others.

 Who do you want to be?

Christians Compromised

2 Timothy 4:3-4 (New Living Translation)

 ³ For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. ⁴ They will reject the truth and chase after myths.


 Are the days of fire and brimstone preaching forever gone? not the scare tactic, but the straight forward truth popular or not.
 Are our pastors, preachers and leaders watering down God's message not to  offend? and possibly lose attendance.
  Is it our pastors job to make us feel good about ourselves every Sunday morning?

Too many Christians are going to church on Sunday to feel better about themselves for not taking a stand. The pulpit over the past several years has come to cater to such non-sense.

 "We have to keep attendance up to pay for the new fellowship hall and the children's building needs a new heating unit"
  "If we offend people, attendance will drop and we won't be able to pay our bills"
  "John Q. Public gives a large check every Sunday in his tithe envelope, don't preach on adultery, he has a girlfriend his wife doesn't know about"

  Who is the head of our Christian church? It was Jesus at one time. Now popular opinion, large givers and self indulgent leaders control the message from the pulpit.

  Jesus loved the sinner but hated the sin. The woman who was to be stoned for adultery. He forgave her, and he told her to sin no more. He loved her and forgave her but told her to sin no more. He didn't say "don't get caught again", "try to stop...ok..please.."
   The political hot button of homosexuality. There are homosexuals in the pulpit of so-called Christian churches and in other leadership positions. Talk about compromise in principles. Let me say this...homosexuality is wrong, get over it.
   Does Jesus love the homosexual??? Yes, no doubt but he hates the sin. Different churches are becoming tolerant and compromising Biblical principles. How can you be a church leader and still think Jesus is ok with being a homosexual? I talked to Jesus this morning and He told me He is not ok with it! but He loves you and is waiting for you to truly follow Him.

  Pro-choice and a Christian? Oxy-moron! Sorry you cannot be both. To be both you have to compromise Jesus's teachings.
  Jane Roe (not her real name) of the Roe vs Wade fame has wished she had never been apart of the circus and theatrics that surrounded the supreme court case. By the way, she has never had an abortion. She was needed to stay pregnant to help the 1973 case. Abortion is killing a child, doesn't matter if it is at conception or a few weeks down the road..it is Murder!

 What has been your compromise today? What have you been tolerant of and not said anything for fear of not being politically correct? Think about this my Christian brothers and sisters,,,, when you remain quiet to situations that do not reflect Biblical principles, you are denying Jesus!!


 Where does this tolerant attitude begin? Why are so many Christians complacent in ability to stand up for what is right? well........

 It all began when our Christian leaders, pastors, preachers and priest decided it was better to be popular instead of being right with Jesus.

10 ways to fail in a ministry

1. Build a great ministry while destroying a great marriage

2. Compromise my convictions in a moment of fatigue or weakness, and lose my family, my reputation, and my anointing

3. See thousands of strangers believe the gospel when I preach yet watch my own children reject the gospel when they grow up

4. Preach on being spritually healthy and vibrant while neglecting my own health for the sake of the ministry

5. Be super-productive in my daily work while never working on my own personal relationship with Jesus

6. Spend all my money and resources on my wants while neglecting the needs of my brothers and sisters, when it is in my power to help them

7. Be efficient at training and teaching others in how to do ministry but lack effectiveness in preparing my children to live for Christ as His disciples

8. Miss opportunities to bless, honor, and support other pastors and leaders because I am waiting on them to bless, honor, and notice me

9. Never have fun because I was too serious about my calling, my preaching, my writing, or my ministry responsibilities

10. Grow old without the deep, abiding love and friendships that I would miss if I never took the time to invest in people, beginning with my wife

Clayton King at NewSpring Church posted this on his blog the other day…it’s amazing…and I wanted to share.