John Johansson

Russian Roulette With Eternity

I’ve been in church all my life, and according to my mom had given my life to the Lord when I was five years of age. I can’t say that I remember that, but what I do remember is how in 1979 God began to deal with me regarding my eternal destination. He began for what felt like six months to deal with me regarding my eternal destination and how I needed to make a commitment to follow and serve Him. I can’t say that He was convicting me of sin in my life because up to that time I had lived a pretty sheltered life, but what He was dealing with me in was the fact that I hadn’t surrendered my life to Him and to His will for my life. One of the ways He got my attention was through the realization of how close to death I was at times from near head-on collisions and being in a garage air-filled with explosive aerosols and a gas water heater. God was good to me and those with me to protect us, but these were some of the ways that God used to get my attention. During this time I experienced a growing fear of end time events and the tribulation period, which only heightened the impact of those experiences I just shared with you. After what seemed to be six months, I knelt beside my bed with my dad and I surrendered and committed my life to Jesus on March 29, 1980.

From that time on I do not remember a time when I was fearful of missing the rapture and going through the tribulation period. Granted, I have come to realize after searching the scriptures that saying a prayer and walking down an aisle does not guarantee admittance into Heaven, but it is what I do with my relationship with Him from that time on that determines if I will be prepared for when that shofar sounds the call to the marriage feast of the Lamb. Maybe you don’t agree, and that is okay, but that is where I came up with the title of this blog, Russian Roulette With Eternity.

Russian roulette with eternity is where we choose to gamble with our eternal destination by living and believing as we choose. Well, you can almost hear the arguments of people who decide not to believe Gods word in its entirety, who want to create another Jesus to their liking, or to reject God and His Son as the only savior of the world. Many feel that whatever they choose to believe to be true is true, and if they want to believe something to be false or non-exclusive (meaning that there is more than one way to heaven) then that is what it is. But, what if they are wrong? What if what they believe to be true is actually false, what they believe is false is actually true, and that there is really only one way to Heaven through Jesus alone? To echo others over the years, if we as Christians are wrong then what do we lose in embracing Christianity, and what do non-Christians gain? Also, if we as Christians are correct, then what do we gain and non-Christians lose? If the Christian faith and it’s source of written instruction, the Bible, is false, we obviously haven’t gained a thing, but we haven’t really lost anything either. However, if the Christian faith and the Bible are in fact true, then Christians gain an eternity in Heaven that defies imagination in its splendor, and those who are not Christians literally lose everything to spend eternity in hell for rejecting Christ as both the Son of God and the only Savior of the world.

I am concerned for people who take their eternal destination so lightly. It’s as if they are playing Russian roulette with their eternity, and that is very scary. Some like to think, at least subconsciously, that if they find after they died that they were wrong and made a serious mistake they will have the opportunity to say ‘sorry’ and enter into Heaven. What a lie from the enemy of our souls! He will say and do anything to get us to minimize the seriousness of making right preparations for our eternal destination, even to the point of getting us to either not think about it or to have an altered view of eternity. And, yes, he will even take and twist scripture to accomplish this if he can. After all, was that not the method he used in the garden when he spoke with Eve, taking and twisting what God had said to make her doubt and question God? What we fail to realize is that Satan knows the scripture, and he in fact probably knows it better than most, if not all, Christians, and that is one of his most powerful weapons. Heard it said that the best lie is the one that is 99% true, and Satan is an expert in promoting them.

Time is so very short in regards to the start of the tribulation period, which means it’s even closer to Jesus’ return for His bride. It is so imperative that we are in right standing with Him, waiting, watching and ready for the sounding of the shofar of His return for His bride. The first thing Jesus told the disciples when they asked him regarding the signs of the end of the world and His return, was a warning to not be deceived. Deception will be great leading up to His return and the tribulation period, and it is so vitally important that we don’t be deceived. Deceived about what? In a nutshell, deceived regarding Jesus, who He is, what He did, what He’s going to do, and that only through Him can one receive salvation prior to leaving this life.

Don’t be deceived! Hold true to the pure Gospel and good news of Jesus, and that when it’s all said and done the determining factor that will forever determine our eternal destination is what we did with Jesus in this life and the nature of our relationship with Him. We all have a relationship with Jesus, whether it is one that is a saving one through intimate friendship with Him, or one that is distant and independent of Him.

I trust that this will challenge you to re-evaluate your relationship with Jesus as time is running out, and that it will either be found in right standing with Him in relationship and according to His word, and if not that you will make the necessary changes to make it right.

John Johansson

www.resoundingshophar.com

www.resoundingshophar.com/blogcentral

Putting on the Mind of Christ

We live in a time when the mind of Christ is the furthest thing from most people’s thoughts. In fact, if you were to ask people what is the mind of Christ, the majority would not be able to answer that question or would have a twisted idea of what that is. Has the understanding of what the mind of Christ is for the most part been lost to a culture that is consumed on satisfying self in one way or another?

What is the mind of Christ? There is a lot preached from America’s pulpits, among both the televised and local churches throughout the country, of what the mind of Christ is, but is what they are preaching really the mind of Christ? Let’s take a look at this and see for ourselves. In Philippians Paul tells us what the mind of Christ is, so I think that is probably the best place to start with this. Let’s take a look at it.

In Philippians 2:5, Paul tells us to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus, so let’s see if we have the same mindset. Even though teachers and preachers of the Gospel tend to skip right past verse 6 of this same chapter, probably thinking that it doesn’t apply to us, but I believe that is the farthest thing from the truth. Why is it that verse 6 tends to get skipped over so frequently? Well, what does it say?

“who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, …” Philippians 2:6 (NKJV)

This verse talks of Jesus being in the form of God, and that He did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, so how does this apply to us? No, we are not God, nor are we equal with God, so why is it that Paul felt that it was important to mention this? After all, this should be a “no-brainer”, right? Well, not necessarily. In Romans 8:12-17, we are told that not only are we adopted into the family of God, but we are also joint-heirs with Christ. Wow. That is awesome, to think that God values us, His creation, in such high regard that He would sacrifice His son for our salvation. And, to top it off, we’re not just adopted by God, but we’ve been made joint heirs with Jesus, our creator. Who said that God doesn’t love us and have such exciting things in store for us? Well, this is where we get tripped up. We hear a lot of preachers and teachers telling us how we are to live as children of the King, and that we should focus on living under the blessings and perks of that relationship, settling for nothing less. We hear how we should claim God’s promises for us in regards to health, prosperity and promotion, because after all Jesus made those things possible for us with His sacrifice and resurrection. We see and hear of scripture in both the Old Testament and the New Testament that reinforces this mindset, but do we just focus on those scriptures? Or, are we to also include the other scriptures in the Bible?

We as people have the tendency to grab a hold of key scriptures that we like and ‘tickle’ our ears, forgetting that there are other scriptures that we need to factor into the equation to get a balanced view of what God is saying to us? Philippians 2:6 is one of those verses that is often times, and conveniently, overlooked or passed right over. Paul tells us to have the same mindset of Christ, and to do so we need to consider this verse. Just as Christ is God and did not consider wrong to be equal with God, even so we need to have the confidence that we are children of God and joint-heirs with Jesus, but what did Jesus do with this confidence of who He is? Well, verse 7 tells us that He made Himself of no reputation, taking on the form of a bondservant, and verse 8 tells us that He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. That puts an interesting twist to things, doesn’t it? How does this fit in with a lot of the teachings we hear these days, claiming God’s blessings and promises for us based on our ‘rights’ as children of God?

Am I saying that God doesn’t want to bless us or that He doesn’t want to fulfill the promises He’s made to us? Not at all! God does want to bless us, and He does want to fulfill His promises to us, but for us to make a lifestyle of claiming our ‘rights’ to those is wrong. There is a time when we are to claim our ‘rights’ to things, much like when Paul exercised his rights as a Roman citizen. Paul had been beaten and imprisoned on many occasions but never chose to claim his rights until he saw an opportunity to use it to further the Gospel and to take it to Rome. Just as Jesus never used His position as the Son of God to do anything for His own benefit and purposes, and just as Paul didn’t use his rights as a Roman citizen for his own benefit and purposes, even so we shouldn’t be exercising our ‘rights’ as children of God for our own benefits and purposes. We should only use what God has promised us as His children for the furtherance of the Gospel and the name of Christ, and to do that we need to be sensitive to the Holy Spirit as to when and how we should do so.

Many times we forget that this life we live is not our own, but is Christ’s life lived through us. We are called to be His ambassadors to a lost and dying world, reconciling men back to right relationship with Jesus. That doesn’t mean that God won’t bless us along the way, or that He won’t make good on His promises towards us this side of eternity, because He does do that, but as His bondservants we shouldn’t be claiming our rights to such things if we are truly working as His ambassadors. He is the one that determines how, where, and to whom we are to take Jesus to the lost and hurting, and because of that we need to be willing to go and do whatever He would have us to for the Gospel and the sake of Christ. Paul learned to be content in all things for the purpose of doing the will of God for him, and even so we need to learn to be content knowing that the salvation and healing of others is of greater importance than our temporal blessings and comforts of life. We have eternity to experience and enjoy ALL that God has for us, but let us not focus on storing up treasures or building empires in this life only to barely make it into heaven and have no real treasures have been stored up.

Think about these things. Are you living a life focused on living as children of the King now, with all its blessings, rights and comforts, or are you willing to go without for the purpose of doing the will of God and storing up treasures for yourself in heaven.

www.resoundingshophar.com

Be Watching …

Imagine for yourself that you are on your way to Denver, CO. You’ve recently heard that someone in your family has prepared for you a house on some property near some of the world’s best snow ski resorts, a place that will be yours to stay in as long as you live. This family member is so excited about you moving his way that he’s personally flying out in his Learjet to come get you. You know his arrival is soon because he told you, and so you’ve gone to the airport watching and waiting for him to arrive. You know it’s important to be watching because he’s on a time schedule and has to return as quick as possible for his next appointment.

While you’re waiting you hear of some intense storm clouds coming your way, and after a while you begin to see them in the distance. Apparently this storm is stronger than usual because you notice all kinds of preparations being made to secure both the air craft on the ground and the buildings themselves. People are working as hard as they can to ensure that they not only endure the storm, but that after the storm has passed they will be able to show themselves victorious over the storms deadly presence. As you see and hear of the reports of the storm coming over the radio and the televisions located in the lobby, you begin to start thinking of all kinds of things. You begin thinking about the people who are dear to you and the things you will be leaving behind, wondering how they will fare as the outer edges of the storm begin to hit the airport. You are really getting mesmerized by what you are seeing and hearing. After a while you just have to get your mind off of things and go looking for some shops to browse through and maybe get something to eat, all the while forgetting about the flight you are waiting for. Not only have you forgotten about it, but when you do think about it you can’t possibly think that he would be arriving in the midst of such activity. Surely he’s been told he couldn’t continue flying into your airport until after the storm passes, especially since it seems he has been delayed in coming.

All of a sudden all the activity in the place has jumped into full panic mode. Not only has the storm arrived hitting the airport in its full flurry, but a number of buildings have gone completely flat and a number of people are missing. In the midst of such activity people are in full panic looking for the missing people, and you begin to be fearful for your loved ones as well. After this storm passes you hear that other more powerful storms are on their way, and it is then that you remember the flight you’ve been waiting for. You inquire of some of the attendants if they could find out the status of the plane, and they tell you that it is heading back to Denver, CO. You begin to wonder when he will return to come get you when they inform you that it already came and left. You’re not sure if you heard them right so you ask them to repeat what they’ve said. They repeat what they’ve told you and continue to tell you how that the plane made a quick landing and taxi to the boarding station. They continued to tell you that it only waited a couple minutes before having to make a sudden take off just as the storm was beginning to hit the airport full force. They weren’t sure, but they we thinking that maybe some of the people that were missing had quickly boarded the plane in the hopes of getting to safety.

Jesus tells us that He’s gone to prepare a place for us, and when it’s time He will come again to take His bride home (John 14:1-4). He also tells us that we don’t know when He will return, and because of this we are to be both waiting and WATCHING for Him to return (Matthew 24:36-44). He even goes so far as to say that we need to pray we are counted worthy to escape the things that will come upon the earth, implying that just watching isn’t enough (Luke 21:34-36). Where do you see yourself? Are you the person that is waiting and watching for their flight only to get distracted by what is happening around them? Or, are you going to be the person that in the midst of everything going on around them will keep their eyes looking out for the plane coming in knowing that their eternal safety hinges on that one flight?

Jesus is coming back, and the impending storm that the world sees is growing and getting closer each day, and with that we know that Jesus’ return is that much closer. Don’t get distracted about what you see and hear, or even in your own plans and agendas, because you then run the risk of missing the plane. Jesus doesn’t want anyone to miss it and that is why He’s given us such warnings. Biblical prophesies regarding the seven year tribulation period that is to come are being fulfilled before our eyes in warp speed, and knowing that Jesus will come before it begins should tell us to keep our eyes out for the plane all the more. I’m sounding the shophar because His return is imminent and we need to watch for Him.

Wait and watch for His return, and pray that you are counted worthy to escape that which is coming to this world.

John Johansson

www.resoundingshophar.com

The Harbingers

One of the many uses of the shofar was to sound an alarm of something coming. While we at The Resounding Shophar focus on sounding the shophar to prepare for the return of Christ, it would be wrong to not sound it in regards to a judgment to come. I realize that many believe that God doesn’t judge people because He is so full of grace and love, but is that consistent with scripture? No, it is not. We can read from Genesis through the book of The Revelation how that the loving God of all creation executed judgments on people, families and nations. When God brings judgments it is a result of disobedience to or rejection of God and His ways. To only focus on God’s grace and love and to say that God won’t bring judgment to people is to be naïve of who He is and what He is all about, not taking into account all the different facets of who He is.

Some people believe that God will never judge this awesome country called, The United States of America. They say that since we are the one country the world looks up to, or at least used to, and that we are the most Christian of all countries who even sends the most missionaries to other lands, surely God wouldn’t judge us, but that is pride which provides a false sense of security. While this country was founded on Christian principles and the Word of God, the Bible, in the past fifty years it has turned its back on God, His ways, and even now His people the Jews. How can we be so bold as to think that He won’t judge us? That is a scary place to be in, thinking that we are exempted and protected from Gods judgments simply because of who we are. We as a country have strayed far from God, and if we don’t repent of our ways, turn from our wickedness and seek His face, God will judge us. Is there any reason to believe that an impending judgment is on its way for our country if we don’t repent and return to the God of our fathers? Yes there is. I am including a link to a couple videos of a rabbi, Jonathan Cahn, teaching on harbingers, what they are, and how they apply to the United States, all based on scripture. One is a shorter video that briefly touches on this, and the other one is a full video that goes into much more detail that is sure to grab your attention as he goes through nine (9) harbingers. I hope you will take the time to view these as he “sounds the shophar” of warning to this country of a judgment soon to come.

Shorter clip

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xnmtce_jonathan-cahn-the-harbinger_webcam

Full version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXei0Zb3dxM

John Johansson

www.resoundingshophar.com

Forbid Them Not …

Heard someone criticize another minister recently and it bothered me. We live in a time when people think it okay to criticize ministers and ministries. When Jesus tells us to not be criticle of others why is it that we think it okay to criticize ministers just because we don’t agree with them or like the way they do things? I’m not talking about major doctrinal issues or things that are in definite conflict with the word of God.

The disciples came to Jesus once regarding someone who was casting out demons in His name, asking what they should do since that person wasn’t a part of them. Jesus didn’t say anything about whether or not this person was sent of God, or if he was even right with God. Jesus didn’t even say anything about the way the person did or did not do what he was doing, or even if he was operating in the flesh or by the Spirit of God. Jesus’ response was very simple and to the point, a response that we should embrace much more often.

Jesus simply said, “Forbid him not”. Jesus continued to say that no one who performs miracles in His name can soon after turn around and oppose Him, and that whoever is not against Him is on His side. Wow. Jesus did not justify or legitimize the person, but He wasn’t going to stop someone from promoting His name to others. How many times are we quick to stop, destroy, or even slander those who are promoting Christ and the Gospel simply because we don’t agree with their take on things or the way they do or don’t do things? I believe we should do some self re-evaluating and see if we’ve helped and aided the cause of Christ and the Gospel, or if there’s been times that by our conversation or conduct we have in some way hurt Christ and the furtherance of the Gospel to save the lost, heal the hurting, and bring deliverance to the bound.

For more on this topic follow the link to read the full article posted on our website; https://rshophar.com/forbidthemnot.html

John Johansson

Judge not …

More than a year ago there was an article in a school bus industry publication that touched on road rage and how we can avoid it. The article also asked readers to let them know of ways that they deal with it, and I promptly responded, to which they included my response in the following issue.

My method for dealing with road rage isn’t limited to driving and road rage. It’s a mindset I’ve tried to establish within myself since high school for all of life. It’s a rather simple one if I may say so. What I try to do is whenever I see or hear something I first stop and ask myself a simple question, “have I ever said or done that before?” If I realize the very thing I was going to get criticle of is something that I’ve been guilty of myself at any time, then I have no place to be criticle or get upset. You may not think that would have much of an effect on you, but if you haven’t taken on that mindset before I challenge you to try it for a month and see what happens.

This way of thinking is at its foundation Biblical. We read in Matthew 7 that we are not to judge others otherwise we will be judged. More specifically, if we were to take it down to the original language, it implies that the exact thing we judge someone else for we will be judged for. You could also say that the same measure or standards by which we judge others God will use to judge us.

Let me give you an example I often times share with others to help you understand this. Let’s say that Billy Ray did something that really hurt and took advantage of you, and Billy Ray apologized for it. Let’s say that when Billy Ray apologized you analyzed it to determine if he was sincere, or maybe you would only accept his apology and forgive him if he satisfied certain “conditions”. Your response to Billy Ray’s apology is entirely up to you, and you have a “right” to handle it however you want, but there is something to remember. Your response to Billy Ray’s apology will determine God’s response to your apologies. The factors you used to determine whether or not to forgive Billy Ray, or the conditions you placed upon Billy Ray in order to forgive him, these very things would be the same that God will use when you ask for His forgiveness. Now, if you were quick to simply accept Billy Ray’s apology and to forgive him, God will be equally quick to simply accept your apologies and forgive you. This is just an example to make the point that the way we critize or judge another, God could use that same response towards us.

I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be like the unforgiving servant we read about in Matthew 18, that has the very things he was forgiven of now held against him because of his response to a fellow servant. How about you? So, the next time something rises up within you to criticize or judge someone else, or even to get very upset and “balistic” towards another, stop and ask yourself if you’ve ever said or done something like that before, and if so extend grace towards that person or group of people. That is what Jesus would want.

Think about it.

www.resoundingshophar.com

Lord, to whom shall we go?

In John chapter six, Jesus was successful in trimming the count of those who were following Him by making some pretty tough statements. Where He once had a following numbering in the thousands it had now dwindled to only 12, but Jesus wanted to know where even these 12 stood with Him.

After the majority of those who followed Jesus left to return to their lives Jesus turned to the remaining 12 and simply asked them, “Do you also want to go away?”. Simon Peter then answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.” Peter and the other 11 believed that their eternal future was dependant on Jesus and His words, and to go elsewhere held no real eternal future for them. These men continued to follow Jesus not knowing what was in store for them, namely the death of Jesus and their hope of eternal life. These men had come to know Jesus as the messiah, and with that they had tremendous hopes for a bright and eternal future. There was nothing and no one else that they considered important enough to pull them away from Jesus. Their life, identity, and future was now found in Him, and in Him alone.

What about you? If Jesus were to ask you the same question He asked the 12 disciples, what would be your response? Would you echo Peter’s response, or would you respond differently? If you echoed Peter’s response, does your life echo that? People look to a number of different sources for their identity and their future, oblivious or uncaring of an eternity that awaits them. These sources present themselves as ones that are “in the know” when that is usually far from the truth. What are these sources of such lies? The first thing to remember is that it is anything, or anyone, that you listen to and live by more than Jesus and His word. This could be a well-known celebrity, entertainer or politician. It could be a group, an organization, or a material object of some sort like money. It could even be an idealogy promoted by some that one listens to and embraces. Well, each of these can be quite broad in scope, but what about those which are more personal. On a personal level these sources could be anyone from an employer, a teacher, or even a pastor who does not follow or embrace Jesus and His teachings in their entirety. It could get even more personal through a parent, siblings, a spouse or even ones children. So, are you sticking with Jesus because He alone has the words of eternal life, or is your life more identified and directed by any one or more of these and other sources?

Jesus wants to speak words of eternal life to you. There is no doubt about that. The question is, are you listening, or are you even available for Him to speak life to you? Just as Jesus spoke into the lives of the soon-to-be disciples to follow Him, Jesus is speaking into our lives to follow Him. The disciples lives had their world turned upside down and inside out because they chose to follow Him, which had significant implications for not just themselves and their livelihood, but also for those close to them such as a spouse or children. They didn’t know what was in store for them, but we know that they received far more in the end than whatever they lost in following Him. They found out that the cost of following Him was great, but they also found out that the reward for following hard after Him till death was greater than the cost they paid in following him. Jesus spoke words of eternal life into them and that is exactly what they received, but if we reject His words of eternal life, or treat and view them as anything but first and foremost in our lives, we will experiance eternal death in hell instead of eternal life in Heaven.
.
So, my question to you is simple. Are you embracing Jesus and His words as your source of eternal life? Or, are you listening and embracing someone or something else first and foremost as your source of life and direction? Remember, eternity and your eternal destination hangs in the balance for you. Will it be for and with Jesus, or is anything or anyone else of greater importance and value to you and worth the gamble of missing eternity in Heaven with Jesus for?

Think about it.

www.resoundingshophar.com

What will be on your tombstone?

Several years ago I heard someone share a message, and while I can’t remember much about it there was one point that has really stuck with me over the years. The question was simply asked, “What would be on your tombstone?” The idea behind the question was to cause us to take a moment and consider what others would have to say about us after we died, and what would they put on your tombstone. Really, quite a pointed question when you stop and think about it. After all, there usually isn’t a lot of space on a tombstone so people would have to sum up in as few words as possible what you were all about. You’ve seen them. Some have said, “He was a good father”, “She loved her children”, “He gave it his all”, and so forth.

So, the question to be asked is simply, “what would people put on your tombstone?” Would they put something on it to remember the financial successes you’ve had, or the many accomplishments you’ve made, or the number of college degrees you’ve obtained? Would they put something on it to remember the type of parent you were, how you related to others, or whether or not you were a person of integrity and character? Would they remember you as a jovial and cheerful person, or as a hot tempered, rude individual? Perhaps they would say something that would identify what made you “tick”, what the driving force in your life was, or what was most important to you? There are countless things that could be put on a tombstone, but the question is asked what would be on your tombstone.

As you consider this question, when you think of what people may or may not say about you, is it what you would want them to say about you? Would it be something that you would be proud of, or is it something you would be ashamed of? While it is true that you can’t change your past, you can change the direction of your future, which means that you can change what people may say about you and how they will remember you. When we think of Matthew in the Bible, we don’t remember him as the tax collector but as the disciple of Christ. When we think of Paul we don’t remember him as the violent persecuter of the Christians but as one of the most powerful Apostles of the Christian faith and the one who wrote 2/3’s of the New Testament. When we think of Moses we don’t remember him as an heir to the Egyptian throne but as the one who led the Israelites out of Egypt. No matter what your past, if it is something that you are not proud of or don’t want to be remembered by, you have an opportunity from this day on to make the necessary changes to become the person you most want to be remembered by. While there may always be some who will be determined to remember you in a light that is either not accurate, or is based on unresolved issues within themselves, or based on a perception of what they want to believe, you can resolve to live in such a way that the majority of people will remember you as you want to be remembered.

When I think of myself, even though I can think of a number of good things to be remembered by, the main thing I want to be remembered by is that I was someone who strived to be a true follower Christ. How about you? How do you want others to remember you after you cross over to the other side of eternity? Think about it.

www.resoundingshophar.com

Where is Jesus in your life?

Here in America we have a lot of things that vie for our attention. These attention grabbers come in many different forms. Some are in material possessions, some are in the realm of recreation and hobbies, some are in the acquiring of various forms of resources, some are in the realm of career and education, and some are even in the form of relationships. This isn’t to say that any of these are bad, but they become bad when we use them as a reason, or should I say an excuse, that pushes God and the things of God out of His rightful place as the center and top priority of our lives. Things that are attention grabbers for one person may have no effect or value for another, but each person does have things that jockey for their attention. It’s bad enough when people heed the things that pull on them, but it’s worse when churches heed those things, or at least cater to people who heed such things.

One of the biggest attention grabbers that pulls on a lot of people happened just last weekend. I’ve seen how this pulls on people for years, and how it has even effected churches when either the leadership is pulled towards it, or when they cater to the people in their churches who are pulled by it. It is something that pulls on people in all walks of life, across all levels of financial and material status, across all levels of educational and career accomplishments, and even across gender lines. There have been some in recent years that have seen the startling parallels between the ancient Roman empire and the United States, both in their beginnings, their duration of existence, and in their fall. No, the United States hasn’t fallen as the ancient Roman empire, but some of the signs of Rome’s demise can be seen even in our culture in this day. One of the parallels between the two civilizations encompasses this big attention grabber I’m alluding to. The Romans had their coliseums and their ‘games’, and we in America have our football and the Super Bowl. In both cultures these things grew to be one of the biggest things they were identified by, things that became something that they could as a nation rally behind.

Don’t get me wrong. I am not opposed to football and the Super Bowl. Football is my favorite sport, and I love to watch the Super Bowl, especially when my favorite team is playing in it. That is not the problem. The problem comes when people put a greater importance on these things than they do Christ and the things of God. I can remember way back when I was in junior high how that some would be so focused on the game, especially the Super Bowl, that they would actually bring their radios or mini-tv sets to watch the game during church. They went to church because they knew they were supposed to or were expected to be there, but their heart was not there. Their heart was wherever the game was. Over the years things have changed some. It isn’t just a mans thing anymore, but it is also something that women get absorbed into. Oh, they may not get into the game itself, they may get into the commercials, the food and fellowship, or even into the halftime show which has become less and less family friendly over the years, but nonetheless they are just as much pulled towards it as are the men. In the days of the Roman empire, the women may not have gotten into the blood and violence of the ‘games’, but they were also drawn in some way to them. Also, things have changed in that churches now plan and schedule around the Super Bowl, and in some cases will even cancel services because they either want to watch the Super Bowl themselves or they don’t see the value in it if the numbers in attendance are low because of it.

It’s sad when the Super Bowl or its festivities puts God on the shelf and takes the place of greatest honor on an individual basis, and even in the very churches that proclaim that Christ should be number one in a persons life. Again, I’m not saying that football or the Super Bowl isn’t a good thing, but it is a bad thing when it takes precedence over Christ and His rightful place in our lives.

Even though the Super Bowl may be one of the biggest attention grabbers in our society, there are still countless things that can pull people to remove Christ from His rightful place in our lives, and each of them are potentially and equally destructive in light of eternity. So, the question is asked, is there anything or anyone in your life that is jockeying for the supreme position in your life that is rightfully due God and the Creator of the ends of the universe, the Son of God, Jesus? If so, you need to decide whether or not you want Him in that position, and if so you need to make decisions and choices that ensure He is, and remains, in that position. What will it be for you????

www.resoundingshophar.com

Is God Really Looking For Perfection????

I was talking to someone the other day and the issue of being perfect came up. Wow, what a topic. This may be one of the big reasons why people either choose to not serve God or give up trying. We know that scripture tells us to be perfect even as God is perfect, and I can’t help but wonder if what we are understanding here is different than what God intended. After all, aren’t Christians supposed to be perfect? Well, that is the impression we often put on ourselves, and it is many times the reason people give for not committing to follow Jesus seeing imperfect Christians and declaring them as hypocrites. Is it possible for us to be perfect? Even with Gods help? Well, I venture to say that on this side of heaven it is virtually impossible to be perfect as we ascribe perfection. So, if our understanding about perfection is wrong, then what should it be? I’m glad you asked.

Several months ago, well maybe a year or so ago, our Pastor, Pastor Craig Andrus, tackled this very issue and had a very good way of explaining it. He used an example from his personal life to make his point, and it was a powerful point I might say. He spoke of how they had loaned their camping trailer to some friends for a short period of time, and how that when they returned it they didn’t mention anything about one of the manual cranks for leveling it being broken. When they went to use it a short time later is when it was discovered that this manual crank mechanism had been broken. Understandably he was a bit frustrated, but he began to see if there was a way he could fix it enough to do the job. He was successful in finding a way to repair it enough to work, but it didn’t look pretty. It did not look like it had from the factory, and it definitely didn’t look perfect as it was not accurately aligned to the rest of the molding on the side of the trailer, but it did the job it was intended to perfectly. The point he made was that while the crank wasn’t perfect as we would measure perfection, it was perfect in that it could perform its intended purpose perfectly. He later related that to us in that while we may not be perfect as we understand perfection, if we are performing the tasks that God has created and planned for us to do perfectly as He intended, then we are in essence perfect in His sight.

So, what has God created and planned for us to do perfectly? Simply, to serve Him with everything within us, with all our strength, mind, body, soul and strength. Also, it is to be His ambassadors to a lost and dying world, using our giftings and talents for His purposes and the Kingdom of God, and not so much for our own desires and agendas. The question is then asked, are you perfect in His sight? Or, are you giving Him less than your all and best, and using the gifts and talents He’s given you more for your own purposes and agendas than for His? Are you more concerned about building yourself and your “kingdom” than you are about building His? Just some things to think about. I trust that you will, as I often times do, re-evaluate where you stand with this and if God could honestly say you are perfect in His sight. None of us are perfect, and I would be the first to admit that I’m not and that I have a lot to learn as I strive to be more like Christ, but can we be perfect in fulfilling the purposes God has uniquely planned for each and every one of us? I believe we can be, and that is my aim and goal. How about you???????