Relationship with Jesus – Page 3 – Resounding Shophar Ministries

Power To Be Witnesses

I recently heard someone share on what the phrase “power to be witnesses” found in Acts 1:8 means. As he spoke I began to ponder within myself what that actually means as I’ve never really given it much thought in the past. As I asked the Holy Spirit to direct my thoughts on this He pointed me in two directions to look. No, these two directions do not conflict with each other, but instead confirm and validate the other. Follow with me as we take a brief look at what it means to have power to be witnesses for Him.

The Spirit first directed me to look at the life and ministry of Jesus while He was here on earth. He reminded me that Jesus did not live His life here according to His own deity, something that would have both negated the sacrifice of His life for our sins as well as negated His example of how we should live. In Philippians 2:5 we are told to have the same mindset as Christ, and in the subsequent verses were shown the example Christ left us to follow. In 1 Peter 2:21 we are told that Jesus left us an example for us to follow. Even though the passage in 1 Peter refers to suffering, we have to remember that to be a disciple of someone means we are to be like them in all ways, and so being a disciple of Christ means being like Him in more ways than just how He handled suffering. In John 5 Jesus tells us that He only did what the Father showed Him, and what the Father was doing. In Matthew 4:1 we see that Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit, and that is what we need to do as well.

The Holy Spirit then directed me to look at the early church and not just the apostles. The lives of those in the early church after Pentecost should give us a good picture of what it means for the power of God to make us His witnesses. Just in case people want to argue that what Jesus did was done out of His own deity and not by the leading of the Holy Spirit and what the Father showed Him, what we see from the early church should silence any argument of how the Holy Spirit empowers us to be witnesses as none of them had any deity to fall upon. Yet, what we see in the lives of the early church are very similar to what we see in the ministry of Jesus, and therefore what we see in both should give us a clear indication of what it means for the Holy Spirit to empower us to be witnesses of Christ.

There are four characteristics found in both Jesus’ ministry and the lives of those in the early church that we can attribute to the empowering of the Holy Spirit. There may be more, but these were the ones I believe the Holy Spirit showed me as I pondered the above question, what does it mean to have the power to be witnesses of Jesus?

Four elements of a person empowered by the Holy Spirit to be a witness;

Boldness to “proclaim the gospel”

The first element was the boldness to proclaim the gospel. In Acts 4:23-31, after being commanded by the religious leaders to no longer proclaim the name of Jesus, Peter and John went back to their companions explaining all that was said to them. It is believed that while their companions may have included some of the other apostles, it no doubt included those who were not. After sharing with their companions all that was said to them, they immediately went to prayer asking Jesus for boldness to speak His word. What was God’s response to this prayer? The place where they had assembled together was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, after which they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Just in case you’re thinking it was just the apostles, we have to remember Stephen in Acts 6-7. Stephen was not an apostle, but the Spirit of God gave him boldness to proclaim God’s word with authority, and the religious leaders did not like that. We, too, should have this kind of boldness to proclaim Christ to those around us. It’s not just the commitment to share the gospel whenever the opportunity presents itself, as we can see anybody can do that, but there is a boldness that goes over and above just a commitment to share.

Leads us to speak to the heart of an individual

The underlining point in all of this is that we are to be led by the Spirit of God in all that we say and do. As we are open and sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and grow in that, there will be times when we will speak right to the heart of an individual. We see many instances when Jesus did that with others, including the Samaritan woman, but we can also see multiple instances in the book of Acts and other parts of the New Testament. While it is true that Stephen was not talking to an individual in Acts 6-7, the things he spoke did pierce the heart of individuals as he spoke.

There were times when Jesus or those in the early church spoke to the heart of an individual bringing them hope and deliverance, among other things, but they also spoke to the heart of individuals whose hearts were wrong and wanted nothing to do with the truth. The Spirit of God leads us to speak to the heart of individuals in ways that only He can, as He is the only one that truly knows the heart of each person. He can reveal things to us about someone that only that person knows, and that in itself shows that God is acutely interested in them.

To do signs, wonders, and the supernatural

The third point that the Holy Spirit showed me was that a life that has been empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Christ will do signs, wonders, and the supernatural. If we want to truly be His witnesses then we need to be open to allow Him to do these things in and through our lives for the benefit of the Kingdom of Christ. A person that is closed off to that being a part of being His witnesses is limiting God in their own lives, and are presenting Christ as someone less than all-powerful to those who we are reaching out to.

The apostle Paul, who was very learned being a Pharisee, in I Corinthians 2:1-5 indicated that he did not seek to reach people through his excellent words and speech, but instead through the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Many times we limit ourselves to proclaiming the gospel through our words and intellect, but Paul who was well trained chose instead to proclaim the gospel through the demonstration of the Holy Spirit and of power.

When we go back to when Peter and John, and those who were with them, prayed for boldness, we see that they also prayed that God would stretch out His hand to heal, and that they would do signs and wonders through the name of Jesus. This was something they recognized as essential to being His witnesses to a lost and dying world.

Now before you think that was limited to the apostles, let’s go back to Stephen. In Acts 6:8, we see that Stephen, who was not an apostle, was full of faith AND power, and that he did great wonders and signs among the people. This is something that should be a part of every believer that has been baptized in the Holy Spirit and fire as John the Baptist said Jesus would do in both Matthew 3:11 and Luke 3:16. If the early church, both apostles and those who were not, prayed that they would do signs and wonders to proclaim the gospel in demonstration of the power of the Holy Spirit, then who are we to say that we shouldn’t do the same thing?

When Jesus sent out the disciples to preach that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, Jesus told the disciples in Matthew 10 to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, and to cast out demons”. In Mark 16:15-18, Jesus told them not only to go and preach the gospel to everyone, but He also told them that signs would follow those who believe.

There is nothing wrong with asking God to do signs and wonders to validate and promote the gospel He’s called us to share with others. It’s part of being His witnesses, ambassadors of His eternal kingdom. Many are closed off to this aspect of being His witnesses, but as we see in scripture not only should it be a part of our life, but just as the early church did we must also be open to and asking God for this to be evident in our lives for Him. To deny this element, or any other for that matter, basically expresses an attitude and mindset making ourselves superior to Christ and the early church, when in reality they should be an example to us of what it means to be empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Jesus.

To be martyrs for Christ and the kingdom

Finally, to be His witnesses means that we are willing and ready to die a martyr’s death for Him. All the apostles except for John are believed to have been martyrs for Christ. One of the signs that we have been empowered by His Holy Spirit is that we’re willing and able to be martyrs for Him. The word translated as witnesses in this passage means to be martyrs, so this is important for us to understand. There are many people in the world who are willing to die for a cause, but this goes beyond that. We are willing to be a martyr for Christ, the gospel, and for the Kingdom of God. We’re not trying to make a statement as many martyrs do, but instead we are willing to die for the one who gave His life for each of us, knowing that eternity with Jesus is far greater than anything we may ever experience in this life.

The apostle Paul in Romans 8:18 tells us that the sufferings of this present life are not even worthy to be compared to the glory that will be revealed in us. And, it is the empowering of the Holy Spirit that enables us to have the ability and resolve to give our lives for Him no matter what the cost. Not only is it believed that the apostles died a martyr’s death for Christ, but history shows that countless numbers of believers in the early church died a martyr’s death for Christ, some of which were even thrown to the lions in the Roman coliseums. Even in the day we live in now we hear of Christians who are dying a martyr’s death for Christ, something that requires the empowering of His Holy Spirit in our lives.

Have you received the power of the Holy Spirit to be witnesses of Jesus? Do you see the above elements active in your life as a disciple and witness of Him to a lost and dying world around you? I have to admit that in looking at the above attributes of one empowered by God’s Holy Spirit to be witnesses, I find myself falling short. Just as the church in Acts 4 asked God for boldness and to perform signs and wonders in His name, I need to seek Him more to fill and empower me to be the witness of Him He’s called each and every one of us to be. How about you? Are each of these elements an active part of your life as a witness of Him, or do you need to seek God for more of that empowering in your life. If you find that you lack in any of these above areas, then I encourage you to begin seeking and asking God to manifest each of these in your life in the power of the Holy Spirit. Time is short and the world needs to know and see that the power of God is more than sufficient to meet their every need.

Just A Little Sugar, Please

Today was interactive Sunday for us at Church. Once a month a Sunday is set aside for a time when people can anonymously submit questions to the Pastor for him to answer. These questions are not submitted prior to the service, but instead during the service, and for that reason he has no prior notice of what the questions will be for that service.

Back to today and the questions that were asked of him. His answer to one particular question, asked by who I don’t know, probably didn’t set well with many, but thinking about it later a thought crossed my mind. The question in particular asked him about the difference between various movies and fictional characters, including ones “Christian” based, that involve some level of witchcraft, sorcery, mysticism, the casting of spells, or other stuff of the like. In his answer he made two comments that best sums up his response. He simply said that there is no difference between them, and that none of them should have any place in the life of a Christian. He also pointed out that each of these are elements of occultism.

Over the years it has amazed me as to how many Christians think nothing of something God has explicitly forbidden. Some have argued that some of these things are mere entertainment, or that they are so mature in their faith that these things have no effect on them. Why is this? There are perhaps many reasons why this happens, but a thought crossed my mind today that really sums it up. Satan, the enemy of our souls, knows just how much “good stuff” to infuse into the bait to get us to bite, or how much truth seasoning the evil needs in order for us to make excuses that rationalize and justify our acceptance of it.

In Deuteronomy 18: 9-14, God not only makes it very clear that we are to have nothing to do with any of the above mentioned things, but He also makes it clear that these things are an abomination to Him. Yet, we can find all kinds of ways to rationalize and justify why we allow such things in our lives. We have in essence told the enemy that if he sprinkles just enough “sugar” on the evil then we will accept it whole heartily. I realize a little sugar helps make the medicine go down, but we’re not talking about medicine. We’re talking about evil, and apparently if enough “good stuff” or truth of God’s Word is sprinkled on it then that supposedly makes it all good and acceptable. The problem is that with God saying it is an abomination to Him, no amount of “sugar” is going to change His mind on the subject and make things acceptable to Him. So, why do we treat these things as though they are when God has not changed His mind about it? Some may say that was Old Testament, but nowhere in the New Testament do we see God changing His mind on the subject. Instead, we read of how those that were involved in such things burned all their occultist paraphernalia when they were converted to Christianity.

Satan’s tactics remain largely intact when it comes to other things that God has specifically said should not be, especially if we call ourselves followers of Christ. Satan knows just how much “sugar” to infuse or season these things with in order to ensnare us in the sin. Just to make it clear, the “sugar” I’m referring to is anything that in itself is not necessarily wrong or sinful, or is made up with just enough truth of God’s Word that we can’t see the sin clearly. I heard it once said that the best lie is the one that is 99% true, and Satan is the father of all lies. Whether it is adultery or fornication, hate and murder, gossip or backbiting, or any one of many other things the Bible refers to as sin, Satan’s tactics remain the same.

So, I encourage you to take some time to pray, asking God to reveal to you any areas in your life that you may have taken Satan’s bait with. Is there anything that you’ve embraced because the enemy has “sugar coated” it, making it easy to participate in or to find ways to justify your acceptance of it, even in the areas of entertainment and recreation? If so, no matter what it is, you need to repent of it, surrender it to God, and embrace the truth of His Word in your life as never before. Today in Sunday school it was briefly discussed how that our silence regarding what is wrong or displeasing to God sends the message that we embrace, or at best condone as acceptable that which is wrong or evil. Don’t get caught up with the mindset that says to the devil, either in our words, our behavior, or in our silence, “just a little sugar, please”.

Communion In A Worthy Manner

In a couple days churches around the world will be remembering Jesus’ death through communion. Frequently this is done on a monthly basis, but there are also many churches that do this on a more or less frequent basis. Because of this there are many messages preached from pulpits relating to communion on a regular basis. Like many of you, having grown up in church I have heard many messages on the subject, but I’ve always felt like there was something more to communion than a piece of bread or cracker and a small cup of juice and remembering what they represent.

In I Corinthians 11 the Apostle Paul writes about communion. In verses 23-26, the Apostle Paul related what Jesus said at the last supper He shared with His disciples. Jesus spoke of the bread symbolizing His body and the cup symbolizing His blood, and that whenever we take of them we are to remember Him. Is there more to this than just partaking of the elements and remembering Christ in the process? I think there is and I want to share that with you.

In the above passage Jesus talks of eating His body and drinking His blood, but was there another occasion other than the last supper when Jesus referred to this? In John 6 Jesus talks about eating His flesh and drinking His blood. This was a message that was too much for most of the people to understand, much less accept, but Jesus said it was imperative if one was to have eternal life. Is it possible that there is a connection between what Jesus told the people in John 6 and what He told them at the last supper? I think there is, and if we can understand that we may have a better understanding of what it means to participate in communion in a worthy manner.

Jesus said that we need to eat His flesh and drink His blood, but what does that mean? Surely He didn’t mean that we are to literally do this, especially for those of us living 2000 years after the fact, so what does He mean by it? We know that by the stripes Jesus bore for us in His body we are healed, and we know that by the shedding of His blood we are forgiven of our sins, but what does this mean to us? I believe eating His flesh and drinking His blood has more to do with our salvation than many may realize, but it conflicts with the thinking of many in this day. Many think that because of the beatings Christ endured for our benefit and the shedding of His blood for the remission of our sins, our lives should be easy and without pain and heartache. But is this correct?

In Galatians 2:20, the Apostle Paul tells us, “I have been crucified with Christ; it no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” We can’t do that unless we heed Jesus’ instructions found in Luke 9:23-26. In this passage we are told that to follow after Him we must die to ourselves and take up our cross daily. A lot can be said about this passage of scripture, and many books have been written on the subject, so I won’t take the time to write about it now, but it does reinforce what I’m about to share. I believe that for us to “eat of His flesh” alludes to us dying to ourselves and being willing and committed to endure whatever persecutions and trials we may encounter for His sake. No, we may not get beaten and scourged as He did for us, but are we willing to endure whatever comes our way for Him? When we give our lives over to Him we are making a commitment, whether or not it is acknowledged, that we will submit to Him and His will over everything and everyone else for His sake. Basically we are saying that we are both willing and committed to suffer in our body for His sake just as He did for us. That is more than some professing Christians signed up for and are willing to accept, but that is a significant part of salvation, and in doing so we are “eating His flesh”. Are you willing to suffer persecution and trials in your body for His sake, or would you prefer to opt for the easy road that goes through the “broad gate”?

So, that is what it means to “eat His body”, but what about drinking His blood? How can we do that? Well, we need to remember that through the shedding of His blood comes the forgiveness of sins, but how does that pertain to us? In Matthew 6 we are told that we are to forgive, and that He will forgive us as we forgive others. Jesus also told Peter that we need to have an attitude of forgiveness towards others without keeping score when He told him that we are to forgive not 7×7, but rather 70×7. We see Jesus’ example of this kind of forgiveness when, while he was hanging on the cross, he forgave the ones that beat, scourged and put Him on the cross. He didn’t forgive them because they asked for forgiveness, much less with sincerity, or that they even expressed some remorse for what they had done. He just simply forgave them because they didn’t know what they were doing, and even asked God on their behalf that He forgive them. Oh, how we so many times withhold forgiveness because someone didn’t ask, or because they didn’t ask with sincerity. Or, how about the times the one that offended or hurt us didn’t care or realize they had hurt us, and perhaps even felt justified in what they said or did. When Jesus took the cup and made reference to it being His blood, not only did He refer to it as a new covenant, but the passing of the cup in this manner often times represented a commitment between two individuals. So, to take the cup and drink His blood is a commitment to Him that we will forgive others with the same attitude and mindset that He had when He shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins. We are told multiple times that He will forgive us, but if we withhold forgiveness towards another after He’s already forgiven us, then He won’t forgive us. When we enter into this saving relationship with Him we are not only committing to endure whatever hardship comes our way for His sake, but we are also committing to having the same attitude and mindset of forgiveness towards others as He does.

While Paul addressed many things that disqualified many from taking communion in a worthy manner, I suggest to you that eating the bread or cracker for communion without the willingness and commitment to suffer for His sake, or the drinking of the cup while withholding forgiveness towards another, are grounds by which one could be found not taking communion in a worthy manner. The next time you participate in communion, examine yourself and see if your life and the decisions you make regarding suffering for His sake or forgiving another person line up with the commitment you made to Jesus for salvation. If your life and the decisions you make misrepresent your commitment to Him in your life, then I strongly encourage you to repent and make the necessary changes speedily. If you are unwilling to do this, then you should refrain from participating in communion until you make the necessary changes. You don’t want to cut your life short, or experience any other consequences, for not taking communion in a worthy manner. Time is short, and Jesus will be returning for a “bride” without spot or wrinkle, so it is imperative you evaluate yourself and be sure you can take communion in a worthy manner.

John Johansson

Will The Real God Stand And Be Recognized

Will the real God stand and be recognized? I can almost hear Elijah saying that to King Ahab when he told him to gather the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah at Mount Carmel (I Kings 18). It was at Mount Carmel that the people would see who the true God is, and who was the false. It was also there that the people would have to decide who it was they were going to serve. The people had apparently been wavering between following God and following after Baal, probably trying to follow both without excluding the other, something that people tend to do even in our time in history. We like to call it being “on the fence”, but in Revelation 3:16 Jesus calls it “lukewarm” and tells us the consequences are not pleasant to think about. One problem with this idea of being “on the fence” is that God will not share us with another, another god that is, and anyone or anything that we put as a priority in our life before Him is a god in our life.

Going back to I Kings 18, specifically verses 26-29, we see the prophets of Baal, alone without the prophets of Asherah, doing their best to summon a response from their god to consume their offering with fire. We read that they spent several hours trying to illicit a response from Baal only to end later without even a hint of Baal’s presence, much less his power. Yet we find in verses 36-38, after repairing the alter and drenching it and the sacrifice in water, after one very short and simple prayer God responds by not only burning up the sacrifice, but also the alter made of stones and all the water. This was a very decisive show of who truly is God and has all power.

There is an interesting statement made in verse 28 referring to the prophets of Baal. Referring to their cutting themselves, the statement says “as was their custom”. Something comes to mind when I read that statement, as well as the whole story. Apparently they had no doubt that Baal would respond to their pleas and various actions otherwise they wouldn’t have gone to such measures. Perhaps there were times in the past that Baal would respond to their worship by consuming their sacrifices with fire, and if so they had no reason to doubt he would respond this time. Before you quickly argue that Baal, or Satan, has no power to do this, you need to remember when Moses dealt with Pharaoh regarding the release of the Israelites found in the book of Exodus. Each time the power of God was done through Moses the sorcerers and magicians of Pharaoh did likewise. This tells us that Satan does have power that he can manifest through whatever god he presents himself as, powers that are merely a counterfeit of what God can and does do. For us to stick our heads in the sand, so to speak, embracing the view that Satan is powerless, including that which is connected to in practice or symbolism to sorcery, witchcraft, the occult or cults, or anything else, is ignorance to the truth of God’s Word.

There are two things that we can gather from these stories. The first one is that Satan does have power and can counterfeit manifestations of Gods power. The second thing is that when there is a genuine “showdown” between God and the powers of darkness, not only is God able to “show up”, but He is also more than capable of completely neutralizing and rendering powerless anything or anyone who dares to challenge Him.

Many churches today are very guarded, and in some cases so much so that even God can’t manifest Himself in their presence. They are either afraid that the congregation will get too much into the “flesh”, or that they would be deceived by the counterfeit manifestations brought on by the enemy of our souls. Because of these fears they will often times regulate their services in such a way so as to minimize any chance or opportunity for such occurrences to happen, all the while they are saying that God is free to move in their midst should He choose to do so. I realize that deception will be rampant in these last days and that it is important for us to not be deceived, as Jesus mentioned in Matthew 24, but are we to combat deception by squelching or significantly limiting even the moving of God in our midst? Or should we create a list of criteria by which we can tell what is and is not of God? I’ve heard someone share many times on the radio a list of criteria he uses to determine whether or not something is of God, but the sad thing is that by that same criteria even Jesus and the Apostles would be disqualified. So, we need to make sure that the criteria we use is solid and grounded in scripture, and not something that is used to support our own opinions and personal views on the subject, even to the point of twisting scripture to do so. In I Corinthians 12:10, we are told that one of the gifts of the Spirit is the discerning of spirits, and I believe that is one very powerful weapon for combating the deception and counterfeits of the enemy in our midst. In I John 4:1-3, not only are we told to test the spirits, but we are also given the test and how to grade it. Knowing that the Devil is the father of all lies, and the best lie is 99% true, I can’t help but believe that the test mentioned in this passage is more than just mere words spoken, but whether or not the life lived and walked backs up and supports the words spoken. Anyone can say they are a Christian, but only a Christian lives it and backs it up by their priorities, their choices and decisions, the placement of their loyalties, and the way they deal with things. So, do their lives reflect a life submitted and obedient to Christ?

We also need to remember that God is more than able to silence and render powerless the enemy in our lives and situations. When Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, no matter what they had seen or experienced in the past, God was not going to allow “Baal” to be His counterfeit on that day. The people on that day were going to know that God, and God alone, was God, and any other was false and powerless compared to Him. Before the prophets of Baal started to call on their god Elijah asked the people a question followed by a statement in verse 21. He asked, “How long will you falter between two opinions? If the Lord is God, follow Him; but if Baal, follow him.” What was the response of the people? Complete silence. Then after God consumed Elijah’s alter with fire the people fell on their faces and said, “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” Sometimes it isn’t until people see the power of God manifested in their presence that they decide to give their lives over to Him, yet for one reason or another we want or try to limit God in this way to some extent. Moreover, it isn’t until they see that the power of God is greater than any other god in their life will they surrender to Him. If God is not God in your life, then what are the gods in your life? And when will you get to the point that you genuinely want to know who is true between the gods in your life and God? If you don’t care to know if God is who He says He is, the great I AM, or whether or not He’s greater than the other gods in your life, then He may just allow you to continue in your deception because that is what you want. But, if you truly want to know, then He’ll make Himself known though it may not be as you want Him to, at which time the other gods in your life will be powerless against Him.

As we patiently wait for His return, watching and praying that we are ready when He comes, may we not just in our speech but also in our lives echo the words of the Israelites in I Kings 18:39. “The Lord, He is God! The Lord, He is God!” If you can’t say that in your speech and in your life, then I encourage you to seek Him out and He will be found. Your eternal destination may hinge on that. And so I conclude by asking the question, “Will the real God stand and be recognized?”

Is God About To Answer Your Prayer

Back in the 1980’s I had the pleasure of sitting in a series of weeklong meetings where Dr. Handel Price was the speaker. For those of you who have never heard of him, he was a powerfully anointed preacher of the Gospel who had at one time sat under the ministry of Evans Roberts and ministered with Smith Wigglesworth. The experience and knowledge of the Scriptures and the moving of the Holy Spirit that he brought to those meetings was priceless.

Of the many things he shared with us that week, one of the things that has continued to impact me to this day was his response to a question that we commonly hear in church circles, a question that many had asked him over the years. When people would hear of the miraculous things taking place in other countries and not so much here in America, they would simply ask him “why?” Why is it that other countries see so much of the miraculous and yet it seems to happen so sparingly here in America? His response to these questions was very simple and yet so profound. He told us that if God asks those in other countries to jump, they simply ask “how high?” But in America, if God were to tell us to jump we would respond by asking “why?” as if God needs to get our seal of approval before we will do what He’s wanting us to do.

What he so succinctly indicated was that it’s an issue of the heart. If we have the mindset that Jesus is Lord of our lives and we are His bondservants, then it doesn’t matter whether or not it makes sense to us. This is because we know He sees the big picture and wants nothing less than the best for His children. If, however, your mindset is one where you decide what you will and will not do in following Jesus, and how much you’re willing to give or pay for that relationship with Him, then your response to Him will be very different. You will find it entirely within your rights to decide which of His commands you will or will not obey.

Having the right attitude and mindset regarding Jesus and His place in your life will see Him move all the more on your behalf. If, on the other hand, you view your relationship with Christ as more of a partnership where you have equal say in your life, and that you have veto power, then the results could be different. Jesus will not, and does not, subject Himself to our opinions and how we think things should be, and He will not share the throne of our lives with any other, including ourselves.

So, our attitude towards Christ and His role and place in our lives plays a part in why we don’t see more of the miraculous than we would like to see. But, is there maybe another reason why we don’t see more of the miraculous?

Over the years I have heard many question why we don’t see more of the miraculous in our American churches. I’ve been in churches that believe God still wants to do the miraculous and come to church looking and expecting God to do that in their midst. I’ve also been in churches that believe God can do the miraculous but are so afraid of the “flesh” or the over-sensationalizing of what God does that they literally control or limit what the Holy Spirit is allowed to do and when. In doing so, they inadvertently stifle or quench the moving of the Holy Spirit, finding arguments to justify the position they have. I’ve also been to churches that believe God no longer does the miraculous, and if there is any miraculous that takes place then it is most certainly not of God. Personally, I believe that God not only still does the miraculous, but that He desires to do so whenever we are looking and open to Him doing so. But, is there another reason why we don’t see the miraculous more frequently in our churches? I think there is.

For decades there have been very significance advancements in the medical and scientific fields. We have seen the introduction of more and more antibiotics and cures, more and more advanced medical treatments and procedures, as well as advancements in various mobility assisted devices. In the process medical professionals have become better trained and more educated in the various medical field specialties that now exist. As a result, we have become more and more dependent upon the medical profession and its medications and medical treatments. This means we have become less dependent upon God for our health and healing.

No wonder we don’t see as much of the miraculous as other countries seem to see. Between having the wrong attitudes and mindsets, not being open to God wanting to still do the miraculous in our midst or trying to limit or control Him, to being more dependent upon the medical profession than God, perhaps these are at least some of the reasons we don’t see or experience more of the miraculous.

Well, this may change. I believe our dependence on the medical profession is about to change as more and more Americans find themselves without medical insurance or can no longer afford even the more basic of health care. In this situation, those who have been more dependent on the medical profession will find that they need to shift their dependence elsewhere. Some will return their dependency on Christ while others will endeavor to find it anywhere else but with Him. As the “Affordable Health Care Act” gets implemented more and more, perhaps this is Gods answer to the question of why we don’t see more of the miraculous in our churches. While the negatives of this new law becomes more and more apparent, and very little positive coming from it, perhaps the “silver lining” in this is that as we become more dependent upon God we will see Him do more for us than we ever had in decades.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not discounting the medical profession and how it has and can be a benefit to us, but when we are more dependent upon it than we are on God then we have a problem. In a way, we have basically made the medical profession an idol in our lives as we put it ahead of God for our health and well-being.

So, I say all of that to simply say, look to God and place your trust in Him for your health and well-being. The more we will do so I believe we will see God move in the miraculous on our behalf, and the more that happens the more people will see that Jesus is alive and well, and that He desires to do great and mighty things on our behalf.

Is God about to answer your prayer request asking to see more of the miraculous in our midst and on our behalf?

Sure Foundation, Indeed

A few months ago on Facebook there started to be some talk of a reunion for a group of us known as the “Sure Foundation Youth Choir”, a group I was a part of 20 to 30 years ago. The last time we got together was about 15 years ago for a reunion of sorts to celebrate the birthday of one of our fearless leaders, Pastor Ken Severe who has since gone on to be with the Lord several years ago. As I think about “Sure Foundation” I see the rich heritage we had in being a part of it, a heritage that often times is overlooked or forgotten by some, and yet it is probably one of the richest heritages one can find anywhere for a youth choir or youth group.

The Sure Foundation Youth Choir wasn’t your typical youth choir for a number of reasons. At one time we had about 175 youth involved with it, and if that wasn’t unique enough, the guys outnumbered the girls causing our Music Director to modify the music to some extent. About half of the guys were in the bass section, of which I was one, and were known as “The Get-Down Boys”. We also had a ‘kickin’ band that often times would break into a jam session after a service only to trigger another period of time praising and worshiping God. Another attribute of the Sure Foundation Youth Choir was that it was at times hard to differentiate between it and the youth group as a whole as so much of the youth group was involved in it. Our youth group was comprised of junior high, high school, and those who were college and career age.

As I reflect on my years with Sure Foundation a lot of memories come to mind, in fact too many to share in this blog. I remember our weekly practices often times turning into a time of worship and ministry well beyond just practicing songs, usually triggered by some choice words from our Youth Pastor, Ken Severe. I remember the spaghetti dinners we would host, one of many fundraisers we would do to raise money for our different tours. In regards to the tours we would have both weekend long tours and extended tours of about two weeks in length. We wouldn’t go very far on the weekends, but on the extended tours we traveled to Texas/Oklahoma, Hawaii, and Canada during the summer breaks. With the exception of the tour to Hawaii, we would travel by way of buses the church owned and used for its bus ministry, on average using three or more buses on each tour. Riding the bus on our Texas and Oklahoma tour ended up being “interesting” as the drivers tried to shake the boredom of long hours driving through the barren hot deserts of Arizona and New Mexico. I remember taking showers in our bathing suits under a flow of cold water from a garden hose in the front of churches, as well as the snoring that could be heard from clear across the other end of the church. And I can’t forget how we were challenged to learn the Evangelism Explosion questionnaire to give us another tool to reach out to a lost and hurting people we would encounter on tour.

Despite how many tours we would go on or how long they were, it’s rather surprising there wasn’t more drama and conflict than there was. As I mentioned earlier, there was a very close connection between the youth choir and the youth group in that those in the youth choir were more than likely a part of the youth group and the various activities and ministries it was involved in. I remember the youth group being very busy. We were very involved in bus ministry on a weekly basis two or three days a week, helping with Saturday Children’s Church because our buses brought in too many to bring them all in on Sundays, and mission trips to Mexico, just to name a few.

One of the main reasons for the heart and focus of the youth group and youth choir was our Youth Pastor. He was probably the driving force God used to make us feel important and a part of the group. He wasn’t one to let us slack off or hide in a corner, and often times he would rapidly poke a finger into our chest to get our attention and challenge us to straighten up. I can remember him telling us that if he could shake us real hard to make us live right and for the Lord then he would do it, but also telling us that it was not a decision he could make for us because only we could make that for ourselves. Even though many were committed to living for the Lord back then, there were also some who either tried to ‘walk the fence’ or lived double lives, living one way when around us and living a completely different way when we weren’t around. And that brings me full circle back to when talk of a possible reunion was started a few months ago.

When talk of a reunion started a few months ago, I noticed in some of the group chats that some were talking of their past in a way that seemed like they were feeling shame and embarrassment. What was so encouraging was the response by others to encourage them and let them know they are not alone, and that God is bigger than their past. That is both a testament and a reflection of the bonds that had been created among so many of us during those early years. As I read those posts and remembered years long past, I’m reminded of the name of our youth choir, “Sure Foundation”. Sure Foundation was both a proclamation of our decision to build our lives on Christ, and a message to others that Christ is the sure foundation they can also build upon. As I alluded to earlier, many in our group were building their lives on the solid rock of Jesus, and still others were building their lives on shifting sand. In looking forward to the present we can see this still to be true. While it is true that many “appear” to have avoided the ‘curve balls’ of life and haven’t experienced the pitfalls of others, there are still many more that have been dealt a raw deal in one way or another over the years. Those who have experienced some of the pitfalls of life, of which I am one, can feel pretty discouraged and shunned by some. Sometimes the pitfalls came as a result of poor judgment or bad decisions, and sometimes they come from no fault of our own and out of our control, but none the less they came. Christians have often times been accurately accused of “shooting” our wounded and kicking those who have fallen among us, and that should not be the case. Those who are hurt and wounded among us, either self-inflicted or otherwise, need to know that the family of God is a safe family to be a part of, one that helps, encourages and supports the wounded to heal and to rise above those pitfalls.

Going back to a “sure foundation”, all have weathered the storms of life, but not everyone experiences a storm at the magnitude of a Katrina. For those who build their life on shifting sand don’t always have to experience a major storm of life to fall or sink, but those who build their lives on the solid rock of Jesus can weather any storm that comes their way no matter how strong and violent it may be. As I read the chats talking of a reunion and the comments of some regarding their past, it was exciting to me to hear that despite the storms of life they went through they had dug in and drew closer to the risen Savior. They had been building their lives on the solid rock of Jesus, or if they hadn’t been they quickly changed that, and though they’ve experienced some strong storms along the way they are still standing. Granted, weathering some of the storms they had may have been great and hard to endure, but getting past the guilt, shame and embarrassment that some storms bring may be harder to endure and overcome for some, but in Christ there is life after the storm.

Years ago we proclaimed the sure foundation founded on Christ, not really realizing what that meant, but now we’ve come to understand what it really means to build on that foundation, and it’s good. It’s been a SURE FOUNDATION, INDEED. Maybe you realize that you haven’t been building your life on the solid rock of Jesus, and if so today is a good time to start. The only way to stay standing when the storms of life come is to build our lives on Jesus, and to build it on anything or anyone else will only lead to failure and collapse.

Jesus is, again, a SURE FOUNDATION, INDEED.

John Johansson

What’s Keeping You From Jesus?

For years many would argue that this isn’t the case, especially here in the USA, but each day we are seeing more and more hostility towards Jesus and the Christian faith. While there are some who would still argue the point, there is a growing number of people who are seeing this as a reality that can’t be ignored. Whether it is in the halls of government or in the school house, the neighbor down the street or one in our home, there is a growing consensus that Jesus and those who truly follow Him have no place in our lives, and that anything remotely connected to them must be passively ignored or less passively removed. The underlining idea behind much of it is that Jesus and His followers are standing in the way of global peace and unity among all mankind, and it is only when the influence of Jesus and His followers disintegrates into nothing or they have been removed that their aspirations of global peace and unity will be fulfilled.

So, why is it that people are so headstrong against Jesus and His followers? What is there about Jesus that triggers in some cases such violent behavior in its many different forms? We live in a world that tries to view things in a logical and educated way, but when it comes to Jesus and following after Him no place is given for pure logic and reason. I realize that there have been many, and I mean many, who have said and done many things in the name of Jesus for which Jesus had nothing to do with, so in looking at what keeps people from Jesus let’s look specifically at Jesus.

The way some look at Jesus and what Christianity represents, it would make one think that Jesus was a hardened criminal who held little regard for others, or even a master con-artist who was nothing like who He wanted to portray Himself to be. What was the message Jesus tried to convey to us? Was it a message of pain and hopelessness, or one that told us we were of no value and dispensable? No, not hardly. While we can say that Jesus was perfect and had no sin, which is true, there is nothing recorded to indicate He had said or done anything to warrant a capital offense or punishment in any way. What we do find is someone who cared enough about people to heal their sicknesses and disease, to raise them from the dead, to restore function of senses and bodily organs and functions. We see someone who encouraged people to love and forgive not just those who were dear to them, but also their enemies and those who despise or take advantage of them. We see someone in Jesus that wanted to even heal the emotionally broken and give them encouragement and hope, a reason to believe and to live. Everything about Jesus and what He said and did while here was out of love for each and every one of us, wanting to love, forgive, and heal us all. Jesus wanted to give us life, and not just life but life more abundantly that will last for all eternity. Yes, there were times that Jesus had to be firm and blunt with people, but it was because of His love for all of us and how He saw those people hurting and taking advantage of others that propelled Him to speak and to act as He did. When we simply look at Jesus we find love, grace, mercy, forgiveness, healing, freedom, hope and blessings eternal, so why would someone not want to embrace Him and pursue Him with all that they have? It would only seem logical and sound for someone to give their lives to Jesus, but for one reason or another people reject Him and His message for each and every one of us. That seems illogical and definitely not a smart thing to do, to reject Jesus.

There are many who cite hypocrites as their reason for not coming to Jesus. They say that if Jesus is anything like the people they see around them then they don’t want anything to do with Him, but that doesn’t make sense. I realize there are hypocrites that call themselves Christians but live different lives depending on who they are with or where they are at, but often time’s people are labeled as hypocrites simply because they aren’t perfect and living up to a standard the accuser thinks they should. The accuser somehow believes that if someone is a Christian then they will automatically live perfect and at a high standard almost right after conversion, but that line of thought is unrealistic and unreasonable. Jesus said He did not come for those who were well, referring to those spiritually healthy, but for those who were lost, dying or hurting spiritually. If that is the case then many will follow Him that are having to learn what it means to follow Him, and that can sometimes get “messy” and out of sorts. We don’t denounce the world’s top neuro-surgeon because some of those who love and embrace him continue to have problems in their life from before they had surgery, do we? Or what about the National Football League’s all-time best quarterback when those still in high school or college, those who look to him as their example and mentor, don’t live and play at the same level he does or by the standards he promotes? So, why do we do that with Jesus???

Some believe that choosing to not forgive someone that has wronged them in some way, even violently and without remorse, is more important than giving their lives to Jesus. They may argue that they can still be a Christian, but Jesus made it very clear that if we choose, and it is a choice, not to forgive someone after He’s forgiven us, then He won’t forgive us either. It doesn’t make sense for someone to forfeit a saving relationship with Jesus just because they don’t want to forgive someone else. For others, they are unwilling to change the purpose, the goals, the dreams of life and what is important to them to reflect a life centered on Jesus and all that He has for them. Some desire to live the way that they want to, no matter what the consequences are, and to embrace Jesus and what He has to offer them would interfere with their way of life and thinking, so they reject Him to pursue their own way of living. We could come up with other reasons why people won’t come to Jesus and give Him their lives, but the point is that whatever the reason one may have just doesn’t make logical sense.

In the attempt to keep Jesus at a distance in one’s life, many search for and embrace the teachings of those who work to discount Jesus and the God of the Christian and Judeo faith through “scientific” or “educated” means. Many don’t realize that that is what they are actually doing, but it is. They insist on using logic, archeology and other various scientific means to make their point, but in the process they themselves will either embrace those who share the same common ways of thinking or be quick to discount anything in the sciences that would indicate a conclusion other than what they want. What it comes down to is simply this, people will listen to whomever they choose to listen to, and they will believe whatever they choose to believe, regardless of whether or not it is true or false. Christians and Jews base their belief of what is true on the Bible, and they are finding that archeology and the sciences are validating the truth of the Bible more and more.

To sum it all up, what is keeping you from Jesus? What is keeping you from accepting Him and His love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and hope of life eternal? Can you really qualify you’re reasons as logical and sound, or do you need to take another look at them? When it’s all said and done, it isn’t how others have misled you, hurt or offended you, or anything else for that matter, the determination of where you will spend eternity will hinge squarely on what you did with Jesus in your life. No matter the excuse, one thing is sure is that excuses won’t be allowed in that courtroom.

What is keeping you from Jesus?

John Johansson

The Point of No Return

The other day I was approaching a traffic light that was green. I knew it was going to turn yellow soon but didn’t know when so I approached it with caution. There came a point when approaching it that I knew even if the light turned yellow I was going to have to keep going. It was what is commonly referred to as “the point of no return”. Ever been faced with such a situation?

The other night my wife and I were with some friends and we were talking about different cultures reaching their “point of no return” regarding the direction they were going. We talked about how America is speedily reaching its point of no return as it is racing as far from God and the Judeo-Christian values it was founded and built upon. Some may argue that there is no such point for a culture, a country, a family, or even an individual. We like to hold out hope that the God of the impossible, the Judea-Christian God, can always reach and restore those who are far from Him, and He’s more than able to do so. But the problem with this line of thought is that while they believe God is sovereign and there is nothing He can’t do, they forget that He’s given humanity a free will to choose whether or not to serve Him, and with that free will He will respect each person’s decision.

While there have been some who many thought would never change or give their lives to following and serving Jesus were reached, a testament of His abilities to reach people especially when prayer is involved, there are many more that won’t be reached because they’ve passed the point of no return. At some point in their life they made a conscious decision to have nothing to do with God, or to even allow Him to be a part of their lives, and God has honored that decision. Does that mean we don’t need to pray for those who seem to be unreachable with the Gospel? Absolutely not! We need to keep praying for them because we don’t know what is ahead, and it could be Gods response to our prayers that afford them more time in this life to change their mind.

Only God, and I want to emphasize only God, knows when a person has gone past the “point of no return” and that they will not have any more opportunities to accept and follow Jesus as their Lord and Savior. With that in mind, we need to keep reaching out to and praying for people, especially loved ones that don’t truly have a saving relationship with Jesus, that God will in some way be able to capture their hearts for salvation. Time is short and eternity lies in the balance. Eternity in Hell is an eternity no one really wants, but sadly enough many won’t believe that statement until they are there and it’s too late.

There are people that are so adamant against the God of the Judeo-Christian faith that they will not hear the Gospel, and in some cases will even fervently oppose Him and anyone who represents Jesus one way or another. Some will even go so far as to keep their eyes out for any possible discrepancy in a Christian’s life, or to twist and misrepresent things spoken by them, thereby giving them more of an excuse to reject Jesus. But, when it’s all said and done, when they stand before the God of all creation, the only thing they will be judged for is what they did with Jesus, and any excuses they have to offer now will not be allowed then. God can reach these people, but we need to keep them in prayer and hope they haven’t gone past the point of no return, the point that ONLY God knows.

Let’s keep these people in prayer, asking God that they have an encounter with the risen Savior, Jesus.

John Johansson

What’s It Going To Take?

As we see Bible prophecies unfold before our very eyes at breakneck speeds, a thought that crosses my mind is, “what is it going to take?” What is it going to take for people to get serious about their relationship with Christ?

There are so many things happening that it’s almost dizzying trying to keep up with it all. It doesn’t matter if it’s local or on a state level, or even on a national or global scale, there is just so much happening that people know that something is up. There’s talk of an impending economic collapse not just here in America, but also in other countries and foreign economic institutions. In America the government is developing more and more into “big brother” where we have less rights, less say, and less privacy. Natural disasters are almost becoming common place and their impacts are immeasurable. Let us not forget that there are wars all over the place with the grim projections of major wars on the horizon.

With everything going on in the world around us, and seeing Bible end-times prophecies being fulfilled right before our eyes as never before, what is it going to take for people to take their relationship with Jesus more seriously? It’s as if people would rather play a fiery game of “Russian Roulette” with eternity. Does this make sense to you? Is ones eternal destination really not all that important to them? Do they not truly understand what Jesus offers them in regards to eternity in Heaven, or even how bad hell is?

Often times it take a pretty traumatic or devastating chain of events or experiences that causes one to change and take things seriously with their relationship with Jesus. For some, it takes a devastating economic setback of some sort. For others, it’s the loss of a loved one, and for others poor health or the onset of a serious and potentially terminal disease or health condition. It may be the end of a marriage or the betrayal of ones you love and trust. The list of things that could cause one to stop and re-evaluate where they are in their relationship with Christ can be limitless. In any case, something had to happen in order for God to get their attention.

When these things happen, people have two options presented to them, so to speak. They have the option of allowing whatever it was that got their attention to propel them into the loving and gracious arms of Jesus, or they can choose to be angry, mad, and bitter towards God. The choice is theirs to make. The choice is yours to make.

So, if your relationship with Jesus is not of utmost importance to you, or it isn’t something you even care about, what is it going to take for that to change? What is it going to take for God to get your attention? What is it going to take? Think about it.

La, la, la, la …

The other day I was reminded of something many of us did when we were young, and for some even as adults. You know what I’m talking about, when we would cover up our ears when someone was talking because we didn’t want to hear what they were saying. Often times this behavior would be accompanied with the sound of “la, la, la, la ….” or some other gibberish coming out of our mouths. Why did we do that? We did it because we didn’t want to hear what they were trying to say, either because we simply didn’t care what they had to say, or we were afraid of what we thought they were trying to say and didn’t want to be held accountable for it. Once we’ve heard something we are then accountable to respond accordingly, so if we can avoid hearing it then we’re off the hook. Or, are we?

Just because I choose to not hear someone tell me a car is racing down the street heading my way doesn’t make it suddenly disappear or bring the car to a stop. If I decide I’m not going to hear what the person is trying to tell me then the odds are pretty high that I’m going to get hit by the car. So, why is it that we try so hard not to hear what others are trying to say to us, especially when the intent is for our benefit and best interests? Could it be that pride is possibly the main reason for this, thinking that no one knows better than we do as to what is best for us?

I mentioned that I was reminded recently about this kind of behavior. The context was in regards to our relationship with Christ. It was said that we are only accountable for what God speaks and deals with us about, and that just reading about something in God’s word isn’t enough to hold us accountable for it. I wonder, though, how often God does try to speak to us about something but we’ve in essence covered our ears so we can’t hear him, and if that’s not enough we begin making all kinds of “noise” to make it clear we don’t want to hear him? Many times Jesus would state, “he that has ears to hear, let him hear what the Spirit (of God) says …”. As I’m writing this a thought comes to my mind. Ears on a dead body can’t hear, so if ears can hear that would mean one is alive? How can one hear what the Spirit of God is saying unless they are first alive in Christ? So, when Jesus makes the above statement, I can’t help but wonder if He’s referring to those who have entered into a relationship with Him. If that is the case, then He’s indicating that not everyone who has ears to hear will hear what He’s saying to them.

Why is it that we may not be hearing what He’s trying to say to us? Is it because we don’t care what He’s saying, thinking He doesn’t know what is best for us? Or, could it be that we are just afraid of what He may be saying knowing that if we hear it we are then accountable to it? And the “noise”, well that could be just about anything from boisterous behavior to a busy lifestyle, or even the projection of a spiritual mask that we want others to see. Either way, just as the car mentioned above won’t stop simply because we didn’t want to hear what was being said to us, even so we will still be accountable for what God is trying to tell us even though we figuratively cover our ears with our hands. Are you covering your ears to block what God may be trying to say to you? Do you think He’s asking or requiring something from you that you don’t want to give up or change, and if you don’t hear it He won’t hold you accountable for it? Are you keeping yourself preoccupied with other various activities to keep your mind off of it?

This is not the time to be plugging our ears to what the Spirit of God is trying to say to us. The return of Christ for His bride is believed by many, including myself, to be imminent, and if that is true then you don’t want to be caught off guard and unprepared with your “ears” covered up. If you’ve been busy covering or plugging up your ears, now is the time to uncover them and hear what God is trying to tell you. Does that mean you’ll hear everything He’s trying to tell you, not necessarily, but at least your heart will be telling Him that you’re open to His direction and correction which will help you become more like Jesus, and more importantly prepare you for His soon return. So, set some time aside and allow Him to speak freely to you about any and everything He desires to, allowing Him access and say over every area of your life.

John Johansson

To subscribe to my blogs visit http://johnejo.com/rshophar/blogcentral/subscriptions/