Progressive – The Arrow Preacher

I’m Shameless

Growing up, I often kept my faith to myself. I was already facing constant discrimination and bullying because of my economic class, I didn’t want to face more degradation, and belittling. I spent many years secretly praying, and worshiping without friends knowing. I placed so much emphasis on what others thought, that I hid what should have been most important. I concealed what I should have been screaming from the hilltops for all the world to hear.

The sad truth is, for much of my young life, I prayed not of Gods glory, but rather his mistake. I prayed to God to let me die for a long time. I was miserable for so many years I couldn’t see anything else. I couldn’t understand why Jesus would allow me to be in such misery. I couldn’t understand why I was created the way I was. I often cried myself to sleep just wishing I wouldn’t wake up again. I prayed that the Lord would take me home, and I didn’t care how. After 1997 I renewed my cries to end my suffering. God it seemed had something else in mind.

Starting in 1995 I began bouncing around where I lived, and as God would have it, I would eventually find myself and my path, but not one of smooth trails, but rather thistles, twists, turns, and more heartache I ever thought I could face. The truth is, I was a very broken person, and not knowing or understanding the true nature of God, I had no idea how to manage what I was feeling. It wasn’t till my adult years, and after a significant, life threatening trauma, that I would learn the true love of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

After a life threatening gunshot wound, I would nearly die in an ambulance on the way to the hospital. I would be somewhere between life and death, and in that moment, hearing the words of God, “YOU’RE FORGIVEN!” I came to understand. This life is a journey, one that prepares us, forges us, for what’s to come. This life is about loving Jesus, and loving the other humans that are also on their own journey. Scripture tells us ““Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” If the gate to Heaven is so narrow, then every moment in this life matters. How much do we have to truly hate our neighbors, that we shall not share the saving grace of Jesus. As the Apostles before us died for their faith, what will we lose for Jesus? Do we keep the light of eternity hidden under a bushel? If we are afraid of the world, and what they may say, or do, should we not be more afraid of standing before the Judgment Seat of the Father? What can the world do to us, when eternity is on the line? Who should come to the father who has denied his Love for others and the teaching we have at our fingertips? Do we prefer the acceptance of the world over that of an Eternal Hell? I call to you my brothers and sisters, do not sit in this life upon the word of God, but rather, stand boldly and share it.

As my life nearly ended in my own sorrow, I found reformed perception, and we cannot be ashamed of our faith. We cannot deny Christ as Peter did. Peter saw the error of his ways, and going from denying Christ three times as prophesied by his Lord, he was crucified upside down, as not to die in the same manner as his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Are we willing to stand up and be bold in our faith?

Going through so much as a child, and seeing war as a young adult, and then surviving two marital affairs that came with tremendous heart break, being forced to rebuild multiple times, I have had my life compared to that of Job. Didn’t the Lord restore Job and I have seen in my own life the Lord restored to me more than I had before. The Lord restored my faith, rebuilt me, gave me meaning in this life. The Lord saved a wretch like me, and gave me direction. While the struggles in life will assuredly continue, I can face tomorrow with assurance that I am not alone in my fight. As Paul said, he ran the race, and fought the good fight. Paul who gave up everything for the name of Christ, who gave up wealth, prestige, peace, notoriety, friends, and family, he couldn’t be silent in the truth. See, we often look at truth in today’s society as fluid, but Paul shows us, that it isn’t a fluid truth, but rather one truth. To give up a lush life, for one of pain, suffering, struggles, and ultimately death, one does not do this lightly or for a lie. Paul could not stay in his sinful ways, hunting and murdering those who followed the way of Jesus. Paul had to acknowledge the truth, and knowing what it would mean, he would stand before man and boldly proclaim the name of Christ. He would take the beatings, the stoning’s, the jailing’s, and ultimately beheading, for the name of Christ. We stand here today afraid of being mocked and ridiculed, but what is true persecution. Jesus tells us we will be persecuted, but I call to you Christian, do not be blind to the world, but open your eyes to see where we are, and where we are going. Jesus shows us that persecutions will come, and while here in the U.S. we are headed towards persecution, in many parts of the world persecution means certain death. Here we hide because we want to be accepted, but accepted into what?

We are so afraid to share our testimony, or our experiences of how Jesus has changed us, we are not glorying Jesus as we should. Having been there myself, surrounded by those who would laugh, and point fingers, I spent years running from the truth. Do not be afraid my friends, my brothers and sisters in Christ. Stand tall, and stand firm on the truth, and do not be conformed to this world. Do not allow this world to influence, to change, or alter scripture. Do not change the word of Christ to fit into the world. Scripture is clear that we are not to be conformed to the world. We must stand firm on the Word of God, which needs no alterations. Everything we do, needs to be through the lens of Christ. Everything we do must be held to scripture. Everything we say and do will be held accountable before the only Judge, and we will have no excuse. When the world says one thing, point to your Bible which is truth. As Garth Brooks once said, “Son, it ain’t what you’re drivin’, or the clothes that you wear, material possessions won’t matter up there. Someday in heaven when the angels all sing, these rags that I’m wearin will be fit for a king.” It isn’t the material possessions, the fame, the prestige, the acceptance of the world, that will save you. It’s better to be on the outs with the world, than to be on the outs with Jesus.

This world is changing, and moving into a dangerous direction. If you’re going to change the world, start with the person in the mirror. Follow truth, and realize the blessings God has done for you. Do not stray from scripture, the truth, but instead accept it, that needs no changing. My heart was set free from this world, and has been grafted with the Holy Spirit. Mend your broken heart with the Blood of Christ. Take that transfusion, and let his Blood heal you, replacing the disease we know as sin. Let Christ be your great physician, and let us heal this world, by sharing the TRUE love of Jesus Christ, and his infallible, unwavering, words of truth. If 12 nobody’s can change the world, who stood tall in their faith, imagine what we can do, if we stand on His truth. God Bless.

A Light in the Darkness

The darkness has covered the whole of the Earth. The fear, and hate, anger all flows around us like the wind through the trees. In this world the negativity and fear have flooded our streets, our schools, our homes, and we face tough situations every day in this life. With the world telling us one thing, and the scripture telling us another, we are left in the darkness of our own minds, our own beds to consider what’s going on. “Live in this world, but do not be conformed to it.” What does it mean to be a Christian today? If a Christian gets angry and says some bad things, they are condemned and ridiculed for it. The hardships Christians face today in a world that’s forever growing more bitter and ‘progressive’, Christians are not the ones antiquated, out of date. See, Christians have been facing persecution since it’s founding after Christ rose from the dead. Today it seems the church is once again under attack in many ways. This growing persecution although it’s not new, it does seem like a failing environment which is allowing an epic proportion of sexual immorality, divorce, abuse, criminal activities, all on an biblical scale. People no longer prescribe to the law of the Holy Book. We show similar behaviors of Sodom and Gomorrah, so it begs the question will we one-day face judgment as they did. While this is something heard quite often that if we (the USA) doesn’t change our ways if God doesn’t intervene soon, God would owe Sodom an apology. This isn’t the only city in the Bible that was full of debauchery, alcohol abuse, and all manner sinful behavior, you have probably heard of it, Corinth, as in 1^stand 2^ndCorinthians. An interesting point to mention is the city of Corinth was rebuilt by Julius Cesar and within the city a new temple to the Roman goddess of Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Corinth was a large commercial center and with as much traffic that it had ritualistic prostitution as a regular part of life. Corinth needed to see the light, and I suggest that we the USA also need to see the light.

I often wonder how my own life will affect those around me in this life. I fully admit that there are times my struggle with depression is evident and public. I am not a perfect man, but I try hard to be more then a debby downer, or a pessimist. I believe God has plans for me. I trust that I am where God wants me, the leading question is why? I recently watched God’s Not Dead (3) A Light in Darkness. In that movie I was flooded with feelings of faith that there is a solution to many of our negative outlooks. Love and grace is always the way we as Christians need to behave. So many people are pushed away from the faith because of someone’s actions, or someone’s words. There’s a reason the Apostle Paul remained in Corinth for so long, the darkest of places often require the most work. When we consider hope, we should be looking at Christ as our example. Christ was an amazing man of liberties. Christ not only healed the sick, raised a man from the dead, fed the masses with bread, fish and wine by using Divine power to multiply the food. Not only did he do all that he also spoke out for woman’s rights, and the rights for children. He spoke out for the poor, and the despair of people. If he can bring so much hope to the world, why can’t we live our lives being slow to anger, slow to wrath, and slow to negative actions? We must learn to be better in control of our actions. Yes we’re all human, and we all fall short to the glory of God, but we all need to be a little more like Christ, and a lot less like the world.

I can’t say I’ve always been the best at being the conduit for Christ’s love. When the world beats you down, especially for those in the military, police, emergency services it’s not always easy to stay bright for others. We have to remember that when we are down in our low places someone is there for us. Christ loves us so we are given what we need, when we need it. Christ has a plan for us, and those plans are to prosper not to live in despair. We need God’s grace and we must show why others need God’s grace. Ephesians 2:8-12 (NKJV)8 “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast. 10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Grace is everything; because it’s through grace we are given the gift of eternal life with Jesus. Light up the dark, and remember always, God’s NOT Dead.