What Did You Say?

By Jerry Broussard

1 Peter 4:12-19; 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler. 16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”  

19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (NIV)

I am reluctant to start this observation with a litany of the ills of America and our society. Yet, based on recent voter turnouts, such a review is necessary;

• Our Federal government has reached the “out-of-control” point with spending and debt. We are months, may be weeks, away from declaring bankruptcy. Some believe that the Obama administration is doing this deliberately in order to change our nation into a Western Europe Socialist nation.
• The manufactured tensions deliberately created between rich and poor continue to rise to the boiling point. The self-appointed “Professional Pot Stirrers” are working overtime to bring about an all-out war between the “haves” and the “have-nots”. Adding to the flame is the Obama administration’s economic policies creating more and more people on the government dole, ensuring the Leftist voting base.
• The manufactured tensions between the races (by the same source afore mentioned) is also reaching volatile levels.
• Taking advantage of the chaos are the various terrorist groups knowing they have a sympathetic Obama administration that will not call “terrorism” what it is; Terrorism. President Obama has stated he does not want to “rush to judgment” on terrorist like the Boston bombers.
• Unemployment continues to be a discussion instead of solution. Partisan politician’s think it more important to hang onto their stupid ideology instead of opening up the market place and let it heal itself.
• Education continues its downward spiral as liberal theology continues its influence in how children are educated. These philosophers constant complaint is that we are not spending enough money on education and yet test scores continue to rank at the bottom of the world’s results.
• Our society seems to be in an all-out sprint to become as corrupt as Sodom and Gomorrah. Leading the way are the homosexual activist demand for equal recognition in marriage, when all they really want is to shut the church up from teaching the truth about their abhorrent chosen lifestyle. By their side are the social-engineers recreating our nation into their own image.
• There are so many more, but let us sum up this list with the motivation for this writing; The Evangelical Church in America seems to spending most of its time “Playing-Church”, than being the church.

The Apostle Peter wrote to the church in the last days of his life. Both letters are so rich with revelation truth, but for this discussion, let us focus on the scripture already introduced. It is time for judgment to begin with the House of God.

One of the admonitions we have from Jesus is found in Mark 9:50; “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.” When Jesus gave this admonishment, salt was primarily used as a preservative for meat. They did not have refrigeration to keep meat from spoiling so they would pack it in salt. Salt slows down the “putrefaction” process. Therefore Jesus’ admonition is for His Church, His followers, to be SALT inside the church as well as within society. If the church is walking in obedience of Jesus’ Word, being DOERS of the Word, not HEARERS ONLY (James 1:22-25), than His Church becomes a preservative in society, slowing down the putrefaction process. As it is, our society stinks, and the fault lies at the front door of the Church.

I am quick to point out that there are churches that are “BEING THE CHURCH”. Unfortunately, they are a small minority. God will always have His remnant, and that remnant is alive and well in America. I am talking about the rest of the churches that seem to be more interested in “Great-God-Entertainment” (what they claim to be worship time), than in being Salt and Light in their community. Here are some examples;

• If we really have committed Evangelical Christians, than explain to me why we can only get 30 to 40% out to vote. Voting is one of the many ways to be SALT. Allowing the enemies of Jesus’ Church to reign speeds up the putrefaction process. Although it is not scripture, yet the proverb is important to heed; ‘The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.’ (English philosopher Edmund Burke); i.e., For Jesus’ Church to stop being Salt and Light.
• In the late 70’s someone did a study and found that if (at that time) all the Evangelical churches would take four people in and take care of their needs, there would be NO ONE LEFT ON THE WELFARE ROLES.
  • Galatians 2:10 sums up the constant focus of the early church; Take care of the poor.
  • Remember Jesus’ description of Judgment Day recorded in Matthew 25:25-46? The sheep and the goats both observed the same needs of their society. The only difference between the sheep and the goats is that the sheep DO The Work of Jesus’ Church while the goats did nothing.
  • Government took control of education because Jesus’ Church allowed it to happen. The original schools of education, SET UP BY CONGRESS, was done on Sundays, thus we had Sunday school. That became weekly classes as teachers were trained, and children were taught the basics of reading, writing, math, history, government, the Constitution (along with the Federalist Papers), and scriptural truth learning how to be Christian citizens. I doubt if any college graduate today could pass a Sixth Grade Final given in those days in order to be admitted into High School.
  • Entertainment, the Arts, Science and more were all created and developed by committed Christians as God gifted them. Jesus’ Church has allowed the secular world to take them over and used as a force against Jesus’ Church.

I could go on and on, however, I hope you are getting the point.

What I have found to be true over the last 40 plus years of study is that there are two different Christianity’s at work in our world today. There is Christianity the religion, and the original Christianity that is Jesus’ Church; Christianity the RELATIONSHIP.

• Christianity the Religion: Every bit as cold, dark, full of bondage as any other man made religion. This Christianity the political Left loves to berate. It has all the trappings of the real church, but as often rebuked by God, its motivations are all wrong. Its just religion. Not much different from idol worship and bigoted toward anyone who is not their denominational flavor.
• Christianity the Relationship is just that; a personal relationship with God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus’ Church consist of individual believers who have openly admitted they are sinners in need of a Savior, repent of their sins, accepted Jesus as their PERSONAL Lord and Savior, and made Jesus the absolute Lord of their lives. Jesus’ Church are the DOERS, those who do not care about the persecution, but have laid down their lives to speak up and fight for what is right, just, “and of good report”. They are feeding the poor, clothing the naked, visiting the sick, in prison, involved in the community, and VOTING –VOTING – VOTING.

During one of God’s rebukes of His nation Israel, He is quoted as saying in Judges 10:14; “Go and cry out to the gods you have chosen. Let them save you when you are in trouble!” (NIV) That rebuke is as applicable today as when God gave it back in Israel’s early development. They turned their back on God and His Word and went the way of the world. In today’s vernacular God said, “You created your gods (religion, lifestyle choices, politicians, political climate, economical disasters, strife between peoples and groups, schools that have failed, generations that have never heard the Gospel, terrorist gaining control of entire nations, unemployment, more poor today than ever in American history and so much more. Now, turn to those gods you have created and see if they can save you.”

Over the last 100 years, American society has proven what it can do. Disaster is the result. No matter how government tries to fix things, they only make them worse and more of our rights removed. We are getting further away from what our founders created because of hours of prayer, debate and the leading of God’s Holy Spirit.

I believe that judgment has begun with Jesus’ Church. In all of history, there has never been a time when we have been in need of revival than we are today. It is time for the Church to be the Church again. I am calling for all those of you who are Relationship Christians to join me in prayer, and then putting legs to those prayers and let us fight to get out country back.

Any takers?