Author: John Page 157 of 166

Colossians 3:2 “Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Exodus 20:3 “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”

As I briefly mentioned in my previous post, my son got saved last week.  Though he is young, it became clear that he was ready to accept Christ based on a laser-like focus on his need for salvation.  Indeed, when he met us early Saturday with a Bible in his hand and a determined look on his face, his conviction was undeniable.  His affection was undoubtedly on things above.

American Christians have allowed so many things to crowd out the Lord as the preeminent object of our attention and affection.  Clamoring demands have damped our convictions.  While we may not admit it, idols are as prevalent today as the molten images of days past.  Sometimes they come in the form of fame, wealth, popularity, and promotion.  Sometimes they come in the form of possessions, raises, awards, and accolades.  They can entrap us as a part of our lives at school or at home; they can tempt us in our workplaces or our neighborhoods.  They can even ensnare us as a part of our families or our ministries.

Some are obvious, while some are insidious.  They become apparent based on the allocation of our time, our money, and our energy.  They are often evident by a glance at our day planners or our budgets.  They are always evident to the Lord by a glace at our hearts.  PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD PURGE MODERN-DAY IDOLS FROM OUR LIVES.  As God’s children, whether newly saved or seasoned Christians, our affection should never be set on the things of this earth.  Instead, it should rightfully be on things above.

Hebrews 12:1-2 “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right had of the throne of God.”

My son Noah, who got saved last week (more on this in my next post), learned how to ride his bike without training wheels a few months ago.  As compared to my other children, teaching him was easy.  The only minor pitfall during the process was the day of the week we chose to make the no-training-wheel leap.  It was trash pickup day, with large green garbage cans looming on the side of the road; these out-of-the-way obstacles captured Noah’s attention.  In fact, his one problem was that he was so worried about the garbage cans that he looked at them as he rode.  Sure enough, looking at them caused him to steer towards them and he ran into several as a result.  These garbage can mishaps were caused by failing to look where he wanted to go, and instead looking where he did not want to go.

In life, looking anywhere other than towards Jesus will cause us to diverge from Him.  This divergence based on our gaze may not be towards something as filthy as a garbage can, but anything that captures our primary attention other than the Lord will weigh us down in our Christian race.  Indeed, American Christians have been captivated by everything but the Lord, causing us repeated mishaps that have diminished the effectiveness of our collective testimonies.  PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD TRULY MAKE THE LORD THE PRIMARY FOCUS OF OUR ATTENTION.  If we want our race to be effective, we must do so.  Otherwise, we will continue to be garbage can casualties.

Acts 22:10 “And I said, What shall I do, Lord?  And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus; and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.”

Once Saul confirmed that the Lord was the One giving him the orders, he was an eager volunteer.  In a flash of light, Saul went from proud self-sufficiency to humble servanthood.  Like Isaiah, he wasn’t concerned with the details of his assignment, because he trusted the assignor.  He didn’t quibble over the directions, because he trusted the director.  He didn’t hold out for a better offer, because he trusted the offeror.

Saul’s new attitude was much like the Marine Corps slogan “We don’t accept applications, only commitments.”  He was committed to following the Lord, wherever the leading would take him.  Saul recognized that the Lord’s direction comes with personal responsibility to faithfully follow.

American Christians need to eagerly follow the Lord’s call for personal commitment and responsibility.  The Lord needs us to humbly say “What shall I do, Lord?” and then we must obediently follow whatever the answer may be.  PLEASE PRAY THAT INDIVIDUAL AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD BE HUMBLY COMMITTED TO SERVICE AS THE LORD DIRECTS.  Every one of us has a Damascus where the Lord will lead us.  Obediently follow him there and beyond!

Isaiah 6:8 “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

We need more American Christians who will act like Isaiah.  Before he even knew what the Lord wanted him to do, Isaiah was a volunteer.  He was personally committed to serve the Lord.  Isaiah didn’t wait for others to take the lead; he took it himself.

It is simplistic to pinpoint widespread revival as the solution to our national problems.  It is easy to passively expect others to correct our culture.  It is a sterile platitude to demand a return to the values of our forefathers.  It is agnostically academic to sit ideally by and critique the failures of our population.  It is ignorantly idealistic to expect change without individual effort.

It is naïve to presume change … apart from your involvement.  Revival begins at the personal level.  Change originates through individual initiative.  Values shift when people consistently demonstrate them in their own lives.

Groups are comprised of individuals.  We is made up of me; us is made up of you.  If I don’t get to work, then there is nothing we can do.  If the Lord can’t count on you, then He can’t count on us.   PLEASE PRAY FOR A VOLUNTEER SPIRIT THAT RECOGNIZES YOUR PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY TO FOLLOW WHEN THE LORD LEADS YOU.  American Christians can only make a difference if we are composed of individual Christians would will say “Here am I; send me.”

Proverbs 22:29 “Seest thou a man diligent in his business?  He shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.”

The last three posts about Godly wisdom are not meant to detract from the necessity for Christians to prepare themselves through diligence and hard work.  Daniel and Joseph thrived based on both spiritual and professional preparation.  While we should always humbly recognize that only the Lord can give us true wisdom, failing to prepare properly to succeed in life can limit our potential for influence.  Sadly, some Christians eschew education, shun scholarship and dodge development just to be counter-cultural.  It is then no surprise that they are unable to stand before kings with a credibility that compliments their testimony.

Wisdom should be approached like a typical prayer request.   ‘You should work as if it is all up to you, and pray as if it is all up to God.’  Doing so does not deny wisdom’s ultimate source, but provides a personal context within which to assimilate wisdom.

We need American Christians who can stand before kings with sterling testimonies AND resumes.  We need American Christians who can stand before kings with unfaltering faithfulness AND expertise.  We need American Christians who can stand before kings with stellar humility AND pedigree.  We need American Christians who can stand before kings with distinct levels of faith AND accomplishment.  We need American Christians who can stand before kings with unwavering reliability AND credibility.

PLEASE PRAY THAT AMERICAN CHRISTIANS WOULD FAITHFULLY DEVELOP ALL ASPECTS OF OUR LIVES.  We must impact our land through all avenues available to us, and stand before kings with multi-dimensional distinctiveness.