There was a great article today in the Lexington Herald Leader titled Why I've adopted a no-politics policy at my church by Pastor Paul Prather. In His words:
Are you wrought up about how your tax money is spent? Jesus had a solution "Sell everything you have," he said. "Give all the proceeds to the poor." Read the entire article...
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone.
I am running in honor of my sister, Ramona Runyon who has battled lupus for 26 years. In July of this year I started training to run the Marshall University Marathon on November 7, 2010 to raise funds for the American Lupus Foundation in her honor.
I have not ran a marathon since the fall of 2007 when I completed three marathons in 9 weeks in raising funds for the American Heart Association in honor of my dad, Elmer Johnson and in memory of my good friend Cat Cavazos. Needless to say, I have had my work cut out for me in getting back into running shape.
I have battled running in the heat and humidity of central Kentucky all summer and developed tendinitis in my foot just a couple of weeks ago. The tendinitis will keep me from running the full marathon, but not the half marathon! I’m going to get out there and press toward the finish line as my temporary pain is nothing compared to the pain that lupus victims go through day by day in their battle against this disease.
Please go to http://www.LovingGodFellowship.org/Lupus and read more about this disease and how you can join me in making a difference. Always remember that you can do things that I can not do. I can do things that you can not do. Together we can do great things!
We live in difficult and often discouraging times. Many today are holding on to hope in the midst of sickness, disease, hunger, unemployment, despair and depression just trying to make ends meet. Beloved, keep holding on to hope and be encouraged in Christ today. He is our Blessed Hope!
I suspended the teachings in the Gospel of Mark over the last few weeks and instead made available Bible Messages that will build hope and faith in the midst if these very trying times. I expect to continue with the study in Mark soon as our Lord permits and leads. In the meantime, please listen to the Bible messages that we have made available in the last few weeks:
I pray that these messages will strengthen and encourage while building faith in each listener. After listening, please share them with friends and family.
Many in our day are falling for a different gospel. We need to be careful to line up every thing that we see and hear in church and every thing that we read from Christian authors with the teachings and actions of Christ. If it doesn't line up, it is a different gospel and we, as Christ followers, are to stay clear.
The apostle Paul sums it up best:
See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Colossians 2:8
Beloved, be careful. Read Matthew, Mark, Luke and John over and over again to be familiar with the teachings and actions of Christ. Don't accept anything less or anything other no matter who is teaching, preaching, writing or doing it. Be careful.
We stay strong and courageous because of God’s abiding presence. God tells Joshua "No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5 NIV) God also tells Joshua "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 NIV)
God is not telling Joshua that the journey is going to be easy. No, it is going to be everything but easy. Get your Bible out and read the book of Joshua and you will see how uneasy it was. God didn’t say it would be easy, but God did say that no one would be able to stand against him so there is no need to be terrified or discouraged.
In the midst of huge obstacles, Joshua was able to overcome and not be terrified or discouraged because of God’s abiding presence. God told Joshua that He would be with him wherever he went and that God would never leave him or forsake him. Joshua found out in all situations that if God is with you, it doesn’t matter how big the obstacle is, you will prevail.
Beloved, what obstacles are you facing in your journey? What seems to be insurmountable? What’s taking your joy? What’s taking your peace? What do you lie awake thinking about? Know this, that if God is with you, it doesn’t matter how big the obstacle is, you will prevail! You will overcome! When you look at that big obstacle, don’t be terrified and don’t be discouraged. God is with you and you will prevail!
The moment that you decided to follow Jesus and accepted the work He did for you on the cross, the Holy Spirit set up residence in you. He abides in you! You are now a temple of God. You house His Holy Spirit. That is the abiding presence of God in you.
It’s all because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. He took our punishment. He shielded us from the wrath of God. He suffered, bled and died so that we could experience the abiding presence of God for now and for all eternity! And now God has set up residence in us. In earthen vessels that are nothing but jars of clay. Everywhere we go, God goes with us. He will never leave us nor forsake us! He will get us through every obstacle on our journey from earth to Glory!
Praise God Beloved! Don’t be terrified! Don’t be discouraged! God is with you and has given you His Word. Talk about it! Meditate on it! Do it! God will give you the strength and the courage to be successful on your journey from earth to Glory! Nothing, absolutely nothing will prevail against you! No obstacle will hinder you on your Journey! God is taking you out of the wilderness and into His Promised Land. Be strong and courageous!
We stay strong and courageous by knowing and obeying God’s written Word. God tells Joshua "Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful." (Joshua 1:7-8 NIV)
God’s instruction to Joshua was 1) Talk about the Word 2) Meditate on the Word 3) Do the Word. God was telling Joshua to make God’s Word the authoritative guide for all beliefs and actions.
Beloved, we are to make the Bible the authoritative guide for all of our beliefs and our actions. It is so vital, especially in the day that we are living. The Word of God is the only absolute truth that we have to stand on. As we talk about the Word of God, as we meditate on the Word of God and as we do the Word of God, we will obtain strength and courage for the journey ahead of us. Whatever obstacles that we are confronted with, we will be able to overcome! Nothing, absolutely nothing will conquer us on our journey from earth to glory!
Joshua is an Old Testament type of Christ. Joshua points to Jesus. The name Joshua means “the Lord saves” and the Greek form of the name Joshua is Jesus. Jesus came to earth and showed us how to be strong and courageous on our journey. He talked about the Word, He meditated on the Word and He did the Word. He fulfilled everything that was written about Him in the prophetic books of the Bible. From His virgin birth to His death on the cross to His resurrection; He did the Word. He overcame every obstacle including an old rugged cross and a cold damp tomb.
Hallelujah Beloved! Talk about the Word of God. Meditate on the Word of God. Do the Word of God. God will strengthen you. God will give you courage. God will take you out of the wilderness and place you in His Promised Land! Glory Be to God!
Know that you are loved,
gaj
Posted by: Rev. Greg Johnson AT 09:00 am
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You may have just completed the worse week in your life; be strong and courageous. You may be getting ready to go into the worse week in your life; be strong and courageous. Your health may be failing; be strong and courageous. Your finances may not be enough; be strong and courageous.
In the midst of a world that grows increasingly out of step with the Gospel, be strong and courageous. In the midst of world terrorism, be strong and courageous. In the midst of economic uncertainty, be strong and courageous. In the midst of wars and rumors of wars, be strong and courageous. In the midst of global warming and record setting numbers of natural disasters, be strong and courageous. In the midst of a flu pandemic, be strong and courageous.
In Joshua Chapter 1 of God’s Word, God tells Joshua repeatedly to “be strong and courageous.”
After the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, the LORD said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses' assistant, "Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel. Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given to you, just as I promised to Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon as far as the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites to the Great Sea toward the going down of the sun shall be your territory. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life. Just as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you or forsake you. Be strong and courageous, for you shall cause this people to inherit the land that I swore to their fathers to give them. Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go. This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:1-9 ESV)
God is getting ready to take Joshua and the people of Israel on a journey out of the wilderness in which they had been wondering in for forty years and into the Promised Land. It won’t be easy. They would face a lot of obstacles on their journey that they would have to overcome, but God is telling them to be strong and courageous.
We likewise are on a journey. On our journey, we keep our eyes fixed on Jesus. Jesus is taking us out of the wilderness and into the Promised Land. It’s a journey from earth to Glory. We will face a lot of obstacles on our journey that we will have to overcome, but God encourages us to be strong and courageous.
In the midst of known and unknown obstacles in life, how do we stay strong and courageous?
I will attempt to answer that question in the next two blog posts.
Beloved, please give me the freedom of asking you some questions. What are you doing with your life today? Are you denying self daily? Are you following Christ daily? Is your life a reflection of His life? Are you a part of the kingdom of God that has been established in Jesus that He is currently ruling over? Have you been baptized into His body by the Holy Spirit (referred to as regeneration or born again)?
Please do not confuse church membership or walking an aisle and repeating a prayer after a minister as a replacement for any of these. These acts of the modern church are not found in Scripture. Following Jesus and continuing His point of need ministry in the power of the Holy Spirit is found in Scripture and is the fruit of those who have been birthed into His Kingdom through the Holy Spirit.
Follow Jesus today Beloved. Follow Him. He will take you on a wonderful journey from earth to glory and many people will be touched along the way as you reveal His kingdom to them through following Him. You will befriend people along the way that you never imagined as you see them through His eyes instead of through the eyes of society. Many will sense His love through you and desire to be a citizen of His Kingdom. That is how His Kingdom grows. We are given opportunity to not only participate in His Kingdom now, but also to help it expand. What a wonderful opportunity. Do not pass it up. And never go back.
Jesus said “For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14 ESV).” Through my years of ministry, study of Scripture and my personal experience with our Lord, I am convinced that the difference between the “called” and the “chosen” is obedience.
Many hear the call of Jesus to follow Him, but few are willing to deny self and follow Jesus. They count the cost and it is too costly. Levi counted the cost that day and he made the right choice. Levi, like the fishermen earlier, decided to give up everything to follow Jesus. But for Levi, there would be no turning back. Levi, also named Matthew (Matthew 9:9), would later give us the Gospel of Matthew as another God inspired writing of the life and teachings of Jesus.
Many in our day confuse going to a church building and attending a service as following Christ and serving Him. There is absolutely nothing wrong with attending church, but I fear we have missed the whole meaning of following Christ and I have dedicated the rest of my life to help people around the world understand what following Christ means so that they can count the cost and make the right decision as Levi did. There are so many in our day who have fell for a different gospel that is not based on the life and teachings of Christ. We must get back to following Christ and His teachings. It’s an imperative from Him that we must obey to be among the “chosen.”
Levi’s tax booth is located at the Sea of Galilee so that taxes (a small business tax) could be imposed on all of the fish that the fishermen where catching for their livelihood (Mark 2:13-14). Jesus, just days earlier had called four fishermen at the same location to follow Him and He would make them become “fishers of men” (Mark 1:16-20). Now Jesus takes these four individuals, Simon, Andrew, James and John, back to the same booth where they were extorted taxes from throughout their careers as fisherman and He shows them that He not only came to befriend the fishermen, but He also came to befriend the tax collector.
What a lesson for these new followers to learn about Jesus and His Kingdom. It was a lesson revealing equality for all which is an attribute of His kingdom. To answer the call of Jesus to follow Him meant that people would have to leave their professions and livelihoods. It was a tough decision to make on very little information. The fishermen Jesus had called earlier had an easier decision than Levi though, because if things didn’t work out with Jesus, they could always go back to fishing. But if Levi left his very lucrative government profession, he could never go back.
Beloved, please know that it is all about choices that we make. Today, as in Jesus’ day, He is still calling people to follow Him, but we must choose. God will never make the choice for us. He loves us so much that He desires to spend eternity with us, but He will not choose if we follow Jesus or not. If He did, He would override our human will and in doing so would not be a just God. But, God is just, so He calls us and allows us to choose if we will deny self and follow Jesus, making Him our Lord and our Savior.
It doesn't matter what we have done or what we have become, The imperative to follow Jesus remains.
He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. (Mark 2:13-14 ESV)
Levi was a tax collector who, like others, had heard about Jesus and the Kingdom He was revealing through His words and actions. Levi didn’t go to the synagogue and hear Jesus there on the Sabbath, nor did he attend the meeting in the home that Jesus had just left where He preached, forgave sins and brought health equality to a paralytic (Mark 2:1-12). So on this particular day, Jesus went to where Levi worked.
Jesus went to Levi’s place of unjust business practices, but He not go there to condemn Levi, debate with him or to ridicule him. Instead, Jesus went there to befriend Levi the tax collector, the one who the religionists of Jesus’ day considered worse than a sinner. Jesus went to befriend Levi, the publican; the Jew who collected unjust taxes for the roman authorities. The Jewish people classified tax collectors with the murderers and robbers.
Jesus wanted to befriend this man that was wealthy and despised so He went beyond the walls of a religious institution and the confines of a service to go to the tax booth. Along the way He taught the crowds who followed Him more about His Kingdom which was being established through Him.
Notice what Jesus does not do when He arrives at the tax booth. He does not tell Levi that He needs to be “saved.” He does not invite Levi to a building, service, program or event. He does not have Levi repeat the “sinners” prayer. When Jesus arrives at Levi’s workplace, all that He says is “follow me.”
That's all Jesus asks today. It doesn't matter what we have done or what we have become, Jesus still requests that we follow Him. He will make us in to what He desires us to be as we deny self and follow Him.
There are big debates today over taxes. There are those who favor cutting taxes for the wealthy so that money can trickle down. There are those who favor cutting taxes for the middle class and raising taxes for the wealthy so that money can trickle up. There are those who favor a flat tax. There are those for big government and more taxes. There are those for small government and fewer taxes. Whatever your opinion is, we all must admit that concerning taxes, we are far better off than it was in Jesus’ day.
In Jesus’ day, Palestine was under Roman oppression and the tax system was unjust and very corrupt taking advantage of the poor so that the wealthy empire of Rome with its powerful war machine could operate and its rulers live a luxurious life. Now some would say that it is the same in our day, but stay with me for a minute.
In Jesus’ day, the emperor of Rome would decide how much it would take to not only run his government and big war machine, but also how much he would need to live a luxurious life. He would charge the governors of the providences under roman occupation and oppression to collect a tax that would support what was needed for Rome. The governor of the providence would then decide how much he needed to live a luxurious life and would increase the percentage of taxes to be collected for his cut before passing the rest to Rome. The governor hired tax collectors from the people who were oppressed and allowed them to raise the tax percentage collected however much they wanted to take their cut of the tax pie.
Needless to say, tax collectors were very wealthy and very much disliked. Jesus called Levi out of tax collecting and into following Him.
He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. (Mark 2:13-14 ESV)
In the second chapter of Mark, Jesus continues to show His followers that ministry goes beyond the walls of a religious institution and the confines of a service. Jesus goes from preaching the Word, forgiving sins and bringing health equality to a paralytic in a home (Mark 2:1-12) to teaching beside the sea and going to befriend a tax collector.
He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, "Follow me." And he rose and followed him. (Mark 2:13-14 ESV)
Today there is much fuss about taxes. I pay my taxes, but I’m no tax expert nor am I an economist with an opinion on what tax structure is best for people and the economy. One thing I do know is that I would rather be paying taxes today than in Jesus’ day.
In Jesus’ day there was much fuss about taxes also, but Christ did not get involved in the debate. One thing He did do was go out of His way to befriend the tax collectors even though the taxes they imposed were oppressive and unjust.
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