Forget the hypocrites! As Christiangoths, You be the example....Let this be your mind-set and battle cry:
We are part of the fellowship of the unashamed: We have Holy Spirit power. The dye has been cast. We have stepped over the line. The decision has been made. We won't look back, let up, slow down, or back away. Our pasts are redeemed. Our present makes sense and our futures are secure. We are finished and done with low living, slight-walking, small planning, lame division, mundane talking, colorless dreams, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. We no longer need pre-eminence, position, promotion, plaudits, or popularity. We don't have to be first! We don't have to be right! We don't have to be recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded! We live by faith, lean on his presence, walk with patience, lift by prayer and labor by power. Our pace is set, our gait is fast.... Our goal is heaven. Our road is narrow, our way is rough, our companions few, our guide reliable, and our mission clear! We cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, deluded or delayed. We will not flinch in the face of sacrafice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. We won't give up, shut up or let up until we've stayed up, prayed up, paid up and preached up for the cause of Christ. We are diciples of Christ. We must go 'til He comes! Give 'til we drop! "Preach" 'til all know, and work 'til He stops us! When He comes for His own, He won't have any trouble recognizing us. Our banner will be clear. (Dr. Bob Moorehead)
A special message of encouragement FOR CHRISTIANGOTHS:
TO CHRISTIAN GOTHS by Pastor Dave (from Sanctuary Ministry)
What can we do in these dark times? I believe that the Christian gothic/industrial community has been called for such times as these. Who else is more prepared to deal with dark days and painful times? You are a tribe of poet/priests and poet/warriors called to fight the darkness you know so well. Like Stryder and the Northern Rangers in "The Lord of the Rings," you will be used to fight the shadows of fear and terror in the dark forests and murky swamps which lie outside the boundaries of the land of the Hobbits. Those Hobbits may never understand or appreciate the work you are called to do and the sacrifices God calls you to - but we do not fight the good fight for their approval. We do it because we already have His.So what can we do in these dark times? Be who you are. Be confident in your unique calling. You are a chosen tribe, a holy nation of priests (I Pet. 2:9) and a peculiar people (special treasure) (Exod. 19:5; Deut. 14:2) of a Holy (unique, special, set-apart) God. Be imitators of Christ. Look in the mirror. Surrender the weights (of fear, bitterness, the past, the pain) that hold you down (Heb. 12:1-4), and walk in His way. Do not forsake the fellowship of like-minded believers. Read the Word. Walk the Word. Remember where you came from. Come along side the misfits and the disenfranchised. Be ready to die: to your old life, to your dreams, to your glory, to your sin-nature, to this world, to this body. Remember it’s all going to burn. Remember that our suffering will not last forever. Live to hear these words and these words alone: "Well done good and faithful servant" (Mt. 15:21, 23).
pastor dave ~ Sanctuary International, San Diego
"THE HYPOCRITE HANG-UP"
Seven years of junior high band concerts.
Yes, that was the
special joy Karen and I share since all three of the Hutchcraft kids were
in junior high band. Now it wasn't always a supreme musical experience,
but, hey, it's our kids, right? Now, let's imagine you have never heard of
the brilliant composer Ludwig von Beethoven before. And I say to you,
"Beethoven was a genius. His music is some of the most beautiful ever
written." You're a little skeptical because you've never heard any of him,
but I suggest a way to remedy that. See, the junior high band is having a
concert this week, and they're performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony. So you
go, and you come back to me saying, "I thought you said this Beethoven guy
was a genius! I just heard his music. It wasn't brilliant!" Now
what's
the problem here? It isn't Beethoven - it's the way that band played his
music. Just because they don't play his music well doesn't mean the man
who wrote the music wasn't a genius!
Well, I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to
have A WORD WITH YOU today
about "The Hypocrite Hang-up"
I've devoted my life to telling people
about the Genius who can
harmonize our lives, who wrote the music that's supposed to guide
everything we do. His name is Jesus. But many people - maybe you - can't
bring themselves to a point where they will put their trust in Jesus Christ
to be their own personal Savior. And one of the biggest
reasons? Christians. Christians who are hypocrites. Maybe some
hypocrites you know have been a major roadblock in your considering Christ.
Well, that's why I'm so glad for today's
word for today from the
Word of God, where Jesus clarifies what, and who, is the issue in this
whole Christian thing. Mark 2:14, our word for today from the Word of God
- "As Jesus walked along, He saw Levi, sitting at the tax collector's
booth. Follow Me, Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed Him."
Jesus sums up here the central decision
we all have to make by
issuing this clear, two-word invitation that He gave to many people:
"Follow Me." Jesus said, "I'm the issue. Make your decision
about
ME." He repeated that invitation so many times when He was here on
earth. And it's His invitation to you and me today. As for those
Christians who aren't a very good advertisement - well, they're like that
junior high band trying to play that Beethoven symphony. Unfortunately,
some of us don't play Jesus' music very well. But that has nothing to do
with Jesus. He is still the Genius who forgives our failures and loves us
with "never-leave-you" love, and takes us to heaven when we die.
Jesus didn't say, "Follow My
followers," or "Follow My leaders,"
or "Follow My religion." He said, "Follow ME." The only
reason not to be
a Christian is if you've got something against Jesus. And there wasn't a
trace of hypocrisy in Him.
All that will matter when you keep your
appointment with God is
what you did with Jesus, His one and only Son who died on the cross to pay
... not for His sins, but for yours. Honestly, there is no place to hide
when it comes to Jesus. Either you commit yourself to this Man who died
for you or you turn your back on Him and walk away.
It is all about Jesus. And maybe
you're ready to surrender all
the baggage that's kept you from His love. It's Jesus and you, because
it's Jesus you're trusting, not Christianity. Maybe you're ready to begin
this relationship you were created for. Tell Him that. And, if you would,
let me send you the booklet I wrote about beginning with Jesus called
"Yours For Life." We'll tell you how to get in touch with us in just a
moment.
On Judgment Day, it will be you and
Jesus. Today it's you and
Jesus. In the words of an old hymn, "What will you do with Jesus? Neutral
you cannot be. For someday your heart will be asking, 'What will He do
with me?'"
If you're not sure you belong to Jesus, and you would like to make sure
today, Ron would like to send to you a free copy of the booklet, "Yours for
Life: How to Have Life's Most Important Relationship." To read the online
version, go to:
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bounce?b=871
OR, to request your free copy of "Yours for Life," click here:
http://www.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/bounce?b=872
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