Chris' Blog

Church, how do you fight a war?

Do you fight by...

1) Sticking together in groups, obeying your commanders, and fighting side-by-side with other soldiers.

Or do you fight by...

2) Disbanding and hiding among the enemy, blending in, until the war ends.

If the number one above is your answer, then why is the Church following number two?

What are we going to say to the commander when He asks us, “Where were you during the war?”

Are you going to tell Him that you were hiding among the wolves (enemy), not answering the call of the Sheppard (commander), when He came looking for you?

The reality is, we cannot hide from our commander (Jesus), He has us in His sight all the time, we are the ones who try to hide from Him, while He constantly reaches out to us, trying to bring us home.

Matthew 10 : 38:

38 and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me.

And we will never lose the Good Fight when we stay close to Jesus, obeying His every command.

Today, the Church is hiding among the wolves, dabbling in the world, instead of standing tall for Christ, and having an intimate relationship with Him. We think that our complacency will go unnoticed, and that we will be all set when the day of the Lord arrives.
My reply is - Who are we kidding?

Matthew 25 : 1-13:

The Parable of the Ten Virgins

1 "At that time the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 3 The foolish ones took their lamps but did not take any oil with them. 4 The wise, however, took oil in jars along with their lamps. 5 The bridegroom was a long time in coming, and they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
6 "At midnight the cry rang out: 'Here's the bridegroom! Come out to meet him!'
7 "Then all the virgins woke up and trimmed their lamps. 8 The foolish ones said to the wise, 'Give us some of your oil; our lamps are going out.'
9 " 'No,' they replied, 'there may not be enough for both us and you. Instead, go to those who sell oil and buy some for yourselves.'
10 "But while they were on their way to buy the oil, the bridegroom arrived. The virgins who were ready went in with him to the wedding banquet. And the door was shut.
11 "Later the others also came. 'Sir! Sir!' they said. 'Open the door for us!'
12 "But he replied, 'I tell you the truth, I don't know you.'
13 "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know the day or the hour.

Church, our lamp oil is running low and we have fallen asleep, wake up and seek the anointing oil of God! Return to your first love! Do not turn off the alarm clock!

Reach out and keep fighting the Good Fight for Jesus!

Matthew 25 : 14-30:

The Parable of the Talents

14 "Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master's money.
19 "After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.'
21 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
22 "The man with the two talents also came. 'Master,' he said, 'you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.'
23 "His master replied, 'Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!'
24 "Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'
26 "His master replied, 'You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
28 " 'Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

What have you done with what God has given you? Are you hiding your talents? Hiding among the wolves, thinking that they will not devour you?

Follow Jesus' instructions and walk close with Him. Let the Holy Spirit guide your footsteps, refill your lamps and make wise use of the talents God has given you, while there is still time?

Today, the Church needs reform, we are complacent and hiding among the wolves, hoping to save ourselves on the Day of the Lord's return. The Church will be called into account for what we have and have not done.
But in order to reach out successfully, we must first be right with Christ ourselves. I have never seen a dead horse do much good for a journey, it will not get you far.

Church, Jesus died a horrible death on the Cross for us! Fill your lamps, use your talents, grow the Kingdom of God, and stay ever ready!

Blessings,

Christopher Moss

Terms needing differentiation:

Church = The Global Body of Christ.

church(es) = Local churches and Denominations.

This writing is somewhat of a continuation of a previous post of mine posted on August 3, 2008 entitled “Lack in the Body”.

In “Lack in the Body,” I spoke of Jesus helping us and how we must help others, even if they are in other Denominations, but today I would like to speak of other issues hindering the Church.

I will begin with a Biblical Scripture, one that sheds light on both Believers and Leaders in the Church, who are unsure of how they will be provided for, and strive in their own strength for gain.

Matthew 17 : 24-27:

The Temple Tax

24 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax?"
25 "Yes, he does," he replied.
When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?"
26 "From others," Peter answered.
"Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him. 27 "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

This scripture is about Supernatural provision being made by God for His own.

So why do so many Leaders of churches and ministries worry? Why do they take it upon themselves to continually ask others for financial provisions? All is the Lord's and He gives freely, when we put the Kingdom of God first.

I am a firm believer in the idea of “Where God guides, He provides”.

I know ministries need financial support to keep them operating, but where does the need end and the desire begin?

Leaders, what message are we sending to the masses when we teach of our God, being a God of provision, yet we ourselves are always asking with each message, and at every opportunity, for provisions from others, instead of relying on Christ?

If the provisions for a particular something are not present, then perhaps that something is not supposed to be, or it is the wrong time for it.

Matthew 6 : 19:

19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 16 : 13:

13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."

Matthew 26 : 39:

39 Going a little farther, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Jesus fought His flesh of wanting to survive, in favor of the Father's Will and His plan of redemption.
Jesus loved the Father and others (all the people of the world), He desired to do the Father's Will over His fleshes' Will. He gave up what He could see, for what He could not see, exchanging the seen for the unseen.

When Jesus died on the Cross, the foundation was set for the Church, and the Church Age (or Age of Grace) began.

We as the Church are to reach out to the dying and lost souls, throwing them a Lifeline, but the fibers of the rope are rotten and broken. The priorities in many churches and ministries have went wayward, and it is having a Global impact on the Kingdom of God. People are identifying the Church as sellers of hope, instead of givers. The Church today is not seen as telling people the way to Eternal life, but are using the idea as a business plan to build more of a corporate like empire for themselves.

We the Church must repair our fibers and therefore the Lifeline rope we throw to the world, for that is all that matters now, here in the Last Days of the Church.
I remember what my high school football coach used to say, and it can be applied today – W.I.N. (What's Important Now).

When this post was put in my spirit, I was also given a formula that I believe I was to share:

---

Reform =

What the Lord has given

------------------- Divided By -------------------

Overspending and wrong use

= What the Lord will take away

---

I can personally testify that God tells Claudette and I how much and to what ministry to give.

Perhaps, if more emphasis was put on Believers living Righteously, and having an intimate relationship with Jesus, instead of pushing for their top priority to be financial funding for ministries, they too would be guided by God to give, removing the need to ask all the time.

...And for the Believers in Christ, why do you worry?

Matthew 6 : 25-34:

Do Not Worry

25 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28 "And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

Jesus provides for you. Do not feel guilty or oppressed when you are pressured to give and are unable to, because where God guides, He provides, and when He wants us to give, He provides that as well.

Focus on an intimate relationship with Jesus and do not be troubled by the days in which you live.

Just let the Holy Spirit comfort and guide you. Walk close with Jesus, never ceasing!

Blessings,

Christopher Moss