“Our once great western Christian civilization is dying. If this matters to followers of Jesus Christ, then we must set aside our denominational differences and work together to strengthen the things that remain and reclaim what has been lost. Evangelicals and Catholics must stand together to re-establish that former Christian culture and moral consensus. We have the numbers and the organization but the question is this: Do we have the will to win this present spiritual battle for Jesus Christ against secularism? Will we prayerfully and cooperatively work toward a new Christian spiritual revival ― or will we choose to hunker down in our churches and denominationalisms and watch everything sink into the spiritual and moral abyss of a New Dark Age?” - Mark Davis Pickup

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

THE GREAT COMMISSION IN A WORLD OF WOKE, VICTIMHOOD AND IDENTITY POLITICS

 

Then Jesus came to them and said, 

“All authority in heaven and on earth has

 been given to me.  Therefore go and make

 disciples of all nations, baptizing them 

in the name of the Father and of the Son

 and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them

 to obey everything I have commanded you. 

And surely I am with you always, 

to the very end of the age.” Matthew 28.18-20

 

Christ has trusted faithful Christians, great and small, who came after the disciples throughout 2,000 years of history, up to this day, to take His great commission to the world. At times they were faltering and uncertain in their witness to those around them, just like Christians today.  That’s because they were flawed and frail humans, just like us. But Christ was with them, as He is with us. That is what He said in the Scripture passage above. He would be with us, in the form of the Third Member of the Trinity: The Holy Spirit. 

 

“But when the Helper comes, 

whom I shall send to you from the Father, 

the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, 

He will testify of Me.[1]

 

The Helper He referred to—the Spirit of truth—is the Holy Spirit. The Helper is with us when we testify for Christ, the Pascal mystery, and the salvation that is offered to all through the Cross and the price Christ paid for our sins, to reconcile us to a perfect God. Jesus said that once He left the world and ascended to the Father the Holy Spirit would do certain things in the world and guide those who testify about Jesus and take the good news of salvation to everyone.

“… I will send Him [The Holy Spirit] to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged. . . . I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All things that the Father has are Mine. Therefore I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you.”[2]

Not only do we have the Holy Spirit to guide us in the world, we also have Christ’s example and teachings in matters faith, conduct and morality. Christ said if we love Him then we will keep His commandments.[3] He told us to love one another as He loves us.[4] He said  the greatest commandment is to “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”[5]  He told us to love one another as He first loved us.[6]

 

For those of us who have encountered Christ, the living Christ, we know He is the only lasting peace we have ever known.[7] Internal peace of the heart touched by the Holy Spirit. It is inexplicable. It is beyond human understanding.[8]  How can we keep such peace to ourselves? From that peace springs love; from that love joy blooms almost too sweet to bear. To love God and be loved by God, they are the real reasons you and I were created.[9]  All else is ultimately inconsequential.

 

From Love’s radiance I have discovered purpose and meaning to my life, even at my lowest points of paralysis with multiple sclerosis when my legs became useless, and right hand could not even hold a spoon. He was there and the Holy Spirit’s internal light drove away the shadows of terror and despair. I have learned that the final reality is Jesus Christ. Do the politically correct and woke crowd expect me to remain quiet about the only hope I have ever known? Fat chance! They proselytize for their new paganism replete with gender confusion that defies biology, misandry, angry identity politics that flourishes in a quest for victimhood that gives birth to a new anti-Caucasian racism. And I’m not supposed to evangelize for Christ? I won’t be silenced. The gospel message is where divine love, lasting happiness is to be found. From love of neighbour grows consistent and enduring charity. 

 

The prevailing liberal left offer neo-Marxism (and a new elite) to replace Christian western civilization that raised humanity higher than any civilization in history. It is against this new backdrop of 21st Century madness that Christians find themselves. It is imperative that we do exactly what Jesus told us to do:  “… go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

 

We are to make disciples of Jesus Christ everywhere throughout the world. Indeed, He is with us. We are to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls and minds, and love our neighbours as ourselves.  We are to reflect the towering love of Christ for humanity to those who shout us down, shut us down, tear up the streets of our cities, slander and “cancel” us.  Am I saying that Divine love is the antidote to hate, that inner peace brings outer peace? Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying. Christ’s love did that for someone as despicable as me. why it won’t do that for other people better than me?  


MDP 


[1] John 15.26.

[2] John 16.7b-15.

[3] John 14.15.

[4] John13.34-35.

[5] Matthew 22.36-40, cf. Mathew 19.19, Mark 12.28-31, Luke 10.25-28.

[6] 1 John 4.19.

[7] John 14.27. 

[8] Philippians 4.7.

[9]Genesis 1.26, 1 John 4.7-17

Wednesday, May 12, 2021

SEXUAL SECRETS IN THE END TIMES

Pastor Jimmy and Karen Evans co-host Marriage Today, a nationally syndicated Christian television program. Jimmy Evans has authored over a dozen books including TIPPING POINT: The End Is Near (2020),  FREEDOM FROM YOUR PAST: A Christian Guide To Personal Healing and Restoration (2018), TEN STEPS TOWARD CHRIST: Journey Toward The Heart of God (2011), and  RESOLVING STRESS IN MARRIAGE.  

In April of this year, Pastor Evans recorded a Youtube video entitled SEXUAL SECRETS IN THE END TIMES. Very insightful. You can watch it at the link below.