Jesus is the coming problem. Even now and for a long time, mention the name of Jesus anywhere and people get uncomfortable. You can talk about God and Allah and Yahweh or Jehovah and people are fine, mention Jesus and they start to squirm. Soon religious leaders, seeking a political solution to intractable religious problems will tell us that the three major monotheistic religions share the same founding father, Abraham. They will tell us that these are the roads to heaven, not one, but at least three if not more. People will be able to talk about God but not about Jesus. Anyone who will suggest that Jesus is the only way to heaven, the fundamental tenet of the Christian faith, will be despised. Watch as the major religions of the world come together under the brotherhood of man banner. Even now Babel is being re-built.

WANTED – REAL PREACHERS!
by A.W. Tozer

It is true that much church activity is thrown back upon a shaky
foundation of psychology and natural talents. It is sad but true that
many a mother-in-law is actually praying that her handsome son-
in-law may be called to preach because “he would have such a
marvelous pulpit presence.”

We live in a day when charm is supposed to cover almost the
entire multitude of sins. Charm has taken a great place in religious
expression. I am convinced that our Lord expects us to be tough
enough and cynical enough to recognize all of this that pleases
the unthinking in our churches: the charm stuff, the stage
presence in the pulpit, the golden qualities of voice….

I feel sorry for the church that decides to call a pastor because
“his personality simply sparkles!” I have watched quite a few of
those sparklers through the years. In reality, as every kid knows
at Fourth of July time, sparklers can be an excitement in the
neighborhood–but only for about one minute! Then you are left
holding a hot stick that quickly cools off in your hand.

Prophetic Preaching

If Christianity is to receive a rejuvenation, it must be by other
means than any now being used. If the Church in the second
half of this century is to recover from the injuries she suffered
in the first half, there must appear a new type of preacher. The
proper, ruler-of-the-synagogue type will never do. Neither will the
priestly type of man who carries out his duties, takes his pay
and asks no questions, nor the smooth-talking pastoral type
who knows how to make the Christian religion acceptable to
everyone. All these have been tried and found wanting.

Another kind of religious leader must arise among us. He must
be of the old prophet type, a man who has seen visions of God
and has heard a voice from the Throne. When he comes (and I
pray God there will be not one but many), he will stand in flat
contradiction to everything our smirking, smooth civilization holds
dear. He will contradict, denounce and protest in the name of God
and will earn the hatred and opposition of a large segment of
Christendom. Such a man is likely to be lean, rugged, blunt-spoken
and a little bit angry with the world. He will love Christ and the
souls of men to the point of willingness to die for the glory of the
One and the salvation of the other. But he will fear nothing that
breathes with mortal breath.

“Let me point out that the victorious Christian life is not a life absent of any problems or difficulties or failures. Actually, the opposite is true. The victorious Christian life is a day by day or even moment by moment victory over enemies and situations that we confront in the way. That is why the man of God said ” For a just man falleth seven times.” We are some-times given the idea that a ” just man,” never falls at all. Because of that, we face the danger of arrogance.” (A.W.Tozer)

Isn’t that true? To live the victorious Christian life is to live your life day by day and sometimes moment by moment. And in the moment you may not see the victory, and when you’re lying on the ground it may be hard to see the victory. Yet it is grace that picks a man up of the ground and where would any of us be without that grace?

Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; That in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and in all knowledge; (1Co 1:2-5)

Before Paul goes on in his letter to the Corinthians, a church with many deep-rooted problems, he reminds them of Gods grace and he extends peace unto them. He reminds them of the beauty of Christ and how the Lord has enriched them in an intimate knowledge of Himself. Brothers and sisters, no matter what problems you are facing today, you have been enriched by the Lord, isn’t that true? He has taken you from the gutters of life and has raised you up. Our very lives are in Him and we stand because He stands. We live because He lives. We breathe because He breathed life into us. That is who you are, that is your identity. Nothing can take that away from you.

Are you down today? Have you fallen? Have you blown it? I want you to rejoice in the fact that even although the ” just man falleth seven times,” that the Lord reminded His disciples to forgive ” seventy times seven.” Now if the Lord expected and enabled His disciples to forgive ” seventy times seven,” then how many times shall He forgive you? And so dear saint, mighty man or woman of God, rejoice today in your victorious life. For your life is not measured by the amount of times you did not fall but by the times you were enabled to get up and go on. This is part of the nature of the one who endures and overcomes. There is an enemy who screams in your ears when you fall, and he is screaming ” stay down, your out, your finished, you can never be used again.” And isn’t it true that this voice rarely comes through the people of the world?

The saint’s enemy in these matters is typically someone close who calls upon the name of the Lord. The enemy has many different avenues to try to keep you down saint but the Lord says ” Get up, look up, lift up holy hands.” He says ” lift your eyes up and cast them towards heaven and see where your help comes from. He beckons you to come up. He reaches down His hand to pull you up as opposed to those who would pull you down. So stand up today brothers and sisters if you are down. He raises you up in grace and forgiveness. And those of you who have been down many times will be strengthened by the humility that you learned there. It is better to stand up in the strength of the Lord and walk humbly before men than to present to men an image of one who has never fallen. For one who does that inevitably walks in arrogance.