Berean Journeymen

About 24 hours till takeoff. getting a bit excited down here in ohio

The great event which filled them with hope was now in the past; their shepherd was with them but in a different way. They stood a bit dazed, pondering the great event which was now a memory and not the emotional mountain as before. They stood complacently wondering ‘what now’ and gazed intently towards the heavens considering whether these were the days in which God would restore his kingdom. But the voice they knew well echoed, “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.”

As they watched their shepherd’s leading change its form but not its essence, they looked blankly to the skies waiting for something but not quite sure what. It was in this moment that messengers urged them, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here looking into the sky?” Lowering their eyes and letting the true reality around them soak in, the last words of their Lord resounded in their minds, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses to the ends of the earth.” “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."

The enemy was quick to quietly remind them of their own weakness and betrayal as it had been displayed for all, save not the Lord, to see. Though they took pause, this only proved that obedience to the Lord’s words could not come from within themselves. With reassurance from and in the Word made flesh the strength of their faith was renewed, and in that faith they believed and trusted their shepherd’s promise that the needed power would be provided.

With a new sense of urgency, accountability, purpose, and trust, they strengthened the bond of their fellowship and continued to meet together to wholeheartedly praise God and consider their path. In the midst of that faithful, trusting, worshipful, and willing atmosphere, the Holy Spirit chose to come upon them. And with the filling of the Holy Spirit their transformation leapt forward and their purpose began to be fulfilled.

Men once focused on their path of doing business, now set out to spread the good news. Men once satisfied with the comforts of life now went from town to town with nothing but a staff in hand. Men once timid to speak to neighbors now shared the truth about Jesus to strangers with boldness. Men once fearing the scorn of man for claims about Jesus now rejoiced when persecuted for the sake of his name.

With the Life Action Summit now but a memory and our dear shepherd Pastor Dave still present but in a different way, how will the men of Berean respond? Will we follow in the footsteps of the men of Galilee? We can if we so choose.

We can have our minds and faith renewed from and in the Word of God. We can gather together with the desire to truly praise God wholeheartedly. We can plead for the filling of the Holy Spirit’s power; for it is through His power that we can gain a new sense of urgency, accountability, purpose, and trust; it is through His power that we can become the bold and loving mouths, hands, feet, and heart of Christ in Mansfield and beyond for His great name sake. Or we can choose to comfortably practice religiosity. How will you and I, the men of Berean, respond?

Peering across the landscape of their land, a frightening reality was emerging. Many churches existed but were dying as fear of man and complacency reigned. Some churches were expanding, but only because false messages tickled ears and exalted things of this world and not Christ crucified. Few believers took a public and consistent stand for Jesus, but those who did were quickly discouraged by various persuasive pressures. And children of the next generation were being trained to believe something other than God was god.

What is this land? It describes the lands covered by the darkness of communism behind the Iron Curtain following WWII…yet who could read this and not sense a nearing reflection of America in 2010? The similarities are chilling. The core difference being that the former god to be worshiped was the state and the latter is now the individual.

If this past path provides any indication of America’s potential future destination, what may lie ahead? What might come and what will be learned if learning is sought?

From the voices of pagans will come cries of superiority and false victory. All that appears to conflict with the new god will either be publicly heralded as ignorance or will be suppressed through political channels…quietly at first but then blatantly. Greater strife is in store for those who call themselves Christian, forcing either a comfortable life that aligns with the new god or an exciting yet sacrificial life that aligns with the true God. The questions that hang heavy for each individual is which god will be served and how will that choice impact the generations that follow and the land that we love?

Though many will choose comfort over Christ causing continued decay, to be sure a remnant will remain.

For the remnant there may be times of fear, but saints of old reassure us when fear is rightfully and eternally placed in the Lord it can be overcome. There may be times of pain and suffering, but saints of old reassure us it can be endured in view of the cross. There may be times of waning hope, but saints of old reassure us when hope is in the Lord, He proves to be our helper, He proves faithful.

As we peer across our land this weekend to celebrate freedom, may we be thankful for the many political and religious freedoms we still enjoy this day; but let us not be naïve as these particular freedoms stand on shifting sands. Thus may we learn from the saints of old and choose to cherish the true freedoms found in the unchanging rock of Christ and be willing to stand for Him in both private and public life regardless of likely opposition that is seen and unseen. May you and I choose to become the new remnant of faithful saints who are the examples of encouragement for the generations to come. May we help tomorrow’s saints learn as they stand with fellow Americans looking to the skies in anticipation of fireworks that they stand with a much greater crowd who look to the skies in anticipation of the day that is surely coming when the clouds roll back and the trumpets resound as the Lord Jesus descends upon the peoples of this land and every land. May it be soon; come Lord Jesus come!