Who is Judging Whom?

Since moving to Florida, I met a man who has become a very dear friend of mine, one of my closest. We can share any thought, good or bad; we get frustrated with each other at times; yet we both know that if the other has need, we will be there. When we met, he and his girlfriend were homeless, squatting in the shack where an uncle had recently passed. This uncle, an admitted criminal and sexual abuser of children, we had met months before and had led to the Lord. We have them over as often as we can; most of the time they spend the night (in separate beds). Our children enjoy them and love them as well; we are family! My friend has no job, no car, no driver’s license, struggles with alcoholism, smokes pot and cigarettes, he and his girlfriend live together and are not married, and did I mention they are black? When I see them, I see none of these things. I see rather the struggles they faced as children and young adults. Abandoned by fathers, one mother murdered, another long passed into glory, abused by relatives, taken advantage of by friends, and left alone to fend for themselves, ill-equipped to succeed in a world that has no use for them. I see the people Jesus died for, those cast out by society; those most people look upon often with disdain and judgment. Like many people in this world, I have relatives and friends who are openly gay, living a homosexual lifestyle. When I see them, I never avoid or turn away from them nor am I repulsed in any way. I love them. We embrace, we laugh; we are family. As I think of them, I do not think of their lifestyle and choices. I think of absent fathers, poor role models, various influences in their lives that led them down the path of believing lies—Christians, church leaders, deceivers who have all too often fallen and taken many like these with them, then left them alone in the depths of despair. I think of the father of lies and his plan to destroy millions more just like these I know and love. I think of this truth—I know this truth that sets men free, this truth that releases us from the bondage of sin, shame, and guilt—the truth of Jesus! I do not judge these. That is not my place. It is a role, a task that is reserved for one, the God of all creation, and I am not He. The Word of God is true. It is divisive. It causes men to think, to be stirred, to be convicted, to see hope, love, and redemption. It is the story of God and man—God’s desire to restore man to pure fellowship and man’s desire to do as he pleases without consequence. It is a story about a struggle, a struggle for man to believe in what he cannot see, yet knows deep in his heart exists. It is also a struggle within the heart of man to believe that he, in his failings, is still loved unconditionally by a God so powerful, so awe-inspiring that He was able to hang the planets, stars, and moons from nothing, create man, and so much more! It is the story of man’s struggle between what he knows is right and good and yet falling and failing all too often to the desires of his flesh, fed with constant fervor from the influences of this world. It is a story about the greatest battle of all time, in a war that has already been won. We would all do well to remember that we are each in a battle of our own, the intensity of which varies just as the wind, blowing from all directions and at varying degrees depending upon the elements that influence it. Ultimately, the outcome of our individual battle will be determined by us, not by our friends or enemies, nor by the influences, tragedies, and circumstances of our lives. No, it will all come down to one thing—the choice we make. Do we surrender to the will of God or to the will of our flesh? And that, my friends, is the truth as I see it. Either Jesus is Lord of your life or He is not, and there is no one else to blame if you choose wrong. So you see, it is not about being judged or judging others; it’s about each one choosing for himself whom he will serve. Just remember this, the war has already been won! Gene Burroughs 12/13

Out Giving God

Out Giving God, Not! One of my fondest memories was of my dad at Christmas. For him Christmas was always a big thing. He couldn’t wait to have all of the extended family over and watch all of my seemingly thousands of cousins open their gifts. We were one of those families who opened gifts on Christmas Eve, and I’m sure this had a lot to do with my dad’s eagerness. He didn't really seem to care about what he received but was always interested in what others received. His first concern at Christmas was everyone’s happiness. Christmas hasn’t been the same in some ever so small of a way since dad went to be with the Lord, but one thing hasn’t changed: the joy of seeing others receive. That gift, that joy, and that blessing has been burned into my memory like a brand on cattle. You see, those were the happiest times for my father too, those times when he was able to turn loose and give. It made him feel good about himself and in many ways a kind of mental medication, quite addicting and soothing to the soul. Recently, I have come to realize that I too am addicted. Sound strange? Bear with me for a moment, if you will. You may find that you too are addicted, or maybe we can help you along. You see, once you begin to give, your hooked! The smiles on faces, the joy of children, and the childlikeness that comes over adults when they receive is overwhelming—often to the point of tears! Believe me, my motivation is somewhat selfish as I find with this giving comes a blessing I deem far greater than any emotion I have ever experienced. And there seems to be no downside. You see, as I give, I receive more to give, and the more I give, the more I receive. And so it goes, on and on, ever growing in size. A few years ago, the Lord began to bless our ministry with an occasional load of various types of items: sundry items, food, clothing, furnishings, or whatever. The first time we received a truckload, our ministry was struggling, with maybe $500 in the bank and little prospect for income. With every opportunity before us to make this a fundraiser, the Lord led us to give it away. People were allowed to give a donation but encouraged to do so only if they could. What a blessing. We saw people leave with loads of everyday items for over six weeks, and my, the smiles we saw. We were blessed! Did we get a lot of money for it? No. Quite honestly, we received very little in the form of monetary contributions. However, since that day we continued to receive even more abundantly than you can imagine, in every way. The ministry was never without funding for events or outreaches and grew in staggering numbers. A number of years ago we received another large shipment of goods; this only two weeks after the Lord provided a warehouse. We were able to, without cost, ship food, drinks, and serving items such as cups, napkins, and plates for over 16,000 people. These people were served at California community outreaches in Sacramento, Auburn, Mount Shasta, and Ukiah. In addition, we were able to ship much-needed items to two churches and one parachurch ministry in other cities. After all of that, we were still in abundance in our warehouse and were told we would soon be receiving multiple truckloads, which we did. Can you out give God? I don’t think so! Do we have a lot of money? No. As a matter of fact, we pray every month to meet our obligations. Can we out give God? No. But is sure is fun trying! While the ministry of Outreach America is now a fond memory, the practice of trying to out give God lives on. I have yet to see the “righteous forsaken.” We serve a mighty God, more than able to care for His children, and He is the greatest example for us to follow. Pastor Gene Burroughs, Servant of God

Taming the Tongue

For quite some time now, the Lord has impressed upon me the importance of each of us lifting up our brothers and sisters in Christ. As always, when we begin to look upon what we should be doing, we find the things that we are doing—those things that are generally the opposite of what God is teaching us. What do I mean? As I was seeking the Lord as to how I was to lift up my brothers and sisters, He began to show me the power of the spoken word, the source of which begins first in the heart and is delivered by the tongue. The heart, however, is described in Matthew 15 as the source of the things that defile a man. James, chapter 3, tells us of the power of the tongue, how it is compared to the rudder of a ship, a miniscule instrument (by comparison) used to steer a mighty ship. And while mankind can tame every animal and form of beast, no man can tame the tongue. However, the most powerful verse for me is 3:9 where it says, “With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude [or likeness] of God.” For myself, I know far too often I look upon my brother’s splinter while dodging my log. After all, if God created everything (which he did), who are we to put down His creation? Is that not a direct criticism of the Creator himself? I know we can validate our comments as advice or because we care, but aren’t we just trying to justify ourselves? I believe we would all be better served to look for the good in all of our brothers and sisters in Christ. In our daily interaction, let our focus be on the good things, which God has created in all of us, rather than on the shortcomings of man. Let us look upon the positive, things that build up rather than tear down. After all, doesn’t the enemy of our soul do enough to tear down each of us? I daresay we don’t need any more help finding our own shortcomings and failures. I encourage you, my dear family, to lift each other up in the name of the Lord. Let us leave our negative comments in the trash where they belong, instead encouraging, lifting each other up in the name of the Lord. Now may you go and “spread some smiles today.” Gene Burroughs, Servant of God

Can We Be The Church?

We had just finished sharing in night two of what is scheduled to be three nights of ministry at Lift Him Up Ministries in Brownsville, Florida. The hour was late, and the 2 o’clock lunch from 9 hours earlier had completely worn off. Not knowing who would be open at this late hour, Deb prayed for the Lord to lead us to a place that was open somewhere the Lord wanted us to go. As always, the Lord was faithful. He directed my hands and within minutes we pulled up to an all night diner. Outside were the three employees, enjoying the night air. It became immediately obvious at this time there were no customers say this worn-out couple that had now disturbed their rest. Their mild frustration, while obvious, was quickly disarmed by our apology for disturbing their break and opened the door for conversation. My wife Deborah and I were physically tired, yet spiritually charged, after two nights of services experiencing the manifest presence of God, having witnessed miraculous healings, words of knowledge, prophecy, bondage broken, and deliverance in the lives of people hungry for God. By the direction and power of God, we had helped others begin walking in their giftings and witnessed the transformation of people once timid, fearful, and bound up in guilt, shame, and sin, now being set free. Some, for the first time, were experiencing the Spirit of the God of all creation working in and through them. Yes, we were and are spiritually charged. These three young women working the late hour soon fell victim to our compassion, conversation, and the love of Jesus that was so obviously oozing out of us. They quickly opened up and began asking questions like: “Do you have a church?” “Where do you live?” “What is your family like?” Then, statements followed that truly hurt my heart to the very core. I felt ashamed of what we, the church (generally speaking), have projected our God to be. They told us of pastors who come in and begin flirting with them; others who come in with women other than their wives, of churches that have kicked them out because of their lifestyle (one was living a gay lifestyle). They shared their fears of church because of the fakeness they witnessed in so-called believers. My heart ached! In the midst of the conversation, a local pimp joined the crowd and by no choice of his own he too heard this testimony of the church. I truly wondered, “Has he too been disillusioned by the church, by God’s people?” As another couple joined the small gathering, I could not help but have compassion on them as their service was truly interrupted by the fact that the two waitresses and one cook were standing motionless, with a couple at the counter. These three young ladies were seemingly unaware of anyone else but these two people filled with something they desired. Before leaving, the five of us joined together in prayer. We asked the Lord to reveal Himself to these young ladies, to pour out His Spirit upon them, and that He would show them His love, His genuine love, so they would encounter the genuine God. As I reflect upon last night, my heart continues to ache. It aches that in so many places across this great land, a land founded upon God, there are so many who have not met Him, the true God; their perception of God so often filtered and confused by the frailty and failings of man—the result of sin. Whether it is pastors, leaders, those who claim to believe, or whether it is those who have never known the Lord or those who have turned away, we, the people created in the image of God, all too often paint a counterfeit picture of Him who saved us. I’m not pointing fingers and I am not judging. I don’t need to. That is the job of the Holy Spirit, but my heart is grieved, and my fellow believer, yours should be as well. If you call yourself a follower of Christ, you have a responsibility, one to reflect your creator, not your fallen self. Look, we all fall, we all fail, and we all need grace. We need the blood of Jesus, but the world does not need to see our failings, they need to see the victory over sin in us! Can we purpose to reflect the true character of God—His power, His love, His victory, His glory, His hope—the power over sin that He has given us to a fallen world? The power over sin by grace in Jesus Christ, can we show that more than we show our failings and our need for grace? Can we do more to make this life in Christ more desirable than a life lived for the world? Can we be the church? Pastor Gene Burroughs