A Man Named Jesus

There Was A Man Named Jesus A little over 2000 years ago, a man arrived upon the scene of the world, a man who caused quite a stir with everyone He came into contact with. He was a simple man. He was a wanderer with no home. He was a philosopher, a rebel, and a troublemaker—or was He something more? Many wondered; many followed Him to know more, to witness what He would do next or even simply to be near Him. Thousands were drawn to Him. Did they know why, or were they simply curious? Who was this man? He claimed to be the Son of God. He claimed God sent him here for us, to set us free. Free from what, many wondered? Was it freedom from the tyranny of rulers or to crush our foes? No, this Jesus came to set us free from ourselves, from this world, and ultimately from death. He didn't come to judge; He came to be judged. He didn't come to punish; He came to take on our punishment. He didn't come to destroy rulers and nations; He came to teach us of our Father in heaven and show us the way to peace for eternity. He did not come to bind us in the chains of law; He came to set man free! He took nothing and gave all. He did not require love and obedience but rather taught us of love that leads to obedience. His name was Jesus, and He gave us His all. For centuries, His coming had been foretold. He came just as we were told He would. The prophets of old described Him, spoke of His deeds, and from whose line of which He would come, and it all came true. He was no surprise. He performed miracles that only God could do. He raised the dead, healed the sick, and, most of all, He set the captives free, free from the torment of their evil actions and ways. He brought hope to the hopeless, strength to the weary, peace to the fearful, and joy to the sorrowful. He required little and gave it all! For this He was beaten beyond recognition, tormented and tortured by man, hung upon a tree, humiliated, and left to die. This was how we thanked Him for all He gave, and yet even still He loves us. Why? He loves us because God sent Him to show us love—love that knows no bounds—real and unconditional love. Love that went on to defeat death, not just for Jesus, but for all who would ever believe in and follow Him; a love that would lead to eternal life without pain or sorrow, toil, or anguish—eternal peace. This is love. Do you receive this love? Do you believe, will you believe? Will you be set free from the bondage of failures, pain, and missing the mark? Haven't you made enough mistakes in your life yet? Why not stop now, turn around, and make things right? Come to Jesus! Just as it was foretold of His coming before, it has been foretold He is coming soon to gather those who believe, to give us our reward. Don't miss out. There are no second chances, no more warnings. He is coming soon. Call on Jesus and be set free. Pastor Gene Burroughs, Missio Dei Navarre

Danger Will Robinson

"Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!" To this day, I remember a phrase from a '60s TV show that obviously had a long-lasting impact upon my mind. It was from the show "Lost in Space." There was a robot that was a companion to young Will Robinson, and at times it would sense danger and foreboding and cry out "Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!" As with myself and many of the youth of my day, we often repeated this phrase at any sign of danger, and even unto this day, when my senses are up and I recognize a foreboding feeling within my spirit, that phrase races through my mind. Where does this sense come from? This sense of danger and foreboding are truly gifts from God; we have been provided this feeling in order to protect us from falling into the trappings of the enemy or those who seek to cause us harm (Romans 2:14). After the resurrection and ascension of Jesus, the Lord sent to us the Holy Spirit to reinforce these senses and to provide us with an additional ability not of our own to recognize and avoid the trappings of sin and deception. However, in order to be aware and able to be under this influence, we must desire to know right from wrong and not only desire; we must also be willing to make the tough decisions and sacrifices required to avoid these pitfalls. The denying of our flesh, the standing for truth, the act of living what we know to be true—as opposed to living and making decisions based upon outside influences, opinion, or popularity—this is how we avoid danger. In the following and obeying of the Spirit, we avoid danger and pitfalls, yet in the process of satisfying our flesh, we move forward, unaware or uncaring of dangers and pitfalls, allowing ourselves to be tossed to and fro. While many believe this is acceptable and simply an act of ignorance or out of a desire to be all things to all men in order that they may know God, I say to you, "Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!" In our ever-changing world we see the manifestation of both complacency regarding morality and the desire to be accepted being played out on a daily basis. We see people like me, those who cry out warnings and consequences of such actions, becoming few and far between. The pain and frustration associated with seeing the danger that lies ahead of someone and doing all you can to prevent it, more often than not to no avail, are beyond description. The hurt from being misunderstood, being labeled as judgmental, not accepting, or more could, without the help and strength of the Holy Spirit, make one run to the hills, find a tree for shade, and simply give up; yet something drives us on. While the "Lost in Space" robot was incapable of emotion and love, out of its sense of duty and programming it would cry out when danger was near, not concerned about popularity or standing but simply knowing danger was nearby, and a warning must be sounded! We prophets and leaders of today cry out not only out of duty and love; we cry out because of the calling and passion God has placed within us for His children; children who more often than not will not listen. The desires and passions of the human body have become so intent on rebelling against God that truth is no longer the barometer; no, it has been replaced by acceptance and popularity; all signs of the last days before the return of Christ (2 Timothy 3). Today, I send out a warning, a word from the Word; a word to help some avoid the resulting consequences of their actions and disobedience. This word is in the book of Romans, chapter 1, verse 32. After speaking of the vile things people choose to do, acts of the flesh God hates and will judge, Paul finishes with this warning: "that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them." Paul, in the inspired Word of our God, is telling us that those who know sin to be sin and those who allow and approve of others who practice rebellion against God will be judged just as those who are rebelling. Do you see this? Do you get it? I recently read of a very well-known pastor who, along with another so-called pastor, performed the wedding of his homosexual son to his same-sex partner. Do you think God ordained this? I am not banging on homosexuality; let's go further. If I sell or endorse pornography, alcohol, or any behavior or act of rebellion that is against God's Word, I am just as guilty as those who openly rebel. If you claim to be a believer, you are told not to endorse, support, or show in any way approval or acceptance of behavior that is contrary to the Word of God. Those are not my words; they are His, our God's! If you need more Scripture to back up what I am claiming, here are a few: Romans 2:2, Ephesians 5:11–12, and Jude 1. No, it is not acceptable to God to stand by and watch sin run rampant. It is not okay to let your brother die and not come against that that is killing him. This, my friend, is not judgment, and the excuse of "judge not" will not work. You see, we are not to judge unless there are two or more witnesses, yet when people openly flaunt their rebellion against God there are many witnesses, and judgment has already befallen them. Yes, there is grace. Yes, there is repentance; hence, there is the hope of salvation, and "there but by the grace of God go I." "Danger, Will Robinson! Danger!" Do not accept those things that are against God on behalf of God for He does not accept them, and you who do will be judged, just as those who do them. Pastor Gene Burroughs, Missio Dei Navarre

Do You Have What It Takes?

Do You Have What It Takes? The question is, "Do you have what it takes to be a true disciple of Christ?" Are you willing to lay it all down, trust God, and turn your back on the world? The first twelve chosen disciples of Christ were all men who had walked away from their worldly possessions, comforts, families, livelihoods, and more, simply upon the request of a man filled with the Spirit. They knew there was something special about Him. They suspected He was the Messiah, but had no convincing proof—they only believed and had faith. While this may sound simplistic, it is a reality and one that we, as His disciples, should remember when we are attempting to determine if God is calling us to a task. We have at our disposal far more understanding and truth than those first twelve men. We now have history, the Epistles, the Holy Spirit, the crucifixion, resurrection, and more, all things they did not have knowledge of or had experienced at the time of their heeding the call. All too often, much more often than not, when we speak with people about their calling, we hear far more excuses as to why not than we do reasons to fulfill the call on their life. It is often that I will hear someone say, "I just want God to use me" or "I just need to hear from the Lord what He wants" or "God hasn't told me yet" and thousands more reasons or excuses not to give up what they have in order to be used. The reality is folks that God requires sacrifice in order to bless the works of man's hands. No, I am not saying God wants more blood; what I am saying is "God rewards those who diligently seek Him." Nothing of great value comes without a cost, and to be used by the God of all creation is something of great value, is it not? By the way, if your answer is no, then there is no need to read on; that is, unless you desire to learn more. We are currently in the midst of one of the greatest transitions of all time in this world. We are preparing for the return of Christ; what will He find us doing? Will it be His work, or will we still be praying to find out what His work is when He has already told us what we are to be doing? Jesus made it clear to all that we, as believers, have two very definitive roles: to love and to make disciples (to spread the gospel). John 15 and 16, Matthew 28, Mark 16: these are just a few of the Scriptures where Jesus tells us our role on earth and our responsibility. So go do it! But Gene, I have family, I have a job, my home, and you don't understand how difficult it is. What about my grandkids? First of all, the disciples left all of that and more, and secondly, so have my wife and I. So have many thousands of other families. Am I saying every Christian is called to move away? Absolutely not, but for those of you who say you're seeking God and wanting all He has to offer and that you desire with all your heart to serve Him, you already have your answer—go! The cost of being a disciple is to let go of everything in this world that entangles us. It may be we love money, comfort, sports, our jobs, or even family more than we love or desire to serve God. It's not about moving away and being a missionary (yet many are called to do so); it is, again, about turning away from the world. I can tell you of many instances where people called by God to great things have received gifts, received confirmations, used their gifts, and had people call and offer money or travel, all things they were praying for, and say, "I am waiting to hear from God what to do." Or better yet, "Well, God told me to do this" and then days or weeks later say, "God told me to wait." Then comes the "I'm not sure what He wants," and then comes "I'm not ready," and years go by, and the circle continues on. Can I say this? God does not change His mind. God is not confused. God is definitive; the devil is "the author of confusion." Can we stop blaming God for our lack of conviction and faith to step out? God is not the one hesitating or confusing things, and all we are doing is tainting the reputation of our Savior and ourselves. If you have what it takes, take up your bed and follow Jesus. If you don't, stop talking about it and stay where you are. I know this sounds harsh, but be honest with yourself; you and those who love you will be much happier. Being a true disciple of Christ truly does come at a cost. Jesus did not say the rules would change after He was resurrected and ascended to heaven; no, He said, ‘if you love the world more than Me, you cannot follow Me' (Matthew 16:24). Sometimes we just need to hear the truth in love in order to make a move we already know we should be making. Do you have what it takes—what it takes to be a true disciple, to reap a disciple's reward? Only you can make that decision. Only you can make the sacrifice. You won't be the first, and those of us who have would say it has been worth every cost! Pastor Gene Burroughs, Missio Dei Ministries, Navarre, FL outreachman@gmail.com