CHAPTER 13
LUKE ISSACHAR WARM:
EPILOGUE 2021
“…And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.…” (John 3:16 KJV). *
Issachar and Virtuous returned from taking their second Covid-19 shots. Issachar went up to his study to work on his live-stream bible study for later that evening.
He put his N95 mask in a plastic bag and turned on his computer. Going through this pandemic and all the other issues had been challenging. On top of that he was doing a LOT of soul-searching.
Discovering himself has been and is a painful journey, but it had also improved his life, his marriage, his ministry, and many other things. Issachar had actually been and felt real happiness lately. His self-discovery had improved ALL the different entities of his life.
He was amazed at how self-deluded he was about his self-invented Christianity. He had made BAD CHOICES as a result of his self-delusion. His pride, rebellion, and stubbornness truly BLINDED him and it made him make decisions that weren’t in HIS best interest or nobody else’s.
He thought he was a SUCCESSFUL Christian, but he was a SUCCESSFUL delusion of a Christian. He had contributed to alienating people from having a genuine “covenant” relationship with God, the indwelling Holy Spirit.
He THOUGHT he could be a Christian without God. He was PROUD about it too, but it was REALLY in denial.
Since his conversion, he had become more forgiving, compassionate, empathy, and understanding as he unfolded the truths about his unrepentant past.
He NOW cared how he represented God and how his behavior impacted his witness. He had been so self-delusional he no longer trusted his OWN opinion about himself. He relied upon God’s Word to self-reflect, because it was effective and transforming. God had forgiven him, but Issachar constantly wondered: How much of Christianity’s bad reputation did I contribute.
During the pandemic, civil unrest, political issues and everything else Issachar watched people who “proclaimed” to be of the Christian faith.
He SAW what - so-called PUBLIC, “proclaiming” Christians, on MEDIA sights everywhere, who had HIGHJACKED Christianity, IT SEEMED - was doing to the REPUTATION of the faith.
The perception of CHRISTIANITY had drastically changed and because of THOSE WHO were PUBICALLY “proclaiming” to represent the FAITH, their VIEWS were, unfortunately, correct.
Nonetheless, it was a FALSE representation of God’s authentic, followers, WHO kept God’s commandments and truly lived to give HIM glory!
He SAW the PUBLIC, “proclaiming,” self-invented CHRISTIANS who SAID they were followers of Jesus Christ, but OBVIOUSLY they were willfully walking in DARKNESS. He read: “…If someone claims, “I know God,” but doesn’t obey God’s commandments, that person IS A LIAR and is not living in the truth…” (1 John 2:4 NLT). “…If we “SAY” that we have fellowship with him, and WALK IN DARKNESS (without the GLORY of spiritual fruit), WE LIE, and DO NOT THE TRUTH…” (1 John 1:6 KJV). “ … the deeds of the flesh are evident…” (Galatians 5:20-22 NASB).
God’s people PROMOTED God’s agenda while upon earth; not man’s "…Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven…” (Matthew 5:16 NASB).
The DUKE MOVEMENT he’d started with the youth, years ago, had DWINDLED considerably. Other young people were threatening to leave the church too. They said CHRISTIANITY wasn’t the trusted FAITH it used to be and most people CARED little or NOTHING about genuinely following the lifestyle of Jesus Christ.
This hurt and broke Issachar’s heart. He felt DEEPLY that he’d contributed to this perception. Son City Ministries, like everyone else, was impacted by the lack of physical church attendance, but if the truth be told it had been declining for years.
Most churches had turned to live-streaming, but COVID-19 seems to have accelerated the decline even more. All mission work or bible messages are taking place, totally, outside the church walls.
Issachar wondered when things went back to the NEW NORMAL would those engaging at home COUNT as much as those attending in person.
Since 2020 everything had shifted to the HOMEFRONT: jobs, school, shopping, even fitness, and of course, church fellowship.
Issachar felt the PUBLIC, “proclaiming” CHRISTIANS who had blatantly HIGHJACKED the faith had become merely political and ideological followers, but LOST and spiritually dead souls are NOT LOOKING for the CULTURE, in Christian people or fellowships, they are SEEKING Jesus Christ.
If the CHRISTIAN CHURCH isn’t the PLACE to find Jesus Christ, but are serving as just another POLITICAL and IDEOLOGICAL part of the societal culture, Christianity’s relevancy will eventually FADE AWAY.
Issachar PRAYED for a REVIVAL among God’s true FOLLOWERS so people who came LOOKING for Jesus would FIND HIM!
In order to lead others to JESUS, who is THE WAY, God’s “proclaimed” people NEEDED to first, genuinely and authentically, FIND HIM for themselves.
He knew that truth TOO WELL.
Before he TRULY converted Issachar was AMONG those, such as atheists, agnostics, and the spiritual, who had NO SPECIFIC belief.
He helped DRIVE the trend of a self-invented CHRISTIAN identity, without CHRIST. He was NO DIFFERENT than the “no belief” group of people.
Whether he liked it or not, he had HELPED shift people AWAY from the DOMINANT figure (Jesus Christ) and the true leader of the, once, DOMINANT faith.
Secular society was starting to believe that LIFE would be BETTER off and more BENEFICIAL without the hateful, polarized effect that PUBLIC, “proclaiming” CHRISTIANS, who’d HIGHJACKED the faith, were presenting.
Because of the WRONG perception, people were MOVING away from CHRISTIANTY rapidly. 35% of people were UNCHURCHED. People were focusing on higher education, critical thinking, science, and liberal politics as A WAY to progress toward UNITY and JUSTICE; not Christianity.
Issachar had WONDERED how MANY self-invented, “self-proclaimed” Christians, like he was, were NOT willing to COMMIT themselves to Jesus Christ.
If self-invented, “self-proclaimed,” and so-called Christians are NOT willing to commit their lives to Jesus what will become of Christianity in the world?
It was once a FAITH of LOVE and HOPE, but some people were representing CHRISTIANITY as a FAITH of HATE and DISCOURAGEMENT.
It seemed like SUCH a big task. CHRISTIANITY was INFESTED with self-invented, “self-proclaiming” and misrepresenting CHRISTIANS without CHRIST or his internal qualities such as SPIRITUAL FRUIT.
Issachar KNEW why God had SAVED him and GIVEN him another chance. He KNEW what his responsibility was and he had already starting using his influences to RECONCILE, RESTORE, and MAKE WHOLE God’s people FIRST.
The world needed a new perspective of CHRISTIANITY that WITNESSED God’s GLORY through the lifestyle of Jesus Christ BYWAY of his REAL followers. This was Issachar’s MISSION.
When Issachar began to encourage a close bond and connection with Jesus Christ as a WAY to improve the CHRISTIAN IMAGE he got a LOT of BACKLASH.
Famous evangelicals turned against him, because he no longer supported their politics or ideology. He wanted to KEEP the focus upon Jesus Christ. They didn’t understand why he WANTED out and didn’t want to hear his explanation.
Issachar could not SAY he was more Christian than his fellow-evangelicals, but he couldn’t, many of them truly and passionately believed they were fighting for the cause of Christ.
Many of his fellow-evangelicals decided to CUT him OFF, but he wasn’t offended or bothered, his MISSION was to PROMOTE Jesus’ agenda first and foremost.
He wasn’t doing this for them or anyone else, but he was shocked at HOW MANY turned their backs on his new proposed agenda. He had asked many of them to join him in focusing on SAVING Christian values in society through conversion rather than human laws.
Many folded their arms and DID nothing. Yet, he had to DO what he was SPARED to do before God and God alone.
Politics and ideology made him LEAN too much toward prejudice, his OWN or man’s agenda, the lust for power and approval, and it made him succumb to unjust behaviors toward others.
When asked which side was he on - conservative or progressive - he said NEITHER. He was accused of NOT supporting Christian concerns and Christian values. Yet, he had supported and defended Christian liberties for years and owed no explanation. He would not be bullied.
He was also working with God, the Holy Spirit, toward a government and a culture that would be emboldened and empowered with Christian principles and values, except it wouldn’t done by human laws, but through the POWERFUL working POWER of God’s SPIRIT.
His fellow-evangelicals had ACCUSED him of
abandoning the CAUSE at a critical moment, but he STOOD HIS GROUND. This time he was using his stubbornness for God's GLORY and not his own!
He told them they had LONG AGO abandoned the CAUSE when they abandoned the REASON and PERSON which was supposed to be the FOCUS of the cause: JESUS CHRIST.
He told them CHRISTIANITY will NEVER be the DOMINANT force EVER again UNTIL Jesus Christ RETURNS to the HELM.
The CHRISTIAN ethic will NEVER return to INFLUENCE society for the GOOD until it RETURNS to first INFLUENCE the HEARTS of God’s “own” PEOPLE through his INDWELLING and his POWERFUL Word.
They spoke to HIM about their FREEDOMS being curtailed and their communities deteriorating. Yet, Jesus had ALREADY set his people FREE and God, the Holy Spirit PROMISES if HIS PEOPLE would pray, turn from “their” wicked ways, and humble themselves he HEAL the whole country.
His fellow-evangelicals had a HOST of other political concerns, which they felt JUSTIFIED their support for a PERSON whose CONDUCT contradicted the LIFESTYLE of JESUS CHRIST.
They believed a MERE, finite human being, without spiritual fruit, could ADVANCE their CHRISTIAN values instead of God, the Holy Spirit, that “supposedly” dwelled within each of HIS PEOPLE.
They willfully and voluntarily CHOOSE to CONDONE the rhetoric of someone who possessed NONE of the spiritual fruit and PROVED his was NOT one of Jesus’ disciples.
It proved the self-invented Christian clergy or leader that promotes outward conformity had BLINDED the minds of “self-claiming” Christians. “...A little leaven leaveneth the whole lump...” (Galatians 5:9 KJV).
It is spiritual fruit that is PRODUCED by the indwelling SPIRIT that PROVES someone is one of Jesus’ disciples. Instead his fellow-evangelicals BELIEVED this “MERE, finite HUMAN” not JESUS CHRIST had the POWER to USHER in the GREATER GOOD for the society.
It was a SAD state, but God’s people could trust God to turn it around by letting God, the Holy Spirit through Jesus, within them, SAVE one soul at a time.
Nothing is too hard for God and nothing IMPOSSIBLE. God’s people just needed to REFOCUS and WIN SOULS. “…I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?” (Jeremiah 32:27 KJV). “…The things which are impossible with men are possible with God…” (Luke 18:27 KJV).
“...the Son of man (God’s living Word) is come to seek and to save that which was lost...” (Luke 19:10 KJV). ). “....receive... the ...word (Jesus), which is able to save your souls...” (James 1:21 KJV). “...And one who is wise gains souls...” (Proverbs 11:30 NASB). “...souls of men(women)...” (Revelation 18:13 KJV).
Issachar thought if one group of disciples added thousands to the church daily. Imagine if in all 50 states thousands of people accepted Christ daily. That would be over a million+ souls a month. “...Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved...” (Acts 2 MSG).
Issachar was reading Acts chapter 2. Converting the heart whether than changing the human law would have MORE of an impact on Christian concerns and values than ANYTHING ELSE. “...Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls...” (Acts 2:38-42 KJV)
“...they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved...” (Acts 2:46-27 KJV).
“...That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers .... Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved...” (Acts 2 MSG).
THIS EXCITED ISSACHAR!!
God had GIVEN Issachar, through his MERCY, another chance by SAVING his LOST SOUL and in return, he would give God, the Holy Spirit, the rest of his earthly life to make his appeal through him. The bible says: “...We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God...” (2 Corinthians 5:20 NIV).
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