Take the stand?

Take the stand for what?  For America?  Yes, but when we take a stand for just America, what are we standing for?

America today is not the America it was a generation ago.  A generation ago, in practically all cities and towns, it was a very safe and moral place to live.  Killings were rare and most of the time they were not premeditated.  Notorious thieves were someone we heard about through wanted posters and word of mouth and they were usually caught and either killed or sentenced to hard labor on uncivilized chain gangs or put in prisons where only rats and snakes could survive.

Even in the forties and early fifties, most people living here could leave their doors unlocked 24 hours a day and never suffer loss.  Everyone seemed to have time for everyone else and America was a big family!  Why did we enjoy such a utopia?  Because we were a God fearing, God worshiping, God standing nation!  America always took her stand for the Lord God almighty!

We were taught in public schools that America was one nation under THE Almighty God!  God came first and our country and family came second.  In that order!  We never lost a war until we turned from those principles.  As we turned from God's guidance to our own ideals and foresight we began to decay and the only glue that holds this nation together today is the Church!

Now friend, you may not agree.  We have a constitution that was given to our forefathers through much prayer and seeking of God and you certainly have the right to disagree.  In fact, you can shout your disagreement from the housetops and from sea to shining sea.  I would be proud to walk beside any American in order to defend your right to disagree, just as long as, you are willing to defend my right to speak my belief also!

It seems to me that our willingness to defend our country for each ones liberty is fading away and a new age of selfishness and greed is coming.  In fact, the only thing that holds this nation together is the LOVE of the God fearing, Christ centered Church.  A people that walk in peace and will stand together for what is righteous and moral.  A church that is learning that to stand in unity in Christ Jesus as it's Lord and Savior is far more important to the well being of this nation than anything else we can do.

This glue that holds America together is beginning to undergo threats of moral decay brought about by selfishness and the lust of the world.  We are divided over selfish doctrines and forceful decay from within.  Legalism, quarrels, lies, gossip and self-centered thinking keep us from the one thing that must and will save us.

And just what will save us?  Love in unity will save us and as the last days begin to flourish and evil spreads throughout the world ( as Christ himself predicted)  only love and unity will save us from disaster.  We will someday have to stand together in spite of our differences or we will be among the lost and wonder why.

Jesus said, "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.  He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."  ...John 14:21  and then in verses 23 & 24 he says..."If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me."

Our Lord was very careful to teach us about love.  Loving God first, loving him and obeying him is not an option according to scripture.  Should we obey him or not?  You say, "obey?"  Of course!  Then I say to you, dear brother or sister, you had better know what love, (Agape), really is and what it's responsibilities are!  If you miss that, you've missed it all!

He gave us a brand new command in the thirteenth chapter of John... "A new command I give you:  Love one another.  As I have loved you, so you must love one another.  By this all men will know that your are my disciples, if you love one another."  John 13: 34-35.

He taught us love and obedience to Him and the Father.  Then He turns right around and reminds us of this "NEW" command again in the fifteenth chapter of John..."My command is this:  Love each other as I have loved you.  Greater love has no one than this that he lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends IF you do what I command."  John 15: 12-15

How can we obey his command to love when we quarrel among each other?  How do we ever expect our children to grow up with love in their heart for God's people when we don't obey our Lord!  Tell me, what did Paul mean when said..."Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you"  (Eph. 4:32) 

OR,  in 1st Thessalonians 5:12&13 "Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you.  Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work.  Live in peace with each other". 

OR, what was it he was trying to get into your heart when he says in 2nd Timothy 2:24..."Flee evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.  Don't have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels."

The Apostle Paul, like his Master, died teaching and upholding the law of LOVE!

Let's look at Ephesians once again and ask ourselves the same question.  What did he mean when he said..."Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.  Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called -- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all."

Our Jesus prayed for unity and then he sweat drops of blood on the Mount of Olives to begin preparation for the ultimate sacrifice for His children. 

What are we doing now, here in the 21st century?  We either fight each other tooth and toenail over difference of opinion or doctrine or selfish petty things while this precious nation is being taken over by the evil forces of Satan!

It took something tragic, like 911, to get our attention and even less than one year later we were drifting back to sleep and taking up the old fights, petty causes and arguments while the last days are upon us!  God help us!

People, I don't care what our disagreements are.  I don't care what our doctrinal differences are, as long as, we unite in the love of Jesus and obey and teach his principals and commands.  We have to unite or eternity will come and Jesus will have one prayer gone unanswered.  The prayer for unity:

"My prayer is not for them alone.  I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you.  May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me.  May they be brought to complete UNTIY to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me...John 17:20-24.

Do you want to be responsible for Jesus not having His prayer answered?

Now, there is no real need to worry that it won't be answered!  The one who prayed it was the only one that could have prayed it with enough faith to bring it about.  It shall be answered, if only, by a precious few believers who are loving enough to unite and work together in spite of their differences and be happy and cheerful as they go about it!

What IS your position?  Christ or yourself and your petty ways?  Does it not touch your heart that JESUS, our Lord and savior, had to put a lot of belief in YOU his child to pray that prayer!!

Paul said... (Col. 3:12-14)  Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect UNITY. 

Paul was in prison, surely facing death, when he wrote to the Colossians.  He stood firm on these principles and died for them.  He agonized over the fact that false teachers and petty arguments would divide us and cause hurt and disunity.  He could only pray, there in that prison cell, and write a few letters of warning.  He had to muster up a lot of faith that WE would listen and obey our Jesus!

So where is our faith today??  Do we have the character and the fortitude to embrace all the teachings of Christ?  Or, will we just obey our own interpretation of the plan of salvation and let the living in love principles go to the four winds!  How long will we be blinded to the fact that love covers a multitude of sin!  How long will we we walk in darkness!  How long will we refuse to love others enough to let them have there own relationship with Jesus instead of trying to draw lines of fellowship.  If we all believe in Jesus as the son of God, that he was born of a virgin, was crucified on Calvary as the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  That he rose up out of the grave and is now at the right hand of God in heaven.  If we can all unite in that and let God deal with our differences.  If we can walk together in that belief and not be angry or judgmental toward each other because of our other differences....IF WE CAN  LOVE EACH OTHER...then we will have unity!

In the end times (which is NOW) Satan will have his day of wrath on the earth.  It is going on now all over the world and it's marching it's way right into the heart of America!

Listen to me!  160,000+ people per year, in this world, are martyred because they are standing firm on those principles we just discussed!  That is about one every 5 minutes!  They will not bow down to a false God.  The will not denounce the name of Jesus!  They are denied the right to worship.  The right to proclaim the good news!  Forced to go underground to worship and hide from evil men. 

America will not escape the same happenings if we continue to live selfishly in disunity and arrogance for each other!

You have to know this true story before I close this article.  It's about Cali, Colombia. 

Cali, a city of two million people was, in the late 70's, ruled by Drug Lords and their cartels.  They ruled the city with crime and corruption.  Occult worship was growing and the church was not united!  The churches there were like we are right now in the U.S.

They each did their own thing and stood on their doctrines and petty differences and never walked with each other or worked with each other in any way!  Their doctrines would not allow it!

However, in 1978, Pastor Julio Ruibal paid heed to a call for God to move there.

The Pastors Association was a very small and they could never seem to get beyond their differences.  Julio joined the association but quickly had a sharp disagreement with them and he resigned.  However, he quickly began to realize that he was only contributing to the problem by leaving.  God spoke to him and told him he had no right to be offended and he must forgive and return.  He did that and as a result of his and others hard work they managed to organize an evening of prayer in 1995 for all denomination to attend.  (That was 17 years after he moved there.  Do you see love here?) 

So many people came that the evening of prayer turned into an all night prayer session with hundreds united in prayer together and they experienced their first miracle.

Cali, was a city so heaped with corruption that they averaged in upwards of 15 murders per day!  Not per month.  Per day, every day and had been so for many years.  That weekend, not one murder, not one homicide occurred in the city.  Not one!

Everyone, even many of the pastors said it would not work.  No one would come, but they did!  Why?  Because, they were church members that were fed up with being isolated from the love they needed from each other. This was an opportunity to unite in prayer and share love!  This was a time they could set aside their differences and just unite in love and seek the will of God together!

The story does not end here.  It only begins!  That very summer in 1995 The Pastors were so encouraged by that turn out that they untied together and rented the soccer stadium and planned an all out meeting of all Christian believers regardless of doctrine.

60,000 believers in Christ united and came together!  60,000!  Within 9 months of this meeting the Colombian government arrested 6 of the 7 Drug Lords and crushed the cartel!

During these months the church was not idle, they organized in love all over the city.  They assigned every section of the city to different churches to study and report on the evil going on and they united in prayer against the enemy.

Meanwhile, Julio got into a sharp dispute with a neighbor over land boundaries.  Julio was so disturbed about the matter he took it to the Lord.  The Lord, once again spoke to him and said...  "This man will do great damage to you but as a result there will be a great revival in this city."

A few weeks later someone ambushed Julio and left him lying dead on the sidewalk outside the church building.  Hundreds of people attended his funeral.  Many Pastors came.  some of them had not spoken to each other in years.  Now, the barriers were down and they were no longer concerned about their differences.

A great revival came across the city.  Thousands began to unite.  Hundreds began to leave the occult and came seeking Christ.  You could ask a Pastor what plans he followed and what plans he had for the future and the answer was always the same.  "I am to busy pulling in the nets to make plans."  One church has grown to over 35,000 members and has Sunday services every two hours starting at 7am.  Yes!  Revival came to Cali and the streets are much more safe.  Crime is scarce compared to other cities.  The city government no longer rents the soccer stadium to them.  No.  They give it to them rent free to use for there events of unity in love and worship to God.**

Stand firm Christian and we cannot fail!  Jesus IS coming soon!  Will he find you and me at odds over some less important thing than Him?  OR, will we be standing firm sharing our love for each other and letting the world know we belong to Jesus?

It's high time for us to unite in love and bring revival all across this great nation.  Don't you agree?  Why not start today with your nearest relative in Christ across the street at that other church!

**Learn more about unity by calling the Sentinel Group at 1-800-668-5657 or visit their website at  http://www.transformnations.org

*** written by B. David Pock  copyright 2003