Zombie Land

I know that the title for this article may sound strange but bear with me as I hope to play on the words of the title of this article.  I have been giving my blogs a lot of thought this week and hope to draw you in with some insight and bring about some discussion.  I met with a long time friend this week at a conference service and afterward had a little discussion about my blogs. 

  He shared his insights, desires, and concerns, wanting to make sure that I was not sounding too hard and harsh on our church systems.  He expressed his understanding and knowing where I was coming from and to which I am very thankful.  I take to heart  to what those close to me think and weigh what is spoken.  I have not taken lightly what I have shared over the last few weeks and feel that it has been from my heart.  I know I am not skilled as some in writing.  I am also humbled by the very thought of how much God would love me and choose to use me.  I am so thankful for those that God has placed in my life and the events that have shaped me.  I am a man truly blessed of the Lord and consider myself rich in a number of good friends that truly love me and allow me to speak my mind.

  In the service I sat with my friend as the main speaker began.  My mind raced with many thoughts and wondered how I was going to receive after what I had been sharing over the last few weeks.  The church we sat in was set up like any other church and I knew that they were much like the average spirit filled church.  I will also consider the fact that they genuinely wanted the presence of the Lord in their services.  Yet in all aspects they were no different than any other church with a few songs a special and preaching.  A well orchestrated service was conducted and the people sat as the speaker spoke. 

At first I struggled with the speaker as he spent time on things that was typical of many main stream professional speakers.  Yet I paid close attention to what was being said.  Was I being judgmental, have I become hardened by experiences? As He spoke I was drawn in by things that made me think.  Over all there was a wealth of things to chew on and research in my own studies.  He spoke on things I generally believe and agree on, I was glad to be there to receive.  The service ended much in a way one would expect, with a call to the front, yet without any fan fare. Yet this all got me to thinking, (dangerous I guess).

  Now I know that my thoughts and words are not fancy and may never be full of click speech or slogans.  I may never fit in the main stream of ministry yet I know what is in my heart and I want to know the truth.  I too truly want to have a move of God in my life.  I want a true God experience outside of man made systems and programs.  I am not looking for another revival or a place where someone claims to have it happening.  I want a God thing that revolutionizes my entire life and those around me.  I am looking for the very thing that will usher in the blessed hope for all believers.  I am eagerly a waiting for the kingdom of Christ to come in this world, to free us from the bondages of death and corruption that is in this world.   

Each day I want to draw closer to God my Father, to know His very heart beat, living wholly for Him.  I know that I am not there yet; I still struggle with things in my life.  There are battles yet to be won and purposes yet to be fulfilled.  I am not perfect and I do not write as one who is.  I have to deal with myself on a daily basis and thank God He has given me the power to overcome.  I am so thankful today for where God has me, yet knowing I have not yet arrived at where I am going.

  With all this said I want to get to our topic.  Over these last few weeks there have been some events in the news that has caught my attention and feel they fit with much of what I am addressing with church.

 It seems that one now days cannot speak their own mind if it does not fit with the thinking of others.  Let me quote from a book I am reading by the author Anthony Buzzard, “Once a belief has been accepted both intellectually and emotionally as truth, any challenge to that cherished tenet is liable to almost automatic rejection.  The very human desire of all of us to conform to the group which has nourished us and the lifetime patterns of thought learned from sincere teachers we trusted and respected tends to create barriers which secure us against all objections and can blind us to the most obvious truths.”

 I have read a few news articles about well known people that have spoken out about homosexuality, abortion, war, and some politics of today.  These people did not say any thing wrong, even saying it with love and respect.  But yet they have been criticized for making a stand for truth.  I will not spend a lot of time on who theses people are that is not my point.  The point is they spoke out and it does not fit the public norm.  They have been called many names and accused of hate and outdated with the times.  There may even be a few lawsuits being filed for their speaking out.  I have even read responses by the church community and they have spoken condemnation of various types.   Some saying their language was not strong enough; to they should have kept their thoughts to themselves, and need to get with the times.  This is nothing new when you see how many of our own modern church leaders handle these issues.

 I remember having a conversation with a very liberal self proclaimed agnostic a few years ago.  After much conversation back and forth and that person get very frustrated with me when I would not change my views, or concede.  What she spoke next shook me but I would not let her know.  “You wait and see the church will come around to accept homosexuality and these  views over time, just like they have done with many other views of the past”  She did tell me what those things were that the church at one time had stood strong on and now have changed.  In my heart I knew she might be right if God does not do something in this generation, and we are already seeing the beginnings of this.  The sad thing is this young lady grew up in church and I knew her parents and grand parents who were Christians. 

Now; let’s get to the reason for the title of this article “Zombie Land”.  Like the young lady I mentioned and so many in and out of church they don’t like their thoughts challenged.  They have drunk the cool-aid so to speak and recite, quote their favorite people, using the bible to fit their beliefs and ways of life.  Like a movie by the same title I once caught a part of while channel surfing.  Now I am not one to watch horror movies per-say but I stopped to see what it was all about.  Most of the world was destroyed by some kind of virus that made people living mindless dead people.  They went about destroying and making everyone like them by their biting on them. 

If I can make a liberal comparison here, this looks a lot like our society and churches today.  People have been affected by the virus of untruth and deception.  They have embraced it as fact and ways of life, Christianity, and the way all people should live. They go about devouring all those that disagree with them, consuming the life of God’s purpose out of His people. One is not allowed to speak out what is on their mind or to think differently.  They say we show hatred, and our language is inflammatory.  They reject all reason and any thought that is not like theirs.  Like zombies they go about with only one purpose, to make all those that are living just like them.  (I will acknowledge the church at times in the past has not done a good job of showing mercy and Love)

Jesus himself faced such things in his own time, confronting the religious systems of the day.  He was considered an outsider and rebel.  His teaching provoked thought and took the focus off of their man made systems and put it on the Father.   There was not a man who could have shown more love than him, yet he demonstrated strong action and words towards those who corrupted the truth.  He did not fit their image of the messiah they were expecting, and they tried to get him to conform.  Jesus just had to be who he was and stay true to the purpose his Father had given him.  He could not be bitten with their deceit so they killed him on a cross.  That could not stop him because the Father had given him life and He rose from the dead.        

(2 Cor 3:1-9 NIV)  Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation to you or from you? {2} You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everybody. {3} You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts. {4} Such confidence as this is ours through Christ before God. {5} Not that we are competent in ourselves to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God. {6} He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant--not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life. {7} Now if the ministry that brought death, which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory, fading though it was, {8} will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? {9} If the ministry that condemns men is glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!

Now, like Paul I have nothing to boast, and have not any competence in myself.  I have had no formal education other than the training of others.  I am not full of insightful speech, and sometimes stumble with my words.  Yet I know who I believe in and am a lover of truth.  I have been given life that is in Jesus, and refuse to give it up.  I have been given a liberty in His spirit and will stand fast in that liberty. 

I do love the church of the Lord Jesus Christ and will make a stand.  Like a father that sees his young child about to step into the street, stepping into the path of a car.  I am not going to passively and softly speak so I don’t hurt the child’s feelings.  I am going to raise my voice to speak firmly and sternly.  I am going to take action yanking the child out of the path of danger, and not apologize for it.  The life of that child depends on my response and action.  One should not question my love for the child by my abrupt and drastic action (Jude, 22-23).  It is my love that demanded me to take action.  I love God’s people and His church, and I see danger around the corner, it’s time to take action.  Like in the movie Zombie Land, I refuse to be bitten and give in just so I can fit in with the rest.  I don’t want to be a part of a mindless group of people doing things just out of tradition or conformity.  I want to live the life God has given me. I want God to have His way in me and I am so hungry for a genuine move of God, not birthed out of tradition, and control of man. 

Just remember God wants His best for you, and don’t settle for less.  Begin to seek Him as never before.  Look for truth and don’t settle for man made traditions.  You are God’s chosen people and life is in you.  God gave Jesus His son to bring you a liberty free from laws and traditions.  He has given you power to overcome in this life and to live godly.  You can do it with His help, Jesus has paid the way.