Restoring the Original American Dream

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

“The history of Israel and all their prospects were intertwined with their religion; so that it may be said that without their religion they had no history, and without their history no religion. Thus, history, patriotism, religion, and hope alike pointed to Jerusalem and the Temple as the center of Israel’s unity."

While crossing the Atlantic in1630, Governor John Winthrop wrote and delivered a sermon entitled, “A Model of Christian Charity.”

In his sermon he likened his fellow Puritans, founders of a Christian society who should be like the pilgrim nation of Israel leaving Egypt and choosing the new life which is blessed of God (Deuteronomy 30:19). Toward the end of the address, he laid down for America the original American dream taken from the inspiration of Jesus: “For we must consider that we shall be as a city upon a hill. The eyes of all people are upon us. So that if we shall deal falsely with our God in this work we have undertaken, and so cause Him to withdraw His present help from us.  We see in volume I of “The Life and Times of Jesus The Messiah” by Dr. Alfred Edersheim he writes of the Jewish people and their worship: “Around this Temple gathered the sacred memories of the past; to it clung the yet brighter hopes of the future. It shall be made a story and a by-word through the world.” Through the years presidents of the United States have quoted these words, Ronald Reagan being the latest one to do so. Russ Walton in his book, “One Nation Under God” said,”America took God up on what even Israel turned God down on.” Israel demanded to have a king like the other nations, God said in I Samuel 8:7, “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.” In this country, our forefathers decided to have a country by the people, for the people, under God. The actual battle cry of our patriots as they went into battle was, “No King but Jesus!” To quote the words of Edersheim concerning Israel, “... without their religion they had no history, and without their history no religion.” We can say the same of America! Without our faith, we would have no history and without our history no faith.”

Will we continue to consider the lives of our weakest, the unborn an option to take? Will we move from the safe, God-blessed union of man and woman to the embracing of that which God calls an abomination? Will we continue down the slippery slope of trusting government rather than God as our source of provision? Will we turn our back on Israel, that people whom the Lord said, if we bless them God will bless us? (Genesis 12:3). 

Today, would be a great day for the people of God in America to begin an Exodus back from this fast approaching darkness to once again become that bright and shining “City on a Hill." The world is watching; more importantly, God is watching. Jesus said, “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.” (Matthew 5:14). Where do we start? How does America once again become that light reflecting the glory of God?

1.We start with ourselves. 

Gypsy Smith, the great evangelist of yesteryear said the way to have a revival is to go home, take a piece of chalk, draw a circle, then stand inside that circle and say, “Lord, send a revival in this circle.”

Jesus warned, quoting from Isaiah said,“Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me” (Matthew 15:7,8). If we discover we are simply going through the motions and not really putting our heart into it, it’s time to change.  Have you ever been on a trip and you begin to sense you have taken the wrong turn or wrong road and things don’t seem right. What do you finally do? You pull over, turn on the map light and unfold the map and find out where you are. Then the next step is simple. Find out where you need to go from where you are and proceed in the right direction.

2. We tend to our families.  

In a real sense a family is a city unto itself. You have the executive branch in Dad and Mom, you have laws, you have penalties for breaking the laws, you have incentives and rewards for doing right. Above all, it is the place where a girl or boy is taught to believe on and love the Lord Jesus Christ and it is where we are taught to live out the Christian experience.

The eloquent orator and editor of The Atlanta Constitution, Henry Grady made a speech in which he spoke while standing on the grounds of the Capitol in Washington D.C., “Here is the most important place on earth. For here is where the laws are made that govern this great country.”  In the rise of Henry Grady’s popularity, the young man reared by his widowed, godly mother had drifted from the holy lifestyle in which he was reared. Under deep conviction, he made his way back to his old unassuming country home where his precious old-fashioned mother lived and said to her, “Mother, once again, could I be a boy? And once again, would you speak to me of the things of God and the story of Christ and fortify and renew me?”

Soon after Grady returned to Atlanta, he wrote an editorial correcting his former thoughts, “At one time I said while standing on the capitol grounds of Washington, 'Here was the greatest place on earth. For it is here where the laws are made that govern this great country.' I no longer believe this, for the greatest place on earth is home, for it is here where the people are made who make the laws that govern our great country.” I would add one slight variation and say, more specifically, the most important place on earth is the Christian home.  Today, God is looking for some Abrahams of whom He said, “For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment...” (Genesis 18:19).

3. We return to church being the church.

For a couple of decades it seems there has been a campaign to secularize the church. At times it has been subtle, other times, not so subtle. You can see it in her message; the cry has been, “Don’t preach to me and please don’t make me feel uncomfortable. And whatever you do, don’t embarrass me if I bring my unchurched friends to our services - and oh,by the way, don’t make them feel uncomfortable either.” Yet the Bible says, “For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe” (I Corinthians 1:21). And as far as adjusting our message to make it comfortable and more palatable, hear the Word of God: “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine” (II Timothy 4:2).

It is time that Christians wake up and return to the message that above everything else brings glory to God. God’s glory should be our goal, not maintaining our comfort zone. Instead of preoccupation in becoming successful in crossover, let us take up our “cross” and bring the world “over” to Christ and a lifestyle that is so much better than anything the secular world has to offer. We are to be the light in contrast, not in compliment to the darkness around us.

They Were The Ruin Of Him

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Ahaz, king of Judah, was one of the most wicked kings of the twenty who reigned in the south.  Here is a man who lived a life for himself, not concerned about the true and living God.  The Bible says he, “did not that which was right” (II Chro28:1).  That is dangerous ground for any believer to be on. He suffered a tremendous lost to  the Syrians (5,6).

After losing out militarily and spiritually, what would you do in Ahaz’s situation?  Go deeper into sin and rebellion, or humbly repent and return to God?  As a leader he kept sinking and the whole nation, unfortunately, suffered with him (19a).  None of us is an island unto himself.  If we go down more than likely we will take others with us.

But here is where Ahaz really gets into trouble.  Notice his thinking process.  “In the time of his distress,” (22) he said, “Because the gods of the kings of Syria help them, therefore will I sacrifice to them, that they may help me” (23).  In other words he is saying, if it works for those in the world, it will work for me! 

Haven’t you see things being done in the Lord’s work and among Christians who are trying to copy the world, only to have things fall out to their own destruction?  Churches want to look and act like the world.  Families want to act and live like some of the Hollywood actors and live selfish lives, without consideration for their spouses or children (or God).

NOW NOTICE

The result of being and acting like others in the world, and doing things their way (calling on and sacrificing to the gods of Syria), the Bible says, “They were the ruin of him, and of all Israel” (II Chron 28:23).  Ahaz’s life was wrecked, ruined, and rendered ineffective.  Why?  Because he chose the way of the world.  Instead of looking upward for answers to life’s difficulties and stresses, he looked outward and fell.

What is the Devil doing to get your eyes off of the Lord and His Word, in order to ruin your life?  May I suggest the following things we all need to be careful of:

1. People today are getting ruined right and left by following the god of SELF.  I promise you, anyone pursing self will ultimately end up being nominated for the most miserable person in town.

2. Not only will following self bring destruction, but SILVER will be the ruin of some.  Just as it ruined Judas, it can ruin any of us.  We must be careful to not always be wanting more.  Worshiping the god of materialism has distracted many good Christians from following Him.  Let us be careful that we are not becoming more obedient to our employer than we are to God.  Work and money is not everything.

3. Obviously, illicit SEX will be the ruin of many as well. Actually, one’s ruin is really with their character, or lack of it.  Character is the issue: purity, honesty, integrity, faithfulness to vows and God’s Word.  Married couples must work at keeping your love-levels high for each other.  Deal with problems as they arise and let nothing go unresolved.

They were the ruin of him.  Could what was said of Ahaz be said of you?  We could add to this list ambition, drugs, mouth, pride, idleness, pleasure, and a myriad of other things that could be the ruin of any of us.  Next question, have any of these things started an in-road into your life?

My suggestion for all of us as to how to not let anything be our ruin is to follow the leadership of Ahaz’s son, Hezekiah, one of the finest kings of the nation of Israel.

    1. Resolve to do right!  "And he did that which was right..."(29:2).

    2. Fear God "They bowed their heads  and worshiped..."(29:30).

    3. Yield your all to Him "Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the Lord..."(30:8a).

    4. Serve Him :...and serve the Lord your God..."(30:8b).

Please, one bad Ahaz is enough.  Let us learn from his failures and not repeat them for ourselves!

Isolate or Insulate?

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

John 17 is said to be the greatest prayer ever uttered and ever recorded on earth.  It is a prayer that falls from the very lips of Jesus Christ Himself.  Jesus prays this prayer, knowing that His time on earth is about over.  He is 33 years of age when He prays this, and knows full well that He is about ready to face the horrible torments of the cross.  He knew all about the day in which we find ourselves: with all the ungodliness, permissiveness, and worldliness.  Upon reading this complete prayer, the Christian will soon discover His love and concern for them, that they insulate and not isolate.

A PRAYER FOR HIS POSSESSION

Jesus specifically says (9) His prayer is not for the people of the world, but for His own Possession, believers.  Being saved is a very special privilege.  It provides an unmistakable relationship between God and man.  There are some things money can’t buy: peace, health, and a right relationship with God.  This takes faith and God’s grace.  Salvation means a radical transformation of one’s life: from darkness to light; from death to life; from Hell to Heaven; from the old man to the new man.  Praise God!  Christian, mark it down, God is on your side, praying for you to have a victorious life.

A PRAYER FOR OUR PROTECTION

Now that some of us are Christians, let’s go on to heaven and party!  After all, our sins have been forgiven and we have been promised a life of blessedness, peace, golden streets, and the presence of God: let the music begin!   But God has a different plan for us.  He is not interested in taking us out of the world and isolating us from ungodly influences.  He is not interested in putting us in a monastery somewhere to keep us untainted by the world. His has not a plan of Isolation, but Insolation: “I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil” (15).

After all, the world is a wicked place and one that we are to be separated from.  As a man, I want to provide all the Protection I can to my wife, son, and church.  So how is the Lord going to Protect us from the world, and for what purpose?

He said believers should be Sanctified (17).  That is, we are to be set apart for the indispensable work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Just how are we to be sanctified, or insulated?  Through the Word of God.  This reminds us of the importance of daily Bible reading and study, attending all church services, and the importance of conforming our lives to all the Word of God.  Scripture memory is a must if you want to insulate yourself and children from the world.  Parents you are responsible for teaching and instructing your children in the Word of God which will insulate them from the outside world. 

We are all familiar with Psalm 119:11 which says, “Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee.” However, are you familiar with the two preceding verses? “Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed thereto according to Thy word. With my whole heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy commandments.” Hiding God’s Word is key in keeping our hearts insulated against the world.

He said believers should be Sent (18).  Every believer has the responsibility of instructing others in the things of God.  All of us should be praying for the souls of men.  We should be doing whatever is possible to influence others for Christ. 

He said believers should be Serving (19).  Here again is the purpose of our being insulated from this world.  We are in the world but not of the world.  When we start focusing on the needs of others, it has a way of taking the focus off of ourselves.  Being separated unto God is not an easy process, living for God is not an easy proposition, but a necessary one. 

In conclusion, protect your family from evil whenever possible, but don’t be too alarmed when they see something at the store they shouldn’t have seen, or hear some kid on the playground say something he shouldn’t have said.  Do check with them daily to make sure that if they did hear something or see something wrong, that you make sure they understand the Scriptures on the matter and since they are children, that you talk to any parent that may be involved.

As someone has said, “Life is 10% what happens to me and 90 % how I react to it.”  Insulate your life and that of your children, but don’t isolate yourself from others.  Things may not be just where you want them to be today, but keep going: maybe by tomorrow things will be better.  An African parable captures the idea very well: “Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up.  It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.  Every morning a lion wakes up.  It knows that it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.”  It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or a gazelle: When the sun comes up you had better be running!

When you see other believers in your church not living as you believe they ought, remember the responsibility is on you to go to them and help (Gal 6:1).  Don’t develop the snobbish attitude that merely isolates one’s self from others. Be a godly influence!

Believers, God wants you Insulated, but not Isolated: get involved!

Persevere… and Give God the Glory

by: Rev. Leon Aguilera

Good Morning!  Are you ready for the work week, or did you already complain in your heart (or out loud) that it is time to go back to work?

Thus far, in the first selection on murmuring, we have discussed how the Spirit leads us in dealing with complaining and its negative influences on our lives. Through faith we can use the positive plan, God promised us, to deal with dissension among our fellow brothers.  We also looked at how God intends us to lead others who engage in murmuring. The second selection showed us that we need consultation and leading from God to overcome Satan and his strategies.  The Lord leads us to what we shall and shall not do, according to His will.  In this third and final selection, we will complete the remaining Spirit-led requirements, leaving us with a better understanding of what He would have us do when encountered with murmuring, whether it is from others or within ourselves.

Let us begin with the this requirement from God; “Thou shall not focus on the murmurers.”  As we continue to look at the Israelites in the wilderness, God states in Exodus 16:6, “…You shall know that the Lord hath brought you out from the land of Egypt.”  Here, Moses and Aaron could have scorned against the Jews, however they would have been taking on the Israelites’ negative characteristics.   Leaders often become prey to the very issues that irritate them.  They start complaining about the complainers.  Moses never complained about the Jews, despite their continued grumbling.  Often times, we complain and lose out on the blessings, contentment, and peace, which God intends for us.

Next, we are instructed that, “Thou shall talk truth to the murmurers.”  In Exodus 16:7-8, the scripture states, “…then you shall see the glory of the Lord.”  This was a positive statement about the future.  Sometimes there is pressure to compromise the truth, due to the consequences, but we’ll never be good leaders if we fail to tell complainers the truth.  Instruction six says, “Thou shall not bear the murmurers alone.”  Exodus 16:9 states, “…Come near before the Lord.”  Moses used Aaron to speak to the congregation.  They were not only brothers, but a team.  Aaron challenged the Jews to come near before the Lord, “…for He hath heard your murmurings.”  If we are dissatisfied, hungry, or hurt, we are to come near before the Lord.  This is where you can get real, lasting help.

We also see that, “Thou shall not point people to yourself.”  In Exodus 16:10, the Bible says, “…They looked toward the wilderness, and the glory of the Lord appeared in the cloud.”  Moses told Aaron, “We are not their saviors.”  The ego drives people to look to others; however the Spirit always directs people to look towards the Lord and not draw the focus on themselves.  You’ll never be able to live up to the performance standard of God.

Finally, we see, “Thou shall persevere until death.”  Dealing with those who complain, whether it is in ministry, family, or business, ranks high on the list of why leaders quit.  For instance, statements are uttered like, “I’ve had it; I’m not putting up with this anymore!”  This was not an option for Moses.  Our success is not based on how many people we change from being negative, to being content.  If you take that as the standard, even Moses was a flop.  A leader is not here for the followers, but for Him.

In conclusion, throughout these selections on murmuring, we’ve seen how faith must be used to combat murmuring, both among others and within ourselves and how good leadership is a reliance on God.  Our success is measured by our willingness to remain faithful to the call of God, with a good spirit, regardless of the situation.  Every leader will be criticized.  God called us here to persevere.  It’s inevitable that people will perpetually murmur.  Get over it and move on.  Love God, serve the Lord, persevere, and enjoy a wonderful week!