Focused Vision: Who Are We and Where are we Going

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Acts 20:19-21

serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; ²⁰ how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house,²¹ testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

(ESV)

The Apostle Paul diligently served His Lord despite a shipwreck on his way to Rome (Acts 28:13-44), and time in jail for his faith, something he was ready to do at any time (Acts 21:13).  Paul received 39 lashes five times for his faith (2 Corinthians 11:24), and even rejection by his own people (Acts 9:20-25).  Paul knew who he was, a child of God saved through the shed blood of the Lamb of God Jesus Christ.  The Apostle Paul also knew his mission was to bring the message of the Gospel to the Jew first, and then to the Gentiles or Greeks (Romans 1:16).  As we look forward to 2018 we too must realize who we are and where we are going as the people of God, a nation, and individually.

The Nation:

The main founding document of the United States is the Declaration of Independence.  The second paragraph of this documents states the founding father’s vision for the United States.  Their vision is based upon a belief in the equal creation of all men and woman and that all people have the unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  The meaning of this statement is that rights are God given and governments role is protecting these God given rights.  (1)

Unfortunately, the United States has strayed from this foundational truth, evidenced by the advance of progressivism and liberalism, leading to a growing government unable to live within its means.  Funding of this massive leviathan comes through a progressive income tax system that punishes producers through high taxation and redistributes this money to low income individuals with some even paying no taxes but still receiving massive tax refunds through refundable tax credits like the Earned Income Tax Credit and Additional Child Tax Credits.  (2)  Unless there is a reversal of this trend, federal deficits will continue adding to the federal debt. 

Our nation needs a change of fiscal direction.  We must eliminate the progressive income tax which funds the liberal and progressive agenda of wealth redistribution, replacing it with a flat income tax or total elimination of the income tax, replacing it with a national sales tax or consumption tax.  This will allow individuals to truly pursue the lifestyle they desire without the government penalizing them when they succeed.

The People of God:

When Jesus took His last breath on the cross, God tore the curtain concealing the most holy place from top to bottom (Matthew27:50-51).  What the tearing of this curtain symbolizes is that Gods glory no longer dwells exclusively in the most Holy Place of the Temple and instead can dwell in the hearts of men and women who decide to make Jesus their savior.  The Church is a gathering together of followers of Jesus with the purpose of strengthening each other and sharing the Gospel of good news that there is forgiveness of sins through the shed blood of Jesus Christ (Romans 6:23). 

Jesus commissioned every believer to share the Gospel (Mark16:15, Matthew 28:16-20).  Unfortunately, consumerism has crept into many churches, taking the focus off spreading the gospel and spiritual maturity of the people of God and on to churches focused on the latest in God, worship, and teaching.  (3)  Instead of planting roots in a home church teaching the truth of the Gospel, people church shop from church to church seeking the latest novelty.  Ephesians4:14-15 warns the church against falling into this trap that leads to weak Christians easily deceived by the enemy. 

Just as the nation needs a change of direction, the church also needs a change of direction back to what made it great in the Book of Acts, the spreading of the Gospel which turned their world upside down (Acts17:6).  Obama has said, “white folk’s greed runs a world in need.”  (4)  I respectfully disagree with this racist statement and instead propose that a world in sin needs a church fulfilling its mission of sharing the Gospel, the great commission Jesus gave it. 

Individually:

Everyone that believes in Jesus as their Lord receives the gift of eternal life (John 3:16).  However, immortality is not something reserved to only those believing in Jesus as their Lord, but something every human being has (Matthew 25:46).  Unlike the rest of God’s creation, God created humanity in His own image (Genesis 1:26).  This, however, does not mean we physically look like God but instead means we have the qualities of God within us.  However, sin has separated us from God meaning that our eternal existence would be one of eternal separation from God (Romans 6:23).  Fortunately for every human being however, Jesus came and became sin even though he committed no sin (2 Corinthians 5:21) so that we can receive full forgiveness of our sins, changing our eternal from separation from God in Hell to eternal life with God (1 Thessalonians 4:17). 

While many of those reading this post have decided to make Jesus the Lord of their life and have eternity with Jesus as their destination, some reading this may not have made this decision.  If that is you, I invite you to pray with me now,

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, was buried, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

Monday begins a new year.  As with the beginning of each new year, there is hope but also uncertainty.  As a nation and church, we must go back to the basics of our founding principles that made the nation and church powerful.  As individuals we must begin with establishing the identity of a believer in Jesus as our savior, or being born again, and then moving closer in our relationship with our savior by learning more about the Bible, the Word of God, living our lives according to its principles, and sharing the truth of the Gospel with those God places in our path.  Happy New Year everyone and may God bless you. 

1. ushistory.org. The Declaration of Independence. www.ushistory.org. [Online] [Cited: October 30, 2016.] http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/.

2. Boofman, Georgi. Refundable Tax Credits Are Just Republican-Style Welfare. the federalist.com. [Online] The Federalist, November 28, 2017. [Cited: December 28, 2017.] http://thefederalist.com/2017/11/28/refundable-tax-credits-just-republican-style-welfare/.

3. CTPastors. From Lord to Label: how consumerism undermines our faith. www.christianitytoday.,com. [Online] Christianity Today. [Cited: December 30, 2017.] http://www.christianitytoday.com/pastors/2006/july-online-only/from-lord-to-label-how-consumerism-undermines-our-faith.html.

4. Furry, Nick. Obama Says--White Folk's Greed Runs a World In Need. www.youtube.com. [Online] Youtube, May 17, 2010. [Cited: December 28, 2017.] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFNQBTOVF4o.