Time sensitive: Christians, rise up, and bow down! Luke 9.1-17
9/24/2009 9:53:42 PM
Scripture Reading: Luke 9.1-17 Today's inspiration: You give them something to eat. Luke 9.13 Good Morning or Good Evening~ Whatever country you find yourself in today, I'm sure you've seen the coverage of Barack Obama's supporters rallying together and cheering wildly--particularly the footage shot in Chicago, where he gave his acceptance speech.


Scripture Reading: Luke 9.1-17 Today's inspiration: You give them something to eat. Luke 9.13


Good Morning or Good Evening~


Whatever country you find yourself in today, I'm sure you've seen the coverage of Barack Obama's supporters rallying together and cheering wildly--particularly the footage shot in Chicago, where he gave his acceptance speech. The cameras panned the faces of hundreds of thousands of people with their arms in the air, clearly moved by his win. The picture is etched in mind alongside another similar picture I personally witnessed in July in Florida. The similarities are striking, and have implications for all of us. Being in Florida for publishing business, I was given the opportunity to drive about 60 miles to the town of Lakeland, where the "Outpouring" was taking place nightly. It was reported that miracles of healing took place nightly, including the leader having raised the dead. You see, I had been contacted by several people asking for my position on what was happening there--was it biblical? Was God really behind all of it? I was really excited to actually get to go and partake, and speak from personal experience.


We drove down a country road and came upon the massive tent where the Outpouring was being held, and joined several thousand folks already gathered. The flock was being led in worship, meaning that there was a band leading in songs of praise and adoration to God. Arms were raised high in the air, and as the intensity grew with each song, people became more and more demonstrative, some on the ground, with their foreheads on the grass, others dancing. . . Then a set-up man for the teacher that night got people more emotionally involved as he generated responsive yells and hollers, and collected the offering. When the teacher took the floor, not much substance was spoken, and only one Scripture verse quoted; when I opened my Bible to find the passage, it wasn't there. Troubling, to say the least. By this time, I had been there at least an hour, and every alarm in my body was going off. I do not believe what I experienced was a move of the Holy Spirit. (Whether the Outpouring started out that way several months before, I'm not sure--but by the time I got to experience it, it was man-driven--) But here's the thing--looking around me, I appeared to be the only one who was bothered, and I certainly had a 'check' in my Spirit; I could only think 'these people have drunk the kool-aid, and it is a scary thing!' I thought about the things Jesus taught about the last days, many of which are recorded in Matthew 24. For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible. Matthew 24.24 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 1 Timothy 4:1 Was that what I was seeing?


What is the correlation between Obama's maddening throngs and the Outpouring? Simply this--people are hungry. People want answers, and they are looking to have them supplied, and therefore, they are vulnerable. This brings us to Doctor Luke.


In yesterday's passage, Jesus said to Jairus' daughter, "Talitha, kumi" the Aramaic for 'rise up.' Today, as history is being made, our God is saying the same thing to us--Christian, arise--wake up--and then bow your knee to Me, the Most High God. "If my people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land." 2 Chronicles 7.14 Humility, thinking of our right position before God, is required of us. Jesus was the most humble Man to ever walk this earth, as He humbled Himself to death--even death on a cross, the most humiliating, tortuous death ever. ('Read Philippians 2 lately?) Remember the prophet Jeremiah, who prophesied of a sure, coming judgment--look up Jeremiah 29.12-14; I know that many are familiar with verse 11, but please internalize verse 12, where the Lord says through Jeremiah, "you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. . ." PLEASE, look up the rest of verses 12-14.


Today's passage? 'Glad you asked--Luke recounts the story of how Jesus fed 5,000 people one day. Sure, that was a miracle to extend five loaves and two fish to feeding 5000, and even have left-overs, but most of us have heard that story from our youth, and pay little regard for just how huge it was. However, it is what Jesus said to His disciples that screams off the page to me--they came to Jesus to tell Him to send the people away because there were no provisions for them. Instead of doing that, Jesus turned and said to them, "You give them something to eat." I firmly believe that Jesus is saying the thing to His people today--you, Christians, give them something to eat. Don't you see that it is ours to tell them that the hope of the world is Jesus Christ. The economic crisis is likely to only get worse in the coming months--the hope of the world is Jesus. I know of Christians who voted for Obama, those that voted McCain; but somehow, many Christians feel absolutely destroyed that Obama has been elected. That ought not to be so. God is still on the throne, and He was not caught off guard at all by the election! That said, we have a job to do, and it is a serious one. Seek God, pray for Obama, pray for truth to prevail, that Christians will learn to seek to know and practice both holiness and truth. As I've heard Joyce Meyer say before, 'Man, I'm preaching good tonight!'


When was the last time you got to see ostriches or emus in their flocks? Then, you can picture a loner who pulls his head up, extends his neck, and swivels his face around to take in what is going on--Christians, do the same. Otherwise, we can assume you marked the APATHY box on your ballots, eh?


So that we can show. . . that we believe~