Christian Challenge Ministries

COMPLETELY OFF-TASK
© 2025 by Philip A Matthews

So, in America, TWO groups of "Christians" are manifesting themselves these days: GROUP1 is quite into politics, reforming government, "putting America first," deporting "illegal aliens," restoring the definition of gender to equal biological s*x and anything else is mental illness, reviving the resistance against gay "marriage," putting prayer & the Ten Commandments back in schools while removing profane, "woke indoctrination," and other such goals, considered by many to all be noble causes. GROUP2 is also quite political but with mostly opposing aims.

Unfortunately, neither group of Christians is "on-task." It's not GOD'S battle to get America "straight," and its not GOD'S fight to straighten out the straighteners! Everybody is completely off-task!
Two thousand years ago, Jesus looked out on the world and declared, "The harvest is abundant [for there are many who need to hear the good news about salvation], but the workers [those available to proclaim the message of salvation] are few. Therefore, [prayerfully] ask the Lord of the Harvest to send out workers into His harvest" (Luke 10:2 Amp). He also said, "GO & MAKE DISCIPLES of all nations" (Matthew 28:19-20 The "Great Commission").

But here we are 2,000 years later, and 3.2BILLION PEOPLE HAVE NEVER EVEN HEARD THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST!

If we, the Church, had been out there doing what Jesus told us to do, our society would not have fallen into such disarray. But we grew comfortable, governed by convenience and driven by selfishness. The RADICALISM of the Apostles & the early believers has been replaced by "CAREER" CHRISTIANITY that's more political, patriotic, and definitely NOT world-changing.

FACT: God revolutionizes the world from the INSIDE OUT, but we keep trying to do it from the outside in.

If Jesus were in this world today, He wouldn't join either side, because, as He said to Pilate, who tried to get Him involved with the craziness of that society, "My Kingdom is NOT OF THIS WORLD!" "Except you REPENT, you shall ALL likewise perish!" ETERNAL THINGS are still uppermost in God's mind and closest to His heart. Why are we so DISTRACTED?

CAN WE FORGET ABOUT BEING SO AFRAID OF TRUMP OR SO ENTHRALLED WITH TRUMP, AND GO BACK TO THE BUSINESS OF THE KINGDOM LIKE WE NEVER HAVE BEFORE!? WE AREN'T DOING A GOOD JOB AT OUR JOB! WHAT ABOUT THE WORLD? WHATEVER HAPPENED TO THE GREAT COMMISSION, THE MARCHING PAPERS OF THE CHURCH AND THE ONLY REASON GOD LEFT IT IN THIS WORLD!? WHEN ARE WE GOING TO STOP BUSINESS AS USUAL AND START MAKING THE SACRIFICES NECESSARY TO TRULY CHANGE THIS WORLD!?

CAN WE GET BACK TO THE 3.2BILLION!?

Asking for a friend? 🤣 Happy Sunday!

FOR SUNDAY...

“GOD IS LOVE”
© 2024 by Philip A Matthews

SUMMARY (Lots of these concepts require separate proofs, so many are assumed for the sake of time):

(1) Science agrees that the Universe has not always existed but began billions of years ago. Because SOMETHING CANNOT COME FROM NOTHING (no matter what Steven Hawking wrote!), the fact
that something now exists requires that something has always existed. Something HAD to already exist as the “First Cause” or “Source” of everything else. That self-existent Being we call
“GOD.”

(2) What was/is the nature of this Being? We have heard that He is ALL-LOVING. “God is Love.” How can we prove this is true? We prove that “GOD IS LOVE” by noting the fact that He created at
least TWO dimensions full of other living beings. WHY WOULD HE DO THAT?

(a) Because this is the NATURE of LOVE, how Love automatically behaves. The first integral part of LOVE is that it MUST express itself. Love necessitates action. Otherwise, does it really exist? How can we know love exists if it never manifests itself? But how can love be expressed and manifested if there is nothing for it to love? So, by definition, LOVE MUST have an OBJECT of its affection. Therefore, God, being Love, HAD to CREATE something for Himself to Love! He actually had NO choice, because LOVE, if it exists, WILL come out & manifest itself in some way. Thus, God CREATED other beings. If we take the biblical description of GOD, then we know that He is a trifold relationship: Father, Son (Word), and Spirit, all in a relationship of LOVE & ONENESS with each other. THUS, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT GOD AS LOVE CREATES BECAUSE HE MUST EXPRESS HIMSELF THROUGH RELATIONSHIP WITH OTHER LIVING
BEINGS. SO, CREATION ITSELF IS PROOF THAT GOD IS LOVE! And relationship proves that God is a PERSONAL, THEISTIC God, concerned about EVERY BEING HE HAS CREATED!

(b) What is the nature of RELATIONSHIP, which is the second integral part of LOVE? Relationship involves the need for RESPONSE. A “relationship” with no response is not a relationship.
There MUST be reciprocity or MUTUAL LOVE in RESPONSE. Otherwise, LOVE is THRAWTED & BLOCKED, i.e., “prevented from accomplishing its purpose.” This is why Scripture says that God made humankind "in HIS IMAGE," so that they could relate to Him. But to have a LOVING Relationship, the object of love MUST have FREE-WILL or FREEDOM to CHOOSE to love Him in response, because “love” that is coerced, forced, or simply automatic, is not LOVE at all. The object of Love must also be given CHOICES or OPTIONS on which to exercise that free will. But this creates the RISK that His Creation might REJECT Him. This explains most of life, bringing in other concepts we find in the Bible like SIN, DISOBEDIENCE, EVIL CONSEQUENCES, SUFFERING, SICKNESS, DEATH—and HELL (for those who insist on rejecting Him). Also, REDEMPTION, ATONEMENT, SALVATION, JUDGMENT DAY, etc.

(c) This explains the existence of Evil, why “bad things happen to good people,” etc. But these negative things still do NOT mean God is unloving. As we’ve shown, ALL of this is by NECESSITY, naturally and logically flowing from the definition and nature of GOD and LOVE. It does NOT negate His Love or Power. This is how it HAD to happen.

(3) So, we see that GOD as LOVE “needed” two things: to GIVE Love and to RECEIVE Love. This “need” was not in the sense that He lacked, but in the sense that, as Love, these are how LOVE is
DEFINED and has to develop. Notice that Love, as for all other spiritual graces or qualities, is most pronounced when it occurs in negative & adverse circumstances. Jesus gave this principle
when the pr******te washed His feet with her expensive perfume and tears and dried them with her hair: “To whom much is forgiven, she loves much. To whom little is forgiven, they love only a
little” (Luke 7:47 paraphrased). THUS, GOD WAS NOT DEVASTATED WHEN HUMAN BEINGS SINNED & “FELL” FROM THE UNCORRUPTED MORAL STATE HE CREATED THEM IN, BECAUSE
THE GREATEST DEPTHS OF HIS LOVE IS MANIFESTED BY HOW FAR HIS LOVE MUST REACH DOWN TO REDEEM THEM FROM THEIR DEGRADATION. Jesus didn’t “come to call the righteous to repentance, but sinners,” because “healthy people don’t need a Physician, only the sick do.” Or, as the Apostle Paul wrote in Romans 5:8: “Maybe someone will dare to die for a good person.
But God shows the depths of HIS love in that, while we were still horribly embarrassing, rotten, and wretched sinners, He (Jesus/God) died to redeem us!” Jesus Himself said, “There is NO GREATER LOVE than for a man (Jesus) to die to save & redeem others!” (John 15:13). So, the "Fall of Man" actually provided God the chance to demonstrate the greatest Love possible: Dying Himself to redeem His fallen creation.

(4) THUS, WE CAN CONCLUDE THAT GOD’S REASON & PURPOSE FOR EACH BEING HE HAS CREATED IS TO HAVE A RELATIONSHIP WITH AND RECEIVE A LOVING RESPONSE FROM THAT BEING. And in the Bible we find what is called the “Great Commandment:” “So love the LORD your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” (Deuteronomy 6:5), our whole purpose for existence. We are EXPECTED to have a personal, loving relationship with God, our Creator Father. AND IT’S IMPOSSIBLE FOR GOD TO FALL OUT OF LOVE WITH YOU. NO MATTER WHAT. He loves you despite all you do, whatever happens, every failure, He never gives up on you, He’s
not mad at you, He’s extremely patient with you, He’s with you ALWAYS in every dark hour, and He always expects the best of you. His LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL. His LOVE IS FAITHFUL, and you
can COUNT on it. NOTHING CAN TRULY HARM YOU WHEN YOU ARE IN HIS HANDS UNDER HIS CARE! He’s GOT YOU! And His Bible is overflowing with love messages for you.

THUS, THE ENTIRETY OF LIFE IS EXPLAINED WITHIN THESE WORDS. THINK DEEPLY ABOUT IT. THEN REST & REVEL IN IT! AMEN & AMEN. BLESSINGS!

- Philip

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