By Rex A Lones

We are living in a country that doesn’t even make sense anymore! A lot of people are not just confused, people are angry and frustrated and feeling uncertain about where this country is heading.

We as Christians have the answers, but we’ve got to be in the arena, we’ve got to be in the public square. That is exactly why we need to make a huge showing in the November 8th midterm elections.

Most people think that the Presidential elections are all that really matters but they are so wrong!
While the Executive office (President) is the “wheel house” of our governing body, many matters of importance are decided at the state and local levels of government.

State rights are equally important in the governing of a free society. State officials have the constitutional right to challenge what’s coming from the White House and refuse to follow federal mandates when they negatively impact their citizens.

Just look at what Ron DeSantos, the Governor of Florida, has done over the last few years. He routinely challenges what’s coming out of Washington and he does it with the support of his constituency.

State rights are so very important and guaranteed in our constitution. It is a part of the checks and balances that a Constitutional Democratic Republic must maintain to protect its citizens.

Christians need to pray that God will keep His hand of protection on our country. But you can’t pray and just relax. You’ve got to pray and you got to drag yourself to the polls on election day. Whether you feel like it or not, it’s absolutely essential!

Our founding fathers were overwhelmingly men of God, they were Christians and they loved this place that came to be called the United States of America. Today, the worst thing a Christian can do is NOTHING! Apathy and indifference will sink our ship if we don’t stand together as Christians and vote our conscience.

If you love Jesus you must love this gift of “America” that He has given us!
To let evil steal this gift from us is an unconscionable evil that will destroy us as a people, and as a nation! Our children will be forced to embrace a system that no longer makes sense. It will rob them of not just their inheritance but also their hope.

Do you want too worship in peace? Do you want to protect your family? Do you want to raise your children according to YOUR values and beliefs? If you do then you MUST turn out for ALL public elections including these midterm elections, and let your voice be heard.

If our freedoms and constitutional rights disappear, it will be our fault.
It will be because we ALLOWED evil to win!
GO VOTE on November 8th!!!!!

Rex Lones

Are you focused more on having a good life NOW or on preparing for a GREAT ETERNITY? That is a question that all of us must reflect on. Why? It is because what drives us today will determine our ultimate destination. WHY do we believe what we believe and why do we say what we say?

“Prosperity is a term thrown around to denote an abundance of something “

I have talked a lot on the power of our words. Our words can bring life or they can bring death. We can encourage others with our words or we can bring death with them. The first and foremost issue is whose words are we speaking? Are we speaking words that we routinely hear in our churches and synagogues or are we speaking the life giving words of scripture taken in their true context. Do we speak out of the faith that God has GIVEN US or are we speaking out of a “feeble attempt” at convincing God that He needs to bless us more so we can bless others? That is spiritual manipulation!

I hate to say it but I have succumbed to this myself in times past. I don’t want to attack anyone’s faith but let me say something LOUD AND CLEAR.. God is NOT “Santa Claus” nor is He the “great Gumball machine in the sky!” While our words have power, that does not mean we should get everything we want or that when we don’t it’s because our faith is too small. Sometimes God just says NO! HE knows what’s best for us. I have been reflecting on what has been dubbed the “Word of Faith” movement and the deeper I dive into scripture the more I see men and women try to reverse the roles played by God and man. We are the ones demanding our “fair share” and we resort to making God out to be our banker. Only God has the right to demand anything!

Jesus said that if we are going to follow Him we must “Deny ourselves (the end of selfish pursuit), take up our cross (the end of self-rule) and follow Him. (the end of doing it OUR way) In some circles poverty is described as a curse. Some believe that it is a result of being a disobedient child. They say that the only way to overcome “the curse” is to sow a seed into someone or something else. After all, doesn’t that reflect humility and guarantee a ten fold blessing? Not exactly! Prosperity is a term thrown around to denote an abundance of something. It is usually tied to material possessions and the pursuit of “stuff.”

Many times Christian teachers tie this lacking of “stuff” to a lack of faith. It’s not just stuff but even includes good health and the lack of sickness and suffering. For the life of me I do not understand their logic in the face of scripture. Jesus said we will always have the “poor” and the “sick” with us and went on to say that if we do not share in His suffering we will not share in His glory! We become so fixated on prospering on a material level that we forget what true prosperity actually means.

Joy, peace, love and HOPE are “premium” benefits that come from submitting our lives to a holy and just creator.

Joy, peace, love and HOPE are “premium” benefits that come from submitting our lives to a holy and just creator. These are the only lasting blessings that we will carry with us into eternity! We prosper only when our soul prospers. What does that mean? I believe that our souls prosper by having a correct understanding AND application of the Word of God. To “pigeon hole” Gods promises into meaning prosperity is some contemporary capitalist windfall is not only wrong but extremely dangerous! To indicate to parents that the death of a child is the result of their lack of faith not only sends them into further despair but may also drive a wedge between them and God that will destroy any hope of a reconciliation between them and God! It jeopardizes their eternal security!

God wants us to prosper in those things that express His love, glorifies Him and can be used for the benefit of others and not ourselves! Do YOU want a good life NOW? GREAT! Start looking at life as a preparation for an eternal existence with the God who created you! Then and ONLY THEN will you find wealth that you could not have dreamed as possible nor has even ever entered into your mind! We are in a race and the finish line has been drawn before us.

What form of prosperity will YOU carry across that line? Clean hands and a pure heart are good enough for me.!

I’m working on it. How bout you?

Rex Lones

We live in a very dangerous time. If our police are defunded we will most certainly see the reality of martial law. While we hope our military can protect us from evil people we must all be prepared to step up and be responsible for our own families safety.

The only protection our families may have is the protection that we can offer them ourselves. That means being ready for a home invasion or someone trying to burn down our homes at any time. We will need to be ready to deal with those threats at a moment’s notice.

There are a number of things we need to do, in order to be ready for this:

• If you don’t carry concealed, then get a license and start doing so now, even in your home. Your gun won’t do you the least bit of good, sitting in the nightstand, if someone kicks in your door, while you’re watching TV.
• Go to the range and practice up. Accuracy is key when you want to make sure you get any attackers and don’t accidentally hit a family member.
• Be sure to teach every member of your family to shoot and shoot well.
• Make sure you have enough ammo on hand.
• Keep an AR-15 or tactical shotgun loaded and conveniently located, but out of the reach of children.
• Develop a defensive plan for your home. This must include a room where you gather, in case you come under attack. That room needs to have an escape route, in case you have to flee.
• Buy several fire extinguishers and put them in different parts of the house. The favorite arson tool of rioters is the Molotov cocktail. You’ll need more than a bucket of water to put one of those out if it comes through the window.
• Harden your front door, so it can’t be kicked open. Adding a security striker plate and replacing all the screws with 3” long ones works well for this. Make sure you buy one of the long security striker plates (something like 3 feet) and not one that’s only 12” long.
• Plant a thorny hedge around your front yard, so that people are forced to come up with your front walkway, where you can keep an eye on them.
• Protect your windows with burglar bars or security window film.

Hopefully, none of this will be necessary and your home won’t come under attack. But if they succeed in eliminating the police or even seriously reducing their funding, there’s a strong possibility that we will see an increase in the violence that these groups are participating in. There have already been calls from some of these groups to move the riots out of the city center and into the suburbs. So the possibility is quite real.

That’s what we need to be prepared for. Once again, I hope it doesn’t happen. But I won’t allow hope in the government to steer my life. Rather, I’ll use whatever means I have at my disposal to protect my family, without allowing myself to cross the line and end up becoming an instigator, in an attempt to stop the violence.

Most importantly folks is to keep your faith in Christ alone and never give up hope.

Have you ever drank “lukewarm” water? NOT very appealing is it. WE want cool refreshing water on those hot summer days and nice hot beverages when the weather is cold. It’s a personal choice and what we choose usually satisfies that desire. It’s all about us and what WE want.

What about “lukewarmness” when it comes to that spiritual part of us, the part that is connected to our Faith and our relationship with our Creator? How does it affect our relationship with those around us? Do we live our lives with passion or do we do just enough to “get by?” I could ramble on with my own personal observations and thoughts but they are not important. I will say this. There seems to be no effective purpose for “lukewarm things.”

What does our Creator God say about it? Glad you asked! Go to the book of Revelation and read the letter the Apostle John sent to the church of Laodicea. This letter was sent to a CHURCH that was compromising, conceited and Christless in it’s maturity. It was blind, poor and naked in it’s spirituality. NO church should ever want to hear the words spoken to this church in Laodicea.

As you study these letters to these 7 churches in Revelation you will learn that these letters were not only for these individual churches in their time but represent the condition of “THE CHURCH” from that time until the end of the church age, culminating in the last days of mans reign on earth. The church of Laodicea was AND IS the lukewarm church that will be on the earth in the latter days. It makes God sick! I would refer to it as the “disgusting” church because Jesus said He would “vomit it out of His mouth!”

Jesus refers to this church as neither HOT nor COLD. It was materially well off but they felt like they had everything they wanted so they needed nothing more. In reality they were the most needy of all the 7 churches! The Lord had NOTHING positive to say about this church and in fact it was the only church spoken of in this manner. Their indifference made God sick!

In the cronological order of the churches down through time, this church represents the church that would be alive on the earth when Christ returns as King of Kings and Lord of Lords at the rapture of the church. In Revelation 3:13 Jesus makes a statement that He used on several occasions during His ministry on earth. He said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” You can bet that every time He said that, what came next would be of GREAT importance. We must pray for discernment!!!

In verse 14, the letter was addressed to “the angel of the church in Laodicea.” This is actually referring to the “Pastor” or “Shepherd” of the church who would be responsible for sharing the letter with others. God actually refers to them as angels. It actually amazes me that Pastors today are afraid to teach on Revelation. It is a very important part in teaching the ENTIRE counsel of God. It is the ONLY book in the bible that promises a direct blessing to those who read it and understand it, not just once, but twice!

Jesus speaks to this church like this. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are LUKEWARM, neither hot nor cold, I am about to VOMIT YOU OUT OF MY MOUTH!” Jesus claims that they think they are rich but that in truth they are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked!

Jesus then goes on to counsel them to buy from Him gold refined in the fire to help them truly see their condition. He then gives them a warning and an admonition. He says “Those whom I love I rebuke AND discipline so be earnest and REPENT!” He then tells them/us that He is standing at the door knocking. IF we open the door He will come in and dine with us. Where better to be than sitting at a glorious feast with the God of the universe itself and not outside the door begging to get in.

This church is exemplified by deceit and superficiality! I believe that they are both proud AND lazy. They are caught up in a form of religion that lacks power and authority. I may be sounding harsh here but the time is here that men are not wanting sound doctrine. They want their ears tickled with promises that are NOT based in scripture and discipline that is void of painful consequences. NOT GONNA HAPPEN!

I consider this as my shoutout to those who are in for a rude awakening very soon. The Laodicean church was a lazy church. Their focus has been on it’s members, it’s programs and what has made them feel good and they become complacent in that. We are a christian family and should support one another completely but our primary call as individual christians should be to share Christ with a lost and dying world.

We only have one thing to truly offer back to a God who has given us everything and that is EVERYTHING! We should be offering others our hands and our hearts as an expression of Gods love toward us all.

We are facing a virus right now that could potentially cause great harm to many. We should take every step necessary to control it’s spread and limit it’s impact even at great sacrifice to ourselves. I also believe we should take every step necessary to fight the complacency and laziness that has settled over us spiritually. We need to care enough about other people that we will lay down things that are important to us to help them. I call this family where I come from!

Laodicea was a complacent church, a conceited church and a Christless church. They had everything but HAD NOTHING! Does that not sound like us? Are we busting out of the four walls of our church and rescuing the perishing or are we sitting snuggly by and just praying for greater blessing on ourself?

If our leaders will not or cannot coordinate outreach into our communities then only half the job is getting done. It then becomes the responsibility of the people to stand up and get involved! We MUST CHOOSE to love God, family and country and never look back, let up, shut up, slow down, back away, or be still unless God directs us…

He gave it ALL for us, should we not offer Him the same in return?

Don’t make GOD sick

By Rex A Lones

For many of us uncovering our life’s purpose is like a wild goose chase. The uncertainty and confusion about our purpose in life often causes us to play it small and prevents us from fully stepping into our true potential. As a result, we reduce, shrink, scale back and abandon our dreams and vision. But I want you to know that YOU are being called to something greater and bigger!

Surely you feel the inner tug and nudge that says “there’s more!” And you’re right! There’s more TO us and there’s more FOR us! We are not bound by our current situation or circumstances. It’s time to push beyond the things that have kept us stuck and stagnate.
We must push beyond the negative emotions and ignore the voice that whispers to us that we CAN’T !
We MUST get past the mediocracy and complacency and settle for NO LESS that a joyous and prosperous LIFE! We have been PROMISED that!!!

How do I know that is true? Because of the blood of Christ and the word of my testimony!
Through Christ I am forgiven and reconciled to God. The word of my testimony is me telling everyone about it! That is the “hallmark” of an OVERCOMER! I want to be an OVERCOMER, don’t you?
When you have been forgiven much your only proper rersponse is to love much! I have been forgiven a LOT!!! That being said, our true purpose becomes clear.
We must focus our lives no longer on self, but focus on OTHERS! Think John 3:16.

“Most of what we experience is just there to prepare us for the really good stuff that lies ahead!”

We must constantly be prepared to change directions in life when we are called to do so. “Most of what we experience is just there to prepare us for the really good stuff that lies ahead!” The biggest fear one should experience is giving up just before a personal breakthrough. How sad it is to be one step away from blessing and forfeit it to doubt. You have a testimony so use it! You have God’s Word and promises so use them! Let the wonderful things that God has done for you inspire others.

NEVER GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!

If we allow LOVING OTHERS to become our purpose, we are on the right team! Why should we ever allow selfishness rule our hearts? NO-ONE likes selfish people now do they? They make us cringe when everything is all about them and they sow nothing positive into our lives. The perfect picture is everyone being kind and giving. No one lacks in this kind of “community!” The selfish way only leaves YOU to focus on your needs. The un-selfish way gives you scores of people who will help you with your needs!

Within Community we can find others who are like minded and will encourage us when we are in need. If you struggle with where you belong in the family of Christ, what church to go to or what ministry to plug into, how about starting with using the gifts and talents God has given you, right in your own home?
We have no greater responsibility than that to our family, second only to God!

We can then reach out to others even if it’s just in just small ways. Don’t say you have no friends if you are not being a friend to others. It’s kind of like a hug, you can give one without getting one! In all this “loving” we may find fresh inspiration in finding or strengthening our purpose. Friends are a great source of new ideas and can open up new possibilities for us in life.

What we were passionate about 10 years ago may not be the ache in our heart today! Real passion lies in finding out what our gifts are and using them right where you are today. The gifts God gives us is NOT meant to be used for our own selfish pursuits but to be “given away” to enlarge others! Our friends can help draw the good out in us right now and nurture our souls. Every dream, every vision if nurtured will help us get one step closer to finding that thing that fulfills and completes us.

We were created for being together, we were created for COMMUNITY!

By Rex A Lones

Relatives may care deeply for their family members but if they are far away, their ability to help might be reduced when calamity strikes! Old King Solomon said it like this, “Better a neighbor nearby than a relative far away” Proverbs 27:10

Who is my neighbor? That question was answered a long time ago by a man named Jesus of Nazareth. I could never “add to” what He said and don’t want to “take away from” anything He said. He said it best when He answered a lawyers question about who his neighbor was. It was recorded in Luke chapter 10.

This is where Jesus gives the parable of the Good Samaritan and shows us the perfect example of a neighbor. The defining quality of a neighbor in this story is Mercy! The man in this story is attacked, robbed by theives, and left for dead. A man came by and helped him in his greatest hour of need even though he was a perfect stranger. Jesus calls that Mercy!

It’s clear that Jesus did NOT say these men were neighbors by physical location but by the expression of mercy or love given another. Jesus then told the lawyer that he needed to go and do the same thing for others. Seems to me that Jesus wants me to know that the mercy He gave me should be given to others. I think that’s my reasonable service to Him! I can make lots of neighbors that way and build a whole community of mercy givers even if we aren’t related by blood.

What can neighbors do for one another? Well lets say they see something dangerous close by. They can warn each other of the danger or be there to confront the danger together. What about child care when the need arises? What about searching for a lost child or pet? What about a ride to church for the kiddos? Sometimes it’s as simple as a phone call. The possibilities of serving your neighbor is endless! With the advent of the internet people can connect in ways never before possible.

Being in a relationship with others we call neighbors is not new, but has been an important issue since Old Testament times. These relationships are necessary steps for building community! When we are all acting as a neighbor, no-one lacks and everyone gets to be their absolute best. I like that!!! That’s the Way.

I believe that Jesus wants us to be aware of our neighbors needs and offer assistance every time we see the need. We may only be able to offer our prayers but at least it’s something. We can engage our neighbor in very simple but effective ways even when it is offered out of our own need. Those are actually the best offers we can make. They come from a pure heart that expects nothing in return.

“I guess that neighbors connect for two reasons according to scripture as I see it. First it satisfies God’s command to love Him first, out of which flows the second greatest command to love one another.”

It’s important to remember that our mercy should not just be reserved for our friends but also for our enemies. As a matter of fact, mercy is best delivered when it is given to those who least deserve it. Yep, that would be me! And you!

I think it’s time to reach out to our neighbors and offer them the gift of mercy in very specific and tangable ways. We can start by just connecting to them and getting to know them better. A once per week meeting is just not enough to really build a relationship. Even though most of us are always busy, we can find an hour a week or more to reach out to those around us

If I am not sure what my neighbor needs, all I have to do is ask! I think we will find that most requests will be reasonable and within our reach. It just takes a small amount of our time to make neighbors and build real community.#discipleship

By Rex A Lones

What does it mean to carry someone elses burden? What does that actually look like? . We’ve all known a friend carrying a heavy burden and yet so often, we don’t know how to help even when we want to. We must begin with our own hearts. We must first find OUR fulfillment in God alone and allow His grace and love to fuel us.

After you fuel up, you will find strength and excitement about serving others. Striving to carry another’s burden then comes naturally. Our church doors are always open to those who are suffering and being a “hospital for hurting souls“, it should be the first choice for those who are carrying a load.

That doesn’t take away OUR personal responsibility of bearing the burdens of others. The Bible tells us so. Burdens can come in many forms and shapes. In Galations 6 we are told that when we “catch someone else in a sin“, a burden (my definition) we should restore that person in a spirit of gentleness. It next indicates that when we do bear the burden of someone else we are fulfilling the “Law of Christ.”

What does THAT mean? I believe that when Jesus answered the question, “Which commandment is the most important of all,” He told us!

Jesus said to “love God with ALL our soul, mind, and strength” and secondly we are to “love our neighbor as ourself.” In my mind, THAT is what is meant by the Law of Christ! We are not talking about the Mosiac Covenant but the New Covenant written in the blood of our Redeemer!

Jesus already fulfilled the old testament law and the new covenant that He established was a covenant of redemption and forgiveness. The love He has for us and the love we return to Him is what fuels the fire of OUR FAITH. The Law of Christ is the Law of Love! Bearing someones burden is an act of love.

Without a constant and intimate connection with the Lord, it will be impossible to love others as we are called. Are you in constant communion with God?  Is your heart at rest with His peace?  We must allow His grace, love and strength to fuel us. When we help someone who is carrying something heavy we should reflect back on what Jesus carried for us. Sometimes helping to carry anothers burden can be painful.

To keep it in perspective, we are not called to pull others out of suffering.  We are called to walk alongside them and “help” carry their burdens. I think that Galations 6 also tells us that our “motives” are important in bearing someones burdens. We are told to “test our own work” to determine if we are doing it for the right reason. When we help by supporting someone without the expectation of something in return, we got our priorities “STRAIGHT!”

I am reminded of The Sermon on the Mount from Matthew 5,6 & 7. Jesus clearly tells us to to not make a spectacle of our efforts to help others who struggle. Just quietly and privately do your act of love. Otherwise , don’t be a rich Pharisee!!! Their reward can’t compare to the rewards that await those with clean hearts!

We should all be challenged to “examine our own heart” as we reach out to others. Not only is it the right thing to do but it is what we need from others. Remember, we will “reap what we sow” which means we will find others willing to help us bear OUR burdens if we do the same. I think God promises us that! I’ve seen it “up close and personal!”

We carry another’s burdens when we humbly come alongside them and support them wherever they are in their walk with God. We must remember that God is the one True Deliverer.  It isn’t up to us to alleviate suffering. Carrying another’s burden does not mean to take away their pain.  It simply means to hold them up and point them to Christ.

I have come to one un-escapable truth about bearing the burdens of others. It is the BEST way to express the “Heart of Christ!” #discipleship #eyesonHim

By Rex A Lones

Thank God my wife loves her daily devotions and is willing to share them with me. I have been seeking direction in my life as to where I’m supposed to be and how I might best serve Him. I have labored with what I truly have to offer others and at times whether there truly is a call to ministry on my life.

Through my wifes thoughtful sharing I realized that because I have a “heart for God” I have a “heart for ministry.” Those two things go hand in hand! They are both a gift and a responsibility! You are “Born Again” with a desire to tell others about the beautiful things God has done for you. The woman at the well was so amazed at Jesus that she ran to tell everyone in her town. I like that!

When I met the Master I was forgiven a LOT! Having been forgiven so much, I began to love much. Ministry is the natural response to that kind of redemptive love. You can’t avoid it because the more you deny or reject that nudging in your heart and soul, the more UNFULFILLED you will become. You will KNOW you were made for more!

When Jesus did a miracle for someone, that person began to minister! They desperately wanted to tell others what Jesus did for them. Mary Magdalene was forgiven much and she was the first person to go to Jesus’ tomb after His burial. She needed to know if what Jesus told her was true. Jesus DID NOT disappoint ! She told everyone what Jesus did for her and because she was forgiven “much” she loved “much”. This was her “service.” Her ministry!

Mary and Martha met Jesus and they were so grateful for what He did for their beloved brother that they began to serve Him, each in her own way. They truly loved Jesus! Others served Him in different ways. James’ mother served by preparing Jesus’ body for burial and the woman Joanna, supported Him with her “own means.” Each one responded to meeting Christ by serving others.

This tells me that once you have a true encounter with Jesus Christ, you don’t have to “twist” someones arm to move them in the direction of serving others. The Apostles calling was clear but every life He touched resulted in some act of service to others. Because of what Jesus did for me, I must tell others about Him! I refuse to give myself the options of keeping quiet, backing away, being still or giving up!

I am grateful for what Jesus did for me and I finally realize that ministry is NOT an option, it’s my life! It is the ONLY right response to the miracle that Jesus performed for ME. I cannot let anything stand between me and the calling that He put on my life. “I am just a no-body trying to tell everybody all about somebody who saved my soul!” and I AM going to tell it!

I desperately needed to once again hear that beautiful truth that my wife shared with me today. When you meet the Master, MINISTRY follows!

#discipleship #Kidkrazydad #mentoring