Tag Archives: Church

Upward Calling in Christ Jesus

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the

Upward call of God in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:14, ESV)

What keeps us moving ahead? What keeps us looking forward instead of looking back all the time? For the believers in Christ, it is our upward calling in Christ Jesus. Unfortunately, many are stuck in the past, focused on their past failures, or reminiscing on what they perceive as good times in the past. For the Christian, it should be different. Yes, hopefully, we have learned from our previous mistakes by only glancing back, but our focus should always be on the future and our upward calling in Christ Jesus. This does not keep us from being thankful in all things, including what God has done for us in the past (II Thessalonians 5:18). This is one area that fallen humanity has not grasped. From the news services to psychological counseling, and those who are unwilling to forgive others, they are always stuck in the past. They are always rehashing the past over and over again never allowing humanity to forget their failures and move on to a new day. They have not really learned from their mistakes because every time they are rehashed somehow the facts keep changing. They have not learned how to forgive the past, holding much of humanity in bondage to their past errors. For the Christian, it should be different. We learn from the past. We forgive ourselves and those who have wronged us, which allows us to forget the past and move on. Every day should be a new day in the Lord (II Corinthians 4:16).

So, exactly how do we press on to our upward calling in Christ Jesus? This is an amazing topic that deserves our utmost attention. I have recently taken a stroll to the past with the thought of producing an autobiography. Although it was very painful at times remembering some of my past mistakes, it was also extremely rewarding to realize that God was with me every step of the way always pulling me back on course, never letting me forget my original calling. Yes, we can, although it can be difficult, to glance back to see how God has carried us forward, it is absolutely essential to refocus our attention on the path going forward. I know this will be difficult for some, but not impossible. It will be helpful to remember who we are in Christ Jesus. We are a brand-new creation. The Bible says, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (II Corinthians 5:17). We notice two things in this marvelous scripture. “Old things have passed away” You have been forgiven, God no longer remembers the trespasses, the failures, and the bad decisions. The slate has been wiped clean by a righteous and loving God. The second thing this marvelous scripture teaches is, “Behold, all things are become new.” That is, all things are becoming new! Every day is a new day with no mistakes.

We have been set on a new path, a path that leads to our upward calling in Christ Jesus. So, exactly what is God calling us to? The simple answer is perfection. This is our aim. There is no need to get into a debate, as churches have if we can obtain that goal. The more important thing is that we strive for that goal every day of our lives, constantly becoming all that Christ wants us to be in Him. There is no room for stagnation. As Christians, we cannot simply tread water. We cannot run in place. Yes, we will have failures and great heartaches, but we cannot stop. We cannot turn back. We cannot get on a different path. When we do, then we will become the lukewarm church. No matter what happens in our life we must not drift back into lukewarmness, simply running in place, and making no great no progress or sacrifices for the Lord. Let me be very clear, to just sit idly in your church absorbing the messages, singing a few songs, and making a few short prayers is little more than running in place. We have never been called to run in place. We have been called to make all things new and to strive for perfection daily. Are you growing up spiritually every day? Are you becoming more like Christ?

Once we get back on the path of making all things new, then we are ready for the next step. We are ready for our upward calling in Christ Jesus. Jesus, from the moment of your initial calling, wants to make you something special, to make you something unique. God does not want a bunch of cookie-cutter Christians. God has a specific role for you in His Church, not only in this dispensation but also in Heaven. He has recreated you to be special, to be a special fit in the church, and also as a voice piece to the fallen world. This is your upward calling in Christ Jesus that will never be determined if you are running in place. So, the first thing we need to do is to start the process by putting off the old life. If you are still knowingly holding onto that favorite sin, then you are still running in place. If you have not read all the beautiful commands written in the New Testament on what you should avoid and have not applied them to your life, then you are still running in place. If you are not asking God nearly every day for help and forgiveness of another discovered trespass, then you are still running in place. Let’s take the first step on the path of righteousness and our upward calling in Christ Jesus. Remembering, we are aiming for perfection (Matthew 5:48).

The second step to our upward calling is to actively put on the new life in Christ by following all the commands and mandates for believers in Christ. Go through the New Testament and write them on your heart by reading them prayerfully over and over again, then allow the Holy Spirit to bring them to your mind when you come into contact with others. Again, you are not cookie-cutter Christians but will display your own unique personalities, as God uniquely changes it in time, to adapt to every situation. The Apostle Paul said he had become all things to all people (I Corinthians 9:19-22). Yet, he, like us, walked continuously in the law of Christ. To put on the new life in Christ may appear a bit awkward in the beginning but if you are following God’s lead, then you will have peace that defies understanding. Let me caution you to not follow the so-called religious ways of the world, always yelling at the devil, boastfully binding, and losing things, and claiming things that you pridefully want. This sort of thing will close every door to a meaningful witness to the fallen world. To pursue our upward calling in Christ Jesus we must take our first steps by putting on our new life in Christ with abounding joy and a peace that defies understanding.

Finally, we must not only take our first steps into the light and onto the path of righteousness, but we must run the race set before us. This is accomplished when we allow God to make us into unique creatures in Christ. You will be different than the rest. This is defined by the people we minister to and the Spiritual gifts given to us for each encounter or ministry we are called to. Until this happens dear children, then we are still running in place, destined for the lukewarm church. My ministry has been totally different from the beginning, not stuck in the ivory towers of the church, but going out among the heathen to witness the absolute worst of humanity and also see the best of humanity from sea-to-sea preaching in many churches in multiple towns and cities. My Spiritual gifts have changed with nearly every encounter from the Spiritual gift of healing (both physical and mental) to the Spiritual gifts of preaching, teaching, writing, and prophecy. We must all find our own unique Spiritual gifts and use them for the building up the Church of God. It is only through spiritual growth the discovery and the use of our Spiritual gifts that we will find our unique place in the eternal Church of God. Furthermore, it is essential to listen every day to our new call being ready to minister to whoever and to wherever He sends. Don’t ever give up, dear children, being content to run in place, but draw close to God, open your ears, and hear your upward calling in Christ Jesus. Amen

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This website and its content is copyright of He Reigns Christian Ministries – © Rev. Daniel W. Blair 2023. All rights reserved.

When the World Turns Away

What do you do when the world turns away and no longer wants to hear the messages from God through the indwelling Spirit? When this happens it will be a most difficult time, cutting deep within your heart, especially if it comes from old, trusted friends and family members. I believe we all know why this is happening if we have truly understood the days in which we are living. The Bible talks about this day when there will be a great falling away. Simply put, people no longer have time for God and the things of God. They no longer have time for deep prayer and meditation that can take hours at a time. They no longer have time to read their Bible or read the Spirit-filled messages from mature believers in Christ. They no longer have time to put the old life off and put the new life on in Christ through transformation. They no longer have time for the deep things of God, yet they have plenty of time to chase after every news article from the world or contemplate the latest conspiracy theory. If we are faithfully following Christ, then people will turn away. So, what do we do when the world turns away?

This is a very delicate subject because not everyone turning away is going to be of the same persuasion. We will paint with rather broad strokes because not everyone is going to fit uniquely together in the same boat. We will only examine four possible reasons why people turn away from the faithful remnant in the Last Days. Perhaps the first reason will encompass the largest number of people. This group of people vehemently refuse to hear anything about Christianity and our beliefs about God. Typically these people either have a very strong faith in their chosen deity (other than our God) or they believe that there is no God, aligning themselves with heathenism. The good news is that this group can still be reached with the power of the Gospel at least until the time of the Antichrist. It will be very difficult to reach these people after the whole world is forced to worship the Antichrist. At this point, however, we should not limit the power of the Gospel to open their eyes to the truth bringing great conviction to their hearts. Let’s be very clear, just sharing your adopted theological teachings with this group will do you little good. They need only to hear the Gospel along with our personal testimony, which is the power unto salvation (Romans 1:16). This group will not only turn away from the faithful remnant but could easily be used as the instruments of their persecution.

The second group of people may very well have had an upbringing in Christianity and familiar with much of its teachings. I believe this to be the most difficult group because they have adapted to the teachings of the world causing them to supplant many of the teachings of Jesus Christ and His Spirit-filled writers of the New Testament. They say they believe in God and the teachings of Christ, but their actions prove otherwise. They say they believe that God has given them everything they need for life and godliness, yet they seek psychological counsel from the world. They say they believe that God created everything that exists in seven days, yet they believe every new scientific discovery, that teaches humanity where and how they have evolved over millions of years. They say they believe that we have been given the indwelling Spirit to guide us in our decision-making and into all truth, yet they search the internet endlessly to make all of their decisions always seeking counsel from the world. They say they believe in the loving providence of God, yet they get angry when things don’t work out or they face one catastrophe after another. Yes, this will be the most difficult group who has so integrated the ways of the world into their path, it seems as though they are always on the precipice of falling away as they more aggressively turn away from the faithful remnant.

The third group of people, to me anyway, are the most to be pitied. This group tends to have a solid theological foundation and tries desperately to let their light shine brightly. They as a rule try to walk closer to the Lord than most, but they have one very serious problem. This problem in time will eat away like gangrene causing them to falter in their walk with the Lord. When things start to fall apart in the world around them, they are quick to quote the many verses in Scripture that God will work all things out, but deep down in their hearts, the pain is almost unbearable. In time they begin to question God silently as to why they must face so many obstacles that are bringing them so much anxiety and frustration. They suffer silently when death and destruction come so close to them. Finally, it gets to the point where they begin to question why God is leaving them to suffer so greatly in the midst of the Great Tribulation. When this questioning begins their faith begins to falter, which allows the antagonizing voice of Satan and his powers of darkness to grow deafeningly louder. I have great pity for this group who has allowed the voice of the false prophecy to lead them to believe that God would deliver them before the Great Tribulation before things got too bad. Now, the final blow comes when they start blaming God, which opens the door to their falling away and their aggressively strong rhetoric against the faithful remnant.

This fourth group of people, in the world, that turns their back on us is most often caused by our own doing.  No, it is not typically about our theology or our belief system. It is about our attitude or our seemingly bad behavior. This one can be the most heart-wrenching because we need to take a hard look within to make sure that we are displaying the right attitude that mirrors Jesus Christ. Although we may be restricted from sharing the Gospel or Spiritual writings to assist them in their Spiritual growth, we still have an opportunity to be salt and light (Matthew 5:13-16), which could give us an open door of opportunity, if it avails itself. When this group of people come out from among us, we should not allow it to affect us in a diverse way. Some may be true believers, and some may not, but we can start by acknowledging their request to come out from among us and no longer hear about our walk with Christ. Yes, I know this will hurt deeply if they are members of our family or old friends, but God will give us the grace to overcome. Just keep in step with the Spirit being the best Christian you can be with love and forgiveness in your heart as you look for any valid opportunity to share the truth.

Let me very clear. As the faithful remnant, we should never rudely depart from those who refuse to listen to what we have to offer in Christ. We should never get into a heated argument with those who disagree with the knowledge that God has given to us through the Spirit. Moreover, we must never agree with their misunderstanding of the truth, which will only solidify their error. We can politely disagree with sincere love and forbearance. Even as the early Christians suffered persecution to death they continued their loving witness, not to win an argument, but to demonstrate their sincere desire to help their tormentors. Finally, it’s imperative to understand that the closer we get to the end most people will turn away from you or they will persecute you either themselves or report you to the authorities. Make no mistake this will happen, so we need to be very careful seeking to make deeper relationships with only those of the faithful remnant. I know this will be a very difficult thing to do and will garner the question, So, what are the faithful remnant supposed to do during the great falling away when the church has become so integrated with the world, which may cause the faithful remnant to become rather isolated and alone in the world? I can tell you plainly, that the answer does not lie in joining a social media platform that’s run by the powers of darkness.

To answer this question above, what will the faithful remnant do, we need to seek God’s guidance in many hours of prayer and meditation. We will not be long in prayer before we realize, once again, that the main reason social media is not an option for the faithful remnant is that it purposely spreads confusion and division among God’s children. This is especially disturbing to the faithful remnant who have become disillusioned with the local church because they have strayed from the teachings of the Bible and have embraced the teachings in the world. Perhaps the time has come for the underground house churches to once again dot the landscape of fallen humanity. Perhaps it’s time for the faithful remnant to come out from among the fallen churches and establish fellowships in the established underground house churches. Perhaps it’s time to gather with other faithful believers who don’t fear silence and solitude as they seek the Lord in deep prayer. When the world falls apart, and it will, then God’s faithful remnant must already be established in underground home fellowships so that they can strengthen one another in the Spirit. God, please help your dear children to find some solace and comfort in deep abiding face-to-face fellowship with one another as we faithfully await your coming at the end of the age.

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This website and its content is copyright of He Reigns Christian Ministries – © Rev. Daniel W. Blair 2023. All rights reserved.

How to Truly Help Others

To truly help others we must learn to fight against evil. The world glories in fighting against evil actors but they no longer see the true glory of fighting against the evil that has invaded humanity. Evil is on the verge of conquering all of humanity bringing many into a horrific poverty of spirit. Fighting only the evil actors sanctioned by society will not defeat evil but will allow it to grow even stronger and more prevalent. So, how can we as Christians truly fight evil? Although we will never completely eradicate it, we can overcome it in the hearts and minds of humanity. We can pass new laws, hire more police officers, and yell at the devil until we are blue in the face but that will not overcome evil. We need a new methodology or perhaps we just need to rediscover the age-old truth. God has His job. He will remain the righteous judge of the universe. He has brought forth His righteous judgment upon humanity since the beginning, which was discussed in my previous blog article, “Glorify God in the Coming Judgment.” We as God’s children are also given our job of defeating evil in the hearts and minds of humanity. It is a gloriously simple process that will truly help others, but it takes absolute obedience to his methodology to be successful. Continue reading How to Truly Help Others

Are You Being Transformed In Christ?

Many people in the world claim to know Christ, yet they speak very little about Him. Although they may claim to have fellowship with a local body of believers, they tend to know more about what’s going on in the world rather than what their church believes. They are experts in every topic from politics to the latest news stories, but they are at a loss about what Christ is doing in their lives. Unfortunately, most are not being transformed in Christ but are being transformed by the world through a great flood of information. This information coming at the speed of light promises to address your every problem from mental health to physical health. It promises to answer every question about the proper foods we should eat, the medications we should take, and the exercise programs we should do. It promises to answer every question concerning the ecosystem and our place in the cosmos. Today, I would like to look beyond just following the Christian crowd and the influx of information coming from the world to understanding the miracle of our transformation in Christ. We will explore what we should expect from being transformed in Christ. Transformation is a lifelong journey. There are clear signs that we are truly on the path to transformation that will excite you beyond belief. We will learn how important it is to allow the Holy Spirit to do His job of making us into a new creation (II Corinthians 5:17). Continue reading Are You Being Transformed In Christ?

Unveiling The Spirit of Antichrist

If you have been following my recent writings, then you know that I have written much about the spirit of Antichrist. Today, we will take a deep dive into the subject of unveiling the spirit of the Antichrist. We will unveil how the spirit of Antichrist is already capturing the entire world. Although this captivity is not generally recognized by humanity, it is partially recognized by professed Christians. There is a greater awakening, however, among God’s faithful remnant as we fast approach the Last Days, where many are beginning to question what’s being taught in their pulpits of the lukewarm churches. Lukewarm churches have become a seedbed of false doctrines for trusting in the Antichrist system to meet all of their felt needs. Many are shocked at the increase in lawlessness and the grossest of immorality filling our public schools. Instead of detailing every form of lawlessness and perversion as we have done in our previous articles, we will paint with broad strokes to expose how the spirit of Antichrist is leading the entire world to reject God. This is accomplished by teaching the whole world to put their trust in the Antichrist system in preparation for the coming Antichrist. Continue reading Unveiling The Spirit of Antichrist