Full Spectrum Ministry

The full spectrum of visible light is evident in, and even defined by, the rainbow. From violet to red, and every mixture in between, the promise of God's tolerant mercy on sinful man is the reference point for all variations of color. Just as the sun casts its prismatic light in a demonstration of God's loving kindness, so God's Church is to be a multi-spectrum reflection of His love. Paul taught, "And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18) The global Church of Christ Jesus is the reflection of God's glory, and the appearance of His likeness on Earth.

Too often, we in the Christian community look to our own monochromatic understanding of God's love, and we exclude all other varieties. Whether the differences are in understandings of spiritual gifts and their application, or in styles of worship, or the never-ending theological debates over Biblical semantics, we hamstring God's body by dissociating our group from others. Even though we are warned not to forget we are parts of a bigger body, we still try to be the single-cell organism that can do it all, and knows it all. Paul cautioned the Corinthians not to forget their unity with the Body. "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13) Jesus prayed, "that they may be one as we are one: I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me." (John 17:22-23)

A full-spectrum Christian is not bound to one congregational denomination just as God's love is not bound to one frequency of light. The truth is that we tend to settle into that little pattern with which we have become comfortable, and stop growing or exploring. One of the points Paul is making in 2 Corinthians 3:18 is that we, who reflect His glory, are being transformed with ever-increasing glory, into His likeness. Transformation and increase both are types of change. We cannot become more if we refuse to change, and we cannot see the other colors of His rainbow if we tune out all but our own hue. When we escape from our comfort zone and reach out to Christians under other denominational standards, we find that our family is that much bigger, and our potential for outreach that much wider. The Bible teaches that we are one Body. Science teaches that a body is made up of organs, bones, connective tissue, each of those consisting of still smaller parts, called cells. Cellular structure itself demonstrates a need for each molecule, atom and electron to be working in unison. The world is simply too big, and the enemy's battle rages too fierce, for a Church with an amoeba mindset. In order to stand and matter against a society that is so quickly sweeping toward a unanimous evil, there must be unity in God's Church. The time for bickering over such things as the use of electric guitars or communion cups is over.

"God has combined the members of the body ... so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." From the ultraviolet of the Catholics through the vivid ranges of the Episcopalians, Presbyterians, Churches of Christ, the Independents, Baptists, Methodists, all the way to the infrared of the Pentecostal and Charismatic congregations, every one of us exists to support the Body of Christ. Any internal growth that hinders the body rather than help it is mere disease, and the Great Physician is faithful to tend to diseased growth in his body. "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me." (John 15:1-4)

Ezekiel's revelation of the exile (and the shadow of our current wait for the Lord), began with, "Son of man, you are living among a rebellious people. They have eyes to see but do not see and ears to hear but do not hear, for they are a rebellious people." (Ezekiel 12:2) According to the voice of the Lord, rebellion is what clouds the eyes and clogs the ears from receiving the full spectrum of God's truth for us. Rebellion. Sin. Going the wrong way. Even if we find ourselves on the "right track," saved and bound for eternity with Him, we still may miss the full opportunity we had on earth to be our part of the bigger picture. Heaven will have no boundaries to separate the included. There will just be eternity with Jesus, and eternity without. No "1st Congregation of Saved Believers of 4th Street South," or "Missionary Messianic Church of the Sitting Tack in Christ," just plain old "IN" and "OUT." That's all.

Most denominational walls are built on the disputable matters described in Paul's instruction to accept one another. "Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters." (Romans 14:1) That passage continues as Paul quotes Isaiah 45:23, "You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written: " 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord, 'every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.' " (Romans 14:10-11) The style of worship, the frequency of the communion sacrament, the nature and use of spiritual gifts, and the method of baptism are important matters, but are not critical in the survival of the Body of Christ. While every point deserves study, most of these serve to segregate rather than to unify. As Christians we do not have the luxury of seeing perfectly eye-to-eye on every subject. We are called to remember that we are all parts of the same Body. Just because one may not feel he is exactly the same as the Christians near him, his makeup, experiences and personal relationship with Christ make him a critically important asset to the whole. How strange a white blood cell must feel when traveling along the vessel with all the red. But when infection comes, the value of the white cell is in its healing power, a trait the red cells do not carry. As Paul said, "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body." (1 Corinthians 12:12-13a)

Oddly, the Christian community tends to organize in a backward fashion. A large congregational institution, already broken off from the Church Body by denomination and its own walls, breaks into small fellowship groups. This is a formula for regression, not progression, and more closely resembles decomposition than growth. Fellowship groups themselves are a healthy idea, and help to keep the Church alive, but their formation is reversed from the natural order. The early Church of Christ Jesus followed more of a natural pattern, developing like any other complex organism: beginning with the cell, grouping with similar cells into organs, and finally celebrating cooperation with other organizations in the ministerial function of the whole body. The starting point is supposed to be the cell. At the end of the Book of Acts, we read that Paul made a ministry out of opening his home to boldly preach the Gospel to anyone who would come with an interest. (Acts 28:28-31) We each need to be doing the same, opening our homes to all who will come, teaching them to do likewise, and sending them to repeat the cycle. Especially in days to come, as persecution becomes more and more real, and organized congregational church institutions find themselves under attack, the cellular structure of Christ's body will be key to its survival. As long as Christians can find other Christians and continue to celebrate unity in abiding in Him, as He instructed in the 15th chapter of John, the Church Body will last through whatever comes our way, and remain a living, breathing, growing force on Earth. It all starts in the home of the Christian.

Heavenly Father, grant us eyes to see the full spectrum of your loving care, unbound by the carnal walls of our comfort zones. Help us to be an accurate, indiscriminate reflection of that love, shining on all with whom we come in contact. In Jesus' precious name, Amen!

Political Correctness: The Fall of Freedom

Matt Rodina, a Russian editorialist, commented rightly in the Russian publication Pravda,

"It must be said, that like the breaking of a great dam, the American decent into Marxism is happening with breath taking speed, against the back drop of a passive, hapless sheeple, excuse me dear reader, I meant people."

He goes on to say, "...their faith in God was destroyed, until their churches, all tens of thousands of different "branches and denominations" were for the most part little more then Sunday circuses and their televangelists and top protestant mega preachers were more then happy to sell out their souls and flocks to be on the "winning" side of one pseudo Marxist politician or another. Their flocks may complain, but when explained that they would be on the "winning" side, their flocks were ever so quick to reject Christ in hopes for earthly power."

We need to remember that our religious freedom must not be taken for granted. The same freedoms obtained by the blood of many American soldiers are now being forfieted bit by bit due to our complacency and our "political correctness" which is really just an idolatrous appetite to be appealing to all people. Evil usually doesn't attack by force through the front door. It usually comes by our own invitation in some cunning disguise.

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong. Do everything in love. (1 Corinthians 16:13-14)

The Truth is We Need Jesus

When we read the Old Testament, we can usually find that its truth, like a perfect crystal, rotates to be viewed in at least three facets. When we look straight at it, we see the black and white history of the writing, exactly as the Lord has preserved it over the centuries. This, in itself is no small miracle, considering all the attacks against so many of its guardians through the years. When the Spirit of the Lord permits the reader to rotate the multi-dimensional truth, what was hidden becomes visible to those to whom He has given eyes to read it. What once was a historical record, now becomes a pattern over which the life of Christ would lay. The third facet illuminates when the same truth is rotated toward the reader himself, providing direction, correction, guidance and communication directly to the reader, as a recipient of a love letter directly from his Father.

In between these three are sometimes found patterns that either allude to or dictate the outcomes of current and future events. It is a true saying that God initiated order in a rotating fashion. What has happened, will in some similar pattern happen again. As God cleansed the world of sin once by immersion in water, so now, He cleanses the world by individual baptism. As Israel became enslaved to Egypt, as they were sustained through the famine, so we enslave ourselves to the sin that accompanies the provision that was meant to sustain us. As God, through Moses, delivered the slaves to the promised land, sparing them from the destroying angel by the blood of a lamb. So in the time of the Caesars, He provided the One, final Lamb, sparing all who would claim Him as their Savior, and will return to deliver those freed slaves to an eternal Promised Land, where we will live with Him forever.


The rotations are found when the pattern is turned over on itself. God gave us paradise of living with Him in Eden. We blew it, so he put us out of Eden and consigned us to labor, scattering us around the globe. God gave us the globe to populate, but we populated it with sin, so He washed it away, but planted the seed of one family. That family grew until God was crowded out, and He burned the rebellious towns with fire. God built His home with us in the Temple in Jerusalem, but we desecrated it, so he demolished it and laid waste everything anywhere near it. God came to us in the person of His Son, and paid an admission price granting us access to the originally intended condition, being together with Him. With that, we arrive at the present space and time. What will happen next depends on the answer to one question. It is the only question that matters in the grander scheme. It is not, "Why am I here?" or "What is my purpose?" but, "Whose am I?" The final rendering of the pattern will be similar to the first renderings. It was not the masses that received the benefit of God's paternity, but the eight on the ark built by Noah's obedience. It was not the masses who escaped the flames of Sodom and Gomorrah, but only Lot and his children. Even Lot's wife was lost to her lack of focus.


The condition of Man is fallen. We are as fallen today as when Adam ate of the forbidden tree. The destination of Man is destruction. God made us for His own companions, to share with Him in person and in relationship. Those not conforming to His original purpose will be disposed of. The need of man is Jesus. God Himself became, in the person of Jesus, the bridge between where we are and where He wants us. All that is required of us is to turn from the distractions of our provisions, back to the Creator who made us.


There will be two groups on the Great Day of the Lord. Those who are horrified and those who are ecstatic. We will not be separated by "good" and "evil" designations, as most of the world presumes. We will not be divided by "gave enough to charity" and "too stingy to deserve salvation." As we each walk to the Judgement Seat, we will not be entering a plea of "guilty" or "not guilty," but quite simply, "redeemed," or "not redeemed." As the reward is announced, and as eternity opens to receive its new recruits, the victory cry of the Bride of Christ will be that same plea, "Redeemed! Redeemed! By Christ's blood I've been redeemed!"


With the condition, destination, and need of Man in mind, and with the understanding that what happened to Jerusalem will happen to the Christian, and ultimately to the global Church of Christ Jesus, it becomes more of a challenge to read an Old Testament prayer from a man who was favored of God, and who was given insight into the many layers of history. Daniel prayed in Daniel 9:4-19:

"O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands, we have sinned and done wrong. We have been wicked and have rebelled; we have turned away from your commands and laws. We have not listened to your servants the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings, our princes and our fathers, and to all the people of the land.
"Lord, you are righteous, but this day we are covered with shame—the men of Judah and people of Jerusalem and all Israel, both near and far, in all the countries where you have scattered us because of our unfaithfulness to you. O LORD, we and our kings, our princes and our fathers are covered with shame because we have sinned against you. The Lord our God is merciful and forgiving, even though we have rebelled against him; we have not obeyed the LORD our God or kept the laws he gave us through his servants the prophets. All Israel has transgressed your law and turned away, refusing to obey you.
"Therefore the curses and sworn judgments written in the Law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against you. You have fulfilled the words spoken against us and against our rulers by bringing upon us great disaster. Under the whole heaven nothing has ever been done like what has been done to Jerusalem. Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us, yet we have not sought the favor of the LORD our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth. The LORD did not hesitate to bring the disaster upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous in everything he does; yet we have not obeyed him.
"Now, O Lord our God, who brought your people out of Egypt with a mighty hand and who made for yourself a name that endures to this day, we have sinned, we have done wrong. O Lord, in keeping with all your righteous acts, turn away your anger and your wrath from Jerusalem, your city, your holy hill. Our sins and the iniquities of our fathers have made Jerusalem and your people an object of scorn to all those around us.
"Now, our God, hear the prayers and petitions of your servant. For your sake, O Lord, look with favor on your desolate sanctuary. Give ear, O God, and hear; open your eyes and see the desolation of the city that bears your Name. We do not make requests of you because we are righteous, but because of your great mercy. O Lord, listen! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, hear and act! For your sake, O my God, do not delay, because your city and your people bear your Name."

Acknowledge that you are fallen, ask for Jesus' help getting up, and embrace a Father who only wants to love you. All else is distraction.

A Daunting Departure

The lumber of the boardwalk, gray with age and wear, seems representative of the feet that now plod along them beneath me. Firm and clean when first hewn from their natural state, now battered and creaking with every step, oh the stories these boards could tell were they not mute! Before me lay a short path of timbers, sewn together by rusty hardware that seems unfit for the task. Beneath them are the silent enemies, the barnacles that slowly destroy this marriage of land and sea. It seems no matter where we walk, time, pressure and the elements turn like parasites against their host.

As gaze turns from the rooted to the horizon, the steps before me, though few, seem long. A shoreline of well-wishers and friends fill my ears with shouts of camaraderie and pleas to stay. Each syllable weighs on my every footstep, making progress seem daunting. How long the boardwalk seems when so precious are the ones we leave behind!

My lungs filled with the salty sea air of purpose and determination, I remain driven to make the walk toward the mission ship of exploration, bound for inestimable distances with unknown ports of call. Navigation left to the heavenly host, I trust only in the Holy Spirit to fill my sails and drive me to His will and purpose for my life. With such a skipper as the Lord Jesus Christ, how can I fear shipwreck or loss at sea?

Wish us well, darling comrades, and pray us onward to what lies ahead. May we always be joined together by mutual love for Christ and full submission to His Lordship. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

I am Second - Richard Ellis

I like the simplicity of this guy's video. The Gospel message is simple. Its simplicity has always confounded the wise. (1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

Hold Unswervingly: A Communion Meditation

I was listening to the “all Christmas music” station just before Christmas, and the radio announcer came on and said, “In all the hustle and bustle of Christmas, remember the reason for the season: family and friends!” “Family and friends?!” We know the truth is that Christmas is about the birth of Jesus Christ. But we wouldn't celebrate the birth of Jesus if he was just a baby in a manger. In fact, we wouldn't celebrate his birth if it were just for Good Friday. Lots of people have died for us over the years. We celebrate them on Memorial Day, and now on Hero Day, September 11th. In reality, the “reason for the Christmas season” is Easter. It is because of his resurrection we celebrated His birth. And it is because of Jesus' resurrection that we now celebrate His death. The gift of God the Father became perfect on the day Jesus the Son laid down the gift of His life, conquered death, and paid for sin.

Hebrews 10 says that “the [Old Testament] law [was] only a shadow of the good things that [were to come] ... It [could] never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who [drew] near to worship. ...But those sacrifices [served as] an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, … He [set] aside the first to establish the second. And [so], we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. Since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool, because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

Brothers and sisters, the work of Christ was to sanctify us, to set us apart as holy, so that we would be acceptable to enter into the heavenlies, to spend personal time with the Father and with Jesus Christ, who is too holy to allow sin near Him.

Paul continues in Hebrews 10, “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith … Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful.”

The promise is that if we hold on to the Way, the Truth, and the Life, we have the assurance of that holiness that He requires. But, in this time of self-examination, I call you to hear the words that follow that triumphant declaration: “If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God. Anyone who rejected the law of Moses died without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. How much more severely do you think a man deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God under foot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified him, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace?”

My friends, we have become a passive generation of Christians. As you hold these emblems today, I urge you to consider your attitude toward your salvation. Have you taken this sacrifice for granted, and trampled it under foot, or are you holding unswervingly to the hope that you profess?

In conclusion, Paul writes, “So do not throw away your confidence; it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised. For in just a very little while, 'He who is coming will come and will not delay.'”