Get These Out of Here!

by Pastor Mark D. Ostrom

As I was waking up this morning, I heard the words ‘Get these out of here!’ echoing inside me—just as Jesus spoke in the temple. This is my heart’s cry for the church and for each of us today.

The church and world have been invaded!

An invasion is happening. A subtle displacement is underway. For years, slowly and quietly, they have crept in, unnoticed. 

What is the phenomenon that is going on?  It is the setting up of idols and the worship of other gods.

It is so subtle and so many of us have been lulled to sleep by the world that it can be very difficult to see them.

The idols come in many shapes and sizes.  Some are colorful or shiny.  Some look just like Jesus and are empty inside.  They take on the shape and image of men and leaders.  They are green and can make you rich.  They can be as innocent as wrong priorities or misplaced values.  And some look SO CLOSE to the One true living God that only a close biblical examination will reveal the difference.

God’s Holiness

The God of the Bible is Holy.  There is NONE like Him.  He is set apart and High above all other gods.  When we fail to reverence Him and keep Him in His rightful place that is FAR ABOVE all others, we risk idols and other gods being set up in our lives.

The God of the Bible has said…

Isaiah 44:6
6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
(NKJV)

And…

Isaiah 44:8
8 Do not fear, nor be afraid;
Have I not told you from that time, and declared it?
You are My witnesses.
Is there a God besides Me?
Indeed there is no other Rock;
I know not one.’”
(NKJV)

There is no God besides the LORD.  Not one.

When Jesus was questioned about the greatest commandment He said.

Mark 12:29-31
29 … “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. 31 And the second, like it, is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
(NKJV)

Jesus affirms that the LORD is God and the LORD is one.  There is no other God besides the LORD.  Jesus also affirmed that we are to love the LORD our God with ALL our heart, ALL our soul, ALL our mind, and ALL our strength.  The problem is when we let other loves creep in.

The Apostle John warned about misplaced love.

1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.
(NKJV)

Whenever we allow love for the world to creep into our relationship with the Father, it contaminates us.  We are called to be separated from the world and the lust in it.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18
14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? 15 And what accord has Christ with Belial? Or what part has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 And what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As God has said:
“I will dwell in them
And walk among them.
I will be their God,
And they shall be My people.”
17 Therefore
“Come out from among them
And be separate, says the Lord.
Do not touch what is unclean,
And I will receive you.”
18 “I will be a Father to you,
And you shall be My sons and daughters,
Says the LORD Almighty.”
(NKJV)

As we pursue a true holy love for the LORD, it will cause us to separate from the lusts of this world and grow in holiness.

Hebrews 12:14
14 Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord:
(NKJV)

Pursuing holiness and being set apart from the world enables us to SEE who the LORD truly is.  It transforms our minds and keeps us from being conformed to this world.  That is why we read in Romans…

Romans 12:1-2
1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
(NKJV)

When we present ourselves as living sacrifices, holy, and acceptable to God, our minds will be renewed and kept from conforming to this world.

We also want to allow the scriptures of the Bible to wash us clean.  In Ephesians it says…

Ephesians 5:25-26
25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word,
(NKJV)

Husbands are to love their wives as Christ loved the church… that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.

In the same way, God’s Word washes and cleanses us.  It renews our mind to the truth.  It is a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path.  It helps us discern between what IS God and what is NOT.

When we offer ourselves to God in love and allow Him to wash us with His word then we will SEE the LORD for who He really is and who He is NOT.

Now that we understand the importance of holiness and the Word of God, let’s answer these questions…

What are these idols and who are the gods we may be worshiping instead of the One true God?

Misplaced Priorities

It is VERY EASY to misplace priorities.  We have so many decisions to make every second of every day.   When we get busy and don’t take the time to keep first things first then OTHER things will take the FIRST place.

Jesus said…

Matthew 6:33
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.
(NKJV)

God’s kingdom and His righteousness are to be FIRST.  If we are truly going to love the LORD our God with ALL that we are, then we are to love Him first by making Him and His kingdom our number one priority.  NOTHING should come before the LORD.

Not money…

Matthew 6:24
24 “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
(NKJV)

Not food, drink, or clothing…

Matthew 6:31-32
31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
(NKJV)

Not friends, family, spouse, children, not even our own life…

Luke 14:26-27
26 “If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple. 27 And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple.
(NKJV)

If we are truly going to be a disciple of Jesus, we must love Him first!  That doesn’t mean that we don’t love our spouse, children, family, or neighbors.  It just means we love them SECOND.  When we keep the LORD as our FIRST PRIORITY and FIRST LOVE over people and things, we keep them from becoming idols and gods to us.

Now that we’ve seen the importance of LOVING GOD FIRST let’s see if the God we are loving is really God at all.

A Different Christ

When Jesus was present with His disciples, He warned them about deception in the last days.

Mark 13:19-23
19 For in those days there will be tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the creation which God created until this time, nor ever shall be. 20 And unless the Lord had shortened those days, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect’s sake, whom He chose, He shortened the days.
21 “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or, ‘Look, He is there!’ do not believe it. 22 For false christs and false prophets will rise and show signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. 23 But take heed; see, I have told you all things beforehand.
(NKJV)

Many times, when we think of false christs, we think of fanciful cult leaders who appear for a short time, claim to be Christ, amass a following, and have their end in tragedy.  But what if false christs are more prevalent than this?

Paul said…

2 Corinthians 11:4
4 For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
(NKJV)

And…

Galatians 1:6-8
6 I marvel that you are turning away so soon from Him who called you in the grace of Christ, to a different gospel, 7 which is not another; but there are some who trouble you and want to pervert the gospel of Christ. 8 But even if we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel to you than what we have preached to you, let him be accursed.
(NKJV)

From the days of the early Church Jesus Christ’s message and identity have consistently been perverted and to this day it is NO DIFFERENT.

The “Jesus” of our day comes in many forms and shapes, with different values, teachings, and purposes.

These false christs appear as “a good man” with “good teachings” but deny Jesus’ claims of being God, and the sin cleansing power of His blood.

They present “Jesus” as approving of sinful abominations that pervert the very God-given form and physical identity of girls and boys.  They claim that “Christ” is NOT a person but a state of consciousness that we can all attain when we realize that “God is in us and is us”.

“Jesus” has become a woke hippie who fights for human rights, instead of the only true savior that gave His life so we could find ours.  The color of His skin has become more important to some than the redness of the blood He spilled for ALL mankind to be saved. 

He is not a Mormon “Jesus”, a New age “Christ”, or a Jehovah witness “Jesus”.

He is not a Hindu, Jewish, or Islamic “Jesus”.

He is Jesus the Christ, The Son of the Living God.  He alone is the way, the truth, and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through Him.

He is the Lamb slain before the foundation of the earth.  He is Christ the Lord.  He is King of kings and Lord of lords.  He IS the final authority and there is NO God beside Him.

Hebrews 13:8
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
(NKJV)

Acts 4:12
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
(NKJV)

ANY VERSION of Jesus Christ that strips Him of His divinity, humanity, preexistence and eternal nature, His priesthood, personhood, or the atonement He secured through His blood is a false christ.

If it replaces ANY of His teachings, claims, or values with SOMETHING else; it is NOT Him.

Christ died according to the scriptures.  He was buried according to the scriptures.  He was raised up on high and is sitting at the right hand of the Father.

He is Holy and set apart from ALL other gods.  He alone is LORD.

Have you replaced Him with a variation?  Have you followed another Jesus?  Are you bowing to a god of your own design or the true Biblical Jesus?

It’s time to put away our idols and the worship of other gods and humbly, sincerely, and wholeheartedly turn unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith.

If you have allowed these idols to creep in and participated in worshiping other gods, ‘get them out of here’ by confessing your sins to Him.   For His promise is clear:

1 John 1:9
9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
(NKJV)

Salvation—whether initial or a renewed fellowship—is found in NO OTHER name.

Put your faith wholly and completely in Jesus ALONE forsaking all others!

Call on the name of the LORD and be saved!

What’s Growing in Your Garden?

by Pastor Mark Ostrom

One of the most beautiful things in the Bible are the themes that God has woven into His Word.

It’s one of the things that keeps me convinced that the Bible is truly the Word of God.

God uses natural pictures to describe spiritual things.  They make logical sense; they are filled with detail; they are placed strategically throughout a document that was written by multiple authors over thousands of years; they all point to the person of Christ Jesus; and if practiced in faith produce the results that they claim.

That makes faith rise in my heart!

One of these themes is found at the very beginning of the Bible.

The Original Garden

Genesis 2:8-9
8 The LORD God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the LORD God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
(NKJV)

Gardens are places where things grow.

If you plant wheat seeds and water them, wheat grows.

If you don’t maintain your lawn well, weeds grow.  You don’t have to try to plant weeds, the effort comes in fertilizing the grass and keeping the weeds out.  Getting them when they are small so they don’t start to take things over.

Man’s very first assignment was to tend and keep the garden that had been given to him.

Genesis 2:15-17
15 Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”
(NKJV)

The garden that God gave man extended out past Eden.

The Earth is a Garden

Genesis 1:28
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
(NKJV)

God gave man dominion over the all the earth.  He gave the first man a huge garden to keep.  He gave him the responsibility to tend and keep the earth and to rule over all the creatures that lived in it.

Adam failed that commandment by allowing a ‘serpent’ to gain dominion over him.

God had created a perfect garden.

He had only created good for man, but man chose evil, and a new gardener was given access to plant things in the earth.  Man in the liberty and freedom that God had gave him opened the door for someone else to grow things in God’s perfect garden.

Jesus gives a great example of this in the parable of the wheat and tares

The Parable of Wheat and Tares

Matthew 13:24-30
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
(NKJV)

Later, Jesus explained the meaning of the parable to his disciples.

Matthew 13:36-43
36 Then Jesus sent the multitude away and went into the house. And His disciples came to Him, saying, “Explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.”
37 He answered and said to them: “He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 39 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels. 40 Therefore as the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of this age. 41 The Son of Man will send out His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, and those who practice lawlessness, 42 and will cast them into the furnace of fire. There will be wailing and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!
(NKJV)

The earth is the field that man allowed the enemy to plant his seed in.

God has been gracious and caring to allow man to remain in His garden.  He doesn’t want to harm the precious fruit of the earth.

James 5:7
7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain.
(NKJV)

It may be hard to endure in a world that has been corrupted but in God’s mercy He restrained fully judging man at the beginning so that He would have men at the end.  He is delaying justice over evil to show compassion to those who will repent and receive it.

2 Peter 3:8-9
8 But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
(NKJV)

God is not willing that ANY should perish.  He is giving each of us time to repent and come to Him.

You are a Garden.

The Bible says that you were created from the dust of the earth.

Genesis 2:7
7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.
(NKJV)

It’s ironic to me that in the context of believing in God and the Bible that atheists or more progressive thinkers scoff at the idea that “God formed man from the dust of the earth”. 

They dismiss it as fairy tale.

They condemn themselves by their hypocrisy by claiming that all living things sprang from the “dirt” or natural materials on the earth and these natural materials gave rise to themselves and eventually turned into man.

I think this is a true case of the fool saying in his heart there is no God.

I also think if you consider everything, it takes LESS faith to believe that a living being greater than ourselves created us from dust than believing “nothing” formed the dust into living creatures and “nothing” eventually caused those living creatures to eventually become a man.

The second idea requires much more faith and a greater miracle than the first.

Man did come directly from the dust of the earth.  He had no progress.  He was formed perfectly, in the image of God, by a loving creator.  From dust we came and to the dust we will return.

We are naturally a garden because we were created from the dust of the earth.

We are also a spiritual garden.

God has given EACH of us the responsibility to keep our own garden.

1 Corinthians 3:9
9 For we are fellow workmen (joint promoters, laborers together) with and for God; you are God’s garden and vineyard and field under cultivation, [you are] God’s building.
(AMP)

We are responsible for what we ALLOW to grow and what we cultivate in our lives.

Galatians 6:8
8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
(NKJV)

God has given us a choice.  Will we choose life or death?  Blessing or cursing?

When we sow to our flesh, weeds get planted in our garden.  When we sow to the Spirit (the things of God) we reap everlasting life.

God is so gracious that even when each of us has allowed weeds to completely overtake our garden, that He made a way to have a fresh start.

He has provided a way in Jesus Christ to uproot what the enemy has planted in our lives.

To start planting “good seeds” in fresh soil and reclaim the land that the devil had stolen.

God is full of mercy and ready to forgive.  Even if you have strayed much, He is ever ready to forgive and cleanse you and give you a fresh start.

What are you planting in your garden?  It is the Word of God?  The words of men?  The lies of the enemy?

God wants you to be a lush, beautiful garden producing good fruit.  Let Him remove the weeds.  Give him access to you garden.  Let him uproot everything that is not good and plant a new crop today.

A Morning Meditation on Ephesian 1:3

by Pastor Mark Ostrom

The Holy Spirit has recently been directing my attention toward God’s desire to prosper us. 

We (as a church) have been examining God’s blessings. That they are wholistic. 

3 John 1:2
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
NKJV

The Holy Spirit though the Apostle John penned this blessing for ALL believers, for ALL times, that we may prosper in ALL things.

This blessing is for our whole spirit, soul, and body.

Over the last few weeks, the Holy Spirit has been elaborating on this “prosperity” and “blessing” in verses like…

Acts 3:26
26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”
NKJV

Christ has blessed us by “turning us away from our sins” and enabling us to receive “the blessings” that flow from walking in line with Christ’s love command. (Ezekiel 26:25-30, Galatians 5:14)

This morning, I was meditating on Ephesians 1:3.

Ephesians 1:3
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
NKJV

The Amplified Bible expands this scripture beautifully.

Ephesians 1:3

May blessing (praise, laudation, and eulogy) be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) Who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual (given by the Holy Spirit) blessing in the heavenly realm!

Amplified

The ideas that follow are what came to me as I considered…

The Father’s goodness and blessing are given to us “in Christ” and administered to us by the Holy Spirit.

The blessings belong to God “the Father” and are accessed through Jesus, “the Son” much like a “door” or “gate” to a “store house“, “pasture“, or “garden” and conveyed spiritually through or by “the Holy Spirit“. (John 10:7-10, Psalm 23)

In one sense the Holy Spirit is the “power” in a conveyer belt (Jesus) that grants “access” to the “store house” (God the Father as the originator of all things) and brings “the blessing” to you. Or like a thick cloud of darkness that showers “rain” or “blessings” on you from on high.

At the same time, we are able to “approach“, “enter” or “access” the “store house“, through “the door” by “the Spirit“.

So, in one instance (passively) the blessings are “poured” or “rained” on us. In the other sense, (we actively) by faith, “access” the blessings freely through “boldness” and with or by the Holy Spirits help. (Acts 3:19, Romans 5:2, Romans 8:26, Hebrews 4:16)

One is passive, one is active.

One “waits” for God’s abundant blessing; the other “boldly” and “passionately enters” into the presence of the Father with humbly, sincerity, and “obtains” what it graciously requests. (1 John 5:14-15)

Is your “faith” only receiving the blessings that come from being “passively hopeful” and waiting for the next “rain” cloud to shower you?

Or are you running out into the “pasture” that is receiving the “abundance of rain” that is being poured out on it, from heaven?

The Father has an “abundance of blessing” (good things) stored up for each of us “in Christ” Jesus!

Lets access His abundance of grace with the help of “the bold” Spirit of faith He has given to each of us!