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KHCN - Kauai House Church Network

Tearing Down the Walls of Individualism

2/12/2022

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"Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall” - This quote is from the famous Berlin Wall Speech, delivered by U.S. President, Ronald Reagan in West Berlin on June 12, 1987. The wall divided East and West Berlin. The famous iconic wall came tumbling down on November 9, 1989, which marked the falling of the Iron Curtain and eventually led to the end of the Cold War. 
 
Whether it’s the Berlin wall, the Great Wall of China, Israel’s West Bank Wall or the Walls of Alamo, walls have always been built to mark borders, protect kingdoms or keep out unwanted people. 
 
Walls are prevalent in the Bible as well. The Walls of Jericho (that came tumbling down), the Jerusalem Wall (which Nehemiah rebuilt), and all the fortified cities with high walls and gates which were conquered by Moses and the Israel army led by Joshua. 
 
We use walls in apartment complexes, hotels and high rises to section off businesses, office areas and living quarters. We use walls in our homes to section off different living spaces such as bedrooms, bathrooms, garages, etc. Walls protect us from the extreme cold or heat from the outer elements along with unwanted critters. Walls bring a sense of security, safety and privacy. Even tents have walls; RV’s, cars, airplanes all have walls. We need walls!
 
But walls also act as barriers. You can hide behind walls. You can be different behind walls. As the saying goes, “Who are you behind closed doors?” That’s the real you! The true colors of a person are revealed behind walls. The integrity of a person is not really what (or who) we see out in the open it’s the person inside; the person behind the wall. 
 
Individualism has always been an American ideal and part of the “Western” culture. We love privacy and alone time. The advancement in technology has greatly influenced individualism. We love our “I” phones, “I” pads and “I” Macs. Technology brings everything to us. These days we don’t even have to leave the home. Everything can be delivered right to our doorstep, even food! We can stream movies, videos, any and all data these days. We can stay connected with the world while sitting in our closet. We have zoom meetings, Facebook, Instagram and a host of other social media apps designed to get you connected, yet it feeds the individualism of our culture driving us further and further from personal contact and face to face conversations. “Technology makes life easier.” We have more time for ourselves and we don’t have to think as much. Technology creates robots to do the work for us. Have you seen how everyone tends to have their noses in their phones these days? I wonder who’s the robots? Albert Einstein said, “Why does this magnificent applied science which saves work and makes life easier bring us so little happiness? The simple answer runs: Because we have not yet learned to make sensible use of it.”
 
Covid has wrought havoc catalyzing our individualistic tendencies. Offices are closing down at alarming rates. According to the latest report from small business resource review site Digital.com, 69% of American businesses have permanently closed some or all of their office spaces since the onset of the coronavirus crisis, with another 39% planning to do so in the next six months. What do you think that will do to our office real estate across the country? More abandoned buildings, which affects the economy, which will affect me and you. What about the unforeseen social issues that develop through non-human interaction? Everything has been affected by Covid, including how we react and socialize with one another in stores, restaurants, hospitals, schools, churches, etc. Face to face interaction are at a minimal these days. Hugs? Out of the question. Division? THRIVING!
 
Yes, as scary and life-threatening as Covid is, the real plague we’re facing is individualism. Individualism focuses on self. It is self-made, self-centered and self-absorbed. It’s extremely “me” driven and self-ish. The world condones individualism saying you need to call the shots, you do it your way. Rebellion is applauded these days. But that goes against the very core of our nature and being created in the image of God. Individualism is the opposite of relationship. We were created for relationships; first with God and then with others… “It’s not good for man to be alone…” 
 
Individualism began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve decided to do things their way and please themselves. What happened after that? They hid from God. Sin brings guilt, fear, animosity and shame; it builds walls to hide behind. Sin breeds individualism. 
 
Satan has always opposed loving relationships because that’s how he can get people to distrust, disagree, hate and fight with God and one another. Psychologists can trace individualism to certain traumatic events or relational deficiencies of your past? Loving and nurturing relationships are taught first through parents and family, secondly, through peers and thirdly, through leader/mentor figures. The fewer loving, caring or nurturing relationships a person has in their life, the more walls go up. Traumatic events also bring fear, pain, and anxiety causing walls to go up. All our interactions in the world will make and break us. We tend to separate ourselves from things we feel threaten us. That’s where the “walls” of individualism come into play. 
 
My friend, Jesus wants to tear down these walls. He wants us to be free and to be all that He created us to be. The Apostle Paul tells us that Jesus came to tear down the dividing walls of hostility between Jew and Gentile making the two groups, one (Eph 2:14-18). In the same way, we are all one in Christ. So let’s tear down the walls of individualism within our churches… the dividing walls of opposing doctrinal views, spiritual giftings, those of high social status or those dealing with certain sins and addictions. What about the dividing walls between republicans and democrats, social issues (BLM, CRT, LGBTQ, etc.), Covid mandates (vaccine or not). These are all issues that Satan uses to divide God’s church. Let us tear down the walls of denominationalism, racism and nationalism. It’s no longer Jew or Gentile, black or white, male or female, Baptist or Lutheran or Pentecostal or Presbyterian. It’s no longer us and them. We are all human. We all need Christ. We all need love and nurturing. We all have walls of hostility that we have put up. It’s time for the church to repent of our demands for everyone to see things our way. Our Christian walls of hostility has become a stench. MR. CHRISTIAN, TEAR DOWN THESE WALLS!
 
God help us! I know I have my walls. With your help I can tear down these walls. Help me to remember I have died to that old life of guilt, shame and hostility and have been raised to this new life in Christ. Help me to build loving, caring and nurturing relationships where people can experience you. Help me to look past those with opposing views and to love them as you would. Help us Lord, to tear down these walls. 

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IMPOSSIBLE ODDS

2/5/2022

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Have you ever been faced with a circumstance that seemed impossible to overcome? Maybe you’re going through one right now. When you measure the size of the problem compared to your time, strength and resources you feel there’s no way you’ll be able to get through this one.

Well, rest assured, we've all been there and felt like that. I know for me, it's the stories in the Bible that reminds me of God's power and victory. In this situation the story of Gideon comes to mind. 

Gideon’s story can be found in Judges 6-7, but let me summarize Gideon’s amazing victory. Gideon was one of the judges God used to wipe out the Midianites who were oppressing Israel. There were so many Midianites that they couldn’t count them all. They were so oppressive that the Israelites hid in caves. They stole their crops, their sheep, cattle, and donkeys and invaded their land. God's plan was to use Gideon to save Israel from their oppressors. But Gideon doubted that God could use him to do anything let alone rescue Israel from the powerful Midianites. So Gideon tested God. Gideon placed a fleece out at night on the ground and challenged God to prove Himself by only allowing the fleece to be wet and not the ground around it. So that night God did what Gideon asked. The next day Gideon still doubted so he told God this time make all the ground wet but not the fleece. God, once again, did what Gideon asked. So Gideon tested God and God passed the test. Sounds absurd doesn’t it? Well, I think there’s a little Gideon in every one of us, whether we’d like to admit it or not. 

But wait, that’s not the end of the story. Gideon finally agrees to lead his men to battle. Gideon musters up his fighters to a total of 32,000 men. But God told Gideon, sorry I can’t let you go to battle with all those men because then you’ll say you won the battle by your own strength. So Gideon tells the men whoever wants to go home can leave. At that point 22,000 men left, leaving Gideon with 10,000 fighting men. Gideon’s like… OKAY, now we’re ready for the battle! But the Lord says, sorry, you still have too many. Long story short, God dwindled Gideon’s army down to 300 men, then Gideon went to battle and he won.

In this Biblical account we see how God gave Gideon the resources, a plan and the victory and through it all God received ALL the glory and honor. God will often allow us to be in those situations where it seems as though this battle or trial we’re facing will surely do us in. But don’t sweat it! Even when such great odds are against you, know that God is always in control. Just remember, the story of Gideon who overcame a vast army with only 300 fighting men (and God). But even if he had only ten men and God, I’m sure Gideon still would have won the victory. 

What about you? What are you going through today? Stop depending on your mere strength, intellect and resources to fight these battles. Instead, trust in the Lord, seek His plan, call on His name and watch HIM WORK through you. May you be victorious in all you do but don’t’ forget to give God the glory when it’s over.

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          "They devoted themselves to the study of God's word, hanging out and praying together. They were in awe because of the miracles God was doing." 
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