The Lord is Testing You

The Lord is Testing You

So many know the first and greatest commandment—to love the Lord God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. A vital question to be answered, “Is there any way I can know that I really do love Him like He wants me to love Him? Has God given me any guidelines to measure my love?”

We are so blessed that He has told us. Before Moses repeated the Ten Commandments the second time in Deuteronomy, he told the Jews they should seek the Lord with all their heart and soul (Deut. 4:29). The commandments are found in chapter five and then in chapter six he gives God’s greatest commandment about loving Him above all else (Deut. 6:5). In chapter 13, Moses gives God’s test so the Jews could know if they truly loved God.

He told Israel that the time would come when false prophets and dreamers would arise and seek to lead them away from the will of God. He even described the signs and wonders that might accompany their message. Read his words carefully. “You shall not listen to the words of that prophet or that dreamer of dreams, for the Lord your God is testing you to know whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul.” (Deut. 13:3). Here is the test! God allows the presence of teachers with amazing abilities to come to His people to test them! Our response to keeping His commandments is the visible manifestation of the kind of love we have in our hearts. While we may think we love the Lord and we may feel deeply that we love Him, God gives us this visible test so that we can know!

How serious is God about this? The Jews were instructed to put that teacher to death. His suaveness is described as the way he was enticing them to ignore what God said (Deut. 13:5). How serious was it? Even if the teacher was your brother, your child or your best friend, he was to die! He had secretly brought his ideas to entice you to ignore God. He was to show no pity, nor should provisions be made to spare him or conceal him or his actions (Deut. 13:6-8).

In fact, you were told to cast the first stone to bring about the death of this loved relative or friend and then the nation should do as you had done. You were to continue throwing stones until the one you loved so much was dead (Deut. 13:9-10). Your love for this person must never be greater than your love for God.

In your life you will face this test. Your decision to become a Christian demands you love God more than family or friends. You likely will be confronted by teachers you respect and love. Remember that how you respond in this situation is God’s visible way to measure your love. Do not fail this test!

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Paul’s Prayer is Mine

Paul’s Prayer is Mine

As you read the New Testament take time to notice how often Paul tells others he is praying for them. He not only prayed for them, but asked that they pray for him (1 Thess. 5:25). It is often in prayer that we see the soul of the one who is praying. This is so obvious in Paul’s prayer for the church at Colossae.

Pauls prayer

May you flourish this upcoming year.

Read Colossians 1:9-11 and note the nine things he was praying would happen in the lives of those great Christians. He prayed that they might:

(1)   Be filled with the knowledge of His will
(2)   Have wisdom
(3)   Have understanding
(4)   Walk worthy of the Lord
(5)   Be pleasing to the Lord
(6)   Be fruitful in every good work
(7)   Be increasing in the knowledge of God
(8)   Be strengthened by His glorious power
(9)   Have patience, longsuffering, and joy

Read the list again and visualize what would happen when this prayer was answered!

As we enter this new year together, I want you to know that this is my prayer for you. My life has truly been blessed by the thirty-nine years we have labored together and believe the best days lie ahead of us. Success will not come without effort, but I think I know your hearts. May God help us to accomplish great things for His glory.

Paul’s prayer is my prayer. With hearts that are filled with knowledge that is always increasing, may we have wisdom and understanding as to how to apply this in our lives. May we together walk worthy of the sacrifices He made for us and please Him. May we be fruitful because God is working in our midst and strengthening us by His power. May we be steadfast, unwavering in devotion, and willing to suffer because of the joy set before us.

Will you take time today to reflect on your life and see what changes can be made to ensure that Paul’s words become a reality? Will you honestly look at where you are and plan the steps which must be taken to arrive at greater spiritual heights? Will you dream with me of the great things that God can do with us and through us in this church? Will you set aside time and pray for this church? Pray for me. Pray for the future and pray that He might work in us even more. I believe in prayer. As I pray for you, will you pray for me?

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What to say to Visitors

What to say to Visitors

So, as you walk through the church building or when sitting in a pew you see a person who is a visitor. What do you say to them? It may be an awkward moment, but it is obvious that saying the right thing is so important. Below are seven ideas of what each of us can say to cause visitors to return again. These ideas are not original (I found them in a blog by Thomas Rainer), but they might help you become a person God can use in an amazing way.

visitors

What do you say to visitors?

“Thank you for being here.” Imagine the impact that saying these simple words would have on visitors to our services. Especially if they heard them many times when they come.

“Let me help you with that.” From the moment visitors arrive at our services, the warmth of these words can have a profound impact when they come. It might be helping them carry items into the building—purses, books, diaper bags, coats, etc. The fact you were there, saw their need and offered to help will not be forgotten.

“Please take my seat.” Covid-19 and social distancing have created some unusual situations. Imagine a family with two or three children arriving at services and are having trouble finding seats. It would be far easier for you or you and your mate to move to another pew and give your seats to them.

“Here is my email address. Let me know if I can help in any way.” These words spoken from your sincere heart reflect the life of Jesus. Newcomers likely have several questions you can answer.

“Can I show you where to go?” Visitors find themselves in a new place not knowing the location of restrooms, nurseries or classrooms. When you see them struggling, go out of your way to help them.

“Let me introduce you to _________.” Bring them to one of the preachers or elders. If you learn where they are from or where they work, make sure they meet members who share this in common with them. You will be amazed how “passing a visitor” along to another member will impact their lives.

“Would you join us for lunch?” Almost every week you eat out, perhaps with other members, inviting them to go with the group quickly introduces them to others. Our young adults do an excellent job in this area. Think of how often Jesus ate with others. Studies show what a great impact this has on those who visit.

What would you add to this list? What have you said to visitors which has impacted them? I’d like to hear from you with your ideas we can share. Just put yourself in the place of a visitor and think of what could be said that will help them see Christ’s likeness in the church. Let’s work on this together.

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Do the Work of an Evangelist

Do the Work of an Evangelist

When Paul told Timothy to “Do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim. 4:5), Timothy knew what that meant. Tragically, far too many preachers today have lost sight of what is involved in this. Timothy understood because he had seen it in the life of the apostle. Paul said to him, “You have carefully followed my doctrine…perseverance…what happened to me…” (2 Tim. 3:10-11). Let’s take time to see what Timothy saw in the work Paul did in his three years at Ephesus, as Paul described it to the elders there.

Evangelists serve the Lord. “You know, from the first day I came to Asia, in what manner I always lived among you, serving the Lord…” (Acts 20:19-20). Read the verse again and take time to think about the implication of the words “first” and “always.”

Evangelists serve the Lord with all humility. Paul uses the words “…serving the Lord with all humility, with many tears and trials.” Contrast these words of Paul with those of Christ who described a far different attitude of other religious leaders. “They loved the best places at feasts, the best seats in the synagogue, greetings in the marketplace and to be called by men, ‘Rabbi, Rabbi’” (Matt. 23:6-7). Evangelists serve, not because it is a place of honor in the church, but because it is a place of humble service, oftentimes with tears and trials.

Evangelists do not hold back needed sermons but openly proclaim God’s message.  “I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you publicly and from house to house” (Acts 20:20). God’s pulpit is not designed to preach lessons which impress the audience and as an avenue to receive compliments about great lessons. Doing the work of an evangelist demands we address the needs of the church.

Evangelists are free from the blood of all who hear them. “I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God” (Acts 20:27). There were those who said of Jesus, “His blood be on us and our children” (Matt. 27:25), and they will face God on the day of judgment with that blood on their hands. Some who preach today will find themselves with the blood of lost sinners and church members on their hands. We must preach the whole counsel of God. Some are not aware that they can preach for years, never preach anything unscriptural, but fail in changing the lives of others because they hold back and avoid dealing with the real needs of the church.

When Paul told Timothy to do the work of an evangelist and fulfill his ministry, he was not talking about one being an excellent “church administrator.” Far too many schools and workshops focus on these skills instead of being a true evangelist. Paul was first a minister of Jesus, not a church minister.

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What Do You Know About the Future?

What Do You Know About the Future?

Life is very short; our futures all unknown. None of us know what will happen tomorrow, or even if we will be here to see it. None of us can know for sure what tomorrow may bring in reference to political issues, cultural issues, or personal health, safety, family, and/or financial issues; anything and everything from national disasters to natural dilemmas; and even when it comes to such life and death issues as the passing of loved ones or even our own, personal demise – we just simply cannot, and do not, know.

Future Bible

What do you know about the Future?

James 4:13-14 states this truth very clearly: “Come now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit’; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

King Solomon also confirms this same truth in Ecclesiastes 9:11-12, wherein he states: “The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to men of understanding, nor favor to men of skill; But time and chance happen to them all. For man also does not know his time: Like fish taken in a cruel net, like birds caught in a snare, so the sons of men are snared in an evil time, when it falls suddenly upon them.”

The brevity, concerns, and definite uncertainties of this earthly life – all of tomorrow’s inestimable unknowns if you will – can make for a very scary, fragile, vulnerable, and joyless existence today. But it doesn’t have to be that way. That is definitely not how God wants or intends for us to live (John 15:11, 16:33, 17:13; Philippians 4:4-13). Hence;He “has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him” (2 Peter 1:3). It is such a knowledge of Him that multiplies our peace in all circumstances (2 Peter 1:2). Such knowledge, and the belief or faith in Him which is the natural result or outcome of such knowledge, can only come about, and to fruition,through an honest and in-depth study of His word (Romans 10:17).

You see, the eternal truths that we can come to absolutely know, understand, and implement into our lives when we get into a consistent and in-depth study of His word, are so incredibly powerful, that they have the ability to help crush, overwhelm, and overcome, all of our doubts and uncertainties regarding tomorrow’s un-knowns!

For example, it is only through an in-depth study of God’s word, that we come to KNOW:the truth that will set us free from all those things (John 8:31-32). To KNOW:the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, in order that we may be filled with all the goodness of God (Ephesians 3:19). To KNOW: that all things work together for good, to those who love God and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). To KNOW: Him, and the power of His resurrection, that we, too, might attain to the resurrection from the dead (Phil. 3:10-12). To KNOW: for certain, that even when we die, we have a home awaiting us in Heaven (2 Corinthians 5:1-9; Philippians 1:21-24). In fact, the Apostle John wrote that the very reason for his writings was so that those who were in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 1:3-14), could KNOW, for certain, that they have eternal life (1 John 5:11-13)!

Are you in Christ (Romans 6:3-4; Galatians 3:26-27)? Do you have Biblical questions (2 Timothy 2:15)? Are you troubled about tomorrow’s innumerable and potentially catastrophic unknowns (Matthew 6:25-34)? Do you KNOW, for sure – are you absolutely and positively certain – that were you to leave this earth tomorrow, that you would be in heaven forever- according to the word of God that is?

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