John 3:30 “He must increase but I must decrease.”
This is a statement made by John the Baptist. John is not only talking about himself personally, but also about his baptism and his teaching. He’s talking about the fact that his preaching of the coming of the Messiah must cease because He is now come; and has entered publicly in the work of His glorious ministry here on earth.
This is a very hard thing to comprehend. As a human being this is not the natural thing to say or do. Decreasing self so that Christ can increase in our lives is not accomplished by knowing some facts and statistics about Christ, but rather an intimate fellowship with Him that is characterized by love. Of course, this intimacy is initiated by Christ Himself, and in response to His love we love Him. The Apostle John mentioned this in I John 4:19 “We love him, because he first loved us.”
The love of God is different from that of our love. The love He has for us transcends emotions or admiration. It was demonstrated by unselfishly giving his only Son to die so that we might have eternal life. John 3:16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Most of us truly want to respond to God’s love for us by loving Him. Since we have already stated that God’s love transcends emotions and affections, what should be the essence of our love for Him? Jesus connects true love for God with obedience. This is made very clear in I John 14:15 “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” He goes on to reiterate this thought three more times in His teaching to the disciples – verse 21 “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.” – Verses 23-24 “Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.”
I can hear someone ask, “What words is He talking about?” Oh, you didn’t ask. Well, I’m going to answer anyway. The answer to that unasked question is that He’s talking about all the words. But to make it simple, Jesus summarizes His commands in two directions. We find these in Matthew 22:37-39 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.”
In this reply to the Lawyer, Jesus said that the whole duty of the believer can be summed up in one word – love. The demonstrative direction of this love is upward and outward. It’s sad to see that many believers live inwardly. They live for self. It’s all about what “I”want. This is 180 degrees from the desire of our Master. There is no “decrease” of self so that Christ can “increase” in their life. It would do them good to consider the desire of the Apostle Paul.
As we consider all these verses it helps us to see clearly that the responsibility of the believer is to love God by obedience. To obey Him is to love others. That’s sounds too simplistic. And it would be too simple if there is only lip-service of our love and not leg-service. So, how do we put leg-service to obeying all the commands of the Lord?
When you and I get up every day, we need to remember that we are ambassadors of Jesus Christ. We are kingdom representatives and are to proclaim the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ as we go into all the world. That good news is that God loves them and has sent His Son to die for them so that they can go to Heaven and live with Him eternally. And how do we share that good news and be a great Ambassador of Christ? There is much controversy as to how this is done. Everybody has an opinion so let me give you mine.
1. It Involves our Lifestyle - I Peter 1:15-16 "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy."
The way we live before the world is vital to our witness. No one ever got saved by watching our lives, but holy living gives us a platform from which to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without holy living our witness will not be productive. Holy living brings the blessings of the Holy Spirit. Our witness must be under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Acts 4:31 proclams "And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness."
2. It Involves our Lip-service – Romans 10:17 "So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The child of God must open his mouth and share the Word of God with those who need salvation. The Bible is what tells that they are a sinner and need a relationship with God which comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
Knowledge of the Bible is so important for this mission. That’s why Paul exhorted the believer in II Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” Being able to use the Bible to show the individual what God has said is so important. Remember, it’s not you that converts the soul but the the work of the Holy Spirit using the Word of God. That’s what Paul said in Romans 1:16 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek."
Being a good Ambassador for the Kingdom of God means that what we do is for the King, not ourselves. What we think is not important. It’s what God thinks that is important. That’s why He must increase and we must decrease.
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, March 28, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
HARD CHOICE FOR PARENTS
Isaiah 6:5-8 “Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying Whom shall I send and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
You might think this is a very unusual passage of Scripture to use when writing about parenting. But I think it’s a very good portion from which to make my point. Bear with me!
I know that this Scripture has been used through the years to challenge believers to volunteer to get involved in service within the local church. I have used this in the same way myself many times. It is a good portion of Scripture for this purpose.
The sixth chapter of Isaiah starts off by recording a vision that Isaiah saw of the Lord. He saw Him high and lifted up. When he gets a rightful vision of God, then he got a true vision of himself and cries out “Woe is me.”Then in verse 8 God offers a challenge of service. And when Isaiah hears that challenge he immediately responds “Here am I; send me.”
The task given to Isaiah was not an easy one. He was to preach to a hardened people. God’s message to Isaiah was that the people would not heed his message of judgment to come. Talk about a tough job! How many of us would be really excited about this kind of assignment? You would preach but no one would respond or teach a Sunday school class but no one would attend. This is exactly what God was calling Isaiah to do. This was an opportunity that carried with it a very difficult result.
God does encourage Isaiah by telling him that there would be some individuals who would heed his preaching. That has always been the case. Noah is an example of one who didn’t reach many but he did reach his family. God has always had His remnant.
There are many difficult statements in the Word of God. One of those is found when Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:24 “. . . If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Following the Lord carries with if difficulties. We read in Matthew 8:19-20 “And a certain scribe came and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” There is a cost to following Jesus but each of us are called to do just that.
The child of God is to follow the Lord and one part of that is to live a godly life. That is a great calling but it has a price to pay as we see in II Timonthy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
What we have mentioned so far has been the general calling that applies to every one of us. There is a specific calling for each of our lives. And when God makes that particular call to each of us, will we answer “Here am I send me?” He may call you to be a preacher, missionary, Christian business man, or a GODLY PARENT. In each of these responsibilities and callings there will be difficulties.
The responsibility I want to highlight in this CHALLENGING CONCEPTS is that of a parent. When you make the choice to be a parent you enter into a glorious calling but it won’t be without difficulties. Too many couples enter into parenthood without much thought of what they will face before that child leaves home and is able to care for himself or herself.
When that baby is born and you hold he/she for the first time, that is an experience beyond description. But fast-forward about two years and you are reading books and surfing the web trying to learn how to handle this issue. A few years later you are trying to research Scripture to teach them how to choose friends. Then comes the teen years. This is when you want to lock them in a closet until college age.
Being the parent of children carries the responsibility of discipline. The wise man Solomon wrote in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: . . .” We also read in Proverbs 29:17 “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”
Too many families are experiencing heartache and pain brought on by rebellious children. Is that all the parent’s fault? Not always because a child, especially teenages, exercise their fleshly will. But much of the problems have come because the parent has not made THE HARD CHOICE.
Many parents have allowed the philosophy of the world to influence them in how they rear their children. The Apostle Paul reiterated the teaching of the Old Testament by writing in Ephesians 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
The one word that many parents are afraid to use with their children is “NO!” Children need to learn they cannot be friends with all other children; go to certain activities; stay out as late as everyone else; watch certain TV programs; wear certain clothing; etc. Sometimes using the word “NO” can build character in the lives of your children.
There is a word of caution that I need to use here. You can use the word “NO” too much. In fact, it is easier to say “NO” than it is to say “Yes.” I remember a time in the life of one os our children when they wanted to do something that was not wrong in our eyes but was wrong in the eyes of some of our church members. In our discussion of the issue I told my wife, “Honey, we have to say ‘no’ so much why not say ‘yes’ on this issue.” /we explained that to our child and it made a lot of difference in our relationship.
Grace and I also learned that all rules or guidelines dealing with our children are best given and explained to them beforehand. We also learned that we had to be careful not to be harsh when we had to made the HARD CALL. Positive affirmation of our love to the children also helped to cushion times when we had to deny a request from the children. Knowing your parents love you is so important in the life of a child.
This may not make you the most popular parent on the block, but I think it helps keep your children from experiencing some things that will bring with it regrets in the future. God didn’t call parents to be popular, liked or even friends with their children, but He did call them to rear their children to bring glory to God.
I didn’t plan to go into detail about parenting but to challenge each parent to make THE HARD CALL.
That’s my view; how about you?
You might think this is a very unusual passage of Scripture to use when writing about parenting. But I think it’s a very good portion from which to make my point. Bear with me!
I know that this Scripture has been used through the years to challenge believers to volunteer to get involved in service within the local church. I have used this in the same way myself many times. It is a good portion of Scripture for this purpose.
The sixth chapter of Isaiah starts off by recording a vision that Isaiah saw of the Lord. He saw Him high and lifted up. When he gets a rightful vision of God, then he got a true vision of himself and cries out “Woe is me.”Then in verse 8 God offers a challenge of service. And when Isaiah hears that challenge he immediately responds “Here am I; send me.”
The task given to Isaiah was not an easy one. He was to preach to a hardened people. God’s message to Isaiah was that the people would not heed his message of judgment to come. Talk about a tough job! How many of us would be really excited about this kind of assignment? You would preach but no one would respond or teach a Sunday school class but no one would attend. This is exactly what God was calling Isaiah to do. This was an opportunity that carried with it a very difficult result.
God does encourage Isaiah by telling him that there would be some individuals who would heed his preaching. That has always been the case. Noah is an example of one who didn’t reach many but he did reach his family. God has always had His remnant.
There are many difficult statements in the Word of God. One of those is found when Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 16:24 “. . . If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” Following the Lord carries with if difficulties. We read in Matthew 8:19-20 “And a certain scribe came and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” There is a cost to following Jesus but each of us are called to do just that.
The child of God is to follow the Lord and one part of that is to live a godly life. That is a great calling but it has a price to pay as we see in II Timonthy 3:12 “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.”
What we have mentioned so far has been the general calling that applies to every one of us. There is a specific calling for each of our lives. And when God makes that particular call to each of us, will we answer “Here am I send me?” He may call you to be a preacher, missionary, Christian business man, or a GODLY PARENT. In each of these responsibilities and callings there will be difficulties.
The responsibility I want to highlight in this CHALLENGING CONCEPTS is that of a parent. When you make the choice to be a parent you enter into a glorious calling but it won’t be without difficulties. Too many couples enter into parenthood without much thought of what they will face before that child leaves home and is able to care for himself or herself.
When that baby is born and you hold he/she for the first time, that is an experience beyond description. But fast-forward about two years and you are reading books and surfing the web trying to learn how to handle this issue. A few years later you are trying to research Scripture to teach them how to choose friends. Then comes the teen years. This is when you want to lock them in a closet until college age.
Being the parent of children carries the responsibility of discipline. The wise man Solomon wrote in Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go: . . .” We also read in Proverbs 29:17 “Correct thy son, and he shall give thee rest; yea, he shall give delight unto thy soul.”
Too many families are experiencing heartache and pain brought on by rebellious children. Is that all the parent’s fault? Not always because a child, especially teenages, exercise their fleshly will. But much of the problems have come because the parent has not made THE HARD CHOICE.
Many parents have allowed the philosophy of the world to influence them in how they rear their children. The Apostle Paul reiterated the teaching of the Old Testament by writing in Ephesians 6:4 “And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”
The one word that many parents are afraid to use with their children is “NO!” Children need to learn they cannot be friends with all other children; go to certain activities; stay out as late as everyone else; watch certain TV programs; wear certain clothing; etc. Sometimes using the word “NO” can build character in the lives of your children.
There is a word of caution that I need to use here. You can use the word “NO” too much. In fact, it is easier to say “NO” than it is to say “Yes.” I remember a time in the life of one os our children when they wanted to do something that was not wrong in our eyes but was wrong in the eyes of some of our church members. In our discussion of the issue I told my wife, “Honey, we have to say ‘no’ so much why not say ‘yes’ on this issue.” /we explained that to our child and it made a lot of difference in our relationship.
Grace and I also learned that all rules or guidelines dealing with our children are best given and explained to them beforehand. We also learned that we had to be careful not to be harsh when we had to made the HARD CALL. Positive affirmation of our love to the children also helped to cushion times when we had to deny a request from the children. Knowing your parents love you is so important in the life of a child.
This may not make you the most popular parent on the block, but I think it helps keep your children from experiencing some things that will bring with it regrets in the future. God didn’t call parents to be popular, liked or even friends with their children, but He did call them to rear their children to bring glory to God.
I didn’t plan to go into detail about parenting but to challenge each parent to make THE HARD CALL.
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, March 14, 2011
A Cheap substitute
I Kings 12:28 “Whereupon the king took counsel and made two calves of gold, and said unto them, It is too much for you to go up to Jerusalem: behold thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.”
Years ago, my wife and I were graciously given a trip to the Holy Land. This wonderful experience was made possible by the church we were then pastoring, Eifel Baptist Church of Germany. The trip was put together by our dear friend, Carl Manning. It was the trip of a life-time, and we are appreciative of all involved.
We saw the places where Jesus had done many miracles. We rode on the sea where Jesus and His disciples had sailed. We stood in the location where Jesus had taught the multitudes. We had the amazing experience of stepping into the tomb where he had been buried and noticed the reality of what is written in Matthew 28:6 “He is not here: for he is risen as he said. . .” That empty tomb gave goose-bumps to each child of God that day.
While there our Jewish guide cautioned us about buying souvenirs from the Palestinian merchandisers. He showed us what looked to be a genuine leather belt. He passed it around for us to examine. It felt real. It even smelled like the genuine thing. Then he took his knife and peeled off the outward veneer to expose that the belt was actually cardboard. It was A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE.
After King Solomon died, the nation of Israel was divided. Jeroboam became king of the Northern Kingdom and Rehoboam became king of the Southern Kingdom. At this time the Jewish men were reqired to travel to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year. Out of fear the required trips to the Southern Kingdom would undermine his authority, Jeroboam decided to set up his own center of worship. In fact, he decided it was both too inconvient and oppressive for the men to have to go all the way to Jerusalem, so he built centers of worship at Dan and Bethel. He invented a political religion, instituted feasts different from those appointed by the Lord. He caused two golden calves (figures of Mnevis, the sacred calf) to be made. He gave them A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE.
We are living in a day when many so-called believers, (I’m not the judge), do not experience all they have in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
What a wonderful thought to be blessed “with all spiritual blessings.” We have been blessed with the pure doctrine of the gospel. We are saved by God’s grace through faith, which also came from God. We have the Holy Spirit living within us, which is the earnest of our salvation. The Holy spirit has given us spiritual gifts with which to live the Christian life. We are justified, sanctified and have the assurance that one day we will be glorified with the Lord Jesus Christ. We also have the privilege of being Ambassadors for Jesus Christ. This knowledge ought to challenge us live a life of joy and happiness every day.
Matthew Henry put it this way: “. . . Spiritual and heavenly blessings are the best blessings; with which we cannot be miserable, and without which we cannot but be so.”
Think about what we have in Christ Jesus. Why would we want to be satisfied with A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE? But many do. They fill their lives with the things of the world and Christ takes second place. We should never sacrifice God’s best on the altar of CHEAP SUBSTITUTES. Some pursue the things of this world for themselves and their kids, thinking that will satisfy more than God. And I’m only talking about definitely sinful activities. A person can fill his life so full of school functions, kid’s sporting activities, hunting and fishing trips or even doing great things for the community. But when they take the place of church attendance, tithing, daily devotional time and our walk with the Lord, they have become A CHEAP SUBSTITUE. Too many people are missing a life of joy, peace and happiness which only comes through a daily walk with the Lord.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God takes care of the little things in our lives when we put Him first.
When Solomon became the king, he had a very special request to ask of the Lord. That request is found in I Kings 3:9 “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” He is asking for wisdom and that comes only from above. James wrote in James 1:3 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” That’s exactly what Solomon asked for and he did so of God.
And what was God’s reply? Notice I Kings 3:12-13 “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.”
God blesses more us with more than we even ask. Do we want the blessings of God, or do we want to settle for A CHEAP SUBSTITUE? I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best.
That’s my view; how about you?
Years ago, my wife and I were graciously given a trip to the Holy Land. This wonderful experience was made possible by the church we were then pastoring, Eifel Baptist Church of Germany. The trip was put together by our dear friend, Carl Manning. It was the trip of a life-time, and we are appreciative of all involved.
We saw the places where Jesus had done many miracles. We rode on the sea where Jesus and His disciples had sailed. We stood in the location where Jesus had taught the multitudes. We had the amazing experience of stepping into the tomb where he had been buried and noticed the reality of what is written in Matthew 28:6 “He is not here: for he is risen as he said. . .” That empty tomb gave goose-bumps to each child of God that day.
While there our Jewish guide cautioned us about buying souvenirs from the Palestinian merchandisers. He showed us what looked to be a genuine leather belt. He passed it around for us to examine. It felt real. It even smelled like the genuine thing. Then he took his knife and peeled off the outward veneer to expose that the belt was actually cardboard. It was A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE.
After King Solomon died, the nation of Israel was divided. Jeroboam became king of the Northern Kingdom and Rehoboam became king of the Southern Kingdom. At this time the Jewish men were reqired to travel to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year. Out of fear the required trips to the Southern Kingdom would undermine his authority, Jeroboam decided to set up his own center of worship. In fact, he decided it was both too inconvient and oppressive for the men to have to go all the way to Jerusalem, so he built centers of worship at Dan and Bethel. He invented a political religion, instituted feasts different from those appointed by the Lord. He caused two golden calves (figures of Mnevis, the sacred calf) to be made. He gave them A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE.
We are living in a day when many so-called believers, (I’m not the judge), do not experience all they have in the Lord Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:3 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:”
What a wonderful thought to be blessed “with all spiritual blessings.” We have been blessed with the pure doctrine of the gospel. We are saved by God’s grace through faith, which also came from God. We have the Holy Spirit living within us, which is the earnest of our salvation. The Holy spirit has given us spiritual gifts with which to live the Christian life. We are justified, sanctified and have the assurance that one day we will be glorified with the Lord Jesus Christ. We also have the privilege of being Ambassadors for Jesus Christ. This knowledge ought to challenge us live a life of joy and happiness every day.
Matthew Henry put it this way: “. . . Spiritual and heavenly blessings are the best blessings; with which we cannot be miserable, and without which we cannot but be so.”
Think about what we have in Christ Jesus. Why would we want to be satisfied with A CHEAP SUBSTITUTE? But many do. They fill their lives with the things of the world and Christ takes second place. We should never sacrifice God’s best on the altar of CHEAP SUBSTITUTES. Some pursue the things of this world for themselves and their kids, thinking that will satisfy more than God. And I’m only talking about definitely sinful activities. A person can fill his life so full of school functions, kid’s sporting activities, hunting and fishing trips or even doing great things for the community. But when they take the place of church attendance, tithing, daily devotional time and our walk with the Lord, they have become A CHEAP SUBSTITUE. Too many people are missing a life of joy, peace and happiness which only comes through a daily walk with the Lord.
Jesus said in Matthew 6:33 “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” God takes care of the little things in our lives when we put Him first.
When Solomon became the king, he had a very special request to ask of the Lord. That request is found in I Kings 3:9 “Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people?” He is asking for wisdom and that comes only from above. James wrote in James 1:3 “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” That’s exactly what Solomon asked for and he did so of God.
And what was God’s reply? Notice I Kings 3:12-13 “Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.”
God blesses more us with more than we even ask. Do we want the blessings of God, or do we want to settle for A CHEAP SUBSTITUE? I don’t know about you, but I want God’s best.
That’s my view; how about you?
Monday, March 7, 2011
PRECIOUS MEMORIES
Philippians 1:1-8 “Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons: Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now; Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. For God is my record, how greatly I long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ.”
When I was younger, there was one song that I heard at every funeral I attended: “Precious Memories”
Precious memories, unseen angels
Sent from somewhere to my soul
How they linger ever near me
And the sacred past unfold
There are many memories that are precious to us. On this past weekend our children hosted a 50th Wedding Celebration for our family and a few close friends. We wish we could have invited everyone but I didn’t want a real big formal get together. That’s just not me. We really did enjoy the day. Our son Tony and wife Melanie, along with our daughter Janet had flown in on Thursday from the Kansas City area. And of course, our daughter Paula, who lives locally, was also here with her two children. Since Paula is close by she had done a lot of the leg work for the event. They, along with Grace’s sisters, Fern and Wrenettte, worked very hard getting things ready for the big day. But it was not all work, we laughed about a lot of things that had happened through the years. Paula had put together a slide show of many pictured memories. We also laughed at a lot of pictures that were not used in the slide show. It was a great time with many “Precious Memories.”
A couple of weeks ago, I traveled with my Uncle Gene and one of my cousins, Billy O’Brien to Theodore, Alabama for the funeral of my Uncle D.O. Thompson. It was a Christ honoring service where I had the privilege of singing. During our stay there we had a great time of reconnecting with three of our other cousins. And of course, there was a lot of time spent talking and laughing about the “Precious Memories” of years gone by.
Since I have moved back to my home town of Oxford, Alabama, I have reconnected with family and friends I haven’t been around for over 40 years. Again, all this has brought back “Precious Memories” from my years at Coldwater, where I was born and raised, and Oxford, where I lived from 8th grade until I left for Bible College. It has been good to reflect upon so many people and events of my life.
When you read the words penned by Paul here in the book of Philippians, remember where Paul was at the time of writing. He was locked up in a cruel Roman prison. His memory of those precious believers at Philippi was flowing from his mind to the parchment. He had such fond memories of them and longed to be able to again fellowship with them over spiritual things.
As I consider Paul’s thoughts, let me point out three things about his memories:
1. NOTICE HIS REMEMBRANCE – After his normal greeting in verses 1-2, notice his statement of gratitude in verse 3 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,”
Notice the two words, “every remembrance.” The word “remembrance” has the idea of “thinking of someone or something” while the word “every” has the idea that he did it often.
In my over forty years in the ministry Grace and I have developed some very good relationships with people. Sometimes we just sit and talk about how much they mean to us and would love to see them again. We are so appreciative for what they have done for us. We should never take lightly what people mean to us. We may be many, many miles apart, but memories know no boundaries.
2. NOTICE HIS REQUEST – Notice verse 4 “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,”
Paul prayed for those dear friends of his. Notice also that he prayed “always” which means that his prayer for them was continual. He also mentioned that he made requests “in every prayer” which meant that he lifted them up in every prayer he made.
It is easy for us to get caught up in our own needs that we pray with a “catalog list” and selfishly leave out the needs of our dear friends. I try to make a habit of praying for my friends every time I think of their need or see their need on facebood or an e-mail. That’s a good way of continually praying for our friends.
3. NOTICE HIS RELATIONSHIP – Notice verse 7 “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”
You can see very clearly how deep his feelings were for these Christian brothers and sisters. They were in his mind, heart and prayers. You can sense his deep love for them. Remember, one of the greatest commands in the word of God is that we “love one another.” You can see that the Apostle Paul practiced what he wrote.
I’m an only child, so I do not know what the love of a brother or sister feels like. But I have heard some people say, “I love my brothers and sisters in the local church as much as I do my own brothers and sisters.” I do know that I have come to love and appreciate the dear people God has graciously allowed me to serve with in these last 40 years. They have truly become my family.
You that are reading this CHALLENGING CONCEPT are part of those I have had the privilege of knowing. You are very special to me and I do pray for you and long to see you again. Maybe God will give me that opportunity one day.
That’s my view; how about you?
When I was younger, there was one song that I heard at every funeral I attended: “Precious Memories”
Precious memories, unseen angels
Sent from somewhere to my soul
How they linger ever near me
And the sacred past unfold
There are many memories that are precious to us. On this past weekend our children hosted a 50th Wedding Celebration for our family and a few close friends. We wish we could have invited everyone but I didn’t want a real big formal get together. That’s just not me. We really did enjoy the day. Our son Tony and wife Melanie, along with our daughter Janet had flown in on Thursday from the Kansas City area. And of course, our daughter Paula, who lives locally, was also here with her two children. Since Paula is close by she had done a lot of the leg work for the event. They, along with Grace’s sisters, Fern and Wrenettte, worked very hard getting things ready for the big day. But it was not all work, we laughed about a lot of things that had happened through the years. Paula had put together a slide show of many pictured memories. We also laughed at a lot of pictures that were not used in the slide show. It was a great time with many “Precious Memories.”
A couple of weeks ago, I traveled with my Uncle Gene and one of my cousins, Billy O’Brien to Theodore, Alabama for the funeral of my Uncle D.O. Thompson. It was a Christ honoring service where I had the privilege of singing. During our stay there we had a great time of reconnecting with three of our other cousins. And of course, there was a lot of time spent talking and laughing about the “Precious Memories” of years gone by.
Since I have moved back to my home town of Oxford, Alabama, I have reconnected with family and friends I haven’t been around for over 40 years. Again, all this has brought back “Precious Memories” from my years at Coldwater, where I was born and raised, and Oxford, where I lived from 8th grade until I left for Bible College. It has been good to reflect upon so many people and events of my life.
When you read the words penned by Paul here in the book of Philippians, remember where Paul was at the time of writing. He was locked up in a cruel Roman prison. His memory of those precious believers at Philippi was flowing from his mind to the parchment. He had such fond memories of them and longed to be able to again fellowship with them over spiritual things.
As I consider Paul’s thoughts, let me point out three things about his memories:
1. NOTICE HIS REMEMBRANCE – After his normal greeting in verses 1-2, notice his statement of gratitude in verse 3 “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,”
Notice the two words, “every remembrance.” The word “remembrance” has the idea of “thinking of someone or something” while the word “every” has the idea that he did it often.
In my over forty years in the ministry Grace and I have developed some very good relationships with people. Sometimes we just sit and talk about how much they mean to us and would love to see them again. We are so appreciative for what they have done for us. We should never take lightly what people mean to us. We may be many, many miles apart, but memories know no boundaries.
2. NOTICE HIS REQUEST – Notice verse 4 “Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy,”
Paul prayed for those dear friends of his. Notice also that he prayed “always” which means that his prayer for them was continual. He also mentioned that he made requests “in every prayer” which meant that he lifted them up in every prayer he made.
It is easy for us to get caught up in our own needs that we pray with a “catalog list” and selfishly leave out the needs of our dear friends. I try to make a habit of praying for my friends every time I think of their need or see their need on facebood or an e-mail. That’s a good way of continually praying for our friends.
3. NOTICE HIS RELATIONSHIP – Notice verse 7 “Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart; inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace.”
You can see very clearly how deep his feelings were for these Christian brothers and sisters. They were in his mind, heart and prayers. You can sense his deep love for them. Remember, one of the greatest commands in the word of God is that we “love one another.” You can see that the Apostle Paul practiced what he wrote.
I’m an only child, so I do not know what the love of a brother or sister feels like. But I have heard some people say, “I love my brothers and sisters in the local church as much as I do my own brothers and sisters.” I do know that I have come to love and appreciate the dear people God has graciously allowed me to serve with in these last 40 years. They have truly become my family.
You that are reading this CHALLENGING CONCEPT are part of those I have had the privilege of knowing. You are very special to me and I do pray for you and long to see you again. Maybe God will give me that opportunity one day.
That’s my view; how about you?
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
THANK GOD FOR VOLUNTEERS – Pt 4
Exodus 17:8-13 “Then came Amalek, and fought with Israel in Rephidim. And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand. So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek: and Moses, Aaron, and Hur went up to the top of the hill. And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun. And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.”
There are many, many Hur-like people in the service of the Lord in local churches all over the world. Even though there are many, there are still room for more. If you are not serving the Lord, I trust these few weeks of CHALLENGING CONCEPTS might have given you a desire to “wade out into the deep.” You needed and can even enjoy being used by God to hold up the hands of some very important leaders.
In the last three weeks we have seen how INVALUABLE these precious and selfless saints of the Lord are to the work of the Lord. From the human view-point, pastors and leaders could not do what God has called them to do without these great servants. In the second CHALLENGING CONCCETS we also saw that they are very, very INVOLVED. You may not know them or where they serve, but they are people who can be counted on. They will be there when needed. You don’t have to worry about their task being done; they are reliable and dependable. In last week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS the issue dealt with the fact that even though they are important and will be in their place, they are many times INVISIBLE to the congregation. They don’t seek the spotlight. Even though recognition is commendable, they don’t have to have it. They serve for one reason and that’s for the glory of God.
Today we notice one final thought:
IV. THESE SERVANTS ARE ALWAYS INVESTORS
Sometimes those who are invisible volunteers feel that no one sees what they do for the Lord, but that’s not true. There are many people who see and take knowledge of what they do.There’s a very interesting thought found in Exodus 31:2 “See I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:” At this time God needed someone to build the Tabernacle and provide a place where He could meet with His people. As He looked down at millions of Israelites, there were many that worked on the Tabernacle. It interesting that one is mentioned here in this passage. God’s eyes settled on one man, Bezaleel. This man who was chosen by God was the grandson of Hur. Where do you think Bezaleeel got his example of service? His model and hero was his grandfather who had done an INVALUABLE, INVISIBLE role of holding up the hands of Moses at a very crucial time in the life of his country.
On that victorious day on the battlefield of Rephidim, some were watching the soldiers as they were winning, then losing, and then winning again. Others had their eyes fixed on Moses. Some were watching Aaron as he held up one of the arms of his brother Moses. But there was only one person that caught the attention of Bezaleel and that person was his granddad. His eyes watched him all the day. I can just hear Bezaleel tell the story of the battle and you would think that his grandfather, Hur, was the only one there and won the battle single-handedly. Hur became Bezaleel’s hero and for years to come served the Lord in the same way as his hero. He caught the vision of what one man can do in the service of the Lord. He was chosen by God for a very important task.
I’m sure that there were others who were watching Hur and his service for the Lord also. As Hur lived and served the Lord, people were observing his unselfish service even though most of it was done in the background. But remember this, no one is totally isolated. What is done for the Lord is noticed by someone. And it’s noticed by God who will reward His servants. The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15: 58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Hur was an investor and reaped rewards in his own family, but also reaped it himself because God always rewards faithful service for Him.
Let me say a word to those who might be a new believer. You are never too young in the Lord to start holding up someone’s hand. There is always something you can do. Go to your pastor and volunteer for some area of service. You can make a difference in the service of the Lord.
You that have been serving for years, don’t quit! You are making a difference. And don’t forget that someone is watching you and you can be an example to them. Remember also that God is watching and He will reward you. Paul wrote in Galatians 6: 9 “And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” You are an INVESTOR.
That’s my view; how about you?
There are many, many Hur-like people in the service of the Lord in local churches all over the world. Even though there are many, there are still room for more. If you are not serving the Lord, I trust these few weeks of CHALLENGING CONCEPTS might have given you a desire to “wade out into the deep.” You needed and can even enjoy being used by God to hold up the hands of some very important leaders.
In the last three weeks we have seen how INVALUABLE these precious and selfless saints of the Lord are to the work of the Lord. From the human view-point, pastors and leaders could not do what God has called them to do without these great servants. In the second CHALLENGING CONCCETS we also saw that they are very, very INVOLVED. You may not know them or where they serve, but they are people who can be counted on. They will be there when needed. You don’t have to worry about their task being done; they are reliable and dependable. In last week’s CHALLENGING CONCEPTS the issue dealt with the fact that even though they are important and will be in their place, they are many times INVISIBLE to the congregation. They don’t seek the spotlight. Even though recognition is commendable, they don’t have to have it. They serve for one reason and that’s for the glory of God.
Today we notice one final thought:
IV. THESE SERVANTS ARE ALWAYS INVESTORS
Sometimes those who are invisible volunteers feel that no one sees what they do for the Lord, but that’s not true. There are many people who see and take knowledge of what they do.There’s a very interesting thought found in Exodus 31:2 “See I have called by name Bezaleel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah:” At this time God needed someone to build the Tabernacle and provide a place where He could meet with His people. As He looked down at millions of Israelites, there were many that worked on the Tabernacle. It interesting that one is mentioned here in this passage. God’s eyes settled on one man, Bezaleel. This man who was chosen by God was the grandson of Hur. Where do you think Bezaleeel got his example of service? His model and hero was his grandfather who had done an INVALUABLE, INVISIBLE role of holding up the hands of Moses at a very crucial time in the life of his country.
On that victorious day on the battlefield of Rephidim, some were watching the soldiers as they were winning, then losing, and then winning again. Others had their eyes fixed on Moses. Some were watching Aaron as he held up one of the arms of his brother Moses. But there was only one person that caught the attention of Bezaleel and that person was his granddad. His eyes watched him all the day. I can just hear Bezaleel tell the story of the battle and you would think that his grandfather, Hur, was the only one there and won the battle single-handedly. Hur became Bezaleel’s hero and for years to come served the Lord in the same way as his hero. He caught the vision of what one man can do in the service of the Lord. He was chosen by God for a very important task.
I’m sure that there were others who were watching Hur and his service for the Lord also. As Hur lived and served the Lord, people were observing his unselfish service even though most of it was done in the background. But remember this, no one is totally isolated. What is done for the Lord is noticed by someone. And it’s noticed by God who will reward His servants. The Apostle Paul wrote in I Corinthians 15: 58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Hur was an investor and reaped rewards in his own family, but also reaped it himself because God always rewards faithful service for Him.
Let me say a word to those who might be a new believer. You are never too young in the Lord to start holding up someone’s hand. There is always something you can do. Go to your pastor and volunteer for some area of service. You can make a difference in the service of the Lord.
You that have been serving for years, don’t quit! You are making a difference. And don’t forget that someone is watching you and you can be an example to them. Remember also that God is watching and He will reward you. Paul wrote in Galatians 6: 9 “And let us not be weary in well doing for in due season we shall reap if we faint not.” You are an INVESTOR.
That’s my view; how about you?
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