Frank Viola asked a question that I would like all honest Christians to consider; Where do you see the modern clergy system in Ephesians 4? My Bible demonstrates different ministries there, not a clergy caste system. Methinks you are reading an unbiblical system into that text. "Pastor" in the first century is not what it's become today. If it is, can you give me one example of a man who preaches to the same congregation every week, marries the living and buries the dead, blesses civic events, is titled "pastor" or "reverend", is called the head of a church, etc. etc.”
Allow me to also ask; how does what we call “church” today, reflect the New Testament Church?
As a church, we are pressing into what God created while sifting through and discarding what man has added through the years; surprise of surprises we are now seeing lives touched and changed and Sunday worship is a joy again rather than an obligation (even for the leadership!)
If you are ready for relevance and life and to have everything you have ever known about church, pick-up “Pagan Christianity” by Frank Viola and George Barna. If you read it, consider Reimagining Church by Frank Viola or “The Untold Story of The New Testament Church or FROM ETERNITY TO HERE by Frank Viola.
Fair warning; don’t read these books if you are happy with status-quo church life.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
THE CHURCH IS FAT
THE CHURCH IN AMERICA IS FAT
This morning as I met with my associate, I had a revelation; The Church in America IS Fat. Why? For the same reason that most Americans are fat; empty calories and no consistent exercise for the body.
Everything in America is bigger and most of us have the mind set that “BIGGER is BETTER”. Our cars are big, our houses are big, our meals are big, our clothes are big, our appetites are big and never satisfied the more we eat, the more we want and need to eat. America in general is getting bigger all the time and not in a healthy way. And we are never satisfied.
Rather than eat many small nutritious meals each day, as most doctors recommend; many of us eat less often, but consume enough calories during those settings to feed several people. Furthermore much of what we eat is processed unhealthy empty calories; foods our bodies either cannot use or struggle to process. Such diet coupled with little or no consistent physical exercise and the result is a fat population of unhealthy people.
The American church too has strayed from what is healthy and has also become mortally obese. We have forgotten the model of the New Testament Church and adopted the practices of heathen religions, dedicated more to building and keeping our “houses of worship” rather than being ourselves the temple of The Holy Spirit. We have become infected with the gangrene mentality that “bigger is better” and so we create a vicious feeding cycle of building and supporting buildings and programs and special events, which we call ministry in order to pay the parallel growing hired staff and to maintain the structures now needed to house the growth.
As a sister in Christ wrote me yesterday, “our churches are so wrapped up in what we do, how much we give, where we can volunteer next, do more, give more, be more and people get overwhelmed and burned out because they are never allowed to REST and RESTORE to find out what is real inside of them.”; in the name of “church” and “outreach” or “evangelism” we demand more and more and more , expect more and more and bigger and better, but to what end? Empty calories which do not satisfy, but indeed enlarge the body. Are we effectively impacting our world for Christ? No! In fact we are not effectively impacting the Church for Christ.
After nearly thirty years in ministry and preaching and hearing preached thousands of sermons, I was dismayed at the unhealthy fat babies within the body of Christ. Great preaching, great worship; lousy men and women of faith, whose “beliefs” bore little resemblance to the lack of victory in their actual lives. I had to consider what was missing; in rexaming the early church, I discovered little resemblance to what we mass produce today as ministry. We’ve dropped our routine form of doing church and have decided to BE the Church. We have become a personal interactive community of believers who share life, good, bad and real; if you’re saved you serve, where God directs you to serve. I no longer preach as much as I lead an open discussion of the relevance of the Word of God in our lives. We quit bringing the projector, sound system, instruments and we’ve shut down programs and started bringing and opening the Bible. If we sing it is spontaneous, if we pray; it is real. When we commune it is around a full meal, like the early church.
The point is substance, subtance, substance. The result has been open confession of sin one to another and true spiritual growth. No more performance or pretending; just authenticy of community. Have we arrived yet? No, but we’re getting trim and healthy and if we are 15 or 25 in members – no stress our only growth goal is to grow in Him. Amen!
This morning as I met with my associate, I had a revelation; The Church in America IS Fat. Why? For the same reason that most Americans are fat; empty calories and no consistent exercise for the body.
Everything in America is bigger and most of us have the mind set that “BIGGER is BETTER”. Our cars are big, our houses are big, our meals are big, our clothes are big, our appetites are big and never satisfied the more we eat, the more we want and need to eat. America in general is getting bigger all the time and not in a healthy way. And we are never satisfied.
Rather than eat many small nutritious meals each day, as most doctors recommend; many of us eat less often, but consume enough calories during those settings to feed several people. Furthermore much of what we eat is processed unhealthy empty calories; foods our bodies either cannot use or struggle to process. Such diet coupled with little or no consistent physical exercise and the result is a fat population of unhealthy people.
The American church too has strayed from what is healthy and has also become mortally obese. We have forgotten the model of the New Testament Church and adopted the practices of heathen religions, dedicated more to building and keeping our “houses of worship” rather than being ourselves the temple of The Holy Spirit. We have become infected with the gangrene mentality that “bigger is better” and so we create a vicious feeding cycle of building and supporting buildings and programs and special events, which we call ministry in order to pay the parallel growing hired staff and to maintain the structures now needed to house the growth.
As a sister in Christ wrote me yesterday, “our churches are so wrapped up in what we do, how much we give, where we can volunteer next, do more, give more, be more and people get overwhelmed and burned out because they are never allowed to REST and RESTORE to find out what is real inside of them.”; in the name of “church” and “outreach” or “evangelism” we demand more and more and more , expect more and more and bigger and better, but to what end? Empty calories which do not satisfy, but indeed enlarge the body. Are we effectively impacting our world for Christ? No! In fact we are not effectively impacting the Church for Christ.
After nearly thirty years in ministry and preaching and hearing preached thousands of sermons, I was dismayed at the unhealthy fat babies within the body of Christ. Great preaching, great worship; lousy men and women of faith, whose “beliefs” bore little resemblance to the lack of victory in their actual lives. I had to consider what was missing; in rexaming the early church, I discovered little resemblance to what we mass produce today as ministry. We’ve dropped our routine form of doing church and have decided to BE the Church. We have become a personal interactive community of believers who share life, good, bad and real; if you’re saved you serve, where God directs you to serve. I no longer preach as much as I lead an open discussion of the relevance of the Word of God in our lives. We quit bringing the projector, sound system, instruments and we’ve shut down programs and started bringing and opening the Bible. If we sing it is spontaneous, if we pray; it is real. When we commune it is around a full meal, like the early church.
The point is substance, subtance, substance. The result has been open confession of sin one to another and true spiritual growth. No more performance or pretending; just authenticy of community. Have we arrived yet? No, but we’re getting trim and healthy and if we are 15 or 25 in members – no stress our only growth goal is to grow in Him. Amen!
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Daughter, who do you trust?
WHY DO YOU BOAST IN THE VALLEYS, YOUR FLOWING VALLEY, O BACKSLIDING DAUGHTER? WHO TRUSTED IN HER TREASURES, SAYING, ‘WHO WILL COME AGAINST ME?” JEREMIAH 49:4
The NIT says, “YOU ARE PROUD OF YOUR FERTILE VALLEYS, BUT THEY WILL SOON BE RUINED. YOU REBELLIOUS DAUGHTER, YOU TRUSTED IN YOUR WEALTH AND THOUGHT NO ONE COULD EVER HARM YOU.”
We do not fall from God in the low places of our lives; we fall from His place of blessing; we fall from the mountain heights, the heights upon which the Lord has placed us.
The Prophet addresses such a believer who has been touched and blessed by God and in her riches and wealth, turns from the very God who has blessed her. More certainly than hardships will strengthen us, blessings can make us proud and pride is sin; “PRIDE GOES BEFORE DESTRUCTION AND A HAUGHTY (PROUD) SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL.” PROVERBS 16:14
I have never seen a man ruined with God by poverty, although I am certain it can happen, I have seen countless “Christians” ruined by prosperity. The scenario goes like this; the individual has need, they work hard, they pray, they fast, they call out to and trust in God; in time the blessings flow, life becomes easy; they rest a little to enjoy God’s blessings, but soon forget the blessings are from God; they become proud of what they have accomplished, they feel safe and secure and they become satisfied to place their trust in their own ability and their possessions; mistakenly crediting themselves with their new found fortune, they forget the days of hunger and want ; poor with the things of this world, but rich in their faith in God. Their only hope of being reminded of God faithfulness to them is when a new tragedy steals from them all they have previously gained. “THE RICH MAN IS WISE IN HIS OWN CONCEIT; BUT THE POOR MAN THAT HAS UNDERSTANDING SEARCHES GOD OUT.” PROVERBS 28:11
We should pray the prayer of Agur for ourselves, our children and our children’s children; “O GOD, I BEG TWO FAVORS FROM YOU BEFORE I DIE. FIRST HELP ME NEVER TO TELL A LIE. SECOND, GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES! GIVE ME JUST ENOUGH TO SATISFY MY NEEDS. FOR IF I GROW RICH, I MAY DENY YOU AND SAY, ‘WHO IS THE LORD?’ AND IF I AM TOO POOR, I MAY STEAL AND THUS IINSULT GOD’S HOLY NAME.” PROVERBS 30:7-9
I have four beautiful daughters; before I die, my only desire is to see them all serving God with al their hearts and teaching their children to do the same. To see that accomplished would fulfill the purpose of my life. Amen!
The NIT says, “YOU ARE PROUD OF YOUR FERTILE VALLEYS, BUT THEY WILL SOON BE RUINED. YOU REBELLIOUS DAUGHTER, YOU TRUSTED IN YOUR WEALTH AND THOUGHT NO ONE COULD EVER HARM YOU.”
We do not fall from God in the low places of our lives; we fall from His place of blessing; we fall from the mountain heights, the heights upon which the Lord has placed us.
The Prophet addresses such a believer who has been touched and blessed by God and in her riches and wealth, turns from the very God who has blessed her. More certainly than hardships will strengthen us, blessings can make us proud and pride is sin; “PRIDE GOES BEFORE DESTRUCTION AND A HAUGHTY (PROUD) SPIRIT BEFORE A FALL.” PROVERBS 16:14
I have never seen a man ruined with God by poverty, although I am certain it can happen, I have seen countless “Christians” ruined by prosperity. The scenario goes like this; the individual has need, they work hard, they pray, they fast, they call out to and trust in God; in time the blessings flow, life becomes easy; they rest a little to enjoy God’s blessings, but soon forget the blessings are from God; they become proud of what they have accomplished, they feel safe and secure and they become satisfied to place their trust in their own ability and their possessions; mistakenly crediting themselves with their new found fortune, they forget the days of hunger and want ; poor with the things of this world, but rich in their faith in God. Their only hope of being reminded of God faithfulness to them is when a new tragedy steals from them all they have previously gained. “THE RICH MAN IS WISE IN HIS OWN CONCEIT; BUT THE POOR MAN THAT HAS UNDERSTANDING SEARCHES GOD OUT.” PROVERBS 28:11
We should pray the prayer of Agur for ourselves, our children and our children’s children; “O GOD, I BEG TWO FAVORS FROM YOU BEFORE I DIE. FIRST HELP ME NEVER TO TELL A LIE. SECOND, GIVE ME NEITHER POVERTY NOR RICHES! GIVE ME JUST ENOUGH TO SATISFY MY NEEDS. FOR IF I GROW RICH, I MAY DENY YOU AND SAY, ‘WHO IS THE LORD?’ AND IF I AM TOO POOR, I MAY STEAL AND THUS IINSULT GOD’S HOLY NAME.” PROVERBS 30:7-9
I have four beautiful daughters; before I die, my only desire is to see them all serving God with al their hearts and teaching their children to do the same. To see that accomplished would fulfill the purpose of my life. Amen!
Friday, October 23, 2009
Out of The Darkness
“HE WILL BRING TO LIGHT WHAT IS HIDDEN IN DARKNESS AND WILL EXPOSE THE MOTIVES OF MEN’S HEARTS.” 1 CORINTHIANS 4:5
Satan is a lousy secret keeper; he entices you to sin and then exposes you for being a sinner.
The laws of God cannot be altered; they are just and true and they never fail, even when you and I would rather they would. When God said to His people, “AND YOU MAY BE SURE THAT YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.” NUMBERS 32:23 He meant it.
When He said “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:4 Whether your reward be blessings or curses is not determined by God but by you and I, “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.” ROMANS 6:23 The choice is yours.
You and I somehow expect to “get away” with our sin. Somehow, we believe that we will escape being found out, but there is way to lie to an all-knowing God, there is no way to out-maneuver an all-powerful God and there is no place to hide from an ever-present God; yet somehow we tend to believe the liar and destroyer of our soul when he says to us, “YOU SURELY WILL NOT DIE!” and so we sin and the reward of what we do in secret is brought to light and something, sometimes many things die.
There is one final promise of God to remember; “FOR WE MUST APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, THAT EACH ONE MAY RECEIVE WHAT IS DUE HIM FOR THE THINGS DONE WHILE IN THIS BODY, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD.” 2 CORITHIANS 5:10
It’s not too late to repent; its not to late to ask God to help you stop sinning and walk away from it, back to your Heavenly Father and all who love you. Amen!
Satan is a lousy secret keeper; he entices you to sin and then exposes you for being a sinner.
The laws of God cannot be altered; they are just and true and they never fail, even when you and I would rather they would. When God said to His people, “AND YOU MAY BE SURE THAT YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT.” NUMBERS 32:23 He meant it.
When He said “Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” Matthew 6:4 Whether your reward be blessings or curses is not determined by God but by you and I, “FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH, BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH CHRIST JESUS OUR LORD.” ROMANS 6:23 The choice is yours.
You and I somehow expect to “get away” with our sin. Somehow, we believe that we will escape being found out, but there is way to lie to an all-knowing God, there is no way to out-maneuver an all-powerful God and there is no place to hide from an ever-present God; yet somehow we tend to believe the liar and destroyer of our soul when he says to us, “YOU SURELY WILL NOT DIE!” and so we sin and the reward of what we do in secret is brought to light and something, sometimes many things die.
There is one final promise of God to remember; “FOR WE MUST APPEAR BEFORE THE JUDGEMENT SEAT OF CHRIST, THAT EACH ONE MAY RECEIVE WHAT IS DUE HIM FOR THE THINGS DONE WHILE IN THIS BODY, WHETHER GOOD OR BAD.” 2 CORITHIANS 5:10
It’s not too late to repent; its not to late to ask God to help you stop sinning and walk away from it, back to your Heavenly Father and all who love you. Amen!
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
BEWARE SPIRITUAL ARROGANCE
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”—1 John 1:8.
Beware spiritual arrogance! As Christians our hope is found in Christ alone. The Christian walk is a walk of honesty and humility, or else it is not founded in Christ at all.
The man or woman who proclaims their own righteousness or holiness or great faith is the one who is most certainly to be deceived.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” “Ah, but preacher, my sins have been washed away!” Your adoption into the family of God is certain and eternal, however the washing, the cleansing; your need for forgiveness is continual. Praise God, His grace is sufficient. Never forget; “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Could Christ have offered the challenge, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone” John 8:7 Short of understanding Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”?
Would I have you doubt your faith? If your faith is in your own perfection and goodness than I would say, not only doubt it, denounce it, as Christ did after a disciple called Him good; "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. Mark 10:18 If He who was tempted in all things as we are yet remained without sin did not consider Himself good, who are you and I to believe that we who are born into sin and remain at odds with sin should boast in our own “goodness”?
Are we to be like the Pharisee praying in the temple; “God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector” or should we be like the tax collector who “would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' Jesus said, "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Beware spiritual arrogance! Amen!
Beware spiritual arrogance! As Christians our hope is found in Christ alone. The Christian walk is a walk of honesty and humility, or else it is not founded in Christ at all.
The man or woman who proclaims their own righteousness or holiness or great faith is the one who is most certainly to be deceived.
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” “Ah, but preacher, my sins have been washed away!” Your adoption into the family of God is certain and eternal, however the washing, the cleansing; your need for forgiveness is continual. Praise God, His grace is sufficient. Never forget; “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9
Could Christ have offered the challenge, "He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone” John 8:7 Short of understanding Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”?
Would I have you doubt your faith? If your faith is in your own perfection and goodness than I would say, not only doubt it, denounce it, as Christ did after a disciple called Him good; "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good--except God alone. Mark 10:18 If He who was tempted in all things as we are yet remained without sin did not consider Himself good, who are you and I to believe that we who are born into sin and remain at odds with sin should boast in our own “goodness”?
Are we to be like the Pharisee praying in the temple; “God, I thank you that I am not like other men--robbers, evildoers, adulterers--or even like this tax collector” or should we be like the tax collector who “would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, 'God, have mercy on me, a sinner.' Jesus said, "I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."
Beware spiritual arrogance! Amen!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Loyal Friend?
“LOTS OF PEOPLE CLAIM TO BE LOYAL AND LOVING, BUT WHERE ON EARTH CAN YOU FIND ONE?” PROVERBS 20:6 The Message
“Pastor, I would have followed you to the ends of the earth!” the lady said to me after telling me that she was leaving our church. My reply was simply, “But, you didn’t, did you?”
I sat and listened to a heart-broken pastor yesterday tell of how his ministry is being undermined by good, but disloyal members. I heard the same story again today from another pastor.
The weakness of human relationships isn’t only seen or felt within the ministry though; who of you have not been disappointed by a “friend” or family member? So many marriages today are broken upon the rocks of discontentment and heart-ache after the promises of loyalty and love are broken!
“LOTS OF PEOPLE CLAIM TO BE LOYAL AND LOVING, BUT WHERE ON EARTH CAN YOU FIND ONE?”
I used to joke that my late father never made a promise to us as kids that he didn’t break; as a kid it seemed that way. Poor dad often promised from his heart what he desired to do for us, but had no means of doing. His intentions were better than his word. As a father, I now understand that his heart often out-spoke his head.
Not everyone’s intentions are as pure as my fathers though. Most people have very conditional love, which is really not love at all. Most people have loyalty also which is based entirely upon whether or not we continue to please them, which is not loyalty at all.
So how should we measure out love and loyalty? As Christ measures them out to us, fully, freely and without condition; such love and loyalty frees men from their sin, such love and loyalty forgets their transgressions, such love and loyalty will change the world. The Psalmist writes, “LOTS OF PEOPLE CLAIM TO BE LOYAL AND LOVING, BUT WHERE ON EARTH CAN YOU FIND ONE?” We shouldn’t be surprised that there are so few, we should be determined that we each become one. Amen!
“Pastor, I would have followed you to the ends of the earth!” the lady said to me after telling me that she was leaving our church. My reply was simply, “But, you didn’t, did you?”
I sat and listened to a heart-broken pastor yesterday tell of how his ministry is being undermined by good, but disloyal members. I heard the same story again today from another pastor.
The weakness of human relationships isn’t only seen or felt within the ministry though; who of you have not been disappointed by a “friend” or family member? So many marriages today are broken upon the rocks of discontentment and heart-ache after the promises of loyalty and love are broken!
“LOTS OF PEOPLE CLAIM TO BE LOYAL AND LOVING, BUT WHERE ON EARTH CAN YOU FIND ONE?”
I used to joke that my late father never made a promise to us as kids that he didn’t break; as a kid it seemed that way. Poor dad often promised from his heart what he desired to do for us, but had no means of doing. His intentions were better than his word. As a father, I now understand that his heart often out-spoke his head.
Not everyone’s intentions are as pure as my fathers though. Most people have very conditional love, which is really not love at all. Most people have loyalty also which is based entirely upon whether or not we continue to please them, which is not loyalty at all.
So how should we measure out love and loyalty? As Christ measures them out to us, fully, freely and without condition; such love and loyalty frees men from their sin, such love and loyalty forgets their transgressions, such love and loyalty will change the world. The Psalmist writes, “LOTS OF PEOPLE CLAIM TO BE LOYAL AND LOVING, BUT WHERE ON EARTH CAN YOU FIND ONE?” We shouldn’t be surprised that there are so few, we should be determined that we each become one. Amen!
Friday, October 9, 2009
REMEMBER GOD
“HE CAUSES HIS SUN TO RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND SENDS THE RAIN ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS” MATTHEW 5:45
Blessings and trials come unannounced; each new day will bring one or the other or both. The test of character is how we handle the blessings and trails which befall us.
There is a great danger of accusing God of being unfair when we are faced with trails; there is also, perhaps an even greater danger of forgetting God once we are snug within His blessings.
To blame God during trials is to forget His character; to forget that He is loving and just and righteous. The darkness of trials can blind us to His compassion; the wails of our own inner sorrow can deafen us until we no longer hear His many promises to keep and defend us.
As recipients of God’s blessings we so easily and quickly forget that He is the source of our good fortune. We are so quick to take credit; attributing our “luck” or our perseverance or our hard word and diligence; foolish man you cannot even take your next breath without His permission. Who is it that has equipped you to do what you have done? Who is it who teaches you what you need to know? Who has given you the gifting and the where-with-all to do what you do? Did you create yourself? Did you place yourself in your mother’s womb? As an infant, as a child, did you have say in where you lived and what you learned and the life that influenced you? No! Even as a man, the Word reminds us that we “WE MAKE OUR PLANS, BUT HE DIRECTS OUR STEPS”.
So abundant is the mercy and love and grace of our God; He never lets go of us. “HE CAUSES HIS SUN TO RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND SENDS THE RAIN ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS” Each day either blessings or trials will come our way; each day we have opportunity to bring Glory to the name of God by how we handle each. Amen!
Blessings and trials come unannounced; each new day will bring one or the other or both. The test of character is how we handle the blessings and trails which befall us.
There is a great danger of accusing God of being unfair when we are faced with trails; there is also, perhaps an even greater danger of forgetting God once we are snug within His blessings.
To blame God during trials is to forget His character; to forget that He is loving and just and righteous. The darkness of trials can blind us to His compassion; the wails of our own inner sorrow can deafen us until we no longer hear His many promises to keep and defend us.
As recipients of God’s blessings we so easily and quickly forget that He is the source of our good fortune. We are so quick to take credit; attributing our “luck” or our perseverance or our hard word and diligence; foolish man you cannot even take your next breath without His permission. Who is it that has equipped you to do what you have done? Who is it who teaches you what you need to know? Who has given you the gifting and the where-with-all to do what you do? Did you create yourself? Did you place yourself in your mother’s womb? As an infant, as a child, did you have say in where you lived and what you learned and the life that influenced you? No! Even as a man, the Word reminds us that we “WE MAKE OUR PLANS, BUT HE DIRECTS OUR STEPS”.
So abundant is the mercy and love and grace of our God; He never lets go of us. “HE CAUSES HIS SUN TO RISE ON THE EVIL AND ON THE GOOD, AND SENDS THE RAIN ON THE RIGHTEOUS AND THE UNRIGHTEOUS” Each day either blessings or trials will come our way; each day we have opportunity to bring Glory to the name of God by how we handle each. Amen!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
Light Shine
Jesus said, “LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.” MATTHEW 5:16
Jesus; being all truth understood that within each of God’s created beings is the light of God. Created in His image; we are created to shine forth His glory. Before the fall of man to sin, the natural state of you and I was to be one of being sinless, therefore radiating the undefiled glory of God.
Jesus goes on to say, if we want a light to shine that we do not place it under a basket and yet some of you have done just that; you have allowed your own desires and interests and satisfactions to cover the light of God which burns deep within you.
You have allowed those situations, relationships, friendships and personal glory to hinder the glory of God in you. Indeed you no longer bask in the warmth of His love; why should you expect that anyone outside of yourself could see it? Where you once shone clear and bright upon the lamp stand of God’s Word, you have allowed your love of the things of this world to darken you.
Where are the good works of God in your life? What have you done for God lately? Let’s get real; what did you do that was not for you or yours yesterday? Preacher, you’re not exempt, how much have you done for God compared to how much you have done for ‘your’ ministry? How much time have you spent alone with Him compared to “doing the ministry”?
We are created for His good pleasure; whatever we do we are to do to the glory of God. Where is your light? Is it shining? Where is your heart? For where your heart is that is where your treasure will be also; you will give to that which you love.
You and I are given a few hours upon the plain of earth; we each hold an allotted amount of time with which to serve His’ purpose with our lives to bring God glory. With that in mind, how are you doing?
Jesus said, “LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.” Let the people of God say, Amen!
Jesus; being all truth understood that within each of God’s created beings is the light of God. Created in His image; we are created to shine forth His glory. Before the fall of man to sin, the natural state of you and I was to be one of being sinless, therefore radiating the undefiled glory of God.
Jesus goes on to say, if we want a light to shine that we do not place it under a basket and yet some of you have done just that; you have allowed your own desires and interests and satisfactions to cover the light of God which burns deep within you.
You have allowed those situations, relationships, friendships and personal glory to hinder the glory of God in you. Indeed you no longer bask in the warmth of His love; why should you expect that anyone outside of yourself could see it? Where you once shone clear and bright upon the lamp stand of God’s Word, you have allowed your love of the things of this world to darken you.
Where are the good works of God in your life? What have you done for God lately? Let’s get real; what did you do that was not for you or yours yesterday? Preacher, you’re not exempt, how much have you done for God compared to how much you have done for ‘your’ ministry? How much time have you spent alone with Him compared to “doing the ministry”?
We are created for His good pleasure; whatever we do we are to do to the glory of God. Where is your light? Is it shining? Where is your heart? For where your heart is that is where your treasure will be also; you will give to that which you love.
You and I are given a few hours upon the plain of earth; we each hold an allotted amount of time with which to serve His’ purpose with our lives to bring God glory. With that in mind, how are you doing?
Jesus said, “LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE BEFORE MEN, THAT THEY MAY SEE YOUR GOOD WORKS, AND GLORIFY YOUR FATHER IN HEAVEN.” Let the people of God say, Amen!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)