“Let the words of Christ, in all their richness, live in your hearts and make you wise. Use his words to teach and counsel each other. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts”—Col 3:16 (NLT)
I read this a while back and wanted to share this story with you and then bring an application home:
A disgruntled church-goer wrote a letter to the editor of a newspaper and complained: “I’ve gone to church for thirty years now, and in that time I have heard something like three-thousand sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. I think I’m wasting my time and the Pastors are wasting theirs by giving sermons at all.”
This began a major controversy which went on for weeks until someone wrote in this reply:
“I’ve been married for thirty years now. In that time my wife has cooked some three thousand meals. For the life of me, I cannot recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this … they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work…”
Wow, this is so true. We need our spiritual nourishment to be able to do the work of the Lord effectively! Corporate worship, fellowship with our brothers and sisters and seeking the advice of wise Godly people are ingredients to help do the Lord’s work effectively.
God does not want us to isolate ourselves! He wants us to be in constant fellowship with like minded believers, teaching and encouraging one another, singing psalms and spiritual hymns together! Let us not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (Heb.10-25)! Let’s all make it a priority to be in corporate worship together. View it as part of your ministry. When you consistently commit yourself to this, you are encouraging others around you and it may even be a testimony to someone else that is struggling. We’ve got a lot of work to do (as Jesus puts it, “the harvest is plentiful”). Let’s do it together!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
All For One and One For All
"All the believers were one in heart and mind." Acts 4:32(NIV)
The author of Acts makes a reference to early church and implies that there was something unique in the gatherings of the early Christians. One of those unique things is found in Acts 4:32: "All the believers were one in heart and mind." The whole congregation was united to one another in their allegiance to Jesus and each other. The Holy Spirit was holding together the church uniting them in their doctrinal beliefs, as well as in fellowship, giving, and worship (Acts 4:32).
Why is unity so important? Partially because it demonstrates to the world that we are Christians. At the end of His ministry, in John 13 & 17, Jesus made it clear that we were to bear some distinguishing marks until His return. In the first passage Jesus says: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV) John 13:34-35.
The "all men" in this verse refers to the world. Jesus gives us a command which includes the condition: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." An "if" is involved. IF you obey, others will know you are a Christian. But since this is a command, it can also be violated. His command is that we demonstrate a special love to all true Christians. Notice the quality of the love. We are to love all Christians as Jesus has loved us. The love He exhibited to us is to be our standard.
Now the hard part . . . Jesus is giving a right to the world. He is giving the world the right to judge whether you and I are Christians, based on our observable love towards all Christians. That's pretty frightening! Please understand, Jesus is not saying that our failure to love other believers proves that we are not Christians. Rather He is saying, if you and I do not have the love we should have toward all other Christians, the world has the right to make the judgment that we are not Christians.
Want to have a better impact on others around you that are not Christians? Love those that are Christians. Want to see the power that can come inside your life and the life of your church? Love those that are Christians.
The author of Acts makes a reference to early church and implies that there was something unique in the gatherings of the early Christians. One of those unique things is found in Acts 4:32: "All the believers were one in heart and mind." The whole congregation was united to one another in their allegiance to Jesus and each other. The Holy Spirit was holding together the church uniting them in their doctrinal beliefs, as well as in fellowship, giving, and worship (Acts 4:32).
Why is unity so important? Partially because it demonstrates to the world that we are Christians. At the end of His ministry, in John 13 & 17, Jesus made it clear that we were to bear some distinguishing marks until His return. In the first passage Jesus says: "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." (NIV) John 13:34-35.
The "all men" in this verse refers to the world. Jesus gives us a command which includes the condition: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." An "if" is involved. IF you obey, others will know you are a Christian. But since this is a command, it can also be violated. His command is that we demonstrate a special love to all true Christians. Notice the quality of the love. We are to love all Christians as Jesus has loved us. The love He exhibited to us is to be our standard.
Now the hard part . . . Jesus is giving a right to the world. He is giving the world the right to judge whether you and I are Christians, based on our observable love towards all Christians. That's pretty frightening! Please understand, Jesus is not saying that our failure to love other believers proves that we are not Christians. Rather He is saying, if you and I do not have the love we should have toward all other Christians, the world has the right to make the judgment that we are not Christians.
Want to have a better impact on others around you that are not Christians? Love those that are Christians. Want to see the power that can come inside your life and the life of your church? Love those that are Christians.
Friday, August 1, 2008
KEEP ON KEEPIN’ ON
So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. Gal. 6:9 (NLT)
Preparing and having a great harvest is hard work. It is usually a few months between a farmer planting and the time of his harvest. But, if the necessary preparation has been done, the harvest is certain. Paul knew that we as human beings would grow weary and he encouraged us to not give up. . . to "keep on keepin on!"
What are you tired of? Are you looking to the harvest or just maintaining what is going on today? Have you given up already? Are you weary of the day to day work of keeping up your home? of paying the bills to reduce your debt? of serving others? of waiting on things to change in your family? of being the only Christian at your workplace ? of waiting on God to answer a prayer? of poor health? of a stressed marriage?
As we grow weary, often it results in discouragement and many of us eventually just give up. The best reason for resisting weariness and giving up, is that Jesus never gave up! He is our greatest example. As He was hanging on the cross, being ridiculed and abused, paying the price for our sins, not His. . . He endured. He fixed His eyes on the "joy set before him" and "endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). The next time you get weary, fix your eyes on Jesus. . . "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:3) And remember, KEEP ON KEEPIN ON!
Preparing and having a great harvest is hard work. It is usually a few months between a farmer planting and the time of his harvest. But, if the necessary preparation has been done, the harvest is certain. Paul knew that we as human beings would grow weary and he encouraged us to not give up. . . to "keep on keepin on!"
What are you tired of? Are you looking to the harvest or just maintaining what is going on today? Have you given up already? Are you weary of the day to day work of keeping up your home? of paying the bills to reduce your debt? of serving others? of waiting on things to change in your family? of being the only Christian at your workplace ? of waiting on God to answer a prayer? of poor health? of a stressed marriage?
As we grow weary, often it results in discouragement and many of us eventually just give up. The best reason for resisting weariness and giving up, is that Jesus never gave up! He is our greatest example. As He was hanging on the cross, being ridiculed and abused, paying the price for our sins, not His. . . He endured. He fixed His eyes on the "joy set before him" and "endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God" (Hebrews 12:2). The next time you get weary, fix your eyes on Jesus. . . "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart." (Hebrews 12:3) And remember, KEEP ON KEEPIN ON!
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