The ministry is not about being thanked and recognized for our labor and sacrificial efforts, although those are what propel the ministry. The ministry is about obeying God's call to minister to his people. It is primarily about fulfilling that call: seeking the lost and tending the members of the flock.
But a simple "thanks" and a little less judging sure would be nice. At least every now and then. Remember the story of the lepers? Christ healed ten and how many came back and expressed gratitude. One. Just one.
Receiving criticism is never easy, especially when directed at your family.
We also have trouble with being reviled. But not everyone liked Christ either. His response?
"When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly" (I Peter 2:23)
God is a God of justice. We are to expect criticism, even from the nice old ladies who come with their toddling grandchildren. We can expect thanklessness from those we counseled last Friday. We can expect gossiping and slander over something misconstrued which we said. But the response is not vindiction. The response we need is love and forgiveness. That's a tall order. Only the grace of God can give that too us.
I think part of the hurt can be lessened by trying not to take things personally. By bringing it to God right away and forgiving through his strength (Psalm 62:8). We are all human, all "prone to wander," and all capable of making mistakes. But our place in the ministry is not to judge, but to uplift; to follow the example of Christ who forgave heinous sins, even Peter's betrayal.
People's actions never justify an unChristlike response -- no matter how much it hurts.
We must pray for the love as evidenced in I Corinthians 13. Don't keep a running total in your head of how many times you've forgiven sister _________ or brother __________. Since God doesn't keep a record then neither should we. (Psalm 130:2-4) We can only achieve this kind of love throuh him. Remember the compassion of Christ, the tirelessness, the patience. Seek to imitate. Seek to serve. Seek to love.
------------
Psalm 62:7-8
On God rests my salvation and my glory;
my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
Trust in him at all times, O people;
pour out your heart before him;
God is a refuge for us.
Selah
Psalm 130:2-4
O Lord, hear my voice!
Let your ears be attentive
to the voice of my pleas for mercy!
If you, O LORD, should mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could stand?
But with you there is forgiveness,
that you may be feared.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Meditations on Romans 6-7
Romans 6:12-15
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Our calling is to do what God wants us to do. We are without excuse to follow our own desires. If we thought on truth enough, such as the consequences for sin, then we would not be so inclined to follow through with it. We need also to conscientiously and continually contemplate the character of God, in particular his holiness and goodness.
Living under the weight of sin is kind of like living in denial. Sin is not our master. Christ is our master. Desiring to please self will produce only what it produced before, yet how much stronger is the insult now to God considering that through Him we have the grace we need to flee from sin? How would I feel if I saved someone from a blackmailing trade at the expense of my only child's life and then they still dabbled with it?
Why would we still purposefully serve something that leads to disappointment, regret, discouragement, depression, divorce, discontent, etc? Our actions show who we love more, God or self.
Consider briefly the following passage:
So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!
19I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?
20-21As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end. (Romans 6:15-21, The Message)
Why serve sin? May we ask for the armor of God (Eph 6) and may we not adhere to the voice of sin. We need divine help!
We truly are, as some have said, our own worst enemy.
Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace. What then? Are we to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!
Our calling is to do what God wants us to do. We are without excuse to follow our own desires. If we thought on truth enough, such as the consequences for sin, then we would not be so inclined to follow through with it. We need also to conscientiously and continually contemplate the character of God, in particular his holiness and goodness.
Living under the weight of sin is kind of like living in denial. Sin is not our master. Christ is our master. Desiring to please self will produce only what it produced before, yet how much stronger is the insult now to God considering that through Him we have the grace we need to flee from sin? How would I feel if I saved someone from a blackmailing trade at the expense of my only child's life and then they still dabbled with it?
Why would we still purposefully serve something that leads to disappointment, regret, discouragement, depression, divorce, discontent, etc? Our actions show who we love more, God or self.
Consider briefly the following passage:
So, since we're out from under the old tyranny, does that mean we can live any old way we want? Since we're free in the freedom of God, can we do anything that comes to mind? Hardly. You know well enough from your own experience that there are some acts of so-called freedom that destroy freedom. Offer yourselves to sin, for instance, and it's your last free act. But offer yourselves to the ways of God and the freedom never quits. All your lives you've let sin tell you what to do. But thank God you've started listening to a new master, one whose commands set you free to live openly in his freedom!
19I'm using this freedom language because it's easy to picture. You can readily recall, can't you, how at one time the more you did just what you felt like doing—not caring about others, not caring about God—the worse your life became and the less freedom you had? And how much different is it now as you live in God's freedom, your lives healed and expansive in holiness?
20-21As long as you did what you felt like doing, ignoring God, you didn't have to bother with right thinking or right living, or right anything for that matter. But do you call that a free life? What did you get out of it? Nothing you're proud of now. Where did it get you? A dead end. (Romans 6:15-21, The Message)
Why serve sin? May we ask for the armor of God (Eph 6) and may we not adhere to the voice of sin. We need divine help!
We truly are, as some have said, our own worst enemy.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Galatians 2:8
(for he who worked thorugh Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles),
God has called us to different things, but whose voice are we listening to? Are we listening to the calling of God or the calling of popularity, success, love, fame, money, etc?
We know three basic things that God wants us to do:
1. Love God completely and primarily (Exodus and Matthew)
2. Love our neighbor as ourselves
3. Spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20
My God is bigger than everything. He knows ALL my needs and is in complete control. I want to serve him with all of my heart. Okay, so entirely neat is the fact that we are now Abraham's children (Gal. 3:25-29)
Thought for the day:
Walk as a redeemed person. Love because you have an loving Father. Give: your time,thoughts, self. God deserves me.
(for he who worked thorugh Peter for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine to the Gentiles),
God has called us to different things, but whose voice are we listening to? Are we listening to the calling of God or the calling of popularity, success, love, fame, money, etc?
We know three basic things that God wants us to do:
1. Love God completely and primarily (Exodus and Matthew)
2. Love our neighbor as ourselves
3. Spread the Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20
My God is bigger than everything. He knows ALL my needs and is in complete control. I want to serve him with all of my heart. Okay, so entirely neat is the fact that we are now Abraham's children (Gal. 3:25-29)
Thought for the day:
Walk as a redeemed person. Love because you have an loving Father. Give: your time,thoughts, self. God deserves me.
Monday, August 23, 2010
Portrait of a Pastor
The Portrait of a Pastor
Resolute forehead that may soften but doesn’t crack.
A set chin that handles hard issues and sin of the flock.
Kind eyes that see past the facade and into the heart.
Lips that speak gracious words and that speak God’s words for God and not glory.
Arms that wrap around the smelliest and most rebellious little child.
Hands that give to the poor, comfort the sick, and that reach out unprejudiced to shake any person’s hand.
Feet that do not retreat; feet that are first to move forward to aid; feet that shun evil.
This is a Pastor and his heart is for God first and foremost.
Resolute forehead that may soften but doesn’t crack.
A set chin that handles hard issues and sin of the flock.
Kind eyes that see past the facade and into the heart.
Lips that speak gracious words and that speak God’s words for God and not glory.
Arms that wrap around the smelliest and most rebellious little child.
Hands that give to the poor, comfort the sick, and that reach out unprejudiced to shake any person’s hand.
Feet that do not retreat; feet that are first to move forward to aid; feet that shun evil.
This is a Pastor and his heart is for God first and foremost.
Leading
If you want to lead God's sheep then you must love his sheep. You cannot lead without loving.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Homosexual Preachers
IF God will not allow homosexuals into heaven, why do we allow them into our pulpits?
The Light Fixture - Matt 5:16 (the hidden part of our hearts affects our light, testimony, and influence)
Most of us aren't electricians, but we understand that in order for a light to work it must be connected to a series and bundles of wires. Right? You with me so far? Okay, good.
Before the wires are covered you can see the huge bundle which the medium that brings the power to the light bulb. However, normally, when you see a light fixture, there are two sides of the story: one behind the ceiling and one on the outside which is the part we see. We know that the light draws energy from a source and that it is transported to the light, but we don't usually think about it. Usually, we just flip the switch on and expect it to work. If it doesn't, we assume there has been a power outage, but we do not condemn the wires, we just look to the main source of power, or electricity. However, sometimes the wires are at fault due to damage done by squirrels or age.
Think of the light fixture + the wires as a person. The light fixture is the part that we see. The wires are the internal mind and spirit of the man. The condition of the wires determines the output of the light. Before a person meets Christ, if you were to flip the switch, the light would not turn on. It has no power to do so on its own. When the person accepts Christ, suddenly, the light can shine through that individual - God has become the power source, enabling the person to draw upon this life.
You still do not see the wires, only the shining rays of the light fixture. In the Christian life, if the light output is weak, it is not because the person disconnected himself from God and is no longer a light that can shine. The switch is on and is always going to be on for a true Christian. The trouble lies in the wires. They are not being kept as they should. The squirrels of worry or sin have chewed upon the wires, causing the light to short. The problem must be corrected so that the light can draw upon the power source without hindrance. The power source is not the problem.
But, remember this is not the part that other people see. We must take care of the hidden parts of our lives - our mind and spirit. What has caused the short in our wires?
Matthew 5:
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Before the wires are covered you can see the huge bundle which the medium that brings the power to the light bulb. However, normally, when you see a light fixture, there are two sides of the story: one behind the ceiling and one on the outside which is the part we see. We know that the light draws energy from a source and that it is transported to the light, but we don't usually think about it. Usually, we just flip the switch on and expect it to work. If it doesn't, we assume there has been a power outage, but we do not condemn the wires, we just look to the main source of power, or electricity. However, sometimes the wires are at fault due to damage done by squirrels or age.
Think of the light fixture + the wires as a person. The light fixture is the part that we see. The wires are the internal mind and spirit of the man. The condition of the wires determines the output of the light. Before a person meets Christ, if you were to flip the switch, the light would not turn on. It has no power to do so on its own. When the person accepts Christ, suddenly, the light can shine through that individual - God has become the power source, enabling the person to draw upon this life.
You still do not see the wires, only the shining rays of the light fixture. In the Christian life, if the light output is weak, it is not because the person disconnected himself from God and is no longer a light that can shine. The switch is on and is always going to be on for a true Christian. The trouble lies in the wires. They are not being kept as they should. The squirrels of worry or sin have chewed upon the wires, causing the light to short. The problem must be corrected so that the light can draw upon the power source without hindrance. The power source is not the problem.
But, remember this is not the part that other people see. We must take care of the hidden parts of our lives - our mind and spirit. What has caused the short in our wires?
Matthew 5:
"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven."
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
"Pray for me" - Paul
Prayer. We forget how much God's preachers need our prayers. They are not so spiritual that they are above needing prayers, but we treat them that way sometime. In several places in Scripture, we see that Paul asked for specific prayer:
Romans 15:30-33
I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Colossians 4:3-4
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
How often do we pray for our pastors or for missionaries? We need to remind ourselves of what they are doing. Pray for their needs, pray for their struggles, pray for the people's hearts where they are working. A pastor is more than just a person who teaches us on Sunday and a missionary is more than just a person laboring far away in a distant land. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they need our prayers. Will you pray?
Romans 15:30-33
I urge you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray that I may be rescued from the unbelievers in Judea and that my service in Jerusalem may be acceptable to the saints there, so that by God's will I may come to you with joy and together with you be refreshed. The God of peace be with you all. Amen.
Colossians 4:3-4
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should.
How often do we pray for our pastors or for missionaries? We need to remind ourselves of what they are doing. Pray for their needs, pray for their struggles, pray for the people's hearts where they are working. A pastor is more than just a person who teaches us on Sunday and a missionary is more than just a person laboring far away in a distant land. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ, and they need our prayers. Will you pray?
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Love. . .never ends. Christian love is a work of the Spirit.
Love is greatly important. Love takes work, humility, and it hurts. But it reflects God and that is a remarkable thing.
True love as described in I Corinthians 13 is a work only done in a person's heart by the Holy Spirit. You cannot make yourself love like that, not in a million years. The flesh wants, the flesh focuses on self, the flesh retaliates, reviles, mocks, and scorns.
True love has nothing to prove and it has an attitude of self-denial. In a manner of speaking, it has absolutely nothing to gain. The soul who is saturated in Christ has nothing to gain and nothing to lose by loving. If you look at that passage and think, "Okay, so what would hinder me from truly loving?" then you can learn a lot from the reverse.
Envy.
Boasting.
Arrogance.
Disbelief.
Etc.
What causes this attitude instead of a heart overflowing with Christian love? Pride. A focus on self. Sometimes a gross misunderstanding of the truth about who God is and how he loves. Insecurity lashes out in boasting. Disontent produces envy at times. A heart that is set on self and has not found delighting in Christ and finding security in him will not love the way it should.
We do not have the power to make ourselves love like this if we just "try hard enough." We must rely on the grace of God. Through him we have a constant supply of power (Eph 1:19-21).
Consider these verses from I John 4:
8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
19 We love, because He first loved us.
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
And this:
John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Now, these verses spoke of loving other Christians, but we also need to love unbelievers as well. We were unbelievers once too!
Saturate yourself in the true knowledge of God's incredible love for us. In Who He is and in What He's done. Then ask God for the I Corinthians 13 love for us. Look at what Paul says in the first verses about if he doesn't have love then he is nothing. Just look. It's rather sobering.
True love as described in I Corinthians 13 is a work only done in a person's heart by the Holy Spirit. You cannot make yourself love like that, not in a million years. The flesh wants, the flesh focuses on self, the flesh retaliates, reviles, mocks, and scorns.
True love has nothing to prove and it has an attitude of self-denial. In a manner of speaking, it has absolutely nothing to gain. The soul who is saturated in Christ has nothing to gain and nothing to lose by loving. If you look at that passage and think, "Okay, so what would hinder me from truly loving?" then you can learn a lot from the reverse.
Envy.
Boasting.
Arrogance.
Disbelief.
Etc.
What causes this attitude instead of a heart overflowing with Christian love? Pride. A focus on self. Sometimes a gross misunderstanding of the truth about who God is and how he loves. Insecurity lashes out in boasting. Disontent produces envy at times. A heart that is set on self and has not found delighting in Christ and finding security in him will not love the way it should.
We do not have the power to make ourselves love like this if we just "try hard enough." We must rely on the grace of God. Through him we have a constant supply of power (Eph 1:19-21).
Consider these verses from I John 4:
8The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
9By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him.
10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
12 No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit.
16 We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him.
19 We love, because He first loved us.
20 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen.
And this:
John 13:35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Now, these verses spoke of loving other Christians, but we also need to love unbelievers as well. We were unbelievers once too!
Saturate yourself in the true knowledge of God's incredible love for us. In Who He is and in What He's done. Then ask God for the I Corinthians 13 love for us. Look at what Paul says in the first verses about if he doesn't have love then he is nothing. Just look. It's rather sobering.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)