During the last presidential election, one of the candidates campaigned on the themes of both "hope" and "change." These were words that connected with the electorate. There were many people who felt that they needed hope. They had lost hope in both the government and in the direction of the country. They also felt that after the last eight years of the previous administration, change was needed. Each person had their own definition of hope, and the changes that they wanted to see. The candidate who had campaigned on these themes, won the election. People will now sit back and see if he will be able to fulfill these themes.
Here are some questions to be considered. "What if he can't restore hope?" "What if he is unable to bring about change?" These are the desires that are built upon worldly promises. These promises and desires sometimes do not materialize. When most people speak of hope; they do so in a secular sense. Such hopes are not built upon God's promises, but upon human desires. This is like building a house upon quicksand, such hopes can sink and disappear. There is nothing wrong with having hope, however, hope such be built upon a firm foundation. Hope that is built upon Christ Jesus is a firm and sure hope. It is hope that is firm, and is real. Christ fills us both both hope and joy, and such a hope will not fail us. Christian hope does not look to the promises of this world. Christian hope looks to the crib and to the cross. Christian hope looks to the One who is the fulfillment of all hope-Jesus Christ.
There many people today who have lost hope, and their souls are crushed. They do not know where they can turn to find the strength for each new day. Some people try to find comfort and strength by the use of drugs or alcohol. These only causes people to fall further and further into hopelessness. In Psalm 42:11, the psalmist points us to where we can find hope. "Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you disquiet within me? Hope in God;for I shall again praise him, my help and my God." The psalmist points us to the One who is the source of real hope, and who can calm the troubled spirit.
Advent is a season of hope. It points us to the One who is the source of all real hope. God fulfilled his promise of hope and renewal by sending his own dear Son. In this season, we look to the promise fulfilled, and we await with hope and expectation, the Savior's second appearing. Sin and death had crushed our relationship with God, but Jesus came to bring forgiveness and a new relationship with God the Father. He brings hope and change to us. Unlike politicians, He offers real hope and change. He is someone in whom we can truly believe in.
The season of Advent reminds us to keep pressing on in both faith and hope. It points us to the real reason for hope. When challenges and struggles come, continue to look to the Lord. The Lord will provide strength and hope that is sure. Be strong, and never lose doubt His grace. The psalmist encourages us with these words: "Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord." (Psalm 31:24)
There are many people who are looking for both hope and change in their lives. Believers have the opportunity to point them to the one who is the source of both hope and change. In these times, may the Church continue to proclaim the message of the Gospel of Christ. In Christ, there is real hope. Through his Spirit, he changes lives.
May the Lord richly bless you this Advent season. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in faith. May you press on in hope through the power of the Holy Spirit.(Romans 15:13)
MARANATHA-COME,O LORD! (1 Cor. 16:22)
Friday, November 28, 2008
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Words of encouragement for Christian workers.
Service in the Lord's Church is a high and glorious blessing. Through service, Christians give praise to God, and help to further the Kingdom. Service in the Church allows believers to make use of their time, talents and treasure. Christian service faith in action; it is a way to strengthen fellow believers and to reach others for the Gospel.
The Church has always been blessed by those who willingly give of themselves for the sake of the Gospel. Without their faithful service, the mission and ministry of the Church would suffer. They often undertake the tasks that others are either unable or unwilling to do. They have as their model and guide the Savior who said: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:28) This is a model of service that Christ has given to all believers.
Christian workers are human, they can become both weary and overworked. These are difficult times in which to do ministry. This is nothing new. The Christian Church through the ages has always ministered during difficult times. The Church on earth will always face challenges. It can only find it's strength in the Lord of the Church. He has given the Church this everlasting promise:"I am with you always."(Matt. 28:20)The Holy Spirit empowers the saints, and equips them for service. He bestows gifts upon the saints so that they can carry out works of service.
There are many great challenges that face the Church in these days. These are difficult economic times which limit how the Church carries out ministry. There are many congregations that have seen declines in membership and in financial resources. Many congregations have been forced to either cut back on ministry, or even close. There are many congregations who have a small number of people doing the majority of the work. This means that are a lot things in the congregation remain undone because of the shortage of workers. These workers serve faithfully, but in time, they grow weary. They become burned out and discouraged. As a result, they either pull back in their service or quit. They sometimes leave the congregation and go elsewhere, or even stop attending Church.
I served as an active pastor from 1991-2005. There were times when I also experienced the stresses of service. These stresses, as well as other issues lead to burn out. During those years, I watched and encouraged worker who themselves were weary. Their service often went unappreciated. They often found themselves doing the work alone, without any support from other members.
There is a word of Scripture that had always strengthened me during my years of active service. These words are from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. This verse reads as follows;
"Therefore, my beloved brothers,be steadfast, immovable, always abounding the work of the Lord, knowing that the Lord, your labor is not in vain." (1 Cor. 15:58)
The text begins with these words of exhortation:"..be steadfast, immovable.."This means that believers are to be faithful, and be committed. This is a call to give full devotion and service to Christ. Christian service should never be done with the desire to gain praise from others. It is done to give praise and thanks to Christ. Service to Christ is never and easy task, but it is a blessed task. Those who render service are urged to be faithful, because there are many challenges that come with service. Some of the challenges come from fellow members who either do not serve, or might find fault with the Christian worker's service. Those who render service, are called to remain faithful in their service. As they serve, may they always keep their eyes fixed on the one whom they serve-Jesus Christ. He will make their service a blessing to the Church.
The text also says to be "Immovable." This means; "Not able or intended to be moved." Paul urges believers to stand their ground. Stand on the solid, and unshakable Gospel. There are many different forces that often try to move believers from this solid foundation. The world and the devil both try to move believers away from Christ, and to knock them off balance. The storms of life, and the challenges of ministry have their ways of knocking believers down. These challenges often cause believers to become both weary and discouraged in their service, and they just give up. If believers don't stand strong and are moved away from serving, then the devil has gained a victory. Let believers continue to serve, and do so, being both steadfast and immovable. Christ is the foundation for all service. He has given His Holy Spirit to empower believers in faith, and keep them firmly grounded on the Gospel.
The next section says; "Always abounding in the work of the Lord." The word, "abound", means; "To be in a state of movement or action." The Christian worker is on the move; there's too much to do. This text would tell believers to always be busy at the Lord's work, no matter how tough it might be. The challenges might be tough; keep at the work. The work might be overwhelming; keep at the work. The future might seem uncertain; keep at the work. Christian workers can keep on abounding in the Lord's work if they have both faith and vision. They need faith that looks to Jesus as the source of strength. They need to have a vision for outreach, and for bringing souls into the Kingdom.
There those might the Christian worker; "Are your efforts worth it?" The Christian worker would respond; "Yes." Service within the Kingdom is not a wasted effort. The text concludes with these words: "Knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." All that Believers do for Christ is a blessing, and gives praise to Him. There is no lack of work within the Kingdom. All the saints are needed to be about service. The Holy Spirit has granted gifts to all believers to use in service. There is much to do; there are many people in need of the Gospel. May those who have yet to use their gifts, find a place of service in the Kingdom. May those who are serving not grow weary nor discouraged. The service will not always be easy; but The Lord gives strength. The times might be difficult;
but the Lord brings His people through. Dear Saints, never grow weary, keep active in service, and know that your labors are a blessing to the Lord and to His Church.
The Church has always been blessed by those who willingly give of themselves for the sake of the Gospel. Without their faithful service, the mission and ministry of the Church would suffer. They often undertake the tasks that others are either unable or unwilling to do. They have as their model and guide the Savior who said: "The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many." (Matt. 20:28) This is a model of service that Christ has given to all believers.
Christian workers are human, they can become both weary and overworked. These are difficult times in which to do ministry. This is nothing new. The Christian Church through the ages has always ministered during difficult times. The Church on earth will always face challenges. It can only find it's strength in the Lord of the Church. He has given the Church this everlasting promise:"I am with you always."(Matt. 28:20)The Holy Spirit empowers the saints, and equips them for service. He bestows gifts upon the saints so that they can carry out works of service.
There are many great challenges that face the Church in these days. These are difficult economic times which limit how the Church carries out ministry. There are many congregations that have seen declines in membership and in financial resources. Many congregations have been forced to either cut back on ministry, or even close. There are many congregations who have a small number of people doing the majority of the work. This means that are a lot things in the congregation remain undone because of the shortage of workers. These workers serve faithfully, but in time, they grow weary. They become burned out and discouraged. As a result, they either pull back in their service or quit. They sometimes leave the congregation and go elsewhere, or even stop attending Church.
I served as an active pastor from 1991-2005. There were times when I also experienced the stresses of service. These stresses, as well as other issues lead to burn out. During those years, I watched and encouraged worker who themselves were weary. Their service often went unappreciated. They often found themselves doing the work alone, without any support from other members.
There is a word of Scripture that had always strengthened me during my years of active service. These words are from Paul's first letter to the Corinthians. This verse reads as follows;
"Therefore, my beloved brothers,be steadfast, immovable, always abounding the work of the Lord, knowing that the Lord, your labor is not in vain." (1 Cor. 15:58)
The text begins with these words of exhortation:"..be steadfast, immovable.."This means that believers are to be faithful, and be committed. This is a call to give full devotion and service to Christ. Christian service should never be done with the desire to gain praise from others. It is done to give praise and thanks to Christ. Service to Christ is never and easy task, but it is a blessed task. Those who render service are urged to be faithful, because there are many challenges that come with service. Some of the challenges come from fellow members who either do not serve, or might find fault with the Christian worker's service. Those who render service, are called to remain faithful in their service. As they serve, may they always keep their eyes fixed on the one whom they serve-Jesus Christ. He will make their service a blessing to the Church.
The text also says to be "Immovable." This means; "Not able or intended to be moved." Paul urges believers to stand their ground. Stand on the solid, and unshakable Gospel. There are many different forces that often try to move believers from this solid foundation. The world and the devil both try to move believers away from Christ, and to knock them off balance. The storms of life, and the challenges of ministry have their ways of knocking believers down. These challenges often cause believers to become both weary and discouraged in their service, and they just give up. If believers don't stand strong and are moved away from serving, then the devil has gained a victory. Let believers continue to serve, and do so, being both steadfast and immovable. Christ is the foundation for all service. He has given His Holy Spirit to empower believers in faith, and keep them firmly grounded on the Gospel.
The next section says; "Always abounding in the work of the Lord." The word, "abound", means; "To be in a state of movement or action." The Christian worker is on the move; there's too much to do. This text would tell believers to always be busy at the Lord's work, no matter how tough it might be. The challenges might be tough; keep at the work. The work might be overwhelming; keep at the work. The future might seem uncertain; keep at the work. Christian workers can keep on abounding in the Lord's work if they have both faith and vision. They need faith that looks to Jesus as the source of strength. They need to have a vision for outreach, and for bringing souls into the Kingdom.
There those might the Christian worker; "Are your efforts worth it?" The Christian worker would respond; "Yes." Service within the Kingdom is not a wasted effort. The text concludes with these words: "Knowing that your labor in the Lord is not in vain." All that Believers do for Christ is a blessing, and gives praise to Him. There is no lack of work within the Kingdom. All the saints are needed to be about service. The Holy Spirit has granted gifts to all believers to use in service. There is much to do; there are many people in need of the Gospel. May those who have yet to use their gifts, find a place of service in the Kingdom. May those who are serving not grow weary nor discouraged. The service will not always be easy; but The Lord gives strength. The times might be difficult;
but the Lord brings His people through. Dear Saints, never grow weary, keep active in service, and know that your labors are a blessing to the Lord and to His Church.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
God won't quit on you-Phil. 1:6
Has there ever been a time when you've been very discouraged? Have you ever faced challenges that have you so drained that you just want to give up? When faced with challenges, there are some people who become so overwhelmed, that they just want to give up. Some people feel that because they've made mistakes in their lives, God won't have anything to do with them. They wonder if God has turned His back on them, and has quit on them. Do you have thoughts that God has quit on you? The text from
Paul's letter to the Philippians says this:
"For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
These words tell us that God loves each of us. He has both a plan and a purpose for each of us. He has made us, and He will continue to care and work in each of us. He is faithful. God won't quit on you.
SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO QUIT.
The journey through this life is not easy; there's no promise that it would be. Each day presents challenges that we must face. Life has it's share of surprises, sucesses, sorrows, and setbacks. When life is good, and things seem to be going well, people have no problem in pressing forward. When an unexpected challenge occurs, such as an illness, or the loss of income, then some people just can't keep going. The challenges of life energize some people; others just run out of steam. There those who become so discouraged and overwhelmed, that they just want to throw in the towel and give up. In both hopelessness and despair, some people fall into the trap of substance abuse. Through these, they try to find a way to ease the pains that they suffer.
There are those who look at their lives with dissatisfaction. They mull over all that they've done, and the direction their lives have taken. They might be filled with both guilt and remorse over how they have lived. In sorrow, they might cry out;"How could God forgive someone like me?" They feel that they are unworthy of God's forgiveness and mercy. There are some who have become so discouraged, that they quit on God, and on themselves. They do not feel the presence of God, nor have confidence in themselves. The hardest thing for them to do is to press on in faith. The easiest thing would be to just quit and give up.
Maybe you have had thoughts of giving up in the face of challenges. Maybe there have those times when you've thought that God has given up on you. Have you found yourself asking; "Has God quit on me?" The answer is; "No." God demostrated that He has not quit on us. He sent His own dear Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem and save us from the powers of sin, death and the devil. Through faith in Jesus, we are reminded that God does not quit on us. He has made us; and He won't walk away from us. He has given us this promise:"I will never leave you and I will never abandon you."(Hebrews 13:5
GOD IS STILL WORKING ON US
God doesn't quit on His people. This can be seen throughout the Scriptures. Even when Adam and Eve fell into sin, God didn't quit on them. God put forth a plan to repair the brokeness that sin had caused. Through His Son, He brought restoration to His people. The good work that God started in us comes through Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered and died for us, and through faith in Him, we have forgiveness and life eternal. The work still continues. The Holy Spirit calls people to faith through the Gospel, and creates faith in the human heart. He keeps believers in the faith, and gives strength to live daily the Christian life.
Through faith, believers know that the Savior will not quit on them; He empowers believers by His grace. He gives daily strength and renewal to make the journey. It is by His grace and presence that believers can stand strong in the face of life's
challenges.
As you make the journey through this life, just remember that you are not alone. There's no reason to quit, but every reason to press on. God won't quit on you, and don't quit on yourself. The ride through the journey might get bumpy at times; but hold on and don't quit. Put on your safety belt and ride it out. When you're knocked to your knees, pray! Why should you keep pressing on? There are many reasons; first, God won't quit on you, second, you have potential. There are still goals to be met, dreams to be dreamt, and blessings to be received. Why quit on God or yourself? Would God ever quit on you? The answer is "No!" Life will get tough at times, but press on in faith. Do so knowing that God won't quit on you.
Paul's letter to the Philippians says this:
"For I am sure of this very thing, that the one who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus."
These words tell us that God loves each of us. He has both a plan and a purpose for each of us. He has made us, and He will continue to care and work in each of us. He is faithful. God won't quit on you.
SOME PEOPLE JUST WANT TO QUIT.
The journey through this life is not easy; there's no promise that it would be. Each day presents challenges that we must face. Life has it's share of surprises, sucesses, sorrows, and setbacks. When life is good, and things seem to be going well, people have no problem in pressing forward. When an unexpected challenge occurs, such as an illness, or the loss of income, then some people just can't keep going. The challenges of life energize some people; others just run out of steam. There those who become so discouraged and overwhelmed, that they just want to throw in the towel and give up. In both hopelessness and despair, some people fall into the trap of substance abuse. Through these, they try to find a way to ease the pains that they suffer.
There are those who look at their lives with dissatisfaction. They mull over all that they've done, and the direction their lives have taken. They might be filled with both guilt and remorse over how they have lived. In sorrow, they might cry out;"How could God forgive someone like me?" They feel that they are unworthy of God's forgiveness and mercy. There are some who have become so discouraged, that they quit on God, and on themselves. They do not feel the presence of God, nor have confidence in themselves. The hardest thing for them to do is to press on in faith. The easiest thing would be to just quit and give up.
Maybe you have had thoughts of giving up in the face of challenges. Maybe there have those times when you've thought that God has given up on you. Have you found yourself asking; "Has God quit on me?" The answer is; "No." God demostrated that He has not quit on us. He sent His own dear Son, Jesus Christ, to redeem and save us from the powers of sin, death and the devil. Through faith in Jesus, we are reminded that God does not quit on us. He has made us; and He won't walk away from us. He has given us this promise:"I will never leave you and I will never abandon you."(Hebrews 13:5
GOD IS STILL WORKING ON US
God doesn't quit on His people. This can be seen throughout the Scriptures. Even when Adam and Eve fell into sin, God didn't quit on them. God put forth a plan to repair the brokeness that sin had caused. Through His Son, He brought restoration to His people. The good work that God started in us comes through Jesus Christ. Jesus suffered and died for us, and through faith in Him, we have forgiveness and life eternal. The work still continues. The Holy Spirit calls people to faith through the Gospel, and creates faith in the human heart. He keeps believers in the faith, and gives strength to live daily the Christian life.
Through faith, believers know that the Savior will not quit on them; He empowers believers by His grace. He gives daily strength and renewal to make the journey. It is by His grace and presence that believers can stand strong in the face of life's
challenges.
As you make the journey through this life, just remember that you are not alone. There's no reason to quit, but every reason to press on. God won't quit on you, and don't quit on yourself. The ride through the journey might get bumpy at times; but hold on and don't quit. Put on your safety belt and ride it out. When you're knocked to your knees, pray! Why should you keep pressing on? There are many reasons; first, God won't quit on you, second, you have potential. There are still goals to be met, dreams to be dreamt, and blessings to be received. Why quit on God or yourself? Would God ever quit on you? The answer is "No!" Life will get tough at times, but press on in faith. Do so knowing that God won't quit on you.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
FeedBurner FeedCount
Subscribe Now: poweredby
Subscribe Now: standard
Subscribe Now: google
