Bind Yourself to Them
There is probably nothing that a pastor enjoys more than sharing the grace of God. To tell hurting people that they can be forgiven and to see them respond to this message is extremely meaningful. To tell others of God’s great compassion and love and see them light up with hope is very satisfying.
But the good news does not end with that content. It begins there. The good news is much more expansive than receiving God’s forgiveness and love. It expands into the area of a person’s attitude, character, morals and family life. The good news received personally challenges a person to extend the realm of Christ. This is done by sharing verbally what Christ has done personally for the person, a personal testimony. The realm of Christ is then extended through actions – that is, application of the good news. Displaying God’s love, compassion and forgiveness in daily life creates a powerful witness to others.
When such actions are put on display in the midst of serious opposition, such actions become all the more remarkable. When a follower of Christ continues displaying God’s love, compassion and forgiveness in the face of persecution, the realm of Christ is genuinely glorified.
All of the above is mentioned to encourage you to attend a conference at The Chapel in Marlboro. Open to the entire public and at no cost the Ohio-Western Pennsylvania Regional Conference for Voice of the Martyrs is to be held on Saturday, October 16, 2010. Events begin at 9:00 a.m. and continue until 5:00 p.m., with a lunch break from Noon – 1:30 p.m. Speakers include Gracia Burnham, Steven Khoury, Gatenah Getanah, Brad Konneman, Robert Brock and Mujahid El Masih.
Let me tell you a little about one of the lesser-known speakers: Mujahid El Masih. From Pakistan, in 1997 some Christians were falsely accused of tearing out pages from the Quran. Thousands of Pakistani Muslims were incited to riot against the Christians living in two villages in that area. The villages were burned and the believers tortured and persecuted. Mujahid El Masih was one of the leading Christian pastors in the area. His life was spared – and he doesn’t really know why, except that God showed him mercy. Advised by trusted friends to leave Pakistan, God opened a door for him and his family to come to The United States. Pastor Masih is very studied in Islam as well as Christianity. He presently ministers to all – but especially Muslims, sharing that the real and living God is one of mercy, compassion, forgiveness and love. And that through Jesus Christ this God may be known. His web site is www.fortheloveofmuslims.org.
When James Calvert went out as a Christian missionary to the cannibals of the Fiji Islands, the ship captain tried to dissuade him, saying, “You will lose your life and the lives of those with you if you go among such savages.” To that, Calvert replied, “We died before we came here.”
This conference will inspire and motivate you to understand and intelligently pray for those who genuinely suffer for their faith. Hebrews 13:3 states, “Remember those that are in bonds, as bound with them…”
Think about those who are persecuted for their faithfulness to Christ. Pray for those who are expanding the realm of Christ through their suffering. Learn of their courage and faith.
Bind yourself to them.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Serve Him by Serving Others
“Signs and wonders,” he told me. “You need signs and wonders.”
I knew what he meant: miracles of physical healing that are well-publicized. What I could not seem to convey to him is that signs and wonders are all around us – just not the type he was seeking. Many of the signs and wonders of our time are not exciting, but frightening. Rather than welcoming them, we find them disturbing. You want some signs and wonders? Try these: national economies in turmoil, with the European continent on edge; wars in the Middle East and the threat of a nuclear armed Iran and North Korea; garbage and waste from large cities being transported and dumped into landfills or the ocean; families strained to make ends meet and institutions to help the poor struggling to survive; betrayal of spouses and children proliferating through adultery and divorce, creating a class of people who lack the security provided by a stable family and home environment. There is more, but certainly you catch the drift. Personal difficulties have reproduced exponentially, becoming social predicaments that affect us all.
But since these signs are not immediate, some dismiss them as merely “problems”. Problems they are, to be sure – but rather significant (“signs”) and overwhelming (“wonders”). Signs and wonders were never meant to entertain us. Regardless of the nature, signs and wonders were always intended to call a person to faith in God – and then to an obedience to God. Having gotten our attention by the sign, God then would urge us to continue in a lifestyle of service. For example, these words from Romans 12 are important in this regard: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service…” (Romans 12:1).
Did you catch a few of those words? How about “sacrifice” and “holy” or “acceptable”? Does this verse sound punitive to you, or as though God is depriving you of your personal liberties? If so, you are as wrong as can be. As we move along through life there is something we all encounter: unhappy people. Lots of them. Most if not all of them are persons who thought they knew best what would make them happy – and they pursued those things. But in the end, even having achieved those things, their lives are unfulfilled and unhappy. My question for you: “Don’t you think that the Creator knows what is best for the created ones?” Don’t you understand that God knows better than you what will bring real happiness and fulfillment to you? Of course He does!
Signs and wonders abound – and anyone can see them. What we really need is for the church to adopt its prophetic voice and announce to the world where we are headed if we do not repent. Add to this the message of the Old Testament prophets that God is merciful and will accept and restore us if we turn to Him and perhaps we will see a turning, a revival in the land.
In the meantime, God calls us in these times to faith. During these times of troublesome signs and wonders, He calls His church to obedience. He lies before each of us an opportunity –
to serve Him by serving others.
“Signs and wonders,” he told me. “You need signs and wonders.”
I knew what he meant: miracles of physical healing that are well-publicized. What I could not seem to convey to him is that signs and wonders are all around us – just not the type he was seeking. Many of the signs and wonders of our time are not exciting, but frightening. Rather than welcoming them, we find them disturbing. You want some signs and wonders? Try these: national economies in turmoil, with the European continent on edge; wars in the Middle East and the threat of a nuclear armed Iran and North Korea; garbage and waste from large cities being transported and dumped into landfills or the ocean; families strained to make ends meet and institutions to help the poor struggling to survive; betrayal of spouses and children proliferating through adultery and divorce, creating a class of people who lack the security provided by a stable family and home environment. There is more, but certainly you catch the drift. Personal difficulties have reproduced exponentially, becoming social predicaments that affect us all.
But since these signs are not immediate, some dismiss them as merely “problems”. Problems they are, to be sure – but rather significant (“signs”) and overwhelming (“wonders”). Signs and wonders were never meant to entertain us. Regardless of the nature, signs and wonders were always intended to call a person to faith in God – and then to an obedience to God. Having gotten our attention by the sign, God then would urge us to continue in a lifestyle of service. For example, these words from Romans 12 are important in this regard: “Present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service…” (Romans 12:1).
Did you catch a few of those words? How about “sacrifice” and “holy” or “acceptable”? Does this verse sound punitive to you, or as though God is depriving you of your personal liberties? If so, you are as wrong as can be. As we move along through life there is something we all encounter: unhappy people. Lots of them. Most if not all of them are persons who thought they knew best what would make them happy – and they pursued those things. But in the end, even having achieved those things, their lives are unfulfilled and unhappy. My question for you: “Don’t you think that the Creator knows what is best for the created ones?” Don’t you understand that God knows better than you what will bring real happiness and fulfillment to you? Of course He does!
Signs and wonders abound – and anyone can see them. What we really need is for the church to adopt its prophetic voice and announce to the world where we are headed if we do not repent. Add to this the message of the Old Testament prophets that God is merciful and will accept and restore us if we turn to Him and perhaps we will see a turning, a revival in the land.
In the meantime, God calls us in these times to faith. During these times of troublesome signs and wonders, He calls His church to obedience. He lies before each of us an opportunity –
to serve Him by serving others.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Our God Speaks!
From the earliest days, followers of Jehovah have maintained that He has spoken. It’s a good thing, too! The creation speaks of a Creator; the human conscience seeks relief from guilt, the mind seeks ultimate answers (what is good, fair, right, wrong – and who ultimately decides?). Further, from where do these concepts of fairness, right and wrong, justice, mercy and goodness originate anyway? These revelations all are evidence that point toward a Supreme Being, God. But still, our understanding of life is deficient unless God speaks in some fashion to reveal Himself and answer the most profound questions of human existence.
One of the great teachings of the Bible is a simple one: God speaks. He really does. When He created the world and all that is in it, following each day, He said, “It is good.” After the creation of mankind, made in His image and the grand conclusion of His creative acts, He said, “It is very good.” From this we learn that there is an expectation that God should speak to us. And He does.
He speaks in many ways, seldom in a bombastic, loud, overbearing way. Most frequently it is through the convicting power of the scriptures.
Both internally and externally the scriptures prove their trustworthiness. The scriptures also carry the imprimatur of divine authority, often quoting God (“thus says the LORD…”). Externally, from archaeology, history and every point of confirmation possible, the Bible stands as true. Its remarkable accuracy establishes its inerrancy – it is without error. Internally, not only does the Bible call the reader to believe its information as factual, it claims for itself to be the written revelation of God to mankind. Consider, for example, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the child of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” When the statement “inspired” or “breathed out by God” is used, it means that God is speaking again – this time through the scriptures.
If we really want to know what God would tell us, we should first consult His written word. Perhaps later, in a specific situation, He will speak in a way directly to our need (usually a prompting within our spirit). But the first stop is always the written word, for it is God’s general statement to the world of mankind. It really tells us what we need to know for the situations of life. How much more do we need than correction when our attitudes are wrong? Or reproving when our actions are offensive? The scriptures teach how to “do right” in any situation and encourages good works.
What a fulfilling life to obey what God has spoken!
The verse I used above reveals what God intends to teach us through the Bible. Our lives are to be lived in such a way that “the image of God” (each person) is to reflect Godly character. After all, an image is just a reflection of reality. If our lives are to be lived profitably, we will read the Bible and apply its teachings to life. We will refer to this book often for guidance, instruction, correction and learning what “good” is and how to implement good into our lives (“good works”).
We will refer to the Bible often because God has spoken and continues to speak through its pages.
Our God speaks!
From the earliest days, followers of Jehovah have maintained that He has spoken. It’s a good thing, too! The creation speaks of a Creator; the human conscience seeks relief from guilt, the mind seeks ultimate answers (what is good, fair, right, wrong – and who ultimately decides?). Further, from where do these concepts of fairness, right and wrong, justice, mercy and goodness originate anyway? These revelations all are evidence that point toward a Supreme Being, God. But still, our understanding of life is deficient unless God speaks in some fashion to reveal Himself and answer the most profound questions of human existence.
One of the great teachings of the Bible is a simple one: God speaks. He really does. When He created the world and all that is in it, following each day, He said, “It is good.” After the creation of mankind, made in His image and the grand conclusion of His creative acts, He said, “It is very good.” From this we learn that there is an expectation that God should speak to us. And He does.
He speaks in many ways, seldom in a bombastic, loud, overbearing way. Most frequently it is through the convicting power of the scriptures.
Both internally and externally the scriptures prove their trustworthiness. The scriptures also carry the imprimatur of divine authority, often quoting God (“thus says the LORD…”). Externally, from archaeology, history and every point of confirmation possible, the Bible stands as true. Its remarkable accuracy establishes its inerrancy – it is without error. Internally, not only does the Bible call the reader to believe its information as factual, it claims for itself to be the written revelation of God to mankind. Consider, for example, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All scripture is breathed out by God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the child of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” When the statement “inspired” or “breathed out by God” is used, it means that God is speaking again – this time through the scriptures.
If we really want to know what God would tell us, we should first consult His written word. Perhaps later, in a specific situation, He will speak in a way directly to our need (usually a prompting within our spirit). But the first stop is always the written word, for it is God’s general statement to the world of mankind. It really tells us what we need to know for the situations of life. How much more do we need than correction when our attitudes are wrong? Or reproving when our actions are offensive? The scriptures teach how to “do right” in any situation and encourages good works.
What a fulfilling life to obey what God has spoken!
The verse I used above reveals what God intends to teach us through the Bible. Our lives are to be lived in such a way that “the image of God” (each person) is to reflect Godly character. After all, an image is just a reflection of reality. If our lives are to be lived profitably, we will read the Bible and apply its teachings to life. We will refer to this book often for guidance, instruction, correction and learning what “good” is and how to implement good into our lives (“good works”).
We will refer to the Bible often because God has spoken and continues to speak through its pages.
Our God speaks!
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