Tag Archives: Acts

The things of which we need to “take heed” (part 4)

A Bible studyThe devotional for today is not only a continuation of the one that began last week, but is the final devotional of this series about the phrase take heed.  As mentioned before, this series began as a part of my daily Bible study routine. While doing my daily reading, the phrase seemed to jump off the page at me.  I began to study that phrase and discovered there are only fifteen times, as listed by the Thompson Chain Topics Bible, that the phrase is used in the entire Bible; all fifteen are in the New Testament.  In this instance, the words, take heed, mean to pay attention to our conduct or the way we act.  I might need to add a note that I use the Authorized King James version for all my devotions and personal readings, so if you are using another version, you might not see that phrase in the verses that I highlight in this series of devotions. For a recap of the first twelve verses containing this phrase, please see The things of which we need to “take heed” (part 3).

These last three verses were all penned under the hands of Paul and Peter, the ones most directly responsible for developing character of the local New Testament church.  The first two, by the apostle Paul, focus on those who have been called into the ministry; the verse by the apostle Peter, is similar to the previous verses mentioned because it is applicable to all Christians, regardless if they are serving in the ministry or an active member within the body of Christ.

And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfil it (Colossians 4:17)

As a student of the Bible, it is important to realize that the letters written by the apostle Paul do contain verses that are either addressed to or mention certain people by name.  In this verse, addressed to an early Christian minister by the name of Archippus, Paul is instructing him to take heed – to pay attention to – the ministry where the Lord has called him into service. There are some that will say that these verses that are addressed to certain people are there because it is the only way to maintain the context of the letter.  While this is most certainly true, I also believe that there are no idle words in the Bible. There are no verses that simply are no longer applicable today.  I believe that every scripture in the Bible is there for a purpose; in fact, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it (Isaiah 55:11).

Although this verse was addressed particularly to Archippus, it is still applicable to anyone serving in the ministry today.  Regardless of the ministry it is, whether it’s the role of a pastor, missionary, evangelist, Sunday school teacher, or even nursery worker, there are obligations that any ministry requires to be a growing and practical ministry.  It means spending time in Bible study and in prayer to prepare to do the work that God has called you to do.  All Christians are called into some specific aspect of the ministry – particularly personal evangelism;

Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee (I Timothy 4:16)

Again, this is another verse written to a specific person, Timothy, who had been called into the ministry and a young man who had mentored under the apostle Paul.  There is an interesting parallel in the Old Testament that fits along with Paul’s warning to Timothy: Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezekiel 33:9). Now what the apostle Paul is telling Timothy is this – as a man of God, as a pastor and preacher, he has an obligation to warn others of the consequences of sin.  He has an obligation to tell them the end results of sin.

Continued on next page.

Stumbling blocks to spiritual growth (part 2)

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A couple of weeks ago, I posted the first part of this devotional topic. For those of you who are regular readers of mine, you know that God has placed a burden on my heart to teach Christian discipleship as a means to help others to reach a deeper, richer, more fuller faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Back in January, I began to think about the things in my own life that have held me back from true spiritual growth.  What I came up with were things that not only kept me from spiritual growth but kept me from enjoying the fullness of my faith.

The first post of this series was on January 17th and covered two areas of Christian life that can become spiritual stumbling blocks for younger Christians. These were:

  • We are tempted to return to our old lifestyle
  • We are not obedient in following the Lord Jesus Christ in baptism

Any one of these two can stop our spiritual growth in its tracks.  Unfortunately, there are a lot more things that can keep us from true spiritual growth and from my experience, rarely is it just one area of our life that keeps us from enjoying spiritual growth and the richness of fellowship we can have with the Lord Jesus Christ.  As I mentioned in the first devotional of this series, there are several things that keeps us from having the spiritual growth we should want to have.

We do not have an active and meaningful prayer life:

When I first accepted Jesus as my personal Savior, I didn’t understand the importance of prayer.  Sure, the first church I attended, First Baptist Church of Perkinston, had a great pastor and Sunday school teachers, but for someone who did not grow up in a Christian home, the only real model for prayer I really had been from Sunday morning services when I began regularly attending and what was demonstrated on Wednesday night.  Sure, the television offered the world’s version of prayers which was often done with a mocking, ridiculing attitude.  It was not until sometime in 1997 that I really began to understand what God wants for our prayer life.  During a devotional reading, I came across this passage: But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him (Matthew 6:6-8).

What I noticed was that God does not want Christians to have a “canned” prayer life.  He does not want us to say the same prayers over and over.  He does not want our prayers to be memorized and recited as many of us had to recite Shakespeare for our high school English classes.  Our prayer must include our heartfelt praise for God, as even Paul and Silas demonstrated: And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them (Acts 16:25). We all know the story – out of their praise and prayers, God lifted them up.  God delivered them.  How many times in my own life have I called upon God and failed to give him the praise and honor; even in my distress, God has been there to deliver me, to bless me, and instead of showing gratitude through prayer, I acted like it was His “divine duty” to rescue me.  When we use canned prayers, our prayers will contain canned praise.  Our praise is then no longer from our hearts.

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Spiritual growth begins with personal evangelism

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Since the middle of December, I have prayed and asked God to send a personal revival into my life. Although I had rededicated my life to the Lord Jesus Christ in 2006, I felt that I had reached a point in my spiritual walk where I only had two choices: spiritual growth or spiritual stagnation.  Although I did accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior in 1988, I had become spiritually stagnant.  There was no spiritual growth and at times, I had little to no excitement about the things of God.  Having been there once already in my life, I have no wish to turn back to that way of life.

This morning, I read a familiar passage of scripture: And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God; I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see. (Revelation 3:14-18). Now while I realize that it is talking about a particular church/stage of church growth, there is also an application that can be made to the individual believer.  This particular teaching within the book of Revelation was not a new idea recorded by John but is a continuation of the teachings from the Lord Jesus Christ during his earthly ministry: No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13).  The lukewarm church – and the lukewarm Christian – while still proclaiming love for Christ is also trying to appease the earthly desires of the flesh.

In December, I began praying for that personal revival, asking God to not only strengthen my walk with Him, but to allow me to become more passionate about my faith. I knew that I didn’t (and still don’t) want to become a lukewarm Christian; I never want to reach a point in my life where I am comfortable about who I am spiritually without any real wish to see further spiritual maturity. I’d much rather hear the Lord describe me as He did David, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will (Acts 13:22) than to have Him say So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16). As I continued my personal Bible reading, I found great comfort in three verses I’ve probably read a few hundred times, When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek (Psalms 27:8), Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified (Psalms 40:16) and O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him (Psalms 34:8).  It’s not because I just discovered them for the first time – it is because I had come to the point that I was ready to listen to what the Lord, through His word, was trying to tell me.

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