Tag Archives: Values

Willing obedience should be our testimony

Posted on December 15, 2014 by | Comments Off on Willing obedience should be our testimony

open-bibleWilling obedience is different from reluctant obedience. If we are honest with ourselves, we all can remember the times in our lives when we did things because we were expected to do them and not necessarily because we wanted to do them. For those of us with children, we also often see this demonstrated as they will do what we ask but out of a lack of any other choice but to obey. How we do things tells others a lot about us, including the very basics about our character. Continuing with the thoughts of the previous two entries about being an obedient servant and having the proper attitude, it is important for us to realize that when we do the things we do for the Lord, we have other people watching us. Whether it is where we work, with our family, or even within our Christian service, the attitude of how we do things often becomes more important than why we do things. 

The testimony of willing obedience

When we choose to show willing obedience to God, it sets us apart from those around us that are lost or that may be less than sincere about their faith in God. Willing obedience comes out of our unconditional love of the Lord; we do the things He desires us to do not because we are expected to do them as Christians, but because we know that when we do them, we actually please Him. For your obedience is come abroad unto all men. I am glad therefore on your behalf: but yet I would have you wise unto that which is good, and simple concerning evil (Romans 16:19). Paul is commending the Christians within Rome that their obedience to the things of God; their willing obedience had become a part of their testimony. They were doing the things that Paul taught them to do not because they felt as if they had to as Christians, but because as Christians, they had the sincerest desire to do what the Lord would have them to do. When we do things out of willing obedience it does become a part of our testimony.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus taught all who would listen, Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them (Matthew 7:16 & 7:20). While the most common application of this verse is that we can tell someone’ spiritual health – if they are saved or not – there is also another application. How we bear fruit tells others about our walk with the Lord. What does our obedience say about us? Does our obedience have a positive or negative impact on our testimony? Are we identified as a genuine servant of God because of our willing obedience by those around us or does our profession for the love of Jesus surprise others? In a letter to Philemon, the apostle Paul wrote, Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord: refresh my bowels in the Lord. Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say (Philemon 20-21). Just as with what Paul is writing to Philemon about, our obedience should be to the point that it can actually encourage others to continue in their faith. In Paul’s day, the seat of human emotions was considered to be in the bowels – the intestines was considered the center of our being. In our time, it is the heart that we consider the seat of the emotions. What Paul is essentially saying is that the obedience of Philemon actually encourages and refreshes his heart!

Willing obedience encourages others

Just Philemon was an encouragement to Paul through his willing obedience to what he had been taught. When we show willing obedience to the will of God, it encourages others around us as well. Just as Paul understood that Philemon would go above and beyond what was required, our obedience should also tell other Christians that we are willing and ready to go above what is required of us without being asked. Jesus taught a parable about three servants. Two of the servants, out of willing obedience and the sincere desire to please their master both were praised by him: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:21). Each servant was given talents – money – by their master with instructions to take care of his business while he was away. This parable teaches us that their testimony, or their demonstrated ability to be obedient to their master determined the responsibilities that they would be entrusted with while their master was away. Our willing obedience to the things that God has set before us also determines what God will entrust us do to for Him. If we are obedient in the smallest of things then he will entrust us with.

Our willing obedience to follow the teachings of the Lord and to do the things we know will please Him are considered worth more to Him than anything else we have to offer: Wherewith shall I come before the LORD, and bow myself before the high God? shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? (Micah 6:6-8). To live justly and humbly before the Lord, we cannot simply be obedient because it is expected of us and expect the Lord to bless our efforts. We are showing reluctant obedience, of which the apostle James warns us, A double minded man is unstable in all his ways (James 1:8). Obedience, when done out of reluctance, is just as bad as being indecisive. Sure, we are being obedient, but out of a sense of duty. The Lord wants us to be willingly obedient, because we want to please Him. Others will notice the difference in things done out of a willingly obedient heart versus those things we do because we feel we must.

Willing obedience brings its reward

When we choose, as a servant of the Lord, to do the things that He has set forth for us to do in willing obedience, He will reward us of our faithfulness and determination: Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ (Colossians 3:24). Our rewards for our willing obedience come from Christ himself. When we are an obedient servant, we do our best for the Lord; the Lord will reward us for our service and our faithfulness.  The scriptures make it clear that the Lord will reward us with increased responsibilities: His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord (Matthew 25:21), rewards that are not dependent on our position, but based on our service to Him: Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour (1 Corinthians 3:8), rewards that are worthy of what we have done for Him: For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward (1 Timothy 5:18), and finally, rewards that cannot be lost once earned: Look to yourselves, that we lose not those things which we have wrought, but that we receive a full reward (2 John 1:8).

  

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Powerless churches, weak Christians, and dangerous currents

Posted on September 10, 2014 by | Comments Off on Powerless churches, weak Christians, and dangerous currents

 Water_safety_sign_Dangerous_currentOver the past year, for financial reasons and out of frustration over the increasing indecency and immorality of television programing, we made the decision to end our cable television subscription. Since then, I have found that I have more time to do the things I enjoy doing and I am less distracted when I do the things that I need to do. One of the things I enjoy is reading, and lately, as a means of improving my Bible studies, I have been reading some of the older literature of the faith – much of it written from the 18th through early 20th Century – the writings of Charles Spurgeon, D. L. Moody, Andrew Bonar, R. A. Torrey, and Emery Bancroft.

One of the things that I have noticed about their writings that has had a profound impact on my way of thinking is the condition of the church and the fundamental understandings that many people have about the Christian faith. Over the past years, I have had several conversations where others (and myself) have lamented that our faith simply does not feel as strong as it should, how the church almost seems powerless within our communities, and how families are falling apart. This morning, while reading my morning devotional, a constant theme kept running through it:  And Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, took either of them his censer, and put fire therein, and put incense thereon, and offered strange fire before the LORD, which he commanded them not (Leviticus 10:1), And Nadab and Abihu died, when they offered strange fire before the LORD (Numbers 26:61), and, Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein (Hebrews 13:9).

As many of my readers know, I was not brought up in a Christian household nor did my family regularly attend church. I did not become active in my faith until 2006 when I decided to become serious about my faith. Before then, I was content to let social contexts define my faith and because of that stand, I did not live the sort of life that God has called us to live: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy (I Peter 1:16). I know now that many out there have the same struggle I had – God seems distant, your faith is weak, and often it seems that temptation and sin overcome you. You go to church seeking answers but instead, all you get is confusion. One of the things that I have noticed since my reading of the old church leaders I mentioned above is that the church, to be seen as relevant in modern society, has adopted teachings and viewpoints that no longer bear the weight of scripture, but are tainted by the teachings and viewpoints of the lost world as a way to be seen as being compassionate, relevant, and even updated to fit modern times. It is for this very reason that churches are struggling, the family is falling apart, and Christians are weak. Strange fire is being offered from the pulpits across the nation and many are being led to adopt strange and diverse doctrines that the apostle Paul warns about. It is hard to keep the place of relevance that God has called the church to hold when the church has forsaken His never-changing teachings and doctrines.

The church and the modern Christian have mostly ignored the “dangerous current” signs placed all through the scriptures and has continued to adopt ideas that should be foreign. Yesterday, while on the community college campus, I saw a bumper sticker that read, “I’m Christian and support abortion”.  This is exactly the mindset that I am referring to. All through the scriptures, we see that God deems all human life as important, and even declared to the prophet Jeremiah, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5). I honestly believe that God knows each of us before we are born and has a plan for each of us, providing that we make the choice to follow His will for us. Even the apostle Paul wrote, But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace (Galatians 1:15) which solidifies the concept that God There are 67 other verses in the Bible where God discusses life in the womb, yet man, in our wisdom, has proclaimed that abortion is a “woman’s right” as we collectively thumb our nose at God. If God has declared that life begins in the womb then we know that God would consider abortion – man ending that life in the womb – as immoral. In fact, the Old Testament considers it just that: If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine. And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life (Exodus 21:22-23). Whether it is out of fear of losing members of the congregation or crossing the imaginary line between politics and religion, many of our nation’s pastors and religious leaders are afraid to preach against the evils of abortion. There should be no great surprise when we read that one CNN poll reported that nearly 56% of Americans who identify themselves as Christians do not see any conflict between their faith and abortion. Again, God’s teachings have not changed, yet the church is swimming in dangerous currents.

Continued on next page.

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The unattended church and the Christian heart

Posted on April 25, 2014 by | Comments Off on The unattended church and the Christian heart

Abandoned-ChurchLast Sunday was Easter Sunday; just like many churches across our  nation, we had a number of families and people that visited my home church yesterday.  Sunday night I had trouble sleeping and went downstairs to lay on the couch and began to think of the people and families that came to worship with us yesterday.  One thing that stuck in my mind is that for many of them, their spiritual health is much like the picture of the church above – tattered, torn, paint peeling, windows broken.  While I may not know their exact relationship with God, I can tell you that there is seriously something missing in the life of a Christian that does not regularly attend church.

The picture of the old abandoned church is a good visual representation of a Christian’s life without regular church attendance.  It’s weak, not structurally sound.  Prayers and hymns of praise no longer fill the sanctuary, much like how the heart is no longer filled with joy.  Pews sit empty, the wood cracked, the cushions long rotted away as decay begins to set in.  The pulpit no longer bears witness of the glory, holiness, and power of God; the Holy Spirit no longer holds any sway over the Christian’s life.  In place of an ever-growing congregation, a building in near collapse now stands. Instead of a fountain of love and joy springing from the heart of the believer, a stagnant pond contaminated by the disease of sin has become the focus of the life of the believer that will not be faithful in church attendance.

Although I came to know Christ as my Lord and Savior in 1988, I did not always have the wish to sincerely follow after Him as I do now.  For a while, I was active in church, attending every service offered.  Over time, my church attendance began to decline, my faithfulness to reading the Bible began to dwindle, and within a year, I fell into the trap of only attending church on Sunday morning.  Within another six months, I only went to the Christmas Sunday service during that month of December.  The next time I attended the Sunday morning service was Easter Sunday.  Yes, I was still a Christian; however, I had fell into a subtle trap created by Satan that derails millions of Christians – as long as I am saved, that’s all that matters.  Yes, we cannot lose our salvation; however, we can allow Satan to rob us of our joy.  I had a heart that resembled that stagnant pond; the odor my heart let out was foul, full of decay and I did not have the ability to find peace, comfort, and joy that Christ had brought into my life at an earlier time.

When a Christian falls out of church there is more that they are missing than just the preaching and the singing.  They miss the Christian fellowship that is essential for the development of a stronger walk with Christ.  They miss the strength that praying with other Christians can bring to even the most troublesome burden.  Believe it or not, there are other benefits that God has placed within the local New Testament church that the Christians who are fairly active within their congregations. Take a moment and, if you regularly attend your church, you will know immediately who the older women are that might be able to watch your child at a moment’s notice, who the men are that can help replace a starter or an alternator in your car, who might be able to fix a leaky sink, replace a circuit breaker, repair your computer, or even make a professional-quality cake.  Within the last ten years, as I have grown more in my faith, I have helped church members with various computer issues, add telephone lines to their house, build computer networks, hook up new televisions and entertainment centers, video record weddings, and even repair/upgrade computer hardware.  No, this is not the main reason that anyone should go to church but it is simply one of the added blessings that God provides to His children who are obedient.

When God brings Christians together through the local New Testament church, he makes that body with the idea that we are there to use our talents and gifts not only in the glorification of God in that local body, but that we might serve one another with our talents and gifts. This helps to strengthen the bonds between Christians and follows the examples of the early churches started by the apostles. The members of those early churches were known for helping one another out as part of the demonstration of their faith.

I do not promise you that your Christian walk will be without problems if you become more active in your local church.  I will promise you that the fellowship will grow sweeter, your burdens and trials won’t seem so lonely, and you will develop friendships that will be founded in Christ that will last a lifetime. Christians that already have experienced this do understand the joys that our salvation does bring.  It lifts our emotions and our spiritual well-being.  It brings us closer to God and allows ourselves to become a part of His plan to reach others in our community.

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