This month we begin a series of articles which cover the topic of faith. The Bible word “pistis” is used as faith, belief, trust, confidence. The basic meaning of this word is literally to be persuaded, to come to fully trust in the thing believed. In secular history the word was used to describe a warranty or a guarantee, to be certain the thing is true or will happen. Biblical usage sees it as a gift from God and not simply human confidence. Faith is trusting in the promises of God persuaded by the revelations from God either through His word or witnessed in His mighty deeds. The apostle John records a conversation about faith with the Pharisees in the eighth chapter of his gospel. Jesus says, (:46) “…If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?” Unfortunately the majority of the world’s population falls into this category of non-believers, along with these Pharisees. They did not believe Jesus nor did they recognize who He was. (:25) “Who are you?” Our hearts desire, the desire of God is for all to come to Him with a heart of repentance, and be saved from the eternal destruction as a result of “apistia”, unbelief. As Christians engaged in the building of the Kingdom of God, together as one, we view the world of unbelievers as our mission field. Jesus did the same. His conversation in John 8 was clearly an attempt to persuade men to believe He was who He said He was. (:12) ”I am the light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life.” To the non-believing, skeptic that statement is difficult to hear, let alone submit to as absolute truth.
This series of articles will explore possible reasons why people do not believe and then provide reasonable arguments of persuasion, that is with the intent of leading men to the truth of Jesus, and therefore to the will of God for salvation. We wish to see no man “die in (their) sin..”, entering into eternity lost and outside of the grace of God. All men are created in the image of God and have the right to come to Him for forgiveness, purification, and transformation. It begins with faith. It is the church of Christ who has been commanded to be the example of lovers of Jesus living by faith, showing their faith and growing in faith. Jesus said to those who were beginning to believe, (:31) “…If you continue in my word, then you are truly disciples of mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Let us be devoted to living by faith, and not merely by word but in deed as well. Grow your faith in Jesus to the point of living IN Him and FOR Him continually. Be ready to answer this question from the Lord with all conviction and steadfastness. “I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
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The Bible says in Ephesians 4:7-8 “…grace was given according to Christ’s gift….and He gave gifts to men.” Verse 11 continues, “And He gave some as apostles and some as prophets, and some as evangelists and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of
Christ,…” . We have been given many gifts by God our Father, many of which we easily call blessings, and rightly so. This year our theme verse will help us focus on another gift, which actually is our God given responsibility. We have been given the gift, nay the privilege of building His kingdom. The leadership gifts mentioned above are for that purpose, to build the body of Christ, which is His kingdom also known as the Church of Christ. We will not only be looking outward to build new additions to His kingdom (new converts) but we will be building up one another and ourselves as is written in Ephesians 4:13, “until we all attain to the unity of faith … and to a mature man…”. The theme verse we will be using is found in Nehemiah 2:18. Israel had been captive, enslaved in Babylon for 70 years. King Cyrus set them free to return to Jerusalem for the purpose of re-building. After approximately 100 years a small, second temple stood but the city was left wide open without protection. The prophet Nehemiah exhorted the people, in the desolate city, with his personal testimony of how Yahweh, the Lord God had been favorable to him. He was cup bearer to the king and was given full authority to undertake this greatly needed, massive rebuilding project. “Come, let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem that we may no longer be a reproach.” Nehemiah 2:17. The people must have been emboldened to act. They said, “Let us arise and build!” “So they put their hands to the good work.” Nehemiah 2:18. I pray you will be similarly encouraged and inspired to join us in this great and noble task, building not simply a wall, but His glorious Kingdom. It will take all of us together, serving, building, defending, sacrificing, and praying to God almighty. The work at times will be difficult, the challenges great and the opposition even greater. However, we will find great joy in the journey, and I promise you, nothing we do in life can compare to participating in the building of the Kingdom of God here on earth. Our community is depending on you and your support. “Let us arise and build!” Some view it as a messy, dreary, discomforting spoiler of plans, adding extra hassle to
an already busy day. Wet shoes, frizzy hair, foggy windshields, umbrellas blowing in the wind are all inconveniences of cold, rainy days. Such a bother! Makes some want to just stay all day in a warm, cozy bed . Others, however, see the rain as a challenge and welcome this change in the ordinary. They look forward to things like testing out the new wiper blades watching water fly off the glass without that annoying squeaking noise! What a victory! Such a small yet very real sense of accomplishment. Just as gratifying is the thought of nature cleaning itself. A good downpour washes streets, rooftops, trees, grass to the point even the air seems cleaner. So, here is the conflict. A rainy day does make for extra work and forces plans to be changed, yet at the same time soothes and cleanses while delivering that basic necessity of all life, simple water. So, are you an optimist or a pessimist? Is the glass half full or half empty? Is the life situation you currently face an opportunity or a burden? James 1:2 says, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials.” What? For real? How can one find joy in pain, in suffering, in conflict, in rainy days? What is there to be joyous about? Well, the Bible teaches that trials produce endurance which then lead to maturity and wisdom, traits to be treasured. James goes on to say the one “who perseveres under trial ,...once he has been approved, will receive the crown of life...” (James 1:12) Finding joy in all situations is not easy but it is doable. It begins with a conscious decision and desire to live as “those who love Him.” (:12) This was the attitude of a young girl named Mary. The angel Gabriel told her she was favored by God and that the Holy Spirit will overshadow her and she would have a child. This shocking news must have caused great conflict in her soul given the ramifications. Yet, her clarion reply rings out across the ages, “...be it done to me according to your word.” (Luke 1:38) Amid almost certain rejection, Mary chooses to “find it all joy.” The apostle Paul gives us another example of conflict with regard to sin. In Romans 7:19 “For the good that I wish, I do not do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.” The battle field is our brain and the fight is against the forces of wickedness. We who love the Lord want to live life for Him, but temptations conflict against the will of our mind. Although this war began in the beginning, we are not without the greatest of allies. We have the one who has set us free from the “body of this death.” Romans 7:25 “Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! ....There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ...!” We can choose joy on all situations because Jesus is victorious! He alone has conquered all and now, as children of God we reign with Him! Find joy in the conflict. Love one another. Be devoted to the Lord and His will. Long for eternity. Enjoy the rain. We have so much in this world to be thankful for, amen? We could cite the peace and the freedom we enjoy every day in this great country. Compared to most of the world we are so blessed and prosperous. Thank God for America! We could also mention the spectacular beauty of the fall colors. The clean, crispy air of the brilliant blue sky framing the explosion of colors among the trees which must inspire even Crayola! Thank God for His magnificent creation! We would all easily agree that our family is yet another reason for being thankful. Being “home for the holidays” is a treasure worthy of our heartfelt gratitude. Thank God for families. The Bible says, “For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.” 1Samuel12:22. And “…through whom we received grace and apostleship, unto obedience of faith among all the nations, for his name's sake; among whom are ye also called to be Jesus Christ’s”. Romans 1:5 .
It was the will of God to call Israel “His people”. He chose them based upon the great faith of men with whom He called and who obeyed, men such as Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses. God promised that He would never forsake His people “for His great name’s sake..”. His name is great and it is worthy, like none other. Paul understood this and was equally moved to record this truth. We were called through His word to believe in Jesus and “for His name’s sake” become as John 13:1 says, “one of His own”. God is identified by many names throughout the Bible. The Lord, Jehovah, Yahweh, and the Almighty to name a few. However, the incarnate God was given the name Jesus. This is the name of a person, a friend, a brother, and that is how He sees us, intimate, personal and as family. We know Him not through hazy, mystical folklore nor manmade mythological tales. We see Him clearly and He has told us exactly who He is, and what His name is. I am most thankful, this holiday season, that we have a living and personal God who loves us that way and who wants us to know Him as a father knows his own son. We are His people! He will never forsake us! Is there a better reason to show our gratitude to Him than knowing He loves His own and will always be with us? There is no other name more important, more Holy or more powerful than the name of the Lord, Jesus. We are saved by the authority of His name. Men are healed by the power in His name. The saints testify to the world their submission to Him by the praise of His name. We will “see His face and His name will be written upon our foreheads”. (Rev 22:4) Let us be reminded to give thanks to the Lord for the name of Jesus. There’s just something about that name. “He said to His disciples,”the harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore beseech the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest”. Matt 9:37
What a great time of year. The air is cool and crisp at night. The leaves are on the edge of exploding into hundreds of shades of colors and the school buses are back in operation. Many fields have already been harvested and the rest are soon to be. This must be a favorite time for the farmer. I am sure Jesus welcomed this time of year as well. The above Bible verse is a call for disciples to go, make disciples. It is not to difficult to imagine our Lord, looking out over a ripened grain field, white for the harvest, and use it as an illustration of the church’s mission. Here are three thoughts on the harvest. Like the farmer whose seeds have been sowed some time ago, God has prepared the fields of man with His word being preached. God has made ready through normal life events, the souls of people who finally consider the reality of the only true God. Their guilt and shame lead them to the desire for rescue. People are disheartened over the evil, injustice and sinfulness in the world. Nature reminds us that He is everywhere, He created all things and He knows everyone. These are the people that need to be harvested. God uses His own people to DO the harvesting. Jesus said, “The workers are few..” He is referring to His church as compared to the rest of the worlds population. There is also an urgency to get to the souls that need harvesting. “Beseech the Lord of the harvest...” As an urgent request, a deep personal appeal for help this work must be done quickly and now. During harvest time, the farmer needs to get in his crops with a pressing, high priority. Otherwise the plants may over ripe and rot, or be destroyed by nature, rains or hail storm. It may be ruined by fire or disease, insects or even hurricane winds. Many things threaten the fruit of his labor. “..to send out workers into His harvest.” God uses His people, His workers, His disciples to DO the harvesting and they understand this desperate situation. “Also you shall observe the Feast of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labors from what you sow in the field..”.(Exodus23:16) When the work is done and the crops are put up in the barn, it’s time to celebrate! Cultures around the world recognize this joyous event with feasting and cheerful gatherings. Disciples of Christ rejoice when the harvest has been brought into the fold. When the searching, repentant soul meets Jesus through the sharing of the scripture and is born again in baptism, a great celebration takes place in the congregation and in the throne room of God! Angels rejoice! This is the most important work that can be done on earth. Let our focus be bringing in the harvest to the Lord’s kingdom church. Thank God for Godly workers. Thank the Lord for His perfect, written word. This literary work we know as the Bible not only gives comfort and hope in time of need, it is the document which lays out the foundation upon which the church of Christ is built. The written word of God, for millennium, has been used to explain God’s will for the salvation of man, gives examples of how to walk in a “manner worthy of the calling...”, and reveals the power of the Holy Spirit in us, “which is Christ in you, the hope of Glory”. I could not imagine the emptiness I would feel without having the written word of God to read every day. News Alert! This just in from Africa. “Great news from Tanzania: Our team has completed New Testament translations in three more languages! The Makonde, Mwera, and Zaramo translations are in the final stages of typesetting now.” (Chris Vickio) This work, completed by the servants at Pioneer Bible Translators, is in need of funding for printing and dissemination of 15,000 copies @ $4.00 per copy. “This is the culmination of many years of work and dedication for these projects and is an exciting step as we look forward to many people hearing and reading the gospel in their own language for the first time. Around 2.5 million people speak one of these languages here in Tanzania, most of whom are not yet Christians, so the potential is huge!” If you value your Bible like I do, let’s commit to sending funds to help this project put the written word of God into peoples hands. Consider it another small way we can help in making disciples of the nations. God’s written word was meant to be translated, studied, relied upon and preached. Again, I thank the Lord for preserving His word in written form. Imagine our government without the Constitution? Any corporation without its bylaws? Beethoven’s 5th without the sheet music? Without the original intentions of the designer to rely on, the work becomes transfigured beyond recognition. The word of God, of course, is of supreme importance. It alone is the source of divine power and truth. Psalm 119:160 “The sum of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous ordinances is everlasting.” John 17:17, “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth.” 1Cor1:18 “For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” Without the written word of God we are like sheep without a shepherd, a ship without a compass or a building project without blueprints. Devote yourself the study of the Bible. Attend classes. Meditate upon His scriptures. Oral traditions come and go, the spoken word someday will be forgotten, however, the “written word remains”.
It’s the middle of the summer. The beaches are packed. Big RV’s clog the roadways. People spend their days out on the water. Many have homes near it. Ah yes, this is the life! Well at least for the moment. You see, if the beach, the water, vacations, having fun in the sun, if that’s what “the life” is, that life is pretty shallow. The life we live in our physical bodies is in reality, temporary. It may seem like we are on the top of the world. Like we have it all, like we are invincible, like these “happy days” will go on forever! Don’t believe that lie. Go talk with a resident at a nursing home. Life will let you down, you will get old, happy days will end. Then what? Don’t let this bleak reality summarize the totality of your life. The Gospel is Good News! It gives hope for the future and the promise of life, real life, eternal life! God is life. Anything opposed to God and His word ends in total separation from real life, death. John the Baptist said in John3:36, “He who believes in the Son has eternal life. But he who does not obey (see the connection between belief and obedience) the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” Real Life, “The Life” is all about doing life with Jesus, or Life IN Christ. Having faith in Jesus and obeying His word is how we live eternal life right now! The born again believer, the faithful follower of Christ is “raised” up in baptism to “walk in a new life”. (Romans 6:4) This new life is eternal in so far as at the instant a saint dies in the body, his soul and spirit are in the presence of the Lord. While he is still alive in the body, and working for the Lord, the Lord is always with him. Death no longer has any sting. Thanks be to Jesus the Christ who gives us victory over death! (1Corinthians15:57) That includes victory over eternal separation from God. Therefore, our view of death is now completely different. We no longer fear death, wether natural of otherwise, because we are living an eternal life right now. In 1Corinthians 15:58 , the apostle encourages us how to live this new and eternal life. “... steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord.” Live your life convicted on the foundation that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Never waver from that fact and never move away from that position. Satan is pushing on you every day to defect from the rock. Stand firm! At the same time, “abound in the work of the Lord”. Those who are serving, working and ministering to others in the will of God for the promotion of His kingdom and His glory will always reap heavenly rewards. The energy and time spent working for the sake of His name is never wasted. “Your labor is not in vain.” So ask yourself, “What work am I doing for the glory of God?”, “How am I helping His kingdom and what am I doing to aid in delivering the Gospel of Christ?” Those engaged in this work are truly “living the life”.
Jethro, Moses’ father in law, came to the camp of the Israelites after they had been delivered from Egypt by “the strong arm of the Lord”. Moses greeted Jethro and told him all that the Lord had done to Pharaoh and Egypt for Israel’s sake. Jethro rejoiced over the Lord’s goodness and said, “Blessed be the Lord.....the Lord is greater than all (other) gods....” Jethro learned something that the world will someday realize. There is only one God. His name is Yahweh. He is the maker of all things. He is Lord of all and He sent His Son to live among men as a human, to reveal Himself to all people. Jethro had believed in many gods, as do many in the world today. Anything that receives adoration and longing for becomes a god in our minds. All other gods, being man made, are false and are an abomination. Yahweh, the Lord God said to Moses, “Thou shall have no other gods before me.” Moses told the Israelites , “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God (Yahweh) is one...Love the Lord your God with all your heart....”. Satan has filled this world with a multitude of false gods for the ignorant and rebellious to worship. As the church we must reveal Yahweh and stand firm against false gods. Yahweh has given us a way to victory over false gods. Only He can save. As the armies of Egypt ran down upon Israel God parted the sea and His people crossed over in safety and the Egyptian army was destroyed. Only Yahweh has the power and the authority to save. Whether it be in battle, or in sickness or in the day of judgement, Yahweh is the one who rescues. All other false gods and prophets are impotent. This deliverance is also conditional. He has set the terms of salvation in His word, the Bible. His saving grace is reserved for those who love Him and long to be with Him. The way we show our love for Him is through worship. After receiving the commandments of the Lord, Moses had the people build the Tabernacle, the place where Yahweh would present Himself. The people came to this tent of meeting and worshipped God through song, praise, prayer and service. We worship the Lord today in similar fashion, however, Jesus told us that we will worship the Father “in spirit and in truth”. We no longer need to go to a specific place or a specific building. Those who love God worship at all times and in all places, and through the name of Jesus. Jesus is our life! The armies of Satan have been defeated by the power of the resurrection. As the church worships the only true God, loves others and spreads this good news, we will see Him face to face.
Know who the Lord is. Know what He has done. Know who you worship. Following Jesus’ example of discipleship reveals He not only imparted information that makes up the gospel, the word of God, but He also developed His closest followers to become effective leaders. The ultimate is reproduction, leaders developing other effective leaders. And so the church grows into the kingdom which cannot be shaken. Nehemiah found himself thrust into the midst of leading the people of God as well as training a select group to lead. This practice of training leaders is, of course, as old as mankind. Leadership seminars are numerous and thousands of books have been written on the subject. However, Nehemiah offers a reason, a motivation for stepping out of his comfortable situation and diving into unfamiliar waters. Nehemiah 1:11says “now, I was the cupbearer to the king.” What motivated such a drastic change of life? A cup bearer is a slave, a servant who lives close to the king, but still a servant. So what would motivate a slave, one who has direct dealings with the king, to leave an easy job (compared to making bricks) and head for the wilderness? Answer- Love for God and His people. Upon learning of the shameful and wretched condition of the “holy nation” of God, Nehemiah “wept and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the God of heaven.” (Neh1:3-4) Love for the brethren and love for the Lord God motivated even the simplest of men to focus on and complete an extraordinary task. The people of Israel were in “great distress and (great) reproach” and defenseless. The need was great and his love was great. This is exactly the kind of man God wants to use to lead His people to victory. Church, are you weeping and mourning right now over God’s kingdom? Are you praying and fasting, looking for direction and guidance toward future ministries? Is your heart filled with love for the people of God, the body of Christ, the Lord’s church, to the point where you are thinking about leaving the comfort and ease of your current situation?Do you want to give more, serve more, engage in the battle more? The need for Godly leaders is great. The ministry opportunities at OPCC are growing. This is exactly the time the adversary would plan an attack in order to stop the momentum and destroy our efforts. Let us therefore, sure up our defenses and develop strong leaders who serve out of love for God and love for His people. No haphazard operations!! Every deed must be driven by a focus on the great commission, “ go make disciples.” To accomplish this good work, we need motivated leaders who will serve, train and inspire all for the glory of God. In conclusion, let me introduce the theme for 2020,
“Let us arise and build.” Hundreds of memorials in Washington,DC exist to remind following generations of the struggle between evil and good. I maintain that righteousness always prevails, especially when we remember God?s will is always accomplished and He is always ultimately in control. Every age has its own conflicts, its own contenders and its own heroes. The spectacular World War 2 memorial, with its powerful fountain and granite walls, invokes the Unity, the Service, the Sacrifice and the Victory Americans felt during those difficult years. It also reminds us of the constant conflict the church has been in since the days of its inception.
When Jesus commended Peter for rightly confessing who He was, ?the Christ, the Son of the living God?, Jesus then said, ?? and upon this rock (confession) I will build My church; and the gates of Hell shall not overpower it.?Since then, satan has been attacking, each generation, each individual, with his schemes and his minions, attempting to destroy and ruin the lives of God?s children. The church, His church will always be involved in this conflict, and we must proclaim together, as our fathers did, ?Defend Freedom and Defeat Tyranny?. As our nation was unified against one great enemy and focused on one great purpose, so too must we be united and focused as we engage in the battle for our salvation. The body of Christ, His church, is unified upon the word of God, the living and active word of truth. Jesus is the embodiment of that truth. Devotion to the truth of His word is what unites each individual and each local congregation; autonomous yet united, as one. We serve our Lord and King in a variety of ways, yet with one heart. Serving Him is an expression of worship, adoration and honoring who He is and what He has done for us. Some serve on the home front, taking care of the local needs and giving to others in support of the greater goal. Others serve on the front lines, preaching and teaching the gospel with efforts of establishing a foothold in enemy territory. All who love Jesus and long for the salvation that only comes through Him will serve according to their own talents and abilities. A characteristic of this service is sacrifice. Whether of time, money, or physical, His cause is worth every ounce of sacrifice. When the body works together, as did our nation in the great war, when we stay focused on our objective and serve with selflessness, through God Almighty, we will, with absolute certainty, celebrate great victory! His victory will be ?overwhelming?and the enemy will be cast down and crushed. The saints will rejoice and the Lord will be exalted. He may have died for our freedom, but He lives forevermore! Never Forget. |
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