Faithful?

Proverbs 20: 6 ESV 6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find? 

 Have you thought lately of what God requires of you and me? It seems to center around one thing of great importance…Faithfulness. 

 God doesn’t desire that we do great things, He just wants us to be faithful. 

God doesn’t care if our churches are big or small, He just wants us to be faithful with what’s right in front of us. 

 He doesn’t expect us to accomplish unfathomable feats, He just wants us to be faithful.

What have you been faithful to this week? 

 The simplest thing we’ll do all week long, is just to be faithful to His call. How’s that working for you? How is that happening on Sunday mornings? People might find true joy and satisfaction, if they were faithful to God. Who in the world doesn’t want to be joyful and satisfied?

 Faithfulness is just the completion of some of the most simple spiritual tasks. 

I meet with a group of guys on Tuesday mornings @ 5:30am to pray. This small group of brothers are faithful. Faithfulness is one of the most treasured natures of our God, and it should be the case with His followers too.

 What needs to change today, to make you more faithful to the will of God?

Off with the Old!

2 Corinthians 5: 17

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

A few of us know what a brand new car looks and smells like.

They even sell the new car smell in a bottle, so to keep reminding us of what the new care used to smell like.

After a while, that new car smell kind of wears off.

It isn’t long, and the car that once was show room quality, is far from what it once looked like.

That’s not the way it is with a new believer in Christ, though.

The old has got to go, so the new is introduced.

A new creation is new, and nothing from the past should get in the way of the newness.

Is that true of you today? Is the new still looking new, or have you allowed some of the stinky stuff from the past back in?

The old has got to go, as it has to do with Jesus.

The way we used to think, or act, is ancient history…or at least it should be.

What from the past has still got you all weighed down?

If you are a child of God, then the old stuff should be long gone.

The old life won’t be allowed in Heaven, where as the new life will one day find even more newness.

That seems like a great bargain, for the old jalopy life I used to drive…or what used to drive me… 

Are you Hot?

Revelation 3: 15 - 16

¹⁵ I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other!

¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth.

I think most church people if they were asked would give an obvious answer to the hot/cold question.

Not many people would confess to being luke warm, that’s for sure.

So if you missed church 8 times or more during the summer, what would that make a person? Hot or cold?

And if I were to truly ask that question this morning of some people, many might give the obvious response… “Are you judging me?!!”

That might be an unmistakable sign of being luke warm or cold all together.

If you just stated that your red hot on fire, and you’re wrong about that, God will correct you  just be sure of that.

I don’t meet too many people these days, who would out and out admit their freezing cold.

I think we look at other people in our churches, and we compare ourselves to them.

That would probably be our first mistake.

A fired up believer has distinguishing charter traits, that ice cold or luke warms ones don’t have.

When you see a hot on fire follower of Jesus, there’s usually no mistaking them.

If you’re making steady progress in your walk of faith, you are most likely stoking the fire.

If you’re not, then maybe the fire has gone out all together.

Seriously, I don’t want Jesus to treat me as this big old loogie, or vomit one day, when all along I thought I was this hot thing, and then found out that I wasn’t… 

Stop!

Romans 14: 13

Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.

I deal with people every day.

It’s what I do, and it’s what I have been called to do, and yet we all deal with people to some degree or another.

The more I’m in the middle of ministry though, the more I realize how selfish we all can be.

Most of us have made up our minds, that we’re going to make ourselves look right, at any cost.

It surely happens in the church, but I thought the church should actually be different.

You’d be surprised at how many people are intentional in putting stumbling blocks in the way of a brother or sister.

A brother or sister is a person who believes the same things about Jesus that we do.

There are correct ways of working out conflict, without putting stumbling blocks in place.

Honestly, there are times I really love e-mail, and I also despise it sometimes too.

We use e-mail at times to share words we probably wouldn’t share face to face.

I have seen people use words in e-mails, that are meant to be a stumbling block, and sometimes I think they are put there on purpose.

I wonder if Jesus was ever a stumbling block? But then again we stumble and bumble over Him all the time, don’t we.

He was clear and concise in His words spoken, so there was nothing ever lost in translation.

Maybe we should communicate with each like Jesus did, so we can prevent ourselves from being an obstacle… 

Ignoring the warning!

Proverbs 3: 5 - 6

⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. ⁶ In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Yesterday morning, I left church after our Men’s early morning prayer meeting, a sign appeared on the instrument panel of my car.

For some reason, I knew the warning sign wasn’t probably a good thing.

I then began to reason, and wondered how long I could drive this way, without getting into more trouble.

And then I thought… “Don’t we do that with God sometimes?”

The first thing I should’ve done, was call an expert who knew what the sign really meant, because I sure didn’t understand it.

People these days try to figure out their spiritual problems out for themselves, without first calling in an expert.

But since we have accepted Jesus as Savior, maybe we should trust our lives to His care.

God causes things to happen at exactly the right time, and He knows what He’s doing.

I want good things to happen in my life, the problem is, I want them right now, which in turn wears out my mind.

If our minds are all worn out all the time, then maybe we’re not trusting and acknowledging God.

The One who can bring repair, is just a call away.

If I had ignored the warning sign on my car, then I might have done some permanent damage.

Are you ignoring any warning signs from God? What will it take to call Him for repair? Maybe His ways are actually better than ours… 

Need a Doctor?

Matthew 9: 12

“Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.”

I got one of those calls after church yesterday, that caught me a little off guard.

Someone died without having a church, and they inquired if I would lead the funeral service.

This family made a visit to our old church a number of years ago, but they thought they could get along just fine without a spiritual family, that is until now.

I think that’s what the writer of Hebrews meant, when he said we shouldn’t forsake the fellowship of the saints.

Over the last five (5) years, this family suffered without anyone to care for them spiritually.

After heart attacks and strokes and diseases, death finally came.

This is the sole reason we’re involved with the ministry, Heaven’s Gates/Hells Flames in October out of our church.

The one’s who need a doctor, are right in our communities. They actually live right next door to us.

Who do you know, that needs the love of the Great Physician?

Would you knock on their door, if your knew they had a need only you could fill?

Do we really care for those who are sick?

I wonder sometimes if I really care about those who are sick, spiritually or otherwise?

One thing I do know, the person that passed on, I can’t help, but the ones who will be at the service in Wrightstown on Thursday afternoon, they will hear the truth.

What they do with the truth is up to them, but I’m going to help the sick, just because I have been called to do so…

Power!

Acts 4: 23

²⁴ When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.

There’s something powerful in the church, when it prays together.

It must be true for the church too, that when they pray together, they stay together.

Our church had a special time of prayer yesterday (Sunday) morning.

Prayer is the glue that keeps a church from getting all riled up about trivial matters.

When a church prays together, the church receives power.

When the church prays together, the purposes of God are achieved.

Our people then walked the streets of Winneconne, and deposited prayers among its residents, in 5 different corridors.

When church people pray, God’s presence is perceived.

When we pray, we know without a doubt, that God is working and moving and answering.

When we come together and pray in agreement, something powerful is about to happen.

Are you anticipating His power?

Are you praying in agreement?

That’s when the presence of God is manifested, and people are conscious that God has taken control…

Holy Boldness

Romans 10: 1

Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for them, is that they may be saved.

Paul’s desire was to see his friends saved.

His friends had things mixed up, and they thought that by obeying the law, that would get them right with God.

Did you know we can’t be right with God, just by improving ourselves?

The only way to be right with God, is to be right with Jesus.

When I was a kid, the one thing you never did, was to track dirt/mud into the house on your shoes.

I lived under my Mom’s pretty strict laws, and if I didn’t, well, I was in big trouble.

God isn’t any different, He doesn’t want anyone tracking mud into His house either.

Jesus is the only One who can truly make us clean.

Have you told that to someone recently? Have you been totally honest with them?

If you were their friend you would. And are they still trying to get into God’s house, by being good?

Then it finally comes to whom we consider our friends.

Just be sure of this…friends don’t let real friends, go to hell…

“Father, it’s truly our desire to see our friends saved. Would you give each of us the boldness, to speak the truth in love? Amen.”

Go Public!

2 Timothy 1: 8

⁸ Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord…

As our church anticipates a great spiritual outreach in October, there is one common denominator it seems.

People are fearful of inviting other people.

Are they ashamed, or are they just afraid?

Maybe it could be a little of both.

The Bible says that God has dealt to every man, a measure of faith.

Maybe the people who are fearful, have a smaller amount of faith.

You want to increase your faith? Tell someone what Jesus did for you, and watch your faith increase.

The reason I’m a minister of the Gospel today, is because of what Jesus did for me.

The reason I have to tell people my story, is because what I’m allowed to do for Him.

Jesus said, “Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory”…

Anybody it seems could hang up a poster, but handing a ticket to someone they love, well that might be a different story.

I think it’s time for everyone within ear shout of this devotional, to get bold in their faith, and tell someone.

I saw a Christian t-shirt the other day that spoke volumes to me, and maybe it will to you too.

It read: “Jesus died for you in public, so don’t only live for Him in private”…

No Love Limits!

Luke 10: 27

²⁷ “And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind…”

Jesus has given us the opportunity to love Him, beyond measure.

We can love Him with all of our heart…and all of our soul…and with all of our strength…and with all of our mind.

There is no limit it appears, on the amount of love we get to give God.

Actually, this is a commandment.

So do we?

Love God with everything that we are?

Why do we put limits on our love?

There are some young guys in our church that want to love God that way.

I wonder if the old guys are the ones who are putting limits on our love for God?

I mean, if my wife told me I could love her without limit, I’d be a big fool for not taking her up on the offer.

Jesus gave us an offer to love Him without limit.

What an offer! What a God!!

It’s not that He needs our love, but He invites us to love Him in a very big way.

I don’t know about you, but that sort of messes my mind…

Talk!

Luke 24: 15

As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them.

A good discussion about the things of God, draws people’s attention.

There are so many things that we don’t know about the Bible, so healthy dialog is good for all the folks involved in the discussion.

That’s how we closed our worship service yesterday.

Each person was given a number, and whatever number you got, you went to that specific group of people.

The discussion was supposed to center around 3 questions:

1    1) Do you know what God wants you to do?

2    2)What is your plan for finding out what He wants you to do?

3    3)How do you plan to have your faith built as a result of Christ centered experiences?

Sharing experiences is good for everyone involved.

There had to have been some great conversation yesterday.

So considering those questions, how do you think God wants to use you? How have your experiences with Jesus, helped to shape you?

How would you respond to those questions?

Having healthy conversations about Jesus, let’s other people know what motivates us.

Although people don’t always enjoy sharing on themselves for some reason.

Maybe if we had more discussions about Jesus, rather than on the Packers, the church might look a whole lot different than it does…. 

Worthy Walk!

Ephesians 4: 1 - 3

I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called,

² with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love,

³ eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Are you eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in your church.

You’d be surprised at how many in the Body of Christ, aren’t interested in maintaining anything positive.

We have a pond at church, and the musk rats chewed a hole in one of the tubes running to the aerators.

Had we signed up for the regular maintenance plan like the installer wanted us to, that little problem wouldn’t be an issue.

The Hebrew OT word for “maintain”, is “asah”.

One of the meanings of that word is, “execute”.

In what ways are you executing your daily walk with the Lord Jesus?

Are you doing any regular maintenance?

Don’t get caught flat footed when things break down.

Regular maintenance is a good thing in the long run.

The automotive repair shop that we take our vehicles to in Omro, has this on their marquee out front of their repair shop:

“Regular maintenance prevents costly repairs”…

Less is More!

Philippians 2: 14

¹⁴ Do all things without grumbling or disputing…

Have you ever met a person like this in your church?

Honestly, I wished I fit this bill, but I’m a whiner from way back.

It isn’t very often we meet this kind of follower in the church these days.

Everyone has to have their own way it seems, and if they don’t get it, there’s grumbling that goes on without stop.

There’s a person who stands out in the church I attend.

When you look up the word, “servant”, in the Miriam Webster dictionary, this person’s picture should be plain to see.

No matter where you see this individual, they stop at nothing to serve everyone else before themselves.

When they do so, you almost never hear them complain or dispute about anything.

When I grow up, I want to be just like this person.

I know if you talked to their spouse, they might give an entirely different answer, I realize that.

Are you satisfied in not getting the fan fare?

Do you serve Christ and the Body without grumbling?

I am proud to be this person’s friend, and the recipient of their love.

Honestly, with less, you actually do get a whole lot more…more or less… 

Deeper!

Ezekiel 3: 10

“Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself.”

There are a lot of people these days, who think they are expressing God’s will, by just quoting a Bible verse.

The truth of the Bible is a whole lot more than words…it’s life.

That’s why it’s important to read the Word…listen to the Word, and then let it sink in deeply.

Frankly, most people aren’t interested in going deep. It’s no wonder we don’t have people hearing from God.

We’ve drifted so far from hearing, and allowing the Word to sink in deeply, that when someone appears that really does, they are quickly disposed of.

One day we’ll know the truth about that, then we’ll have it revealed about those who tried to offer deeper thoughts from God, and were turned away.

There are scores of people now days, who are trying to press God’s Word into other people, without first applying it to their own life.

The word to describe those kinds of people, is still “hypocrite”.

In the end, this kind of person who won’t listen and apply God’s truth, is someone who manufactures confusion, not life.

And yet God is inviting us to be one of the few, who will listen, but most are too busy with meaningless stuff.

Very few in the church now days, want to savor and chew on God’s Word.

Maybe that’s why a very small percentage of people, actually attend Bible study or Sunday school anymore…

“Lord God…I think we want this? Whatever blessings and benefits there might be from Your truth, we want Your Words to sink in deeply…Amen.”

One!

Acts 4: 32             ESV

³² Now the full number of those who believed were of one heart and soul…

I had a couple of meetings at church last night, and the feeling there was electric.

The ABC people were planning/strategizing and meeting in one room, and the new Missions group were in another.

On top of that, Jake & I chatted with two young ladies who are the future of our church.

I don’t know a time when I as Pastor, have been more overwhelmed with joy, and moved with appreciation for God’s active people.

Not to mention it, but there’s a group of men who are already unified and preparing for our October evangelistic outreach.

There’s something mighty powerful, when the church is of one heart and one soul.

Are you part of the full number at WCF, making things happen for the cause of Christ?

If not, what on earth is keeping you from getting involved?

When the church is together and of one accord, there’s no stopping it.

When the spirit of the church is severed, there’s absolutely nothing worse.

It takes sometimes a cleansing, to get the heart beat of the church corrected.

Sometimes the churches soul, needs a good shock to get it on the right path again…

We are the church TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!

Don't be a cheater!

Proverbs 23: 10

¹⁰ Don’t cheat your neighbor by moving the ancient boundary markers; don’t take the land of defenseless orphans.

My parents used to tell me that honesty was always the best policy.

I wonder if that’s still true today?

I mean, if you had something to say in the way of criticism about another person, would you say it to their face?

Unfortunately, people feel more comfortable talking behind people’s backs.

That doesn’t appear like the most honest way to approach the situation.

And yet it seems like people are less honest today, than ever before.

Watch the evening news, and it seems like it’s every night, someone is reporting about a certain scam going on.

These kinds of cheating people prey upon the elderly, and that upsets me, because one day I’ll be one!

Do you ever stretch the truth? Do you ever cheat the system?

I know at times I do, and I’m sort of ashamed to admit that.

I know a friend recently, who wouldn’t compromise a position in their job, and it cost them their job.

I wish I was that honest.

When we demonstrate honesty, God will honor our life and our efforts, and He will send 

blessings in our direction…

Father in Heaven, prompt us to exercise honesty in every action, thought, and attitude. Amen

Royalty!

Psalm 23: 5 - 6

⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever…

When I first met my wife, we were invited over to her folks for supper. I think it was my first interview to see if I would make the grade.

It was also the closest thing to royalty, that I ever experienced.

I was a blue collar kid, and well, let’s just say, Deb wasn’t.

I was so afraid I was going to spill something that night…and I didn’t, but Debbie did! J

I can hardly believe it, when I think of how lost I once was, and then July 29^th, 1992 came along.

Since that day, I’ve been making plans to go to my Father’s house.

I can’t even begin take it in, that since He found me and saved me, goodness and mercy will always follow me.

I’m going to live in His house one day, forever and ever.

Does that at all blow your mind?

If it doesn’t, then take some time to think deeply on this verse of promise.

God is also going to set a huge table, and I have a feeling a few people that didn’t like me in this life,  will also be there.

But I have a distinct feeling, we won’t be eating on TV trays.

One day I’m going to go back to where I came from, and I’ll be back where I belong…in the midst of royalty…