Suffer!

Philippians 1: 29

²⁹ For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake...

I received an e-mail from someone yesterday, telling about a young woman who just had a baby, who is also suffering with stage 4 breast cancer.

I get these kinds of stories that come my way every day. I saw her picture, and it almost broke my heart.

I like many of you, wonder... “Why in the world does this woman have to go through something so trying?”

Have we missed that hardship is actually a part of the Gospel?

So can we believe in Jesus, apart from suffering?

That doesn’t appear to be what Paul is telling the church at Philippi.

Did you ever stop to think, that some people suffer, just so we can have an opportunity to bring them compassion?

Maybe God uses the suffering of other saints, to show our true heart?

Maybe instead of being overwhelmed with other people having to go through tough times, we should actually count these as opportunities for us?

Has He shown you an opportunity as of late? Have you prayed for that person/persons?

What’s keeping you from showing compassion?

Have you misinterpreted the Gospel, as this free and easy walk in the park?

Looks no further than the cross, and you’ll see that walking faithfully with God has a price to pay.

The cost of following Jesus, will one day be worth the price of admission.

Frankly, if you think you can get to Heaven one day without turmoil, then maybe you need to read the red letters in your Bible again...

Know Ye the Truth!

John 8: 32                            KJV

³² “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

One of the lines from the movie, “A Few Good Men”, is an all time favorite of mine.

Lt. Daniel Kaffee (Tom Cruise) makes a statement to, Col. Nathan Jessup (Jack Nicholson)… “I want the truth!”

And the response we’ve all grown to love from Col. Jessup… “You can’t handle the truth!!”

I have to wonder if American’s today can handle the truth?

Frankly speaking, I wonder if the universal church wants the truth anymore?

If I go to the doctor, I sure as heck hope he/she tells me the truth.

I mean, what good would it do if he/she told me something other than the truth? The answer is, I might just die!

And yet people leave Bible believing churches all the time, so as to steer away from the truth.

You can always find a church on every corner, that’s willing to steer people the wrong way.

Telling the truth isn’t good for offerings.

Telling the truth isn’t good for church attendance.

Another great line from that movie, came from Col. Jessup, but it’s one that a lot of people miss…

“You have the luxury of not knowing what I know!” In these devotions, I will not tell you what I think, but I will tell you what I know.

The truth is what will set us free.

Changing the color of truth to appease people, won’t make anyone free… 

Imperfect People!

Numbers 21: 4 - 5             ESV

And the people became impatient on the way.  And the people spoke against God and against Moses…

For literally thousands of years, people have been questioning the leadership style of church leaders.

Moses was no exception.

I don’t often receive a compliment for my role as Pastor, but I did receive two messages yesterday (Sunday), from some folks that seem to be paying attention.

Church is often filled with delicate situations, and it always hard to know the perfect scenario to play out.

It would be easy to handle delicate issues in the secular world, because there’s a specific path to follow if someone doesn’t like the style. The result is often the unemployment line.

That’s not how it works in the church, and everyone’s concerns need to be heard.

These are the two notes I received yesterday, late:

“Pastor, I really enjoy coming to WCF. Your sermons are truthful and they keep me accountable and encourage me to do better.”

“I just wanted to say thanks for the way the leadership dealt with a difficult issue. Well done good and faithful servants…outstanding message today as well!”

I’ve never really understood the call that God places on the lives of people, who He want  to lead people.

Why anyone would want to be a church leader on purpose, is anyone’s guess.

People certainly get impatient on the journey, and I fully understand why that would be.

Sometimes even church leaders make mistakes. I know that all too well.

I thank God for the folks who appreciate the efforts of the leaders who really do care.

I also appreciate the people who are willing to tell the truth, whether they agree or not.

It all comes down to this. God chooses imperfect people, to lead imperfect people…

Heart broken?

Jeremiah 8:  4 - 5

⁴ “You shall say to them, Thus says the Lord: When men fall, do they not rise again? If one turns away, does he not return?
⁵ Why then has this people turned away in perpetual backsliding? They hold fast to deceit; they refuse to return…

Can I ask you a hard spiritual question this morning?

What breaks your heart anymore, as it has to do with the things of God?

Jeremiah is known as the… “weeping prophet”.

He had good reason to cry, and this Pastor can relate.

Do you know what broke Jeremiah’s heart? The people in his day continually turned away from God.

They actually had no desire to return to God’s protective covering, and they refused to repent.

Of all people, the Hebrew children should have known better.

Shouldn’t the people of the church know better?

Jesus said in Luke 5: 32… “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

One of the great problems of the church of Christ in America, is that we know all about confession, but rarely practice repentance.

One of the hardest things a Pastor has to do, is to allow someone to go, even while knowing they will most likely never return.

It actually breaks my heart.

Have you ever asked God to break your heart, for the things that break His? Take a moment today, and do that while you listen to this song…

https://youtu.be/hWehMG14ybo

God"s Power

1 Corinthians 2: 4 - 5

⁴ And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power,

⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

A close colleague in ministry posted this note on their Facebook page recently. (And no, I’m not a Facebook person, and I strongly doubt that I will ever become one)

“Destination Addiction: The idea that happiness is in the next place, the next job, or even the next partner.

Until we give up the idea that happiness is somewhere else, we’ll never find it where we are.”

I wonder if that’s what’s become of the church?

Is the first thing we think of is fleeing where we are, because we think getting our own way somewhere else is the answer?

My daughter-in-love told me a story yesterday, about her precious grandparents.

They have been in the same church for many-many years.

Over the course of the last ten years, things have been turbulent to one degree or another in their home church

40 years ago though, they made a covenant with God to stay and serve in that church, no matter what. That had to have been hard.

And in that covenant, God has been faithful to make things right again in their place of worship.

They trusted not in the power of men, but in the superlative power of the Most High God.

I think old people have so much experience in life experiences.

Maybe we should watch them more, we might just learn a thing or two.

Are you disgruntled where you are in life?

Maybe we need to make our lives about God again, and not in our selfish selves…

Make a list!

Matthew 6: 31

³¹ “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’”

Have you ever just stopped to consider all the ways that God provides for us?

I asked the prayer group that meets on Sunday morning at our church, to consider the overwhelming blessings of God, this past Sunday.

Almost everyone that made a list of 20 items, considered how God has provided us with a way to Heaven, (Salvation) through His Son.

It seemed to be just the thing our prayer group needed, to grasp a proper perspective for the early morning.

I think sometimes it’s easier to consider all the ways that God has blown it.

Our list of… “have nots”, is sometimes much longer than the, “haves”.

How is your level of anxiety these days?

Maybe the thing that will calm your nerves, is to consider counting your blessings and naming them one by one.

When’s the last time you made a list like that?

Honestly, in my line of work I hear way more griping, than I ever do praising.

At times, I want to scream at people who seem to be so blind at how God continuously provides.

But screaming wouldn’t be an appropriate emotion for a minister of the Gospel…or would it?

Which attitude will you chose today?

Stinking thinking…or Raising Praises? 

Suffering!

Colossians 1: 24                ESV

²⁴ Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church…

Paul was talking here about being conformed to the sufferings of Jesus.

I wonder how many followers of Jesus, suffer now days? I wonder how many people rejoice in them?

Instinctively, people in Western cultures can’t relate to suffering.

Paul was willing to suffer for the sake of the Body of Christ.

How willing are you, to suffer for your church?

I know that since that language isn’t in many of our church doctrine documents, that’s a foreign subject.

If we are part of the Body of Christ, and we desire to be like Jesus, we should probably expect to suffer just as Jesus did.

Have you ever prayed… “Jesus, make me just like you!!” Just so you know, that can’t happen unless we’re willing to suffer.

Yesterday we started a New Year in the church calendar, and some people suffered through colds and sickness just to be in the worship service.

It’s not exactly the same thing, but when we put Christ ahead of our selfish desires, that’s pretty close.

Suffering does some pretty powerful things:

·         It brings us closer to Jesus…

·         It produces blessed assurance within…

·         It brings about rewards in Heaven when we get there…

·         It might result in others being saved…

·         It also shuts the big mouth of the devil…

How are you currently suffering for your church?

It’s a New Year, and maybe it’s a good time to take some personal inventory…