God's Recipe for Good Thoughts
The devil has raged a battle for the minds of men, women, boys, and girls. He is aided greatly by the mass media which often portrays unrealistic and unchristian views of life an distorted values. To whom will we surrender our minds? To God or satan. As an individual, as a church, and even as a nation, we progress or fall backword morally and spiritually, based on our thinking.
Paul's thoughts were against Christ prior to his obedience to the gospel. According to Acts 26:9, Paul said, "I verily thougth with myself that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Acts 22:19-20 tells of Paul confessing that he imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on God, and that he was actually there when Stephen was stoned, consenting unto his death.
When God estroyed the world and all of mankind with a flood, it was because of man's wickedness: "and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. "Genesis 6:5
Philippians 4:8, just about covers it all regarding clean living and good thoughts. "Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things."
TRUTH: Ephesians 4:25, Col. 3:17, Eph. 5:9 Lying will cause your life to FALL APART. Lying caused David to suffer terrible guilt. 2 Sam. 11:12, Psalm 32:1-4 Ananias and Sapphira lost their very lives because of lying. John 8:32 says, "the truth shall set you free."
HONEST: In this passage it means honorable. Romans 13:13, says "let us walk honestly; as in the day". An honorable man is respected by friends and rivals alike.
RIGHTEOUS: Titus 2:12, says,"teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, rougheously,and godly, in this present world."
JUST: We should try to do the right thing all the time.
PURE: We must have clean thoughts. Romans 12:21, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good." Also read the "verse of the day" below.
There are many more verses regarding Christian living on a daily basis:
25 March 2011
24 March 2011
GOD AND THE SPIDER 3-24-11
During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific Island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.
Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge and crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your-will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love and trust you. In Jesus name, Amen." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of the cave.
"Hah", he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."
As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of the cave. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, they glanced in the direction of his cave and moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.
"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."
Pray to God for help and comfort - then -look for God to help you and bless you in ways that you never imagined. Always remember what Jesus said in Mark 10:27, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."
Skaggs church of Christ, Pocahontas, Arkansas, shared by Neva Haley
God measures our service, not just by our ability, but also by our
During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific Island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades.
Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge and crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed.
As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, if it be your-will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love and trust you. In Jesus name, Amen." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of the cave.
"Hah", he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor."
As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of the cave. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, they glanced in the direction of his cave and moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.
"Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall."
Pray to God for help and comfort - then -look for God to help you and bless you in ways that you never imagined. Always remember what Jesus said in Mark 10:27, "With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with God all things are possible."
Skaggs church of Christ, Pocahontas, Arkansas, shared by Neva Haley
God measures our service, not just by our ability, but also by our
11 March 2011
ROOT SINS
~Philip B. Box
Some sins have a broader effect than others. There are sins that are “Root Sins” because they produce other sins. The Root Sin is sometime overlooked. We must be on alert for “Root Sins”!
UNBELIEF
Unbelief is a root sin, and always leads to other sins. “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by the following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11) Unbelief leads to disobedience, but saving faith produces works. (James 2:14-26) If faith produces works that please God then unbelief produces works that do not please God. When we understand this idea, we see there are more unbelievers than we may have realized.
IGNORANCE
This root sin does not live alone! God said, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6) Ignorance always produces a denial of basic truths. “Jesus answered and said, “You are in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29) Their ignorance led to the denial of the resurrection of the dead and the power of God. Ignorance, as a root sin, produces false doctrine (Colossians 12:14 and Hebrews 10:9) about how to be saved, the church, and even worship.
ENVY
Envy is another root sin (James 3:13-18) It teaches, and produces many other sins. The fruit of envy includes: bitterness, strife, and confusion. It is no wonder that the Bible is so strong in it’s condemnation of envy. Joseph’s brothers envied Him, and just look where it lead. (Genesis 37:11 & f) The fruit that their envy produced is seen in the story, and we learn that the companions of envy are many. Don’t let it grow in your heart, it’s fruit will overwhelm you. Envy you see will stop at nothing (Matthew 27:18)
Some sin has a much broader effect, avoid root sins and you will be able to avoid many other sins. Put God in first place in your life, faithfully obey His will by staying far from sin!
~Philip B. Box
Some sins have a broader effect than others. There are sins that are “Root Sins” because they produce other sins. The Root Sin is sometime overlooked. We must be on alert for “Root Sins”!
UNBELIEF
Unbelief is a root sin, and always leads to other sins. “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest so that no one will fall by the following their example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:11) Unbelief leads to disobedience, but saving faith produces works. (James 2:14-26) If faith produces works that please God then unbelief produces works that do not please God. When we understand this idea, we see there are more unbelievers than we may have realized.
IGNORANCE
This root sin does not live alone! God said, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge…” (Hosea 4:6) Ignorance always produces a denial of basic truths. “Jesus answered and said, “You are in error because you do not know the scriptures or the power of God.” (Matthew 22:29) Their ignorance led to the denial of the resurrection of the dead and the power of God. Ignorance, as a root sin, produces false doctrine (Colossians 12:14 and Hebrews 10:9) about how to be saved, the church, and even worship.
ENVY
Envy is another root sin (James 3:13-18) It teaches, and produces many other sins. The fruit of envy includes: bitterness, strife, and confusion. It is no wonder that the Bible is so strong in it’s condemnation of envy. Joseph’s brothers envied Him, and just look where it lead. (Genesis 37:11 & f) The fruit that their envy produced is seen in the story, and we learn that the companions of envy are many. Don’t let it grow in your heart, it’s fruit will overwhelm you. Envy you see will stop at nothing (Matthew 27:18)
Some sin has a much broader effect, avoid root sins and you will be able to avoid many other sins. Put God in first place in your life, faithfully obey His will by staying far from sin!
10 March 2011
The Difficulty Of Trusting God
By:Garry Knighton
________________________________________
We love repeatable phrases. "If you are going to talk the talk, you must walk the walk." Catchy! "God didn't create everything in one day." True! "Trust in God." Hey, we even have that one printed on our money (for now). We love to talk about trusting God.
You will notice every time we get ready to do something larger than normal, we talk about trusting God. "Let's evangelize Africa," someone says. "Great! Let's go for it." We present the idea to the church and tell them, "We must trust God to pull this off." This is so true. We must!
We started the CD ministry that has now gone world wide. People from everywhere are seeing and hearing the Gospel because of this work. What did we say? "Trust God!" And frankly, I believe we have and still are. This whole thing is running on trust. We live from hand to mouth in this ministry and just about the time the crumbs look like our next meal, along comes a biscuit. God is in control of the work and we want to leave Him right there in that position.
When we try and raise funds for this work outside of our congregation we often hear about trust. "Brother, you just have to trust God to provide." Hey, I know and understand that. I often want to reply, "I do. As a matter of fact I was talking to Him about funds last night and He told me I should talk to you." But, I contain myself. :-)
The work we do here with the CD Ministry, the Towel Ministry, the Men's and Women's Ministries and all the rest of them are done on faith. We are trusting God to lead and provide and He does that very well through the hands of His children like yourself.
It is easy to see a need to trust God when something bigger than ourselves is on the line. We build a building and say, "Let's trust God to help us." But, when is the last time we had an assembly and said, "Let's trust God to lead us this morning or this evening?" When is the last time we pondered a situation for which we are trained and experienced in handling and said, "Let's trust God to guide us in this matter?"
I remember kneeling in our living room one time in my whole life asking God to help us. It was during the Cuban missile crisis when we thought our nation was going to be under attack. It was funny how that kneeling only lasted as long as the crisis. We needed God to help us until we could get enough bomb shelters built in the neighborhood to protect us. Now, this may be an overstatement, but I doubt it.
Where is the trust in the smaller things of life? It is like saying to God, "God, I do not need you on this one. I can handle it myself." How sad we are when we assume God's role in our own lives. You cannot totally trust me. I am not flawless and I will let you down. I cannot totally trust you because of the same reasons. But, we can trust a flawless God without hesitation. He will not let us down.
So, whatever we do, whether great or small, let's put it in our mind to trust God to help us. If it is serving someone else, leading a song, teaching a class, visiting someone who is sick, speaking a word of encouragement, trust God for guidance. If we will put our trust in Him we will never be ashamed!
By:Garry Knighton
________________________________________
We love repeatable phrases. "If you are going to talk the talk, you must walk the walk." Catchy! "God didn't create everything in one day." True! "Trust in God." Hey, we even have that one printed on our money (for now). We love to talk about trusting God.
You will notice every time we get ready to do something larger than normal, we talk about trusting God. "Let's evangelize Africa," someone says. "Great! Let's go for it." We present the idea to the church and tell them, "We must trust God to pull this off." This is so true. We must!
We started the CD ministry that has now gone world wide. People from everywhere are seeing and hearing the Gospel because of this work. What did we say? "Trust God!" And frankly, I believe we have and still are. This whole thing is running on trust. We live from hand to mouth in this ministry and just about the time the crumbs look like our next meal, along comes a biscuit. God is in control of the work and we want to leave Him right there in that position.
When we try and raise funds for this work outside of our congregation we often hear about trust. "Brother, you just have to trust God to provide." Hey, I know and understand that. I often want to reply, "I do. As a matter of fact I was talking to Him about funds last night and He told me I should talk to you." But, I contain myself. :-)
The work we do here with the CD Ministry, the Towel Ministry, the Men's and Women's Ministries and all the rest of them are done on faith. We are trusting God to lead and provide and He does that very well through the hands of His children like yourself.
It is easy to see a need to trust God when something bigger than ourselves is on the line. We build a building and say, "Let's trust God to help us." But, when is the last time we had an assembly and said, "Let's trust God to lead us this morning or this evening?" When is the last time we pondered a situation for which we are trained and experienced in handling and said, "Let's trust God to guide us in this matter?"
I remember kneeling in our living room one time in my whole life asking God to help us. It was during the Cuban missile crisis when we thought our nation was going to be under attack. It was funny how that kneeling only lasted as long as the crisis. We needed God to help us until we could get enough bomb shelters built in the neighborhood to protect us. Now, this may be an overstatement, but I doubt it.
Where is the trust in the smaller things of life? It is like saying to God, "God, I do not need you on this one. I can handle it myself." How sad we are when we assume God's role in our own lives. You cannot totally trust me. I am not flawless and I will let you down. I cannot totally trust you because of the same reasons. But, we can trust a flawless God without hesitation. He will not let us down.
So, whatever we do, whether great or small, let's put it in our mind to trust God to help us. If it is serving someone else, leading a song, teaching a class, visiting someone who is sick, speaking a word of encouragement, trust God for guidance. If we will put our trust in Him we will never be ashamed!
09 March 2011
GOD’S RECIPE FOR GOOD THOUGHTS
We must remember that everything we do, good or bad, begins with our thoughts.
Proverbs 23:7: For as He thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Psalms 51:10: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
The devil has raged a battle for the minds of men, women, boys, and girls for centuries. Today he is aided greatly by the mass media which often portrays unrealistic and unchristian views of life and distorted values. To whom will we surrender our minds? To God or satan. As an individual, as a church, and even as a nation, we progress or fall backward morally and spiritually, based on our thinking.
When God destroyed the world and all of mankind with a flood, it was because of man’s wickedness, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen. 6:5-7.
Paul said in Philippians 4:8, “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
This verse about covers it all. Let’s take each point one at a time.
Whatsoever things are true: We need truth in word, Ephesians 4:25, in action, Colossians 3:17, and in thought, Ephesians 5:9. Lying will cause your life to fall apart. Lying caused David to suffer terrible guilt, II Samuel 11:12, Psalms 32:1-4. Ananias and Sapphira lost their very lives because of lying. Revelation 21:8 says all liars shall have their place in hell. “The lips of truth shall be established forever Proverbs 12:19. John 89:32, says “the truth shall set you free”. We must be truthful in all our activities of life even though it may sometimes hurt in the short run.
Whatsoever things are honest: In this passage it means honorable. Romans 13:13, says “Let us walk honestly, as in the day”. An honorable man is respected by all--friends and rivals alike.
Whatsoever things are righteous: Titus 2:12, says “teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
Whatsoever things are just: Do we try to do the right thing all the time? 2 Peter 2:15
Whatsoever things are pure: We must have clean thoughts. Romans 12:21, says “be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
If we can follow Philippians 4:8 daily, and live a good Christian life, setting an example for others about us, maybe we can be able to say what Paul said near the end of this life in II Timothy 4:7-8.
We must remember that everything we do, good or bad, begins with our thoughts.
Proverbs 23:7: For as He thinketh in his heart, so is he.
Psalms 51:10: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
The devil has raged a battle for the minds of men, women, boys, and girls for centuries. Today he is aided greatly by the mass media which often portrays unrealistic and unchristian views of life and distorted values. To whom will we surrender our minds? To God or satan. As an individual, as a church, and even as a nation, we progress or fall backward morally and spiritually, based on our thinking.
When God destroyed the world and all of mankind with a flood, it was because of man’s wickedness, and every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. Gen. 6:5-7.
Paul said in Philippians 4:8, “Finally brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report, if there be any virtue and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
This verse about covers it all. Let’s take each point one at a time.
Whatsoever things are true: We need truth in word, Ephesians 4:25, in action, Colossians 3:17, and in thought, Ephesians 5:9. Lying will cause your life to fall apart. Lying caused David to suffer terrible guilt, II Samuel 11:12, Psalms 32:1-4. Ananias and Sapphira lost their very lives because of lying. Revelation 21:8 says all liars shall have their place in hell. “The lips of truth shall be established forever Proverbs 12:19. John 89:32, says “the truth shall set you free”. We must be truthful in all our activities of life even though it may sometimes hurt in the short run.
Whatsoever things are honest: In this passage it means honorable. Romans 13:13, says “Let us walk honestly, as in the day”. An honorable man is respected by all--friends and rivals alike.
Whatsoever things are righteous: Titus 2:12, says “teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world.
Whatsoever things are just: Do we try to do the right thing all the time? 2 Peter 2:15
Whatsoever things are pure: We must have clean thoughts. Romans 12:21, says “be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.”
If we can follow Philippians 4:8 daily, and live a good Christian life, setting an example for others about us, maybe we can be able to say what Paul said near the end of this life in II Timothy 4:7-8.
04 March 2011
DO YOU KNOW THE BASICS?
Here is a brief list of what should constitute basic biblical literacy. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. The list is divided into three parts: (what you should remember) (what you should understand) (what you should be able to do)
FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
1. Books of the Old and New Testament in order
2. The different classifications of biblical literature (history, poetry, prophecy, gospels, epistles)
3. The basic order of events of the Old and New Testament--who lived before whom, the basic outline of Jesus’ life, how the early church spread.
4. The names and deeds of major Old Testament figures--Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Ester, Nehemiah.
5. The names and deeds of New Testament figures --John the Baptist, Jesus, the 12 apostles, Stephen, Paul, Barnabas, Aquila and Priscilla, Timothy)
6. The known authors of the New Testament books--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul,James, and Jude.
7. The key elements of Biblical geography--rivers, mountains essential countries, regions.
8. The names of at least three translations of the Bible.
9. What one must do in order to be saved.
SCRIPTURES YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOCATE AND QUOTE FROM MEMORY:
1. Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)
2. The 23rd Psalm
3. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)
4. The Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25)
5. The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
6. The Great Commandments (Matthew 22:36-40)
7. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)
8. The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
9. The Golden Text (John 3:16,17)
10. The Christian Graces (2 Peter 1:5-8)
11. Acts 2:28
12. Hebrews 11:1
13. Philippians 2:3-8
14. Philippians 4:4-7
15. 1 Corinthians 13:1, 4-7,13
16. Ephesians 2:8-10
17. 1 John 1:5-7
SKILLS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE:
1. Find any passage in the Bible quickly
2. Use a concordance of a marginal reference
3. Locate key points of biblical geography on a map
Here is a brief list of what should constitute basic biblical literacy. This list is not meant to be exhaustive. The list is divided into three parts: (what you should remember) (what you should understand) (what you should be able to do)
FACTS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
1. Books of the Old and New Testament in order
2. The different classifications of biblical literature (history, poetry, prophecy, gospels, epistles)
3. The basic order of events of the Old and New Testament--who lived before whom, the basic outline of Jesus’ life, how the early church spread.
4. The names and deeds of major Old Testament figures--Adam, Eve, Noah, Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, Ester, Nehemiah.
5. The names and deeds of New Testament figures --John the Baptist, Jesus, the 12 apostles, Stephen, Paul, Barnabas, Aquila and Priscilla, Timothy)
6. The known authors of the New Testament books--Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Peter, Paul,James, and Jude.
7. The key elements of Biblical geography--rivers, mountains essential countries, regions.
8. The names of at least three translations of the Bible.
9. What one must do in order to be saved.
SCRIPTURES YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOCATE AND QUOTE FROM MEMORY:
1. Ten Commandments (Exodus 20:1-17)
2. The 23rd Psalm
3. The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-10)
4. The Fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-25)
5. The Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
6. The Great Commandments (Matthew 22:36-40)
7. The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20)
8. The Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
9. The Golden Text (John 3:16,17)
10. The Christian Graces (2 Peter 1:5-8)
11. Acts 2:28
12. Hebrews 11:1
13. Philippians 2:3-8
14. Philippians 4:4-7
15. 1 Corinthians 13:1, 4-7,13
16. Ephesians 2:8-10
17. 1 John 1:5-7
SKILLS YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE:
1. Find any passage in the Bible quickly
2. Use a concordance of a marginal reference
3. Locate key points of biblical geography on a map
02 March 2011
One Man Sharpens The Other
Garry Knighton, Church of Christ, Shreveport, La.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."(Proverbs 27:17)
Fellowship is perhaps one of the sweetest words ever invented. Most often, we take the term fellowship and wrap it in the context of some kind of "church" setting where we have a "fellowship meal," or "enjoy the fellowship" of an evening together and things of that nature. It is very true that the word fellowship works for all these things, but it is much broader than that.
The word "fellowship" comes from the Greek word KOINONIA. This is a very special word, and is used in such a broad range of thinking, it seems a shame to lock it down to only something we do when we are at the assembly and assembly-related functions together. This word is defined as these terms: communion, fellowship, sharing in common. This word is a form of the word KOINOS, which simply means to have something in common.
We've taken the term communion and used it almost totally in discussion and practice of the Lord's Supper. It's fine to call the Lord's Supper communion, as long as we know that the word is deeper, or may we say, broader than that.
For instance, when two of you have a Bible Study together, you could very easily use the word communion to illustrate the closeness and the commonness of the experience. Paul used it that way in the discussion of light and darkness as well as the Christians with the god Baal.
Fellowship, communion and sharing are concepts that envelope life. When someone is struggling with some situation in life and we lend ourselves for support, it is fellowship. When someone expresses a joy to you and shares some kind of good news with you, you are in fellowship.
Another way this word is used is the term partnership. Paul spoke to the brothers at Philippi about their "partnership" in the gospel. It's true that some of the Philippian brethren physically participated with Paul in the spreading of the gospel. They were there. They actually went with him. On the other hand, Paul made it very clear that their financial support for the work of spreading the Good News was also partnership, communion.
When we share with one another something we have, it is called fellowship, partnership or communion. This sharing might be financial. It could be a word of encouragement. It could very well be a loving, listening, supportive shoulder to cry on when you need one. It always involves someone else.
Then you take the concepts behind this word and apply them to God. Communion with God is not some church ritual that we plug into in an attempt to "fulfill" His requirements. The Lord's Supper, or communion, as we call it, is a time when we can sit down with the Lord and remember how He served us. We remember how He gave His body to serve us in sacrifice. We remember how He gave His blood to provide atonement for our sins, and how He served us in that selfless act of sacrifice. We then are stimulated to serve one another and continue the kind of fellowship that God continues to extend to us.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we need one another. We need to be the iron that sharpens our brother or our sister in the Lord. We need one another. There is no retreat. There is no place for selfishness and a self-serving spirit. We must grow to understand that we cannot "serve God" without loving and serving one another.
When people begin backing away from the assemblies they lose touch with the needs and the direction of their brothers. If we were together daily as the early Christians were, this would not be so true, but we are not... and that's a fact. We need each other. Not only that, we need each other's weaknesses as well as each other's strengths.
If we ever really capture the concept of fellowship and put it into practice the way the Lord practices it with us, we would be one united and powerful force on the earth to reckon with.
I know very few thieves who steal money and other tangible goods from others, but I do know a host of people who steal something more precious than gold almost every week of their lives. These robbers break in and steal fellowship every time they miss an opportunity to be together with those of like faith.
There has been a burning question since AD. 33: Do I have to attend all the assemblies to go to heaven? Will I go to hell if I don't. You've heard those questions and perhaps, you may have even asked them, but you see, they are the wrong questions. They are centered in YOU, not others. You might better ask it this way. "Would my soul be in jeopardy if I refuse my fellowship? There is only one answer!
.
Garry Knighton, Church of Christ, Shreveport, La.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."(Proverbs 27:17)
Fellowship is perhaps one of the sweetest words ever invented. Most often, we take the term fellowship and wrap it in the context of some kind of "church" setting where we have a "fellowship meal," or "enjoy the fellowship" of an evening together and things of that nature. It is very true that the word fellowship works for all these things, but it is much broader than that.
The word "fellowship" comes from the Greek word KOINONIA. This is a very special word, and is used in such a broad range of thinking, it seems a shame to lock it down to only something we do when we are at the assembly and assembly-related functions together. This word is defined as these terms: communion, fellowship, sharing in common. This word is a form of the word KOINOS, which simply means to have something in common.
We've taken the term communion and used it almost totally in discussion and practice of the Lord's Supper. It's fine to call the Lord's Supper communion, as long as we know that the word is deeper, or may we say, broader than that.
For instance, when two of you have a Bible Study together, you could very easily use the word communion to illustrate the closeness and the commonness of the experience. Paul used it that way in the discussion of light and darkness as well as the Christians with the god Baal.
Fellowship, communion and sharing are concepts that envelope life. When someone is struggling with some situation in life and we lend ourselves for support, it is fellowship. When someone expresses a joy to you and shares some kind of good news with you, you are in fellowship.
Another way this word is used is the term partnership. Paul spoke to the brothers at Philippi about their "partnership" in the gospel. It's true that some of the Philippian brethren physically participated with Paul in the spreading of the gospel. They were there. They actually went with him. On the other hand, Paul made it very clear that their financial support for the work of spreading the Good News was also partnership, communion.
When we share with one another something we have, it is called fellowship, partnership or communion. This sharing might be financial. It could be a word of encouragement. It could very well be a loving, listening, supportive shoulder to cry on when you need one. It always involves someone else.
Then you take the concepts behind this word and apply them to God. Communion with God is not some church ritual that we plug into in an attempt to "fulfill" His requirements. The Lord's Supper, or communion, as we call it, is a time when we can sit down with the Lord and remember how He served us. We remember how He gave His body to serve us in sacrifice. We remember how He gave His blood to provide atonement for our sins, and how He served us in that selfless act of sacrifice. We then are stimulated to serve one another and continue the kind of fellowship that God continues to extend to us.
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we need one another. We need to be the iron that sharpens our brother or our sister in the Lord. We need one another. There is no retreat. There is no place for selfishness and a self-serving spirit. We must grow to understand that we cannot "serve God" without loving and serving one another.
When people begin backing away from the assemblies they lose touch with the needs and the direction of their brothers. If we were together daily as the early Christians were, this would not be so true, but we are not... and that's a fact. We need each other. Not only that, we need each other's weaknesses as well as each other's strengths.
If we ever really capture the concept of fellowship and put it into practice the way the Lord practices it with us, we would be one united and powerful force on the earth to reckon with.
I know very few thieves who steal money and other tangible goods from others, but I do know a host of people who steal something more precious than gold almost every week of their lives. These robbers break in and steal fellowship every time they miss an opportunity to be together with those of like faith.
There has been a burning question since AD. 33: Do I have to attend all the assemblies to go to heaven? Will I go to hell if I don't. You've heard those questions and perhaps, you may have even asked them, but you see, they are the wrong questions. They are centered in YOU, not others. You might better ask it this way. "Would my soul be in jeopardy if I refuse my fellowship? There is only one answer!
.
01 March 2011
Ministry is a Terrible Thing To Waste
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have all heard the phrase, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." The same is true with ministry. We often sit idly by and allow our minds to become mush. They must be fed and they must be exercised. Ministry is the same way. For years, ministry has become mush in churches all over the world. We have waited and waited for someone to come along and "teach us" how to do it. We've hired professionals to come in and do it for us, and it still goes undone for the most part. Or, perhaps we are doing it and don't really know it.
Ministry is common. It is taking the things God has already gifted us to do and using them to His glory. Ministry is not as religious as we might suppose. It is ordinary. But, what makes it awesome is, empowered by God and exercised in His name, it becomes extraordinary. God can take the simplest of actions, on our part, to assist our fellow man, and turn them into issues that can reach across generations with their good. He is an awesome God.
The most important thing about ministry is God, not us. There are specific things like sharing the Word that need training, but for the most part, God has already put in us the things necessary for us to complete our job here. It is important to remember why we do what we do instead of just doing something. We should do what we do in His name and for His honor. It is easy to get caught up in doing things for others that highlights us. If we do for others and they think more of us than they do of God, something is wrong. God did not gift us for our glorification but for His.
Every day of our lives we are faced with opportunities to minister (serve) others and they often go unnoticed. We find ourselves wishing for training and expertise from others instead of desire and empowerment from God. God set us on a track in life, gifted us and has promised to be with us, empowering us to do those things which He has called us to do. He would not be so unfair to put us out among a sea of people and leave us on our own.
We are being called to open our eyes, not to look for opportunities, but to see those which are already around us. Helping others is a broad concept. How do I help others? What do I do? How long should I do it? These questions arise in our minds and we struggle with them because we are seeking self-empowerment. What I do depends on what needs doing. And, how it should be done would depend on the situation at hand. God will show us if we really want to know. How long it will take will depend on the severity of the situation and the willingness of the part of the servant and the one being served.
The Lord's Supper was left for us to remember how Jesus served us. The bread, which represents His body, "given for you," and the cup, representing His blood, "given for you," is a reminder for us to give ourselves for others. Sure we remember in this that Christ died for us, but if we fail to remember the why, and the fact that it was "for us," we will miss the point. Every time we partake we are called to remember to serve and to honor His service to us. Few would rarely forget that He died for us. But, we often forget to serve others. As a gravestone reminds us of the person and the life of one who has gone on before, the Supper is a memorial to remind us that He served us so we are to serve others.
Ministry can be embedded deeply in the Word, teaching and admonishing each other in the principles of God. But it can also be lending an ear to someone who just needs to talk. It can be as common as helping a young, struggling mother with her children or with overwhelming responsibilities. It can be a pie baked and delivered in the name of God Almighty to someone who needs their spirits lifted and needs to know that someone is thinking about them. It can be as ordinary as stopping on the side of the road to give a lift or change a tire or take someone to get gasoline. It can be as ordinary as taking food to someone who is overwhelmed with grief at the loss of a loved one. It could be slipping someone a few dollars to help them make it to the next pay period or to get the gas or electricity turned back on. The list could be endless and could be named among the things already being done.
But one thing that is different is that it is done in the name of Christ... no strings attached. Do it because we love Jesus first and the person we are helping second. Let Christ shine. Let others know that God has blessed us and all we are doing is passing on the blessing. God will be glorified and the ordinary service we render will become EXTRAORDINARY as it is empowered by God. God will then use these efforts to grow His Kingdom in His own time, at His own pace and in His own way. But whatever we do, we must constantly remember that "Ministry is a terrible thing to waste.”
Garry Knighton, Church of Christ North, Shreveport, Louisiana
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We have all heard the phrase, "A mind is a terrible thing to waste." The same is true with ministry. We often sit idly by and allow our minds to become mush. They must be fed and they must be exercised. Ministry is the same way. For years, ministry has become mush in churches all over the world. We have waited and waited for someone to come along and "teach us" how to do it. We've hired professionals to come in and do it for us, and it still goes undone for the most part. Or, perhaps we are doing it and don't really know it.
Ministry is common. It is taking the things God has already gifted us to do and using them to His glory. Ministry is not as religious as we might suppose. It is ordinary. But, what makes it awesome is, empowered by God and exercised in His name, it becomes extraordinary. God can take the simplest of actions, on our part, to assist our fellow man, and turn them into issues that can reach across generations with their good. He is an awesome God.
The most important thing about ministry is God, not us. There are specific things like sharing the Word that need training, but for the most part, God has already put in us the things necessary for us to complete our job here. It is important to remember why we do what we do instead of just doing something. We should do what we do in His name and for His honor. It is easy to get caught up in doing things for others that highlights us. If we do for others and they think more of us than they do of God, something is wrong. God did not gift us for our glorification but for His.
Every day of our lives we are faced with opportunities to minister (serve) others and they often go unnoticed. We find ourselves wishing for training and expertise from others instead of desire and empowerment from God. God set us on a track in life, gifted us and has promised to be with us, empowering us to do those things which He has called us to do. He would not be so unfair to put us out among a sea of people and leave us on our own.
We are being called to open our eyes, not to look for opportunities, but to see those which are already around us. Helping others is a broad concept. How do I help others? What do I do? How long should I do it? These questions arise in our minds and we struggle with them because we are seeking self-empowerment. What I do depends on what needs doing. And, how it should be done would depend on the situation at hand. God will show us if we really want to know. How long it will take will depend on the severity of the situation and the willingness of the part of the servant and the one being served.
The Lord's Supper was left for us to remember how Jesus served us. The bread, which represents His body, "given for you," and the cup, representing His blood, "given for you," is a reminder for us to give ourselves for others. Sure we remember in this that Christ died for us, but if we fail to remember the why, and the fact that it was "for us," we will miss the point. Every time we partake we are called to remember to serve and to honor His service to us. Few would rarely forget that He died for us. But, we often forget to serve others. As a gravestone reminds us of the person and the life of one who has gone on before, the Supper is a memorial to remind us that He served us so we are to serve others.
Ministry can be embedded deeply in the Word, teaching and admonishing each other in the principles of God. But it can also be lending an ear to someone who just needs to talk. It can be as common as helping a young, struggling mother with her children or with overwhelming responsibilities. It can be a pie baked and delivered in the name of God Almighty to someone who needs their spirits lifted and needs to know that someone is thinking about them. It can be as ordinary as stopping on the side of the road to give a lift or change a tire or take someone to get gasoline. It can be as ordinary as taking food to someone who is overwhelmed with grief at the loss of a loved one. It could be slipping someone a few dollars to help them make it to the next pay period or to get the gas or electricity turned back on. The list could be endless and could be named among the things already being done.
But one thing that is different is that it is done in the name of Christ... no strings attached. Do it because we love Jesus first and the person we are helping second. Let Christ shine. Let others know that God has blessed us and all we are doing is passing on the blessing. God will be glorified and the ordinary service we render will become EXTRAORDINARY as it is empowered by God. God will then use these efforts to grow His Kingdom in His own time, at His own pace and in His own way. But whatever we do, we must constantly remember that "Ministry is a terrible thing to waste.”
Garry Knighton, Church of Christ North, Shreveport, Louisiana
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
