Monthly Archives: January 2014

What do you bring to your church family?

Posted on January 27, 2014 by | Comments Off on What do you bring to your church family?

DSCF1062Everyone of us possesses some sort of talent or gift.  If you stop and think for a moment, I am sure you can think of someone who seems gifted with the ability to organize anything.  There are some who have the ability to repair anything. There are others who are gifted with compassion while yet others have the talents to sing, play the piano, or maybe even write songs.  Some even possess talents and traits that makes them well-suited for certain tasks, like entertaining children, decorating the church, or even visiting sick or elderly church members.  The apostle Paul compared the local assembly of believers to a body as he wrote, For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many (II Corinthians 12:12-14).

As a Christian and the member of a local assembly of believers, each of us brings something to the body and just as each part of the body has a function and purpose, each believer has a role that only they are able to fulfill.  Continuing with the example of the body, the apostle Paul wrote, If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling? But now hath God set the members every one of them in the body, as it hath pleased him. And if they were all one member, where were the body? But now are they many members, yet but one body. And the eye cannot say unto the hand, I have no need of thee: nor again the head to the feet, I have no need of you. Nay, much more those members of the body, which seem to be more feeble, are necessary: And those members of the body, which we think to be less honourable, upon these we bestow more abundant honour; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness. For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked: That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another. And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular (II Corinthians 12:15-27).

This passage by the apostle Paul is profound in its description on how the local New Testament church is to work. As a local body of believers, each member has a specific function they are supposed to do; unfortunately too many people are not aware that they should use their talents and gifts to support the local ministry.  Now some will undoubtedly say that there is no direct commandment to use our talents within the local church and will also say that anyone that tells a Christian that they must do so is a legalist – someone who believes that it is other than free will that compels us to serve in the local body. No man who is married would tell you that they do not have to do anything to stay married; however, if he is wise and wants to keep his wife happy, he will willingly choose to do things that he knows makes her happy.  The same should be said about Christians – we should do the things that we know that makes God happy not because we have to, but because we want to as a way to keep our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ in its proper perspective.

Continued on next page.

Pages: 1 2

Comments Off on What do you bring to your church family?

Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, Christian Responsibility, Our place within the local church

Tagged , , , ,

Older Christians: are you willing to be a mentor?

Posted on January 23, 2014 by | Comments Off on Older Christians: are you willing to be a mentor?

tutor

Just as the Lord used the everyday activities of a potter to teach Jeremiah, God still speaks to us through the Bible and through the remembering of scripture at what first appears to be strange times. This morning, while I was going through the various emails, I came across one from a faculty member of the college I work at that encouraged us to tell students of the college’s tutoring center, the hours it is open, and the help available to students in a variety of subjects.  The email went so far to explain that the tutoring and mentoring program was designed to help and encourage students to reach their academic potential in an environment that was comfortable and supportive of their needs.

During my office hours, I began to think about the wisdom behind the mentoring and tutoring program that the college has in place.  I then began to think about how within the various writings of the apostle Paul he calls the older and more mature Christian to do the same thing.  In Paul’s letter to Titus, he wrote, But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience.  The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed. Young men likewise exhort to be sober minded. In all things shewing thyself a pattern of good works: in doctrine shewing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, Sound speech, that cannot be condemned; that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you (Titus 2:1-8). Paul is telling Titus, and future Christians through the preservation of this particular letter, that spiritually mature Christians are to mentor and teach younger Christians.

When I was a younger Christian, there were lots of things that I did not understand (please do not misunderstand me,I still do not know or understand everything about the Christian faith).  Not having the benefit of growing up in a biblically based home, I didn’t know a lot about my newfound faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.  As a young Christian, I didn’t know the importance of reading my Bible each day, taking time to pray for my needs and others, or even regular church attendance.  As I have matured, and have learned about what it means to be a Christian, I have also begun to understand that as an older Christian, I do have responsibilities: Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing. Of a truth I say unto you, that he will make him ruler over all that he hath. But and if that servant say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; and shall begin to beat the menservants and maidens, and to eat and drink, and to be drunken; The lord of that servant will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and at an hour when he is not aware, and will cut him in sunder, and will appoint him his portion with the unbelievers.  And that servant, which knew his lord’s will, and prepared not himself, neither did according to his will, shall be beaten with many stripes. But he that knew not, and did commit things worthy of stripes, shall be beaten with few stripes. For unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required: and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more (Luke 12:43-48).

More on next page.

Pages: 1 2

Comments Off on Older Christians: are you willing to be a mentor?

Posted in Chrisitian Philosophy, Christian Responsibility, Our relationships with other Christians

Tagged , , , ,

Stumbling blocks to spiritual growth

Posted on January 17, 2014 by | Comments Off on Stumbling blocks to spiritual growth

man praying

At one point or another, we all come to the point in our lives where it feels that somehow we have reached a plateau where we have quit growing spiritually; for some, it even goes to the extent that it feels that God has left us.  I know in my own life, beginning when I accepted the Lord Jesus Christ as my personal Savior, I have had to deal with numerous things (and some of them more than once) that have kept me from developing a richer and deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.  As a Christian, the truest of our heart’s desire should be to become more Christ-like in our attitude and in the way we treat others.  The more we desire to become more like Him, the more temptations will follow us, the more hardships we will endure – and overcoming each will serve to strengthen our faith.

I was originally going to publish this as a single devotional but after sketching it out, I realized there was enough for a few posts.  I did not place them in any sort of order that may indicate importance nor is this meant to be a complete list of everything that can keep us from experiencing spiritual growth.  These are simply some things that I or others close to me have had to deal with that has kept them from enjoying true spiritual growth.

We attempt to return to our old lifestyle:

No Christian is immune from the pull of our old lifestyle. At some point, every Christian has to battle the pull of their past. This is not necessarily because we find it more exciting than what Christ calls us to, but because we have a tendency to return to what we know and are comfortable with.  As a Christian, a return to our old lifestyle will cause a division between ourselves and the Lord Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul wrote, But now, after that ye have known God, or rather are known of God, how turn ye again to the weak and beggarly elements, whereunto ye desire again to be in bondage (Galatians 4:9). Even Solomon, considered the wisest of all the ancient kings, understood the problems with the believer who returns to their old lifestyle, The backslider in heart shall be filled with his own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself (Proverbs 14:14). Yes, a Christian with unrepented sin has a tendency to justify their sins, much like a lost person will do. Although still saved by the grace of God, our old lifestyle and the sins we are predisposed to will place us in a state of rebellion against God.

Being led by the Holy Spirit, the apostle Paul wrote, Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him (Hebrews 10:38).  The apostle Peter also warns the follower of Christ to avoid the temptations and traps of returning to our old lifestyle: For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning. For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them. But it is happened unto them according to the true proverb, The dog is turned to his own vomit again; and the sow that was washed to her wallowing in the mire (II Peter 2:20-22). Oh, the wasted years of my life when I was young in the faith!

God makes a provision for us; If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness (I John 1:9). Just as told in the story of the prodigal son; if we come to God, our heavenly Father and repent of our sins, He will forgive us and restore us into his fellowship.

Continued on next page.

Pages: 1 2

Comments Off on Stumbling blocks to spiritual growth

Posted in Christian Living, Our relationship with God

Tagged , , , , , , ,