In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul requested prayer for himself. In Ephesians 6:19, he wrote, “and pray on my behalf.” As the Apostle Paul realized his need for prayer, your present pastor realizes his need for continual prayer on his behalf by the people he serves. Here are five things you can pray for him daily.
1. Pray for the correct words to say.
“that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth” (Eph.6:19b)
2. Pray that he may speak with boldness.
“that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak” (Eph.6:20b)
3. Pray for his personal life. (family, finances, study habits, etc.)
4. Pray for his purity.(thoughts, attitudes, motives, etc.)
5. Pray for his power. (prayer life, filling of the Holy Spirit,submission
to he Master’s call, etc.)
Monday, February 20, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Is Church Still Relevant?
Someone once wrote to their local newspaper explaining why he believed church attendance was a waste of time. He wrote, “I’ve gone for thirty years now and in that time I have heard something like 3,000 sermons. But for the life of me, I can’t remember a single one of them. So I think I’m wasting my time by listening and the pastors are wasting theirs by preaching.” Another person responded to this statement with these words, “I’ve been married for thirty years now. In that time my wife has cooked over 32,000 meals. But for the life of me, I can’t recall the entire menu for a single one of those meals. But I do know this: they all nourished me and gave me the strength I needed to do my work. If my wife had not given me those meals, I would be physically dead today. Likewise, if I hadn’t gone to church for nourishment, I would be spiritually dead today!”
Maybe the writer of Hebrews had something like this in mind when he wrote, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25 NASB) The phrase ‘not forsaking our own assembling together’ couched in the middle of this passage clearly indicates that God expects us to share with other believers in the context of worship. The words around the phrase indicate that we need this fellowship for four reasons: (1) to reinforce our faith, (2) to stimulate our love for each other, (3) to motivate us to do good deeds, and (4) to encourage one another.
Churches need to periodically evaluate their ministry and ask the question, “Are we meeting these four needs?” God requires it and those who come to worship each week have every right to expect it. T he reward for having such a ministry will be the enthusiasm displayed by the members.
Maybe the writer of Hebrews had something like this in mind when he wrote, “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more, as you see the day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25 NASB) The phrase ‘not forsaking our own assembling together’ couched in the middle of this passage clearly indicates that God expects us to share with other believers in the context of worship. The words around the phrase indicate that we need this fellowship for four reasons: (1) to reinforce our faith, (2) to stimulate our love for each other, (3) to motivate us to do good deeds, and (4) to encourage one another.
Churches need to periodically evaluate their ministry and ask the question, “Are we meeting these four needs?” God requires it and those who come to worship each week have every right to expect it. T he reward for having such a ministry will be the enthusiasm displayed by the members.
Monday, February 6, 2012
Thoughts on Valentine's Day
Each year on February 14 we observe Valentine’s Day. It is a time to celebrate romantic love. It is a time for quiet dinners, flowers, special gifts and intimate moments. Greeks had a word for this kind of love. They called it “Eros”. Unfortunately, many men only understand a portion of the word. They have the physical aspects figured out but the tender, sentimental aspects do not always register strongly on their fun meter. This is not because they are hard hearted but because they are wired differently. They need to learn to appropriate the full meaning of the word.
I learned this lesson early in my marriage. On our first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife, I picked up my wife at work. On the way home, I stopped at a drug store. While she waited in the car, I went into the store, bought a box of candy, came back to the car and handed it to her with the words, Happy Valentine’s Day. Needless to say, things were quiet at dinner that evening but not for the right reasons.
The Greeks had another word for love. It was called “Agape”. It is entirely different from romantic love. While romantic love generally comes with conditions, agape love has none. It is unconditional love. It is given without the attachments. It doesn’t say I love you because or I will love you if. It simply says I love you. This is the love that God has for us. It is the love that we find in the much used verse, John 3:16. It reads, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” We can’t change His love for us but we must openly receive it if we are to appropriate its full benefits in our lives.
This is not an either/or proposition. There is a place for romantic love. It has been said that a marriage without it is like a soft drink without any fizz. However, it will come and go because it is based on our feelings. On the other hand, God’s love is based on His decision to love us. His Word tells us that we are to love each other as He has loved us. It is important that we understand this because it is this type of love that gets us through the rough spots in our relationships.
I am grateful that my wife understands the concept of agape. Despite my youthful ignorance of the finer points of romance, she has loved me for forty-four years, not because she has always felt like it, certainly not because I have deserved it, but because she decided in the beginning that she would love me in spite of my mistakes. As much as her love has blessed my life, it can not compare to the love that my God has for me. I am eternally grateful for both.
I learned this lesson early in my marriage. On our first Valentine’s Day as husband and wife, I picked up my wife at work. On the way home, I stopped at a drug store. While she waited in the car, I went into the store, bought a box of candy, came back to the car and handed it to her with the words, Happy Valentine’s Day. Needless to say, things were quiet at dinner that evening but not for the right reasons.
The Greeks had another word for love. It was called “Agape”. It is entirely different from romantic love. While romantic love generally comes with conditions, agape love has none. It is unconditional love. It is given without the attachments. It doesn’t say I love you because or I will love you if. It simply says I love you. This is the love that God has for us. It is the love that we find in the much used verse, John 3:16. It reads, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” We can’t change His love for us but we must openly receive it if we are to appropriate its full benefits in our lives.
This is not an either/or proposition. There is a place for romantic love. It has been said that a marriage without it is like a soft drink without any fizz. However, it will come and go because it is based on our feelings. On the other hand, God’s love is based on His decision to love us. His Word tells us that we are to love each other as He has loved us. It is important that we understand this because it is this type of love that gets us through the rough spots in our relationships.
I am grateful that my wife understands the concept of agape. Despite my youthful ignorance of the finer points of romance, she has loved me for forty-four years, not because she has always felt like it, certainly not because I have deserved it, but because she decided in the beginning that she would love me in spite of my mistakes. As much as her love has blessed my life, it can not compare to the love that my God has for me. I am eternally grateful for both.
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Qualities That Make a True Friend
Two men were on a hunting expedition. One morning as they were breaking camp, they saw a Grizzly bear in the distance. Standing erect, the bear seemed to be nine feet tall. The bear caught the smell of the men and began to charge their camp. One of the men was franticly attempting to put on his tennis shoes. His friend looked at him and said, “What are you doing? You can not out run a bear.” The friend replied, “I don’t have to out run the bear. I just have to out run you.”
This is hardly the type of friend that anyone would choose. Instead, most people would like a friend that would reflect the following words: “Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts, nor measure words, but to pour them all out just as they are, chaff and grain together knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.” (George Eliot, quoted in Today in the Word, July, 1989, p. 28) This kind of friendship does not happen automatically. It must be cultivated. Here are some characteristics that we can develop that will help us to build lasting, strong friendships.
One, we must understand the need for commitment in any relationship. Fair weather relationships do not hold up to the test of time. Storms will come to all relationships and they will not stand without commitment. Two, we must learn to be considerate in our dealing with people. We can not expect them to respect our feelings, if we do not respect theirs. We should never presume upon the friendship or take advantage of their like for us. Three, we need to learn the importance of confidentiality. We all need someone to which we can talk about our real feelings. We are not going to talk to someone who can not keep a confidence, nor should we expect someone to talk to us, if we have not proven to be reliable in this area. Four, we need to be constructive in any criticism that we give. A true friend will bring to the attention of his/her friend a blind spot that the friend may not see. It will always be done to buildup and to help. It will always be done in private and never in public. Five, we need to be consistent. It should not be predicated on how we feel at any given time. It should be built upon our commitment to the individual.
While acquaintances are a dime a dozen, true friendship is costly. It requires effort on our part. We must be willing to pay the cost of being a friend, if we are to expect to have a friend who will always be there. Yes, lasting friendship is costly, but it is worth the cost
This is hardly the type of friend that anyone would choose. Instead, most people would like a friend that would reflect the following words: “Oh, the comfort, the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts, nor measure words, but to pour them all out just as they are, chaff and grain together knowing that a faithful hand will take and sift them, keep what is worth keeping, and then, with the breath of kindness blow the rest away.” (George Eliot, quoted in Today in the Word, July, 1989, p. 28) This kind of friendship does not happen automatically. It must be cultivated. Here are some characteristics that we can develop that will help us to build lasting, strong friendships.
One, we must understand the need for commitment in any relationship. Fair weather relationships do not hold up to the test of time. Storms will come to all relationships and they will not stand without commitment. Two, we must learn to be considerate in our dealing with people. We can not expect them to respect our feelings, if we do not respect theirs. We should never presume upon the friendship or take advantage of their like for us. Three, we need to learn the importance of confidentiality. We all need someone to which we can talk about our real feelings. We are not going to talk to someone who can not keep a confidence, nor should we expect someone to talk to us, if we have not proven to be reliable in this area. Four, we need to be constructive in any criticism that we give. A true friend will bring to the attention of his/her friend a blind spot that the friend may not see. It will always be done to buildup and to help. It will always be done in private and never in public. Five, we need to be consistent. It should not be predicated on how we feel at any given time. It should be built upon our commitment to the individual.
While acquaintances are a dime a dozen, true friendship is costly. It requires effort on our part. We must be willing to pay the cost of being a friend, if we are to expect to have a friend who will always be there. Yes, lasting friendship is costly, but it is worth the cost
God’s Measure of Success
John Maxwell devoted an entire book to the initial failures of extremely successful people. In his book, Failing Forward, he wrote, “When it comes right down to it, I know of only one factor that separates those who consistently shine from those who don’t. The difference between average people and achieving people is their perception of and response to failure. Nothing else has the same kind of impact on people’s ability to achieve and to accomplish whatever their minds and hearts desire.”
While people understand the struggle for success in the temporal world, they don’t think about being successful spiritually. This is why so many people reach a high level of success in their field of expertise and still have an empty feeling inside that they can’t seem to satisfy. We see this in business executives, high paid athletes, movie stars, and other worldly endeavors. The reality is that temporal success plus spiritual failure does not add up to happiness.
If spiritual success is important, it would be to our benefit to understand how to measure it. I believe that there are four signs of spiritual success found in the first psalm. First, a successful spiritual life is one that has found and maintained moral stability (v. 1). Second, it is a life that is spiritually oriented and that takes delight in spiritual things (v, 2). Third, it is a life that bears good fruit. (v.3). Fourth, it is a life that has no doubt about its eternal security (v. 6)
Like temporal success, our spiritual success doesn’t come easy. We stumble and fall. With each failure, there is one lesson to be learned. It is that we can't succeed on our own. We need the daily guidance of God’s Spirit in our lives. He is the one who shines light on our failures but He is also the one who will extend a hand to lift us up. If we choose not to yield to His leadership, we will continue to fail and spiritual success will elude us throughout our lives.
If these words seem to be more discouraging than encouraging because you know that you have not been successful in your spiritual walk, reach out and take His hand. It is always extended toward you. Let Him lift you up and dust you off. He will lead you to success if you will follow His guidance. Do not dwell on past failures but remember, “It is not how hard you get knocked down but how fast you get up that really matters.”
While people understand the struggle for success in the temporal world, they don’t think about being successful spiritually. This is why so many people reach a high level of success in their field of expertise and still have an empty feeling inside that they can’t seem to satisfy. We see this in business executives, high paid athletes, movie stars, and other worldly endeavors. The reality is that temporal success plus spiritual failure does not add up to happiness.
If spiritual success is important, it would be to our benefit to understand how to measure it. I believe that there are four signs of spiritual success found in the first psalm. First, a successful spiritual life is one that has found and maintained moral stability (v. 1). Second, it is a life that is spiritually oriented and that takes delight in spiritual things (v, 2). Third, it is a life that bears good fruit. (v.3). Fourth, it is a life that has no doubt about its eternal security (v. 6)
Like temporal success, our spiritual success doesn’t come easy. We stumble and fall. With each failure, there is one lesson to be learned. It is that we can't succeed on our own. We need the daily guidance of God’s Spirit in our lives. He is the one who shines light on our failures but He is also the one who will extend a hand to lift us up. If we choose not to yield to His leadership, we will continue to fail and spiritual success will elude us throughout our lives.
If these words seem to be more discouraging than encouraging because you know that you have not been successful in your spiritual walk, reach out and take His hand. It is always extended toward you. Let Him lift you up and dust you off. He will lead you to success if you will follow His guidance. Do not dwell on past failures but remember, “It is not how hard you get knocked down but how fast you get up that really matters.”
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Reciprocal Commands
When a church is being lead by the Holy Spirit, the following characteristics will be found in the fellowship of the body. When these characteristics are present in the body, it becomes a beacon to those who live day to day in a dog-eat-dog world.
Love one another (Jn. 13:34, 35).
Forgive one another (Eph. 4:31, 32).
Tolerate one another (Eph. 4:1-3).
Care for one another (I Cor.12:24, 25).
Accept one another (Rom.15:7).
Be subject to one another (Eph. 5:21).
Build up one another (Rom. 14:19).
Exhort one another (Heb. 3:13).
Teach one another (Col. 3:16).
Admonish one another (Col. 3:16).
Confess sins to one another Jm.:5:16)
Do not judge one another. (Rom.14:12, 13a).
Do not speak evil of one another. (James 3:1).
Do not lie to one another (Col. 3:9).
Do not bite and devour one another. (Gal.5:15).
Love one another (Jn. 13:34, 35).
Forgive one another (Eph. 4:31, 32).
Tolerate one another (Eph. 4:1-3).
Care for one another (I Cor.12:24, 25).
Accept one another (Rom.15:7).
Be subject to one another (Eph. 5:21).
Build up one another (Rom. 14:19).
Exhort one another (Heb. 3:13).
Teach one another (Col. 3:16).
Admonish one another (Col. 3:16).
Confess sins to one another Jm.:5:16)
Do not judge one another. (Rom.14:12, 13a).
Do not speak evil of one another. (James 3:1).
Do not lie to one another (Col. 3:9).
Do not bite and devour one another. (Gal.5:15).
Friday, January 6, 2012
Prayer Guide for Personal Revival
This is a prayer guide that one of my mentors gave me many years ago. It is as true today as it was when I first received it. I encourage you to use it as a prayer guide for your own personal revival and watch what God does in your life.
I. Be still and quiet for the first few moments until you are perfectly calm and aware of where you are, whose you are, and who you are.
II. THINGS TO DISCUSS WITH CHRIST
A. YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
1. with yourself
2. with Christ himself
3. with your family
4. with others
B. YOUR ATTITUDES
1. any bitterness
2. any anger
3. any resentments
4. critical spirit
C. YOUR ABILITIES
1. for Christ
2. for His Church
3. for His World
4. for others
D. YOUR CHURCH
1. Spiritual Power
2. Revival
3. Souls Saved
4. Spiritual Growth
III. THINGS TO LISTEN FOR FROM CHRIST
A. PROBLEM AREAS IN YOUR LIFE
1. use of time
2. use of possessions
3. use of talents
B. UNSEEN SINS THAT MUST BE CONFESSED
1. envy, jealously, etc.
2. revenge, indifference, etc.
3. coldness, pride, etc.
C. GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
IV PRAYER FORMULA
A. Adore and Praise God
C. Confess everything you know to Him
T. Thank Him for every blessing
S. Supplications for the needs you feel in your life.
I. Be still and quiet for the first few moments until you are perfectly calm and aware of where you are, whose you are, and who you are.
II. THINGS TO DISCUSS WITH CHRIST
A. YOUR RELATIONSHIPS
1. with yourself
2. with Christ himself
3. with your family
4. with others
B. YOUR ATTITUDES
1. any bitterness
2. any anger
3. any resentments
4. critical spirit
C. YOUR ABILITIES
1. for Christ
2. for His Church
3. for His World
4. for others
D. YOUR CHURCH
1. Spiritual Power
2. Revival
3. Souls Saved
4. Spiritual Growth
III. THINGS TO LISTEN FOR FROM CHRIST
A. PROBLEM AREAS IN YOUR LIFE
1. use of time
2. use of possessions
3. use of talents
B. UNSEEN SINS THAT MUST BE CONFESSED
1. envy, jealously, etc.
2. revenge, indifference, etc.
3. coldness, pride, etc.
C. GOD'S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE
IV PRAYER FORMULA
A. Adore and Praise God
C. Confess everything you know to Him
T. Thank Him for every blessing
S. Supplications for the needs you feel in your life.
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