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Monday, April 11, 2022
Friday, April 1, 2022
Change is Coming
Change is hard. One of the things that makes it more difficult is when we just stop doing something. Often, we might even say it's just too hard, I can't stop it. It's part of me.
One thing the Bible teaches us, is yes, stopping the old way of life, dying to the sinful nature, and letting go of sin is absolutely something we need to do, we don't merely stop. We must replace.
Take a look at Paul's words to Titus and to us today. Notice how we should replace one way of life, one way of thinking, one pattern of belief with something better.
So when you recognize there's something in your life you need to stop, that's good. Now, what can you replace it with? What will you do instead? Fill the void in your life with the Spirit of God.
Titus 2:11-13
For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope —the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Sunday, February 6, 2022
Time for a Change?
As much as we know that we are called to be Christ’s ambassadors in the world, (2 Corinthians 5:20), difference makers (Luke 12:33-34) and peace makers (Matthew 5:9), the job is honestly quite intimidating.
We’re not alone in these feelings either. Moses was hesitant to accept his calling according to Exodus 4:10. Both Jeremiah and Isaiah were powerful and effective prophets for the Lord and each expressed some trepidation (Jeremiah 1:6, Isaiah 6:5).
Even Jesus, in all His wisdom, power, and courage asked God for some other way for His will to be done when He prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” (Matthew 26:39).
But, Jesus’s prayer didn’t stop there. Nor did Moses’s service end in Exodus 4. And neither did Isaiah or Jeremiah cease to serve the Lord. In every case, the servants of the Lord continued despite any hesitation or reservation. Jesus prayed: “Yet not as I will, but as you will” in His very same breath (Matthew 26:39). These examples show us that even though we may be nervous, we may feel inadequate, or ill equipped we must have enough faith to know that the Lord has provided everything we need to be able to serve Him, and to serve well.
Maybe one reason we find it difficult to share the Gospel is perhaps we fear it’s too complex or that we won’t be able to answer any of the questions that a person might have.
It’s important then to focus on what matters most when it comes to the Gospel.
It might surprise us to think that we can speak of the Gospel in this way, to say that one part or another might be more important – but this is exactly how Paul speaks of the Gospel when he wrote to the church in Corinth: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” (1 Cor 15:3). Paul points to Christ, His death, His purpose in death, and how it was foretold by the word of God that came before it in the Holy Scriptures and calls this “of first importance”.
If we can communicate only one thing, let it be this. In fact, earlier in the same letter, Paul reminds his readers how this had been the defining summary of his message: “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:1-2).
So we too pray that we can overcome our fear, our hesitation, and our reservations with sharing the Gospel. If nothing else we can follow the example of Paul, we can share what is of first importance, and we can resolve to know of nothing else but Christ and Him crucified.
In this simple truth, we know we have peace, forgiveness, salvation, and grace. Don’t keep it to yourself.
We’re not alone in these feelings either. Moses was hesitant to accept his calling according to Exodus 4:10. Both Jeremiah and Isaiah were powerful and effective prophets for the Lord and each expressed some trepidation (Jeremiah 1:6, Isaiah 6:5).
Even Jesus, in all His wisdom, power, and courage asked God for some other way for His will to be done when He prayed: “My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” (Matthew 26:39).
But, Jesus’s prayer didn’t stop there. Nor did Moses’s service end in Exodus 4. And neither did Isaiah or Jeremiah cease to serve the Lord. In every case, the servants of the Lord continued despite any hesitation or reservation. Jesus prayed: “Yet not as I will, but as you will” in His very same breath (Matthew 26:39). These examples show us that even though we may be nervous, we may feel inadequate, or ill equipped we must have enough faith to know that the Lord has provided everything we need to be able to serve Him, and to serve well.
Maybe one reason we find it difficult to share the Gospel is perhaps we fear it’s too complex or that we won’t be able to answer any of the questions that a person might have.
It’s important then to focus on what matters most when it comes to the Gospel.
It might surprise us to think that we can speak of the Gospel in this way, to say that one part or another might be more important – but this is exactly how Paul speaks of the Gospel when he wrote to the church in Corinth: “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,” (1 Cor 15:3). Paul points to Christ, His death, His purpose in death, and how it was foretold by the word of God that came before it in the Holy Scriptures and calls this “of first importance”.
If we can communicate only one thing, let it be this. In fact, earlier in the same letter, Paul reminds his readers how this had been the defining summary of his message: “When I came to you, I did not come with eloquence or human wisdom as I proclaimed to you the testimony about God. For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.” (1 Cor 2:1-2).
So we too pray that we can overcome our fear, our hesitation, and our reservations with sharing the Gospel. If nothing else we can follow the example of Paul, we can share what is of first importance, and we can resolve to know of nothing else but Christ and Him crucified.
In this simple truth, we know we have peace, forgiveness, salvation, and grace. Don’t keep it to yourself.
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