If your servant comes in from plowing or from taking care of the sheep, would you say, “Welcome! Come on in and have something to eat”? No, you wouldn’t say that. You would say, “Fix me something to eat. Get ready to serve me, so I can have my meal. Then later on you can eat and drink.” Servants don’t deserve special thanks for doing what they are supposed to do. And that’s how it should be with you. When you’ve done all you should, then say, “We are merely servants, and we have simply done our duty.” (Luke 17:7-10)
I think it very interesting that the apostles, though they spoke of our place as sons, empathically referred to themselves as servants…acknowledging Jesus as their Lord. Read the rest of this entry »
Unbalanced weights. That is the phrase that comes to mind when I think of how some Christians think of God, the Father. They tend to major on one aspect of His character, thus nullifying the rest of His glorious nature. This causes people to have an unbalanced view of Him.
I want to talk about the subject of fear. Now, we all know the scripture that says,
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2Tim. 1:7)
And rightly so. However, this verse is talking about fear, in general. We can all agree that, in Christ, we have been delivered from fear. Nevertheless, there is one fear we have not been delivered from and are still expected to keep and that is the fear of the Lord.
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Besides this you know the time that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far-gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. (Rom. 13:11-14)
I refuse to think I am an isolated case. There is nothing special about me. I have no particular gifting that would set me apart from the rest of Christendom. However, a question continually comes to mind as I look across the church world, and that is, why don’t we see change in a person’s life when they are “born-again”?
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I am by no means a political person. The very word politics cause my eyes to glaze over, as I picture myself listening to Charlie Brown’s teacher, “Waa waa waawaa waaa…”
However, without a doubt, I can clearly detect propaganda being spread throughout our country. It is alarming to see America being turned into something that our founding fathers never intended. Nevertheless, the intent of this article is not to address the political agenda, but the spiritual. Sadly, the things we observe in the natural only mirror the state of the church. Read the rest of this entry »
If any man cometh unto me, and hateth not his own father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. Whosoever doth not bear his own cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, doth not first sit down and count the cost, whether he have wherewith to complete it? Lest haply, when he hath laid a foundation, and is not able to finish, all that behold begin to mock him, saying, This man began to build, and was not able to finish. Or what king, as he goeth to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and take counsel whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand? Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and asketh conditions of peace. So therefore whosoever he be of you that renounceth not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple. Salt therefore is good: but if even the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be seasoned? It is fit neither for the land nor for the dunghill: men cast it out. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. (Luke 14:26-35)
I remember the day when following Christ would cost you everything. You would loose family, friends, popularity, jobs, etc. People would see you as an outcast – they would even hate you and this was to be expected.
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I have been thinking about the Nazarite vow lately. The Nazarites were people who devoted themselves, and set apart their time to serve the Lord in a stricter and purer manner than others. The way I understand it, this really wasn’t a command from God that they do this, but it was more of a decision to commit themselves wholly and holy to the Lord.
Matthew Henry defined the Nazarites in this way:
Devoted to the Lord during the time of their Nazariteship, and, it is probable, spent much of their time in the study of the law, in acts of devotion, and instructing others. An air of piety was thereby put upon them, and upon their whole conversation. Read the rest of this entry »
Reading John chapter 10, I was vividly reminded why we need to stay close to the Master Shepherd. As sheep, we must be told what to do and where to go, other wise we’ll wander off and get lost. Jesus said the two characteristics of sheep are they will hear His voice and follow it.
In lieu of the deception running rampant among Christian circles, I found the following rather interesting and very accurate.
What are the Characteristics of Sheep? Read the rest of this entry »
