FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT TO THE END
by
Dr. Richard Jensen
A pastor I once knew had been freed from a life of rug
addiction. After almost two decades of freedom, however, he
experienced a terrible struggle. He awoke one night with a
desperate craving for a "fix" - a shot of heroin. The craving was
so intense that he was dressed and on his way out before he fully
realized what he was doing.
At the door, the man realized that finding a fix would be
his ruination. He trembled, completely caught up in the wrenching
temptation. At any second, he would open the door, walk out, and
be completely lost.
Recognizing that he was a mere second away from being
consumed, this pastor fell to his knees and clung to his Lord.
Jesus assured him, "Cling to Me, and this will pass."
Had there been other cherished sins in his life, he could
not have clung to the Lord to obtain power. Doing so required
complete concentration of will to stay kneeling and praying
rather than succumb to temptation. The need for a fix was so
overwhelming that only the power of God coupled with his
determination to cling to God could produce victory. As long as
he refused to yield, he was secure.
At dawn the craving passed. Half the night the pastor had
spent in desperate prayer, establishing his freedom in Christ.
When he told me this story, many years had passed without the
return of that temptation.
Brothers and sisters, every temptation is just like this
pastor's in one crucial respect: If we determine to slaughter our
sins and make no alliances with any of them, regardless how
strong the temptation, we shall have victory. This is a truth
that the Israelites failed to believe - and they paid dearly for
it.
Faltering in Fear
The children of Israel stared across the river at the
Promised Land, the place their ancestors dreamed about for
hundreds of years. God had promised to give His people the land
and enable them to utterly destroy the inhabitants. Yet the
Israelites stood at the river, afraid.
Their spies had returned with a fearful message: "The
inhabitants of the land are giants; they are fierce and mighty."
The spies explained, "We were like grasshoppers in our own sight,
and so we were in their sight" (Numbers 13:33).
Caleb and Joshua cried out against this doom-saying report:
"The Lord is with us! Surely He will give us this land. The
protection of the inhabitants is removed, and we have nothing to
fear from them" (see 14:6-9).
But the fearful spies prevailed. The people stared across
the river at the land they would not possess and were afraid.
Angry with His fearful people, the Lord cursed them to die in the
wilderness. Except for Caleb and Joshua, all died in that desert
place. They disbelieved the promises of God, rejected the
Promised Land, and died in their wanderings.
Giving up the Fight
After forty years, a new generation of people crossed the
Jordan and began to destroy the inhabitants and possess the land.
Though they experienced one miraculous victory after another, the
Israelites grew weary of the struggle. They intermarried with
God's enemies; they formed alliances. A generation of wandering
was followed by generations of rebellion against the Lord as His
people assumed the character and perspectives of the very enemies
God had commanded be destroyed.
The Lord had said:
"Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the
Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and
the Jebusite. Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant
with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be
a snare in your midst" (Exodus 34:11,12).
And again:
"When you have crossed the Jordan into the land of Canaan, then
you shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before
you, destroy all their engraved stones, destroy all their molded
images, and demolish all their high places; you shall dispossess
the inhabitants of the land and dwell in it, for I have given you
the land to possess" (Numbers 33:51-53).
The Scriptures repeatedly express God's intended procedure
for possessing the land: destruction, extermination, genocide
(Deuteronomy 2:34; 7:1,2; 20:17). It is not politically correct
to even think it today, but the Lord had judged those nations and
appointed His people to execute His judgments upon them.
"Slaughter the Canaanites" was God's command.
At first the Israelites were afraid to fight these enemies,
and later they concluded that they had fought enough. In both
cases, their failure to utterly destroy the Canaanites resulted
in their ruin.
Possessing the Land
How is it with you, brothers and sisters? Are you completely
possessing the land as the Lord God has commanded?
What "land" am I talking about? It's what Jesus says in
Matthew 5:48 and Paul repeats in 2 Corinthians 7:1:
"You shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse
ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting
holiness in the fear of God."
The "land" that needs transforming is our character - to be
set free from sin, now that we have been forgiven. To accomplish
this, the Lord has promised us the gift of the Spirit and the
mind of Christ. Christ's mind in us is our hope of glory and the
transforming power of God in us (John 8:34-36). The ultimate
intent of the gospel is to transform us - to save us from our
sins, not in them.
God intends that we employ His power forcefully and with a
single mind to confront and overcome our sins and defects of
character. Each of them, one at a time. We do not confront them
all at once, just as the Israelites did not know every battle and
enemy they would face. But God intends that we march through our
land from victory to victory in His power.
Hindrances to Victory
Why do we not enjoy more victory over our sins than we do?
Could it be that we feel like grasshoppers in the face of them?
Do we disbelieve the Word of God when it commands and promises
victory over all filthiness of the flesh and spirit?
Brothers and sisters, if you won't start the conquest
because you're convinced of ultimate failure, then you won't have
victory. Insipid little efforts will never be effective against
particular sins when you really don't believe in total triumph,
by God's grace.
Another hindrance to victory is taking up the fight in the
power of God but later tiring of the struggle. So people end up
forming alliances with their sins, willing to live in peaceful
co-existence with them. In this they minimize the importance of
ongoing victory by stressing the second part of 1 John 2:1 more
than the first. But the first part is the emphasis as John writes
it: "These things I write to you, so that you may not sin." Tired
of the fight, they ignore the exhortation: "You have not yet
resisted to bloodshed, striving against sin" (Hebrews 12:4).
Here is the secret: James tells us that a double-minded
person cannot expect anything from the Lord. We will not have
victory until we are committed to victory by clinging to our Lord
through the darkest hours, as the pastor did that night.
Fight to Win
Slaughter the Canaanites! Show them no mercy! Or as Paul put it,
"Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the
flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:14). It is your God-given
privilege to entirely possess the land, to enjoy victory over
each and every temptation to sin, and thus to live out your
freedom in Christ.
You need not be a slave to sin. Fight every battle to win,
and you shall move from victory to victory. The grace God gives
you is not only forgiveness in Christ but also power through the
Spirit to possess the land - a change in character that will let
you live free till Jesus comes.
.................
REMAINING Faith-full to the End Things that can Destroy PULLED FROM THE PEW
Does your Faith have "staying power"?
by
Sherri Langton
She's been called the leader of the largest church in the
world. Last May millions of hungry souls participated in her
"mass trance." Thanks to the heft of her celebrity and
multi-media savvy, Eckhart Tolle's book, "A New Earth," has shown
multitudes the latest passage from suffering to peace; "A Course
in Miracles," published by the Foundation for Inner Peace,
deposits daily New Age doses on satellite radio. It's safe to say
that Oprah Winfrey is the most influential media personality
today.
She's probably also the most misguided. When Oprah threw her
weight behind A Course in Miracles early this year, believers -
including me - rallied against her. Video clips popped up on
YouTube: Oprah in a heated exchange regarding Christ as the only
way to salvation; Oprah engaging in a few minutes of silence, led
by Tolle; Oprah exposing her claims to equality with God. These
clips helped stoke the holy fire against a woman many believers
have come to regard as Public Enemy Number One.
More disturbing, however, is what started the talk show
queen's descent into deception. In one video clip of A New
Earth's World Wide Web Event, Oprah explains that she grew up in
the Baptist church. Caught up in a charismatic worship service
one Sunday in her late twenties, she was "amening" the preacher
until he said, "The Lord thy God is a jealous God" (Deuteronomy
6:15, KJV).
Oprah was flummoxed. "God is jealous of me?" If God is love
and omniscient and omnipresent, she reasoned, how can He be
jealous of anyone?
That did it for Oprah: She packed her bags and left the
church. Thus began her spiritual search to "take God out of the
box," in her words - away from the rules of Christianity to the
open range of the New Age.
If we're honest, a bit of Oprah has been in all of us at
times. Many of us have entertained questions about God and His
Word, prompting us to eye the exit. I'm one of them. It turned
out that my unsettling questions led me to dig deeper for solid
truth.
Disappointment
Nothing capsizes my faithboat like a perceived failure on
God's part to answer prayer. God has consistently turned a cold
shoulder to my pleas for my sister's ill health. Some time ago,
both Susan and I prayed for a treatment that could have brought
her relief. We sensed a green light from God that this would be a
breakthrough.
But the treatment failed. Susan was left not just with worse
health problems but with more medical bills. And I was left with
my confidence in God shaken. Had we misunderstood God's
direction, or did God pull a cruel joke? The emotional toll of
watching Susan suffer compounded my disappointment in God and
made me fidget in the pew. Like Oprah, I felt something about God
didn't add up. A smirk in my spirit claimed that a loving God
wouldn't do this to one of His children.
But I persevered despite my doubts. Romans 8:28 reminded me
that God works for good. In time, I noticed He was creating
eternal things in Susan that far exceeded her health: increased
dependence on God and a deepening prayer life. Susan also began
attending a women's Bible study where she grew in her knowledge
of the Word.
I couldn't deny that God was shaping my sister into a
stronger Christian in the midst of her pain.
I'm reminded of the three Hebrew children. When they were
tossed into the fiery furnace, they told Nebuchadnezzar that
their God was able to deliver them from the fire and from his
hand (Daniel 3:17). "But even if he does not," they continued,"
...we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you
have set up" (v.18, NIV).
Even if he does not. This phrase didn't express doubt but a
contingency that these men considered. They didn't hold God to
deliverance; they trusted Him no matter what. They were prepared
to go out in a blaze of obedience if God chose not to intervene.
When something shakes my faith again, I will stay in the fire
because He stays with me (v. 25). I won't bend. I won't bow down
or give in to the voice inside me that says God failed. And I
won't leave the pew.
Disagreement over Teaching
For Oprah, it was Deuteronomy 6:15. For me, it was 1
Thessalonians 4:3: "For this is the will of God,
your sanctification."
What did that stuffy word mean? Perfection? I didn't
qualify. A cut above other Christians? I struck out there too.
Other words spoken from the pulpit - surrender and lordship of
Christ - agitated me as well. A true believer, the pastor said,
doesn't just show up to church, as I was doing. She doesn't
cruise through life, content in carnality and insisting on her
own way.
She must give everything in her grasp over to God, palms
down. To a true disciple of Christ, Gethsemane's "Not My will but
Thine" carries as much weight as Calvary's "It is finished!"
Week after week, I squirmed in the pew and looked for a way out.
I'm glad I didn't leave. In my personal Bible study, I got to
know God more and grew in my knowledge of Christ. My desires
changed. I wanted to commit myself to Christ, palms down. I
finally saw that I didn't need more of the Holy Spirit; He needed
all of me.
I slowly made my way to Gethsemane and surrendered my
self-control, my demand that I make my own choices. It wasn't
easy; it still isn't. The death of the "old man" of sin is slow
and painful. It is not a blissful skip to the next stage of
spiritual growth but a battle just as Jesus faced on His knees in
that garden grove.
I've learned that, with Jesus kneeling beside me,
sanctification is a glorious release from the tyranny of my way.
Whenever I face the struggle of self, I will not stop praying. I
will not sidestep Gethsemane. And I won't leave the pew.
End-time Exodus
Clearly Oprah isn't alone in her reactions, according to a
recent study. Last February the Pew Forum on Religion released
its findings: "More than one-quarter of American adults have left
the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion
at all .... Factoring in moves from one stream or denomination of
Protestantism to another, the number rises to 44 percent"
(CBS.com).
That's just what Paul said would happen in the last days. He
warned Timothy, "The Spirit clearly says that in later times some
will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things
taught by demons" (1 Timothy 4:1, NIV).
This tells me that there will be many Oprah Winfreys before
Jesus returns. But by continuing in what I've learned and been
assured of (2 Timothy 3:14), I won't be one of them.
...............
Taken from "The Bible Advocate" September 2008, a publication of
The Church of God, Seventh Day, Denver, CO. USA
...........
NOTE:
There are many things that have taken some people from loving and
serving the Lord. Sometimes it has been the spiritual fall of a
close church friend. Some times the fall of a church minister.
Sometimes the corruptions of a church organization, be it local
or national. As in the above it may be a verse in the Bible that
you cannot understand, that takes a person out of fellowship with
God. Maybe it is a prayer that seems to be taking a long time for
God to answer, or a prayer that was not answered in the way the
person wanted it answered, that takes an individual from walking
with the Lord. It could be the cares of this world, or loosing a
job. Any number of things can take a person away from a
relationship with God.
To retain that personal relationship with the Father above, you
need to know the enemy, and how the enemy can come at you in
different ways. Be on guard. Be watchful. Be vigilant. Satan is
walking about as a lion looking to see who he can devour for the
next meal, and the food the Devil wants is to see people fall
away from God. You will need to be like a David, who faced many
trials and difficulties in life, yet continued to love his God.
Maybe you will need to sit and read the Psalms when trials come
along. You will at times need to remember people like David
probably had to endure more hardships and more trials in life
than you will face. But I know that everyone's trials and tests
are BIG to them, yet remember also that God has said He will not
try and test us above what we are able to bear. Remember that the
Bible gives many accounts of God's people facing many different
trials, so you with your test, is not something that is unique to
only you. Read Hebrews 11 and take comfort in the fact that
others did not always have it easy, but they did endure, they did
remain faith-full to the end, and they will have a glorious
resurrection.
You can be with them on that resurrection day. Do not let anyone
or anything take your crown. Fight the good fight. You can win,
with God's power in you, you were born to win!
Keith Hunt
Double TROUBLE - Help!You CAN Finish the race! TROUBLE - HELP!
By Calvin Burrell
What's the difference between ignorance and apathy?" someone
honestly asks. "I don't know, and I don't care," comes the
mocking reply. In this acidic answer, rumbles of ruination roll
toward the Church we love and any other where such perspectives
prevail. Historic, bona fide Christianity thrives in soils where
knowledge, not ignorance, sprouts and flourishes; in climates
where concern, not apathy, prevails. Without knowledge and
without caring, as we shall see, we face the certain wreck of our
faith.
Called to Know
Christians are called to know, not remain ignorant. How do
we know this? Consider that the first five books of our Scripture
are otherwise known as Torah, or Instruction. Another section of
the Hebrew Bible is known simply as Wisdom. Jesus Christ, beyond
His role known as Teacher (i.e., Rabbi, Master). We are His
disciples, called to learn and follow His example and teachings.
Likewise, the New Testament Epistles are crowded with
spiritual and practical propositions, waiting for us to
comprehend and apply them.
Not all of Christ's disciples will become scholars, to be
sure, but most of us can learn the basics of our faith. Let's
study and prepare ourselves with confident, accurate answers to
questions like these:
* Who is Jesus?
* How do we explain and defend His humanity and deity?
* What are the core elements of our Lord's teaching?
* What is the gospel for which He died and rose again?
* How do we identify and support the church He purchased?
* How do Christians achieve victory in the battle against sin?
Ignorance on the part of God's people can be deadly. In a
text often quoted by an earlier generation but not much heard in
today's church, the prophet writes, "My people are destroyed for
lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). The same verse goes on to warn
that since we have rejected knowledge and forgotten God's law, He
will reject us as His representatives and forget our children.
According to Ephesians 6:10-18, knowledge of the Word is the
sword of the Spirit - the church's chief offensive weapon against
an enemy bent on our destruction.
To assess your Bible knowledge quotient, grab a piece of
paper and list the Ten Commandments. OK, we'll settle for just
the first and tenth, if you know Jesus' reply to those who asked
Him about the greatest commandment in the law.
Or have we, like those in Hosea's day, forgotten God's law -
His Word? Without it, the gospel of God's forgiving grace has
little meaning and even less power to shape our lives.
Ignorance Abroad
It is worth noting that ignorance outside the church also
threatens our evangelistic mission. The average guy on the street
says he avoids churches because they aren't much like Jesus. And
why not? Because, says he, Jesus would never criticize anyone or
say that certain human behaviors are sinful and wrong.
Those who make such statements reinvent Jesus to an image of
their own liking, rather than knowing the real Jesus reported in
the Bible. Ignorance for sure!
What can the church do about widespread biblical ignorance
in this society? Not that much, perhaps. But consider: Advancing
the Bible as a viable and valid source of knowledge for an
educated citizenry, not just for those who affirm Jesus Christ as
Savior and Lord, is a legitimate and defensible position for the
church in the public square.
Called to Care
As knowledge is a core value in our faith, so is concerned
caring. Believers are called to care and not be apathetic. How do
we know that a proper kind of care is so important to our faith?
Because care is another word for love, for compassion. According
to the Bible's best-loved chapter (1 Corinthians 13), care is the
one thing without which all other gifts - knowledge included -
are devoid of value.
Without a caring love for people, other ministries reduce
the gifted one to a mass of noisy nothings. It's worth saying
again that most people don't really care how much we know until
they know how much we care. Knowing without caring is hard, cold
intellectualism, repugnant to those who are subjected to it. On
the other hand, caring without knowledge can be ineffectual
drivel, sop without substance. When mature knowing and caring are
combined in the man or woman of God, an irresistible force for
good is released.
Raising the Quotient
Quick test on your Christian caring quotient: At the heart
level, how do you respond when you see or hear someone in the
public eye who represents all that you despise in our culture?
How do you react to the fall or failure of one who has often
been your adversary? Are you often more interested in being right
than in being a real friend?
Just as we Christians can increase our biblical knowledge
and wisdom through listening, reading, studying, writing, and
other disciplines, so we can raise our caring quotient by a
variety of means and methods:
* cultivating more meaningful relationships, with Christians and
non-believers, than we now enjoy. Deeper knowing produces more
caring.
* reading, meditating, and praying through Bible passages that
call us to love and care as Jesus did. Try Matthew 5-7;
Luke 6, 7, 15, 18; John 14-17; Romans 12-15; Ephesians 4-6; and
Colossians 3 for starters.
* confessing the sin of coldness and unconcern. Ask God to
replace our apathy with His passionate care for those in need.
Victory through Caring, Knowing
Caring, in fact, may be more central to our Christian
identity than knowing (John 13:35) and not so easily abused
(1 Corinthians 8:1, 2). When our positive caring borders on
something burdensome like worry and anxiety, remember this:
"Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you (1 Peter
5:7).
Ignorance and apathy are twin giants that mightily oppose
the church of Jesus Christ in twenty-first century America and
around the world. What will you do about them? Do you know? Do
you care?
Victory over these giants and freedom from their corrosive
grip come to those who know enough to care and care enough to
keep learning. The Bible puts it this way: "But grow in the grace
and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ" (2 Peter
3:18).
Come on - let's grow!
...............
Taken from "The Bible Advocate" September 2008, a publication of
The Church of God, Seventh Day, CO. USA
......
NOTE:
If you stop wanting to grow in grace and knowledge, if you stop
hungering and thirsting for truth, if you stop loving the Lord
with all your heart, mind, and life, if you stop caring about
others, if you take your eyes off desiring to do what you can in
spreading the Gospel of Christ near and far, THEN INDEED you will
loose your first love, and you will be ripe pickings for the
world, and the cares of the world, and Satan the Devil to pluck
you from the Lord, and put you right back in the dug-out, from
whence you started.
You need to keep close to God by loving His word, praying always,
and loving in all good ways, those who are still blinded by the
deceptions of all that is false and unrighteous.
Do the above as expounded in the before article, and you will
remain faithful, to hear one day, "Well done good and faithful
servant, enter the joy of thy Lord."
Keith Hunt
Tending Broken PlantsTruth for wounded Souls
by Charles Irwin
God has a garden of fruitbearing plants - some with strong
stems, others with broken ones. These damaged plants can, with
care, blossom beautifully in season and yield an abundant
harvest.
The plants with broken stems are like people who have been
wounded. They are the lonely, sick, poor, hungry, imprisoned, and
emotionally scarred. Why do they exist in God's garden? Perhaps
so that the strong will take note of them and nurture them to
health.
Wounded Soul
Jabez, born in Israel of the tribe of Judah, may have been
such a wounded soul. About him we read "Now Jabez was more
honorable than his brothers, and his mother called his name
Jabez, saying, 'Because I bore him in pain"' (1 Chronicles 4:9).
Every human birth is accompanied by pain, but the narrative here
suggests that his birth was more painful than usual for both
mother and child. Jabez's mother may have had a difficult
delivery causing injury to the infant- an adverse congenital
condition. Or perhaps the child inherited a genetically based
impairment. We don't know whether Jabez's pain was an observable,
physical impairment or a mental disability.
Regardless, Jabez is described as being more honorable than
his brethren. His fervent plea to God was "Oh, that You would
bless me indeed, and enlarge my territory, that Your hand would
be with me, and that You would keep me from evil, that I may not
cause pain!" (v.10).
As the boy grew, he suffered pain. He knew he was a burden
on his mother, who grieved for him. Perhaps in desperation, this
man sought God for blessing, expanded territory, deliverance from
evil, and release from causing pain.
Enlarged Territory
As for territory, Jabez's inheritance may have been smaller
than his brothers'; thus his pleas that it be increased. This can
refer to an ancient kinship system in which one's place in the
genealogical record was a legal validation of the right to land,
livestock, rank, and, in some cases, marriage. No genealogy, no
inheritance.
In the context of Jabez's life, however, territory likely
meant something more: moving into a large place and shedding the
bondage that resulted from a troubled beginning. Jabez was
seeking God (Job 36:16; Psalm 18:19). The Bible speaks of giving
room to the afflicted, of deliverance from the chains of tragic
circumstances, and the consequent liberty of an "increase of
territory."
Jabez's story is one of God's grace. Jabez was weak and he
knew it. He called upon God in his time of need and cast himself
upon His grace. The man had done nothing to deserve God's
blessing, presence, and deliverance. Yet the Lord of love and
mercy harkened to the plea of this afflicted son and delivered
him from the bondage of the past.
Enlarged Outreach
Jabez's story also teaches us about increasing our own
territory for outreach. Each of us can ask the Father for
entrance into a life of greater service where the Spirit of
Christ empowers us to minister to the world's broken and wounded.
Thousands, perhaps millions, of Jabezes have been in our churches
since the first century and are with us today. When Paul the
evangelist bid farewell to the elders of Ephesus, he admonished
them:
I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that
you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord
Jesus, that He said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive"
(Acts 20:35). Paul's exhortations to sup port the weak and give
to the poor remind us that poverty can take many forms: lack of
physical necessities, poverty of spirit, depression, rejection,
mental disability, addictions, loneliness, and physical
impairment.
How important is our ministry to the weak and impoverished?
Our Savior answered the question in His discourse on the
separation of the sheep and goats (Matthew 25:31-46). He
commended the sheep for feeding the hungry, visiting the sick,
clothing the naked, and visiting the imprisoned. Forasmuch as
they did it to them, they did it to Him. The goats, however, were
cast into hell because they failed to minister to the afflicted
and, in turn, did not minister to Him.
Ministry to the poor and wounded will open doors to lead men
and women to Christ. The Lord made no conditions as to whether
those needing this support are saved or not. In fact, Jesus
preferred eating supper at a tax collector's house rather than
sharing a meal with the religious elites.
It behooves every Christian to minister to the Jabezes in
the body of Christ, as well as to those outside the church. The
sermons may be inspiring, the singing lively, the doctrine sound,
the attendance up, and the building substantial. But do we hear
weak ones in our midst cry out for help?
Healing the Broken
You can, by God's grace, help support a broken brother or
sister. You can, by the Spirit's power, assist the divine intent
to increase the spiritual and material territory of another and
reduce his pain. When you minister to the suffering, you are
ministering with the Master, and to Him.
A church I know assists struggling, at-risk students from a
nearby public school with homework. Parents voluntarily bring
their kids to the church two nights a week. Teachers and others
in the congregation help the students, who are not required to be
members of the church.
Are there people in your community who need your help? Are
there desperate saints in your congregations? If so, reach out to
the stranger, elderly, divorced, maligned, physically impaired,
and destitute. Pray that God will lead you to those who need your
care.
Many of us are like Jabez in one way or another. Echoing his
prayer, we move into new territory of blessing through service to
others. By God's grace in Christ, his prayer is answered by this
New Testament invitation to everyone with pain:
"Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am
gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.
For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-30).
...............
Charles Irwin, a member residing in Quartz Hill, CA, is a
semi-retired school teacher. He once attended Spring Vale
Academy.
Taken from "The Bible Advocate" September 2008, a publication of
The Church of God, Seventh Day, Denver, CO. USA
......
NOTE:
Being concerned about others, wanting to help others, giving of
your time, talents, physical goods, to others, is one way to help
yourself stay in the Christian race to the end. Loving and caring
for others is the ONE SIDE of the TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS:
(1) Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and life,
and the second is like unto it:
(2) LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF!
Keith Hunt
Resetting the ClockMaking choices about your Time
by David Kidd
Everyone seems busy. Autralia, in fact, seems more like the "busy
country" than the "lucky country" it is called.
Many people work long hours; both parents usually work.
People who are too busy have little time or energy for one
another or can't connect because they work different shifts. An
African immigrant once expressed his amazement to me about all
the activity here. Now he is very busy, too.
Despite our industriousness, many of us feel that we are not
really making progress. Maybe we relate to the prophet who
lamented:
"You have sown much, and bring in little; you eat, but do not
have enough; you drink, but you are not filled with drink; you
clothe yourselves, but no one is warm; and he who earns wages,
earns wages to put into a bag with holes" (Haggai 1:6).
Most of us are over-committed and tired, with limited time.
Yet our Bibles tell us to be fruitful in every good work and
zealous for them. Jesus said that the harvest is plentiful but
the laborers few. As He spoke these words, He looked at the
multitudes with compassion. He saw them weary and scattered, like
sheep having no shepherd.
Today we also see many people in great need, but we are too
busy or tired to help. The shortage of the Lord's laborers is
urgent. Some of us feel frustrated and sorry because we know that
we are barely doing His work at such a critical time.
Many Christians don't realize the gravity of this situation.
Many don't appreciate that to be a Christian is to be a dedicated
servant of the living God. Satan has done a good job tying us up
in our stressful lives, doing little for the kingdom of God.
That's the bad news.
If our conscience is pierced by this, what can we do about
it?
Options
First, we could pretend that nothing is wrong and do nothing
about it. Then we would be like the seed sown among thorns,
choked by worldly cares and the deceitfulness of riches, or like
the wicked, lazy servant who buried his one talent and was
later rejected. This option leads nowhere.
Second, we could forsake all and follow Jesus, serving Him
on the front line - by faith. Levi the tax collector did that
when Jesus called. Perhaps God is asking us to step out and
follow Him full time.
The second option might seem too radical. Certainly not
every believer in the Bible took up his knapsack to follow the
Lord or His apostles on their arduous journeys. Most first
century Christians lived and worked in one area. Many stayed in
the same state in which they were called (1 Corinthians 7:20-24).
They worked to feed their families, support the local church,
help their neighbors, and provide funds to help others in the
work of the Lord.
Don't discount this ministry of financial giving. The Lord
can use you greatly, busy as you are, if you obey the Word about
supporting outreach with your dollars. We all have time to do
this.
Regardless of our circumstances, each of us can serve the
Lord in all we do, right where we are (Colossians 3:22-24). Even
while on the job, we can work to the glory of God, be a good
witness to co-workers and clients, and share the gospel at
opportune times. This is the third option.
Seeking the Kingdom
One final option should also be considered for those not
called to leave all and follow in the same manner as Levi. You
can pray and plan in faith to one day be free of your busyness
and fatigue brought on by mostly secular concerns. May I share my
own blessing in this regard?
I obtained a law degree but soon realized that I would be
too busy as a lawyer to make much time contribution to the Lord's
work. God led me to a more creative way of using my legal skills
that doesn't tax my time or energy. Thus I thank God for His
faithfulness in providing all my needs. Now I have a successful
business as an author and publisher in the law, and I have the
time and flexibility to serve the Lord as well.
Not Busy?
A note for those who have free time: Value it highly; learn
to appreciate it. Be like the slave who was told to use his
freedom for the Lord, if it should come his way (1 Corinthians
7:21).
Don't be like the carnal Christian who suddenly finds time
on his hands, gets bored, and seeks new challenges in everything
but the service of the Lord. Plenty of difficult and exciting
challenges remain in Christian ministry. Find one and tackle it!
Don't be like the successful rich man who decided to build bigger
barns and take it easy. He was dispossessed of his life soon
after that.
Don't be sidetracked with activities that might not make a
real difference in people's lives. Be careful to use your time
wisely. Some of us have had time on our hands for a long while
but don't seem to know how to use it fruitfully for the Lord. One
sure answer to this is Jesus' example of caring for the physical
and spiritual needs of people. I urge you to find ways to serve
people through personal contact. People hardly have time for one
another these days. Many will appreciate your efforts to make
time for them.
Call to Respond
If your heart has been hardened with regard to serving the
Lord and others, tremble - and reconsider. God has sacrificed His
Son and has a wonderful gift of eternal life for you. Show some
gratitude, or risk falling away through the busyness of this
world.
If something in this article has pricked your conscience,
say, "Hallelujah" or "Amen": You are alive spiritually! Now take
up one of the options (except the first) with all your heart.
Thus says the Lord of Hosts, "Consider your ways."
...............
David and Angella Kidd attend and serve in the Adelaide church in
South Australia.
Taken from "The Bible Advocate" September 2008, a publication of
The Church of God, Seventh Day, Denver, CO.USA
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