There is a popular Christian song that says" Order my steps in your word etc... I feel that God can guide all of our steps if we let him. I have mentioned before about how God takes care of us.
Several years ago we were wanting to get involved with outreach to the nursing homes and other areas of ministry to encourage people. But we needed a keyboard and amplifier among other things. So we kept praying and doing the best we could.
One night a visitor came to church he was an older gentleman. I went by and shook his hand and I ended up teaching him Bible Studies for several weeks at his house. He came every Sunday morning for awhile. Then he started missing some and when I called he told me was was sick. Within a few weeks I found out he had cancer and he died. I went to his funeral and met some other ministers that were there and come to find out he had two half brothers in Canada.
Those brothers are pastoring Pentecostal Churches and they were glad that I had spent time with their brother before he passed away. They had prayed for years for him to get his heart right with God. I explained his experience and the many times we had prayed together and they rejoiced.
I went to the store about three weeks later and met his wife and she asked me to come by and see her. So I went by and she gave me a card. She told me that her husband had left the youth group some money because he was thankful for all that we were doing for God. God has a way of taking care of us if we do our part.
It was enough to purchase an excellent keyboard and amplifier plus other things to help us in or efforts of ministry. I contacted his half brothers at General Conference and they were so excited that his legacy would live on especially after their 50+ years of praying for him!
Thank you for stopping by today! It is my desire to share my thoughts and ideas to be encouraging and uplifting to you. So enjoy and feel free to leave your comment!
Showing posts with label encourage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label encourage. Show all posts
Saturday, February 09, 2008
Saturday, December 01, 2007
The Casual Christian
Matthew 25
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
This is the first of three parables in this chapter the second parable deals with the servants and what they did with their talents that the master had given them.
The third parable deals with taking care of Jesus when we take care of the least of these.
In this first story Jesus tells about the virgins that were engaged to be married. They all knew that the bridegroom was coming to get them. They knew as was the custom in that day that the bridegroom went to prepare a place for them.
Sometimes the preparation would take months even into a year or more for all the arrangements to be made for the bride. Land had to be made ready. The house had to be built and preparations to be made for the great day when he brings his bride home.
The brides had preparations that they had to make as well as far as what she needed to be comfortable in her new house. Maybe even to collecting specials spices and things that could not be found in the area of her new home.
But with all her preparations the bride had to be ready at all times to go and meet her bridegroom. He may come today because he has finished his work and is all ready for her. So he comes to claim his bride and he is excited.
The problem is that five of the virgins did not have enough oil in their lamp to go meet the bridegroom. They may have made preparations and got a lot of things done. But they missed the one important thing and that was having oil in their lamp to meet their bridegroom.
Today the church is being driven to be like the five foolish virgins. Let’s get this done and that done. Let’s be sure that we are at church and have our lesson ready.
Be sure we have our class all decorated and everything in place. But we really don’t have our heart in it. We just do what is expected and keep up with the Jones so to speak. So we become casual Christians.
We really are not ready for the bridegroom to come. We are casual in our approach to our duties as leadership and teachers. It is too easy and too common for us to rush in at the last minute and put things together.
When you really think about it we probably didn’t pray like we should this week or last week. Maybe if we thought about it we may not have worshipped in service Wednesday night like we should have worshipped. Maybe we didn’t witness at work this week like we could have or should have witnessed. The casual Christian thinks like the foolish virgin and thinks I will have more time before the bridegroom comes, to get things in order.
I am at least showing up for church or work day or Sunday School class. I gave five dollars in the offering. Then God begins to try to break through and we remember a student that is struggling or a new convert that needs to be contacted. God gives you an opportunity to change.
God tries to help you to overcome the blight of the casual Christian. He will try to guide your path if you would let Him.
Sometimes we get so casual we think that we can just show up at church and we have done our duty to God for the day or week. Then we become more casual and come dressed casual as well. It becomes a mind set with us. I can’t be used in the class or on the platform because I dressed casual today.
What we don’t realize is that when we are in that mind set we don’t listen to God as well. I have seen people that are not in tune with God because of the way they just casually show up for church make some big mistakes. I have heard them speak out of turn or say things that were casual and hurt people. They really didn’t mean harm but they just didn’t know that the brother or sister was going through a hard time and it was the straw that broke the camels back.
Don’t try to be casual with someone that you have not spent time with at the altar or over a cup of coffee or at the mall or fishing hole. For instance when I heard that Jessica was getting married I teased her and asked how much she had to pay the guy.
She laughed and said that she had to promise not to talk. Well she already had broken that promise and I told her she would have to give the ring back.
I can do that with Jessica because I have stayed in touch with her for several years. My wife and I have prayed with her and counseled her. We have rejoiced and cried with her.
It goes back to getting everything in order. The oil represents the anointing of the Holy Ghost. We need to spend time in prayer everyday. We need to be here on Tuesday night for our church prayer time or thirty minutes early for every service so God can move us together in the Spirit. We need to lay up prayer so we can be sensitive to the Spirit of God and speak the right words to someone and encourage them.
I don’t know how many times I have contacted someone and later, sometimes months later they would get back with me and thank me for encouraging them. I didn’t remember what I said, then I realized that God had given me the words to speak and I just tell them I am His servant and it wasn’t me it was Him.
Don’t fall into the trap of a casual Christian! Let’s be ready for the bridegroom to come back for us. We will hear Him say “well done thou good and faithful servant!”
1 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom.
2 And five of them were wise, and five were foolish.
3 They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them:
4 But the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps.
5 While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept.
6 And at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him.
7 Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps.
8 And the foolish said unto the wise, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are gone out.
9 But the wise answered, saying, Not so; lest there be not enough for us and you: but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves.
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage: and the door was shut.
11 Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us.
12 But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.
13 Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh.
This is the first of three parables in this chapter the second parable deals with the servants and what they did with their talents that the master had given them.
The third parable deals with taking care of Jesus when we take care of the least of these.
In this first story Jesus tells about the virgins that were engaged to be married. They all knew that the bridegroom was coming to get them. They knew as was the custom in that day that the bridegroom went to prepare a place for them.
Sometimes the preparation would take months even into a year or more for all the arrangements to be made for the bride. Land had to be made ready. The house had to be built and preparations to be made for the great day when he brings his bride home.
The brides had preparations that they had to make as well as far as what she needed to be comfortable in her new house. Maybe even to collecting specials spices and things that could not be found in the area of her new home.
But with all her preparations the bride had to be ready at all times to go and meet her bridegroom. He may come today because he has finished his work and is all ready for her. So he comes to claim his bride and he is excited.
The problem is that five of the virgins did not have enough oil in their lamp to go meet the bridegroom. They may have made preparations and got a lot of things done. But they missed the one important thing and that was having oil in their lamp to meet their bridegroom.
Today the church is being driven to be like the five foolish virgins. Let’s get this done and that done. Let’s be sure that we are at church and have our lesson ready.
Be sure we have our class all decorated and everything in place. But we really don’t have our heart in it. We just do what is expected and keep up with the Jones so to speak. So we become casual Christians.
We really are not ready for the bridegroom to come. We are casual in our approach to our duties as leadership and teachers. It is too easy and too common for us to rush in at the last minute and put things together.
When you really think about it we probably didn’t pray like we should this week or last week. Maybe if we thought about it we may not have worshipped in service Wednesday night like we should have worshipped. Maybe we didn’t witness at work this week like we could have or should have witnessed. The casual Christian thinks like the foolish virgin and thinks I will have more time before the bridegroom comes, to get things in order.
I am at least showing up for church or work day or Sunday School class. I gave five dollars in the offering. Then God begins to try to break through and we remember a student that is struggling or a new convert that needs to be contacted. God gives you an opportunity to change.
God tries to help you to overcome the blight of the casual Christian. He will try to guide your path if you would let Him.
Sometimes we get so casual we think that we can just show up at church and we have done our duty to God for the day or week. Then we become more casual and come dressed casual as well. It becomes a mind set with us. I can’t be used in the class or on the platform because I dressed casual today.
What we don’t realize is that when we are in that mind set we don’t listen to God as well. I have seen people that are not in tune with God because of the way they just casually show up for church make some big mistakes. I have heard them speak out of turn or say things that were casual and hurt people. They really didn’t mean harm but they just didn’t know that the brother or sister was going through a hard time and it was the straw that broke the camels back.
Don’t try to be casual with someone that you have not spent time with at the altar or over a cup of coffee or at the mall or fishing hole. For instance when I heard that Jessica was getting married I teased her and asked how much she had to pay the guy.
She laughed and said that she had to promise not to talk. Well she already had broken that promise and I told her she would have to give the ring back.
I can do that with Jessica because I have stayed in touch with her for several years. My wife and I have prayed with her and counseled her. We have rejoiced and cried with her.
It goes back to getting everything in order. The oil represents the anointing of the Holy Ghost. We need to spend time in prayer everyday. We need to be here on Tuesday night for our church prayer time or thirty minutes early for every service so God can move us together in the Spirit. We need to lay up prayer so we can be sensitive to the Spirit of God and speak the right words to someone and encourage them.
I don’t know how many times I have contacted someone and later, sometimes months later they would get back with me and thank me for encouraging them. I didn’t remember what I said, then I realized that God had given me the words to speak and I just tell them I am His servant and it wasn’t me it was Him.
Don’t fall into the trap of a casual Christian! Let’s be ready for the bridegroom to come back for us. We will hear Him say “well done thou good and faithful servant!”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)