They were seeking therefore to seize Him; and no man laid his hand on Him, because His hour had not yet come. John 7:30
As you read Scripture you will make note that the Bible has a lot to say about 'time.' Jesus was always where He was suppose to be, at the right time, because He was always on His Father's schedule.
The story is told of a man who rushed into a suburban railroad station and, almost breathlessly, asked the ticket agent, "When does the 8:01 train leave?"
"At 8:01," was the answer. "Well," the man replied, "It's 7:59 by my watch, 7:57 by the town clock, and 8:04 by the station clock. Which am I to go by?" "You can go by any clock you wish," said the agent, "but you can't go by the 8:01 train, for it has already left."
God's time is moving forward hour by hour, minute by minute. There are multitudes who seem to think that they can live by any schedule they choose, and that in their own time, they can turn to God. But His time is the right time. It is only in the fulness of His time that God's purpose is accomplished.
Those who listen for, and move in accordance with God's plan, will be in harmony with Him and will be blessed. Those who do not listen and do not move in accordance with God's plan are not blessed, but work contrary to His purpose. Whose time are you going by - your's or God's?
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Banking on Jesus
"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock. Matthew 7:24
In an issue of an Ohio church's newsletter, a pastor shared some teachings of Jesus concerning material possessions.
1. Jesus cautioned us not to invest in those things that will eventually become moth-eaten, rusted, or stolen Matthew 6:19.
2. He counseled us to avoid the anxiety that is generated by the endless pursuits of material things Matthew 6:25.
3. He challenged us to utilize our resources in making spiritual investments that will pay eternal dividends Matthew 6:20.
4. He reminded us that our hearts follow our treasures and we become 'attached' to what we spend our money on Matthew 6:21.
5. He warned us of the foolishness of placing our trust and security in what we've been able to accumulate Luke 12:16-21.
6. He promised us that when we establish/maintain spiritual priorities, all our needs will be met Matthew 6:33.
Here is the bottom line... We have a choice. We can heed the word of Jesus and know the joy of being liberated from the exhausting drive for wealth and material goods. Or we can decide that E.F. Hutton, Merrill Lynch and Dean Witter provide better counsel for our happiness and security. Personally, I'm banking on Jesus.
In an issue of an Ohio church's newsletter, a pastor shared some teachings of Jesus concerning material possessions.
1. Jesus cautioned us not to invest in those things that will eventually become moth-eaten, rusted, or stolen Matthew 6:19.
2. He counseled us to avoid the anxiety that is generated by the endless pursuits of material things Matthew 6:25.
3. He challenged us to utilize our resources in making spiritual investments that will pay eternal dividends Matthew 6:20.
4. He reminded us that our hearts follow our treasures and we become 'attached' to what we spend our money on Matthew 6:21.
5. He warned us of the foolishness of placing our trust and security in what we've been able to accumulate Luke 12:16-21.
6. He promised us that when we establish/maintain spiritual priorities, all our needs will be met Matthew 6:33.
Here is the bottom line... We have a choice. We can heed the word of Jesus and know the joy of being liberated from the exhausting drive for wealth and material goods. Or we can decide that E.F. Hutton, Merrill Lynch and Dean Witter provide better counsel for our happiness and security. Personally, I'm banking on Jesus.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
The Heart of Service
“...whom I serve in my spirit...” Rom 1:9
Understand, to serve God in your spirit, you will have to be energized by God’s Holy Spirit. There can be no special service unto God that does not get its energy from the Holy Spirit. His service is true spiritual service. In fact, the word here for serve, “latreuo,” is used in the New Testament only when referring to religious service, always for service to God. It is also translated to, “worship.” Serving God = Worship.
Sometimes the greatest worship you can give God is to serve Him from a pure heart. As Paul says, “I serve Him in my spirit.” It’s all our service, that’s why Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, “How do you serve God with your whole body?” True service for God is spiritual, not external. It comes from the heart, not from the flesh.
True spiritual service is an act of worship. When a person is serving God in his spirit, it will be characterized by a heart of thankfulness, praise, and joy of service.
A heart that serves God focuses on the potential and not the problem, because he knows that God is able, and will see you through.
Understand, to serve God in your spirit, you will have to be energized by God’s Holy Spirit. There can be no special service unto God that does not get its energy from the Holy Spirit. His service is true spiritual service. In fact, the word here for serve, “latreuo,” is used in the New Testament only when referring to religious service, always for service to God. It is also translated to, “worship.” Serving God = Worship.
Sometimes the greatest worship you can give God is to serve Him from a pure heart. As Paul says, “I serve Him in my spirit.” It’s all our service, that’s why Paul says in Romans 12:1-2, “How do you serve God with your whole body?” True service for God is spiritual, not external. It comes from the heart, not from the flesh.
True spiritual service is an act of worship. When a person is serving God in his spirit, it will be characterized by a heart of thankfulness, praise, and joy of service.
A heart that serves God focuses on the potential and not the problem, because he knows that God is able, and will see you through.
Monday, January 28, 2008
The Servant's Heart II
“...whom I serve in my spirit...” Romans 1:9
What Paul is saying is that what motivates me to preach, pursue, proclaim, and promote is my inner man - my spirit - not external forms. I’m not here to please men, I’m here to please God.It matters not what they say, what they think, peer pressure, or obligation, it’s in my heart to do this.
Paul is saying, “Folks, this isn’t a job, this is my life, my ministry. To know me, you must know what motivates me." Paul never served the Lord, that he didn’t do it with his whole being. We have all seen people who go through the motions, and those who have their hearts in it. And this is what we see...a person who serves God in his spirit is different from a hireling, a Pharisee, or a hypocrite.
“The great leaders of men, in all fields, have not been the arrogant and the greedy, but the servants. The real servants are the true nobility, the greatest of all the Son of God Himself, declared that He had come not to be served, but to be a servant, and to give his life as ransom for many.” - John E. Mitchell
What Paul is saying is that what motivates me to preach, pursue, proclaim, and promote is my inner man - my spirit - not external forms. I’m not here to please men, I’m here to please God.It matters not what they say, what they think, peer pressure, or obligation, it’s in my heart to do this.
Paul is saying, “Folks, this isn’t a job, this is my life, my ministry. To know me, you must know what motivates me." Paul never served the Lord, that he didn’t do it with his whole being. We have all seen people who go through the motions, and those who have their hearts in it. And this is what we see...a person who serves God in his spirit is different from a hireling, a Pharisee, or a hypocrite.
“The great leaders of men, in all fields, have not been the arrogant and the greedy, but the servants. The real servants are the true nobility, the greatest of all the Son of God Himself, declared that He had come not to be served, but to be a servant, and to give his life as ransom for many.” - John E. Mitchell
Sunday, January 27, 2008
The Servant's Heart
“For God whom I serve in my spirit...” Romans 1:9
All of us from time to time go through the motions, we function, our discipline tells us to, and we have to go on. We are all tempted to serve Christ for the wrong reasons. But here in this verse we have an insight to 'serving' in the writing of Paul. No doubt an intellectual, but underneath it all, he is a tender man who loved Christ. Yes, he spoke like a prophet, he had the fire and zeal of the preacher, he had the intellect of the theologian, he had the determination of the apostle. But underneath he had the heart of a shepherd.
So what we have is a glimpse of the real Paul, the man behind the theologian, the man behind the intellect, who he is, and what makes him tick.
What’s the key to our passage, “Whom I serve in my spirit...”? Remember, Paul was raised in Judaism, he understands the external, the formality, the ritual, and he understands the activity. He also understands what it meant to serve in the flesh,what it meant to go through the mechanics, and what it meant to go through the motions.
Being raised in a Gentile world, he understood external religion. What he is saying is that I don’t serve God in the flesh, in the external. It’s not that I don’t know how to go through the motions, put on a front, or appear to be what I am not. But the God whom I serve... I serve in my spirit!
My service to the Lord Jesus Christ is not external, it is internal, it comes from the heart that has been transformed by the love and power of Christ.
All of us from time to time go through the motions, we function, our discipline tells us to, and we have to go on. We are all tempted to serve Christ for the wrong reasons. But here in this verse we have an insight to 'serving' in the writing of Paul. No doubt an intellectual, but underneath it all, he is a tender man who loved Christ. Yes, he spoke like a prophet, he had the fire and zeal of the preacher, he had the intellect of the theologian, he had the determination of the apostle. But underneath he had the heart of a shepherd.
So what we have is a glimpse of the real Paul, the man behind the theologian, the man behind the intellect, who he is, and what makes him tick.
What’s the key to our passage, “Whom I serve in my spirit...”? Remember, Paul was raised in Judaism, he understands the external, the formality, the ritual, and he understands the activity. He also understands what it meant to serve in the flesh,what it meant to go through the mechanics, and what it meant to go through the motions.
Being raised in a Gentile world, he understood external religion. What he is saying is that I don’t serve God in the flesh, in the external. It’s not that I don’t know how to go through the motions, put on a front, or appear to be what I am not. But the God whom I serve... I serve in my spirit!
My service to the Lord Jesus Christ is not external, it is internal, it comes from the heart that has been transformed by the love and power of Christ.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Check Your Heart
Well, for the first of my video blogs, I wanted to give you something that we all need. This is a reminder of where we need to be in Him, and how everything else in our lives is based on that relationship. Some of these video blogs will be sermon excerpts. Others will be a little more personal in nature. So, you'll just have to check back each week to see what I have for you.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Video Blog
Make sure that you check back each Saturday! Starting tomorrow, I will be posting a video blog. Some weeks it will be a sermon snippet. Some weeks it will be a personal challenge. Other weeks I'll just be sharing from my heart. You'll have to check back each week just to see what it is. Have a great weekend!
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