John 8:3-11 (KJV) Says, "And the scribes and the Pharisees brought unto Him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst, They say unto Him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act. Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou? This they said, tempting Him, that they might have to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down, and with His finger wrote on the ground, as though He heard them not. So when they continued asking Him, He lifted up Himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. And again He stooped down, and wrote on the ground. And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. When Jesus had lifted up Himself, and saw none but the woman, He said unto her, Woman where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee? She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.
In the above passage of scripture the scribes and the Pharisees bring a woman to Jesus, and tell Him that she was caught in the act of adultery. They stated as they stood before Jesus that according to Mosaic law she should be stoned to death, and then inquired of Him what He thought should be done to her. The scribes and the Pharisees were asking Jesus what should be done in an attempt to trick Him. They wanted to see if he would uphold the law, or defend the sinner. Jesus then surprises them all by saying that whoever among them that was sinless should be the one to cast the first stone. Jesus knew there was not one person sinless among them. When they heard His response, one by one they walked away leaving the woman alone with Jesus. When Jesus stated that whoever among them had never committed a sin should throw the first stone at the woman, they each were convicted by their own conscience as the sins they had committed began playing on the big screens within their minds.
After all of the woman's accusers had gone away Jesus continues to demonstrate that He is kind, loving, forgiving, compassionate, and so much more. He doesn't kill the woman, yell and scream at her, condemn her, ignore her, verbally abuse her, or go around talking about her to others with a holier than thou righteous attitude. He calmly tells her that He doesn't condemn her, and tells her to go and sin no more.
The word Christian by definition is to be Christ-like. We as followers and disciples of Jesus Christ are to follow the example Jesus set for us. With these two statements being made clear to us in the Word of God, how can we justify going around with a holier than thou attitude condemning others? As seen in the above passage of scripture, Jesus himself being sinless states directly to the woman who committed adultery that He doesn't condemn her. He acknowledges that she sinned, when he advises her to go her way and sin no more, but He forgives her and treats her with love and kindness.
For the record, I am in no way stating that we as Christians should condone sin. What I'm saying is that knowing that Jesus being without sin, behaves as He does toward sinners, how can any human being, a known sinner as we all are, profess to be a Christian, act holier than thou, and condemn another human being? Some self-proclaimed Christians cop this attitude even among their own family members. To be a Christian means to be Christ-like, which means to be loving, understanding, forgiving, compassionate, merciful, kind, and to possess many more like qualities. If instead of these qualities you are condemning, judging, ignoring, mistreating, gossiping about, or behaving holier than thou toward another human being, then friends you are missing the mark. You are at risk of running lost souls away from the Lord, as your behavior reinforces for them the common belief that Christianity is full of people with holier than thou attitudes that go around judging and condemning others. If you are behaving toward another individual in this fashion take a good look in the mirror, recognize that you too are a sinner, and ask yourself who you think you are. Remind yourself that God is love, and then ask yourself as a Christian, if your behavior reflects the love of God. If Jesus being perfect didn't walk around judging and condemning people, then who are we to do so? As Christians we should walk in love, be kind, understanding, supportive, encouraging, merciful, compassionate, and forgiving toward others, and we should thank God at least once a day, every day that He is all these things and much more to each of us, NONE of us being sinless.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to prayer for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Faith Race
Hebrews 12:1 (KJV) Says, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."
The above verse of scripture is speaking of a race of faith that is described by three modifying statements. First it is to be run by laying aside every weight. We would never enter a foot race, and opt to run it wearing the heaviest clothes we could find, or carrying heavy weights. We know that carrying heavy weights while attempting to run a race would slow us down drastically, and interfere with our running the race successfully. The same goes for our faith race. We cannot run a successful faith race carrying heavy burdens, worries, and other issues. We must go to God in prayer with all of our worries and cares, and leave them with him. There is no problem to great for Almighty God to handle.
Secondly, we cannot run a successful faith race, if we have willful sin in our lives. If we want to run a successful faith race, and be the disciples we are called by Christ to be after accepting him as our Lord and Savior, we must set aside all of our baggage. We must get rid of all the things in our lives that we know do not fit who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. We must rid ourselves of any vices, addictions, or behaviors that don't fit who we are as new creatures in Christ. These things weigh us down, and hinder our faith race.
Thirdly, we are to run our faith race with endurance and persistence. As disciples of Christ we must be strong remaining steadfast in our mission to lead as many lost souls to Him as possible. Paul is a great example of someone who ran his faith race with endurance and persistence doing so despite much suffering and persecution. In II Corinthians 11:24-25 (KJV) Paul says, "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep." This was just to list some of his sufferings he was also bitten by a snake, put in prison, and much more. My point is as disciples of Christ we will all be ridiculed and persecuted for serving Him in one way or another. We can find comfort in this, however, Jesus says in Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV) "Blessed are ye, when men persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
If you are carrying around extra weight in the form of a sin or sins that you are willfully committing, repent and turn away from them. Ask God to forgive you, and leave whatever it is behind you. If you are weighed down with worry, troubles, and issues go to God in prayer immediately, and give it all to Him. He is much better qualified to solve our problems than we are. Be of a steadfast mindset when it comes to serving God, and run your faith race with determination and endurance as Paul did. It is only when we get rid of the things in our lives that we know don't fit who we are as followers of Christ, when we cast our cares upon Him, and when we become eager and determined to endure all obstacles set before us that we can run our faith race successfully.
If you have dropped all your extra weight, and are running a strong faith race then God bless you. If you are one who is struggling with letting go of some sin in your life pray about it and let it go. If you are carrying around burdens and cares that are hindering your faith race, go to God in prayer immediately, trust Him, have faith in Him, and leave all your cares with Him. It is only by doing these things that you will ever truly experience the divine peace that the Bible speaks of. It is a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a peace so great words can't describe it. It is with this divine peace and lightened load that you will be prepared to run your faith race with endurance knowing that you are on track as a disciple of Jesus Christ, and that your obedience is pleasing to Him. Nothing could be greater than to stand before God on judgment day, and have Him say well done my good and faithful servant.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
The above verse of scripture is speaking of a race of faith that is described by three modifying statements. First it is to be run by laying aside every weight. We would never enter a foot race, and opt to run it wearing the heaviest clothes we could find, or carrying heavy weights. We know that carrying heavy weights while attempting to run a race would slow us down drastically, and interfere with our running the race successfully. The same goes for our faith race. We cannot run a successful faith race carrying heavy burdens, worries, and other issues. We must go to God in prayer with all of our worries and cares, and leave them with him. There is no problem to great for Almighty God to handle.
Secondly, we cannot run a successful faith race, if we have willful sin in our lives. If we want to run a successful faith race, and be the disciples we are called by Christ to be after accepting him as our Lord and Savior, we must set aside all of our baggage. We must get rid of all the things in our lives that we know do not fit who we are as followers of Jesus Christ. We must rid ourselves of any vices, addictions, or behaviors that don't fit who we are as new creatures in Christ. These things weigh us down, and hinder our faith race.
Thirdly, we are to run our faith race with endurance and persistence. As disciples of Christ we must be strong remaining steadfast in our mission to lead as many lost souls to Him as possible. Paul is a great example of someone who ran his faith race with endurance and persistence doing so despite much suffering and persecution. In II Corinthians 11:24-25 (KJV) Paul says, "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep." This was just to list some of his sufferings he was also bitten by a snake, put in prison, and much more. My point is as disciples of Christ we will all be ridiculed and persecuted for serving Him in one way or another. We can find comfort in this, however, Jesus says in Matthew 5:11-12 (KJV) "Blessed are ye, when men persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you."
If you are carrying around extra weight in the form of a sin or sins that you are willfully committing, repent and turn away from them. Ask God to forgive you, and leave whatever it is behind you. If you are weighed down with worry, troubles, and issues go to God in prayer immediately, and give it all to Him. He is much better qualified to solve our problems than we are. Be of a steadfast mindset when it comes to serving God, and run your faith race with determination and endurance as Paul did. It is only when we get rid of the things in our lives that we know don't fit who we are as followers of Christ, when we cast our cares upon Him, and when we become eager and determined to endure all obstacles set before us that we can run our faith race successfully.
If you have dropped all your extra weight, and are running a strong faith race then God bless you. If you are one who is struggling with letting go of some sin in your life pray about it and let it go. If you are carrying around burdens and cares that are hindering your faith race, go to God in prayer immediately, trust Him, have faith in Him, and leave all your cares with Him. It is only by doing these things that you will ever truly experience the divine peace that the Bible speaks of. It is a peace that surpasses all understanding. It is a peace so great words can't describe it. It is with this divine peace and lightened load that you will be prepared to run your faith race with endurance knowing that you are on track as a disciple of Jesus Christ, and that your obedience is pleasing to Him. Nothing could be greater than to stand before God on judgment day, and have Him say well done my good and faithful servant.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Inclusionary
I Thessalonians 3:12-13 (KJV) Says, "And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you: To the end He may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints." Matthew 22:37-39 (KJV) Says, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Mark 2:17 (KJV) Says, "When Jesus heard it, He saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
In the above passage of scripture taken from I Thessalonians, Paul advises that we are to abound in love one toward another, and by definition the word abound means to be plentiful in. We are instructed that we are to abound in love toward ALL men, and to continue in love until Jesus returns. In the Passage taken from Matthew, Jesus gives the two greatest commandments and they are first to love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul, and secondly to love our neighbor as we do ourselves. In the verse taken from Mark, Jesus makes it clear that He was eating with lost souls because they are the ones who needed to come to accept Him as their Lord and Savior not the righteous who were already saved.
This past Sunday morning I listened to a minister who was a guest speaker, and something he said bothered me immensely. He said he was going around introducing himself to various pastors in the area, and that one pastor didn't invite him to speak at his church. He went on to state that the reason for this was that the church that pastor was from was "inclusionary." I immediately thought to myself well I certainly hope so. Now I don't see the necessity of specifying what group he felt should not be included by this church, or what he felt certain individuals were doing that should prompt the church to exclude them. He, however, had no problem sharing his opinion of who should be excluded and why with the congregation. The bottom line is if he felt the church was full of sinners well surprise, all churches are. As Romans 3:23 (KJV) Says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
I had to resist the urge to slip up my hand, introduce myself, and ask him if he felt that as Christians we should exclude anybody? I wanted to ask him how many people would remain in the church building, if we ask every sinner to stand up and walk out? I wanted to ask him if he felt excluding someone demonstrated love toward ALL men? I wanted to ask him if he thought that Jesus excluded anyone as he sat at the table with those that were lost? I wanted to ask him to please explain to me how a church filled with Christians who are to show love toward ALL men could be anything other than "inclusionary" and still call themselves true Christians?
Unfortunately, this pastor is not the only Christian I've heard make these kind of statements. I've heard similar statements made on some Christian television shows, and each time I hear anything remotely similar it strikes a nerve with me. These are exactly the type statements and behaviors that run lost souls away from the Lord, taking with them the idea that all Christians are guilty of having a holier than thou attitude. It is of the utmost importance that we as Christians walk in love, and that we follow the example Jesus set for us to follow. We are to be understanding, kind, compassionate, forgiving, merciful, and loving. We should include everyone who wishes to attend worship services at our churches, and if there is something they are doing outside of church that doesn't coincide with being a Christian let God deal with their heart through the Holy Spirit. I'm not saying that we should condone behavior by others that isn't befitting of a Christian. I'm simply saying that as disciples of Jesus Christ we are to lead lost souls to him, and if we are not "inclusionary" we may very well be running some away. When I stand before Almighty God on Judgment day, running even one soul away from Him is not something I want to answer for.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
In the above passage of scripture taken from I Thessalonians, Paul advises that we are to abound in love one toward another, and by definition the word abound means to be plentiful in. We are instructed that we are to abound in love toward ALL men, and to continue in love until Jesus returns. In the Passage taken from Matthew, Jesus gives the two greatest commandments and they are first to love God with all of our heart, mind, and soul, and secondly to love our neighbor as we do ourselves. In the verse taken from Mark, Jesus makes it clear that He was eating with lost souls because they are the ones who needed to come to accept Him as their Lord and Savior not the righteous who were already saved.
This past Sunday morning I listened to a minister who was a guest speaker, and something he said bothered me immensely. He said he was going around introducing himself to various pastors in the area, and that one pastor didn't invite him to speak at his church. He went on to state that the reason for this was that the church that pastor was from was "inclusionary." I immediately thought to myself well I certainly hope so. Now I don't see the necessity of specifying what group he felt should not be included by this church, or what he felt certain individuals were doing that should prompt the church to exclude them. He, however, had no problem sharing his opinion of who should be excluded and why with the congregation. The bottom line is if he felt the church was full of sinners well surprise, all churches are. As Romans 3:23 (KJV) Says, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."
I had to resist the urge to slip up my hand, introduce myself, and ask him if he felt that as Christians we should exclude anybody? I wanted to ask him how many people would remain in the church building, if we ask every sinner to stand up and walk out? I wanted to ask him if he felt excluding someone demonstrated love toward ALL men? I wanted to ask him if he thought that Jesus excluded anyone as he sat at the table with those that were lost? I wanted to ask him to please explain to me how a church filled with Christians who are to show love toward ALL men could be anything other than "inclusionary" and still call themselves true Christians?
Unfortunately, this pastor is not the only Christian I've heard make these kind of statements. I've heard similar statements made on some Christian television shows, and each time I hear anything remotely similar it strikes a nerve with me. These are exactly the type statements and behaviors that run lost souls away from the Lord, taking with them the idea that all Christians are guilty of having a holier than thou attitude. It is of the utmost importance that we as Christians walk in love, and that we follow the example Jesus set for us to follow. We are to be understanding, kind, compassionate, forgiving, merciful, and loving. We should include everyone who wishes to attend worship services at our churches, and if there is something they are doing outside of church that doesn't coincide with being a Christian let God deal with their heart through the Holy Spirit. I'm not saying that we should condone behavior by others that isn't befitting of a Christian. I'm simply saying that as disciples of Jesus Christ we are to lead lost souls to him, and if we are not "inclusionary" we may very well be running some away. When I stand before Almighty God on Judgment day, running even one soul away from Him is not something I want to answer for.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Roadblock
Numbers 22:21-33 (KJV) Says, "And Balaam rose up in the morning, and saddled his ass, and went with the princes of Moab. And God's anger was kindled because he went: and the angel of the Lord stood in the way for an adversary against him. Now he was riding upon his ass, and his two servants were with him. And the ass saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and the ass turned aside out of the way, and went into the field: and Balaam smote the ass, to turn her into the way. But the angel of the Lord stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall being on this side, and a wall on that side. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she thrust herself unto the wall, and crushed Balaam's foot against the wall: and he smote her again. And the angel of the Lord went further, and stood in a narrow place, where was no way to turn either to the right hand or to the left. And when the ass saw the angel of the Lord, she fell down under Balaam: and Balaam's anger was kindled, and he smote the ass with a staff. And the Lord opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee. And the ass said unto Balaam, Am not I thine ass, upon which thou hast riden ever since I was thine unto this day? was I ever wont to do so unto thee? And he said, Nay. Then the Lord opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the way, and his sword drawn in his hand: and he bowed down his head, and fell flat on his face. And the angel of the Lord said unto him, Wherefore hast thou smitten thine ass these three times? behold I went out to withstand thee, because thy way is perverse before me: And the ass saw me, and turned from me these three times: unless she had turned from me, surely now also I had slain thee, and saved her alive.
Balaam lost patience with his ass because he assumed she was disobeying him for no apparent reason. Balaam had angered God by heading out with the princes of Moab, and therefore God sent an angel to stand in the way preventing him from traveling further. The ass saw the angel of the Lord standing with sword drawn, and blocking the way. This prompted the ass to turn and head in another direction, to thrust herself into the wall, and to fall down under Balaam. These were all efforts by the ass to protect Balaam, and as it turns out to save his life. When the Lord opened the mouth of the ass she questioned Balaam as to why he didn't realize something was preventing her from moving forward. She reminded him that she had been his for a while, and that he rode her often without incident which should have been a clear indication to him that something was wrong. Then Balaam's eyes were opened, and he saw the angel of the Lord for himself. The angel of the Lord told him that he went out to stand in the way because Balaam's way was perverse before the Lord, and that if the ass had not turned back he would have been killed with the sword, and the ass would have been allowed to live.
Balaam got in such a hurry to move forward and follow his plan that he missed several signs that he should have gotten. Instead of realizing that his ass was not acting like her normal obedient self, and attempting to figure out what was wrong, Balaam became angry and hit the ass. He was given three opportunities to pause and ponder what the problem could be, but instead three times he went straight into anger mode striking the ass, without ever considering that her behavior was odd, and that she may very well be protecting him from something.
Have you ever had a plan for your life that was interrupted or canceled altogether because of an unforeseen roadblock? Did you become angry lashing out at those around you without pausing to consider that God may have been responsible for it? If God threw a roadblock up in front of you forcing you to turn around, you were headed in the wrong direction, He didn't approve of your plan, and He has something better in mind for you.
I encourage you to pay close attention to God's signs and warnings. Pray about all of your decisions, and ask God to lead, guide, and direct your path. Follow the plan God has for your life and not the one you have prepared for yourself. Live in obedience to God, and take heed to His instructions. Don't do as Balaam did and get so caught up in your own plan that you miss God's signs and warnings. I encourage you to pray, listen, and watch for God's direction. I urge you not to become so focused on your own plans that you miss hearing from God. I urge you to remember when you come upon a roadblock in your life, and you are surrounded by signs and warnings to pay close attention to them. Don't get angry and frustrated, simply turn around reminding yourself that the roadblock may very well have been placed there by God. Remind yourself that He may have placed it there to save you from grief, prevent you from making a major mistake, or even to save your life.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Balaam lost patience with his ass because he assumed she was disobeying him for no apparent reason. Balaam had angered God by heading out with the princes of Moab, and therefore God sent an angel to stand in the way preventing him from traveling further. The ass saw the angel of the Lord standing with sword drawn, and blocking the way. This prompted the ass to turn and head in another direction, to thrust herself into the wall, and to fall down under Balaam. These were all efforts by the ass to protect Balaam, and as it turns out to save his life. When the Lord opened the mouth of the ass she questioned Balaam as to why he didn't realize something was preventing her from moving forward. She reminded him that she had been his for a while, and that he rode her often without incident which should have been a clear indication to him that something was wrong. Then Balaam's eyes were opened, and he saw the angel of the Lord for himself. The angel of the Lord told him that he went out to stand in the way because Balaam's way was perverse before the Lord, and that if the ass had not turned back he would have been killed with the sword, and the ass would have been allowed to live.
Balaam got in such a hurry to move forward and follow his plan that he missed several signs that he should have gotten. Instead of realizing that his ass was not acting like her normal obedient self, and attempting to figure out what was wrong, Balaam became angry and hit the ass. He was given three opportunities to pause and ponder what the problem could be, but instead three times he went straight into anger mode striking the ass, without ever considering that her behavior was odd, and that she may very well be protecting him from something.
Have you ever had a plan for your life that was interrupted or canceled altogether because of an unforeseen roadblock? Did you become angry lashing out at those around you without pausing to consider that God may have been responsible for it? If God threw a roadblock up in front of you forcing you to turn around, you were headed in the wrong direction, He didn't approve of your plan, and He has something better in mind for you.
I encourage you to pay close attention to God's signs and warnings. Pray about all of your decisions, and ask God to lead, guide, and direct your path. Follow the plan God has for your life and not the one you have prepared for yourself. Live in obedience to God, and take heed to His instructions. Don't do as Balaam did and get so caught up in your own plan that you miss God's signs and warnings. I encourage you to pray, listen, and watch for God's direction. I urge you not to become so focused on your own plans that you miss hearing from God. I urge you to remember when you come upon a roadblock in your life, and you are surrounded by signs and warnings to pay close attention to them. Don't get angry and frustrated, simply turn around reminding yourself that the roadblock may very well have been placed there by God. Remind yourself that He may have placed it there to save you from grief, prevent you from making a major mistake, or even to save your life.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Clicks
Luke 5:30-32 (KJV) Says, "But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against His disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners? And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance."
In the above passage of scripture the scribes and Pharisees react as though it is offensive that Jesus and his disciples are eating and drinking with publicans and sinners. They felt He should be eating and drinking with those who were righteous. Jesus explains to them that He has come so that sinners may have the opportunity to repent of their sins, and be saved. The scribes and the Pharisees had they had it their way, would have had Jesus and His disciples form a click with the righteous, eat and dine only with them, and stay as far away from the Publicans and sinners as possible.
Forming clicks, which of course, allow only certain types of people into their group, is common in today's society. In fact, I would venture to guess that clicks have existed for as long as mankind has been in the world. Clicks are formed in schools, neighborhoods, various clubs, on sports teams, in the work place, and unfortunately even in some churches. Clicks are normally made up of people who have pride issues, and somehow have come to believe or feel that they are better or above other people. These people are in for a rude awakening on judgment day, because we are all created by God in his image, and we are all equal in His eyes.
The act of excluding people is simply not nice in any setting, but to know it goes on in some churches is heart breaking. It goes on in the standard way which is purposefully carried out by being selective as to who a group chooses to allow in their click, and it goes on I believe in some cases unintentionally. For example, there are many churches who plan activities, and hold special events on a regular basis. This is wonderful, but the problem is they fail to invite outsiders to these events and therefore they are not eating and drinking with Publicans and sinners as Jesus did, but keeping company only with their church family. Christian fellowship is a wonderful thing, and we all need it. We also need to fulfill the Great Commission as we are commanded to do once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Once we are saved we become disciples of Jesus Christ, and we are to go out into the world and witness for Him attempting to lead as many lost souls as possible to Christ. It is impossible to carry out this instruction, if we do not witness to others, if we only socialize with our church family, and we fail to invite people to attend worship service with us, and to join us for special church events.
Jesus set an example for us on how exactly to live our lives as followers of him. Continue to fellowship with your church family and your Christian friends, but invite others in. Witness for Christ, and lead as many lost souls as possible to Him. Remember as you go out into the world each day that Jesus drank and dined with Publicans and sinners because they are the ones who needed to hear what He had to say in order that they might repent, and come to accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
Are you a member of a click? Do you recognize that you are, and it has been unintentional? Whether you recognize you are and whether it has been intentional or unintentional change that immediately, and begin reaching out to others. If we have the desire in our hearts to be true disciples of Jesus Christ as we are instructed to do, then we must reach out to people outside our immediate church family and outside those that we socialize with on a regular basis. When your church is having a special event advertise it. When you recognize visitors at these events, be friendly, witness to them, and invite them to worship service. Reach out as Jesus did to the lost, because that is what we as disciples have been instructed to do. Reach out knowing there is nothing of greater importance than leading a lost soul to Christ.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
In the above passage of scripture the scribes and Pharisees react as though it is offensive that Jesus and his disciples are eating and drinking with publicans and sinners. They felt He should be eating and drinking with those who were righteous. Jesus explains to them that He has come so that sinners may have the opportunity to repent of their sins, and be saved. The scribes and the Pharisees had they had it their way, would have had Jesus and His disciples form a click with the righteous, eat and dine only with them, and stay as far away from the Publicans and sinners as possible.
Forming clicks, which of course, allow only certain types of people into their group, is common in today's society. In fact, I would venture to guess that clicks have existed for as long as mankind has been in the world. Clicks are formed in schools, neighborhoods, various clubs, on sports teams, in the work place, and unfortunately even in some churches. Clicks are normally made up of people who have pride issues, and somehow have come to believe or feel that they are better or above other people. These people are in for a rude awakening on judgment day, because we are all created by God in his image, and we are all equal in His eyes.
The act of excluding people is simply not nice in any setting, but to know it goes on in some churches is heart breaking. It goes on in the standard way which is purposefully carried out by being selective as to who a group chooses to allow in their click, and it goes on I believe in some cases unintentionally. For example, there are many churches who plan activities, and hold special events on a regular basis. This is wonderful, but the problem is they fail to invite outsiders to these events and therefore they are not eating and drinking with Publicans and sinners as Jesus did, but keeping company only with their church family. Christian fellowship is a wonderful thing, and we all need it. We also need to fulfill the Great Commission as we are commanded to do once we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Once we are saved we become disciples of Jesus Christ, and we are to go out into the world and witness for Him attempting to lead as many lost souls as possible to Christ. It is impossible to carry out this instruction, if we do not witness to others, if we only socialize with our church family, and we fail to invite people to attend worship service with us, and to join us for special church events.
Jesus set an example for us on how exactly to live our lives as followers of him. Continue to fellowship with your church family and your Christian friends, but invite others in. Witness for Christ, and lead as many lost souls as possible to Him. Remember as you go out into the world each day that Jesus drank and dined with Publicans and sinners because they are the ones who needed to hear what He had to say in order that they might repent, and come to accept Him as their Lord and Savior.
Are you a member of a click? Do you recognize that you are, and it has been unintentional? Whether you recognize you are and whether it has been intentional or unintentional change that immediately, and begin reaching out to others. If we have the desire in our hearts to be true disciples of Jesus Christ as we are instructed to do, then we must reach out to people outside our immediate church family and outside those that we socialize with on a regular basis. When your church is having a special event advertise it. When you recognize visitors at these events, be friendly, witness to them, and invite them to worship service. Reach out as Jesus did to the lost, because that is what we as disciples have been instructed to do. Reach out knowing there is nothing of greater importance than leading a lost soul to Christ.
If you have a prayer request and would like me to pray for you, leave me a message and I will be more than happy to do so. May God bless you.
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