December 30: When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." When he heard this he became very sad because he was a man of great wealth. Luke 18:22-23
The rich young ruler came to Jesus and asked how to inherit eternal life and the formula was given yet he refused, thinking he knew where life came from. How sad for the rich young ruler to refuse the advice of the Savior of the world, the richest man who had ever lived and yet he left it all in Heaven to come for us. Does not his coming to earth demonstrate for us how to find true wealth and riches? If he gave up his home in heaven and all the wealth and position and power and fame among the angels to come to this fallen sin cursed world to rescue his redeemed ones then would we fare better if we chose to live some other way?
Notice the text indicates that the rich young ruler went away sad because he was a man of great wealth. How significant to see that it is not riches that make happiness but the surrendering of our riches that brings us great joy. O if the world could only see and hear these words of our savior there would be much joy in the house of the Lord. But who will go to them and tell them of such truth? Who will go to them and wrest them from the enemy’s poisonous treats?
Just this morning I was reading a biography of C.T. Studd, missionary to China and Africa in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. How he responded to the call of Hudson Taylor to China and left with the famous Cambridge seven. They were all men who had great promise in business and medicine and other interests but they left them all behind in England for the riches of China and the gospel treasure they would find there.
C.T. Studd was the son of a very wealthy merchant in England and news arrived that he was going to inherit a large fortune soon. Attempting to decide what to do with the large sum he decided to find out what would have happened to the rich young ruler if he had given it all away as his Lord had directed, so he began to send large sums of money to Hudson Taylor for the work in China and sent another large sum of money to George Mueller in England for the work among the orphans and a significant sum for mission work in England. After his attempt to give away all his inheritance he had 3400 British pounds left to his name. He would propose marriage to his soon to be wife with this sum and she replied, “C.T. God told the rich young ruler to give it all away so let us make sure we start clean with the Lord.” They entered their marriage penniless and quite happy.
They served together in China for another ten years until ill health required that they return to England. In England they spent their time speaking to students about the missionary call of God, both in England and America. Hundreds of students responded to their influence to go to the mission field. In 1900 they set sail for India and served there for six years. They once again returned to England, this time completely penniless and in ill health, they were refused treatment because they were without the means to pay for the care. The group of businessmen refused to continue to support them as they were speaking of going to Africa, even though they were in ill health.
After four years in England, C.T. and his wife thought it best for him to go to Africa, even though they had little prospect of survival there. They agreed to leave his wife and children in England because the dangers of Africa were only too well known. Many predicted that C.T. would not survive his journey to Africa and they were right, he only lived another twenty one years serving the Lord in Africa, when doctors had said he would not survive the journey let alone the hostile climate in Africa.
C.T. would coin a phrase that has been quoted often since his death, "Some wish to live within the sound of Church or Chapel bell; I want to run a Rescue Shop within a yard of hell."
One missionary biographer writes these words of C.T. Studd “ "C.T.'s life stands as some rugged Gibraltar — a sign to all succeeding generations that it is worth while to lose all this world can offer and stake everything on the world to come. His life will be an eternal rebuke to easygoing Christianity. He has demonstrated what it means to follow Christ without counting the cost and without looking back.
May our lives be so influenced to give of our wealth and go with our lives to the places where the gospel has yet to be heard. Let us be found in giving, praying and going to the gospel poorest places on the earth.
Here We are Lord Send us!
Pastor phil
Taking a Good look at Scripture
Pastor Phil
Teachng the Word
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
To the Hard Places for the Glory of God
December 29: "Cannot the love of Christ," he asked, "carry the missionary where the slave trade carries the trader?" (David Livingstone, missionary to Africa)
“Now compelled by the Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there I only know that in every city the holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships await me.” Act 20:22-23
I don’t recommend reading the biographies of missionaries unless you want to be convicted of the smallness of your faith and the lagging zeal you have for Christ. But if you desire to be convicted of how much you still need to grow in godliness and holiness then by all means pick up a good biography and read away.
For the past two weeks we have been considering the lives of those who have set the path for us over the last two thousand years of missionary endeavors. Today I want to consider with you for a brief moment the life of one such missionary, David Livingstone.
As a young man he had chanced upon the service where Robert Moffatt, the great missionary to Africa, was speaking and heard him utter these words, "I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been."
It would be these words that would compel a young doctor to leave everything behind and go to the dark continent of Africa to carry the message of Christ. He would suffer great discomforts and face grueling hardships for almost forty years on the African continent as he sought to carry the message of Christ to those villages where the gospel had never gone He would face lions that would tear his shoulder out of joint and leave his one arm almost paralyzed for the rest of his life. He would face the challenges of leaving to return to the comforts of England when circumstances would tell him that he was finished. He would lose the wife he loved to tropical disease eleven years before he would meet her in glory. He would see his children leave Africa and not see them for many years due to the rigors of his missionary endeavors and he would experience the ridicule of those who were at first his best supporters. He would travel through places where deadly pestilence was rampant, and eventually he would die on the soil he came to reclaim for his Savior.
When asked why he followed Christ into such hard and difficult places his only answer was "Cannot the love of Christ," he asked, "carry the missionary where the slave trade carries the trader?"
I leave you with this quote for your consideration today. We live in a nation that has more freedom to share the gospel than any other nation at any other time in history. I wonder how we shall fare when we stand next to these our brothers and sisters who have gone before us at that great day when we shall all stand before our Lord to receive the rewards for our labors. I can almost hear the questions of these who have gone to the hard and the difficult places, “Tell me, with such freedom surely you told everyone you saw about the glories of our great God! Surely you spoke often of his magnificent grace to all who came your way. Surely there were many who heard from your lips and life of his redeeming love. Surely you have some scars to show for your labors here below.
I can almost see Doctor Livingstone revealing the scars on his shoulders and scarred feet of his as he walked across deserts that left his feet burned and scarred because he loved his Savior so much and he loved the lost to whom he was sent as well. I wonder what scars we shall have to show for our love for the Savior, I wonder what names we can speak of that we shared our Lord with.
Should we not begin our day each day with these words, “O Love of Christ, carry the feet of this missionary to the places where the Drugs flow free and the terrorists run with boldness and the unbelievers are enslaved. Carry the feet of this missionary to those who do not yet know of the redeeming love that I have so richly been given.”
Let us set our course again for the hard places of our occupations and our neighborhoods and our cities and villages. Let us labor as Livingstone did until our Savior comes for us.
Following the path of those who have gone before us,
Pastor Phil
“Now compelled by the Spirit I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there I only know that in every city the holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships await me.” Act 20:22-23
I don’t recommend reading the biographies of missionaries unless you want to be convicted of the smallness of your faith and the lagging zeal you have for Christ. But if you desire to be convicted of how much you still need to grow in godliness and holiness then by all means pick up a good biography and read away.
For the past two weeks we have been considering the lives of those who have set the path for us over the last two thousand years of missionary endeavors. Today I want to consider with you for a brief moment the life of one such missionary, David Livingstone.
As a young man he had chanced upon the service where Robert Moffatt, the great missionary to Africa, was speaking and heard him utter these words, "I have sometimes seen, in the morning sun, the smoke of a thousand villages where no missionary has ever been."
It would be these words that would compel a young doctor to leave everything behind and go to the dark continent of Africa to carry the message of Christ. He would suffer great discomforts and face grueling hardships for almost forty years on the African continent as he sought to carry the message of Christ to those villages where the gospel had never gone He would face lions that would tear his shoulder out of joint and leave his one arm almost paralyzed for the rest of his life. He would face the challenges of leaving to return to the comforts of England when circumstances would tell him that he was finished. He would lose the wife he loved to tropical disease eleven years before he would meet her in glory. He would see his children leave Africa and not see them for many years due to the rigors of his missionary endeavors and he would experience the ridicule of those who were at first his best supporters. He would travel through places where deadly pestilence was rampant, and eventually he would die on the soil he came to reclaim for his Savior.
When asked why he followed Christ into such hard and difficult places his only answer was "Cannot the love of Christ," he asked, "carry the missionary where the slave trade carries the trader?"
I leave you with this quote for your consideration today. We live in a nation that has more freedom to share the gospel than any other nation at any other time in history. I wonder how we shall fare when we stand next to these our brothers and sisters who have gone before us at that great day when we shall all stand before our Lord to receive the rewards for our labors. I can almost hear the questions of these who have gone to the hard and the difficult places, “Tell me, with such freedom surely you told everyone you saw about the glories of our great God! Surely you spoke often of his magnificent grace to all who came your way. Surely there were many who heard from your lips and life of his redeeming love. Surely you have some scars to show for your labors here below.
I can almost see Doctor Livingstone revealing the scars on his shoulders and scarred feet of his as he walked across deserts that left his feet burned and scarred because he loved his Savior so much and he loved the lost to whom he was sent as well. I wonder what scars we shall have to show for our love for the Savior, I wonder what names we can speak of that we shared our Lord with.
Should we not begin our day each day with these words, “O Love of Christ, carry the feet of this missionary to the places where the Drugs flow free and the terrorists run with boldness and the unbelievers are enslaved. Carry the feet of this missionary to those who do not yet know of the redeeming love that I have so richly been given.”
Let us set our course again for the hard places of our occupations and our neighborhoods and our cities and villages. Let us labor as Livingstone did until our Savior comes for us.
Following the path of those who have gone before us,
Pastor Phil
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Going When Others refuse to go
December 25: Genesis 25:8 (NCV)
8 He breathed his last breath and died at an old age, after a long and satisfying life.
Such could be said about this man named William Carey. Born to a poor family in England, he possessed no possibilities from the human side of ever making much of his life. But not being one to believe the statistics he set himself to the business of learning why he worked. By the age of 31, even though he could not afford a formal education, he had taught himself several languages and learned to translate them all the while he was busy making shoes as a cobbler.
As he began to experience God’s call to the nations unreached he would challenge the churches in England to take up the missionary call but he was often prevented by some well meaning senior member who would say such things as , “Young man sit down when God chooses to save the heathen he will do it without your help or mine.”
Not being one to give up he would follow God’s call to India at the age of 31. He would leave England never to return. In those early days of missions there were no such things as furloughs, when you left for the field you left knowing you would not return. Many missionaries would pack all their belonging in caskets they had made so they would have something to ship their bodies back in when they died on the foreign field.
The lives of those who set the pace for us to follow were not lives of ease but rather the exact opposite. They faced hardship in their own country as they prepared to leave, made to listen to the words of many caring believers who warned them they were not doing God’s will; being laughed at in their voyage to the foreign fields by others who were travelling the same ship; being laughed at or prevented from even landing on solid ground due to the refusal of many foreign rulers who refused the gospel a hearing; being persecuted by pagan religions who saw their ministry an offense to their pagan deities. The late 1700’s and early 1800’s was not of a picnic. No one in their right mind would choose such a calling
William Carey lived a life of selfless service to our Master. He set the pace for all who would follow him. As the time drew near for his departure he would the one who would preach his funeral, "Mr. Duff, you have been talking about Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey; when I am gone, say nothing about Dr. Carey,-- speak about Dr. Carey's Savior!"
May we follow such steps as those that Dr. William Carey laid out for us in this coming year.
Pastor Phil
8 He breathed his last breath and died at an old age, after a long and satisfying life.
Such could be said about this man named William Carey. Born to a poor family in England, he possessed no possibilities from the human side of ever making much of his life. But not being one to believe the statistics he set himself to the business of learning why he worked. By the age of 31, even though he could not afford a formal education, he had taught himself several languages and learned to translate them all the while he was busy making shoes as a cobbler.
As he began to experience God’s call to the nations unreached he would challenge the churches in England to take up the missionary call but he was often prevented by some well meaning senior member who would say such things as , “Young man sit down when God chooses to save the heathen he will do it without your help or mine.”
Not being one to give up he would follow God’s call to India at the age of 31. He would leave England never to return. In those early days of missions there were no such things as furloughs, when you left for the field you left knowing you would not return. Many missionaries would pack all their belonging in caskets they had made so they would have something to ship their bodies back in when they died on the foreign field.
The lives of those who set the pace for us to follow were not lives of ease but rather the exact opposite. They faced hardship in their own country as they prepared to leave, made to listen to the words of many caring believers who warned them they were not doing God’s will; being laughed at in their voyage to the foreign fields by others who were travelling the same ship; being laughed at or prevented from even landing on solid ground due to the refusal of many foreign rulers who refused the gospel a hearing; being persecuted by pagan religions who saw their ministry an offense to their pagan deities. The late 1700’s and early 1800’s was not of a picnic. No one in their right mind would choose such a calling
William Carey lived a life of selfless service to our Master. He set the pace for all who would follow him. As the time drew near for his departure he would the one who would preach his funeral, "Mr. Duff, you have been talking about Dr. Carey, Dr. Carey; when I am gone, say nothing about Dr. Carey,-- speak about Dr. Carey's Savior!"
May we follow such steps as those that Dr. William Carey laid out for us in this coming year.
Pastor Phil
A Life aflame for the glory of God
December 24: Acts 20:24 (NIV)
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
“A life aflame for God.” This was David Brainerd’s desire. That his life be lived as a flaming example of a life devoted completely to his Lord. No other hero of the faith writes with such complete transparency as does David Brainerd. It would be his journals that would be used by God to fuel the missionary fires of the greatest missionary movement to hit Christendom.
He did not know that he was writing for anyone other than himself but it has been the writings of David Brainerd that inspired the Wesley’s and the Carey’s and the Judson’s and many others to take the risk of selling all and following their master to the dark regions of the unreached peoples of the world.
David Brainerd lived more in the short twenty nine years than most live in three to four times that many years. It seemed as if every minute was spent in either proclaiming the gospel or praying for its advance among pagans who had no access to it.
As a young man in his twenties he sought to take the gospel to the Indians of New York near the fork of the Delaware river. These Indians were known for their cruelty to outsiders. Once in his travels to share the gospel with a tribe he had not been to before he spent several hours making his way through dense forested woods. Often he would stop and pray for God to lead him, having no knowledge of how to connect with these he was going too minister to.
Without his knowledge several Indians had followed him for hours through the forest and watched from a distance. Once as he began to pray the Indians watched as a rattlesnake made its way close to Brainerd’s body that was prostrate on the ground interceding for the Indians. These Indians watched as they were sure this snake would certainly strike him, but at the last moment the sake just slithered off into the woods.
The next day these same Indians gave testimony to their tribe of this occurrence and the tribe listened with great curiosity to one who risked such travel to come to them. They had met white men before but hey had only encouraged them to drink fire water and sell their lands at a pittance. They had never known a white man who would demonstrate such love and selfless compassion.
David Brainerd would spend the rest of his short life traveling to many remote areas to share the gospel with the Indians who had been abused by white men for years and left without any hope of the gospel. David Brainerd went against the tide of his day and gave his life to reach the unreached Indian populations of New York.
Somew3her in his mid twenties he contracted tuberculosis and would spend the rest of his life in a constant state of pain due to the complications of such a disease. When the disease was beginning to take its toll a church for white folks offered him a nice comfortable salary and a place where he could rest and enjoy some comforts but Brainerd not to be sidetracked refused and continued his work among the Indians, knowing the time of his departure was drawing close.
Jonathan Edwards would say at his funeral that no man had so influenced his life for good as the life of David Brainerd who was half his age. .
In answer to the question, "What can be done to revive the work of God where it has decayed?" John Wesley said, "Let every preacher read carefully the life of David Brained”
Among those who followed his advice were William Carey, the father of modern missions; Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia; Robert McCheyne, the first modern missionary to the Jewish people.
Would to God that every one who reads this story be so moved to give their lives to the great missionary enterprise of taking the gospel to all corners of the world.
Send us Out O God,
Pastor Phil
24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
“A life aflame for God.” This was David Brainerd’s desire. That his life be lived as a flaming example of a life devoted completely to his Lord. No other hero of the faith writes with such complete transparency as does David Brainerd. It would be his journals that would be used by God to fuel the missionary fires of the greatest missionary movement to hit Christendom.
He did not know that he was writing for anyone other than himself but it has been the writings of David Brainerd that inspired the Wesley’s and the Carey’s and the Judson’s and many others to take the risk of selling all and following their master to the dark regions of the unreached peoples of the world.
David Brainerd lived more in the short twenty nine years than most live in three to four times that many years. It seemed as if every minute was spent in either proclaiming the gospel or praying for its advance among pagans who had no access to it.
As a young man in his twenties he sought to take the gospel to the Indians of New York near the fork of the Delaware river. These Indians were known for their cruelty to outsiders. Once in his travels to share the gospel with a tribe he had not been to before he spent several hours making his way through dense forested woods. Often he would stop and pray for God to lead him, having no knowledge of how to connect with these he was going too minister to.
Without his knowledge several Indians had followed him for hours through the forest and watched from a distance. Once as he began to pray the Indians watched as a rattlesnake made its way close to Brainerd’s body that was prostrate on the ground interceding for the Indians. These Indians watched as they were sure this snake would certainly strike him, but at the last moment the sake just slithered off into the woods.
The next day these same Indians gave testimony to their tribe of this occurrence and the tribe listened with great curiosity to one who risked such travel to come to them. They had met white men before but hey had only encouraged them to drink fire water and sell their lands at a pittance. They had never known a white man who would demonstrate such love and selfless compassion.
David Brainerd would spend the rest of his short life traveling to many remote areas to share the gospel with the Indians who had been abused by white men for years and left without any hope of the gospel. David Brainerd went against the tide of his day and gave his life to reach the unreached Indian populations of New York.
Somew3her in his mid twenties he contracted tuberculosis and would spend the rest of his life in a constant state of pain due to the complications of such a disease. When the disease was beginning to take its toll a church for white folks offered him a nice comfortable salary and a place where he could rest and enjoy some comforts but Brainerd not to be sidetracked refused and continued his work among the Indians, knowing the time of his departure was drawing close.
Jonathan Edwards would say at his funeral that no man had so influenced his life for good as the life of David Brainerd who was half his age. .
In answer to the question, "What can be done to revive the work of God where it has decayed?" John Wesley said, "Let every preacher read carefully the life of David Brained”
Among those who followed his advice were William Carey, the father of modern missions; Henry Martyn, missionary to India and Persia; Robert McCheyne, the first modern missionary to the Jewish people.
Would to God that every one who reads this story be so moved to give their lives to the great missionary enterprise of taking the gospel to all corners of the world.
Send us Out O God,
Pastor Phil
A Life Given to the Flames
December 23: Acts 20:25-31 (NIV)
25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
As the life of the apostle Paul was being taken in Rome under Nero another life was being born into the world that would continue to carry the flame of the gospel to those in the Roman Empire after Paul’s death. God never allows the world to go without a witness to his saving grace and the one we turn our attention to this day is the one by the name Polycarp. He was born in 69 a.d.. The details of his birth no one knows but the story goes that this young man was turned into a common slave
The story goes that a wealthy woman of the church in Smyrna noted for her works of charity among the poor was directed in a vision to go to the city gate and redeem a young man who was a slave of two men. This she did and promptly brought the young boy she had purchased into her home and gave him a Christian name and began to train him in the way of Christ. She formally adopted him and gave him a strong education.
Soon after he entered Callisto’s home he began to give evidence of God’s Spirit at work in his life. He lived a life of much self sacrifice caring for those less fortunate and was very diligent in witnessing to others about his faith in Christ.
Polycarp soon became a deacon in the church at Smyrna and it was to this work he gave much of his time. Due to persecution there were many widows in the church who had lost sons and husbands to the Romans sword. Polycarp soon became a very notable leader at the church in Smyrna. He served as a means of keeping the church unified during many difficult years of persecution.
Somewhere around 161 A.D. the persecutions by the Roman Empire grew to empire wide. Christians were not safe anywhere and the cry for the blood of Christians grew empire wide. Polycarp went into hiding but was discovered by a young child. Several Roman soldiers were dispatched to arrest Polycarp. When they found him he begged them the privilege of serving them a meal before they took him away. After the meal he asked for one more pleasure and that was to spend one hour alone in his prayer room, to which they granted him.
His prayers were of such nature that many of the guards were moved to repentance. After his hour of prayer he rose and met his guards and they took him to the proconsul who then urged him, saying, "Swear, and I will release thee; -- reproach Christ."
Polycarp answered, “You threaten me with fire that burns but for a moment and are ignorant of the fire that burns forever. Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?" At the stake, to which he was only tied, but not nailed as usual, as he assured them he should stand immovable, the flames, on their kindling the fagots, encircled his body, like an arch, without touching him, and the executioner, on seeing this, was ordered to pierce him with a sword when so great a quantity of blood flowed out as extinguished. the fire.” (Foxes Book of martyrs)
So it is as we read of those who have gone before us that our way has been lighted by the flames of persecution through the centuries. We have a very bright path to walk due to those who have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God to those they have lived around. May we do nothing less in this our time in history.
God help us light the way for all those who need our Christ.
Pastor phil
25 "Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again.
26 Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of all men.
27 For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.
28 Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
29 I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.
30 Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them.
31 So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
As the life of the apostle Paul was being taken in Rome under Nero another life was being born into the world that would continue to carry the flame of the gospel to those in the Roman Empire after Paul’s death. God never allows the world to go without a witness to his saving grace and the one we turn our attention to this day is the one by the name Polycarp. He was born in 69 a.d.. The details of his birth no one knows but the story goes that this young man was turned into a common slave
The story goes that a wealthy woman of the church in Smyrna noted for her works of charity among the poor was directed in a vision to go to the city gate and redeem a young man who was a slave of two men. This she did and promptly brought the young boy she had purchased into her home and gave him a Christian name and began to train him in the way of Christ. She formally adopted him and gave him a strong education.
Soon after he entered Callisto’s home he began to give evidence of God’s Spirit at work in his life. He lived a life of much self sacrifice caring for those less fortunate and was very diligent in witnessing to others about his faith in Christ.
Polycarp soon became a deacon in the church at Smyrna and it was to this work he gave much of his time. Due to persecution there were many widows in the church who had lost sons and husbands to the Romans sword. Polycarp soon became a very notable leader at the church in Smyrna. He served as a means of keeping the church unified during many difficult years of persecution.
Somewhere around 161 A.D. the persecutions by the Roman Empire grew to empire wide. Christians were not safe anywhere and the cry for the blood of Christians grew empire wide. Polycarp went into hiding but was discovered by a young child. Several Roman soldiers were dispatched to arrest Polycarp. When they found him he begged them the privilege of serving them a meal before they took him away. After the meal he asked for one more pleasure and that was to spend one hour alone in his prayer room, to which they granted him.
His prayers were of such nature that many of the guards were moved to repentance. After his hour of prayer he rose and met his guards and they took him to the proconsul who then urged him, saying, "Swear, and I will release thee; -- reproach Christ."
Polycarp answered, “You threaten me with fire that burns but for a moment and are ignorant of the fire that burns forever. Eighty and six years have I served him, and he never once wronged me; how then shall I blaspheme my King, Who hath saved me?" At the stake, to which he was only tied, but not nailed as usual, as he assured them he should stand immovable, the flames, on their kindling the fagots, encircled his body, like an arch, without touching him, and the executioner, on seeing this, was ordered to pierce him with a sword when so great a quantity of blood flowed out as extinguished. the fire.” (Foxes Book of martyrs)
So it is as we read of those who have gone before us that our way has been lighted by the flames of persecution through the centuries. We have a very bright path to walk due to those who have not shunned to declare the whole counsel of God to those they have lived around. May we do nothing less in this our time in history.
God help us light the way for all those who need our Christ.
Pastor phil
Compelled by theSpirit
December 22: Acts 20:22-24 (NIV)
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Who can ever tell the impact of one life? Consider this, one man who was set against the Christian faith at its very outset. He did everything he could to rid the world of those who claimed the name of Christ. HE only saw them as an obstacle to true religion that he had grown up with. The sacrificial system of the Jewish faith was the only way to see life, to vary from this teaching was certain death and to allow anything other than this teaching to exists was seen as a denial of the true faith if Israel.
This young man had been trained in the best Jewish schools and he had learned the law well. He could debate with the best of them and he was skilled in argumentation and debate. He could argue circles around anyone who would oppose him. He had one of the best teachers of debate to train him in logical argumentation and he was good at it.
His ability to convince others of his viewpoint led him to be accepted as the leader of the group that made its existence to be to rid the world of those who followed Christ. He had obtained permission to go to Damascus with the intent of destroying those in Damascus who held to the way of Christ and taught others to do the same.
Little did he know that he was on the road to his own conversion. ON the way to Damascus he encountered this Christ he was persecuting and found himself blinded by the light of this one he sought to rid the world of.
Enter a man named Ananias who came to visit him and proclaimed to him the whole counsel of God. As this man was proclaiming to him the gospel his eyes were opened and he saw the truth. This new revelation completely overhauled his life. Instead of persecuting those who belonged to Christ he became their greatest advocate. What eh had experienced on the road and now in the hearing of the gospel from this man named Ananias would change everything about his life.
Instead of taking others lives he would now give his life for the very thing he sought to rid the world of. SO began the great missionary imperative of the church, led first by the one who sought her destruction. We know this man by the name of Paul the Apostle, the one who would be used by God to write over half of the New Testament.
Think of it, the once enemy of Christ now becomes the vessel from which we have over half of the New testament. Without Paul we would not know of many of our great doctrines of the faith. We would not understand Justification by faith, we would be lost as to how secure we are in Christ; we would not have much an understanding of our sinful nature or how to be set free from such a nature.
This one man faced more encounters with death before his own it would seem insanity to continue to go through such persecution, unless of course what he believed was really true? SO we see the first missionary force led by one man who was convinced in spite of all his arguments against the truth. From the writings of this one man thousands of missionaries in the history of the church would be encouraged to go to difficult and hard places because they too had been compelled by the same Spirit that compelled him to go to Jerusalem and beyond.
May we join these noble ranks and find ourselves living for the difficult and hard places where the gospel has not yet penetrated.
Send us O God to those places where the Gospel has not yet gone,
Pastor phil
22 "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23 I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24 However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me--the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.
Who can ever tell the impact of one life? Consider this, one man who was set against the Christian faith at its very outset. He did everything he could to rid the world of those who claimed the name of Christ. HE only saw them as an obstacle to true religion that he had grown up with. The sacrificial system of the Jewish faith was the only way to see life, to vary from this teaching was certain death and to allow anything other than this teaching to exists was seen as a denial of the true faith if Israel.
This young man had been trained in the best Jewish schools and he had learned the law well. He could debate with the best of them and he was skilled in argumentation and debate. He could argue circles around anyone who would oppose him. He had one of the best teachers of debate to train him in logical argumentation and he was good at it.
His ability to convince others of his viewpoint led him to be accepted as the leader of the group that made its existence to be to rid the world of those who followed Christ. He had obtained permission to go to Damascus with the intent of destroying those in Damascus who held to the way of Christ and taught others to do the same.
Little did he know that he was on the road to his own conversion. ON the way to Damascus he encountered this Christ he was persecuting and found himself blinded by the light of this one he sought to rid the world of.
Enter a man named Ananias who came to visit him and proclaimed to him the whole counsel of God. As this man was proclaiming to him the gospel his eyes were opened and he saw the truth. This new revelation completely overhauled his life. Instead of persecuting those who belonged to Christ he became their greatest advocate. What eh had experienced on the road and now in the hearing of the gospel from this man named Ananias would change everything about his life.
Instead of taking others lives he would now give his life for the very thing he sought to rid the world of. SO began the great missionary imperative of the church, led first by the one who sought her destruction. We know this man by the name of Paul the Apostle, the one who would be used by God to write over half of the New Testament.
Think of it, the once enemy of Christ now becomes the vessel from which we have over half of the New testament. Without Paul we would not know of many of our great doctrines of the faith. We would not understand Justification by faith, we would be lost as to how secure we are in Christ; we would not have much an understanding of our sinful nature or how to be set free from such a nature.
This one man faced more encounters with death before his own it would seem insanity to continue to go through such persecution, unless of course what he believed was really true? SO we see the first missionary force led by one man who was convinced in spite of all his arguments against the truth. From the writings of this one man thousands of missionaries in the history of the church would be encouraged to go to difficult and hard places because they too had been compelled by the same Spirit that compelled him to go to Jerusalem and beyond.
May we join these noble ranks and find ourselves living for the difficult and hard places where the gospel has not yet penetrated.
Send us O God to those places where the Gospel has not yet gone,
Pastor phil
Joyous Giving is Contagious
December 21: Joyous Giving is Contagious
1 Chronicles 29:6-9 (NIV)
6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron.8 Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
Spirits are contagious. If you are negative those around will be infected with your negative spirit. If you are joyful you may just possibly begin a contagion that sets the church ablaze with great joy.
This was the case with King David. When the people saw his willing response to give to the Temple project they were stirred to give as well. Notice the spirit of those who gave was not a result of manipulated emotions they were genuinely moved by David’s example and they gave freely and willingly. There was great rejoicing on that day of great giving.
Joyful giving to God’s work by God’s people will always lead to great rejoicing among God’s people. How about it why not start a great spirit of joyful giving to the cause of the gospel through our international mission offering this month. Let the others see our joyful response to God’s call to the nations. I do want you to notice the characteristic of these gifts, they were given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, which led to the leader of the people being filled with great joy.
The greatest gift Lakeland could give this pastor is by letting me see your free and willing response to God’s call to give to his missionary call to reach the nations. Lead me to great joy by giving freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord this month of Foreign Missions.
Expecting to be led to rejoice by your gifts,
Pastor phil
1 Chronicles 29:6-9 (NIV)
6 Then the leaders of families, the officers of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king's work gave willingly. 7 They gave toward the work on the temple of God five thousand talents and ten thousand darics of gold, ten thousand talents of silver, eighteen thousand talents of bronze and a hundred thousand talents of iron.8 Any who had precious stones gave them to the treasury of the temple of the Lord in the custody of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 The people rejoiced at the willing response of their leaders, for they had given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
Spirits are contagious. If you are negative those around will be infected with your negative spirit. If you are joyful you may just possibly begin a contagion that sets the church ablaze with great joy.
This was the case with King David. When the people saw his willing response to give to the Temple project they were stirred to give as well. Notice the spirit of those who gave was not a result of manipulated emotions they were genuinely moved by David’s example and they gave freely and willingly. There was great rejoicing on that day of great giving.
Joyful giving to God’s work by God’s people will always lead to great rejoicing among God’s people. How about it why not start a great spirit of joyful giving to the cause of the gospel through our international mission offering this month. Let the others see our joyful response to God’s call to the nations. I do want you to notice the characteristic of these gifts, they were given freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord, which led to the leader of the people being filled with great joy.
The greatest gift Lakeland could give this pastor is by letting me see your free and willing response to God’s call to give to his missionary call to reach the nations. Lead me to great joy by giving freely and wholeheartedly to the Lord this month of Foreign Missions.
Expecting to be led to rejoice by your gifts,
Pastor phil
Providing for the work of the Lord
December 20: Providing for he Work of God
1 Chronicles 29:2-5 (NIV)
2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God--gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble--all of these in large quantities. 3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:4 three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?"
As leaders we set the pace for those who will follow us. We must lead by example. See how David sets the pace for those he leads. I am so convinced that this is a work of God that I will invest in it personally in great measure. Listen as David proclaims for all to hear, “With all of my resources I have provided for the temple.”
I am not just talking about it but I am leading the way. Here now is my retirement account and I am giving it to the Temple project. I am not only giving out of my surplus but out of my own personal storehouse. We see in this picture that the resources for the temple are already in the hands of God’s people, they just have to be willing to turn lose of them so God can use them for his glory.
We are at a time in our culture when funds are drying up for missionary workers, but we are also at a time in our culture when our houses are overstuffed with stuff that we should get rid of so the nations can hear. I believe one of the reasons that funds have dried up is because God wants to help us empty our homes of stuff so we will be lighter and freer to give to God’s purposes. Take a good look around your home and ask yourself the question can I get along without this for the sake of the glory of God?
Let us be like David who emptied his storehouse for the Temple project and empty our stuffed houses for the Gospel of Christ. Let us give until we feel lighter and let us give until we experience God’s joy in giving.
Pastor phil
1 Chronicles 29:2-5 (NIV)
2 With all my resources I have provided for the temple of my God--gold for the gold work, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron and wood for the wood, as well as onyx for the settings, turquoise, stones of various colors, and all kinds of fine stone and marble--all of these in large quantities. 3 Besides, in my devotion to the temple of my God I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the temple of my God, over and above everything I have provided for this holy temple:4 three thousand talents of gold (gold of Ophir) and seven thousand talents of refined silver, for the overlaying of the walls of the buildings, 5 for the gold work and the silver work, and for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now, who is willing to consecrate himself today to the Lord?"
As leaders we set the pace for those who will follow us. We must lead by example. See how David sets the pace for those he leads. I am so convinced that this is a work of God that I will invest in it personally in great measure. Listen as David proclaims for all to hear, “With all of my resources I have provided for the temple.”
I am not just talking about it but I am leading the way. Here now is my retirement account and I am giving it to the Temple project. I am not only giving out of my surplus but out of my own personal storehouse. We see in this picture that the resources for the temple are already in the hands of God’s people, they just have to be willing to turn lose of them so God can use them for his glory.
We are at a time in our culture when funds are drying up for missionary workers, but we are also at a time in our culture when our houses are overstuffed with stuff that we should get rid of so the nations can hear. I believe one of the reasons that funds have dried up is because God wants to help us empty our homes of stuff so we will be lighter and freer to give to God’s purposes. Take a good look around your home and ask yourself the question can I get along without this for the sake of the glory of God?
Let us be like David who emptied his storehouse for the Temple project and empty our stuffed houses for the Gospel of Christ. Let us give until we feel lighter and let us give until we experience God’s joy in giving.
Pastor phil
Servants in the Wings
December 19: Servants in the Wings
I Chronicles 28:21
21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."
When God gets ready to deliver a people he always prepares the leaders and the people who will follow the leaders. As Solomon sought after God and learned how to know his voice he was given power to understand the plans of the temple and then he was given the ability to communicate that plan to those who were gifted and ready to serve in this position.
We see this lived out in Matthew 9:36-38 when Jesus looks at the harvest and says to his disciples “Look at the fields they are white already for harvest. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he may send laborers out into his fields.” God has called us to reach the nations and now he bids us to pray for laborers who are ready in the wings to go to work in reaching the harvest..
This is the next step in obeying God, praying for laborers. None of us can reach the harvest alone so we must pray and ask the Lord for laborers for the harvest. The temple is great and the work is impossible for this is a work of God and not for man. So our responsibility is to pray for laborers so let us follow the command of our Lord and set our hearts to interceding that we may have more laborers for the harvest.
God raise up those you have already set aside for the harvest and let us use them as good stewards,
Pastor phil
I Chronicles 28:21
21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."
When God gets ready to deliver a people he always prepares the leaders and the people who will follow the leaders. As Solomon sought after God and learned how to know his voice he was given power to understand the plans of the temple and then he was given the ability to communicate that plan to those who were gifted and ready to serve in this position.
We see this lived out in Matthew 9:36-38 when Jesus looks at the harvest and says to his disciples “Look at the fields they are white already for harvest. Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest that he may send laborers out into his fields.” God has called us to reach the nations and now he bids us to pray for laborers who are ready in the wings to go to work in reaching the harvest..
This is the next step in obeying God, praying for laborers. None of us can reach the harvest alone so we must pray and ask the Lord for laborers for the harvest. The temple is great and the work is impossible for this is a work of God and not for man. So our responsibility is to pray for laborers so let us follow the command of our Lord and set our hearts to interceding that we may have more laborers for the harvest.
God raise up those you have already set aside for the harvest and let us use them as good stewards,
Pastor phil
Friday, December 18, 2009
Obedience, the Doorway to Accomplishing God's Work
December 18: Obedience is the doorway to accomplishing God’s Work
1 Chronicles 28:11-21 (NIV)
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. 13 He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.14 He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service:15 the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish;
18 and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the Lord.19 "All this," David said, "I have in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan."
20 David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.
21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."
As Solomon sought God, David provided him with the full detailed plans on the temple. Everything was put in writing so there would be no confusion. God had promised to be with Solomon until the temple was finished. He would not forsake Solomon as long as he was working on the task that God had called him for.
Here is what I want you to notice about following God. Solomon discovered that even though he had been called by God to build the temple, once he obeyed the command to be strong and do the work he discovered that God had numbers of skilled craftsmen who knew how to build the temple. They were all waiting to obey his every command. God had prepared the people who were gifted and he only needed a person who was willing to obey His Word, the rest was history.
What is God calling you to do with your life at this present time? You may feel completely unqualified, this is as it should be. He wants you to learn how to look to him when confronted with the impossibility of what he has called you for. As you look to him you will discover resources you did not know you had until you step out in faith.
In our church life at present we are facing the challenge of doing more with less. Our budget has been shrunk considerably this past year and our finance team has been working overtime in overseeing the budget and expenditures of our tithes and offerings. Things look more difficult this year than last year, and some may even say they look rather dismal, but this is as it should be for us to set our affections on knowing God and seeking his face. I am convinced that as we do this we will find the resources we need for the work that God has called us to.
Here is the task God has called us to. The plans have already been distributed in the Scriptures. “Make disciples of every nation.” How can we do this since we are young an inexperienced. Many are fearful of sharing their faith, many others do not know how to answer the questions they will confront as they share Christ. Let us take encouragement from Solomon. Let us press on to know God and serve him with willingness and readiness and then stand back and watch as God opens the windows of heaven to pour out a blessing there will not be room enough for.
Pressing on to Know God,
Pastor phil
1 Chronicles 28:11-21 (NIV)
11 Then David gave his son Solomon the plans for the portico of the temple, its buildings, its storerooms, its upper parts, its inner rooms and the place of atonement. 12 He gave him the plans of all that the Spirit had put in his mind for the courts of the temple of the Lord and all the surrounding rooms, for the treasuries of the temple of God and for the treasuries for the dedicated things. 13 He gave him instructions for the divisions of the priests and Levites, and for all the work of serving in the temple of the Lord, as well as for all the articles to be used in its service.14 He designated the weight of gold for all the gold articles to be used in various kinds of service, and the weight of silver for all the silver articles to be used in various kinds of service:15 the weight of gold for the gold lampstands and their lamps, with the weight for each lampstand and its lamps; and the weight of silver for each silver lampstand and its lamps, according to the use of each lampstand; 16 the weight of gold for each table for consecrated bread; the weight of silver for the silver tables; 17 the weight of pure gold for the forks, sprinkling bowls and pitchers; the weight of gold for each gold dish; the weight of silver for each silver dish;
18 and the weight of the refined gold for the altar of incense. He also gave him the plan for the chariot, that is, the cherubim of gold that spread their wings and shelter the ark of the covenant of the Lord.19 "All this," David said, "I have in writing from the hand of the Lord upon me, and he gave me understanding in all the details of the plan."
20 David also said to Solomon his son, "Be strong and courageous, and do the work. Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord God, my God, is with you. He will not fail you or forsake you until all the work for the service of the temple of the Lord is finished.
21 The divisions of the priests and Levites are ready for all the work on the temple of God, and every willing man skilled in any craft will help you in all the work. The officials and all the people will obey your every command."
As Solomon sought God, David provided him with the full detailed plans on the temple. Everything was put in writing so there would be no confusion. God had promised to be with Solomon until the temple was finished. He would not forsake Solomon as long as he was working on the task that God had called him for.
Here is what I want you to notice about following God. Solomon discovered that even though he had been called by God to build the temple, once he obeyed the command to be strong and do the work he discovered that God had numbers of skilled craftsmen who knew how to build the temple. They were all waiting to obey his every command. God had prepared the people who were gifted and he only needed a person who was willing to obey His Word, the rest was history.
What is God calling you to do with your life at this present time? You may feel completely unqualified, this is as it should be. He wants you to learn how to look to him when confronted with the impossibility of what he has called you for. As you look to him you will discover resources you did not know you had until you step out in faith.
In our church life at present we are facing the challenge of doing more with less. Our budget has been shrunk considerably this past year and our finance team has been working overtime in overseeing the budget and expenditures of our tithes and offerings. Things look more difficult this year than last year, and some may even say they look rather dismal, but this is as it should be for us to set our affections on knowing God and seeking his face. I am convinced that as we do this we will find the resources we need for the work that God has called us to.
Here is the task God has called us to. The plans have already been distributed in the Scriptures. “Make disciples of every nation.” How can we do this since we are young an inexperienced. Many are fearful of sharing their faith, many others do not know how to answer the questions they will confront as they share Christ. Let us take encouragement from Solomon. Let us press on to know God and serve him with willingness and readiness and then stand back and watch as God opens the windows of heaven to pour out a blessing there will not be room enough for.
Pressing on to Know God,
Pastor phil
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Qualities of the Foreman
December 17: Qualities of the Foreman
1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (NIV)
9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."
David did not leave Solomon without a plan, but his plan was not something from any college of construction I have ever seen. I can hear the conversation between David and his young son.
“Dad, how am I going to be able to build this temple for God’s glory when I do not even know how to wield a hammer?”
“Don’t worry son God has way?”
“Well Dad what is His way, I need to know.”
OK, Solomon, take out your notebook and write these things down. Here is how you are going to build this temple. The first and most important thing is that you get to know this God who has called you to build. This is your first priority.”
“Ok Dad I hear you but how do I get to know him?”
“Serve him with your whole heart. Learn of him with all your mind. This task will call for all of your emotional and spiritual and intellectual energies. Do not let anything keep you from these most important tasks.”
“Ok Dad I get it but when will I learn about how to build the temple? Sure this is all good and everything but someone has to build the temple and I don’t think these priorities that you have given me are going to help much with stone cutting and metallurgy. When will I be trained in these things?”
“Patience my son, patience.”
Some of you reading this are probably saying the same things. Well you will have to tune in tomorrow to discover how it is these disciplines are used by God to train and equip this young and inexperienced temple builder.
Working on Knowing God so I can build His temple,
Pastor phil
1 Chronicles 28:9-10 (NIV)
9 "And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every motive behind the thoughts. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever.
10 Consider now, for the Lord has chosen you to build a temple as a sanctuary. Be strong and do the work."
David did not leave Solomon without a plan, but his plan was not something from any college of construction I have ever seen. I can hear the conversation between David and his young son.
“Dad, how am I going to be able to build this temple for God’s glory when I do not even know how to wield a hammer?”
“Don’t worry son God has way?”
“Well Dad what is His way, I need to know.”
OK, Solomon, take out your notebook and write these things down. Here is how you are going to build this temple. The first and most important thing is that you get to know this God who has called you to build. This is your first priority.”
“Ok Dad I hear you but how do I get to know him?”
“Serve him with your whole heart. Learn of him with all your mind. This task will call for all of your emotional and spiritual and intellectual energies. Do not let anything keep you from these most important tasks.”
“Ok Dad I get it but when will I learn about how to build the temple? Sure this is all good and everything but someone has to build the temple and I don’t think these priorities that you have given me are going to help much with stone cutting and metallurgy. When will I be trained in these things?”
“Patience my son, patience.”
Some of you reading this are probably saying the same things. Well you will have to tune in tomorrow to discover how it is these disciplines are used by God to train and equip this young and inexperienced temple builder.
Working on Knowing God so I can build His temple,
Pastor phil
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Setting the pace
December 16: Setting the Pace
1 Chronicles 29:1-9 (HCSB)
"1 Then King David said to all the assembly, “My son Solomon—God has chosen him alone—is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the temple will not be for man but for the Lord God. 2 So to the best of my ability I’ve made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold ⌊articles⌋, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, ⌊stones for⌋ mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble. 3 Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house: 4 100 tons of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings,
5 the gold for the gold ⌊work⌋ and the silver for the silver, for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the Lord today?”
6 Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7 For the service of God’s house they gave 185 tons of gold and 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 4,000 tons of iron.
8 Whoever had ⌊precious⌋ stones gave them to the treasury of the Lord’s house under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 Then the people rejoiced because of their ⌊leaders’⌋ willingness to give, for they had given to the Lord with a whole heart. King David also rejoiced greatly.
For the next several days I want to consider the example we have in King David as he gave to the God’s work."
I want to consider first what David said about this work of God in building the Temple. Who was it that God chose to build the temple? Solomon, the son of David. What do we know about Solomon? He was young and inexperienced. He knew nothing about building anything. No temple had ever been built before. He did not know anything about building or reading blueprints. I bet when everyone heard who had been selected to direct the building project they must have said, “Are you kidding me, why he does not know the first thing about building a temple.”
How just like God this is to pick someone who is the least qualified and put them in charge of such a great task. Even King David says as much, “My son Solomon-God has chosen him alone- is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the temple will not be for man but for God.” Oh this is not some ordinary task where you can go out and pick you best contractors, this task will require a complete devotion to God and His word. It will require men and women who will set their hearts affections on the things of God and not on things of the earth.
Think of it, to build a temple with inexperienced and unskilled workers. Someone said it best year ago when they penned these words, “God does call the qualified he qualifies the called.”
As you are thinking about this upcoming year and beginning now to set some goals for this new year approaching what great tasks does God have for you? Perhaps you may be called to do something you are completely unqualified for, have no fear. God is in the business of selecting persons who are not qualified in the eyes of the world. God has other ways of leading those who are called by God to perform tasks they could never do on their own.
Tomorrow we will consider how it is that God qualifies those he calls. For now suffice it to say that God has called all of us to things much greater than any of us could ever accomplish on our own.
Thanks be to God for such a calling as ours.
Rejoicing in the Calling of God,
Pastor phil
1 Chronicles 29:1-9 (HCSB)
"1 Then King David said to all the assembly, “My son Solomon—God has chosen him alone—is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the temple will not be for man but for the Lord God. 2 So to the best of my ability I’ve made provision for the house of my God: gold for the gold ⌊articles⌋, silver for the silver, bronze for the bronze, iron for the iron, and wood for the wood, as well as onyx, ⌊stones for⌋ mounting, antimony, stones of various colors, all kinds of precious stones, and a great quantity of marble. 3 Moreover, because of my delight in the house of my God, I now give my personal treasures of gold and silver for the house of my God over and above all that I’ve provided for the holy house: 4 100 tons of gold (gold of Ophir) and 250 tons of refined silver for overlaying the walls of the buildings,
5 the gold for the gold ⌊work⌋ and the silver for the silver, for all the work to be done by the craftsmen. Now who will volunteer to consecrate himself to the Lord today?”
6 Then the leaders of the households, the leaders of the tribes of Israel, the commanders of thousands and of hundreds, and the officials in charge of the king’s work gave willingly. 7 For the service of God’s house they gave 185 tons of gold and 10,000 gold coins, 375 tons of silver, 675 tons of bronze, and 4,000 tons of iron.
8 Whoever had ⌊precious⌋ stones gave them to the treasury of the Lord’s house under the care of Jehiel the Gershonite.
9 Then the people rejoiced because of their ⌊leaders’⌋ willingness to give, for they had given to the Lord with a whole heart. King David also rejoiced greatly.
For the next several days I want to consider the example we have in King David as he gave to the God’s work."
I want to consider first what David said about this work of God in building the Temple. Who was it that God chose to build the temple? Solomon, the son of David. What do we know about Solomon? He was young and inexperienced. He knew nothing about building anything. No temple had ever been built before. He did not know anything about building or reading blueprints. I bet when everyone heard who had been selected to direct the building project they must have said, “Are you kidding me, why he does not know the first thing about building a temple.”
How just like God this is to pick someone who is the least qualified and put them in charge of such a great task. Even King David says as much, “My son Solomon-God has chosen him alone- is young and inexperienced. The task is great because the temple will not be for man but for God.” Oh this is not some ordinary task where you can go out and pick you best contractors, this task will require a complete devotion to God and His word. It will require men and women who will set their hearts affections on the things of God and not on things of the earth.
Think of it, to build a temple with inexperienced and unskilled workers. Someone said it best year ago when they penned these words, “God does call the qualified he qualifies the called.”
As you are thinking about this upcoming year and beginning now to set some goals for this new year approaching what great tasks does God have for you? Perhaps you may be called to do something you are completely unqualified for, have no fear. God is in the business of selecting persons who are not qualified in the eyes of the world. God has other ways of leading those who are called by God to perform tasks they could never do on their own.
Tomorrow we will consider how it is that God qualifies those he calls. For now suffice it to say that God has called all of us to things much greater than any of us could ever accomplish on our own.
Thanks be to God for such a calling as ours.
Rejoicing in the Calling of God,
Pastor phil
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Giving to Be Free
December 15: Giving to be Free
2 Samuel 24:18-25 (HCSB)
18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded.
20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground.
21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”
22 Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.
23 ⌊My⌋ king, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24 The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost ⌊me⌋ nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 20 ounces of silver.
25 He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel ended.
In this day of easy believism and portable loyalties the tendency of the church is to downplay the cost of discipleship and emphasize the benefits of belonging to the Church. “Come to our worship service and we will make you feel good. Our messages are contemporary and upbeat and we never ask for money. We may even throw in some nice appealing drama or humorous skits to help the service be more entertaining for you and your children. We do not want you to feel bad . Our aim is make you feel good.”
Thinking this is the way to reach the culture and build disciples better many churches have succumbed to this type of thinking and as a result have grown shallow disciples who cannot stomach the hard choices of being a true follower of Christ.
It is necessary for us to be reminded by King David’s words in II Samuel. He was offered to obtain the land and the sacrifices he was to make to God for free. Araunah was already to offer him the supplies he needed and there would not be any cost to him at all. King David knew something about his own heart and he also understood that anything obtained to cheaply would be esteemed too lightly..
Are you looking for a renewed experience with God? Do you desire to see your walk with God deepened in this coming year? Why not follow David’s example and take the high road of sacrifice and offering. Let us not be those who offer to the Lord that which costs us northing.
Consider next what the end of David’s sacrifice and offering was. The plague on the nation was stopped. When God’s people esteem God to be worth more than their stuff things begin to happen. When stuff begins to lose its stranglehold on us we will find that we have more room for God in our lives, we will have money left over to offer to the cause of Christ, more missionaries will be able to be sent to the fields, and we will be lighter and freer.
I pray for us that we will be like King David in this respect that we will not offer to the Lord that which costs us nothing. Our gifts to missions ought to cost us something. There should be something that we could have purchased that we could no longer buy because our money has already been claimed by missions. The question for you and your family to consider prayerfully this December is what part of your pocketbook has been claimed for missions so that you can no longer make the purchases you once did?
As we give this Christmas to our International Mission offering may the cost we incur be the opening of the gospel in foreign lands so the curse of sin might be restrained by the preaching of the gospel in those lands.
Dear God, move us to give so the curse of sin in other lands may be stilled for the sake of your glory.
Experiencing the cost of living a missional life,
Pastor phil
2 Samuel 24:18-25 (HCSB)
18 Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.”
19 David went up in obedience to Gad’s command, just as the Lord had commanded.
20 Araunah looked down and saw the king and his servants coming toward him, so he went out and bowed to the king with his face to the ground.
21 Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.”
22 Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood.
23 ⌊My⌋ king, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.”
24 The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost ⌊me⌋ nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for 20 ounces of silver.
25 He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord answered prayer on behalf of the land, and the plague on Israel ended.
In this day of easy believism and portable loyalties the tendency of the church is to downplay the cost of discipleship and emphasize the benefits of belonging to the Church. “Come to our worship service and we will make you feel good. Our messages are contemporary and upbeat and we never ask for money. We may even throw in some nice appealing drama or humorous skits to help the service be more entertaining for you and your children. We do not want you to feel bad . Our aim is make you feel good.”
Thinking this is the way to reach the culture and build disciples better many churches have succumbed to this type of thinking and as a result have grown shallow disciples who cannot stomach the hard choices of being a true follower of Christ.
It is necessary for us to be reminded by King David’s words in II Samuel. He was offered to obtain the land and the sacrifices he was to make to God for free. Araunah was already to offer him the supplies he needed and there would not be any cost to him at all. King David knew something about his own heart and he also understood that anything obtained to cheaply would be esteemed too lightly..
Are you looking for a renewed experience with God? Do you desire to see your walk with God deepened in this coming year? Why not follow David’s example and take the high road of sacrifice and offering. Let us not be those who offer to the Lord that which costs us northing.
Consider next what the end of David’s sacrifice and offering was. The plague on the nation was stopped. When God’s people esteem God to be worth more than their stuff things begin to happen. When stuff begins to lose its stranglehold on us we will find that we have more room for God in our lives, we will have money left over to offer to the cause of Christ, more missionaries will be able to be sent to the fields, and we will be lighter and freer.
I pray for us that we will be like King David in this respect that we will not offer to the Lord that which costs us nothing. Our gifts to missions ought to cost us something. There should be something that we could have purchased that we could no longer buy because our money has already been claimed by missions. The question for you and your family to consider prayerfully this December is what part of your pocketbook has been claimed for missions so that you can no longer make the purchases you once did?
As we give this Christmas to our International Mission offering may the cost we incur be the opening of the gospel in foreign lands so the curse of sin might be restrained by the preaching of the gospel in those lands.
Dear God, move us to give so the curse of sin in other lands may be stilled for the sake of your glory.
Experiencing the cost of living a missional life,
Pastor phil
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)