Welcome back and I pray you had a great week as you served our Lord and worshiped HIM. Today I want to share with you on the subject of being a good example to others around us. We often do not think of ourselves in this way as much as we should, but we are being watched. As we look at the meaning of the word "example" from the Greek language, it may help to shed some light on our thoughts for today.
From Strong's Greek Dictionary, it is pronounced "hupodeigma, or hoop-od'-igue-mah" and has the following meaning, "an exhibit for imitation or warning, pattern."
This means two things as we look at the meaning here. Number one, as an exhibit for imitation. As I was sitting in the worship service at one of the local congregations as a visitor recently, I noticed a generous portion of the folks NOT singing or even going through the motions as praise was lifted to honor God. I know some people think they cannot carry a tune in a bucket if the lid was welded on, but that is not what is important. The important thing is the little ones, the non-Christians and the new Christians who are watching each of us and the kind of message we are sending them as we "worship" God, or worse, do not worship HIM as we should. Do they see it worth while to even be there or will they follow the example of those who show no enthusiasm for the reason we congregate? Paul told us in 1 Corinthians 11:1, "Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ" (NKJV). We are to be "little Christ's", Christians, to others around us, in the worship and outside the worship arena. Let us show some "enthusiasm" for Godly things. (By the way, the root word for enthusiasm in the Greek means "God In").
Secondly, the word means to be an example as a warning. I see this as two fold as well. First, to warn others of the wrath of God that will come on those who are disobedient to HIM, as His Word so clearly states; and second as a person who has "been there done that" and knows the result or consequences of going down certain roads in life. We are to be ones who warn of impending doom because we are, or should be, a bit wiser than those younger in The Faith, or those who are yet to make a decision for Christ.
An example; so many today look to Hollywood or some other ungodly example and are disappointed when they fail and become less than what was expected. If you are a child of God, it cannot be expressed deeply enough as to how important it is to be a good and sincere example for the kingdom of our Lord. Now, go and do the right thing. God bless until our next time..
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
But I Believe...!!!
The world today is filled with people who have a "belief system" of one type or another, whether in THE ONE TRUE GOD or a god-myth of tradition or culture or convenience, or the so-called atheists among us who claim there is no "GOD". In trying to deal with many of these folks and persuade them of the ONE and ONLY GOD, we often hear at one point or other, "...But we believe...", and on they go with the reasoning for where it is they stand even if that stand is somewhat based on the Holy Scriptures known as The Bible.
"BUT WE BELIEVE..." should never be an excuse or a replacement for, "THE WORD OF GOD STATES..." but I fear it has become just that way. A question each of us must ask now and then is, "Am I following God and HIS WORD as it was originally written (after all, HE wrote it by way of His HOLY SPIRIT through inspired men), or am I more concerned with the sect or group with which I am associated, whether a denomination or other false teaching religion." I fear there is a large percentage in this country and around the world who, for whatever reason, have been absorbed into one religion or other without much thought or personal study into what is truly being taught and from where it originates. In other words, too many today are following blindly what the large group is teaching and not asking the proper questions to find the truth. Many big names seem to attract people. To question that man or religious group is certainly out of the area of possibility. After all he has been to school and knows so much more than the average person.
God's Word will never change!! God will never change!! No matter how many people vote to make certain religious items "The Way Things Are Today", we will be judged by what God has already said in His Word as it is written.
"BUT WE BELIEVE..." should never be an excuse or a replacement for, "THE WORD OF GOD STATES..." but I fear it has become just that way. A question each of us must ask now and then is, "Am I following God and HIS WORD as it was originally written (after all, HE wrote it by way of His HOLY SPIRIT through inspired men), or am I more concerned with the sect or group with which I am associated, whether a denomination or other false teaching religion." I fear there is a large percentage in this country and around the world who, for whatever reason, have been absorbed into one religion or other without much thought or personal study into what is truly being taught and from where it originates. In other words, too many today are following blindly what the large group is teaching and not asking the proper questions to find the truth. Many big names seem to attract people. To question that man or religious group is certainly out of the area of possibility. After all he has been to school and knows so much more than the average person.
God's Word will never change!! God will never change!! No matter how many people vote to make certain religious items "The Way Things Are Today", we will be judged by what God has already said in His Word as it is written.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
DO IT LIKE HE DONE IT!!!
As I was doing some reading this past week I got some ideas for these devotions and I look forward to sharing many with you in the future. God bless as you read and hopefully share these with others who might need to be encouraged. So let's begin again.
According to a newspaper columnist, a major business concern received the following letter from one of its salesmen~ It was apparent that this particular salesmen was somewhat illiterate, but his letter read rather well.
Here is that letter:
"Dear Boss, I seen this outfit which ain't never bot a dime's wurth of nuthin from us and so I sole them a cuple hundred thosand dolars wurth of our guds. I am now on my way to Chacawgo."
Two days later a second letter arrived reading as follows: "I com here and sole them over haf a milyon dolars wurth." Both of these letters were posted on the company bulletin board with a note attached from the company's president.
Here is how it read:
"We ben spendin too much time tryin to spel insted of tryin to sel. I want evrybody should reed these letters from Gooch (salesmen's name) -he is on the rode doin a grate job for us. You should go out, all of you, and do like he done."
The lesson here might be more obvious to some than to others, but here it is. Sometimes in our lives we get so easily caught up trying to think of new ways or methods of reaching lost souls for Christ. We sit in meetings and come up with gimmicks that are sometimes so outlandish that we know no one could resist. Programs are launched and much effort is put into planning and devising ways to get 'THEIR' interest. We organize and reorganize; we establish institutions for the purpose of hopefully getting the work done that we know needs to be done, sometime, somewhere, by someone. Too often we fall in love with the mechanics of our invention rather than the product it was intended to produce. Often we forget our purpose, the very purpose which we accepted and to which we were called. Are we as the Church spending too much time greasing the machinery or only trying to enlarge our machine for the purpose of numbers alone? Our concern should still be, and always be, the same as Christ's concern; those outside of Christ who need to hear of this loving Saviour. A few 'Goochs' are worth more to the cause of Christ than all the organizations of human design.
Jesus made it very simple, "Go therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).
The Apostle Paul wrote, "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; to both the wise and the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel " (Romans 1: 14-15).
God bless until our next time.
According to a newspaper columnist, a major business concern received the following letter from one of its salesmen~ It was apparent that this particular salesmen was somewhat illiterate, but his letter read rather well.
Here is that letter:
"Dear Boss, I seen this outfit which ain't never bot a dime's wurth of nuthin from us and so I sole them a cuple hundred thosand dolars wurth of our guds. I am now on my way to Chacawgo."
Two days later a second letter arrived reading as follows: "I com here and sole them over haf a milyon dolars wurth." Both of these letters were posted on the company bulletin board with a note attached from the company's president.
Here is how it read:
"We ben spendin too much time tryin to spel insted of tryin to sel. I want evrybody should reed these letters from Gooch (salesmen's name) -he is on the rode doin a grate job for us. You should go out, all of you, and do like he done."
The lesson here might be more obvious to some than to others, but here it is. Sometimes in our lives we get so easily caught up trying to think of new ways or methods of reaching lost souls for Christ. We sit in meetings and come up with gimmicks that are sometimes so outlandish that we know no one could resist. Programs are launched and much effort is put into planning and devising ways to get 'THEIR' interest. We organize and reorganize; we establish institutions for the purpose of hopefully getting the work done that we know needs to be done, sometime, somewhere, by someone. Too often we fall in love with the mechanics of our invention rather than the product it was intended to produce. Often we forget our purpose, the very purpose which we accepted and to which we were called. Are we as the Church spending too much time greasing the machinery or only trying to enlarge our machine for the purpose of numbers alone? Our concern should still be, and always be, the same as Christ's concern; those outside of Christ who need to hear of this loving Saviour. A few 'Goochs' are worth more to the cause of Christ than all the organizations of human design.
Jesus made it very simple, "Go therefore and teach all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).
The Apostle Paul wrote, "I am debtor both to the Greeks, and to the Barbarians; to both the wise and the unwise. So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel " (Romans 1: 14-15).
God bless until our next time.
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