Over the last several days God has really made me focus on the question "why?" I know that for alot of people they think of children when they hear the question "why?" I know when I was a child I was one of the world's worst about asking this question . God has been really showing me lately, Why we as Christians call ourselves Christians.
I have been trying to get back in touch with different people that I have had the opportunity to cross paths with at one point or another in my life. Some are easier to get in touch with than others but I have reunited friendships, and lost some others. But the one thing that I have seen as we have grown older and apart, is that God has allowed each of us to grow and stretch in all different directions. Some appear to be for the good and some not so good, but I can't judge people I can only pray for them. My pastor preached on Faithfulness yesterday, and the message kept reminding me of my closest friends that I care so dearly about, that seem to be struggling now. I know that they are Christians and that God loves them and He is going to continue to be faithful to them, and me even though we aren't always faithful to Him.
We as Christians are called to live out our lives according to God's will, that is the commitment part on our end when we accept Christ as our Savior. I believe that we fail in that because we are not faithful. So to it answers "why" we as Christians are here- to serve God with all our heart , soul, and mind. And "Why" we as Christians struggle- because we are not faithful.
I have a good friend in ministry and he had incredible growth in his ministry over the period of last year. When I say incredible I mean the amount of people that were coming went from 8 to over 90 every week. I asked him "What have you been doing?", and he replied, " I've just tried to make myself available to God, but most importantly I've tried to constantly be faithful."
And that is what I want to leave you with now, be faithful. Not only to God but be faithful to people, that is our witness as Christians. Be faithful to keep your commitments to people, be faithful to pray for people. Be faithful to Love people, just as Christ is still faithful to us.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Living the Philipians 1:27 Lifestyle
We can all think of sometime in our lives where we can remember going through stages. Some of us are still going through stages, some haven't picked up on the fact that their life has stages, and there are some who have been through so many they don't think about the stages anymore.
Some people would even call these stages, "seasons of life". Well as Christians we are called to live according to God's guidelines. He has given us His word to go by and to guide each of us through these seasons.
I can remember being in high school being the average teenager, a little crazy at times, but for the most part average. From there going to college and getting into the real world. The scary thing is I was a Christian, went to church, worshiped God, but I wasn't mature in my walk. I could say that my church, church leaders, Sunday school teachers and other Christians weren't equipping me to be the man of God I needed to be. Ultimately I realize now that those things were true but no one could answer for my mistakes but Don.
God finally straightened me out, and woke me up. But I look at several of my friends now that I was in youth group with, in Sunday school with, basically were in the same situation I was in, but they are engulfed in a world of sin. Do I feel for those friends, yes my heart goes out to them and I remember them in prayer often, but I cannot answer for their lives. I can try to encourage them but ultimately they have to answer to the Holy Spirit.
For anyone that reads this and is dealing with situations that are questionable in your life I want to encourage you that God calls us to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior we make a commitment to keep Him first in our lives. Well if He is first then every bad thing that we encounter or allow to come into our lives we are putting Him through it as well.
The apostle Paul reminds us in the book of Philippians how we should live:
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worth of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one Philippians 1:27 NASB
Some people would even call these stages, "seasons of life". Well as Christians we are called to live according to God's guidelines. He has given us His word to go by and to guide each of us through these seasons.
I can remember being in high school being the average teenager, a little crazy at times, but for the most part average. From there going to college and getting into the real world. The scary thing is I was a Christian, went to church, worshiped God, but I wasn't mature in my walk. I could say that my church, church leaders, Sunday school teachers and other Christians weren't equipping me to be the man of God I needed to be. Ultimately I realize now that those things were true but no one could answer for my mistakes but Don.
God finally straightened me out, and woke me up. But I look at several of my friends now that I was in youth group with, in Sunday school with, basically were in the same situation I was in, but they are engulfed in a world of sin. Do I feel for those friends, yes my heart goes out to them and I remember them in prayer often, but I cannot answer for their lives. I can try to encourage them but ultimately they have to answer to the Holy Spirit.
For anyone that reads this and is dealing with situations that are questionable in your life I want to encourage you that God calls us to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ. When we accept Christ as our Lord and Savior we make a commitment to keep Him first in our lives. Well if He is first then every bad thing that we encounter or allow to come into our lives we are putting Him through it as well.
The apostle Paul reminds us in the book of Philippians how we should live:
Only conduct yourselves in a manner worth of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one Philippians 1:27 NASB
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Patience
Over the last year Mary Martha and myself have come down a long road in a short time. Asking her and she would tell you that it has been a long and winding road and that we have taken our sweet time in getting to the point we are at now.
I'm not saying anything negative about my wife I love her with all of my heart, and I love that her eagerness sometimes is shown through impatience. It is just a friendly reminder to me that she still loves me. I told her tonight that if she would have been in my shoes while trying to court/date her she would have patience like me. (For all of you who know the story, you understand.) If you don't call or email me and I'll give you the rundown.
Since we finished at Southwestern, we have been back in Mississippi and seeking where God wants us to be. Well today we finally got the 100% answer. God has called us to serve in the Baptist church at Vaiden, Mississippi. Here I will be on staff at the church serving in the church as Associate Pastor/Youth Minister.
This year has strengthened our marriage to say the least, and we couldn't have made it without God and each other. We are excited about ministering in Vaiden, and with the loving church that is already there. We are also thrilled to be expecting our daughter in late August. The due date is August 22nd, and if she is like her daddy she'll be early, if she's like her mommy, well we won't open that can.
I want to thank both of our families for being so supportive during this past year. Both of them have been an incredible blessing in our lives, truly a Godsend.
I want to finish this post with a verse that has been inspirational to both MM and myself. We started memorizing scripture several months ago and this was one of the verses that we clung to as we held each other accountable.
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be strong and take heart, wait on the Lord. Psalms 27:13-14 NIV
For me it was inspiration to keep on striving to living a Godly life, and reminded me that God is always faithful, and His timing is Awesome. We just have to wait on the Lord.
I'm not saying anything negative about my wife I love her with all of my heart, and I love that her eagerness sometimes is shown through impatience. It is just a friendly reminder to me that she still loves me. I told her tonight that if she would have been in my shoes while trying to court/date her she would have patience like me. (For all of you who know the story, you understand.) If you don't call or email me and I'll give you the rundown.
Since we finished at Southwestern, we have been back in Mississippi and seeking where God wants us to be. Well today we finally got the 100% answer. God has called us to serve in the Baptist church at Vaiden, Mississippi. Here I will be on staff at the church serving in the church as Associate Pastor/Youth Minister.
This year has strengthened our marriage to say the least, and we couldn't have made it without God and each other. We are excited about ministering in Vaiden, and with the loving church that is already there. We are also thrilled to be expecting our daughter in late August. The due date is August 22nd, and if she is like her daddy she'll be early, if she's like her mommy, well we won't open that can.
I want to thank both of our families for being so supportive during this past year. Both of them have been an incredible blessing in our lives, truly a Godsend.
I want to finish this post with a verse that has been inspirational to both MM and myself. We started memorizing scripture several months ago and this was one of the verses that we clung to as we held each other accountable.
I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Wait on the Lord, be strong and take heart, wait on the Lord. Psalms 27:13-14 NIV
For me it was inspiration to keep on striving to living a Godly life, and reminded me that God is always faithful, and His timing is Awesome. We just have to wait on the Lord.
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