Roberts, B.T.. Pungent Truths (Kindle Locations 1420-1428). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
Souls are saved by the power of the Holy Ghost, and not by the force of logic. When Paul reasoned of "righteousness, temperance and judgment to come, Felix trembled" (Acts 24:25). That was as far as logic could carry him. But when Paul, "filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes" on Elymas, and in response to his words the great sorcerer was smitten with blindness. "then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astonished at the doctrine of the Lord" (Acts 13:12). So. when sinners come forward to our altars, we should pray the power of God upon them, and not carry on a running conversation with them. We should rely upon the Holy Ghost to do the work in answer to prayer. Seekers should be encouraged to pray; and we should hold on with them until the blessing comes. If they do not pray right, we should lead them right, and put short, appropriate petitions in their mouths. Only get them to pray in earnest and in faith. and they will get through. "Every one that asketh receiveth."
Roberts, B.T.. Pungent Truths (Kindle Locations 1420-1428). Unknown. Kindle Edition.
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It is an ongoing temptation to think of ourselves as living under a curse. The loss of a friend, an illness, an accident, a natural disaster, a war, or any failure can make us quickly think that we are no good and are being punished. This temptation to think of our lives as full of curses is even greater when all the media present us day after day with stories about human misery. Jesus came to bless us, not to curse us. But we must choose to receive that blessing and hand it on to others. Blessings and curses are always placed in front of us. We are free to choose. God says, Choose the blessings! For further reflection... Balak said to Balaam, "What have you done to me? I brought you to curse my enemies, but you have done nothing but bless them!" He answered, "Must I not speak what the Lord puts in my mouth?" - Numbers 23: 11, 12 (NIV) This devotional was written by Henri Nouwen. You can find his website here: henrinouwen.org Someone recently asked me what I would focus on if I were trying to steward new life in a declining or stagnant congregation. I told them I would focus on three things intently, and I would not waver. RENEWAL. First, I would cultivate a culture of renewal/revival: a kingdom culture of transformation. We should do everything we can to fan the flames of revival in the life of the local church. People are drawn to fire. This would include an earnest focus on corporate prayer, passionate worship, and courageous biblical preaching. I would stay away from fads and trends. Helping a congregation become a good host of the Holy Spirit is one of the most important things we can do as leaders. We should strive to nurture an atmosphere that people are drawn to and love being part of. When we do this the congregation becomes a place that is “on earth as it is in heaven.” It’s exhilarating to be part of a church community that doesn’t want to leave the place where they meet. When renewal sets in, our church buildings become a “third place” for people. Research indicates that people’s first place is home, their second place is work, and often they have a third place: gym, bar, social club, etc. When a spirit of genuine renewal is ongoing it creates an atmosphere that people want to be part of. In turn, it becomes their “third place.” I’ve been fortunate enough to be part of these communities. I remember many times after the final “amen” people lingering, praying together at the altars, fellowshipping with one another. You know genuine renewal is taking shape when you are turning the lights off and locking up over an hour after the gathering has ended. When the Holy Spirit is freely moving in the life of a congregation His presence becomes the most attractive and magnetic part of the church. DISCIPLESHIP. We are called to train and equip believers. We need to teach people to walk in a deep place of intimacy with Jesus. Intimacy with Jesus is key to success in the kingdom. Period. Teaching people to walk in close proximity to Him is what authentic discipleship is all about. As the spirit of renewal becomes the culture of a congregation, a sense of desperation develops in the lives of individuals. People begin to long for His presence beyond a Sunday morning experience. When we create a healthy culture of disciple-making, Jesus becomes much more than a religious concept; He becomes a tangible reality. This happens as people walk with other people, teaching them to live out the teachings of scripture, not merely understand them. I am convinced that by and large, the church has an unhealthy view of discipleship. We often talk about “discipleship” as something that is served to people, which fosters a sense of spiritual consumerism. Discipleship is not when somebody is actively talking and someone else is passively listening. This misunderstanding is why people complain that they aren’t being “fed.” If that strategy worked, then why aren’t there more disciples like we read about in the Bible? The word “disciple” comes from the Greek word μαθητής (mathetes); it literally means, “learner.” The idea of being a learner puts the action firmly into the lap of the one doing the learning. In other words, the learner takes up the mantle of self-development. Therefore, one of the primary jobs of the church is to connect people with Jesus by offering opportunities for them to learn, grow, and become the person Jesus is calling them to be as the Holy Spirit leads and forms their lives. Too often people come to Jesus and get overwhelmed by everything the church asks them to “DO”. We have to teach people how to “BE” in Christ and walk in the Spirit before putting them to work. Teaching people to pray, worship, and engage scripture by living it out should precede passing out organizational responsibilities (remember Mary and Martha in Luke 10). Discipleship is an ongoing process. We never disengage it; we are always growing as followers and learners of the Way. As we grow together we are able to accomplish more together as the unified Body of Christ. For us to develop mature believers that become world-changers we must offer continual opportunities for people to be developed. The question at the forefront of discipleship should always be: “Who is discipling you and who are you discipling?” MISSION. Finally, I would offer numerous ways for people to serve other people. This is the “DO” part. This is where we offer opportunities to connect with the community, serve the needy, feed the poor, heal the sick, minister to the marginalized, etc. This also includes training people to understand the global nature of the church; for example, connecting people with things they can be part of that’s changing lives all over the world through the Church of the Nazarene. Revival in the church always leads to mission in the city. If renewal isn’t reaching beyond the walls of the church building, then you may be having exciting services, but it’s not authentic renewal/revival. God always sends the church by the power of the Holy Spirit to reach more people. As people in a congregation grow together they learn that the mission of the corporate Body of Christ surpasses their individual needs. We are called to live on mission and be salt and light in our cities. A church that never physically goes beyond the walls of their sanctuary is seriously neglecting the Great Commission. Providing ongoing opportunities for people to serve, to get their hands dirty, to pick up a towel and basin, to sit with the least and reach the lost, is essential in being a kingdom-minded community of faith. Renewal, Discipleship, Mission – I’m convinced that these three components will transform and sustain any congregation. Let’s not waste time with the cultural distractions being imposed on the church or religious trends that are in vogue one day and gone the next. Let’s remain committed to the things that transform peoples’ lives and allow the Holy Spirit to do the rest. (Editor's note: For an excellent no-cost source regarding discipleship, go to: disciplers.org This post was written by Dr. Brian L Powell. For the original post, go to: brianlpowell.com/2018/09/03/three-things/ When Samuel came to Saul, Saul said to him, “May you be blessed by the Lord; I have carried out the command of the Lord.” But Samuel said, “What then is this bleating of sheep in my ears, and the lowing of cattle that I hear?” Saul said, “They have brought them from the Amalekites; for the people spared the best of the sheep and the cattle, to sacrifice to the Lord your God; but the rest we have utterly destroyed.” 1 Samuel 15:13-15 Observation: Saul had been told to destroy everything that belonged to the Amalekites, but he thought he knew better than God. Looking at the beautiful sheep and cattle, they couldn’t bear to do what God had instructed. Instead, under the guise of making a sacrifice to God, they brought the best sheep and cattle with them. Look carefully at what Saul says, “to sacrifice to the Lord your God.” He makes this about Samuel’s God, and not his. We have seen how he has been moving from God’s presence and distancing himself from accountability before God. Now, this action sounds like these were instructions from Samuel’s God, and not Saul’s. His decision to keep the cattle and sheep also reveals that he believes that he is not accountable before God, only Samuel is. Saul has convinced himself that he is above obedience and accountability to God. As a result, he will lose his kingdom. Application: Because of the work of Christ, we are invited into participation with the Triune God. This doesn’t leave room to distance ourselves from an intimate relationship with God. What Saul did was try to perform the perfunctory duties of looking spiritual, without engaging with God. It’s so easy to fall into this trap of going through the motions; attending church, doing good things, and even looking spiritual. This, however, is not what God wants. God wants us to be in intimate relationship, a place in which we live, lovingly united through Christ. God’s heart becomes our heart and in this place, we respond, not out of begrudging obedience, but out of complete understanding. Prayer: Lord, please help my heart to be united with yours. Amen. This post was written by Rev Carla Sunberg. You can find her original post here: reflectingtheimage.blogspot.com/2018/06/doing-good-is-not-obedience.html Here at Ironstrikes, we have had posts about swearing. We have discussed the justification of POD to swear in their album Murdered Love. We have also had a guest post by The Seeking Disciple who gave three reasons why he no longer swears. I was recently in a Facebook conversation in a theology discussion room and the conversation was heading pretty much to the idea that to prohibit swearing was a form of legalism. Some even stated that swearing showed people that you were a Christian who could relate to "normal" people. (My contention is that Christianity is what is normal, that the world is "abnormal.") However, I was pleasantly encouraged by a gentleman named "Mason Calloway" who pretty much put an end to the conversation. And....Mason did it in a godly fashion. Mason said that I could reprint his statement here, unedited, written exactly as he posted: I would be wary of using profanity (speaking of good things as if they are not good) or cursing (expressing the desire that something be damned), even in informal contexts. For cursing, the Christian should not allow himself to become angry enough to want to damn something. And "damn" need not be literal. When you hit your thumb with a hammer, whatever comes out of your mouth, whether G**Dammit, F*ck, or something else, the emotion you're expressing is "oh this thing that just happened can go right straight to hell." We should take what we are given, even suffering, in stride. And certainly, we should never damn people or creation. (Not that our words have power to do so, but the Christian should not entertain the desire for such to be the case). And in cases of profanity, the goal should be to always show proper reverence for the good. We don't talk about the intimate moments with our wives in the street because the intimacy of that relationship is a holy thing. Likewise the sexual act in general should not be debased with crass euphemism. In short, we should act like the nobility and priests that we are, our words are not to be worthless. And now, story time. I was working on a carpentry project with my church and it happened that I was the only person there under 50. The other 5 or so men there were the elders of our church (currently serving and off-rotation). It was a delight to be with these men, in part because they had been friends for years. They had the same collection of stories and inside jokes which any group of friends have. It was a joy to laugh with them. But, even when discussion strayed to their wives, their demeanor, no matter how much we were laughing, was one of respect. The next day it was just me and two other elders at the work site. I was outside cutting boards (like a proper man) while the two elders were inside nailing a frame together. In a moment of ill attention, one of the elders shot the other in the hand with the nail gun they were using. Two inches of the nail sank into his palm down toward his wrist. The shot elder didn't cuss, didn't even shout. He pulled the nail out of his hand, finished hammering up the frame, and put a bandaid on it once they were done with the last couple of nails. If that doesn't sound like a more manly and impressive way to handle pain than shouting out S**t, I don't know what could. One of the most dangerous tendencies of every human being is to mentally divide people into categories of people. It’s dangerous because half the time we don’t even know we’re doing it. Christians are particularly good at this; and yet, acting on this tendency is perilous to the Christian life. Breaking down this framework isn’t easy but it is necessary if we are going to live as Christ called us to live. The truth is, these mentally constructed categories don’t exist. There is not a distinction between who is my neighbor and who is not–Jesus told us this explicitly and yet for some reason we still don’t get it. Everyone is our neighbor. When we start thinking this way it changes how we interact with people. And this is important because that guy who waited on you last night at the restaurant . . . that girl that cut your hair . . . they’re not just some waiter . . . or some hairdresser . . . they’re people. People who may be struggling . . . hurting . . . waiting for someone, anyone, to talk to. But when we label them by what they do we cease to see them as persons; persons who are infinitely precious, incredibly valuable, and unceasingly loved by God–and for this very reason they should also mean that much to us. Because every person is objectively valuable. As Christians we should recognize this but we don’t. We’re all human and we’re all in this together and the gospel is the gospel not just for me and my friends at Church but for the man who brings my mail . . . the woman who rings up my coffee . . . and that guy that asked for directions. I have done a great job forgetting this truth. I am really good at valuing things, tasks, or even ideas, more than people. But how we view people, and how we interact with people, impacts our entire worldview. And our worldview impacts how we live our lives. And our lives as Christians impact the way the world views Christ. And sometimes the picture of Christ that we’re showing the world isn’t so Christ-like. So how do live this truth day-to-day? I think this can be very practically applied by remembering to look into people rather than at people. As a society we’ve constructed all these boundaries, “oh man I can’t look into that person’s eyes because they’re a stranger” and so we try to avoid people we don’t know whenever possible. And if we absolutely must confront a stranger, say at the check out or to give directions, we try our best to keep the conversation an interaction with the subject rather than an interaction with the person. For instance, the other day there was a knock on our door. It was an outdoor salesman who wanted to assess our lawn for treatment. We politely declined and he went on his way. That evening, after a party we hosted for my mom’s birthday, we saw the same salesman wandering back down our road. He looked a little lost. My wife turned to me and asked if we could invite him in for a piece of cake. And just like that, my wife demonstrated to me what a truly Christian worldview looks like. The guy walking down the road ceased to be merely a salesman to me and became a person. While he ate his cake we were able to talk about life, family, and God. The conversation was a tremendous encouragement to me–it was the manifestation of what God has been teaching me about personal interactions. About forty-five minutes later he walked back out our front door with two extra pieces of cake for him and his wife and my phone number securely tucked in the contacts of his phone; and just like, when the salesman was allowed to walk through my front door he ceased to be a salesman and became a friend. This is the kind of attitude we should have with everyone. And I struggle with this. We hold the keys to our house. We can open the door or slam it shut. We can let people into our lives or we can leave them out in the cold. But when we leave them in the cold we’re also shutting Jesus out with them. In an earlier post I talked about showing Christ by suffering . . . By loving everyone not just those that love us . . . and this post is kind of complementary to it in the sense that we shouldn’t focus only on loving one of two extremes: our brother or enemy . . . We also need to remember that those people with whom we have casual interactions are people that we are called to love. And the first step to loving these people is to see them as people. He’s not just a waiter . . . She’s not just a hairdresser . . . He’s not just a salesman . . . This is hard because we have these interactions all the time and we often find them unremarkable. But when someone does something in love to us we think, man, I love that person . . . Or when someone does something that makes us really angry we think, man, Jesus said I need to love that guy. But what about those people that do neither of these things? We tend to forget them; we’re not supposed to forget to love them but we often do. I have failed to love my neighbor by failing to see my neighbor as a person instead of a title. I failed by categorizing people. I have failed by looking through my neighbor to my end goal: checking out at the store . . . getting my coffee . . . or just getting home sooner . . . Lord, forgive me. This post was written by Ben Cabe. To find the original post, go to: http://www.bencabe.com/theology-spirituality/treating-people-like-human-beings Here are 7 signs you are a phony Christian. 1.) YOU FEEL MORE GUILTY FOR MISSING CHURCH THAN HURTING YOUR NEIGHBOR.I grew up in a culture where church attendance was the ultimate mark of righteousness. Under no circumstances did you miss worship on Sunday or class on Wednesday. A Christian who had “gone astray” was someone who hadn’t been to the church building in a month. Intentionally or not, I was led to believe my presence at a building was more important than my actions towards other people. So most weeks I would walk into my church building, worship God, interact in class discussion, then go home. In the meantime, I disrespected teachers at school, gossipped about friends and classmates, and used women for my selfish desires. If you value church attendance more than loving people, you don’t understand Jesus. The two greatest commands, love God and love your neighbor, are relational. Jesus even says the entire law is summed up by these two commands. Here’s the deal. It’s entirely possible to be a perfect church attendee and a long ways from God. On the flip side, it’s also entirely possible to be a sporadic church attendee and have an intimate relationship with God. It’s time to drop this false idea that God values attendance more than people. 2.) YOU BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN JESUS.For much of my life, I placed more trust in the Bible than in Jesus for eternal life. It was more important that I knew the five steps to salvation than the source of salvation. I could sing the 66 books of the Bible. I knew the VBS stories. If you’re like me and know more about Scripture than living like Jesus, here’s a strong word for you courtesy of the son of God himself. You search the Scriptures because you think they give you eternal life. But the Scriptures point to me! Yet you refuse to come to me to receive this life.John 5:39-40The Bible is NOT more important than Jesus. Oh, you can recite the books of the Bible using an annoying song? You memorized the book of James? That’s great. The Pharisees memorized the first five books of the Old Testament and Jesus told them their knowledge was useless. Why? They memorized Scripture, thinking their knowledge made them righteousness. Instead, their knowledge inflated their egos and blinded them from the Savior. The whole point of the Bible is Jesus. Go ahead, have your morning meditations. That’s great. Memorize Scripture. Good for you. But those things don’t give you brownie points with God. Instead, answer these questions. Does the Bible increase your love of God and intimacy with Jesus? Are you confident in your salvation because you know Scripture or because you know the one Scripture points to? Remember, the first-century Christians, especially Gentile Christians, had no Bible. They had no background about Jesus. They just heard a message of redemption, believed that message, and lived in community with others who accepted it. 3.) YOU WONDER HOW CLOSE YOU CAN GET TO SIN WITHOUT ACTUALLY SINNING. Few questions upset and sadden me more than this one. “Frank, is _______ a sin?” Just fill in the blank. Spending the night with your boyfriend/girlfriend. Getting a buzz. Watching a movie glorifying sex and worldliness. As a church leader, I am asked these questions quite often. I refuse to answer them. Here’s why. I can’t, in good conscience, answer a question that feeds your desire to flirt with sin. Most likely, if you’re asking this question, you need to check your heart. I know because I used to ask those questions. Why would you see how close you can get to sin rather than how close you can get to God? How crazy does that sound? 4.) YOU BELIEVE IT’S OKAY TO HOLD A GRUDGE AGAINST SOMEONE IF HE OR SHE HURTS YOU BAD ENOUGH.I’m not sure where the line is drawn, but at some point, counterfeit Christians believe it’s acceptable to refuse forgiveness. Maybe that line is murder, rape, or your best friend sleeping with your spouse. I’m not real sure, but there are certain unforgivable sins. I’m not trying to minimize the pain you experienced. I’m trying to elevate the example Christ provided. On the cross, after mere men nailed the son of God to wooden beams and mocked him, Jesus looked up and said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). If God can forgive men for mocking him, you can forgive anyone for the pain they caused you. Is this easy? No. But you can’t claim to follow Jesus and refuse to forgive. 5.) YOU BELIEVE REAL CHRISTIANS WOULD NEVER ENGAGE REAL SINNERS. Several years ago, I was talking with a minister about a church in Nashville that was meeting in a bar. This church was baptizing former alcoholics and drug addicts. God was really working. But not according to this church leader. His response? “Frank, do you really think God is okay with people worshipping him in a bar with alcohol and drunks? Surely you don’t think that?!” You see, counterfeit Christians don’t think it’s acceptable to associate with real sinners and remain a real Christian. Jesus, however, would have a thing or two to say about this. Repeatedly, Jesus associated with tax collectors, talked to prostitutes, and touched sick people. In Jewish culture, touching sick people made you ceremonially unclean. That was bad. But Jesus didn’t seem to care. Why is this? Jesus was more concerned with healing people, both physically and spiritually, than maintaining a solid reputation with church folks. Call me crazy, but I think if Jesus were here today, he would spend more time in bars with homeless and drunks than in church buildings. This whole point centers around your understanding of holiness. In the Old Testament, holiness equated to separation. The Israelites couldn’t marry people from other nations. They couldn’t form alliances with them. They were called to be separate. When Jesus came, he changed the idea of holiness. It no longer meant separation from, but engage with. The holiest, most godly Christians are the ones who engage others with the goal of healing and restoring them. 6.) YOU BELIEVE GOD RESTS IN A BUILDING, NOT IN A GROUP OF PEOPLE.Until the death of Jesus, the temple was the place where the Israelites encountered God. The temple was everything. No one dared to speak a word against the temple. And only a handful of appointed people could enter it. After Jesus’s death, God’s presence left the temple and entered his people. But don’t tell this to counterfeit Christians. Like the Israelites, they view their church building as a sacred place. Actions change. A certain type of behavior is expected. Counterfeit Christians use their Sunday commute to talk with their homeboys or girlfriends about the hot guy or girl they slept with the night before. But as soon as they turn into the church parking lot, those conversations cease, and it’s all about God. Counterfeit Christians spend the entire week sacrificing their family on the altar of work. But as soon as they enter the church building, they grab their spouse’s hand, put their arm around their children, and wear a smile as big as their bank account. Counterfeit Christians might serve as a deacon at church, but they spend Saturday nights getting thrown out of their kid’s t-ball game, trash talking every umpire and fan who thought little Tommy was out at first. Who cares if little Tommy is still learning not to pee in his underwear? He was safe at first. It’s time for Christians to stop saying the church is not a building and actually start living that way. Physical locations aren’t sacred. When you arrive at work, you are a temple for the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 6:19-20). Treat your employees like Christ. Handle conflict with your peers like Christ. When you travel to the ballfield, you’re a temple for the Holy Spirit. Treat the umpires, coaches, and fans with the love of Christ. You’re a mobile temple. Allow God’s power to work in you, regardless of where you go. 7.) YOU THINK CHRISTIAN MATURITY IS MORE ABOUT HOW MUCH YOU KNOW THAN WHAT YOU DO.The night before Jesus was crucified, he gathered with his twelve disciples to enjoy one final meal. Not long after dinner, Jesus grabbed a basin, a towel, and started washing his disciples’ feet. Unless you understand Jewish culture, you miss the scandalous nature of what’s going on here. Footwashing was a dirty job reserved for slaves. Jesus, in essence, made himself lower than the lowest person in society. Now, catch this. Jesus didn’t get out a chalkboard and summarize his teachings. He didn’t quiz his disciples. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he humbled himself. In this moment, you see the summation of Jesus’s ministry. Every sermon. Every healing. Every conversation. Everything is summed up with this…wash one another’s feet. Become a servant. If you want to point the world to Jesus, stop talking about your theology. Stop telling the world how much you know. Get on your knees and start serving. There’s a trendy message, even in Christian circles, that challenges people to “Rise up!” If you’re a follower of Jesus, that’s a faulty message. Christianity isn’t about rising up. It’s about falling down. In God’s kingdom, the more power you have, the more feet you wash. Be very careful about people who love to talk but hate to serve. The most spiritually mature Christians aren’t always the most eloquent or wise. Those most like Jesus are the ones who grab a towel and place the needs of others above their own. _______________ Everything goes back to this: love God and love your neighbor. The question Christians must wrestle with is, “Do I actually believe it’s that simple?” In a culture where denominations argue over the correct way to baptize someone, grasping the Jesus life can seem like an impossible task. But it’s not. The Jesus life is about loving God with all of your heart, mind, and strength, and it’s about transferring God’s love onto every person you encounter. Counterfeit Christians don’t get this. Don’t get caught up in the endless interpretations about doctrines. Get caught up in the love of Jesus. This post was written by Frank Powell. For his original post, go to: http://frankpowell.me/signs-counterfeit-christian "Evil communications corrupt good manners." Some of our people, by working in popular revivals, have got in a bad way of working. They talk too much, and sing too much, and pray too little. They do not appear to get the burden of souls upon them. They do not pray with the intercession of the Spirit, "with groanings that cannot he uttered." We must never forget that souls are not saved by prayer, but by the power of God in answer to prayer. We do not pray to men, but to God. Therefore, if fifty pray at once it is no confusion, for God can hear fifty or a thousand at the same time, as well as one. Invariably, where people take hold together in this way, the best results are realized. The converts are more numerous, and stronger, and longer- lived. Let us do time work which God has committed to us just as nearly as we can in God's own way. Roberts, B.T., Pungent Truths (Kindle Locations 1413-1420). Unknown. Kindle Edition. Jesus is called Emmanuel which means "God-with-us" (see Matthew 1: 22-23). The great paradox of Jesus' life is that He, whose words and actions are in no way influenced by human blame or praise but are completely dependent on God's will, is more "with" us than any other human being. Jesus' compassion, His deep feeling-with us, is possible because His life is guided not by human respect but only by the love of His heavenly Father. Indeed, Jesus is free to love us because He is not dependent on our love. For further reflection... When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to them, "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field." - Matthew 9:36-38 (NIV) This devotional was written by Henri Nouwen. For his website, go to: www.henrinouwen.org |
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