And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works so as to help cases of urgent need, and not to be unfruitful Titus 3:4-8
We find here in our text Paul’s last instructions given to Titus. This entire Epistle is all about good works performed by the regenerated Christian. Paul has already laid the foundation in chapter 3:4-8 on the basis of our good works, and now he commands Titus to insist on keeping the rules of engagement.(v8)
To often we become complacent in our Christian walk with God, and enamored at times by the pressing needs of our own circumstances we fail to help others. However,the very heart of the gospel is about others, and how often do we turn a blind eye?
The good works before God is to remember the poor any way that we can help, to give assistance to the widows who are really widows, and to provide homes and love to orphans and to the fatherless.
This is the social call of Christianity, and we must devote ourselves to these very causes.
The danger comes when we spend to much of our efforts on the social side of ministry only to neglect the proclamation of the word, which is the greatest means of help. Preaching converts the soul, heals past wounds, gives direction, hope and humility, then the good works follow, in that order.
Jesus said, “to him that has an ear, let him hear”. The same could be said about eyes. If you have heard the Word, now pray God gives you the eyes to see the needs around you. Pray for Jesus’ heart and ask Him today to give you the opportunity to be a difference maker.
Jesus served people and spoke truth into their lives. This was His mission, and it should be yours as well.
Don’t turn a blind eye.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
God wants to work through you
The Gospel Coalition...
Our unbelief does not come out and say an honest No to God. We know better than to be so blatant. Our unbelief cloaks itself in evasions. But faith is decisive, clear, definite, blunt, wholehearted. A. W. Tozer, The Counselor (Camp Hill, 1993), page 116, defines the difference:
“Unbelief says: S0me other time, but not now; some other place, but not here; some other people, but not us. Faith says: Anything He did anywhere else He will do here; anything He did any other time He is willing to do now; anything He ever did for other people He is willing to do for us! With our feet on the ground, and our head cool, but with our heart ablaze with the love of God, we walk out in this fullness of the Spirit, if we will yield and obey. God wants to work through you!”
Wherever you and I are today, God is here. He wants to work through you and me. Let’s call out our evasions as unbelief, let’s forsake the script we thought God would follow, let’s offer ourselves to him for his purpose. Right here, right now, is holy ground. Let’s yield and obey and see what only God can do.
Our unbelief does not come out and say an honest No to God. We know better than to be so blatant. Our unbelief cloaks itself in evasions. But faith is decisive, clear, definite, blunt, wholehearted. A. W. Tozer, The Counselor (Camp Hill, 1993), page 116, defines the difference:
“Unbelief says: S0me other time, but not now; some other place, but not here; some other people, but not us. Faith says: Anything He did anywhere else He will do here; anything He did any other time He is willing to do now; anything He ever did for other people He is willing to do for us! With our feet on the ground, and our head cool, but with our heart ablaze with the love of God, we walk out in this fullness of the Spirit, if we will yield and obey. God wants to work through you!”
Wherever you and I are today, God is here. He wants to work through you and me. Let’s call out our evasions as unbelief, let’s forsake the script we thought God would follow, let’s offer ourselves to him for his purpose. Right here, right now, is holy ground. Let’s yield and obey and see what only God can do.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Unusual signs in unusual times (Acts 19:9-10)
“But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
(Acts 19:9)
“And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”
(Acts 19:10)
God has become very active sequentially moving and replacing shepherd’s between Corinth and Ephesus.
First, there was Paul in Ephesus, then came along Apollos. Soon, Apollos decided to go where Paul had just spent over 1 1/2 years in Corinth ministering the Gospel. Now Ephesus is back open for Paul to return, and he finds a group of 12 who possibly (and I say this with caution) had been regenerated, but not yet filled with a subsequent filling of the Holy Spirit, for their gifting.
Now Paul, who had recently determined not to minister to the Jews ever again, v 18:6, go’s back for more abuse a third time, only to leave to a hall, where he took a group of the true church and spent two years ministering.
Now we've all heard the catchy commercial “five dollar foot long", but how about 5 hour sermon, daily? Five hours of Bible study, 7 days a week, for 24 months.
This guy labored tirelessly in Tyrannus’s hall for the Gospels sake.
His calling and commitment to Christ and His Word, brought about amazing signs. I mean this Apostle had an unusual anointing from the Holy Spirit that others throughout the centuries have tried to duplicate, and have ended up looking like a pig in a tree. Stupid.
According to the Scriptures, God had anointed the handkerchief and aprons that had touched his skin, to heal the sick, and exercise the evil spirits out of people.
But where modern day faith teachers would say that it must have been his sweat or skin that gave the anointing, the sons of Sceva recognized that it was the “name of Jesus” that had done the miracles.
“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, sayings, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches””
(Acts 19:13)
As Paul labored diligently at the teachings and reasoning of the Word, great things began to occur. His love for Jesus and His people, by His grace alone, helped transform the sinner into an example bearing the mark of his Savior..
While God most likely will never do such unusual signs and wonders so consistently again, He still pours out His Spirit in unusual times, when His name is being glorified and exalted.
Never underestimate what God can do when the name of Jesus is relentlessly spoken about.
Make this the pattern you follow; labor hard for truth, labor long for love, and prepare for God to do some unusual signs in unusual times.
(Acts 19:9)
“And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.”
(Acts 19:10)
God has become very active sequentially moving and replacing shepherd’s between Corinth and Ephesus.
First, there was Paul in Ephesus, then came along Apollos. Soon, Apollos decided to go where Paul had just spent over 1 1/2 years in Corinth ministering the Gospel. Now Ephesus is back open for Paul to return, and he finds a group of 12 who possibly (and I say this with caution) had been regenerated, but not yet filled with a subsequent filling of the Holy Spirit, for their gifting.
Now Paul, who had recently determined not to minister to the Jews ever again, v 18:6, go’s back for more abuse a third time, only to leave to a hall, where he took a group of the true church and spent two years ministering.
Now we've all heard the catchy commercial “five dollar foot long", but how about 5 hour sermon, daily? Five hours of Bible study, 7 days a week, for 24 months.
This guy labored tirelessly in Tyrannus’s hall for the Gospels sake.
His calling and commitment to Christ and His Word, brought about amazing signs. I mean this Apostle had an unusual anointing from the Holy Spirit that others throughout the centuries have tried to duplicate, and have ended up looking like a pig in a tree. Stupid.
According to the Scriptures, God had anointed the handkerchief and aprons that had touched his skin, to heal the sick, and exercise the evil spirits out of people.
But where modern day faith teachers would say that it must have been his sweat or skin that gave the anointing, the sons of Sceva recognized that it was the “name of Jesus” that had done the miracles.
“Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, sayings, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches””
(Acts 19:13)
As Paul labored diligently at the teachings and reasoning of the Word, great things began to occur. His love for Jesus and His people, by His grace alone, helped transform the sinner into an example bearing the mark of his Savior..
While God most likely will never do such unusual signs and wonders so consistently again, He still pours out His Spirit in unusual times, when His name is being glorified and exalted.
Never underestimate what God can do when the name of Jesus is relentlessly spoken about.
Make this the pattern you follow; labor hard for truth, labor long for love, and prepare for God to do some unusual signs in unusual times.
Athen(ology) Acts 17 (Pt. 2)
We will hear you again about this. . . .
The resurrection of Jesus Christ causes many people to jump ship.
Everyone will confess they sin in some capacity, because their conscience bears witness to it. But to convince the hearer that Jesus Himself rose from the grave is a truth that draws the line and separates the saved from the condemned. It apparently is far easier to struggle in a vehement ocean and drown, than to receive the gift of salvation Jesus has to offer.
In Paul’s sermon in Athens, it appeared he had had the attention of his audience as he worked his way through the Deity. So long as he did not force the issue of Jesus into their lives, he was able to speak. Even as he personally confessed to believe Jesus as God, that was ok, too, because common teachings at the UA was that all roads lead to some form of higher consciousness. However way you choose to get there.. is up to you. (I know I am border-lining on conjecture, but this is fairly safe to say given the fact that the scriptures tell us who his audience was.)
I can hear all of these smarty’s concluding that God is whoever or whatever you interpret Him to be, and all agreeing, that His incarnation manifest itself in many different forms, and likenesses.(let’s not forget about the Gnostics)
They may even have argued that there are no such things as absolutes, because if there were, and we could understand them, then we’d have absoluteness, and by pagan reasoning, there is no such thing. All humans are finite, and death comes to all, plus, the thought of God and ambiguity go together, and that alone is the reason for the multiplicity of religions. Sound familiar?
When Paul said that God was near to all of us, and that all people are His offspring, they accepted that because it fit into their structure of thought. But when Paul spoke on the resurrection- they mocked at him.
Like one woman said to me once (as I spoke on the resurrection), “that’s where I get off”
The resurrection forces a decision.
Jesus’ earthy professions said little to the culture He was reaching out towards, His miracles helped, but His resurrection sealed the deal. As Paul stated to the Corinthians church later on;
If Jesus had failed to rise again, we Christians would be the most pitiable of all men. 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
But indeed He has risen- He has risen, indeed!
Now that is Supremacy and Deity working together.
It was not at all a loss, however, because the Word was spoken which brought about accountability to those who heard it, and God called His chosen to spring forth to new life in Dion & Damaris, as well as others.
Now on to Corinth. . .
The resurrection of Jesus Christ causes many people to jump ship.
Everyone will confess they sin in some capacity, because their conscience bears witness to it. But to convince the hearer that Jesus Himself rose from the grave is a truth that draws the line and separates the saved from the condemned. It apparently is far easier to struggle in a vehement ocean and drown, than to receive the gift of salvation Jesus has to offer.
In Paul’s sermon in Athens, it appeared he had had the attention of his audience as he worked his way through the Deity. So long as he did not force the issue of Jesus into their lives, he was able to speak. Even as he personally confessed to believe Jesus as God, that was ok, too, because common teachings at the UA was that all roads lead to some form of higher consciousness. However way you choose to get there.. is up to you. (I know I am border-lining on conjecture, but this is fairly safe to say given the fact that the scriptures tell us who his audience was.)
I can hear all of these smarty’s concluding that God is whoever or whatever you interpret Him to be, and all agreeing, that His incarnation manifest itself in many different forms, and likenesses.(let’s not forget about the Gnostics)
They may even have argued that there are no such things as absolutes, because if there were, and we could understand them, then we’d have absoluteness, and by pagan reasoning, there is no such thing. All humans are finite, and death comes to all, plus, the thought of God and ambiguity go together, and that alone is the reason for the multiplicity of religions. Sound familiar?
When Paul said that God was near to all of us, and that all people are His offspring, they accepted that because it fit into their structure of thought. But when Paul spoke on the resurrection- they mocked at him.
Like one woman said to me once (as I spoke on the resurrection), “that’s where I get off”
The resurrection forces a decision.
Jesus’ earthy professions said little to the culture He was reaching out towards, His miracles helped, but His resurrection sealed the deal. As Paul stated to the Corinthians church later on;
If Jesus had failed to rise again, we Christians would be the most pitiable of all men. 1 Corinthians 15:12-20
But indeed He has risen- He has risen, indeed!
Now that is Supremacy and Deity working together.
It was not at all a loss, however, because the Word was spoken which brought about accountability to those who heard it, and God called His chosen to spring forth to new life in Dion & Damaris, as well as others.
Now on to Corinth. . .
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
a(paul)ogetics (Acts 17:2-3)
“Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them for three Sabbaths and reasoned with them from the Scriptures.
Explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “this Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2-3)
The Holy Spirit had directed Paul to Macedonia because their was a great work to be done in the region. We always want to go where the ground is most fertile for the gospel.
So far the Philippians, Thessalonians, and soon the Corinthian churches will be birthed on this part of the mission.
Every church formed here in this portion of Acts was because Paul reasoned from the scriptures. Those who listen and received became born-again, and those who did not, hassled, or just left without any response at all.
Paul’s method of evangelism had been interpreted by the higher knowledge people as nothing more than babble. Much like our culture today, Athens represent our post-modern ethos. Six out of every ten Americans blend their religion. This is the spirit of Anti-christ.
This babblers message struck a cord for the men of Athens.
It bought Paul a ticket as a key-note speaker at the University of Aeropagus.
New agers, philosophers. mystics, astrologers and perhaps professors of religious studies all gathered this day at the UA to hear something new, and Paul the great apologist went to work.
It seems they were familiar with all the gods, except the one true and living God-man, Jesus.. Just as it is today in 2010.
In his brief appearance at AU- Paul preached the deity and supremacy. These two distinct doctrines alone are sufficient for salvation, and these cultural intellectuals needed to understand monotheism, as opposed to their pluralism. Using Pagan examples to preach divine truth was Paul’s way showing us the efficacy of the method.
Paul, an intellectual himself, related to their way of thinking, and carried the simplicity of the message to a level they could understand.
There will always be a little truth in a whole lot of lie. We can educate ourselves to use the lie to preach about the truth and it can end of being the right provision for the right miracle. Some just may believe.
Take whatever community God has placed you in, guard yourself with truth, and embrace the challenge.
Preach deity and supremacy and leave the rest to God.
Explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, “this Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.” (Acts 17:2-3)
The Holy Spirit had directed Paul to Macedonia because their was a great work to be done in the region. We always want to go where the ground is most fertile for the gospel.
So far the Philippians, Thessalonians, and soon the Corinthian churches will be birthed on this part of the mission.
Every church formed here in this portion of Acts was because Paul reasoned from the scriptures. Those who listen and received became born-again, and those who did not, hassled, or just left without any response at all.
Paul’s method of evangelism had been interpreted by the higher knowledge people as nothing more than babble. Much like our culture today, Athens represent our post-modern ethos. Six out of every ten Americans blend their religion. This is the spirit of Anti-christ.
This babblers message struck a cord for the men of Athens.
It bought Paul a ticket as a key-note speaker at the University of Aeropagus.
New agers, philosophers. mystics, astrologers and perhaps professors of religious studies all gathered this day at the UA to hear something new, and Paul the great apologist went to work.
It seems they were familiar with all the gods, except the one true and living God-man, Jesus.. Just as it is today in 2010.
In his brief appearance at AU- Paul preached the deity and supremacy. These two distinct doctrines alone are sufficient for salvation, and these cultural intellectuals needed to understand monotheism, as opposed to their pluralism. Using Pagan examples to preach divine truth was Paul’s way showing us the efficacy of the method.
Paul, an intellectual himself, related to their way of thinking, and carried the simplicity of the message to a level they could understand.
There will always be a little truth in a whole lot of lie. We can educate ourselves to use the lie to preach about the truth and it can end of being the right provision for the right miracle. Some just may believe.
Take whatever community God has placed you in, guard yourself with truth, and embrace the challenge.
Preach deity and supremacy and leave the rest to God.
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