We live in an emotion filled world. We become sad, angry, happy over small trivial things. Possibly in the moment they seem worthy of the grand emotion, but in the eternal perspective they likely have little value. I wonder how many times we have those same intense emotions over the eternal things.
Do our hearts break for the broken marriages, the abused children, the empty lives that touches ours daily? Do we have to stop and regain our composure when we see a hurting life? Do we feel the need to reach out and help, with whatever means we can when we see someone in need? Are we moved with compassion as Christ was? Or are we so wrapped up in ourselves we can only grieve for the plant like Jonah?
Do we become enraged at the injustices in this world? Do we speak out for those who have no voice - not in anger, but in boldness for what is right? Do we have a holy anger burning inside of us when we see people that are being taken advantage of, abused, neglected, or harmed in some way? Do we stand up and fight the battle of those less fortunate, or save that only for when people wrong us personally or those close to us? Are we moved with holy anger as Christ was? Or do we just burn with anger for the things that impact us?
Do we rejoice with the angels when someone makes a personal decision for Christ. Not a small clap, but truly rejoice in our soul for the Kingdom has advanced? When marriages, families, and relationships are restored are we filled with rejoicing? When others succeed are we rejoicing with them? Or are we to busy complaining to God that we fail to take part of these precious moments?
God made us each emotional beings. I am sure he takes pleasure in our happiness and feels sorrow at our tears. I just feel that He wants us to partake in His emotions as well, as we would in any close relationship.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Saturday, February 19, 2011
How to get an 8 year advance on the devil
So Jonah went out of the city and sat on the east side of the city. There he made himself a shelter and sat under it in the shade, till he might see what would become of the city. And the Lord God prepared a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be shade for his head to deliver him from his misery.
So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “ It is better for me to die than to live.”
Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock? JONAH 4:5-11
I have read the book of Jonah before and don't ever remember this part of this story. I mean this is after his three day stay in the belly of a whale!
It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own world that we fail to live in touch with the things that go on around us. It is easy to get caught up in daily activities and problems, that we fail to recognize there is a dying world around us. We like Jonah get wrapped up in "What about me?" that we forget about "THEM." It is just as easy to get wrapped up in wanting God to right the wrong that was done, we are ready to watch God's vengeance that we fail to recognize the sin issue in our own heart and admit that but for the grace of God, that would have been us.
I heard a statistic that somewhere between 80 and 100 souls a minute die without ever hearing or accepting the message of Christ. On the low end that is over 115,200 people a DAY that are going to hell. That saddens my soul and it angers me. I realize that is Christian's fault - the lost certainly are not going to save themselves and we are Christ's ambassadors here on earth. So that means it is up to us to share God's message and that if we don't - we fail God. It is not our responsibility to do anything more than plant the seed - we have to walk the walk and talk the talk for all to see.
Sometimes we expect that the pastors and evangelists will do all the work - even with the greatest of ministries that would be only additions and will not reach all the lost. For example - if every day preachers and evangelists won 10,000 people to the Lord and the end of the month that would be 300,000 people - so in 30 days they could reach enough to save two days worth of dying people. This would allow the rest of us Christians to sit and be comfortable under our little plant like Jonah while we watch over 3,000,000 more die.
However the Bible calls us all to reach the lost (AKA the Great Commission). So if each of us would tell one lost person about Christ, if they accepted Christ and told another person about Christ, and we also in turn told another person. If then the two people we reached, turned with us and we told four more, then eight people would be reached, then sixteen, and on and on. Well, this is multiplications and based on just one Christian reaching out through multiplication at the end of thirty days 536,870,912 people would be reached for Christ. That would give Christian's an EIGHT year advancement on the devil!!!
We have to stop being indifferent to the lost world around us. We have to have compassion for the lost and stop passing judgement. We have to allow our hearts to be saddened and angered so that we will be moved into action to reach out to them where they are and share Christ as the answer to everything. We have to realize those people we fail to reach, could be someone who impacts of families, cities, regions and nations - that will be lost due to our failure to obey.
So Jonah was very grateful for the plant. But as morning dawned the next day God prepared a worm, and it so damaged the plant that it withered. And it happened, when the sun arose, that God prepared a vehement east wind; and the sun beat on Jonah’s head, so that he grew faint. Then he wished death for himself, and said, “ It is better for me to die than to live.”
Then God said to Jonah, “Is it right for you to be angry about the plant?”
And he said, “It is right for me to be angry, even to death!”
But the Lord said, “You have had pity on the plant for which you have not labored, nor made it grow, which came up in a night and perished in a night. And should I not pity Nineveh, that great city, in which are more than one hundred and twenty thousand persons who cannot discern between their right hand and their left—and much livestock? JONAH 4:5-11
I have read the book of Jonah before and don't ever remember this part of this story. I mean this is after his three day stay in the belly of a whale!
It is so easy to get wrapped up in our own world that we fail to live in touch with the things that go on around us. It is easy to get caught up in daily activities and problems, that we fail to recognize there is a dying world around us. We like Jonah get wrapped up in "What about me?" that we forget about "THEM." It is just as easy to get wrapped up in wanting God to right the wrong that was done, we are ready to watch God's vengeance that we fail to recognize the sin issue in our own heart and admit that but for the grace of God, that would have been us.
I heard a statistic that somewhere between 80 and 100 souls a minute die without ever hearing or accepting the message of Christ. On the low end that is over 115,200 people a DAY that are going to hell. That saddens my soul and it angers me. I realize that is Christian's fault - the lost certainly are not going to save themselves and we are Christ's ambassadors here on earth. So that means it is up to us to share God's message and that if we don't - we fail God. It is not our responsibility to do anything more than plant the seed - we have to walk the walk and talk the talk for all to see.
Sometimes we expect that the pastors and evangelists will do all the work - even with the greatest of ministries that would be only additions and will not reach all the lost. For example - if every day preachers and evangelists won 10,000 people to the Lord and the end of the month that would be 300,000 people - so in 30 days they could reach enough to save two days worth of dying people. This would allow the rest of us Christians to sit and be comfortable under our little plant like Jonah while we watch over 3,000,000 more die.
However the Bible calls us all to reach the lost (AKA the Great Commission). So if each of us would tell one lost person about Christ, if they accepted Christ and told another person about Christ, and we also in turn told another person. If then the two people we reached, turned with us and we told four more, then eight people would be reached, then sixteen, and on and on. Well, this is multiplications and based on just one Christian reaching out through multiplication at the end of thirty days 536,870,912 people would be reached for Christ. That would give Christian's an EIGHT year advancement on the devil!!!
We have to stop being indifferent to the lost world around us. We have to have compassion for the lost and stop passing judgement. We have to allow our hearts to be saddened and angered so that we will be moved into action to reach out to them where they are and share Christ as the answer to everything. We have to realize those people we fail to reach, could be someone who impacts of families, cities, regions and nations - that will be lost due to our failure to obey.
Offering
“A son honors his father, And a servant his master. If then I am the Father, Where is My honor? And if I am a Master, Where is My reverence? Says the Lord of hosts To you priests who despise My name.
Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
“You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts. MALACHI 1:6-8
As I read this I thought about the offering we give to God, not just through our finances but in words, actions, and through our lives. I believe that most Christians would give the very best they have to offer if Christ knocked on the door of their home.
I have dined in the presence of congress men and women, and well to do business people with finances. I have seen that when people know who they are, their words, actions, and the level of service step up. I can only imagine how much more honor would be bestowed upon our Lord if He was physically here.
And yet, what kind of offering are we giving Him? I mean, He is here, we are the temple of our Lord. He doesn't have to knock, He is already here. We should be giving Him honor all the time. Every moment should be lived as if we were in the presence of royalty - because we are. He promised, "I will never leave you or forsake you." He is here us now.
If this message from Malachi came to us today, would we receive the same message? Would He ask "Where is the reverence?". Would He say "You have defiled my name?". Would He consider what we offer as evil because we don't give Him our very best?
Lord, help us offer our lives, with every action and every word bringing glory and honor to You.
Yet you say, ‘In what way have we despised Your name?’
“You offer defiled food on My altar, But say, ‘In what way have we defiled You?’
By saying, ‘The table of the Lord is contemptible.’ And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, Is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, Is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” Says the Lord of hosts. MALACHI 1:6-8
As I read this I thought about the offering we give to God, not just through our finances but in words, actions, and through our lives. I believe that most Christians would give the very best they have to offer if Christ knocked on the door of their home.
I have dined in the presence of congress men and women, and well to do business people with finances. I have seen that when people know who they are, their words, actions, and the level of service step up. I can only imagine how much more honor would be bestowed upon our Lord if He was physically here.
And yet, what kind of offering are we giving Him? I mean, He is here, we are the temple of our Lord. He doesn't have to knock, He is already here. We should be giving Him honor all the time. Every moment should be lived as if we were in the presence of royalty - because we are. He promised, "I will never leave you or forsake you." He is here us now.
If this message from Malachi came to us today, would we receive the same message? Would He ask "Where is the reverence?". Would He say "You have defiled my name?". Would He consider what we offer as evil because we don't give Him our very best?
Lord, help us offer our lives, with every action and every word bringing glory and honor to You.
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