Thankful for Dirty Work

1 Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

I was talking with a friend recently, and we were talking about how people aren't always thankful about certain things. This verse popped into my mind. Specifically, we were discussing being thankful for people that provide you with an opportunity to do some "dirty work."

Should nursery workers be thankful for the little snot-nosed brats with dirty diapers that get to change on Sunday mornings? I mean, anybody that is close to being a Christian is thankful for the nursery workers, but are the nursery workers thankful for the kids - without the kids, they lose an opportunity to minister for the Lord's sake!

That's just one example, but when you've got some task to do - for ministry purposes - and you just really don't want to do it... are you thankful for it? Or, do you gripe and complain? The key is to remember for Whom you are really doing it.

Anyway... just a thought...

Life After Institute

sniff... sniff...

So, all of my friends (ok, maybe not all of them) were at the Bible Institute last night, taking New Testament Survey. And, I was at home. They all got to sit with one of our pastors teaching through the New Testament, asking questions, learning from the experienced teacher... and I couldn't go. You know, I didn't miss Institute over the summer, but I think that's because no one else was at class either. But, now that it has started again, I felt a bit left out.

Wait a minute... they had to go to class last night. Then tonight, they have to go again... for FOUR hours. Sunday and Wednesday they'll have a class that gives them homework to do. And me? ...I stayed home. We had some friends over for dinner. We worked on some ministry stuff together. I got to be with my wife and kids. It was pretty nice actually.

Now, tonight, I might drop by and listen to Missionary Mike Ireland teach on Systematic Theology, but I wouldn't have to do the homework!

I guess I don't miss Institute all that much...

Just a thought...

As the Oracles of God

1 Peter 4:11 If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

I think I'm happy that the point of today's post never came up in Homiletics class - or at least that I missed it if it did.

If any man speak... and by looking at the verse before, we see that this is a "speaking" as a gift from God. That is, there are certain people that are gifted in the area of preaching. But here's the kicker: Preacher, if you are taking on the ministry of preaching (speaking), then you are accepting that God gave you the gift to do it, and that when you speak - and this is the good part - you are to speak as the oracles of God!

Now, maybe that doesn't mean much to you, but the "oracles of God," are the messages/places/communications where God met with the people. The Scriptures are the most common example of God's oracles that we have. But preachers are to speak as if they were God communicating directly with the hearers. And the warning goes out, that God does NOT like to be misrepresented. I remember in Job 40 when God had enough of people saying, "God says this," or "God does this." He comes down in a whirlwind. (Don't' miss that - a whirlwind! not a still small voice here - we have a twister coming down.) The first thing He says, "Who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge Gird up now thy loins like a man for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me..." He doesn't sound happy - and He starts His glorious answer to Job and his friends, by saying, "Why are you talking about what you do not know?!"

So, Preacher, you are to preach as if the message you are saying are exact words that God would have you say to the hearers. And, if that doesn't make you spend serious time in prayer about your message... maybe it should!

Just a thought...

Home Bible Study

Tonight starts another year of Home Bible Study at our house. In the past, we've struggled with the number of kids in our average size house. So, to fix that this year, we've added a few more of them! Yay!

I love Home Bible Study, and I just wanted to post some of the things I like about it. I don't know that there will be any real exhortation here, but simply some ramblings. I like Home Bible Study because:

• It is the tool that God used to really bring me back to Him. When my wife and I were newly married, and weren't living the way that we ought to have been, a couple (Ryan & Becky Donovan) invited us out to a Home Bible Study at Bob and Sue Patterson's house. Rick Grape was the leader of the Bible Study, and he kept on pushing me, challenging me, and not letting up. It is exactly what I needed. I wasn't getting that in "big church," but in the Home Bible Study setting of discipleship, that close-knit accountability is here.
• It is a great opportunity for accountability. Now, Rick challenged me apart from the 7:00-9:00 official study time. However, during the study itself, we give everyone the opportunity to share what they have gotten out of their daily Bible devotions. You see, I think this is probably the most important part of Bible Study. People will remember very little of a lesson that was taught during a Home Bible Study, but if every week they are expected to have read their Bibles and have spent time with God, that is a habit that can be established and last for ever. And... that's more important than any facts or lessons that a teacher could give on a Friday night.
• It keeps me focused. When every week I have to be ready to minister to a bunch of families coming over to my house, it helps keep me from wandering off and concerning myself with too many other, non-important things. I get to work on preparing a lesson, organizing and presenting it.
• I get to hear others' understandings of the Bible. Some passages in the Bible are harder to get a grasp on than others, and during our study, people are encouraged to speak up, ask questions, and give input. With this input, we can guide the study in a new direction if needed, and we can hear what others are seeing from the same passages. Now, for clarification, the Scriptures have one meaning, and if two people look at the Scripture and suggest that they say different things, only one of them can be right. Scripture can be applied in different ways in people's lives, but it only has one doctrinal meaning - let's get that relative garbage out of here.
• We get to really teach the kids the Bible. We have gone with a Divide and Conquer methodology with the kids. In principle, anyone over 10 or so can sit in with the parents - they're old enough to follow along and get it. Kids 5-10 are set around a long dining room table that we have (yup, we put the leaves in for Bible Study!). Last year we had, I think 11 kids, if everyone showed up in this age group, this year it looks to be closer to 15! I think we need another leaf! But, with this age, we really have the opportunity to teach some real topics, push deeper than a kids' Sunday School will do, and have these kids learn some of the meatier parts of the Bible - yet presenting them, illustrating them, with things the kids can understand better. Anyway, that's our focus with them. The younger kids, well, they basically are baby-sat. Hmm... anyone have any ideas how we could make that time more profitable for them?
• Snack Time! Now, when we were with the Farrells for Bible Study, I remember Jill making some of the best meals I have ever had. Everyone got excited when it was their turn to bring "snacks." Well, we've cut back on that a bit, but we still have some good stuff! But, actually, this "snack time" after 9:00 is often the best time of fellowship and conversations of the whole night. The "structure" for the study is gone, and people are free to talk about whatever's concerning them. Hopefully, this year, we'll handle this lack of structure time better with the kids.

Anyway, just some thoughts on Home Bible Study...

It Is His Angel

Acts 12:15 And they said unto her, Thou art mad. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel.

I love the story in Acts 12. Peter is in prison, and he was getting ready for his execution. Herod had just killed James the brother of John, and it says that he was ready to "bring him forth" to be executed. He even had Peter sleep between two soldiers, with two chains, and then some more on the outside of the door. Herod wasn't messing around - tomorrow was Peter's day of death.

My thought today is this: I'm really glad that the principle of, "IF we ask in faith in the name of Jesus, THEN He will answer" is not true in the inverse, "IF we do not ask in faith, THEN He will not answer." Because, it says in verse 5 of that chapter that "prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him." And even when Peter is finally released miraculously by the angel (if you're not familiar with the story, read it!), he goes to the house where people are in the middle of a prayer meeting. These people were praying fervantly for Peter!

But, what happens when their prayer was answered? Well, Rhoda hears Peter's knock on the door and goes and tells everyone else. Out of her excitement, she failed to even open the door for him. So, these prayer warriors, who did not cease to pray for Peter, when God gave them the answer to their prayers, what did they say to her? "Thou art mad." And when she insisted that he was there? "It is his angel." These people were more ready to believe that Peter's angel (whatever that may mean... another day's post) was standing at the door, than that God had freed Peter from prison as an answer to their prayers.

The moral of the story? We really should pray in faith, expecting God to answer, when we're asking things for God's sake. But, when we really don't think that God is going to answer the prayer - we ought to keep praying anyway. These people prayed without ceasing, yet deep down inside, they did not think that God was going to answer. They were expecting to have Peter's funeral tomorrow night, but they kept praying.

Pray without ceasing.

Just a thought...

"for me" and "for to me"

Oh, I'm sorry, did I miss a day blogging? Forgive me...

Anyway... I will try to be more faithful with my blogging. You know, I had this notion in my mind that if I didn't come up with something monumental every post, then I would be looked at as being plain or just simple. My pride makes me do stupid stuff. But this blog is important to me as it makes me take time in the middle of the day to bring me back to my real purpose in life, whether I'm eating or drinking, to do all to the glory of God.

So, today's post, comes from Philippians 1:21, "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." What a thing that Paul could say! What a punch packed into that little verse. My thought is this: Often, we think of that verse and here it preached as this, "My life is all about Christ. FOR ME, I live for Christ." And that is a great philosophy to have for your life, to say, "Hey, if I'm gonna live, I'm gonna live for Christ."

I think Paul is saying even more than that in the verse though. He doesn't say, "For me to live is Christ," but rather "For TO me... to live is Christ." Paul says, that in his mind, living is all about Jesus Christ. It is not only his life that has a purpose of living for Christ (that's good and all), but he says that for everyone, their purpose for living is Christ. For to Paul, living is all about Christ. To live is Christ. That was Paul's view about life. It was more than just his life, it is life for everyone - but of course, not everyone is obedient.

For you to live, it ought to be about Christ. Regardless though of how you are actually living, to live is Christ. At least that's what Paul thought, and I suppose I agree with him!

Just a thought...

Acknowledge Him

I've noticed one thing recently, and that is, it's hard to have a Lunch-Time Thought when you aren't getting lunch times!

That's my sorry excuse for not having written. Actually, I have a post I am preparing, but it is taking me longer to put together than I anticipated, but it's coming soon. - has to do with a parade on Saturday...

Anyway, today's thought is quick and simple: Acknowledge Him.

Proverbs says to "acknowledge him" in all of our ways. That seems to me to be the first step. Let's recognize God's presence in every part of our lives, and then give Him credit. I say that is a first step, because if we could get that down, it would be a lot easier to get so much else right in our lives. It's tough for me to acknowledge God and then go on and do something He hates. We fall into sin when we stop acknowledging God.

So, in all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Just a thought...