Running to the RIGHT PLACES

"Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, 

and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him." John 11:45

     The sorrow and tragedy of death had allowed for the human response of comfort, bringing many to the scene. Earlier verses gave reference that Mary was being comforted within the house and when she arose to run to Jesus as He approached the city, they followed her to His feet.

     Trials have a way of leading others nearer to the Lord when our eyes are fixed upon Him. Mary knew where to run--to her Jesus, her hope, her comfort…her LORD.

     In her sorrow accompanied by her devotion, many others came and were present to see the glory of God in raising Lazarus from the dead. Many came to believe on the Lord through the trial and pain of death this family endured. Their fixed eyes upon a Savior of life brought eternal life to many.

     Our God has a way of using our trials for His glory when we run to Him in the midst of the pain. We are given the opportunity to bring the "comforters" around us to the God of true comfort, and in that, watch Him work good in the midst of life's troubles.   Amen. 

What does it mean to PARTAKE?

"…to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I have become all things to all men, that I might by all means save some. 

Now this I do for the gospel's sake, that I may be partaker of it with you." 1 Corinthians 9:22-23

     Let's think on that word, to partake…when people partake of a meal together, side by side they chew the same substance. It is an action of doing something alongside another.

     Paul is saying here that he desires to partake of the gospel with the lost. That means that he desired not that they come to the table and learn how to eat like "we"-- Christians; but that he would come to their table and partake with them of that which would not compromise his uprightness, and thus they may see a Christian desiring to relate that they may share of the gospel; that the lost may learn how to partake of the gospel and apply it as their daily bread. 

No longer reaching for the portion that never satisfies, but dipping their bread into the oil of eternal life. Paul came to them, took on their normalities that he would have a table of relatability to sit at with the lost, that he could be near enough that they may hear the words of truth and life.

     Too often we sit in our seat within the Lord's house, partake of His Word, His goodness, His filling, but fail to reposition ourselves at the table of the lost, bringing with us the food of eternity; relating to them, that we may partake of the Lord's food together.

We cannot expect the lost to be found, when we ourselves are hiding within the church, or the comforts of our own home.

There was purpose in our tarrying here on earth; if the Lord had willed we be in eternity at conversation, we would be gone, but He has willed that we stay on this earth to be in the world, but not of the world. Paul understood this balance, to sit at the table with the lost, but to partake of eternal food, having received first from the Lord freely, to give away freely.

This is the method we ought to take on in sharing the gospel. We must reposition ourselves, go to the lost, sit beside them, observe, learn, then show them a better way to eat, a food and drink that will satisfy and complete. We must partake of the Lord's table that we may take away and give to the table of the lost, that we all may partake…oh that we all may taste and see that the Lord is good!

Rubbish

"Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, 

for whim I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, 

that I may gain Christ." Philippians 3:8

     The word for "rubbish" is used to refer to something that no longer has use as it once had. Think about trash, that which is trash was once valuable to the user, be that it was filled with a snack, that it was holding a material that was put to good use, maybe it contained water that quenched thirst, or something else. Nonetheless, once that filled good was put to use, the remaining contents are now trash, good for nothing but to be thrown out.

This is the description Paul used in relating to what the things of life had become to him…he says, "I count then as rubbish, that I may gain Christ."

Those things that once held meaning to Paul were now seen as empty holdings, filled with nothing. He saw that all those things could not fill the voids of his heart; all those possessions only accumulated objects, but were as empty packagings to be thrown away with in comparison to gaining Christ.

Paul saw that the things of this life that had once satisfied and carried value to him were now waste to be removed that his hands could receive more of that which held inexpressible value. Paul had seen the contents of the world's packagings: identity, popularity, wealth, position, authority, comfort, affection, acceptance, on and on, but had found that all these packagings, became the same empty remains once used…the soul was still left searching and unsatisfied. Paul had seen that the packagings of the world only resulted in rubbish, but that the giftings of Christ were of lasting quantity and gain. Paul had tasted of the giftings of Christ and was left satisfied; he had come to the fountain whose waters do not cease. He had seen that nothing was left to waste in God's Kingdom, nothing was thrown out, but all things are used and work together for good. He uses our weaknesses to show forth His strength. Our faults to show forth His grace. Our abilities to bear good fruit. Our willingness to reflect Himself. There is no rubbish to be found for a life that has gained Christ. 

The world leaves one with rubbish after they have used all it contained; but gaining Christ is gaining an everlasting gift that cannot be taken away. Knowing Christ is knowing life. 

Still THE CHURCH...

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, 

in the breaking of bread, and in prayers." Acts 2:42

     They continued in the things that they had learned from Christ. Simple…profound. They had seen the example in Christ's life. How He spoke to them and taught them through the Word of God. How He lived among them, exhorting them in the truth; not willing to compromise. How He shared with them of the substance He had. And in the way that He showed them to pray, and to make intercession for others.

Christ came and exemplified the principles that the early church was to be founded upon. He set the pathway of duty for those in Christ. He knew the church would stumble along the way, but He purposefully set up tactics for a smoother walk together in Christ. 

     All of these principles require the use of one another. "They" showing multiple people; "they" continued in the Word of God together, in exhorting one another to walk in the truth; to be doers of the Word, not only to hear. To share with one another from their own substances; where one is lacking, to give, providing portions to those in need, to share meals together--to share life together. Then a call to be in prayer, to be making intercession for one another, to be carrying one another's burdens; for in so doing we fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2).

     When we choose to walk according to these precepts, we will find the body of Christ reaching to places we did not know our arms could reach, to places we did not know the feet could go. God's design is that His church work together as His body to reach the lost, and He has laid out for us the practical steps to be taken to find unity in His work.

     Let us purpose this duty in our hearts, to be committed not only to Christ, but to the effective working of His body, through the principles He laid out for His church. The early church was filled with ordinary men and woman who did extraordinary things together for the Kingdom of God…we are still the church, let us orchestrate in the manner of design and see extraordinary things be accomplished for the Kingdom of God.

August Newsletter

Serving Jehovah...

"And which of you, having a servant plowing or tending sheep, 

will say to him when he has come in from the field,

 "Come at once and sit down to eat"? " Luke 17:7

     Servants serve. We all know this, yet we often act as if, when it is ourself dressed in the servant apron, we ought to be serve and then afterward, be served. 

     When a master hires a servant to do work for him, he has hired and promised pay according to work, not according to personal relation. There is no personal side to it, it is a working relationship strictly. The servant is not to expect a seat at the table, nor is the master to feel obligated to give an invitation.

     Yet in our service to Jehovah, He, as Lord and Master, would have us to labor in His work, and afterwards to enter into His rest--a seat reserved for us within His kingdom.

What a good Lord! Having promised to His servants undeserved reward.

We do what is our duty to do…He redeemed us and in return has commissioned us to bear witness of Himself to the lost world; simple…so small in light of all He has one for us. Our Lord paid for us, to be His own, and He then promises reward to those who faithfully labor before Him. 

     Does all of this not cause you to scratch your head? Does all of this not cause you to want to adore such a Lord?

This analogy paints a picture of an earthly master's relation to a servant, to parallel and define the unique and beautiful reality of our heavenly Master's relation to we, His servants.

He paid for us, He has given us work to do, but He has also woven into the tasks He asks of us a personal relation. Hebrews tells us that we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who was tempted in every way, but without sin; One who understands our frailty as creator in human form. He has related to us, and He has called us. 

Nothing our Lord ever asks of us will be required without the personal relational provision.

When a servant of the Lord walks in obedience to His commands, there is certain provision for the task: In our weaknesses, He shows forth strength. In our fears, His perfect love casts out. In our failures, He redeems. In our confusion, He is peace. His grace is sufficient for each task He asks of His servants.

So what is our place in all of this? We are to serve Him with abandonment. We are to do what He asks for His glory and for the betterment of others, expecting nothing in return, but thanking Him for all that we have already received. 

We received the fulness up front…Christ has given us life in Himself; our every need is satisfied in Thee. We have been freed and given much, that we may now serve much; looking unto the rest to come, not seeking such in this short life.

We serve a gracious Lord, giving grace upon grace to those within His fields. Let us not grow weary in the harvesting, but let us collect and give out, that we may rest eternally in the life to come.