Why is Loyalty to Christ and not Trends so Important?

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Biblical Guy

 

Our loyalty helps us lead the life that bears the life of Jesus, the character of Jesus and the theme of what it means to be a real authentic effectual Christ like Christian.

This is the essential mark, the most important thing we can accomplish in our life, to be Fruitful, to be faithful and be His and act like it. This means to allow the Holy Spirit to nourish and energize us, to speak to us and work in and through us.

Do you want to be safe and adequate or powerful and used in ministry and life? Really think about this. We do not have to lead the Christian life as a Christian. We can peach merely feel good messages do not instruct or edify.

We can be bullies in the boardroom or apathetic and uncaring and even obtuse to our families–frankly, most of us are. We don’t live with Fruits of the Spirit. As a pastor, may I say honestly, very few Christians do. Few pastors do. I met very few real Christ-like fruitful pastors in my thirty plus years in ministry. This is sad. Most of us just do not get it. We live our lives to ourselves. It may not be outright sin, but it is placing our desires first, and we do not want to learn and grow. We do not what to be convicted and grow beyond where we are.

Most pastors do very little time to build their spiritual life. That is why the cheap messages that tickle our ears and move our emotions are so popular-more popular than the meat of the Word of God.

It is why so many of us stopped growing so we stopped teaching. We created congregations who want to be told, we are OK, we want to hear encouragements and feel good stories, and we do not want to be taught the true Truth of Scripture so we can be used to further renew and transform the people in our care by the example and flow the Fruit of the Spirit.

Remember this very important point: sin and wrong desires, factions, and immorality bring us only “darkness.”

Darkness refers to having no peace, contentment, or happiness; chasing evils and pleasure, even our wants, only leaves us destitute of what is really important. This can be in a family, in a nation, in the world, and even in the Church. A defiant heart will only bring pain, chaos, strife, disillusionment, dysfunction, discouragement, distress, and grief. Who wants that? Remember, He will equip us with what He requires for us to live a triumphant, purpose-filled life ( Is. 57:15-21; 59:1-21; 59:15-18; 65:1-15)!

Do not refuse God. Teach, preach, be loyal, be fruitful, be faithful, be real for Christ and live it out.

By our example, we are used for His glory, giving people known and unknown to us a chance to repent and be saved.

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Holy Cow!

Posted on July 28, 2013 by Biblical Guy

holy cow

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Are you prideful and ministry is about you?

Posted on July 27, 2013 by Biblical Guy

Real, effectual leadership is always characterized by humbleness as well as indebtedness and gratitude to God. Anything else is a waste and an insult to God who came as the Ultimate Suffering Servant!

We have to realize some of the depth, such as the passage in Hebrews 7 showing us Christ’s intercession on our behalf. He goes to God the Father, pays our ransom, purchases our salvation, and He lives to do this!

Who and What Christ is and does must manifest itself in how we respond back to Him and ministry. And make intersession by prayer and action in others’ lives too, just as our Lord demonstrated as He walked this earth.

But for this to work, to be a good pastor, to be a godly leader, is to actively seek God’s presence and intercession so it flows from Him into us and to others around us, we have to look to Christ as LORD. We have to see our weakness and need for His continual intervention into our lives so we have a heart for Him and others.

Christ was our offering; how can you be an offering to bring Him honor and show Him your gratitude? How would that improve your life and ministry?

If you desire to be a mature, effectual Christ-follower, if you are in pastoral work or Christian leadership or desire to be, you must in prayer seek Him and ask these questions:

Do you have a heart after God?

Do you have a heart for His children?

Are you prideful and ministry is about you?

Now think and pray about this one: Do you realize His role that paid your debt of sin? Jesus Christ is our Perfect substitute for punishment. He faced temptation on our behalf, lived a perfect life on our behalf, and in so doing, perfectly obeyed God and set a tone that we can follow and hold on to forever.

Now how will you serve, by pride or by gratitude? 

Now, if you feel ministry is about you and or pride; then, get out, get out, get out of ministry, leave, vamoose, hit the road and let the door whack your rear on the way out…then pray, humble yourself, read the Word and ask Christ if and when you can come back….

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Why are Christians so interested in chasing fads? PII

Posted on July 20, 2013 by Biblical Guy

 

Read Revelation 17-18

Here in this passage, being a “harlot” does not just mean standing on a street corner soliciting for unlawful relations; rather, it means for church leaders that we are engaged in and promoting apostasy!

Thus, betraying our Lord as in being a harlot to Christ. And this gives us a vital depiction on how God feels when we false teach, become prideful, lead His children astray, we are in fact betraying Him, insulting His Lordship; thus, being a prostitute with His Most precious Word!

What does this look like? The bad pastor and church leader is into themselves, and they lead their people away from God’s path, becoming disloyal to God and His true Truths to the point they blaspheme God. They focus their people to trust in materialism and trends that neuter the Bible, water down His Word and in so doing replace discipleship with mere entertainment and lead others to do so, too. In so doing, a harlot, just as Scripture shows us, is not ashamed, but rather boisterous and proud of sin.

What about factions, gossip, and pride? These are the things that God hates the most and cause the greatest destruction to any given church, something even Satan himself could never do.

Point? We are the real enemy, our sin building and conniving and converging upon one another, while we ignore Christ and His supremacy, precepts, and call!

God is calling you and me–those who lead and pastor churches, who influence people in the church, who sit on committees, teach, or the like to flee from manipulating and gossiping behind the scenes-to wake up and SEEK HIM, not ourselves or ideas or plans or trends!

Are we being “harlots” with His Church?

If so, stop, pray, and get right with God. If you can’t, then get out of leadership until you are right with God and His call and His precepts!

Keep in mind in this passage–it is a stern warning that sin will cause ruin. Their sins are piled high, and God wants to remove the sin. Instead of seeking God’s grace and mercy, they pile on more sin and seek the evils of pleasure without responsibility, which will bring them torment, sorrow, and extreme helplessness. Those who sought favor and wealth from sin will mourn, but those who are righteous will be joyful and jubilant. Those who trusted in luxury and splendor will mourn; those whose trust was/is in Christ will praise God. In a single moment, what they thought was important will be gone.

What really is important will remain and increase. God’s glory and eminence is steadfast and proclaimed; the hope of the faithful comes to its fruition!

 

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