Romans 1:5-9
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
5 Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name.
6 And you are included among those Gentiles who have been called to belong to Jesus Christ. 7 I am writing to all of you in Rome who are loved by God and are called to be his own holy people.
May God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace.
8 Let me say first that I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith in him is being talked about all over the world. 9 God knows how often I pray for you. Day and night I bring you and your needs in prayer to God, whom I serve with all my heart by spreading the Good News about his Son.
As I rest, relax and enjoy this Thanksgiving break, I have so much to be thankful for. Family … friends … fellow saints in the Body of Christ. As I think of you all, I am thankful to God for the many blessings (each one of you), He has poured out on me from His abundant storehouse in Heaven.
I have something new to be thankful for this year that has never been a part of my thank you list before. God has blessed me in the past with ministry opportunities in His church but this past October 15th,2008, He called me to the position of pastor of the Nazareth Missionary Baptist Church in Mendenhall, MS. The people of Nazareth have opened their hearts to my wife and I and made us feel unconditionally loved. Our love for them is overflowing. This is making this Thanksgiving very special!
Now put on top of that the wedding of my youngest daughter this coming Saturday evening and I am about to bust wide open, like that stuffed turkey, with joy and happiness.
I pray your Thanksgiving is also filled and overflowing with the joy we only get from God.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Friday, November 21, 2008
NO LONE RANGER
Philippians 2:19-30
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Paul Commends Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23 I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24 And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.
25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26 I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. 27 And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
28 So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. 29 Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 30 For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.
From the very beginning of the Christian church, the work of spreading the gospel was done by groups, not individuals. Jesus called a group of twelve disciples and taught them this strategy. He them out two by two (Mark 6:7). The Apostle Paul had two ministry companions that he praised for their work in ministry, in keeping with this no Lone Ranger strategy.
Who has partnered in ministry and had an impact on your spiritual growth? This would be a great time to say thank you. Who has partnered with you on a work to spread the gospel? Have you paused to say well done? Use this season of Thanksgiving as an opportunity for ministry commendation.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Paul Commends Timothy and Epaphroditus
19 If the Lord Jesus is willing, I hope to send Timothy to you soon for a visit. Then he can cheer me up by telling me how you are getting along. 20 I have no one else like Timothy, who genuinely cares about your welfare. 21 All the others care only for themselves and not for what matters to Jesus Christ. 22 But you know how Timothy has proved himself. Like a son with his father, he has served with me in preaching the Good News. 23 I hope to send him to you just as soon as I find out what is going to happen to me here. 24 And I have confidence from the Lord that I myself will come to see you soon.
25 Meanwhile, I thought I should send Epaphroditus back to you. He is a true brother, co-worker, and fellow soldier. And he was your messenger to help me in my need. 26 I am sending him because he has been longing to see you, and he was very distressed that you heard he was ill. 27 And he certainly was ill; in fact, he almost died. But God had mercy on him—and also on me, so that I would not have one sorrow after another.
28 So I am all the more anxious to send him back to you, for I know you will be glad to see him, and then I will not be so worried about you. 29 Welcome him with Christian love and with great joy, and give him the honor that people like him deserve. 30 For he risked his life for the work of Christ, and he was at the point of death while doing for me what you couldn’t do from far away.
From the very beginning of the Christian church, the work of spreading the gospel was done by groups, not individuals. Jesus called a group of twelve disciples and taught them this strategy. He them out two by two (Mark 6:7). The Apostle Paul had two ministry companions that he praised for their work in ministry, in keeping with this no Lone Ranger strategy.
Who has partnered in ministry and had an impact on your spiritual growth? This would be a great time to say thank you. Who has partnered with you on a work to spread the gospel? Have you paused to say well done? Use this season of Thanksgiving as an opportunity for ministry commendation.
Thursday, November 20, 2008
SHARED JOY
Philippians 2:12-18
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Shine Brightly for Christ
12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
When those you are ministering to, follow God’s instructions … it brings joy.
When they are working hard, spreading the gospel … it brings joy.
When they are obedient to God, above reproach, living clean, innocent lives … it brings joy.
When they are bright lights to the dark world ... it brings joy.
When they don’t complain or argue, doing the work that is pleasing to God … it brings joy.
When they hold firm to the Word, never wavering … it brings joy.
The Apostle Paul experience this joy because of the faithfulness of the Philippian church and exhorted all of them to share that joy. Personal joy is great. Shared joy is fantastic!
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Shine Brightly for Christ
12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear. 13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. 16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ’s return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy. 18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
When those you are ministering to, follow God’s instructions … it brings joy.
When they are working hard, spreading the gospel … it brings joy.
When they are obedient to God, above reproach, living clean, innocent lives … it brings joy.
When they are bright lights to the dark world ... it brings joy.
When they don’t complain or argue, doing the work that is pleasing to God … it brings joy.
When they hold firm to the Word, never wavering … it brings joy.
The Apostle Paul experience this joy because of the faithfulness of the Philippian church and exhorted all of them to share that joy. Personal joy is great. Shared joy is fantastic!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
CHOOSE HUMILITY
Philippians 2:9-11
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Have the Attitude of Christ
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
An old preacher once told me that when you see ‘therefore’ in scripture, you take a look back to find what the ‘therefore’ is there for. This therefore points us to the ‘I’m Third’, Christ-like attitude we have discussed for the past two days. The ‘therefore’ says because Christ was humble in His attitude …
Whether we or the world want to admit it or not, the highest place has been given to Christ. The greatest name is the name of Jesus. The day is coming when believers and non-believers alike will bow before Him.
I would rather humbly choose to bow than be forced to my knees. Jesus is coming soon. Begin practicing humility today.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.
Have the Attitude of Christ
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor
and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
An old preacher once told me that when you see ‘therefore’ in scripture, you take a look back to find what the ‘therefore’ is there for. This therefore points us to the ‘I’m Third’, Christ-like attitude we have discussed for the past two days. The ‘therefore’ says because Christ was humble in His attitude …
Whether we or the world want to admit it or not, the highest place has been given to Christ. The greatest name is the name of Jesus. The day is coming when believers and non-believers alike will bow before Him.
I would rather humbly choose to bow than be forced to my knees. Jesus is coming soon. Begin practicing humility today.
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