A COMPASSION REVOLUTION
All You Need is … Trust!
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2:14-17 (NASB)
Prayer is an essential part of our relationship with God. If we are living by a faith that is alive, it begins with communion with God. Imagine with me for a moment being married to someone with whom you never speak. It would be impossible to know their thoughts or their ways. The same is true with God.
Prayer is communication with God and gives us an opportunity to known Him. It helps as we read His Word and talk with Him daily to understand his ways. As we do, we can have a living faith.
Tomorrow is the National Day of Prayer. There are a couple of opportunities to pray with fellow believers around the county. This is the announcement Wayne Proctor sent yesterday:
“1. 7:45 a.m. at Gates Co. High School, outside around the flagpole. If it is raining, I expect we’ll meet inside in the gym. This is being led by the FCA group, Susan Brown and Kay Barker as sponsors. Being present is a great witness to the students.
2. 12 noon at the Gates Co. Courthouse, meeting in the courtroom. We will be praying for 7 different areas of need and concern, such as government, education, and churches. Please invite your friends and fellow members of community and civic groups.”
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the opportunity to speak with You on a regular basis. It gives me great comfort to know that I can bring all my cares to You. Please help me to hear as You speak to me in Your Word. Having heard, give me the strength to obey. In Jesus Name, Amen.
A COMPASSION REVOLUTION
All You Need is … Faith?
What use is it, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but he has no works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. James 2:14-17 (NASB)
“Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.” I have heard these kinds of quotes all my life and my guess is you have too. These types of “faith statements” are filled with truth that are important to hear. However, not understood in a Biblical context can distort their meaning and actually do harm. Let me explain.
In this “faith statement”, we see several elements: dreams, achievement, faith, vision, hard work, and determination. All of which are important in life especially if one is trying live up to their God given potential. However, the two statements that give me great trouble if they are not understood in a Biblical context are “faith and belief in yourself” and “all things are possible for those who believe”. The premise of this statement is permeated with faith so it would be helpful to understand what faith is.
The Bible says in Hebrews 11:1 (NASB) that faith is “… is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Faith is absolutely essential in our relationship with God. Moreover, Paul continues by saying in 11:6 that “… without faith it is impossible to please Him …” Faith in its simplest form is trust. When we trust God, no matter what happens, we honor Him. The context of faith in the Bible is always faith in God, trusting God. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:28 (NASB) “… that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”
As we look back at the “faith statement”, we begin to realize that understanding this saying without proper context will lead people into a false security thinking belief in … whatever is sufficient. It has never been nor will ever be. In our self-centered world, we make everything about us. As Christians, we understand that it is all about Him! Our faith must be in God! Anything else is a trap.
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord,
Help me to place my faith in You and You alone. No matter what may happen today, I know that You will help me through it to achieve Your purpose. I want my life to be pleasing to You. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Gather at the
Gates County Courthouse
202 Court Street
Gatesville, NC 27938
12:00 Noon
If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (KJV)
IS OUR FAITH IN VAIN?
The Energized Life
“and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep;” 1 Corinthians 15:5-6 (NASB)
Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor was a character that the comedian Tim Allen played on the show “Tool Time” back in the 90’s. He worked for a tool company as a salesman. He eventually got a TV show on which he would demonstrate the tools his company made. An underlying theme of the show was Tim’s obsession with “more power”. He would “beef-up” tools with more power thinking he could get the job done faster. However, as it works out in the different episodes, it would always get him into trouble. This seems to be a great analogy for the Christian life, except in reverse. There are too many professing Christians living with the power of the Holy Spirit!
Dr. Larry Petton makes the following observation:
“One of the curious questions I have always had concerns the people who actually saw Christ after His resurrection. I would love to have been part of that group to see Jesus in His glorified, resurrected body!
But, for some reason, that incredible, once-in-a-lifetime experience didn’t seem to make a difference in many of those people. Paul says in I Corinthians 15 that over 500 hundred saw Christ after His resurrection. Jesus told them to go and wait in Jerusalem for the Holy Spirit to come (Acts 1:8-11). They were to worship and wait for 40 days.
The problem here is……..only 120 were in the Upper Room on the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came in power. The question I have is: where were the other 380 plus believers who saw the resurrected Christ personally? Those believers had been with Christ to the Cross…….they had experienced His resurrection power……..but they were not partakers of Pentecost!
How many believers today have been to the Cross…….they know Christ as their Risen Savior………..but they have not been endued with the power of the Holy Spirit. They are like the Israelites in the Wilderness —- they were brought OUT of Egypt, but they have not been brought INTO the Promised Land of victory.”
It is so obvious to see the power of the Holy Spirit in the Apostles. Many of them were used to write the New Testament. All of them died as martyrs for the proclamation of the Gospel except for John and he lived his remaining years in exile. However, all lived in the power of the Spirit. The question for today is “Are you living in the power of the Holy Spirit? Are you content just knowing about Jesus or do you have a relationship with Him?
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the forgiveness that comes only through Jesus by way of the cross. Help me to live each day by Your grace trust You for all that I need. Please help me to share with others the glorious message of the Gospel. In Jesus Name, Amen.
IS OUR FAITH IN VAIN?
Half the Story
Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:1-3 (NASB)
I love to travel. It probably started when I was just a kid and my family would go on vacation. We would usually go camping at Oregon Inlet, North Carolina. After encountering a severe nor’easter, we struck camp and finished the camping trip at North Bend Park at Kerr Lake in Virginia. It was always a special time of being with family, making new friends and exploring this beautiful land that God created. Even though fifty years have passed, I still like to travel. I enjoy learning the history of an area or people.
As I travel through the pages of history in the Bible, I am struck by the “salvation history” found throughout the text. This history is seen as God uses Noah to save a remnant of people through the flood or as Moses leads the Israelites to the “Promise Land”. This history climaxes in the person of Jesus Christ. His sacrificial death on the cross is an incredible story of courageous selfless love in action. This is a story worth telling over and over. However, it is only half the story…
D. L. Moody, the great evangelist of the nineteenth century, assigned some ministerial students to conduct evangelistic tent meetings throughout the city of Chicago. The students were to preach nightly sermons as a means of winning souls for Christ and to practice their preaching. Dr. Moody personally showed up one night unannounced at one of the meeting places to hear one of his fledgling young ministers preach the gospel. The young man did quite well expounding on the death of Christ on the cross for the sins of the world. At the close of the service, he announced that everyone should come back the next night when he would “preach on the resurrection of Christ.” After the people left, Moody said, “Young man, many of these people will not be back tomorrow night and consequently have only heard half the gospel!” (Source unknown).
The other half of the story is the resurrection! Without the resurrection, the story even though thrilling, is not worth the telling. God raised Jesus from death and the grave! From this salvation history, an incredible hope springs forth enabling us to live life to the fullest extent.
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for the salvation history that shows You at work in every situation. The hope I gain from knowing You gives me the courage to live life with abandon. Help me to live it all the more! Please give me the courage to share with others in a real way this hope that is only found in You! I offer this prayer in matchless name of Jesus, Amen.
Is Our Faith In Vain?
Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 (NASB)
The question I want to ask you to consider today, “Is our faith in vain?” Since you cannot answer for anyone else, let me rephrase it to ask “Is your faith in vain?” George W. J. Shearer has a great response. Please give it some thought.
“The Date for Easter moves around each year. In the year 2018 (and in 2029) it will land right on April 1st –April Fool’s Day. A lot of us have played April Fool’s jokes on others, or have had these jokes played on us. But what if history’s worst joke turned out to be that we were counting on a salvation that didn’t exist?
In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul raises the “Bad News”:
If the dead aren’t raised, then neither is Christ. (v. 16)
If Christ isn’t raised, then we are still in sin. (v. 17)
If we die in sin, then we are lost. (v. 18)
If we are lost, then we are to be pitied. (v. 19)
(In other words, we’d be the victims of history’s cruelest April Fool’s joke!) But, fortunately, he also goes on with the “Good News”:
Christ is raised from the dead. (v. 20)
Our resurrection comes through Him. (v. 21)
We are made alive in Him. (v. 22)
The world is full of religions whose spiritual leaders have all died and are now buried. Only Christianity follows a Messiah who left behind an empty tomb. Our Savior Lives! So, rather than being victims of a terrible joke, we are blessed with a living Lord, who now offers that same resurrection and eternal life to each one of us.
Now, all we have to do is go out and tell the rest of the world…”
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord,
Thank You for posing the tough questions because sometimes they are too hard to ask. Moreover, thank You for answering them. I suspect every one of us has at one time or another in our life doubted some aspect of the Christian faith. There is certainly no doubt more crucial than the resurrection of Christ from the dead and it must be answered. Thank You for the answer: He’s alive! In Jesus Name, Amen.
Easter Morning
8:30AM
&
11:00AM
Maundy Thursday
Then He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, to the point of death; remain here and keep watch with Me.” And He went a little beyond them, and fell on His face and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; yet not as I will, but as You will.” Matthew 26:38-39 (NASB)
When Jesus goes to the garden to pray, we see the submission of Jesus to the will of His Father. If it had been me, I would have examined all the angles to find an adequate path to accomplish the mission with the least amount of discomfort. However, the mission for Jesus, and quite frankly the mission for us, is to submit to the will of God no matter what the cost. Jesus knew tis all too well. He was selfless and I am selfish. I must remember that the sun does not revolve around me.
Dr. Tom Long writes the unforgettable story of visiting a small, but impressive Prayer Chapel that featured a life-sized rendering of Jesus with a sign on it from Matthew 11:28-30 which says, Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” In a semi-circle facing the painting were twelve chairs each with a name of one of the twelve Apostles on the back of the chair. As Dr. Long looked at the chapel, he noticed that one chair was sat in more than the others. It was the one that bore the name “Judas”. It is hard to understand the infinitely larger wonder of Jesus forgiving those who crucified him if we have never sat in the chair of Judas figuratively speaking.
However, some people never sit in that chair because they go through life like Dennis Lee Curtis an armed robber arrested in 2002. In his wallet, the police found the paper on which was written the following personal code:
I will not kill anyone unless I have to.
I will take only cash and food stamps-no checks.
I will rob only at night and not wear a mask.
I will not rob mini-marts.
If I get chased on foot, I will get away.
If I get chased by a vehicle, I will not put the lives of civilians on the line.
I will rob only 7 months of the year.
Dr. Brian Burrell writes this about Dennis Lee Curtis, “this thief had a sense of morality, but it was flawed. His focus was only on the ways that he was acting honorably, and that kept him from seeing the ways he might have acted even more honorably. Mr. Curtis did not understand that when he stood before the court, he would not be judged by the standards he set for himself but by the laws of the state.”
And more to the point, we all will be judged by the laws of our Creator, God. It will not be enough to think we are good enough. Our standard will not be what others are doing, but the standards God has set. This Easter, read His Word and live by His Standard. Trust that He will give you strength for the journey and when you don’t measure up, forgiveness.
Today’s Prayer
Dear Lord,
When I survey the cross of Jesus, I am struck by how I live by my standard of “good enough” and not by Your standard of Holiness. Please forgive me. Thank you for Your selfless gift of sacrifice on the cross. Thank You for the forgiveness that can only come through You. In Jesus Name, Amen.
Christians pledge allegiance to two countries. Our world expects us to compartmentalize our loyalties so that one will not interfere with the other. Sadly, many Christians have bought into the idea as we been taught repeatedly the “separation of church and state”. The Bible teaches that our Christian citizenship engages the culture instead of being isolated from it.
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