Thought of the Day !!

NOTICE: Today may be the last Thought of the Day !! this week. I am in Olive Branch and can't seem to find my power cord.  I don't figure the battery in my computer will last much longer.  I will be back as soon as possible.

What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building
                                     1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (NIV)

A lot of Christians are at work today doing great ministry in the world.  Numerous homeless shelters, food pantries, evangelistic efforts etc. are being run to help tons of people.  The question we might ought to ponder today is why we are doing these ministries.  Are we doing them for our own glory, or the glory of God?  And is our work more important than who has called us to do it?

We can get so caught up in doing good things that we forget why we started, and the work becomes what we worship instead of God.  I remember hearing a quote from Oswald Chambers one time that described this.  He said, "We slander God's name when we work for Him without first knowing Him." 

Are we slandering God's name by doing a plethora of ministries simply because we're "supposed" to or for our own good feelings?  The key to successful life-giving ministry is to get to know the God that calls us to it and stay in constant touch with Him.  We can do that by spending time worshiping Him and studying our bibles and simply speaking to Him (and listening). 

Today, make sure you get to know your God, your Savior, your Spiritual Guider, before you go to work for Him.  And find joy in the ministry that He leads you to.

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, "Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed," but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it?
                                                                                          James 2:15-16 (NIV)

I'm sure most, if not all of us, have heard the phrase "You can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk" before.  This is exactly what James is saying we must do...walk the walk.  We can talk about how much we care, how loving and compassionate we are.  But then when things happen, we must be ready to back up those words. 

If we claim to be open-minded, but we argue with everyone who disagrees with us, we've only talked the talk.

If we claim to be compassionate, but when a problem occurs we don't do anything to alleviate the problem, we've only talked the talk.

If we claim to be a forgiving person, but when someone wrongs us we don't show forgiveness, we've only talked the talk.

If we claim to love our neighbor (even those who are not like us), but we pick and choose whom we want to help out, we've only talked the talk.

James tells us that our talk is worthless if not backed up with our deeds.  What is it that you need to do to back up your words today?

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. 

                                                                   Matthew 5:14-16 (NIV)

 

Jesus tells us that we are the light of the world.  Why would we light a candle in our houses?  I can think of a couple answers for this question.  One is for the fragrance of the different smelling candles that are made today.  So when we light these, we want a pleasant smelling aroma to be in our homes. 

The other reason is to light up an area (often when the electricity has gone off).  In this case, we want the light from the candle to show us the way.  In the same way, Jesus wants us to show others the way.  He didn't say we are the light of the world sometimes though.  He didn't command us to go out and form a committee to decide which aroma was the most pleasant.  He didn't even tell us lighting the world would be an easy task.  But still, he told us that we are the light, and he implied that we were to share ourselves with everyone in the house. 

Also, let us remember that God's house is much more than the walls that enclose the place you sleep every night or the place you come to worship once or twice a week.  So lets go and light up more than just those two places. 

 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.
                                                    Hebrews 6:10 (NIV)

Sometimes people can see only what's going on in the here and now.  We may forgot all the good a person has done in the past because of one mistake he or she has just recently made.  It's a good thing God doesn't see us just by our mistakes.  He never forgets who we are, what we are, or whose we are.

In the love of Christ,

greg

Thought of the Day !!

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, came to Ephesus. He was an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord. And being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things concerning Jesus, though he knew only the baptism of John. He began to speak boldly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. And when he wished to cross to Achaia, the brothers encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he greatly helped those who through grace had believed, for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

                                           Acts 18:24-28 (ESV)

I love this story about Apollos because is shows a man who has training and eloquence and success.  Yet with all this he still had humility.  When this couple pulled him aside and told him that there was still more to know, and that his teaching needed changing somewhat he did not bow up.  Instead, he listened to them and to the Holy Spirit.  Then he tweaked his message to make it true.

Often times our belief about some doctrine or stance on some issue is not the same one that Jesus would be taking.  Yet we can be so caught up with having to be right that we forget that humbly seeking God's will is what really matters. 

I know from experience the feeling of having to be right.  I also know from experience the humiliation, if only inside, that comes from finally seeing where I was wrong only after staunchly standing up for my side. 

Let us not be afraid to admit we are wrong.  Seek the Spirit's guidance on the decisions you make, the stances you take, the beliefs you hold on to.  And remember that even Apollos, who was called by God, had to rethink some things and make some changes. 

In the love of Christ,
greg

Thought of the Day !!

Today's Thought comes from Phil Ware at Heartlight.org. After reading it I felt that I had to share as I was reminded what worship is really for.  I hope you get as much out of it as I did. 
In the love of Christ,
greg

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

—Acts 13:2 (NIV)

Thoughts on Today's Verse...

When people genuinely worship, when they fast seeking his will, God calls them to service and mission. Christian worship is not an end in itself, but a launching pad to Christian mission. Don't get so caught up in the worship experience that you leave it at the door when you walk away. Instead, understand that it is to inspire you to public worship and service in the world during your everyday life (cf. Rom. 12:1-2). As you worship with your brothers and sisters, also listen to the words of the songs, the message of the Scripture, and the conviction of the Holy Spirit on your heart. God may be calling you to a special mission in your world!

Thought of the Day !!

Always be joyful.
             1 Thessalonians 5:16 (NLT)

I shared a story once for my children's sermon about whooping cranes and how they migrate every year.  Sometimes they have to light to rest.  But when they come down to the ground, they start jumping up and down.  For a long time scientists tried to figure out if this was a kind of ritual or something.  But the conclusion that they came to was that the birds were simply dancing.  They were being joyful.

King David came home with the Ark of the Covenant.  And the Bible states that he danced before the Lord.  The Psalms teach us to sing out and make a joyful noise.  Abraham was so happy at times that he built altars for God.  People that Jesus healed were so thrilled that they told everyone they saw about what had happened. 

How do you show your joyfulness?  Do you feel that you've had much to be joyful about lately?  Let me point out that joy and happiness can go hand in hand at times.  But happiness and joy are not the same.  There's a song called "Sunshine" by a Christian group called Stellar Kart.  In it the singer says that the day can sometimes steal his happiness, but he still has joy.  This is because real true joy is what comes from God and is placed in our hearts.  It's what assures us, comforts us, and at times brings us happiness.  It's a glimpse of Heaven right here on earth.

I read from another devotional that happiness depends on happenings, but that joy goes much deeper.  Instead of coming from things outside, it comes from within where our dear Savior lives.  Allow Him to bring you joy today.  Always be joyful.  Then share this joy in a variety of ways.  As a matter of fact, I urge you to see just how many ways you can show joy today. 

In the love of Christ,
greg