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Saturday, February 15, 2014
IMITATE THEIR FAITH by Claude Houde Hebrews 13:7-8
“Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:7-8, NIV).
I often have tears in my eyes when I meditate on this passage and its ramifications. I solemnly address every parent, pastor, mature Christian and person in a position of influence who is reading these words. Do you realize that this passage states that God's people (our children, family, friends and every precious soul our Lord puts in our path) must be able to look at our faith and trust in God through every trial and storm, in our deepest values, passion, reactions, decisions and true priorities and literally imitate our faith? This unchangeable and remarkable principle means that my life must become a testimony, a proclamation and irrefutable proof that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
God wants my faith and my trust in Him to plead with everyone who is watching my life—and is tempted to drift away—to believe that God is faithful, He never changes, and he who trusts in Him will never be disappointed! God wants your children and mine to testify to their friends that it is “by watching my mom and dad living their faith, day in and day out, through the terrible tragedies and trials of their lives, through every pain and pressure, that I have decided to live for God. My parents’ faith proved to me that God is alive and is the same yesterday, today and forever.”It is of supreme importance for every believer to realize that he possesses a sphere of influence that is uniquely his. We each have people we can touch or influence, a work to complete or a purpose to accomplish that no one else can. Dear reader, the people God predestined to be influenced by you—the eternal destiny you were called to fulfill—the greatest man of God in the world cannot do! It is your faith that must produce the fruit of confidence in God in the people who surround you.
I often have tears in my eyes when I meditate on this passage and its ramifications. I solemnly address every parent, pastor, mature Christian and person in a position of influence who is reading these words. Do you realize that this passage states that God's people (our children, family, friends and every precious soul our Lord puts in our path) must be able to look at our faith and trust in God through every trial and storm, in our deepest values, passion, reactions, decisions and true priorities and literally imitate our faith? This unchangeable and remarkable principle means that my life must become a testimony, a proclamation and irrefutable proof that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever.
God wants my faith and my trust in Him to plead with everyone who is watching my life—and is tempted to drift away—to believe that God is faithful, He never changes, and he who trusts in Him will never be disappointed! God wants your children and mine to testify to their friends that it is “by watching my mom and dad living their faith, day in and day out, through the terrible tragedies and trials of their lives, through every pain and pressure, that I have decided to live for God. My parents’ faith proved to me that God is alive and is the same yesterday, today and forever.”It is of supreme importance for every believer to realize that he possesses a sphere of influence that is uniquely his. We each have people we can touch or influence, a work to complete or a purpose to accomplish that no one else can. Dear reader, the people God predestined to be influenced by you—the eternal destiny you were called to fulfill—the greatest man of God in the world cannot do! It is your faith that must produce the fruit of confidence in God in the people who surround you.
Friday, February 14, 2014
WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR IN A CHURCH?
Maybe you are looking for a church that will teach your children on Sunday mornings. Or perhaps you are looking for true fellowship. Maybe you're hungry for good praise and worship. Or you’re trying to meet some other deep need in your life.
Let me give you this word about God’s true Church: The Bible says you have been appointed as a royal priest unto the Lord. That’s right—you are to be a shepherd, a minister, a priest. And the true Church is to originate in your home.
The Bible says every believer has been called to a godly Zadok priesthood: “But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God: they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge” (Ezekiel 44:15-16).
You do not have to go to Bible school or have an ordination paper hanging on your wall in order to be part of God’s royal priesthood. Everyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus has been raised up as a priest unto the Lord.
I grew up in a family that observed what used to be called “family altar.” My father believed that the verse in Hebrews commanding Christians not to forsake corporate assembly was meant for families as well. Therefore, we were not to miss the family altar.
If my siblings and I were out playing with our friends when it came time for family altar, we always came in when our parents called out, “Prayer time!” Everyone in the neighborhood knew the Wilkersons were going to the altar!
My father happily took on the role of priest and shepherd in our home. But what about you? Have you searched your heart about being a priest to your family?
Let me give you this word about God’s true Church: The Bible says you have been appointed as a royal priest unto the Lord. That’s right—you are to be a shepherd, a minister, a priest. And the true Church is to originate in your home.
The Bible says every believer has been called to a godly Zadok priesthood: “But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God: they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge” (Ezekiel 44:15-16).
You do not have to go to Bible school or have an ordination paper hanging on your wall in order to be part of God’s royal priesthood. Everyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus has been raised up as a priest unto the Lord.
I grew up in a family that observed what used to be called “family altar.” My father believed that the verse in Hebrews commanding Christians not to forsake corporate assembly was meant for families as well. Therefore, we were not to miss the family altar.
If my siblings and I were out playing with our friends when it came time for family altar, we always came in when our parents called out, “Prayer time!” Everyone in the neighborhood knew the Wilkersons were going to the altar!
My father happily took on the role of priest and shepherd in our home. But what about you? Have you searched your heart about being a priest to your family?
Thursday, February 13, 2014
WHERE ARE ALL THE GODLY SHEPHERDS?
God told the prophet Jeremiah, “As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me” (Jeremiah 33:22). He was saying, “I give you this covenant promise that I’m going to increase the holy priesthood that will shepherd my multiplying flocks.”
You may wonder, “Where are all the godly shepherds the Lord promised us? Where are they pastoring? Are you saying we can find their righteous churches in any city, town or village? There aren’t enough Bible schools and seminaries in the world to even begin to fulfill this incredible prophecy. I know the Lord is raising up a host of godly young ministers but surely they are few and far between.”
How will God do this? We find the answer in the book of Revelation: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Revelation 1:5-6). God has made us all His priests! Everyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus is a member of His royal priesthood.
The apostle Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). God has called us to be priests who minister to Him.
You see, the Lord’s concept of “church” is much different from ours. We think of church as being a ministry to people. It is a place where all the needs of God’s people—spiritual, physical and emotional—are met. Of course, that is all part of what makes up a church. But the true Church, according to Scripture, begins with ministry to Jesus Christ. His concept of the Church is anyplace there is ministry to Him.
You may wonder, “Where are all the godly shepherds the Lord promised us? Where are they pastoring? Are you saying we can find their righteous churches in any city, town or village? There aren’t enough Bible schools and seminaries in the world to even begin to fulfill this incredible prophecy. I know the Lord is raising up a host of godly young ministers but surely they are few and far between.”
How will God do this? We find the answer in the book of Revelation: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father” (Revelation 1:5-6). God has made us all His priests! Everyone who has been washed in the blood of Jesus is a member of His royal priesthood.
The apostle Peter echoes this in 1 Peter 2:5: “Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). God has called us to be priests who minister to Him.
You see, the Lord’s concept of “church” is much different from ours. We think of church as being a ministry to people. It is a place where all the needs of God’s people—spiritual, physical and emotional—are met. Of course, that is all part of what makes up a church. But the true Church, according to Scripture, begins with ministry to Jesus Christ. His concept of the Church is anyplace there is ministry to Him.
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