How Long, O Lord?
No one likes delays. And nothing diminishes the pain we feel as the days pass and we continue to struggle with our hopes and fears. Whether it’s the hours that throw off our plans, the days and weeks that cause uncertainty, or the years we spend wondering if God will ever fulfill His promises to us, it’s human to feel frustrated, anxious, and as if our hopes are dying within us. Why? Because we lack control over our circumstances. Someone else seems to be impeding our progress—deciding how the scant moments we’ve been given in this life will be spent and preventing us from enjoying the one thing we think will truly make us happy. Like David, we cry out, “How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?” (Ps.13:1). I don’t know what it is you’re hoping for, but I do know that you’ve subscribed to this reading plan for a reason. I also know firsthand that waiting on God is one of the most difficult lessons to learn. I imagine that, like David, there’s a lot of pain in your heart as you wait. Perhaps you fear the Lord’s forgotten you. Maybe you can’t help but wonder, Why not me? What makes me so unworthy? Friend, though I know it hurts more deeply than words can express, please be assured that there’s always hope with our heavenly Father. As you go through your season of waiting, you must always remember that …
0 Comments
SAY WHAT? (What is the passage saying?)
• When Jesus says to forgive someone seven times in a day, he doesn’t mean you should keep count and then unleash your wrath after someone wrongs you seven times. This passage (verses 3-4) is meant to show us that we need to always forgive. • Jesus says we should have the attitude of a servant of God (verses 7-10). Our service is not motivated by potential reward but instead by sheer gratefulness at the opportunity to serve God. • On Jesus' travels, 10 lepers stand at a distance and beg for mercy. This was customary, as lepers were not allowed to come close to anyone. • Not only does Jesus show love to the lepers, he asks them to show their faith in action by going to see the priests before they are even healed. All 10 men went and were healed before they reached the temple. However, the story doesn't end there. Only one man comes back to thank Jesus for the miracle, and he was a Samaritan. If you remember from previous posts, Samaritans and Jews held bitter hatred toward one another and did not get along at all. Jews nicknamed them "dogs" and refused to do business with the Samaritans. This feud dates back as far as 722 BC. • Jesus teaches people to be prepared for when the "Son of Man" (a nickname Jesus used to refer to himself) will return to judge the world and bring his followers to heaven. SO WHAT? (What are the underlying principles?) • We need to be very careful that we do not lead anyone into temptation. But, if we do, we need to ask for forgiveness and turn away from our sin. • We also need to forgive people when they sin against us. This can be difficult, but realizing that God has forgiven us enables us to forgive others. • We often ask God to do things for us, but we don't stop and give him praise and thanks when he does. We need to be like the Samaritan leper and give God the glory for the good in our life. • We need to live our lives in anticipation of Jesus' return. This means our faith will be tested. Verses 33-34 remind us that we must be willing to let go -- to let go of material possessions, family, loved ones, even our physical lives, in order to gain eternity in heaven with Jesus. NOW WHAT? (How will you personally apply this passage?) • Do you beg God to do things for you, but then forget to give him praise or credit when he does? It is not enough to have faith that Jesus will come through, we should give glory to him when he does. If Jesus has done something amazing in your life that you never thanked him for, take time to do just that. • We need to live lives of willing service and gratitude towards God. Are you serving God to your fullest ability or are you holding back? How can you change that today? Are you willing to let go of everything on earth that matters to you? Did you notice how Jesus fed all the people? He first took what the disciples had to offer. Then he gave God thanks and broke it into pieces. He then gave it back to the disciples, who gave to the people what they received. God can work though our lives in a similar way. When we give ourselves to Jesus, he blesses/breaks us and sends us to “feed” the crowds. When we give of ourselves to others it may seem that we’re not going to have enough to make a difference, but God shows up and accomplishes the work. Jesus is asking us to trust him, especially when it doesn’t add up.
Peter was a normal person (just like you) but was able to do something abnormal (walk on water!) because of his relationship with Jesus, and because he was willing to get out of the boat. If we have a relationship with Jesus and are willing to follow him wherever he calls us (even if it's scary), we can do things that people normally can't do. Notice that Peter was having no problem walking on the water when he was focused on Jesus. It was when he "saw the wind" that he became afraid and started to drown. In the same way, the object of our focus is critical. If we lock eyes with Jesus, we can do things we could never do on our own. But if we stare at what makes us afraid, we will start to sink. NOW WHAT? (How will you personally apply this passage?) God wants to use your life in a big way. So... is there something he's asking you to give to him (a dream, some of your resources, an ability) that he wants to help you use to "feed the crowds"? If so, what's keeping you from giving it to him? Or is God calling you to get out of the boat, but you're too afraid to follow him? If so, what are you afraid of? Know that Jesus will keep you from sinking, and with his help you can get out of your comfort zone and go where he is leading. Spend some time asking God what he wants from you, where he's leading you, and then focus on Jesus and ask him to help you to do it. Matthew 25:14-30 is known as the Parable of the talents. As we study this passage of scripture we are given examples of good stewardship and poor stewardship. This passage of scripture also gives us money management examples. In my morning meditation the Lord pointed out a few things to me. I won't cover every verse but I will share what was revealed unto me. Verse 16 Jesus says, Then he that had received the five talents went and traded with the same, and me tem other five talents. In this verse he took the talent or money and traded it to receive a greater return. This poses a question to us as believers, where can we trade our money to receive a greater return? Do you have a 401K plan, IRA, Investments or stocks? Verse 17 is an example of gain as well. In verse 18 Jesus says But he that had received one went and digged in the earth and hid his lord's money. The Lord revealed to me that verse 18 tells us not to bury our money. No we don't go out into our backyards, dig a hole and bury the money for a rainy day. In today's modern world our money can be buried in bills, credit cards, loans, frivolous spending, buying things we don't need. Therefore when it comes time to tithe or give an offering, we simply don't have any money. Verse 20 Jesus says, And so he that received five talents came and brought other five talents, saying, Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained besides them five talents more. This servant gained talents or money because he invested it. We don't give to get but I want to challenge you to invest your money into the Kingdom of God. Invest in your local church or ministry. And if you don't have a church home or if the Lord moves you to do so, you can sow a seed into Saint Paul Church. I can't promise you a monetary return but I can say that it is more blessed to give than to receive and God loves a cheerful giver. Verse 21-23 Jesus says the servant is rewarded and since he was faithful over a few things, his lord made him ruler over many things. If we are to be rulers over many things, or rulers over larger sums of money, we must be faithful with the small amounts we have. In verse 25 the servant was afraid and hid the talent or money his lord given him. This tells us that the servant lacked faith. When giving we must have faith. We must have the faith that God will supply all of our need which is stated in Philippians 4:19. In verse 26 the servant's lord says he reaps from other areas where he did not sow. You can sow a seed in one area and reap a harvest from a different area. That's how God works. Where is it that you can sow in order to be a blessing to someone or help someone in need? And finally in verse 28 the talent is taken from the servant who has not demonstrated proper stewardship. For many there money is being taken away because of poor stewardship. It's being put in a bag of holes. Some are not givers because they refuse to do so. If you are not a tither, giver, I want to encourage you to do so. Lastly, if you would like to sow a seed into our ministry, Saint Paul Church we would be grateful. No amount is too large or too small. If you need to pray about it then do so. And if you don't want to give, that's fine as well. I pray that this blog was a blessing to you and will help you to become a better steward with your finances and giving. God Bless you.
If you are led to sow a seed into our church please go to the home page, scroll to the bottom and click on the donate button. Our if you would like to send a check or money order please send it to: Saint Paul Church 10777 W. Beloit Rd #2 Greenfield, WI 53228 People conduct their daily lives wondering if they are valuable to others. Many ponder the thought of if anyone recognizes or appreciate their value. They work hard on the job and may never receive accolades or hardly receive recognition. Although you do a lot to support upper management or those who are deemed important they tend to overlook you. Sometimes you may feel if it's even worth it. But we must keep in mind that what we do whether it is on the job or not, God is watching. While you may not receive recognition from your superiors or others you can be rest assured that God values you more than anyone can or ever will. After all HE gave his son Jesus to die on the cross for our sins. So the next time you feel as if you are not receiving recognition, or you are not appreciated, remember that God loves you. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, whosever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." John 3:16
Decisions are a important and integral part of our lives. Everyday we are required to make decisions. Whether they are small or large, easy or difficult, we make decisions. The type of decision we make can determine if the outcome or end result is good or bad. The decision can determine if their will be a positive or negative effect. We must be careful when making decisions. Some make decisions when they are upset or are in the heat of an argument. That is the wrong time to make a decision. Some make decisions based on how they feel, or self-centered decisions. What I mean by self-centered decisions are those who make decisions and do not care how thier decision affects others. Let us be careful and ponder our thoughts before we make decisions. Let us also bring God into our decision making process. Everything that seems good, looks good, or feels good, may not be good for us at all. So the next time you have to make a decision, pray about it, think about it, take your time, ponder on how it will affect others. Most important of all, make the right decision.
I was once told if a person is riding a horse that's going nowhere it's time to dismount! Or if one keeps doing the same thing expecting different results, that's the defination of insanity. We encounter times in our lives where it seems like what we are doing isn't working. We applied the formula over and over and it doesn't work. Or we may even have a job that's taking us absolutely nowhere. In these situations it's time to dismount. It's time to find a new horse that will take you in the direction that you need to go. Just because someone else may be successful in one area, that may not be your market or niche. So if you are riding a horse that's going nowhere, pray, ask God to lead you in the direction that HE wants you to go. If your horse seems to be lost, dismount, find a new thoroughbread and be the best person you can be! God Bless
Saint Paul Church held it's first service on Friday December 28th, 2012 and what a joy it has been. Many people have come through the doors of Saint Paul and it's been a privilege and honor to minister to them. When God calls you, HE has a way of bringing everything together and this is what God has done with Saint Paul. Inspiried by the Holy Spirit, the congregation has come together to form a choir, sunday school, and they blew me out of the water when they put together a Christmas program with the children. The Lord has added to Saint Paul and we have baptized. We have a good report with the community and we are in a state of expectation on what God is going to do with and through Saint Paul Church. I thank God for the congregation HE has placed at Saint Paul. They don't belong to me, they belong to God. I have seen them come with excitement and invite others to come to Saint Paul. I'm waiting for the day when we won't have enough room to seat everyone and God will say it's time to move to a larger residence. I give God all the Glory for Saint Paul and on behalf of myself and my wife, we love you all Saint Paul! God Bless
"Chew the meat spit out the bones!" This is a cliche that some christians have adopted. The cliche means that when someone is preaching or teaching, some of what they say may not line up with scripture or may be some personal revelation they have. Any doctrine that does not line up with the bible is false doctrine. This cliche is also used to excuse, or turn a blind eye from the speaker or teacher in essence not calling them to the carpet for something that's not biblical truth. One has to be careful because by adhearing to this, baby christians, or new believer's can be led down the wrong path. Even the Apostle Paul rebuked Peter in Galatians 2, due to Peter being a hypocrit and exercising Jewish laws when Jews were around, and then jumping back to the dispensation of Christ when they were not in the presence of Jews. So we as Christians must not develop the bad habit of chewing the meat and spitting out the bones. One should not mix, or try to present false doctrine with biblical truths in ordert satisfy "itching ears" or to push "their own agenda." So the next time someone says chew the meat spit out the bones- Tell them no bones are involved and it's false doctrine, because we move from milk to meat, and God's word is the infallable truth! Be Blessed!
"And the next Sabbath day came Almost the whole city together to hear the word of God" Acts 13:44 As I read the book of Acts, I see the power of the holy spirit which enable the Apostles to preach the gospel and perform signs wonders and miracles. But what astonishes me is that these men were preaching to entire cities! As i'm studying the book of Acts, I ask myself what if we could preach the Gospel to entire cities just like God used those men to do so. What a blessing it would be to see entire cities come to hear the Gospel. The awesome power of God would be displayed as multitudes would be saved just like in biblical times. But I question what are we doing to take cities? Have our churches become inward focus that we are forgetting about the masses? Jesus Christ took the Gospel outside of the 4 walls of the church and we must do the same. We live in a time where many are afraid or they simply don't know how to share the Gospel. This is why we must come together as body of Christ and teach evangelism that we can share the Good News in order to take over cities. So as I conclude this blog, I ask what are you doing to take over a city? And secondly, will you agree and join with me to take over a city? God bless |
AuthorRev. Luckett is the Pastor of Saint Paul Church. He is committed to preaching Christ and leading others to salvation. Archives
March 2021
Categories
All
|