Standing Still (Exodus 14:13-14)
Exodus 14:13-14, “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” The Israelites were trapped at the Red Sea just as Pharaoh had planned when he and his armies went after the Israelites in that location. Mountains were on two sides of them; the Red Sea was on one side, and Pharaoh's armies were on the other. So no matter which way they looked they were trapped. Such situations are those which God especially likes to work because it shows His power and wisdom much more than in a lesser difficulty. Israel had not come to this place by disobedience, but by obedience to God's leading. God showed Himself mightily and proved He would take care of the problem if they would trust in Him. Moses took an important step toward victory. He responded with faith when the people were terrified. With eyes of faith, Moses could see the victory that was ahead. He saw what God would do. In the same manner, we are not to fear tomorrow for God is already there. David addressed the issue of fear in Psalm 23:4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” Isaiah told us how to have peace. Isaiah 26:3, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.” Panic would mean death for God's people here. NOTICE: The same trial which shows one man's faith and confidence in God may reveal other men's weaknesses. The people were weak, but Moses was strong in faith. He learned to walk with God. That is why he told them to fear not, stand still, and see the salvation or deliverance of the Lord. Spurgeon said, "Faith knows that whenever you get a black envelope from Heaven's post office, there is a treasure in it. God has treasures for you and me. Some of those treasures are found in the fire. The three Hebrews found the pearl of peace and the presence of God in the fiery furnace. Moses said, ‘Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.’" God wants us to be patient and watch Him work. Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” We are to be dormant in difficulties, tranquil in troubles, serene when under stress, at peace when we are pressed, calm and composed when under compulsion, and hushed when we are hurried. God says, "Be still and know I am God." The word "still" is rich in meaning. It means "to sink, relax, sink down as you would sink down at ease in a chair." God says, "Relax and get to know Me! Spend time with Me!" The Bible repeatedly teaches we are to be still because of Him. Psalm 56:3, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” Psalm 34:4, “I sought the Lord, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.” Learning to be still is an important element of victory. When we are in panic mode, we can make some very foolish decisions because we are not thinking clearly. For this reason God says, "Be still." Many have sought refuge in the Lord in their times of fear. In 1947, missionaries Dick and Margaret Hillis settled with their four children by the Mule River in the Honan province of China. Nearby, a mission church swelled with nearly a thousand Chinese every Sunday. It would have been a happy time but for the impending war between Chiang kai-Shek and the forces of Mao Tse-tung. One day, Nationalist Captain Hwang urgently told Dick, "The Communists are marching on the Mule River Market. You better take your family and flee." It was too late, however. The Communists had detonated, destroying all the railroad bridges. That evening the Hillis family heard the first shots and soon the battle raged around them. There was no sleep as they spent the night in prayer. The city soon fell, and the streets were filled with a swarm of Communist troops. Then a new danger arose. Captain Hwang, outside the city walls, was lobbing shells at the Communist soldiers. The bombing reached a crescendo one night as each shell dropped closer to the Hillis home. The house next door exploded into flames and splinters, killing all that lived within it. It appeared that the Hillis home would be obliterated next. The family huddled together in the corner as another shell exploded shooting dirt, glass, and bricks through the windows and walls. The house trembled and quaked as the bombs exploded. The children screamed and were momentarily deafened by the explosions. The family prepared for death when suddenly the shelling stopped. The family emerged from the corner into a room that was filled with debris, but no one was hurt. Dick tucked the children into bed that night. When he knelt by Margaret Anne, he noticed a dirty scrap of paper stuffed under her pillow. On it was printed in big, childlike letters these words, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." During her nights of terror in China, little Margaret was learning to be still and rest in God's care in her time of fear. God wants us to do the same. Questions to Consider:
Points to Ponder:
PRAYER: Lord, too often through the eyes of the flesh I see my battles bigger than You. Help me to trust in You and see them as You see them. There is never a problem I encounter that is greater than You. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com
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The Great Commission is Not Out of Commission (Matthew 28:19-20)
Matthew 28:19-20, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” Coca-Cola was founded in 1886 in Atlanta, Georgia. Coca-Cola was introduced to the world on January 29, 1892; has been around for over 130 years. Coca-Cola was the first company to use merchandising and celebrity endorsements in its ads during the 1893 Chicago World Fair. In the beginning, Coca-Cola had cocaine in it, in varying amounts. At the time, cocaine was legal and treated as a medicine. Coca-Cola’s goal is simple. They want everyone to get addicted to their drink. It’s evident that Coke seems to be willing to try any marketing strategy in its attempts to get their product into everyone’s hands. They are willing to use catch phrases, commercials, and slogans. Coke has had 48 different slogans. Perhaps the most famous is “It's the Real Thing”. Coke is one of the largest advertisers in the world, with spending on ads about $4 billion a year worldwide. Coca-Cola earned nearly 43 billion in net sales in 2023. It is one of the most popular soft drinks in the world and sold 32.7 billion cases of drinks in 2023. Today Coke sells more than 1.9 billion beverages around the world every day. It sells anywhere between 30-40 billion units per year. Over 950 bottles of Coca-Cola are sold every second. In 1985, when business became slow and losing market value, Coca-Cola, out of desperation, decided to change their identity and label. “New Coke” began, and it was a failure. The change was met with much criticism and negativity, and Coke later changed its label to Coca-Cola Classic. We have the Word of God and Jesus Christ. He never changes. Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” Therefore, we do not need to change the message. We have every opportunity to get the Gospel to the lost. We have had the Gospel for 2,000 years. How are there still entire countries in this world where the name of Jesus is practically unknown? Has a soft drink company really been more passionate about selling their drink than we have been about sharing news of free eternal life? Acts 1:8, “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.” Coca-Cola is very adamant about getting their product around the world. The Coca-Cola company did that in just over 100 years. They made it so that almost every person on earth knows their name. Coca-Cola claims that their product is sold in over 200 countries around the world. They are obviously zealous about their product because there are only 196 countries in the world. There are now just two countries in the world where Coca-Cola cannot be bought or sold - at least, not officially. They are Cuba and North Korea. I’m sure Coke would be willing to do just about anything to get its product in the hands of the Cubans and the Koreans. According to current demographics. 90% of the world has heard about Coke, 71% of the world has seen Coke, 50% of the world has tasted Coke, but only 10% of the world has heard the Gospel of Christ. God’s goal for giving to missions through His local church empowers His plan to increase and gives every individual believer an opportunity to have a part in reaching others for Christ. Let's not fail in our mission to do the Great Commission. Christ has sent us, now we need to reach others and share the Gospel with them. If we don't, multitudes of people will spend eternity separated from God because no one told them. Nothing you accomplish in life will have a larger or longer lasting impact than leading people to Christ. Let's share the Gospel with someone today, and determine to be better witnesses of God's plan of salvation. By His life of submission and obedience to the law of God as a man, the Son of God established righteousness in the earth. It is this righteousness performed by Christ which God imputes to believers. He declares us righteous by virtue of Christ’s righteousness for us. We have no righteousness of our own, but we are made righteous before God in Christ. Jesus will save every sinner who repents and puts their faith in Him and trusts Him for salvation. This gift of salvation is secured, guaranteed, and eternal. Not one of God’s children will perish. By His life of righteousness as our Redeemer, and by His sin-atoning death as our Substitute, He silenced the claims of injustice against us. All for whom Christ died shall live forever in glory. Every Christian needs to let others know that Jesus Christ came into the world to bring salvation through the forgiveness of their sins. We have a wonderful opportunity to be a part of God's plan and program that has eternal value. That is where we need to place our attention and focus. May we find and obey the task that He has called us to do. Point to Ponder: The Great Commission is a command, not a “Great Suggestion”. Question to Consider: What are you doing to take part in the work of spreading the message of Christ to the world? PRAYER: Father, help me to become a more disciplined laborer in the field. I submit my availability to Your authority. May Your Holy Spirit guide me to souls who are open to receive Your truth. Help me to bring forth lasting fruit for Your pleasure and glory. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com The Antidote for Apathy (Revelation 2:4-5)
Revelation 2:4-5, “Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent.” A little girl got home from Sunday school where she had been taught the verse, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give glory to our Father who is in Heaven”. She asked her mother when she repeated the verse what it meant. Her mom said, "Well, it means that when you are good and kind and thoughtful and obedient, you are letting Christ's light shine in your life before all who know you." The very next Sunday in Sunday school, the little girl got in a bit of a quarrel with another student and created somewhat of an uproar to such an extent that the Sunday school teacher had to go and find her mother to get her settled down a bit in the class. Her mother was concerned when she got to the classroom and said, "Sweetie, don't you remember about letting your light shine for the Lord before men?" The girl blurted out, "Mom, I have blowed myself out!" Many of us have done just that. In our relationship with Christ, our love light has gone out. Worship for the Lord becomes empty when your love for Him declines. This was a problem in the church at Ephesus which was a decent church (Revelation 2:4). They lost their passion and excitement for Christ. This was a problem with Jonah, who ran the opposite direction when God commanded him to go to Nineveh. It was also a problem with Peter after he denied the Lord. These men lost an attitude of preciousness toward the Lord. Their love waned for Him. You would think this would never happen, but it happens every day. Other matters, things, or people become more important than Christ, who gets put on the back burner of our lives. One clear sign of apathy arising in ones life is a lack of concern for the Great Commission. Consider this mission statement of a well-known university: "To be plainly instructed and consider well that the main end of your life and studies is to know God and Jesus Christ." Founded in 1636, this university employed exclusively Christian professors, emphasized character formation in its student above all else, and placed a strong emphasis on equipping ministers to share the good news of Jesus Christ. Every diploma read, Christo et Ecclesiae around the word Veritas, meaning "Truth for Christ and the Church." You've probably heard of this school. It's called Harvard University. That's right. You heard it right…Harvard. Only 80 years after its founding, a group of New England pastors sensed Harvard had drifted too far for their liking. It had become spiritually bankrupt. Concerned by the secularization at Harvard, they approached a wealthy philanthropist who shared their concerns. This man, Elihu Yale, financed their efforts in 1718, and they called the college Yale University. Yale's motto was not just Veritas (truth) like Harvard, but Lux et Veritas (light and truth). Today, Harvard's and Yale's legacy of academic excellence are still intact, but neither school resembles what their founders envisioned. At the 350th anniversary celebration of Harvard, Steven Muller, former president of Johns Hopkins University, bluntly stated, "The bad news is the university has become godless." Harvard's and Yale's founders were unmistakably clear in their goals: academic excellence and Christian formation. Today, they do something very different from their founding purpose. What happened to Harvard and Yale is called "Mission Drift". They had lost their first love for the Lord. Jesus told the church of Ephesus what they needed to do to correct the problem (Revelation 2:5). The antidote to apathy is that one must be willing to hear what the Spirit says and respond with obedience (Revelation 2:5-7, 16-17, 21). One must continually examine their spiritual condition in relation to God and His standards (Revelation 2:4, 14-15, 20; 3:1-2, 14-17). One must be willing to sincerely repent (Revelation 2:5-7, 16-17; 3:1-3, 15-22). They were to remember, repent, and repeat. If you have lost your first love for Christ, if your worship is empty, then remember, repent, and repeat the good things you are supposed to do. May our devotion for Him not be hollow and heartless. I came across this poem in Bible College titled: Apathy I looked upon a farm one day, that once I used to own; The barn had fallen to the ground, the fields were overgrown. The house in which my children grew, where we lived for years… I turned to see it broken down, and brushed aside the tears. I looked upon my soul one day to find it too had grown, with thorns and nettles everywhere, the seeds neglect had sown. The years had passed while I cared for things of lesser worth. The things of Heaven I let go while minding things of earth. To Christ I turned with bitter tears and cried, "O Lord, forgive." I have not much time left for Thee, not many years to live. The wasted years forever gone, the days I can't recall. If I could live those days again, I'd make Him Lord of all. Having our sin exposed is never pleasant. However, it’s when we become sick of our sin that we will begin to repent of it. Apathy cannot survive where sin is grieved. The Word of God will expose our awful sin nature. The Spirit of God will expose His amazing grace. May the Lord help us to not be guilty of having empty, apathetic, or insincere worship of Him. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Merciful God (Matthew 5:7) – PART 2
Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” 1. God’s mercy should compel believers to practice mercy. The Beatitudes give mercy as a continuing attitude and action of the redeemed. Matthew 5:7, “Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.” In the Beatitudes, Christ is teaching the attitudes that are within those who are truly part of the kingdom of God. With this specific attitude of mercy, Jesus gives a mutual promise. He says mercy will be given to those who have shown mercy. Those who practice mercy in their daily lives: forgiving others, giving to the poor, etc., will always receive mercy from God. But to those who do not show mercy, God will show His justice. Matthew 6:15, “But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Certainly, this should be a warning to us. If we withhold mercy, God will withhold mercy from us—He will not forgive us. But even worse than withholding mercy, He will judge us for not being merciful as He is. Matthew 18:33-35, “Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.” Understanding that this is a characteristic of God should cause us to practice the discipline of being merciful. By practicing mercy, we will look more like our Father who is great in mercy, and it also is the doorway to receiving tremendous blessings in our lives. 2. God’s mercy should compel believers to love mercy. Micah 6:8, “He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?” Micah says we must not only show mercy but love it. It is very possible for our acts of kindness and forgiveness toward others to have the wrong motive or simply to be done out of obligation. I Peter 4:9, “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.” God not only commands our actions, but He commands our hearts. He commands us to love our neighbors as ourselves and to love him with all our heart, mind, and soul. God has called for us to love showing mercy because He loves showing mercy. This is a wonderful characteristic of God that we must strive to show every day to those God has placed around us. God’s mercy must also continually drive us to the feet of God in prayer to ask for mercy on us, our communities, our nations, and all those around us. Thank you, Lord, that you are God of mercy. Thank you, Lord, that you don’t keep a record of sins, for who could stand your wrath? Psalm 130:3, “If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who shall stand?” Questions to Consider: In what ways do we see God’s mercy reflected throughout the Scripture? In what ways is God calling us to demonstrate His mercy to the church and those around us? Points to Ponder: Pray that God would be great in mercy to your nation for its sins (Psalm 51:1). Pray a prayer of confession for specific sins and ask for God to bring revival. PRAYER: Lord, thank You for having mercy toward me. By all rights, I should be eternally separated from Your holiness and kindness. Cultivate within me a heart that displays mercy and forgiveness. In Jesus' name. Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Merciful God (Proverbs 28:13) – PART 1
Proverbs 28:13, "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." The Bible teaches us that God is a God of mercy. Mercy, by definition, means “compassion or forbearance shown especially to an offender or to one subject to one's power”. This has the idea of God’s goodness toward those in misery and distress. Throughout the Bible, we see that the character of God is merciful. He delights in forgiving people and being merciful to those who don’t deserve it. How should God being merciful affect us? 1. God’s mercy should compel believers to seek God’s forgiveness for their sins. I John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This verse is abounding with mercy. Confession of sins implies acknowledgment and repentance. As we therefore come to God and acknowledge our sin with a repentant spirit, He is faithful and just (righteous) to forgive our sins. John is touching upon day-to-day forgiveness which interrupts our fellowship with God. It is seeking to restore strained fellowship. Furthermore, this confession grants cleansing from all unrighteousness. There is no sin too great which God will not forgive. He desires to give mercy to sinners. Many saints walk around with condemnation about something they did or did not do in the past. This is because they don’t truly have an understanding of God’s great mercy. For that reason, they instead listen to and accept the condemnation of their flesh and the devil. Some have stopped going to church, some have stopped praying and reading their Bibles. They feel too guilty. Jesus took the penalty for our failures and our sins so that we could receive mercy. If we truly have a revelation of what Christ has done for us, we will run to the throne room of God constantly to receive grace and mercy in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). 2. God’s mercy should compel believers to pray for mercy over others. If we understand God’s mercy, it should cause us to seek and plead with Him for mercy over others. At the cross, Jesus prayed, “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do...” (Luke 23:34). He asked for mercy towards His persecutors. The Lord’s Prayer says, “And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” as it ushers us to seek forgiveness for not only our sins but others (Matthew 6:12). Do you ever ask for mercy over the sins of others? This is the same thing we saw the prophet Amos do for the nation of Israel (Amos 7:1-6). It is the same thing Moses did as he constantly asked God to forgive the nation of Israel for their sins (Exodus 32:9-14). It is the same thing Stephen did as he asked for forgiveness over those stoning him (Acts 7:60). It is the same thing that Christ prayed for on the cross. “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). It is the same thing we must constantly do for those around us. God has called us to make intercession for people who are far away from Him (I Peter 2:9; I Timothy 2:1-4). Prayer: Lord, in spite of the fact that I don’t deserve Your lovingkindness or tender mercy, thank You for forgiving me of my sins and saving my soul. Help me to utilize these truths for the purpose of ministering to others. Please show me how I can actively and passionately engage in the ministry opportunities You have sovereignly placed around me. Give me eyes to recognize these opportunities, a heart dependent on You, and a desire to come alongside people in my life to help them to grow into a deeper relationship with You. In Jesus' name. Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com God’s Responsibility Towards His Children (Matthew 6:25-34)
Matthew 6:25-34, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” According to biologist, Cory Callaghan, at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, there are likely between 50 billion and 430 billion birds on Earth. That is a large gap in numbers but consider the estimation of even 50 billion birds. This is a lot of birds that depend upon food every day to survive. Also, consider the fact that birds consume far more food than they weigh. In general, birds eat approximately half to a quarter of their total body weight every single day. The smaller the bird, the more food it will eat because it doesn’t have a lot of extra fat to endure long periods without food. For example, a passerine bird can’t afford to spend more than 24 hours without any food. Birds eat so much because they have a very fast metabolism. These animals are constantly moving, flying, running, and using up body heat for day to day activities. They need to eat so much to power their bodies. Larger birds need large meals less often and smaller birds need small meals more often. Birds eat more in the winter than in the summer due to metabolic needs. They consume more than 100% of their body weight to keep their ultra-fast metabolism going since they burn a lot of calories. For instance, hummingbirds flap their wings 50 to 80 times a second! How much food do birds eat? As a rule of thumb, the smaller the bird, the more food it needs relative to its weight. Canada Geese eat lots of grass each day, partly because grass doesn’t have a lot of usable calories per pound. A 5-pound Canada Goose eats about a half-pound of grass per day (about 10 percent of its body weight). A chickadee may eat 35% of its weight in food each day. Eating something like 600 granola bars a day. A Cooper’s Hawk, a medium-sized bird that hunts other birds, eats around 12 percent of its weight per day. For a human weighing 150 pounds, that’s 18 pounds of food or about six extra-large pizzas. Hummingbirds are by far the hungriest of all birds. A hummingbird drinks about 100% of its body weight per day and eats as many as 2,000 tiny insects! That’s equivalent to you drinking 17 ½ gallons of milk and 300 hamburgers to survive each day. Consider the world’s richest person, Elon Musk, who has a net worth over 244 billion dollars, if he had the responsibility of feeding the birds, he would be bankrupt on the first day. Praise God! It is the LORD, who meets our needs and not man. The idea is ‘don’t worry.’ Don’t worry about what are we going to eat. Don’t worry about what are we going to drink. Don’t worry about what are we going to wear. When we ponder that of all God's creatures, from insects to the great animals of the forest, it is man alone who is constantly anxious about his survival on the planet. Three times Christ made a firm statement condemning anxiety. Making the statement once is sufficient to instruct us not to be anxious and worrying, but having to say it three times says the concern is very great. Because of the harmful effects of worry, Jesus tells us not to worry about those needs that God promises to supply. Worry has the capacity to do several distressing factors. Here are a few: Worry may damage your health, cause the object of your worry to consume your thoughts, disrupt your productivity, negatively affect the way you treat others, and reduce your ability to trust in God. How many ill effects of worry are you experiencing? Here is the difference between worry and genuine concern—worry immobilizes, but concern moves you to action. Take your worry and turn it into prayer. Do you want to worry less? Then pray more! Whenever you start to worry, stop and pray. PRAYER: Lord, I know that You don’t want me to live in the clutches of anxiety. You want me to live life guarded by Your peace. Please flood and guard my heart with it. Remind me, Father, that peace is not the absence of problems in my life but the calm assurance that what You’re doing is best. You have never failed me, and You will never fail me—my confidence is in You. I pray this in Jesus’ name! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Compelled To Be Compassionate (Jude 22)
Jude 22, And of some have compassion, making a difference: Jesus felt others hurts. He wept, He hurt, and He did something about it. He had compassion on the sick, suffering, sinful, suppressed, shattered, secluded, and un-saved. Jude 22 tells us that our compassion makes a difference in the lives of others. “And of some have compassion, making a difference.”Compassion is feeling another’s sorrows or hardships and doing what you can to help. It is not fact, but act. Consider five things that compassion does. 1. Compassion’s Help. The world is full of people that are hurting and many people suppose that nobody cares. The Psalmist penned the most heartbreaking words in Psalm 142:4, “I looked on my right hand, and beheld, but there was no man that would know me: refuge failed me; no man cared for my soul.” We all know of people who are in a hopeless and desperate situation. May we seek for opportunities to offer help to those that have encountered hurt. We must be constantly looking to help the hurting. The life of many suffering people has been uplifted from the visit of one who has compassion. We must always pray and seek for compassion and never allow ourselves to become calloused. Your faithful ministry of compassion will be rewarded in glory. 2. Compassion’s Healing. As we seek the opportunity to help people, we can help bring about their spiritual healing. I am not talking about the physical nature of their healing, but the spiritual, the mental, or their physiological well-being. The Lord will open many doors to those who are committed to ministering the compassion of Christ. The healing of the secluded. In visiting lonely people, God may allow you to kindle a friendship that helps produce healing in their heart. The healing of the shattered. A visit to the physician may bring healing to a broken hand, but will it heal a broken heart? The compassionate encounters opportunities that very well could mend the broken hearted. The healing of scattered. Never give up on being compassionate to others even if it seems that they are not responding. In ministry, we will not always see immediate results, but compassion is patient and enduring. The compassionate believes in the power of God’s promises and does not lose hope. Scriptures never tells us how long the prodigal was gone from home, yet when he finally returned, his father was still watching for him and ran to meet him. Compassion helps with the healing of sinfulness. The greatest encounter we will ever have is the one that leads a lost sinner to a loving Saviour. 3. Compassion’s Hope. The compassionate can shed hope upon the dark, dreary despair that faces those he or she encounters in their everyday affairs. Our daily affairs should evolve into opportunities for our ministry. It should be taken as a blessing to offer mercy and grace to those that the world has bruised, battered, and beaten. The compassionate proclaims hope in these last days. Hope is free and abundant at the feet of our blessed Saviour, Jesus Christ. In this day of struggles and suffering, a ray of hope that shines forth from the darkness would help many a people. Divorce and defeat has entered the homes of many. However, it’s the compassionate that offers hope to the home. The leaders of our homes need a word of hope. The loved ones in our homes need a well-placed word of hope and encouragement. The home has been abused, abandoned, and abhorred by society. The home must have a friend that tenderly breathes a word of hope into the lives of those grasping for anything to help them survive. 4. Compassion’s Honor. In Jude, we find that the writer challenges us to display compassion upon the sinner. In displaying this compassion, we could win him or her to Christ. The difference between heaven and hell could be the compassionate doing the right thing concerning a lost soul. It would do us well to consider the people that God places upon our path. 5. Compassion’s Heaven. The compassionate can make a difference in the lives of many a person; namely the saint and the sinner. The compassionate has a heavenly ministry in dealing with the unconverted. The compassionate seeks and sees the guidance of God as they embrace this ministry of compassion. Every one will make a decision in this life. The decision will be made for Christ or against Christ, but it will be made. As we go through each day, we must remember the multitudes of people who are sick, suffering, sinful, suppressed, shattered, secluded, and un-saved. Where all other sources may fail, our Biblical compassion can make a difference in their lives. More than any other past year of ministry, I am thrilled with the opportunity that God has given His people to make a difference. May we anticipate what He will do in and through our lives! Prayer: Lord, I desire so much to be compassionate. Use me as a vessel of compassion to a world in need. I want to be aware of those in need. Please let me see those around me that are in need of hope. Compel me to listen to them, to hear their needs. Let me be what others need, Lord. In Jesus name Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com This One Thing I Do (Philippians 3:12-14)
Philippians 3:12-14, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” The greatest enemy of the early church in Jerusalem was Saul of Tarsus. Fanatical in his opposition to the followers of Jesus Christ, he took every opportunity to persecute, arrest, and even execute Christians, not just in Jerusalem, but across the country and in neighboring lands. Saul was on his way to Damascus when an encounter with Jesus radically changed his beliefs. Though he became just as passionate a follower of Jesus as he had once been an opponent, the man who came to be known as Paul still had the blood of many on his hands. Paul could have allowed the memories of what he had done before he met Jesus to hold him in bondage. He could have been overwhelmed by guilt & remorse, but he put the past behind him and kept his focus on the future. Paul does not claim that he has reached any sort of perfection in his spiritual life, or has fully comprehended Who Christ is. If Paul did not feel like he had reached the peak but still needed to improve, there are certainly areas where we still need work as well. May we get to the point where we can say, “I am not allowing my past life to drag me down. Rather, I am moving full speed ahead toward the goal. And in Heaven, when Christ calls me home, I'll receive the prize—I'll be like Christ. That is, completely conformed to His image. We would all admit that we have failed in the past. We have fallen short of God's goal for our lives. Don’t let your past keep from serving the Lord in the present. God always remembers to forget the sin He forgives (Isaiah 43:25; Hebrews 8:12; 10:17) One of the most important benefits we receive from God’s freely offered salvation is freedom from the burdens of the past. The devil works hard to keep us in bondage to the past because he knows how much it hinders our service to God. The Christian life is not meant to be lived while looking backward. If you spend all your time today thinking about your failures or successes from yesterday, then you will ruin your tomorrow. Yesterday is like a rearview mirror. When you go for a drive in the car, you use a rearview mirror. A rearview mirror shows you what's behind you. You need a rearview mirror, but you only need a rearview mirror to glance in, not to live in. You don't move forward by focusing on a rearview mirror; you move forward by focusing on the windshield. If you live in a rearview mirror, you will get hurt and possibly hurt somebody else. But in front of the rearview mirror is the windshield, a much bigger piece of the glass. The windshield shows you where you are going and that's a lot bigger than where you have been. Don't let yesterday mess up today, which will ruin tomorrow. While you are driving forward in your Christian life, every now and then, look in your rearview mirror. Just don't stare too long. Instead, God’s forgiveness allows us to look forward, and to accomplish all that we can for Him. Paul was not distracted by his surroundings, he was just heading for the goal. When he did reach the end of his life, he was able to leave behind the testimony that he had indeed run well and finished well. "For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith" II Timothy 4:6-7. We must avoid the trap of becoming distracted by the events of this life. There is a mark, there is a goal, and we should be striving for that goal in our lives! May the Lord help us to keep our eyes on the goal. Too many come out of the blocks primed and pumped to run the race, but after a few short months or years, they have become distracted and fallen out of the race. Don’t think you have to sprint; just keep a steady pace. Rather than living for the moment, run with eternity in view at all times. God is honored by a race well run and a life well lived. If we live for self and deny the Saviour we will regret it on our appointed day when we stand before Him!
PRAYER: Father in Heaven, help me to keep my eyes on Jesus. May I run the race well that I would bring glory to You. In Jesus name, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com A Fresh Start to a New Year (Philippians 3:12-14)
Philippians 3:12-14, “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” With 2024 already underway, undoubtedly, you've made a list of things you'd like to do this year that you didn't do last year. If you’re like me, setting goals is usually not the problem. In fact, most of us are good at it. Reaching our goals, however, is a different story. How often do we promise to do something and then let it slide into oblivion? At the beginning of the new year, you eagerly set goals to reach forward for Christ in multiple areas. Both through your goals and the early action steps you have taken, you stretched forward. Desire is the driving force of a man's soul. A man will live for the thing he desires. Paul understood that the Lord Jesus wanted to use him and he consistently pursued the Lord and His will for his life. Apprehended means to take eagerly, seize, possess, over take. Paul had a dissatisfaction with being average, or resting in what he had already done. “God’s got a purpose for your life!” Paul knew that the Lord had a purpose for his life and he was actively and consistently pursuing that purpose. The Lord Jesus has saved us to use us and be glorified through us. Are you seeking to apprehend that for which Christ Jesus has laid hold of for you? In eternity, you will never regret that you served the Lord faithfully! Paul’s determination is seen in the words “this one thing I do”. He was serious about not allowing the past to hinder his present. One of the Christians biggest problems is right here—dwelling on the past. Paul wasted no time on the past. He was running the race for Christ. Paul would not focus on the past. He was looking ahead and determined to stay focused on Christ. You cannot run a race while looking backward. Life is full of ups and downs; times of encouragement and times of discouragement. Everyone can look back on their lives and wish that they could do some things over, things that they wish they could change, and things that they regret that ever happened. Too many Christians are still stuck in the past. We cannot be successful, nor victorious, in the Christian life if we are focused on the failures, disappointments and heartaches. The words “reaching forth” picture a runner stretching out and reaching forward to the finish line. Paul was not just getting by; he was putting his all into the race. Paul’s goal in life was to accomplish the purpose for which the Lord Jesus had saved him. A church can have every desire in the world to reach people with the Gospel, and it can even set goals to do so. But these steps forward will not consistently cover new ground for Christ without the support of individual members to move forward in their spirit, stand, and stewardship. Determine at this moment to reach forward for Christ. Set goals. Look forward with Spirit-filled ambition to make a difference for the cause of Christ in 2024 as you follow "In His Steps" (I Peter 2:21). Questions to Consider:
Points to Ponder:
Prayer: Father, I dedicate myself to You anew. Cleanse me and strengthen me. Guide me, guard me, and give me wisdom to navigate the challenges that will arise. Fill me with the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Bear fruit that remains through me and our church family. Help me to trust in You for all things. Help me to rightly steward my mind, my marriage, my money, and my ministry in view of standing before You and giving an account one day soon. In Jesus name, Amen. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com |
AuthorDr. Blackman is passionate about helping others grow in the grace of the Lord. His devotions are centered on how to grow closer to the Lord through a personal relationship with Christ. Archives
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