Men of Character: Caleb (Joshua 14:6-15)
Canaan represents the victorious Christian life. A land of victory and rest. It meant release for they were once slaves in Egypt. Caleb represents the Christian about to conquer his Canaan, possess his possessions and receive God’s inheritance for himself. He took the whole mountain, meaning fullness. He wanted all that God had for him. Hebron was fruitful. Caleb wanted fellowship, fullness and fruitfulness. Here, in the Word, we find a man that faithfully served the Lord, was a spiritual fire-cracker for God and received God’s inheritance. I believe from the Scriptures and the life of Caleb we’re given a plan to serve the Lord all the days of our lives. 1. Faithful Follower of the Lord (Joshua 14:8, 9, 14) The Scriptures mention six times where Caleb wholly followed God (Numbers 14:24; 32:12; Deuteronomy 1:36; Joshua 14:8-9, 14). He gave all he had. God deserves our best. Caleb was not complainer, he was a conqueror. This very day so many Christians are living defeated lives because they have not surrendered their lives to the will of God. God never meant for His children to live in the valley of depression but on the mountain top of victory. 2. Fervent Fire for the Lord (Joshua 14:10-12) Caleb was a conqueror because his confidence came from the Word of God. Caleb was as strong at 85 as he was at 40. Some people do not even live to be 85. Caleb refused to consider himself stricken in years. Here, we see Caleb was 85 and still very much alive. Caleb was not ready to retire or give up on God. Caleb’s mind was on conquering a mountain top for God. I see more and more Christians today who are living wasted, depressed and defeated lives. For the most part because they are not willing to surrender to the will of God. 3. Fruitful Finisher for the Lord (Joshua 14:13-15) Caleb set his sights on the Promised Land. The reason Caleb remained strong spiritually was his mind was in Canaan. Caleb wanted that Mountain. Give me this mountain! Have you ever wanted something so bad that you asked God over and over again for it? We are not to grow weary in well doing. Caleb received his promise and inheritance. Hebron was the highest inheritance for Caleb. There are rewards for serving the Lord. The rewards are stored up in glory, but there are also some rewards the Lord has for us here. Be faithful to the work in the Lord’s service. God will remember, recognize and reward you for your labor if you faint not. Galatians 6:9, And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. I Corinthians 15:58, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the LORD, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the LORD. PRAYER: Father, I know I have an eternal inheritance in Jesus. Help me to remain faithful in Your service. May others see You in my labor for You and may they become so desirous of the work that they come to know 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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Men of Character: Enoch (Genesis 5:21-24)
Genesis 5:21-24, And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah: And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters: And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years: And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him. Enoch makes only a brief appearance in the pages of Scripture, but his life holds an important lesson for us concerning the responsibility of faith in our lives. Since our Christian walk is only possible through faith, our lives should be steeped in the Word so our faith will grow and God will be pleased. The word walk in Scriptures speaks of a habit of life. Enoch’s Walk with God Reveals He Met with God. In order for mankind to have the ability to walk with God, man would need to have met with God. Enoch’s testimony once again indicates man’s walk with God since the fall in the garden. The one thing that stood out most in life, was his testimony, Enoch pleased God. This was the thing that pleased God about Enoch, that he “walked with God”. It is mentioned two times in Genesis 5:21-24. Enoch was a godly man who walked with God in a close special way and one day God literally took him to Heaven. God desires for us to walk with Him (John 4:23). There were only three people mentioned in the Bible as having a “walk with God”. All three were used by God (Enoch-Genesis 5:24; Noah-Genesis 6:9; Levi-Malachi 2:4-6). Enoch’s Walk with God Reveals a Merging with God. We cannot walk with God, declared the prophet, unless we are in agreement with Him (Amos 3:3). Our plans must be subjected to His plans; our ways must be yielded to His ways; our aspirations must be synchronized with His aspirations. The more we walk with God, the more we will be like Him. You either are, or will soon become, like those you associate with. Acts 4:20, For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. Although we live in a different time from Enoch, may we be “called unto the fellowship of His Son”, (I Corinthians 1:9) and walk in this intimacy. We must walk with God everyday (II Corinthians 4:16). Enoch’s Walk with God Reveals a Movement with God. As we walk physically we move forward and advance. In walking with God, Enoch made progress in the spiritual realm! Similarly, as we walk with God we mature and advance in the things of God. It is impossible to walk with God and never go anywhere in our Christian experience. May our great concern be to know Him and to move through life with Him! Daily Enoch walked with God and was in constant fellowship with Him, and God was pleased (Hebrews 11:5-6). These following Scriptures are commands the Lord instructs us to walk in: Newness of life (Romans 6:4); honesty (Romans 13:13); by faith (II Corinthians 5:7); in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25); in love (Ephesians 5:2); as children of Light (Ephesians 5:8); circumspectly (Ephesians 5:15); in wisdom (Colossians 4:5). PRAYER: Lord, keep my heart tender and on fire for You. May the desire to walk with You everyday never cease and may my walk with You bring You pleasure. I want my heart to bless Your heart and give You the love that You deserve. 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 Men of Character: Andrew (John 1:41-42a)
John 1:41-42a, He first findeth his own brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ. And he brought him to Jesus. Although his name is Andrew, he is most often referred to as the brother of Simon Peter (Matthew 4:18; 10:2; Mark 1:16; Luke 6:14; John 1:40; 6:8). Although he often stood in the shadows of his popular brother Peter, God had a specific plan for Andrew. He was a fisherman by trade (Matthew 4:18). He was a disciple of John the Baptist (John 1:35, 40). He became a follower of Christ as soon a John pointed him to the Messiah (John 1:36-37). At this point, and from this time on, he left the fishing business and to follow Christ (Matthew 4:18; Mark 1:16-18). It was Andrew who was the first to be called by Christ and who would bring Peter to Christ (John 1:41). Whenever we read about Andrew doing something, it is him bringing someone to Christ. Andrew would go home to find his brother Peter to lead him to the Lord. NOTICE: Later, who would preach and reach 3,000 souls for Christ? Who would perform miracles? Who would write two books in the New Testament? Andrew would not do any of these things, but he knew a man who had potential and if Christ saved this man, he could do great things. He had a part in it. He remembered the day he said to his brother, “We have found the Christ”. Everything Peter did for the Lord Andrew has a part in it. In John 6, we see the feeding of the 5,000. While the rest of the disciples were making excuses as to why they could not feed the 5,000, Andrew found a young boy who was willing to offer his lunch to Jesus. To Andrew, this boy was not a varmint; he was valuable. Andrew didn’t know how or why, but he knew if he could get this lad to Christ, that He would use him in a big way. The history of the church is the history of little people who led big people to Christ. Many tend to overlook the little man, downplay him with the questions, what can he do or amount to? True, Andrew lived in the shadows of his popular brother Peter, but he was a tremendous blessing to others. Some day when we’re in Heaven we’ll be surprised by the greatness done by those we never heard of. Winning people to Christ involves effort (Luke 15:4). Sinners need the Lord and it helps for them to see Christ’s love manifested in and through us. What is the Lord leading you to do right now? Do you often compare your life with someone else's life? If so, you have your focus off target. God had a very specific plan for Andrew, and it was a different plan than God's plan for Peter. That being said, God has a very specific plan for you, and it is different than His plan for others. So, don't compare your life with others; compare it with God's will. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, what could You do in and through my life if I was 100 percent, completely willing to do what You called me to do. Help me not to get distracted, discouraged, disappointed in Your work. May I never get lukewarm in Your service for the souls. 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 Men of Character: Josiah (II Kings 22:1-2)
II Kings 22:1-2, Josiah was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned thirty and one years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jedidah, the daughter of Adaiah of Boscath. And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, and walked in all the way of David his father, and turned not aside to the right hand or to the left. Josiah became king of Judah when he was just eight years old (II Chronicles 34:1). He followed the reign of two wicked kings who did all they could to destroy the spiritual life of Judah. His father Amon (II Kings 21:20; II Chronicles 33:21-23) and his grandfather Manasseh (II Kings 21:2; II Chronicles 33:2, 12-13). Manasseh turned to the Lord towards the end of his life. Josiah had every excuse for not living for the Lord. When he came to the throne there was a great crisis of spiritual apostasy and moral decline. Josiah lived in wicked times, an era when idolatry flourished and the Word of God was dormant (II Kings 22:8). However, with no parental support or example to follow, Josiah’s days were filled with living for the Lord. We can serve God under any circumstances and at any age (II Kings 22:3). Josiah started out right. At the age of sixteen, Josiah began to seek the Lord (II Chronicles 34:3). The best time in life to find the Lord is when a person is young (Ecclesiastes 12:1). Soon after, Josiah began to eliminate the pagan influences in Judah by destroying idols and their altars. II Kings 23:25, And like unto him was there no king before him, that turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; neither after him arose there any like him. In the eighteenth year of his reign, he ordered repairs to the Temple. During this time, the high priest discovered the book of the Law and read it to Josiah. When Josiah realized how far he and his people strayed from the Lord, he tore his robe in aguish. Josiah had the Book read to the people and reinstituted the Passover. Josiah orchestrated the last great spiritual revival in the kingdom before its final decline, downfall and deportation. The revival came in concert with the preaching of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:2). As a leader, Josiah knew he was in a position of authority and he would be held accountable to the Lord for how he ruled and what operated in the kingdom. Therefore, he became devoted to the Sanctuary (II Kings 22:3-7; Hebrews 10:25); the Scriptures (II Kings 22:8-20); the citizens of Judah (II Kings 23:1-2). He cleansed the land spiritually (II Kings 23:12-15, 24); and cleansed it morally (II Kings 23:7). Sin was dealt with and put away. Josiah’s remembered for his attitude about God’s Word. He knew its importance and made sure the people knew what it said and encouraged them to obey it. Josiah completed the work the Lord gave him to do (II Chronicles 35:20a). He died serving the Lord. PRAYER: Lord, may I be convicted to pray fervently as a way of standing in the gap for my family, community, nation and world. Thank you for the warnings You give me and may I always strive to heed Your call. Thank You for Your mercy, forgiveness, grace, lovingkindness, and especially for sending Your Son Jesus Christ as the ultimate source of revival. I am deeply grateful that I am saved because of Christ’s finished work on the cross! Amen If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Men of Character: Job (James 5:10-11)
James 5:10-11, Take, my brethren, the prophets, who have spoken in the name of the LORD, for an example of suffering affliction, and of patience. Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the end of the LORD; that the LORD is very pitiful, and of tender mercy. From the very beginning of the book of Job we hear about Job’s character and his testing (Job 1:1, 8; 2:3). The Bible declares Job was perfect, upright, feared God and eschewed evil. Both before and after he lost everything God was able to say Job had the same characteristics. In James 5:11, the word “patience” means cheerful, endurance,’ ‘steadfastness,’ and ‘perseverance or waiting. It is endurance without murmuring. Perhaps the best characteristic to describe Job is patience. Patience is something we all need and want, but we rarely like to go through what it takes to obtain it. James 1:3, Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. As believers’, we will all have our faith tested. If there is no testing, there will never be patience. In Titus 2:2-8, when God lists specific character traits men and women need to develop, it was the men that He told to be patient. A furnace of fire is used to test precious metals. The heat from the furnace separates the dross and impurities to bring about the best. Job stated, “when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold” (Job 23:10). The Word of God teaches that our faith is even more precious than gold. God allows and may even bring times of trouble to our lives to not only test us, but to refine us. When we are tried and tested by adversity, it is so that we can come forth unto His praise, honor and glory when Christ returns. We, as a result, become more precious (valuable) to Him. Good people get tested so they can become better. Trials never come by accident or by mistake; there is a purpose for the trial (James 1:2-4). At the center of every trial, there is a purpose. Each of us must pass through the flames of adversity during our appointed time on Earth. Regardless of the experience, it hurts to go through the fire. As painful as the heat may be, God will not allow it to consume you. It will accomplish nothing less than His perfect will intends for you. But there is something very precious about the searing heat of trials. God uses it to refine our character in a way no natural act could do. No one likes going thru trials, but by keeping our eyes focused on the end result of our trials, we find the patience and strength to endure them and reach the other side. Satan wants believers to quit serving God. Satan wants you to think that God doesn’t care, when God is really molding and making you more like Christ (Romans 8:28-29). The Lord promised in due season that we would reap if we do not faint (Galatians 6:9). Job didn’t faint and in the end he reaped (Job 42:12). When we are going through trials it is of great comfort to know that nothing comes into our lives without first passing through the hands of our heavenly Father. God’s grip of grace clings to us through the trials of life and leads us day by day. This was the test in the book of Job. Satan claimed Job worshiped God only because he was prosperous. The trial of Job’s faith proved Satan wrong. What do your trials say about your faith in God? PRAYER: Father in Heaven I know the thoughts and plans You have for me are for Your glory and for my good. Whatever I may face today I can expect that You are working for good in all of it. So I’m going to step forward in faith, trusting You in all things and seeking to cooperate fully with Your plans for me. I know I can’t imagine all the good You have planned for my life, but I also know it’s all coming in Jesus’ name, so I can say, AMEN! If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Men of Character: Joshua and Caleb (Numbers 13:23-33)
Numbers 13:32-33, And they brought up an evil report of the land which they had searched unto the children of Israel, saying, The land, through which we have gone to search it, is a land that eateth up the inhabitants thereof; and all the people that we saw in it are men of a great stature. And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants: and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight. Can you identify the following names of these men? Shammua, Shaphat, Igal, Palti, Gaddiel, Gaddi, Ammiel, Sethur, Nahbi, Geuel. Who are they? What did they do? They can be found in (Numbers 13:1-16). These were ten of the twelve spies that Moses sent to spy on the land of Canaan. These spies were well-known and respected in their day, but their names have faded into obscurity because they renounced their responsibility to carry out God’s plan for His people. God had already promised them victory. “For the person of faith, obstacles are temporary because God is real. For the disbeliever, obstacles are permanent because God is not real enough.” In Numbers 13-14, The Israelites had witnessed numerous miracles as God freed them from slavery in Egypt. Now they were about to take possession of the land God had promised them. Twelve spies were sent to survey the territory, men who were more than courageous adventurers or soldiers. These men were the leaders from the twelve tribes of Israel, chosen because of their position, respect and influence among the people. In other words, the people trusted them. After exploring the land for 40 days, 10 of the 12 spies gave a fearful and negative report. The spies had viewed the area they were sent to explore and the results were distorted on what they had discovered. What caused the ten spies to go directly against God’s will for His people and Moses’ leadership? How could they gather the nerve to disobey God? Their complaint is found in Numbers 13:31, But the men that went up with him said, We be not able to go up against the people; for they are stronger than we. By instilling fear into the people, the spies filled the congregation with discouragement by spreading the bad report among all the Israelites. The 10 spies viewed the land through the lens of man while Caleb viewed them through the lens of faith. Joshua and Caleb were not about to leave God out of the equation. Notice: Vision always attracts criticism. The best evidence you are in God’s will is the devil’s growl. It’s been said, “Faith that can’t be tested can’t be trusted”. So, whenever God has a big job He wants done, it’s always faith that gets the contract. Why do we have trouble remembering the names of the ten spies? It’s because they refused to trust in the Lord’s promise. In the Bible, Canaan, the Promised Land, represented the victorious Christian life. This very day, many Christians are living and working while they’re wasting and losing their lives. So many believers are living defeated lives because they have not surrendered their lives to the will of God. God never meant for His children to live in the valley of depression but on the mountain top of victory. The just shall live by faith (Habakkuk 2:4; Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11; Hebrews 10:38). PRAYER: Father, help me to always walk by faith and not by sight. In Jesus name I pray, AMEN. If this post in any way, has blessed you, please share this website and its articles with others: www.fellowshipbaptistcarrabelle.com Men of Character: David (I Samuel 13:14; Acts 1:22)
I Samuel 13:14, But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the Lord hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the Lord hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the Lord commanded thee. Acts 1:22, And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave their testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will. The Scriptures reveal to us that David followed after God’s own heart (I Samuel 16:7). God testified as to David having a heart after His own (Acts 13:22). In Numbers 15:39, God warned the children of Israel not to seek after their own hearts. The whole book of Judges can be summed up in one verse, “every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (Judges 21:25). Many today are doing what is right in their own eyes, but God warns us in Proverbs 14:12, “the end thereof are the ways of death.” The Scriptures reveal to us several things that the heart follows after: false gods (I Kings 11:2; Ezekiel 20:16); the Lord (II Kings 23:25); our own eyes (Job 31:7); strange women (Proverbs 6:25); imaginations of an evil heart (Jeremiah 3:17; 9:14; 13:10; 16:12).
God is still looking for men who are after His heart. Men who want to know the mind of God about serving, giving, doing His will, and raising of family. PRAYER: LORD, help me to cultivate a heart after Yours. One that pursues You daily and that is aligned with You. May I love and desire You passionately. Help me to follow after the example of Your Son. Help me daily to find a quiet place with You. May my inward life be pure that my outward life will glorify 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 Men of Character: Gideon (Judges 7:2)
Judges 7:2 Therefore, the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me. God is about to perform one of the greatest miracles of all time through just 300 committed men. What heroes they remain today, thirty-two centuries after the event! God called upon a young farm boy named Gideon and gave him the assignment of taking on the Midianites. God intended to deliver Israel from the hands of Midian at the hands of Gideon. However, He also intended to make it very clear who gave them the victory. Lest Israel, in pride, take credit for their deliverance, God would make clear it was He who delivered them. God shows His might when the odds are against us. The tougher the game, the greater the glory—to God. God wants glory not to satisfy a thirst for praise and adoration, but to build faith in our lives by lifting our focus beyond ourselves to Him. God will purposefully create difficult situations to prove Himself to us. God makes men and women great who put Him first in their lives and seek Him with their whole heart. Perhaps the key comes when we can begin to see ourselves as God sees us. Gideon saw himself as a farmer, but God saw him as a fighter, a mighty man of valor (Judges 6:12). Gideon had never heard such words. However, there are times when God makes the situation seem worse in order to show His power. Take Gideon for example. The Midianites and Amalekites had come upon Israel to destroy it. The Bible says they were like grasshoppers for multitude and as the sand of the sea. When Gideon called for troops, 32,000 men responded. While this was a decent number of people, they were still incredibly outnumbered. However, God told Gideon that there were too many for Him to give Israel the victory. The reason was because He didn't want Israel to think they had done it. They were greatly outnumbered, but if God gave them the victory, they would have thought they did it themselves. God told Gideon to let the fearful return home and he was left with only 10,000 troops. However, this was still too many so God then reduced the number down to 300. We would think 32,000 against a multitude compared to the sands of the sea would be a miracle, and 10,000 men against that many would surely show God's power, but God wanted to make a point by using only 300 men armed with pitchers, torches and trumpets. He made it clear to Israel, the Midianites, Amalekites and everyone else who heard the story that God did it. God can do the same thing in our lives. It always seems that God has a strange way of fighting battles. God wants us to trust in Him even when life is hard and it seems all odds are stacked up against us. Maybe He wants to use you to show that He is still mighty. 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 Men of Character: Timothy (II Timothy 2:1-2)
II Timothy 2:1-2. Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Paul never had a biological son, but he introduces us to his dearly beloved spiritual son, Timothy. In the two letters that follow, it becomes clear that no mere biological relationship could exceed that which he felt for this son in the ministry. Their mutual love for Christ and His kingdom surpassed any human bond earthly paternity could forge. Timothy, a young man who grew up in a home without a Christian father, but with a godly mother and a godly grandmother; and this young man became a major influence for the cause of Jesus Christ in the first century. His name was Timothy. How did a little boy from the city of Lystra, a mystical place given over to idol worship, develop into such a great leader for the cause of Jesus Christ? He was raised by a godly mother and grandmother. There had been three generations of genuine faith in Timothy’s family: first, his grandmother Lois; then his mother Eunice; and now finally Timothy himself. Paul's second letter to Timothy is full of encouragement. He goes on to instruct young Timothy to study hard, endure hardship, preach the Word, and remember what he had learned. When we are young, we ache with desire to accomplish our dreams. We often run the race as if we are the only ones within the boundaries of the course. As Paul passed his torch to Timothy, so must we equip others through encouragement to do the same. The greatest way to honor those who have invested in you is to continue in their work. Paul invested his life in equipping young men for the ministry: John Mark, Barnabas, Timothy, Silas, Philemon, Titus, and perhaps others. Paul poured his life into Timothy, Timothy. Timothy honored Paul and Christ by continuing that which had been faithfully entrusted unto him. He charged Timothy, II Timothy 2:2, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also. Paul visualized a faithful finish for Timothy, one that would impact future generations with the truth. He committed himself to others, who taught others, who ultimately taught us—right down to this present hour. Many people have sacrificed for you and have invested in you, make them proud. To find, to fulfill, and to finish the course the Lord has chosen for you is the greatest honor you can bestow upon them. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, I have been blessed by the ministry of people who have investing their time in me. LORD, help me to always honor those who have invested their lives in me as I journey on the path you have chosen for me. 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 Men of Character:
Barnabas: Man of Encouragement (Acts 11:24) Acts 11:24, For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the LORD. The Bible described Barnabas as “a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith” (Acts 11:24). Barnabas was an encourager to believer’s, especially new converts. He was used by the Lord to be a special gift to His children. Barnabas had a generous heart. His character reflected the giving nature of the heart of God. When this new convert “Saul” showed up in Jerusalem to meet the apostles, it was Barnabas who came alongside him and vouched for his authentic faith Acts 9:27—28. In Acts 13:43, Barnabas encouraged new believers to continue in the grace of God. In Acts 14:21-22, he returned with Paul to three cities visited earlier to build up the disciples they had made and to encourage them. In Acts 15:36, they did the same. A true friend will always be humble for your sake. A real friend wants you to be first. Barnabas was not into himself. He was an encourager of others. His name actually means "son of encouragement," and he would, through the power of Jesus, embody his name for generations to come. It’s easy to see how he gained such a reputation. The Holy Spirit is the One Who “comes alongside” to help us. Joseph gained the reputation of coming alongside others to encourage or help them. Barnabas was willing to take a risk. When nobody wanted to extend the right hand of fellowship to Paul, Barnabas responded in faith and embraced Paul as a new person in Christ. Barnabas took personal responsibility in seeing that Paul had the opportunity to grow and to be used in ministry. Not only did Barnabas share Paul’s conversion, but he also spoke of how the Lord had already used him. The impact that Paul had on the early church is overwhelming! However, if Barnabas had not been willing to mentor Paul he may not have made as much of an impact. It is a risk to reach out to people and love them, invest in them, care for them, and mentor them. However, if we fail in these areas, the church’s mission will be highly impacted in a negative way. Barnabas teaches us to use our gifts to meet the needs of others. When Barnabas saw the spiritual needs of the new converts to Christianity in Antioch, he traveled to Tarsus to recruit Saul to teach them the Scriptures. This same Holy Spirit filled the heart of Barnabas, and he reflected the Holy Spirit’s work in his life as he came alongside others. The Lord used Barnabas teach us the importance of manifesting a heart of integrity and generosity. The Holy Spirit equips us to serve the church and its global mission. When we consider the character of a Christian, we must include the role of the Holy Spirit as He motivates and empowers the Christian to teach, serve, encourage, lead, and proclaim the Good News of Jesus. God used Barnabas to take the message of Jesus to the ends of the earth. His character made a lasting difference in the lives of millions because he demonstrated the heart of God. PRAYER: Father in Heaven, give me a heart of encouragement to other believers. May the Holy Spirit empower me and use me and direct me to Christians who need encouragement and need someone to help them in their walk of faith. 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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