I have had the opportunity to look at the vegetable gardens people had during the summer behind the church. Some of the gardens were very well taken care of and some had lot’s of weeds in them. Our oldest son had one of the garden’s that a lot of weeds. He mentioned how much work it took to pull the weeds and make sure the right plants were growing.
This reminded me of how difficult it can be to make sure the weeds in our lives (sin) are pulled do they don’t take over our garden (heart). Weeding (praying) is not something you can do every now and then and expect the same results as someone who constantly stands on guard against the weeds of life.
We need to be in constant communication with the Master Gardener to ensure sin does not take over our life. We may think skipping one day may not hurt, then the second day and third day then before we know it, we have gone a whole week without prayer. Just like going a whole week without weeding a garden, going a whole week without prayer can have its consequences.
The biggest problem I have sometimes is taking time to pray. Sometimes I need to get to work early, or have had things go on in the evening that I want to sleep in and allow the evil one to take provide me excuses not to pray. Constant vigilance is what is required to either remove the weeds in our lives when they start to sprout up or to prevent the weeds from even starting.
Categorized in OCC, prayer and theology
While we were in Mexico, Ryan Worl gave us an acronym he had learned from a previous Pastor. The acronym is B.U.S.Y. – Built Under Satan’s Yoke. He explained how we can get too busy for God. And he is right, we can make ourselves too busy to talk with our Father. Every day we face challenges in our lives, work, raising children, managing household budgets and many other things.
Sometimes we can be so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget to take time to spend time with the Creator of the Universe. Not only do we need to spend time with Him, we need to spend quality time with Him. No matter what is going on in the world, God cares about us. He cares about each and every one of us. He cares enough about us to know the numbers of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30).
God feeds the birds of the air and clothes the grass of the fields, He most certainly will take care of us (Luke 12:27-31). God even knew us before we were born (Jeremiah 1:5). We should be humbled by the realization that our Creator cares enough for us that He sent His son to die. We should be humbled by the fact that God knows how many hairs we have on our head.
The Casting Crowns song ask the question Who am I? Then in the song it answers that question. Who am I, I am yours. We are children of a Holy God who wants to know us intimately if we would only give Him a chance. No matter how busy our lives can become, He will never be too busy for us.
Categorized in OCC and missions
Have you ever heard the phrase ‘Dead Man Walking’? The title comes from the traditional call in the United States of “Dead man walking, dead man walking here” from a prison guard as a condemned prisoner is led onto Death Row. The phrase may have originally come from the 1909 poem by Thomas Hardy titled The Dead Man Walking. Normally if you hear this phrase it would not be something to be proud of.
As Christians, we should consider ourselves as Dead Men (or women) Walking. Paul says in his letter to the Galatians in chapter 2 verses 19 and 20 ‘For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself for me. (NIV). For Christ to live in us, we must die to ourselves.
Several years ago at a Missionary Convention I was challenged to learn and live these verses. It is not always easy and sometimes I don’t always do a good job of letting Christ live in me. It is a constant struggle we all have because the enemy fights against us. We have to be on constant guard and vigilant in our spiritual battle.
Jesus says ‘If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.’ (Luke 9:23). Being a Christian is not something we can put on and take off. It is a life we need to live daily. Not our life, but Christ living in us. In order to fully experience the Christian life, we need to die. We need to quit trying to run our lives and let Christ live in us and control our lives.
I want to follow Jesus; I want him to live in me and to shine so people can see him and not me. I want to live a life so I can be considered a Dead Man Walking. Walking and living for Jesus Christ. How about you, are you a Dead Man (or Woman) Walking?
Categorized in NMC, evangelism, missions and theology
Have you every noticed how our society seems to be preoccupied with how celebrities live and how people treat them. There have been shows like Life Styles of the Rich and Famous and other shows to tell us how the ‘famous’ people live. We treat our celebrities and sports hero’s like royalty. After all, doesn’t everyone want to be like Mike?
For me, I don’t have to wonder how royalty lives. If I want to know where royalty lives I can look at my house. If I want to know what royalty eats I look in my refrigerator. How am I royalty? Because I am a child of the King made royal by the blood of Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 2:9 says “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” As Christians, as belonging to God’s family, we are royalty. We can proudly say we are children of the King.
Are you a member of the Royal family? Can you say you’re a child of the King? If not, do you want to be?
Categorized in evangelism and theology
Recently I had the opportunity to attend the second Your Church and AIDS conference at Chapel Rock Christian Church. Two members of OCC were able to attend with me, Pam Greer and Lee Ligocki. Both ladies came away from the conference more aware of the pandemic of AIDS in the world and more motivated to get involved and make a difference.
People who are infected with the AIDS disease are no different than we are. They are infected with a disease that will kill them if it goes untreated. We have a disease that will kill us if we do not get properly treated. This disease is call sin. If we do not give our lives to Jesus, sin will kill us.
Jesus came to “preach the good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Luke 4:18-19. If Christ did this can we do any less. We need to go out and reach out to all peoples regardless of who they are or what they may be infected with.
Jesus went to the lepers, people who were unclean because He loved them and care about them. The lepers of today are the AIDS victims; the people shunned by society. Just the type of people Jesus would go to. If Jesus would go to these people shouldn’t we?
Categorized in OCC and evangelism
Has anyone ever told you that you have beautiful feet? Our feet are the least cared for part of our body. We normally don’t groom them; we usually do not talk about our feet. We just don’t give much thought to our feet. But they can be and should be the most beautiful part of our body.
The prophet Isaiah says “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good new, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation. Who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!”” (Isaiah 52:7) Also, in Romans we read “And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”” (Romans 10:15)
Anytime we go and tell people about Jesus Christ are feet become beautiful. It does not matter if we go on a short-term mission trip out of the country, or in our own neighborhood. Tell people about Jesus and you can have beautiful feet. So, do you have beautiful feet? Are you ready to get beautiful feet?
Categorized in evangelism and theology
From the very beginning, God had a plan in place to redeem His people. Genesis 3:15 – “ And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers, he will crush your head and you will strike his heel.” God is telling Satan that he will be cursed, and that the offspring of Eve will crush him — this offspring is Jesus.
Later in Genesis 12:1-3, in the call of Abram, we read “The Lord had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” Notice it says all the peoples of the earth, not some of the peoples, but all of the peoples of the earth.
Missions is not something the church has started, it is something God started long ago and the church has the privilege of being a part of it. God’s mission from the time sin entered into the world is to redeem all mankind. Are you ready to work with God to accomplish His Mission?
Categorized in missions and theology
We talk about sending short-term mission trips to Mexico, Haiti, Honduras, Italy and all around the world. So the mission field must begin once you leave the United States right? We send short-term trips to New Orleans, West Virginia. We have Overflow Weekends so the mission field starts outside of our State or neighborhood right?
Too many times we think the mission field starts in places too far away or in places we can’t go. All of us are missionaries. We are all Ambassadors for Christ
2 Corinthians 5:20 We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us…
We each have the responsibility of spreading the Gospel. The mission field doesn’t start once you leave the United States or your neighborhood. It starts once you leave the doors of OCC or your house.
Categorized in OCC, evangelism and missions
