This is one of our favorite songs at 1st Bikers Church in Texarkana sung by our pastor, Matthew C. Butler at the end of a service that featured Broken Vessels as guests that day.
Where Praising God Comes Natural!
Monday, November 30, 2015
Sunday, November 29, 2015
Looking Good for God
1 Corinthians 7
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
Tonight, my pastor preached on these verses. At 1st Bikers Church, we are privileged to not have to dress in suits and ties in order to praise God and be accepted as part of the congregation. We have members who have beards, many have tattoos, and many of the women don't even own a dress. Some men are homeless, living out of their back packs. Some have homes, but choose to dress conservatively. And, some do own dresses that they wear occasionally. At 1st Bikers Church, we don't care what you wear. What we care about is that you are there, and that your God is OUR God.
Using these verses, Pastor Matthew C. Butler made the point that "if you are a biker, you probably wouldn't fit in with the cowboy church" for various reasons. So, therefore, if God called you to be a Christian while you were a biker, then it is bikers that you should be witnessing to, and if you were a cowboy, then it's cowboys you should be witnessing to. God made a place for us all, and in calling the whole world, someone has to be able to reach them where they are.
Having heard the sermon tonight, it made me think of myself, and where I currently am in my walk with Jesus.
For the past couple of years, I have not worn new clothes. I've been comfortable attending church in sweats and jeans and t-shirts, and whatever else makes me comfortable that covers me up. God knows what's inside me and that is what counts, right?
But, lately, I've been paying more attention to my looks. Not because I think I should look better as a Christian, but because I think God is calling me into places that He wants me to go where my appearance my be an obstacle in doing what it is HE calls me to do.
For instance: If I were to attempt to walk into a rich man's bar in order to speak to a rich patron there about leaving the bar life to follow Jesus, do you think that rich patron would listen to me if I walked in there with shabby clothes on?
God meets us where we are. He accepts us for WHO we are. He loves us even though we are filthy in sin. But, when the blood of Jesus cleanses our hearts and makes us new, God requires us to be ready and willing to go where ever He sends us to spread the gospel. We should, therefore, be willing and ready to meet others where THEY are.
Our motto at 1st Bikers Church has always been:
1 Corinthians 9:
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
This means that when we see a homeless man on the street, we sit with him. We are not ashamed to be seen with him. We are not uncomfortable with his smell. We treat him as one of us. We treat him with respect and dignity in hopes of sharing the gospel to him and being the hands and feet that God asks us to be in order to lead him to Christ!
So, in my own life, I have transitioned from the old sweats and comfortable attire I love so much, to wearing pant suits and make-up and fixing my hair and painting my nails. Not because I believe I have to dress that way as a Christian, but because I feel that there is someone out there who will not take me seriously who needs to hear my story, unless I dress like them.
I go to work every day at a hospital. I have to wear a uniform that I do not like to wear. Wearing that uniform does not make me any more or any less a child of the Most High God than not wearing it; but, if I don't wear it, it will make me less of an employee and put an obstacle in the path between me and my paycheck.
It's the same when doing Kingdom work for God. Sometimes, though you don't have to dress out to be a Christian, it is required that you change your uniform in order to fit the job God wants you to be able to do.
1 Peter 3:
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
17 But as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let him walk. And so ordain I in all churches.
18 Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised. Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised.
19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
20 Let every man abide in the same calling wherein he was called.
21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather.
22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant.
23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.
24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is called, therein abide with God.
Tonight, my pastor preached on these verses. At 1st Bikers Church, we are privileged to not have to dress in suits and ties in order to praise God and be accepted as part of the congregation. We have members who have beards, many have tattoos, and many of the women don't even own a dress. Some men are homeless, living out of their back packs. Some have homes, but choose to dress conservatively. And, some do own dresses that they wear occasionally. At 1st Bikers Church, we don't care what you wear. What we care about is that you are there, and that your God is OUR God.
Using these verses, Pastor Matthew C. Butler made the point that "if you are a biker, you probably wouldn't fit in with the cowboy church" for various reasons. So, therefore, if God called you to be a Christian while you were a biker, then it is bikers that you should be witnessing to, and if you were a cowboy, then it's cowboys you should be witnessing to. God made a place for us all, and in calling the whole world, someone has to be able to reach them where they are.
Having heard the sermon tonight, it made me think of myself, and where I currently am in my walk with Jesus.
For the past couple of years, I have not worn new clothes. I've been comfortable attending church in sweats and jeans and t-shirts, and whatever else makes me comfortable that covers me up. God knows what's inside me and that is what counts, right?
But, lately, I've been paying more attention to my looks. Not because I think I should look better as a Christian, but because I think God is calling me into places that He wants me to go where my appearance my be an obstacle in doing what it is HE calls me to do.
For instance: If I were to attempt to walk into a rich man's bar in order to speak to a rich patron there about leaving the bar life to follow Jesus, do you think that rich patron would listen to me if I walked in there with shabby clothes on?
God meets us where we are. He accepts us for WHO we are. He loves us even though we are filthy in sin. But, when the blood of Jesus cleanses our hearts and makes us new, God requires us to be ready and willing to go where ever He sends us to spread the gospel. We should, therefore, be willing and ready to meet others where THEY are.
Our motto at 1st Bikers Church has always been:
1 Corinthians 9:
19 For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more.
20 And unto the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might gain the Jews; to them that are under the law, as under the law, that I might gain them that are under the law;
21 To them that are without law, as without law, (being not without law to God, but under the law to Christ,) that I might gain them that are without law.
22 To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some.
23 And this I do for the gospel's sake, that I might be partaker thereof with you.
This means that when we see a homeless man on the street, we sit with him. We are not ashamed to be seen with him. We are not uncomfortable with his smell. We treat him as one of us. We treat him with respect and dignity in hopes of sharing the gospel to him and being the hands and feet that God asks us to be in order to lead him to Christ!
So, in my own life, I have transitioned from the old sweats and comfortable attire I love so much, to wearing pant suits and make-up and fixing my hair and painting my nails. Not because I believe I have to dress that way as a Christian, but because I feel that there is someone out there who will not take me seriously who needs to hear my story, unless I dress like them.
I go to work every day at a hospital. I have to wear a uniform that I do not like to wear. Wearing that uniform does not make me any more or any less a child of the Most High God than not wearing it; but, if I don't wear it, it will make me less of an employee and put an obstacle in the path between me and my paycheck.
It's the same when doing Kingdom work for God. Sometimes, though you don't have to dress out to be a Christian, it is required that you change your uniform in order to fit the job God wants you to be able to do.
1 Peter 3:
3 Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
4 But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.
Saturday, November 28, 2015
Christian Song Funds Bible Translations
The Christian song "Your Word" that reaffirms the truth and hope found in the Bible will be released in the top 10 languages of Bible readers from November 20, 2015 and the following week onwards. Written and produced by a multi-award winning production team led by Billy Dorsey, the worship song will be commercially released to iTunes and other digital music retailers around the world. The English version of the song will feature Billy Dorsey, together with Lakewood Church Senior Worship Leader and international recording artist Cindy Cruse Ratcliff. Other language versions will feature vocals by award-winning Christian music veterans from around the world including:
· Pastor Marcos Witt, 27 million album selling, five-time Latin Grammy Award winner (Spanish)
· Sefora Nelson, four-time German Billboard #1 album charting (German)
· André Valadão, 15 million album selling member of Diante do Trono (Brazil)
· Thierry Ostrini (France)
· Lidia Genta (Italy)
· Darina Kochanzhi (Ukraine)
· Israel Roytman (Israel)
· Stream of Praise (China)
The project was born in partnership with United Bible Societies, which believes the Bible is for everyone and is working towards the day when everyone can access the Bible in the language and medium of their choice. Net proceeds from each song will go to the Bible Societies in the countries of the featured musicians to support Bible work in their local languages. In a small way each person purchasing the song, and each radio station playing it, will support new Bible translations and provide Bibles to those who still do not have their own personal copy of the Scriptures.
Geological Discovery Finds Source of Earth's Water Amazingly Similar to Biblical Account of Creation
“Then God said, ‘Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.’ God made the expanse, and separated the waters which were below the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. God called the expanse heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, a second day.” (Genesis 1:6-8)
Scientists have struggled for years trying to understand the source of Earth’s oceans and the planet’s water. Until recently, the prevailing scientific theory held that icy comets hit the Earth while it was still forming. A discovery last year by geologists seems to prove that the real source of the earth’s water is from deep underground, amazingly similar to the Bible’s account of creation, which described waters below and waters above (Genesis 1:7).
The first clue came in the form of a battered diamond found in Brazil. Graham Pearson, lead study author and a geochemist at the University of Alberta in Canada, discovered the diamond quite by accident while searching for a means of dating the diamonds. Diamonds that have come up from so deep from the earth are usually discarded by diamond miners since they are scarred and discolored, having little commercial value. This diamond contained a rare mineral called ringwoodite, which has never been found on the planet’s surface before. It only forms under extreme pressure and is only found in meteor fragments or is artificially made in laboratories.
The diamond was brought up from the earth’s mantle region, which stretches from 254 to 410 miles deep, by volcanic activity. The mantle, the hot rock layer between the crust and the core, makes up most of the earth’s volume. It has never been explored since it is incredibly deep and inaccessible, and the geothermal energy at that depth would melt any drill bit.
The ringwoodite found embedded in the diamond was 1.5 percent water, contained not as a liquid but as hydroxide ions (oxygen and hydrogen molecules bound together). This suggests there could be a vast store of water in the mantle transition zone.
Read more...
Featured Ministry: Christian Prayer Center
Our mission is to provide the strongest network of group prayer to Christians around the world. The Bible tells us that through agreement in prayer, the Lord shall grant us all that we desire:
"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 18:19
Local churches and small group prayer lists have been a wonderful way to share the blessings of prayer, but these methods are limited in their ability to rally the true power of thousands of voices all praying in agreement. The Internet has enabled us to build a massive congregation to lift your prayer requests to a whole new level.
Visit the web site by clicking HERE!
"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 18:19
Local churches and small group prayer lists have been a wonderful way to share the blessings of prayer, but these methods are limited in their ability to rally the true power of thousands of voices all praying in agreement. The Internet has enabled us to build a massive congregation to lift your prayer requests to a whole new level.
Visit the web site by clicking HERE!
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Saturday, November 21, 2015
Featured Ministry: Gospel Tabernacle (New Boston, TX)
At The Gospel Tabernacle, our worship service is a meeting with Christ & His bride, the Church. If we become emotional when we know He is there, if we break into tears of joy or of sorrow for sin, if we get too physical, if we act differently in the awareness of the moving of the Holy Spirit than we do anywhere else, if we shout "Hallelujah!", or speak in other tongues ... it is because we are not acting out some old tradition but responding sincerely and spontaneously to the very real and personal presence of our Lord.
To visit them online, click HERE
To visit them online, click HERE
I am thankful...
I am Thankful every day for everything God has given me. I am Thankful that every goal I have set, God has blessed my goings in and my goings out and made it possible for me to meet them. And, I am thankful that He continues to work in my life and prove Himself to be the Giving God He is.
He provides, sustains, and rewards. He fights my battles and opens doors. He teaches me and disciplines me. He speaks to me, and gives me the desire to listen.
I love my God. He is my refuge, my friend, my father, my husband, my physician and my provider.
One day a year is not enough to thank Him in!
1 Chronicles 16:
8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
He provides, sustains, and rewards. He fights my battles and opens doors. He teaches me and disciplines me. He speaks to me, and gives me the desire to listen.
I love my God. He is my refuge, my friend, my father, my husband, my physician and my provider.
One day a year is not enough to thank Him in!
1 Chronicles 16:
8 Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.
9 Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him, talk ye of all his wondrous works.
10 Glory ye in his holy name: let the heart of them rejoice that seek the LORD.
Friday, November 20, 2015
Babe in Christ: Chapter 2
Continued from Chapter 1
You could have been a prostitute on the street who wondered into the church doors and decided to give God a chance to clean up your act. You could have been a drug addict who was strung out to the point of abusing your spouse and stealing to get that next "fix"; or, maybe you were a sex-offender. Maybe you were Muslim, until you came to know who Jesus really is.
There are a lot of faces that make up Christianity. All of them are worthy of salvation. None of them are sinless.
Romans 3:
8 And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9 What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
This sort of puts us on equal footing with each other. How is it, then, that some people who go to church, think that they have the right to decide who is and who is not a Christian, if the victimized party has been washed in the Blood of Christ?
It is not our job to tell a person they are wrong. It is our job to be the example that Christ set before us.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
What does this mean? First, let's look at the definition of "edify": to teach (someone) in a way that improves the mind or character.
Does embarrassing someone in church by pointing out their sins edify them? Would it edify YOU?
Matthew 7:12
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
Now, lets go back to Ephesians 4:29. We should not speak to others in such a way that it makes them feel condemned if they have been saved. Being saved means that they have been forgiven by God. The fact that they are still sinning not only makes them human, but also makes their need for instruction and guidance obvious.
"that it may minister grace unto the hearers"
Grace is defined as getting what you do not deserve. (Mercy is not getting what you do deserve).
Grace is also defined as a "disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency".
Have you ever heard the old saying, "You can catch more flies with honey"? This is what this verse is saying.
For example: Let's say a church member went to a local bar and got drunk sometime during the week before Sunday came. You happened to see him leaving the bar as you went to the local restaurant across the street. He was stumbling, and cursing. At church Sunday morning, you could tell him, "You are a filthy sinner! a DRUNK! a GLUTTON. Get off my pew until you straighten your act up!" in front of all your friends; but, would this be edification? Would that be administering grace in any way?
OR, you could make it a point to quietly approach him, give him a hug, and tell him, "I just want you to know that I saw you leaving that bar this week. You didn't look good. THAT didn't look good. Would you mind if I prayed with you? I think you need some help with your problem. If it's something I can help you with, I'm here!"
Which way sounds more "edifying?" Which way is more graceful?
Stay tuned for chapter 3
You could have been a prostitute on the street who wondered into the church doors and decided to give God a chance to clean up your act. You could have been a drug addict who was strung out to the point of abusing your spouse and stealing to get that next "fix"; or, maybe you were a sex-offender. Maybe you were Muslim, until you came to know who Jesus really is.
There are a lot of faces that make up Christianity. All of them are worthy of salvation. None of them are sinless.
Romans 3:
8 And not [rather], (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9 What then? are we better [than they]? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
This sort of puts us on equal footing with each other. How is it, then, that some people who go to church, think that they have the right to decide who is and who is not a Christian, if the victimized party has been washed in the Blood of Christ?
It is not our job to tell a person they are wrong. It is our job to be the example that Christ set before us.
Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.
What does this mean? First, let's look at the definition of "edify": to teach (someone) in a way that improves the mind or character.
Does embarrassing someone in church by pointing out their sins edify them? Would it edify YOU?
Matthew 7:12
“Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.”
Now, lets go back to Ephesians 4:29. We should not speak to others in such a way that it makes them feel condemned if they have been saved. Being saved means that they have been forgiven by God. The fact that they are still sinning not only makes them human, but also makes their need for instruction and guidance obvious.
"that it may minister grace unto the hearers"
Grace is defined as getting what you do not deserve. (Mercy is not getting what you do deserve).
Grace is also defined as a "disposition to or an act or instance of kindness, courtesy, or clemency".
Have you ever heard the old saying, "You can catch more flies with honey"? This is what this verse is saying.
For example: Let's say a church member went to a local bar and got drunk sometime during the week before Sunday came. You happened to see him leaving the bar as you went to the local restaurant across the street. He was stumbling, and cursing. At church Sunday morning, you could tell him, "You are a filthy sinner! a DRUNK! a GLUTTON. Get off my pew until you straighten your act up!" in front of all your friends; but, would this be edification? Would that be administering grace in any way?
OR, you could make it a point to quietly approach him, give him a hug, and tell him, "I just want you to know that I saw you leaving that bar this week. You didn't look good. THAT didn't look good. Would you mind if I prayed with you? I think you need some help with your problem. If it's something I can help you with, I'm here!"
Which way sounds more "edifying?" Which way is more graceful?
Stay tuned for chapter 3
Wednesday, November 11, 2015
Featured Ministry: Life House Ministries
Life House is a church for all people regardless of their race, economic or educational status. It’s our desire to reach people with the love of Jesus. We want to feed, hug, love, share and touch people right where they are. We are REAL. No “put on’s” , no “religiosity” – just real people who have been touched by God’s grace loving others with Jesus love. We believe that the church should be living out the Matthew 25 principle – loving, clothing, feeding, visiting and caring. When you visit our church you will find people of all ages, colors and income brackets. We are not concerned with WHAT you have but rather WHO you have in your heart. Come visit with us and see for yourself a church that is REAL and full of LOVE for all people.
To visit Life House on the web, click HERE
To visit Life House on the web, click HERE
Sunday, November 8, 2015
Detouring...
I know you have been waiting on the "Babe in Christ" continuance from last week. Unfortunately, God is leading me to put that on hold for the time being. There are issues that have popped up in the last couple of weeks that require much prayer and thought on my part, and needs to be addressed ASAP. I'm just waiting for the right words...the right time...and praying for God's guidance in this so I don't lose my head and make mistakes that my old self is prone to make.
I really am not comfortable with the responsibility of bringing these issues to light, but someone has to do it soon before more damage is done. So, please pray for me to be able to be bold, clear and loving, and that the "problem" gets settled and fixed without too much attention that causes others to get involved and become misguided in the process.
Thank you all for your patience. I don't know how long this is going to take, or even if it is "fixable", but I am called to try. I pray that it gets fixed before I even have the chance to step up...
I really am not comfortable with the responsibility of bringing these issues to light, but someone has to do it soon before more damage is done. So, please pray for me to be able to be bold, clear and loving, and that the "problem" gets settled and fixed without too much attention that causes others to get involved and become misguided in the process.
Thank you all for your patience. I don't know how long this is going to take, or even if it is "fixable", but I am called to try. I pray that it gets fixed before I even have the chance to step up...
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Featured Website: The Museum of the Bible
A museum dedicated solely to the Bible and its history is currently being built in Washington, D.C.. Below is the description of the Museum as posted on their website:
"We exist to invite all people to engage with the Bible through our four pillars: research, traveling exhibits, education, and a museum currently under construction in Washington, D.C. In 2017, Museum of the Bible will open its 430,000-square-foot nonprofit museum in Washington, D.C., located just two blocks from the National Mall and three blocks from the Capitol. As of 2015, our traveling exhibits have visited six U.S. cities and four other countries, with new exhibits and locations continually being planned. We support scholarship and academic research through the Green Scholars Initiative and through development of a high school Bible curriculum for domestic and international use."
Visit them online by clicking here. (Then, make sure you go by to see the exhibit when it's finally opened!)
"We exist to invite all people to engage with the Bible through our four pillars: research, traveling exhibits, education, and a museum currently under construction in Washington, D.C. In 2017, Museum of the Bible will open its 430,000-square-foot nonprofit museum in Washington, D.C., located just two blocks from the National Mall and three blocks from the Capitol. As of 2015, our traveling exhibits have visited six U.S. cities and four other countries, with new exhibits and locations continually being planned. We support scholarship and academic research through the Green Scholars Initiative and through development of a high school Bible curriculum for domestic and international use."
Visit them online by clicking here. (Then, make sure you go by to see the exhibit when it's finally opened!)
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Babe in Christ: Chapter 1
How tolerant should we be toward Babes, and how do we know the difference?
Hebrews 5:12-14
12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Yesterday, I turned 47 years old. As I look back on my life, I note with amusement that it has taken me 47 years to get to the place I am today in my relationship with Jesus. For 47 years I have stumbled around, tripped, fallen down, rolled in the mud, and made countless mistakes--some of them destructive to the church, and many destructive to myself.
I never gave up, though.
Surely, God is the God of Grace and Mercy -- or is He?
I am not so arrogant to believe that I am at the end of my journey. My granddaddy once said, "If you ain't learning, you ain't living." I still have faults I need to work on. I still stumble and fall at times. I still need Jesus to pick me back up, set me on my feet and point me in the right direction.
I only pray that in the process of my journey, I don't influence someone down the wrong path.
I am, however, privileged to have traveled long enough, far enough, in my walk with Christ, that He has blessed me with others on my way who are just starting their journeys. They don't know which rocks to go around, and which ones to go over -- much less which ones to avoid altogether. This is when my experiences on the road of life are influential in the success of others who are getting a rocky start. While I know that, in the end, I will not be the cause of their success, I rest comfortably, at this point, in knowing that I have pointed them in the direction of the One Who Is.
Having said all this, I would like to draw on my experience, coupled with the Word, to try to answer the questions posted at the beginning of this page.
How tolerant should we, as Christians, be toward babes in Christ?
Let's pretend that you are a middle-aged man. You were not raised in church. You did not have a believing family. You did not live a godly life up to now. You really didn't know what that meant. Yet, somehow, you were drawn in by that church around the corner from your home. After visiting a few times, you decided that THAT is something you really want. You fell in love with the friendly faces when you walked in the door. Their close-knit sense of community lured you into their fold. They hugged you, they listened to your problems, they told you about Jesus, and, ultimately they brought you face to face with a Creator that you never gave a second thought to -- until then. You caught the hunger. You wanted to know more.
But, those people in church, they don't know you. They don't know what is in your past. They don't know where you came from -- that you have been to prison, are poor, are still struggling with addiction of some kind, your children won't even talk to you because you weren't there for them when they needed you. All you know is that the preacher preached last Sunday about how Jesus is your friend, no matter what.
John 15
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Jesus called you "friend", and you are on cloud nine.
You continue to go to church, because you want to know more. You want that feeling you get when you walk through those doors. You want to keep that sense of purpose you feel when it's over. Eventually, you find yourself walking down the aisle to "get saved"...not really understanding what that entails.
And, even then, you haven't learned how to carry it outside the doors of the church yet.
You are just a babe in Christ, who needs the milk of the Word to help you grow.
Click HERE to read Chapter 2
Hebrews 5:12-14
12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.
13 For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
14 But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
Yesterday, I turned 47 years old. As I look back on my life, I note with amusement that it has taken me 47 years to get to the place I am today in my relationship with Jesus. For 47 years I have stumbled around, tripped, fallen down, rolled in the mud, and made countless mistakes--some of them destructive to the church, and many destructive to myself.
I never gave up, though.
Surely, God is the God of Grace and Mercy -- or is He?
I am not so arrogant to believe that I am at the end of my journey. My granddaddy once said, "If you ain't learning, you ain't living." I still have faults I need to work on. I still stumble and fall at times. I still need Jesus to pick me back up, set me on my feet and point me in the right direction.
I only pray that in the process of my journey, I don't influence someone down the wrong path.
I am, however, privileged to have traveled long enough, far enough, in my walk with Christ, that He has blessed me with others on my way who are just starting their journeys. They don't know which rocks to go around, and which ones to go over -- much less which ones to avoid altogether. This is when my experiences on the road of life are influential in the success of others who are getting a rocky start. While I know that, in the end, I will not be the cause of their success, I rest comfortably, at this point, in knowing that I have pointed them in the direction of the One Who Is.
Having said all this, I would like to draw on my experience, coupled with the Word, to try to answer the questions posted at the beginning of this page.
How tolerant should we, as Christians, be toward babes in Christ?
Let's pretend that you are a middle-aged man. You were not raised in church. You did not have a believing family. You did not live a godly life up to now. You really didn't know what that meant. Yet, somehow, you were drawn in by that church around the corner from your home. After visiting a few times, you decided that THAT is something you really want. You fell in love with the friendly faces when you walked in the door. Their close-knit sense of community lured you into their fold. They hugged you, they listened to your problems, they told you about Jesus, and, ultimately they brought you face to face with a Creator that you never gave a second thought to -- until then. You caught the hunger. You wanted to know more.
But, those people in church, they don't know you. They don't know what is in your past. They don't know where you came from -- that you have been to prison, are poor, are still struggling with addiction of some kind, your children won't even talk to you because you weren't there for them when they needed you. All you know is that the preacher preached last Sunday about how Jesus is your friend, no matter what.
John 15
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and [that] your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Jesus called you "friend", and you are on cloud nine.
You continue to go to church, because you want to know more. You want that feeling you get when you walk through those doors. You want to keep that sense of purpose you feel when it's over. Eventually, you find yourself walking down the aisle to "get saved"...not really understanding what that entails.
And, even then, you haven't learned how to carry it outside the doors of the church yet.
You are just a babe in Christ, who needs the milk of the Word to help you grow.
Click HERE to read Chapter 2
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