In Memory of Sonny Dockins
My friend Sonny Dockins went to be with the Lord Wednesday evening around 9 p.m.
Sonny and I had a few things in common. We both loved the game of golf and played countless rounds together since I began playing in between the summers of my 8th and 9th grade (the summer of 1991).
In fact, Sonny came along side of me and helped me to develop my golf game. I played my first ever 9-hole round of golf with Sonny in June, 1991, and had a birdie on the 7th hole of the Crawfordsville Municipal Golf Course (blasting it in from the sand). In that same summer, Sonny took me out to the soccer fields on Whitlock Avenue where we hit balls together out of his “shag bag”. Sonny had a real passion for the game of golf. He was a highly skilled, left-hand player with a fine short game.
And then I recall the many times I attended services at Fremont Street Baptist Church sitting a seat or two behind him. I think most churches (at least most Baptist Churches) have “Amen’ers”. Sonny was a very faithful “Amen’er”. And when the pastor made what he believed to be a particularly important point, Sonny would say “that’s true!”
But apart from our golf together, we had another thing in common. Like me, Sonny had received - by faith - God’s gift of salvation. He loved the Lord Jesus and saw himself for what he was - a sinner in need of God’s saving redemption. Salvation is a miraculous thing - because it is a transaction that happens individually for each person and - accompanying it - is that person’s very unique story and path to that place. I don’t know all of the details of Sonny’s story of salvation. But he liked to tell the story of how his two oldest boys, Bobby and Gary Duane, wandered into the Fremont Street Baptist Church one cold wintry morning and asked Ralph Cope, who was there early to turn the heat on for that morning’s services, if they would be welcomed to attend church there. “Well, of course you can!” - as I stated, Sonny loved to tell this story.
To make a much longer story quite short, those boys did come. God was doing a work in the Dockins family. Sonny worked at the Raybestos automotive parts company and so did his wife, Carol. One of Fremont’s dear women, Mrs. Marie Lewis, began to share the Gospel with Carol Dockins. I believe I’m stating correctly that Carol gave her heart to Christ first and Sonny shortly thereafter. My best guess would be that the year of their salvation would be around about 1968. Sonny - as he would tell you - was inextricably, instantaneously, unalterably changed. He told me within the last year that - after he gave his heart to Jesus - he laid it all aside. He laid aside - and lost the desire - to continue the ways of the past. I asked him “you mean you never had another drink?” His response, “nope, I never had another drink.”
The bar room visiting, the smoking, the absence of God in his life for any direction - - that was all changed when it became clear what Jesus had done in his life.
In fact, as I got to thinking about it, what sticks out about Sonny more than anything was that he was a man of passions. He was passionate about his golf. He was passionate about his family. He was passionate about his local church and he loved his pastor and supported him. He was absolutely passionate about his love for the Lord Jesus.
I’ve told you a bit about his golf.
But then, as I mentioned, Sonny was passionate about his family. His heart was broken when he lost his two oldest boys, Bobby and Gary Duane, within about five weeks of each other. His wife Carol and his remaining children - and their offspring - were the light of his life. About four years ago, one of Sonny’s grandchildren, Warren, and his dear wife, presented to Sonny a boy named Colton. Let me tell you, I’ve never seen a grandfather’s eyes light up as Sonny’s did with this boy. And I wasn’t around to see so much of their interaction. But I didn’t miss much, because Sonny would tell you about him. Oh, how he loved to spend time with that boy playing together and hanging out at the golf course or in the woods or in the garage. I think Sonny’s last years were some of his most fulfilled because of the joy that Colton brought into his life.
And then, Sonny was passionate about his local church and his pastor. I have shared with you before my love of pastors and - as I have thought about that - I really believe I owe much of that disposition to Sonny Dockins. Sonny taught me, through his actions and word, that it was rightful and proper to love one’s pastor and serve the man of God faithfully: to be a friend to him and to help him and to love him. Sonny was faithful to our pastor, Dan Aldrich. He was faithful to help at the church (particularly after his retirement). He mowed the lawn dutifully and shoveled snow past the point a man of his years usually would.
He was passionate about telling others what Jesus had done for him - and that Jesus could and would do the same thing for them. Sonny was a regular in participating in soul-winning efforts at the Indiana State Fair. I believe many gave their hearts to Jesus by Sonny’s sharing.
Sonny was passionate about Jesus. I think back on so many times Sonny gave a testimony on a Sunday evening - or the dozens and dozens of times he would be called upon to pray in service. Almost without fail, he would become emotional as he reflected on what the Lord had done for him, a sinner. Tears would come to his eyes as he pleaded with the Lord to touch someone’s spirit, that they might be saved.
Sonny’s illness was painful, debilitating and merciless. But he approached this, too, with unwavering faith. He told his son, Alan, “Don’t cry for me. I’m going someplace that will be beautiful and wonderful - where we’ll worship all the day long. You’ll have to stay behind. Cry for yourself!”
I visited with Sonny about three weeks before he went to be with Jesus. There was no “why me?” or “I sure am scared” or “I just don’t understand this”. He knew that the Lord would be with him. To the end, as the songwriter said,
But I know Whom I have believed,
And am persuaded that He is able
To keep that which I’ve committed
Unto Him against that day.
I know not how this saving faith
To me He did impart,
Nor how believing in His Word
Wrought peace within my heart.
I will see you on the other side, my dear friend.
http://www.burkhartfh.com/fh/obituaries/obituary.cfm?o_id=1334053&fh_id=10733
I welcome others who would like to leave a remembrance about Sonny..
Friday, December 9, 2011
Monday, September 26, 2011
The Inside
This past weekend, I decided that I had had enough with my car’s interior. To say that it needed detailed is exponentially understated. I just can’t even describe it. Simply put, it was disgusting. Wrappers everywhere, bags from McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A with 6 month old pickles in them, dirty and random clothes, books. I had one pair of tennis shoes with horse stuff on them from a trip to the State Fair and the cattle and horse barns. I just didn’t want to deal with it, but I didn’t want to throw the shoes out! Worse still, the front seat was stained from where I had spilled coffee, ketchup, gravy and just about every other food one could imagine. And then of course there were french fries under the seats and down in the crevices of the seat cushions.
I got to the car wash and detail shop and the gentleman asked me what I wanted done to the exterior of the car – it was like he had blinders on! I almost laughed out loud (wasn't it obvious)!! “I’m not even worried about the outside!” I said. “But the inside needs the works! – anything and everything you can do to clean it up.”
He told me that I could come back in three hours to pick it up. I slipped inside the shop to pay my bill thinking in my mind “if only I hadn’t let it get this bad in the first place”.. But as I walked across the street to the mall to camp out and get something to eat (this time not out of a bag), I began to think about the unbelievable symbolism in my visit with the car wash people.
The Bible has some very important things to say about the condition we keep our soul in. First, it says in I Samuel 16:7(b) “for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." God looks on the inside, because outward appearance can be deceiving. We can be seemingly “clean” on the outside, and be dirty as a pig in slop on the inside. To the world, a person can be “a good man”, but have sin patterns that the Lord Jesus disdains. He might think that they are in private – that only he knows. But God knows us inside and out; through and through.
Jesus also spoke directly to this subject during one of his stronger admonitions (from Matthew 23:27): “"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men's bones and all uncleanness.” Jesus is warning us here, no doubt. And then Jesus talks about being “double-minded”.
My car served as a great reminder to me of these truths. These are some of the lessons I have considered:
- I let it go to a point that it made me sick and depressed. If I had cleaned out the inside from time to time and just kept the trash out, things wouldn’t have gotten so out of control.
- There came a point when I realized things were so bad I couldn’t get it cleaned on my own; I was going to need help
- My car probably fooled a lot of people. On the outside, it looked like pretty much any other car. You had to really get up close and look around to see just how disgusting it was on the inside.
I want to encourage you – keep “short accounts” with God. Don’t stray far from Him. You don’t want to allow your insides to become so dirty that you’re headed for disaster and the need for radical intervention. On this note, God says in Hebrews “God disciplines those he loves.” We may fool a handful of people by keeping a neat and clean outside, while living like the devil when no one is around. On this note, Paul wrote to the Galatians: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
I love you, my friend. But Jesus loved you before I did and he loves you deeper and better, too. Think about it: He (Jesus) laid his life and soul down to satisfy the Father’s blood sacrifice for sin. Receive Jesus today if you haven’t already. It’s time, isn’t it? And if you have a relationship with Christ, return to your first love. Ask God – as David said – to restore unto you the joy of His salvation!
God bless you today.
Monday, June 27, 2011
How were Old Testament saints (BEFORE the birth, death and resurrection of Christ) saved?
Have you ever thought about that before? At some point in my walk with Christ - many years ago - I wondered inside but never asked anyone or sought to find an answer with the sort of urgency that I should have had concerning such an important theological question..
We know that one can only be saved by trusting on the name of Christ - “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12)
And don’t misunderstand: “believing on his name” doe NOT mean that you simply believe that Christ and his resurrection are mere historical facts. The Bible says that “the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19) Intellectual ascent does not equate to believing upon Christ for salvation, committing to him your life and trusting in him for salvation.
But how could one believe on the name of Christ if they had never heard his name?
There are a few points here that are noteworthy.
1. Jesus has been “in existence” for all time: from eternity past to eternity future.. Although we didn’t have a human encounter with him until he came to earth being born to the virgin Mary over 2000 years ago, he is God’s son and always has been. It’s difficult to wrap your arms around, isn’t it? Thinking along these lines evince questions like “well where did God come from?” I have thought about that many times. And I am by no means a biblical scholar. But I know this: first, I realize that God’s thinking is different than mine and yours. There is a limitation in our ability to “see” the world and the God of the universe. Infinity and eternity are concepts that are outside of our life experience and scope of thought. Second, the Bible tells us that “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God.” (Deuteronomy 29:29) Next, we must believe by faith. But our faith is not blind. Believing on Christ is a logical and reasonable thing to do based upon the Gospel, history and the hundreds of prophesies fulfilled. I have heard many saints say that it would take far more “faith” to NOT believe in Christ than it takes to place one’s trust in Him. There were dozens and perhaps hundreds who saw with their own eyes His execution by means of crucifixion, his burial and - three days later - watched him walk the earth, fellowship with his disciples - and ascend into the heavens in glory and unspeakable light. That - my friends - is the God of the universe.
2. Abraham - and any and every other Old Testament person who believed on Christ - is in Heaven today. But - you may ask - how could he have believed on Christ if he didn’t even know Christ’s name? “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was COUNTED UNTO HIM for righteousness” (Romans 4:3) We see something very special here - something very noteworthy: Abraham was NOT trusting in his own works or goodness for salvation. Although he didn’t know Jesus’ name, he knew that his own works were not sufficient for salvation. He knew that the key to being in fellowship with God is by having faith in Him for salvation. And what is faith? I think the scripture says it better than I ever could: “Abraham believed God.” Very simply, he took God at his word. Isn’t that wonderful!? He just believed God. There’s so much application for you and I to take away from this simple lesson of truth. We must believe God and his Book of promises. After all, think about his reliability in your life - and in mine. I mentioned to my brother the other day - that if God played baseball (and I don't mean that irreverently) - he’d be batting 1.000. He never misses. He never fails to answer a prayer. Think about his credibility. He’s never lied and the Bible says he is indeed, incapable of lying. It is outside of God’s character to lie. Moreover, the Bible says that he is interested in our good - and that he desires that no one should be without him.
II Peter 3:9 reads thusly:
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
You see that? It is reaffirmed that “God is not slack concerning his promises”. I just love that. Beyond the shear beauty of the language, one finds comfort and solace in the reality of its truth. Moreover, though, Peter tells us the truth I earlier mentioned: He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
3. God is unwilling that his prized creation - you... and I - should deny him - or remain “silent” concerning his offer of salvation and relationship with us. There are presently some seven billion persons on the face of this earth. Nearly 350,000 people are born each day - and nearly 150,000 people die per day and - as hard as it may be to conceive - God knows each and every one through and through. The Bible says that He has the hairs on your head counted. And that IS a fact. When one hair falls out, He knows. If He knows that, be assured that He knows all about the content of your heart. He knows where your real love lies. And to use the parlance of Hollywood, He really “knows what you did last summer.” You can keep nothing from Him and you cannot hide yourself or your heart or anything else in a closet. The Bible says it will all be “laid bare” before Him on Judgement Day (II Peter 3:10).
And we’ve talked before about Abraham. The Bible tells us that he (Abraham) received a message from God: “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." (Genesis 22:22)
What did Abraham do in response to this seemingly unspeakable request? He obeyed. He believed God. Which one of us - if presented the same situation - would be willing to obey God and just take Him at His Word? I realize it’s not a realistic hypothetical. We do not live in the same day. Thankfully, God doesn’t make those types of requests of us.
Here’s what he does command: “I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.” (Romans 12:1) In short, we are to devote ourselves to God’s business, which God says is a reasonable request. You might ask: “why is it reasonable for me to give my life to God?”
I respectfully submit to you: He bankrupted Heaven by Christ’s shed blood for you. And if you - you who are reading these lines - had been the only one for whose sin Christ was needed, God would have sent Him to the cross just for you... just for me.
God bless you tonight. Take God at His word. Trust Christ for salvation and Him alone and serve Him with all of your heart. Then tell someone else you did. He will change your life for all time, as He has mine.
I love you tonight. Please let me know if you have any questions about these passages, if this message has blessed you - or if I can be praying for you in some way.
Rudy
We know that one can only be saved by trusting on the name of Christ - “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name” (John 1:12)
And don’t misunderstand: “believing on his name” doe NOT mean that you simply believe that Christ and his resurrection are mere historical facts. The Bible says that “the devils also believe, and tremble.” (James 2:19) Intellectual ascent does not equate to believing upon Christ for salvation, committing to him your life and trusting in him for salvation.
But how could one believe on the name of Christ if they had never heard his name?
There are a few points here that are noteworthy.
1. Jesus has been “in existence” for all time: from eternity past to eternity future.. Although we didn’t have a human encounter with him until he came to earth being born to the virgin Mary over 2000 years ago, he is God’s son and always has been. It’s difficult to wrap your arms around, isn’t it? Thinking along these lines evince questions like “well where did God come from?” I have thought about that many times. And I am by no means a biblical scholar. But I know this: first, I realize that God’s thinking is different than mine and yours. There is a limitation in our ability to “see” the world and the God of the universe. Infinity and eternity are concepts that are outside of our life experience and scope of thought. Second, the Bible tells us that “the secret things belong unto the Lord our God.” (Deuteronomy 29:29) Next, we must believe by faith. But our faith is not blind. Believing on Christ is a logical and reasonable thing to do based upon the Gospel, history and the hundreds of prophesies fulfilled. I have heard many saints say that it would take far more “faith” to NOT believe in Christ than it takes to place one’s trust in Him. There were dozens and perhaps hundreds who saw with their own eyes His execution by means of crucifixion, his burial and - three days later - watched him walk the earth, fellowship with his disciples - and ascend into the heavens in glory and unspeakable light. That - my friends - is the God of the universe.
2. Abraham - and any and every other Old Testament person who believed on Christ - is in Heaven today. But - you may ask - how could he have believed on Christ if he didn’t even know Christ’s name? “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was COUNTED UNTO HIM for righteousness” (Romans 4:3) We see something very special here - something very noteworthy: Abraham was NOT trusting in his own works or goodness for salvation. Although he didn’t know Jesus’ name, he knew that his own works were not sufficient for salvation. He knew that the key to being in fellowship with God is by having faith in Him for salvation. And what is faith? I think the scripture says it better than I ever could: “Abraham believed God.” Very simply, he took God at his word. Isn’t that wonderful!? He just believed God. There’s so much application for you and I to take away from this simple lesson of truth. We must believe God and his Book of promises. After all, think about his reliability in your life - and in mine. I mentioned to my brother the other day - that if God played baseball (and I don't mean that irreverently) - he’d be batting 1.000. He never misses. He never fails to answer a prayer. Think about his credibility. He’s never lied and the Bible says he is indeed, incapable of lying. It is outside of God’s character to lie. Moreover, the Bible says that he is interested in our good - and that he desires that no one should be without him.
II Peter 3:9 reads thusly:
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
You see that? It is reaffirmed that “God is not slack concerning his promises”. I just love that. Beyond the shear beauty of the language, one finds comfort and solace in the reality of its truth. Moreover, though, Peter tells us the truth I earlier mentioned: He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
3. God is unwilling that his prized creation - you... and I - should deny him - or remain “silent” concerning his offer of salvation and relationship with us. There are presently some seven billion persons on the face of this earth. Nearly 350,000 people are born each day - and nearly 150,000 people die per day and - as hard as it may be to conceive - God knows each and every one through and through. The Bible says that He has the hairs on your head counted. And that IS a fact. When one hair falls out, He knows. If He knows that, be assured that He knows all about the content of your heart. He knows where your real love lies. And to use the parlance of Hollywood, He really “knows what you did last summer.” You can keep nothing from Him and you cannot hide yourself or your heart or anything else in a closet. The Bible says it will all be “laid bare” before Him on Judgement Day (II Peter 3:10).
And we’ve talked before about Abraham. The Bible tells us that he (Abraham) received a message from God: “And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of." (Genesis 22:22)
What did Abraham do in response to this seemingly unspeakable request? He obeyed. He believed God. Which one of us - if presented the same situation - would be willing to obey God and just take Him at His Word? I realize it’s not a realistic hypothetical. We do not live in the same day. Thankfully, God doesn’t make those types of requests of us.
Here’s what he does command: “I therefore urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercies, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices that are holy and pleasing to God, for this is the reasonable way for you to worship.” (Romans 12:1) In short, we are to devote ourselves to God’s business, which God says is a reasonable request. You might ask: “why is it reasonable for me to give my life to God?”
I respectfully submit to you: He bankrupted Heaven by Christ’s shed blood for you. And if you - you who are reading these lines - had been the only one for whose sin Christ was needed, God would have sent Him to the cross just for you... just for me.
God bless you tonight. Take God at His word. Trust Christ for salvation and Him alone and serve Him with all of your heart. Then tell someone else you did. He will change your life for all time, as He has mine.
I love you tonight. Please let me know if you have any questions about these passages, if this message has blessed you - or if I can be praying for you in some way.
Rudy
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Do I Really Know God?
Do I really know God?
It’s a very simple question - no pretense is intended.
I hope you will join me through this short blog entry to examine yourself, as I do the same; it’s a very healthy thing. The Apostle Paul exhorted members of the early church on two separate occasions to “test themselves” to be certain their faith was real.
II Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?
I Cor 11:28,31 (NAS) But a man must examine himself... If we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
There are several hallmarks we can look for in our own lives to know where we stand with God. Here are just a few:
1. What is my attitude about the Word of God?
The scriptures tell us “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”: Another translation, the New International Version, reads “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
That is a powerful descriptor: “All scripture is “God-breathed”. When one considers the content of the Bible, we know that Jesus himself did not author ANY of the scriptures. Common men, from Luke the physician, Matthew the tax collector and (most notably) Paul, former persecutor of Christians turned evangelist and church planter - authored letters under the “inspiration of God. God literally took control of their hands to craft the message of His heart, and providentially allowed only those texts that He inspired and desired to be a part of the finalized “Canon”.
The way we think about the scriptures is extremely important. I had an acquaintance, years ago, with whom I talked about this important issue. When the subject came up, I shared with him that I was blessed in that - since the time I received Christ’s offer of salvation for myself - I had always believed every word of the scriptures as absolute gospel, not disbelieving a word. He shared with me that he felt “most” of the scripture was reliable, but that he didn’t necessarily believe every word. That is a very unfortunate thing, and I pray that God will do a work in his heart and life to change that through faith. And my prayer and desire for you is that you should come to a place of absolute confidence in the scriptures. After all, if one regards certain sections as reliable and absolute, but then questions the reliability of another, what confidence can be had in any of the writings? In other words, if some is unreliable or untrue, what is to prevent the whole thing from being considered “in question”.
And the beauty of the scriptures and confidence that we can have in reading them and trusting in them lies in the consistency, wholeness and lack of contradiction from one account to the next. Moreover, we have confidence in the reliability of the scriptures because of the hundreds and hundreds of prophecies throughout the Word of God that ALL have come to pass - many more of which have been prophesied and we await.
But what about you? How do you feel about the Word of God? Do you trust it? Do you rely upon it for daily living? Do you have a hunger for God’s Word, or can you go weeks and weeks without reading from God’s Word and not be phased by it? Job 23:12 reads “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary [food].” Job regarded God’s Word, the scripture, as being more needful to his sustenance than day-to-day meals. A strong desire to be “in” God’s Word should be the desire and practice of a born-again child of God.
2. How high a priority do I place on spending time with God in prayer and devotion?
I Thessalonians 5:17 says “Pray without ceasing”. Luke 21:36 says “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Prayer is our channel to God’s throne. Imagine having living parents and never calling, writing or visiting for a year. What would they think? Surely they would think that you didn’t have a very high esteem for them. When the rubber meets the road, we demonstrate our love for people by spending time with them. You can buy the Toys-R-Us out of everything they’ve got and give it all to your children. But they won’t feel loved by your giving of gifts. They will feel loved because you invest time in them. The same is true of our heavenly father. He desires to hear from us, even when we don’t know what to pray. And the Bible tells us in Matthew 6:7 “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” We shouldn’t pray in repeated chants and phrases the same each time. That is ritualism, not prayer. Talk to him - in the same personal way that you would your earthly father. Cast your cares upon him, for he cares for you. Nothing is too trivial, and no sin too great or to small to confess.
Someone once shared with me a great idea for prayer, with the word “ACTS”. Acknowledge, Confess, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Acknowledge God’s power and holiness and control over your life. Confess your faults. Give Thanks for all he has done for you. And then, finally, let him know about your needs and desires and concerns. A true child of God certainly desires to spend time with Him in prayer.
3. Have I received of the Holy Spirit?
I John 4:13 reads “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.” Well how can I know that God has given me of his spirit, you might ask me. Well, the best I can tell you is “I know it in my knower." My spirit bears witness with his spirit. When I read God’s Word, I am in agreement. When I sin, he convicts me of my sin and I feel pained by it. Another great hallmark of the true Christian is his desire to be around others of God’s people (this point really deserving of its own elaboration). The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:25 that we should not forsake the assembly, which is to say that we ought to have a desire to be in church, around other believers, and draw joy and strength from it.
4. What is your attitude about sin?
Heb 10:26-27 (NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Being saved, my dear friend, does not ensure that you and I will not sin. The truth is that we are weak, and we have an enemy in Satan who is single-minded in his desire to see us fail, fall and bring shame to Christ. We will fall down - and often. But we must get back up, confess our sin to a caring and forgiving God, and move ahead. Paul warns us that we do not have license to sin just because our sin will be forgiven. Indeed, as children of God, we have a higher responsibility to try to live in righteousness and holiness, not succumbing to our own selfish desires for pleasure. The true Christian is heartbroken when he realizes his sin; he feels “at a distance” from God and desires to be restored to fellowship with the Father.
5. What is your attitude about lost people?
Do you have a concern for those who do not believe in Christ? Do you desire to see them enjoy the riches of salvation? Do you rejoice at hearing that someone has prayed to receive Christ into their hearts? Are you willing and eager to share your faith with others? The true child of God realizes what Christ’s blood has spared him from, and will go to great lengths (including persecution, ridicule and in many cases around the world, risk of physical harm) to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Well, my friend, I hope that this gives you some things to think about. And I hope that you can look through these writings and identify affirmatively to these “Signs of the Christian”. I hope your life is marked by the signs of the Christian according to God’s Word, which is all I have shared with you. If you simply can’t identify with these things, I pray that you will seek out the truth of the Gospel with all of your heart. Seek it out day and night. The consequences of saying “no” to God - or responding in silence (both are the same) - are too heavy. As always, feel free to email me with any questions or if you need someone to pray for you.
God bless you tonight.
Rudy
It’s a very simple question - no pretense is intended.
I hope you will join me through this short blog entry to examine yourself, as I do the same; it’s a very healthy thing. The Apostle Paul exhorted members of the early church on two separate occasions to “test themselves” to be certain their faith was real.
II Corinthians 13:5 “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you--unless, of course, you fail the test?
I Cor 11:28,31 (NAS) But a man must examine himself... If we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged.
There are several hallmarks we can look for in our own lives to know where we stand with God. Here are just a few:
1. What is my attitude about the Word of God?
The scriptures tell us “All scripture [is] given by inspiration of God, and [is] profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness”: Another translation, the New International Version, reads “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
That is a powerful descriptor: “All scripture is “God-breathed”. When one considers the content of the Bible, we know that Jesus himself did not author ANY of the scriptures. Common men, from Luke the physician, Matthew the tax collector and (most notably) Paul, former persecutor of Christians turned evangelist and church planter - authored letters under the “inspiration of God. God literally took control of their hands to craft the message of His heart, and providentially allowed only those texts that He inspired and desired to be a part of the finalized “Canon”.
The way we think about the scriptures is extremely important. I had an acquaintance, years ago, with whom I talked about this important issue. When the subject came up, I shared with him that I was blessed in that - since the time I received Christ’s offer of salvation for myself - I had always believed every word of the scriptures as absolute gospel, not disbelieving a word. He shared with me that he felt “most” of the scripture was reliable, but that he didn’t necessarily believe every word. That is a very unfortunate thing, and I pray that God will do a work in his heart and life to change that through faith. And my prayer and desire for you is that you should come to a place of absolute confidence in the scriptures. After all, if one regards certain sections as reliable and absolute, but then questions the reliability of another, what confidence can be had in any of the writings? In other words, if some is unreliable or untrue, what is to prevent the whole thing from being considered “in question”.
And the beauty of the scriptures and confidence that we can have in reading them and trusting in them lies in the consistency, wholeness and lack of contradiction from one account to the next. Moreover, we have confidence in the reliability of the scriptures because of the hundreds and hundreds of prophecies throughout the Word of God that ALL have come to pass - many more of which have been prophesied and we await.
But what about you? How do you feel about the Word of God? Do you trust it? Do you rely upon it for daily living? Do you have a hunger for God’s Word, or can you go weeks and weeks without reading from God’s Word and not be phased by it? Job 23:12 reads “Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary [food].” Job regarded God’s Word, the scripture, as being more needful to his sustenance than day-to-day meals. A strong desire to be “in” God’s Word should be the desire and practice of a born-again child of God.
2. How high a priority do I place on spending time with God in prayer and devotion?
I Thessalonians 5:17 says “Pray without ceasing”. Luke 21:36 says “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.” Prayer is our channel to God’s throne. Imagine having living parents and never calling, writing or visiting for a year. What would they think? Surely they would think that you didn’t have a very high esteem for them. When the rubber meets the road, we demonstrate our love for people by spending time with them. You can buy the Toys-R-Us out of everything they’ve got and give it all to your children. But they won’t feel loved by your giving of gifts. They will feel loved because you invest time in them. The same is true of our heavenly father. He desires to hear from us, even when we don’t know what to pray. And the Bible tells us in Matthew 6:7 “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen [do]: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” We shouldn’t pray in repeated chants and phrases the same each time. That is ritualism, not prayer. Talk to him - in the same personal way that you would your earthly father. Cast your cares upon him, for he cares for you. Nothing is too trivial, and no sin too great or to small to confess.
Someone once shared with me a great idea for prayer, with the word “ACTS”. Acknowledge, Confess, Thanksgiving, Supplication. Acknowledge God’s power and holiness and control over your life. Confess your faults. Give Thanks for all he has done for you. And then, finally, let him know about your needs and desires and concerns. A true child of God certainly desires to spend time with Him in prayer.
3. Have I received of the Holy Spirit?
I John 4:13 reads “Hereby know we that we dwell in him, and he in us, because he hath given us of his Spirit.” Well how can I know that God has given me of his spirit, you might ask me. Well, the best I can tell you is “I know it in my knower." My spirit bears witness with his spirit. When I read God’s Word, I am in agreement. When I sin, he convicts me of my sin and I feel pained by it. Another great hallmark of the true Christian is his desire to be around others of God’s people (this point really deserving of its own elaboration). The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:25 that we should not forsake the assembly, which is to say that we ought to have a desire to be in church, around other believers, and draw joy and strength from it.
4. What is your attitude about sin?
Heb 10:26-27 (NIV) If we deliberately keep on sinning after we have received the knowledge of the truth, no sacrifice for sins is left, but only a fearful expectation of judgment and of raging fire that will consume the enemies of God.
5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.
7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10 This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.
Being saved, my dear friend, does not ensure that you and I will not sin. The truth is that we are weak, and we have an enemy in Satan who is single-minded in his desire to see us fail, fall and bring shame to Christ. We will fall down - and often. But we must get back up, confess our sin to a caring and forgiving God, and move ahead. Paul warns us that we do not have license to sin just because our sin will be forgiven. Indeed, as children of God, we have a higher responsibility to try to live in righteousness and holiness, not succumbing to our own selfish desires for pleasure. The true Christian is heartbroken when he realizes his sin; he feels “at a distance” from God and desires to be restored to fellowship with the Father.
5. What is your attitude about lost people?
Do you have a concern for those who do not believe in Christ? Do you desire to see them enjoy the riches of salvation? Do you rejoice at hearing that someone has prayed to receive Christ into their hearts? Are you willing and eager to share your faith with others? The true child of God realizes what Christ’s blood has spared him from, and will go to great lengths (including persecution, ridicule and in many cases around the world, risk of physical harm) to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Well, my friend, I hope that this gives you some things to think about. And I hope that you can look through these writings and identify affirmatively to these “Signs of the Christian”. I hope your life is marked by the signs of the Christian according to God’s Word, which is all I have shared with you. If you simply can’t identify with these things, I pray that you will seek out the truth of the Gospel with all of your heart. Seek it out day and night. The consequences of saying “no” to God - or responding in silence (both are the same) - are too heavy. As always, feel free to email me with any questions or if you need someone to pray for you.
God bless you tonight.
Rudy
Monday, April 11, 2011
Barnabas: Profile of an Encourager - II
In the last several days, as I have reflected some on what I shared with you last week concerning Barnabas - and as I have continued on in my study from the book of Acts - I feel compelled to share a bit more about Barnabas, as the Holy Spirit has brought it to my attention.
As a review, we noted together in our first study of Barnabas that he was “a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.” (Acts 10:24a)
And we noted that there were three essential points of action that Barnabas took relative to the faith:
1. He surrendered all to Christ
2. He defended the Gospel
3. He exhorted
These are some of the very important additional distinctions and points to be made. The Bible tells us in Acts 4:36-37 that “..Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation), a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
I don’t intend to repeat portions of Part I just for repeating them, but I shared those just to review for these additional observations.
1. Barnabas’ heart was correct
This attitude stands in stark contrast to Ananias and Sapphira - a Christian couple referenced in Chapter 5 of Acts:
1But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 12And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. 13And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. 14And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a very sobering one. It tells of people - people who had believed on Christ and received him into their hearts, mind you - who conceived sin in their heart. They lied to God, according to the scriptures. We are told by the scripture that they would well have been “within their rights” to keep back a portion of the proceeds, as the land rightly belonged to them (as much as anything belongs to anyone, when we realize that when push comes to shove, all that we have and all that we are belongs to God).
The moral of the story is that God will not be mocked. And he was sending a powerful and assertive message to the early church that hearts to deceive would not be tolerated. These days, we rarely see a person or couple straightway struck dead if they fail to give to the local church or in some other way “hold out” on God (so far as I know). But don’t be fooled; just because God doesn’t appear to resort to this degree of “earthly punishment” doesn’t mean that there isn’t a heavy price to be paid in spiritual separation and the natural consequences of sin in this life and the life to come.
Barnabas’ heart was correct; this is a distinction that the writer and the Holy Spirit wants for us to see - and an example to follow.
2. Barnabas embraced his spiritual giftings and executed them with happiness unto God
Have you ever given any thought to what your spiritual giftings are? The Bible says we all have them. According to I Corinthians 12:1 “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” The Greek simply reads "spirituals" (ton pneumatikon), meaning "things characterized or controlled by the Spirit." V. 8 goes on to say “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; v. 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit; v. 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits, ; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues: v. 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
We ALL have spiritual gifts - and that is for another blog entry - but if you haven’t really considered what yours is - or you don’t know what it is - consider taking this spiritual gifts survey: http://www.bellevue.org/uploads/giftsintro.htm
Well, all of that to say this: Paul knew his place in the ministry. Someone from the outside looking in might say “Gosh, a guy with Barnabas’ tenure, seniority and caliber should not be being obscured by, overshadowed by or “folding in to” Paul of Tarsus.” After all, as we spoke about in the first study, look at Paul’s record. He was a murderer and a persecutor of the apostles and early Christians. It might have been easy for Barnabas to say “Wait a second here, I’m in command. This is MY ministry. I don’t know where you get off trying to act like you own this show.”
But the fact is that Barnabas gently and kindly accepted his role in God’s ministry, wherever the Holy Spirit revealed to him it was. Sometimes we can really get caught up in ego - and I daresay that it happens just as much in ministry as anywhere else (unfortunately). Barnabas didn’t allow this to happen; as Paul’s reach, anointing and power by the Holy Spirit grew, Barnabas remained agile, moldable and submissive to the Holy Spirit.
3. Barnabas had a forgiving spirit
We saw this first in Barnabas in his approach to Paul. You couldn’t have found a great many more people around that area where Paul’s name - when mentioned - wouldn’t have been quickly followed by a cry to stone him or run in the opposite direction. But Barnabas came beside him and mentored him with Christ-like care and compassion.
Barnabas and Paul traveled to a great many cities together preaching and leading people to Christ. When they returned to Antioch, they prepared for their second missionary journey. Barnabas proposed that they take Mark (John Mark) on this second journey, but Paul strongly objected on the basis that Mark had left them on their first trip.
The scripture tells of the affair in this passage from Acts 15:
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
There you have it: “they had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.” I have a feeling that this was a real, knock-down, drag-out fight. Not a fistfight, mind you.. but it just doesn’t get much more descriptive than that. This argument led to broken fellowship between these two. And frankly, I have always thought that Barnabas was right and Paul was wrong. Paul demonstrated through his ministry a very no-nonsense approach: a certain rigidness. We don’t know all of the details about why Mark left them on their first trip, and whether his cause may or may not have been justified. But if anybody should have been willing to forgive, it should have been Paul.
BUT - God worked it out. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28 (one of my favorite verses in all of scripture), that “and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Am I suggesting God planted this rift? Not necessarily. But I am saying that rather than having this one team of Barnabas and Paul, the situation ended up creating a team of Paul and Timothy on one trip and Barnabas and Mark on another. PLUS - through those trips, I believe Paul was able to disciple Timothy and Barnabas was able to disciple John Mark in ways that would have been possible had the original plan gone through. I believe it turned out just the way God wanted it.
And the scripture tells us that - later on - Paul and Barnabas came together again in fellowship. And if I was a betting man, I would submit that Barnabas probably sent Paul an email and asked him to lunch, saying “hey, let’s get this silly dispute ended.” Our friendship means more than that. That’s just the type of man he was.
I sincerely hope that these two studies have given you a glimpse of this good man. I know that reading about him has edified me, and helped me to want to be more of an encourager, as Barnabas was.
God Bless You tonight.. Get ready - next blog is going to be on this topic: “Do I really know God?” I promise you, it’s going to be a humdinger.
As a review, we noted together in our first study of Barnabas that he was “a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.” (Acts 10:24a)
And we noted that there were three essential points of action that Barnabas took relative to the faith:
1. He surrendered all to Christ
2. He defended the Gospel
3. He exhorted
These are some of the very important additional distinctions and points to be made. The Bible tells us in Acts 4:36-37 that “..Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation), a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”
I don’t intend to repeat portions of Part I just for repeating them, but I shared those just to review for these additional observations.
1. Barnabas’ heart was correct
This attitude stands in stark contrast to Ananias and Sapphira - a Christian couple referenced in Chapter 5 of Acts:
1But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, 2And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. 5And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things. 6And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much. 9Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out. 10Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. 11And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 12And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch. 13And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them. 14And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a very sobering one. It tells of people - people who had believed on Christ and received him into their hearts, mind you - who conceived sin in their heart. They lied to God, according to the scriptures. We are told by the scripture that they would well have been “within their rights” to keep back a portion of the proceeds, as the land rightly belonged to them (as much as anything belongs to anyone, when we realize that when push comes to shove, all that we have and all that we are belongs to God).
The moral of the story is that God will not be mocked. And he was sending a powerful and assertive message to the early church that hearts to deceive would not be tolerated. These days, we rarely see a person or couple straightway struck dead if they fail to give to the local church or in some other way “hold out” on God (so far as I know). But don’t be fooled; just because God doesn’t appear to resort to this degree of “earthly punishment” doesn’t mean that there isn’t a heavy price to be paid in spiritual separation and the natural consequences of sin in this life and the life to come.
Barnabas’ heart was correct; this is a distinction that the writer and the Holy Spirit wants for us to see - and an example to follow.
2. Barnabas embraced his spiritual giftings and executed them with happiness unto God
Have you ever given any thought to what your spiritual giftings are? The Bible says we all have them. According to I Corinthians 12:1 “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I would not have you ignorant.” The Greek simply reads "spirituals" (ton pneumatikon), meaning "things characterized or controlled by the Spirit." V. 8 goes on to say “For to one is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; v. 9 To another faith by the same Spirit; to another the gifts of healing by the same spirit; v. 10 To another the working of miracles; to another prophecy; to another discerning of spirits, ; to another divers kinds of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues: v. 11 But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will.”
We ALL have spiritual gifts - and that is for another blog entry - but if you haven’t really considered what yours is - or you don’t know what it is - consider taking this spiritual gifts survey: http://www.bellevue.org/uploads/giftsintro.htm
Well, all of that to say this: Paul knew his place in the ministry. Someone from the outside looking in might say “Gosh, a guy with Barnabas’ tenure, seniority and caliber should not be being obscured by, overshadowed by or “folding in to” Paul of Tarsus.” After all, as we spoke about in the first study, look at Paul’s record. He was a murderer and a persecutor of the apostles and early Christians. It might have been easy for Barnabas to say “Wait a second here, I’m in command. This is MY ministry. I don’t know where you get off trying to act like you own this show.”
But the fact is that Barnabas gently and kindly accepted his role in God’s ministry, wherever the Holy Spirit revealed to him it was. Sometimes we can really get caught up in ego - and I daresay that it happens just as much in ministry as anywhere else (unfortunately). Barnabas didn’t allow this to happen; as Paul’s reach, anointing and power by the Holy Spirit grew, Barnabas remained agile, moldable and submissive to the Holy Spirit.
3. Barnabas had a forgiving spirit
We saw this first in Barnabas in his approach to Paul. You couldn’t have found a great many more people around that area where Paul’s name - when mentioned - wouldn’t have been quickly followed by a cry to stone him or run in the opposite direction. But Barnabas came beside him and mentored him with Christ-like care and compassion.
Barnabas and Paul traveled to a great many cities together preaching and leading people to Christ. When they returned to Antioch, they prepared for their second missionary journey. Barnabas proposed that they take Mark (John Mark) on this second journey, but Paul strongly objected on the basis that Mark had left them on their first trip.
The scripture tells of the affair in this passage from Acts 15:
36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.”
There you have it: “they had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.” I have a feeling that this was a real, knock-down, drag-out fight. Not a fistfight, mind you.. but it just doesn’t get much more descriptive than that. This argument led to broken fellowship between these two. And frankly, I have always thought that Barnabas was right and Paul was wrong. Paul demonstrated through his ministry a very no-nonsense approach: a certain rigidness. We don’t know all of the details about why Mark left them on their first trip, and whether his cause may or may not have been justified. But if anybody should have been willing to forgive, it should have been Paul.
BUT - God worked it out. The Bible tells us in Romans 8:28 (one of my favorite verses in all of scripture), that “and we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.”
Am I suggesting God planted this rift? Not necessarily. But I am saying that rather than having this one team of Barnabas and Paul, the situation ended up creating a team of Paul and Timothy on one trip and Barnabas and Mark on another. PLUS - through those trips, I believe Paul was able to disciple Timothy and Barnabas was able to disciple John Mark in ways that would have been possible had the original plan gone through. I believe it turned out just the way God wanted it.
And the scripture tells us that - later on - Paul and Barnabas came together again in fellowship. And if I was a betting man, I would submit that Barnabas probably sent Paul an email and asked him to lunch, saying “hey, let’s get this silly dispute ended.” Our friendship means more than that. That’s just the type of man he was.
I sincerely hope that these two studies have given you a glimpse of this good man. I know that reading about him has edified me, and helped me to want to be more of an encourager, as Barnabas was.
God Bless You tonight.. Get ready - next blog is going to be on this topic: “Do I really know God?” I promise you, it’s going to be a humdinger.
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Barnabas: Profile of an Encourager
Ever once in a while, someone comes into our life who is just “different”. Most people suck the life out of the air, a room and - sadly - each other. Our world is raft with negativity, despair and bad news reported from day to day on televisions, the internet and in the daily newspapers. People are losing their jobs, the economy seems to be in continued turmoil, our country finds itself entering another conflict, gas prices are on the rise and - of course - people inevitably go through the things that people go through on their own that makes their own lives sometimes difficult. It’s different for every person or family: financial problems, marriage problems, disobedient or rebellious children, failing health or the death of loved ones. There’s certainly plenty to be discouraged about.
But have you ever had someone who walked up to you, placed his arm on your shoulder and breathed the breath of life into you? Someone whose very demeanor, disposition and face exuded a confidence in the Lord and it was so powerful that it just seemed to transfer over to you and fill you up to be around them?
Barnabas - before that Joseph - was such a man. I have heard Barnabas preached about from time to time, but the truth is that the Bible says precious little about this dear man. There’s no doubt that he would have had it that way, too, for it is clear that he wasn’t a man caught up in personal gain, glory or vanity. In fact, I'm going through a book presently called "Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture" by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth. Of 52 men profiled in that devotional (one per week), somehow, Barnabas was "passed over". His fingerprints on the early church, however, is indelible.
I want to share with you some principles about this man that I hope will be an encouragement to you in your walk with the Lord Jesus.
1.) He surrendered all to Christ
Isn’t that always the starting point? Perhaps the old hymn says it best - “Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, Oh lamb of God, I come, I come..” Just as he was, he heard the gospel, believed, turned to Christ (which implies that he turned AWAY from self) and - according to Acts 4:36, “And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation), a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” It puts me in mind of the response of Peter, James and John written of in Dr. Luke’s gospel: “And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.” (Luke 5:11) I love that, don’t you? No hesitation. No consultation with family. No consideration of the consequences. They heard. They believed. And immediately - forthwith - they left everything to their earnings. Barnabas did likewise - he brought the money, “and laid it at their feet.” What a wonderful picture of repentance and humility.
2.) He defended the Gospel
In case, at some future time you happen to be conversing with a learned person (unlike myself), you should be familiar with the term “apologetics”, which is simply a theological expression used to express a defense or explanation of the Gospel, which the Bible calls all believers to do. The Bible tells us in
Acts 9:26-31 says “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. v.27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. v.28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. v.29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. v.30 Which when the brethren knew they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. v.31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Ghost, were multiplied.”
Barnabas was certainly not well acquainted with Paul at that time. And one has to believe that his defense of Paul came at great personal risk. It is clearly obvious why there was concern expressed by so many about Paul’s return to Jerusalem. After all, this is the man who had persecuted and perhaps killed Christians himself and formerly taken joy in doing so. He attended the stoning of Stephen and the Bible tells us that he held the cloak of one of the murderers. But Barnabas saw something in Paul. He believed in Paul’s conversion testimony. Did Barnabas know that Paul would go on to write the bulk of the New Testament? No. Did he know that Paul’s ministry would be (virtually) the bedrock of the early church? No. But he came along side Paul as an encourager would, not fixating his eyes upon this murderer’s past - but as Jesus would - seeing what was possible in his future.
3.) He exhorted - which is to say, he encouraged. Acts vv 22-26 tells us:
“Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, v.23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. v.24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. v.25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: v.26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people, and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
The church at Jerusalem knew exactly the man for the job. They sent Barnabas. Look at all that is contained in this passage. He saw the grace of God - and was glad. He exhorted - or being translated “encouraged” them all. Take note: he encouraged them all. The Bible says in Acts 10:34 that “God is no respecter of persons”. Barnabas subscribed to that same philosophy. I can see him entering that city and those neighborhoods and embracing each with the same sincerity, smile and warmth of spirit: from the mayor and chief tax collectors to the poorest, the prostitutes and the lepers. Each soul is valued in God’s eyes because all are bought with the same high price: the blood of Christ. He encouraged them to “cleave unto the Lord.” And then the Bible says he was a good man. I love that - “full of the Holy Ghost and faith”. And then you have the outcome: “much people was added unto the Lord”.
Sounds to me a little bit like a recipe for winning people to Christ. Go to them. Love upon them. Tell them of the love of Jesus. Encourage them to cleave unto the Lord. His method of operation was not complex; it was just sincere and his gifting God-given.
Well, there’s so much more that could be said of this good man.
But, oh, if I could be just a little bit like Barnabas. If it could be said by a few of me, “man, I love to be around him.. he just breathes life into me.. he really seems interested in ME and my life!” That was Barnabas. I’m striving today to be a little bit more like this good man who walked beside, who encouraged, exhorted and - as Isaiah 50:4 says - “that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.”
God bless you.
But have you ever had someone who walked up to you, placed his arm on your shoulder and breathed the breath of life into you? Someone whose very demeanor, disposition and face exuded a confidence in the Lord and it was so powerful that it just seemed to transfer over to you and fill you up to be around them?
Barnabas - before that Joseph - was such a man. I have heard Barnabas preached about from time to time, but the truth is that the Bible says precious little about this dear man. There’s no doubt that he would have had it that way, too, for it is clear that he wasn’t a man caught up in personal gain, glory or vanity. In fact, I'm going through a book presently called "Men of the Bible: A One-Year Devotional Study of Men in Scripture" by Ann Spangler and Robert Wolgemuth. Of 52 men profiled in that devotional (one per week), somehow, Barnabas was "passed over". His fingerprints on the early church, however, is indelible.
I want to share with you some principles about this man that I hope will be an encouragement to you in your walk with the Lord Jesus.
1.) He surrendered all to Christ
Isn’t that always the starting point? Perhaps the old hymn says it best - “Just as I am, without one plea, but that thy blood was shed for me, Oh lamb of God, I come, I come..” Just as he was, he heard the gospel, believed, turned to Christ (which implies that he turned AWAY from self) and - according to Acts 4:36, “And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation), a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.” It puts me in mind of the response of Peter, James and John written of in Dr. Luke’s gospel: “And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.” (Luke 5:11) I love that, don’t you? No hesitation. No consultation with family. No consideration of the consequences. They heard. They believed. And immediately - forthwith - they left everything to their earnings. Barnabas did likewise - he brought the money, “and laid it at their feet.” What a wonderful picture of repentance and humility.
2.) He defended the Gospel
In case, at some future time you happen to be conversing with a learned person (unlike myself), you should be familiar with the term “apologetics”, which is simply a theological expression used to express a defense or explanation of the Gospel, which the Bible calls all believers to do. The Bible tells us in
Acts 9:26-31 says “And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple. v.27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. v.28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. v.29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. v.30 Which when the brethren knew they brought him down to Cesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. v.31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the holy Ghost, were multiplied.”
Barnabas was certainly not well acquainted with Paul at that time. And one has to believe that his defense of Paul came at great personal risk. It is clearly obvious why there was concern expressed by so many about Paul’s return to Jerusalem. After all, this is the man who had persecuted and perhaps killed Christians himself and formerly taken joy in doing so. He attended the stoning of Stephen and the Bible tells us that he held the cloak of one of the murderers. But Barnabas saw something in Paul. He believed in Paul’s conversion testimony. Did Barnabas know that Paul would go on to write the bulk of the New Testament? No. Did he know that Paul’s ministry would be (virtually) the bedrock of the early church? No. But he came along side Paul as an encourager would, not fixating his eyes upon this murderer’s past - but as Jesus would - seeing what was possible in his future.
3.) He exhorted - which is to say, he encouraged. Acts vv 22-26 tells us:
“Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch, v.23 Who, when he came, and had seen the grace of God, was glad, and exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. v.24 For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord. v.25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: v.26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people, and the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
The church at Jerusalem knew exactly the man for the job. They sent Barnabas. Look at all that is contained in this passage. He saw the grace of God - and was glad. He exhorted - or being translated “encouraged” them all. Take note: he encouraged them all. The Bible says in Acts 10:34 that “God is no respecter of persons”. Barnabas subscribed to that same philosophy. I can see him entering that city and those neighborhoods and embracing each with the same sincerity, smile and warmth of spirit: from the mayor and chief tax collectors to the poorest, the prostitutes and the lepers. Each soul is valued in God’s eyes because all are bought with the same high price: the blood of Christ. He encouraged them to “cleave unto the Lord.” And then the Bible says he was a good man. I love that - “full of the Holy Ghost and faith”. And then you have the outcome: “much people was added unto the Lord”.
Sounds to me a little bit like a recipe for winning people to Christ. Go to them. Love upon them. Tell them of the love of Jesus. Encourage them to cleave unto the Lord. His method of operation was not complex; it was just sincere and his gifting God-given.
Well, there’s so much more that could be said of this good man.
But, oh, if I could be just a little bit like Barnabas. If it could be said by a few of me, “man, I love to be around him.. he just breathes life into me.. he really seems interested in ME and my life!” That was Barnabas. I’m striving today to be a little bit more like this good man who walked beside, who encouraged, exhorted and - as Isaiah 50:4 says - “that I should know how to speak a word in season to him that is weary.”
God bless you.
Friday, February 11, 2011
There's No Crying!!
Or is there? Well, we all know that there's plenty to cry about in this tough world. One needn't be out of his bed for long before he hears the first bad news of the day.. As I have shared with you before, we live in a troubled time. The Bible tells us that "man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly upward."
But I wanted to share with you a bit this morning about a good cry - yes, tears.. I was actually thinking about the subject this morning when God placed a certain verse of scripture that I had guarded to my heart years ago. The verse is "weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning." Psalm 30:5(b)
Have you ever been so upset about something that you have labored and lamented in tears all through the night? I've been upset before, but I've never done that. In fact, as I approach the sixteen year anniversary of my mother's death on Feb. 19th, I am reminded of how I learned of her death. My brother phoned in the middle of the night and I softly and quietly went back to sleep. The news had come as a relief to me, I suppose.
Yes, the Bible has a good bit to say about tears. The word "tears" itself is mentioned 36 times in the Bible, while words like "weeping" are mentioned so many, many more times. Perhaps one of the most well known - and certainly the shortest - verse having to do with the subject matter is "Jesus wept."
One could say that the Apostle Paul was a real crier; from his writings, he appeared to have moments of deep emotion and expressed his feelings of love toward the recipients of his letters with overwhelming sentiments. The expressions of love that he made to various churches through various letters are simply - - - - well - I don't know what. They are too love filled to describe. Paul's words in Acts 20:19 read thusly:
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, in the twelfth chapter, also calls us to "weep with them that weep."
There's simply no doubt about it: tears and crying are an indelible part of this life we live. As children, we cry when we fall down or when we don't get the toy we want at Wal-Mart, or when we fear something. As adolescents, we cry when we are bullied or when we encounter pain in relationships or our parents go through divorce or we experience the death of a grandparent or another loved one - and many, many other times throughout our lives. Some of us cry often - some of us cry less.
The Bible contains a wonderful story in Luke's gospel chapter 8 vv 37-50
One of the great and precious promises that the Lord Jesus gives us is that - when we pass through the veil of earthly death - and step on the shore of Heaven - He will meet us personally and "God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away."
The former things are passed away. What a thought. The former things are passed away. God has a new way of doing business in the world to come.
God bless you today.
But I wanted to share with you a bit this morning about a good cry - yes, tears.. I was actually thinking about the subject this morning when God placed a certain verse of scripture that I had guarded to my heart years ago. The verse is "weeping may endure for a night, but joy [cometh] in the morning." Psalm 30:5(b)
Have you ever been so upset about something that you have labored and lamented in tears all through the night? I've been upset before, but I've never done that. In fact, as I approach the sixteen year anniversary of my mother's death on Feb. 19th, I am reminded of how I learned of her death. My brother phoned in the middle of the night and I softly and quietly went back to sleep. The news had come as a relief to me, I suppose.
Yes, the Bible has a good bit to say about tears. The word "tears" itself is mentioned 36 times in the Bible, while words like "weeping" are mentioned so many, many more times. Perhaps one of the most well known - and certainly the shortest - verse having to do with the subject matter is "Jesus wept."
One could say that the Apostle Paul was a real crier; from his writings, he appeared to have moments of deep emotion and expressed his feelings of love toward the recipients of his letters with overwhelming sentiments. The expressions of love that he made to various churches through various letters are simply - - - - well - I don't know what. They are too love filled to describe. Paul's words in Acts 20:19 read thusly:
- "Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews: And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publickly, and have from house to house, testifying both to the Jews, and also toward to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."
Paul, in his letter to the Romans, in the twelfth chapter, also calls us to "weep with them that weep."
There's simply no doubt about it: tears and crying are an indelible part of this life we live. As children, we cry when we fall down or when we don't get the toy we want at Wal-Mart, or when we fear something. As adolescents, we cry when we are bullied or when we encounter pain in relationships or our parents go through divorce or we experience the death of a grandparent or another loved one - and many, many other times throughout our lives. Some of us cry often - some of us cry less.
The Bible contains a wonderful story in Luke's gospel chapter 8 vv 37-50
37And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.
But Jesus knew what no one else in that room knew. The Bible says, in the book of I Samuel, that while man looks at outward appearances, God looks upon the heart. Jesus looked upon her heart that day and saw that she believed upon him and saw that she had repented that day. Result: "And he said to the woman, 'Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace'." What a lovely picture of sincere repentance by a sinner and forgiveness given by our heavenly father.
The former things are passed away. What a thought. The former things are passed away. God has a new way of doing business in the world to come.
God bless you today.
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Life's Rhythms
God has laid in on my heart to ponder and share a bit about the issue of transition - change - transition.. I have spent my professional life counseling with young people. And I have experienced many of the same things they have approached me about, too. Recently, a couple of younger folks contacted me with expressions of concern about the worry they had about these things - many of which amount to rites of passage for us: passing from preschool to kindergarten, from primary school to middle school, from middle school to high school, from high school to college, from college to graduate school or to a job, perhaps marriage along the way and a child or two - and many points that call for us to make important decisions along the way.
In some way, I guess this entry is directed toward my students - my young people - my counselees - my former advisees - my former recruits. If you're reading this and are do not fall into one of those categories, though, I feel you will still benefit, because we all deal with these things.
And there is an ebb and flow and a rhythm to life - and to our emotions. There are good times and there are bad. There are times when we are healthy - and there are times when we face sickness. There are times when we are emotional highs - and there are times when we feel extraordinarily depressed. There are times for young people when we have experienced no death whatsoever; we've never even been to a funeral - and then there may be times when we have to bury closed loved ones within the same year.
I want to share some things that I share with many that I have learned on these subjects as time has progressed. Many are from my own experience - and many are tidbits I've learned from men and women much wiser then myself..
1. These things are absolutely "normal" and you're not not the only one going through them. As you look around you, you may think that everyone around you seems to be having a grand time and you may be wondering "why is it that I'm the only one suffering"? You're not the only one. God's Word tells us that "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
2. There is no reason to suffer alone. Depression can be a terrible, life-altering, debilitating, thing. Here is how it is defined: "a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason". Often, counseling can help. And sometimes medication is needed for people who are in a more severe condition. The important thing to understand is that no one suffering from depression is abnormal, "weird", or should any way feel embarrassed. In times like these, I often wonder how any sane person could get by in life without being depressed from time to time. I am not a physician; the point is, if you need to be seen by one, don't wait too long without reaching out to let someone know that you need to see one.
3. If you've not experienced trouble yet, get ready. That may sound cynical, or depressing or to some, pragmatic. But the bottom line is that it's just biblical and absolutely true. Job 5:7 tells us that
"man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." It's just the nature of life. Sickness, depression, rebellion, war, job-loss, economic distress, betrayal, disloyalty, problems in relationships and death are all a part of life and we shall all experience them at some point in our lives.
4. The best way to be prepared for life's speedbumps is to be grounded in God's Word. I've said many times that people rarely find God on life's mountain tops, when things are going "hunky dorey". They're just not looking for him, because they think they don't need him. They've made their money, they've achieved success, their affairs are in order, their house is paid for, etc. etc. But when their children get sick, when they lose their jobs, when those jets flew into those buildings on Sept. 11th, surveys showed that many, many churches and chapels were filled with Americans who fell to their knees in prayer to the God of heeling and restoration. And God wants that. He welcomes that and wants us to reach up to him in bad times. But it would be good if our communication channels were open at all times - so that in good times and bad, God is our God. Romans 8:31(b) tells us "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
But what about you? You can't really do anything in a praying way unless you've done the most important thing in your life - bar none - which is to embark on a relationship - NOT a religion or a church membership - but a relationship - with the living, risen Christ. If you have not done that, click here to learn more from a trusted source: http://new.theencouragingword.org/discover-jesus
With all my love and concern for you,
Rudy Alan Cope
In some way, I guess this entry is directed toward my students - my young people - my counselees - my former advisees - my former recruits. If you're reading this and are do not fall into one of those categories, though, I feel you will still benefit, because we all deal with these things.
And there is an ebb and flow and a rhythm to life - and to our emotions. There are good times and there are bad. There are times when we are healthy - and there are times when we face sickness. There are times when we are emotional highs - and there are times when we feel extraordinarily depressed. There are times for young people when we have experienced no death whatsoever; we've never even been to a funeral - and then there may be times when we have to bury closed loved ones within the same year.
I want to share some things that I share with many that I have learned on these subjects as time has progressed. Many are from my own experience - and many are tidbits I've learned from men and women much wiser then myself..
1. These things are absolutely "normal" and you're not not the only one going through them. As you look around you, you may think that everyone around you seems to be having a grand time and you may be wondering "why is it that I'm the only one suffering"? You're not the only one. God's Word tells us that "He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous."
2. There is no reason to suffer alone. Depression can be a terrible, life-altering, debilitating, thing. Here is how it is defined: "a condition of general emotional dejection and withdrawal; sadness greater and more prolonged than that warranted by any objective reason". Often, counseling can help. And sometimes medication is needed for people who are in a more severe condition. The important thing to understand is that no one suffering from depression is abnormal, "weird", or should any way feel embarrassed. In times like these, I often wonder how any sane person could get by in life without being depressed from time to time. I am not a physician; the point is, if you need to be seen by one, don't wait too long without reaching out to let someone know that you need to see one.
3. If you've not experienced trouble yet, get ready. That may sound cynical, or depressing or to some, pragmatic. But the bottom line is that it's just biblical and absolutely true. Job 5:7 tells us that
"man is born to trouble as surely as sparks fly upward." It's just the nature of life. Sickness, depression, rebellion, war, job-loss, economic distress, betrayal, disloyalty, problems in relationships and death are all a part of life and we shall all experience them at some point in our lives.
4. The best way to be prepared for life's speedbumps is to be grounded in God's Word. I've said many times that people rarely find God on life's mountain tops, when things are going "hunky dorey". They're just not looking for him, because they think they don't need him. They've made their money, they've achieved success, their affairs are in order, their house is paid for, etc. etc. But when their children get sick, when they lose their jobs, when those jets flew into those buildings on Sept. 11th, surveys showed that many, many churches and chapels were filled with Americans who fell to their knees in prayer to the God of heeling and restoration. And God wants that. He welcomes that and wants us to reach up to him in bad times. But it would be good if our communication channels were open at all times - so that in good times and bad, God is our God. Romans 8:31(b) tells us "If God is for us, who can be against us?"
But what about you? You can't really do anything in a praying way unless you've done the most important thing in your life - bar none - which is to embark on a relationship - NOT a religion or a church membership - but a relationship - with the living, risen Christ. If you have not done that, click here to learn more from a trusted source: http://new.theencouragingword.org/discover-jesus
With all my love and concern for you,
Rudy Alan Cope
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