RESURRECTION

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I Was Just Thinking About – RESURRECTION.

Jesus asserted to Mary, Martha and their friends, John 11:25-26, “I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.  And everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die.” He then poses the important question: ”Do you believe this?” When Billy Graham was facing death, he made the statement to the effect that at his death he would be more alive than ever before. He also allowed that all his death represented was a change of address as he departed earth and entered into heaven.

I have spoken with people recently who have experienced the loss of a loved one. In a couple of instances, it occurred unexpectedly. Some have loved ones who are approaching the threshold of death. The Doctors have done all that they have known to do medically and have no other medical alternative for the person. While I was in the Fusion Center, I overheard a Doctor telling family members that their Father needed to make preparation for his soon departure – there was nothing further the medical profession could do or recommend. I also overheard the family members pleading with the Doctor to try something for their loved one. Accepting the inevitable is never easy.

The headline in the Tuscaloosa News, April 29, 2018, is: “Rebuild, Restore, Replace.” The article is a review of the devastating tornado that occurred seven years ago. Obviously, there is a spiritual application that can be made with this headline. The Biblical Church needs to review areas where it has allowed for the dormant to dominate. It needs to rebuild, restore and replace some of its forms. The culture has been allowed in infiltrate and impact the emphases of the Church. The Church, in its attempt to be more relevant, has adapted its message and outreach to conform to the culture and political correctness.

When Jesus walked among the seven churches in Revelation 2 and 3, he said to the Church at Sardis, Revelation 3:1-3, “I know your deeds; you have a reputation for being alive, yet you are dead. Wake up and strengthen what remains, which was about to die; for I have found your deeds incomplete in the sight of My God.” Sobering words by a serious Savior to a portion of His Church. Can the Church rebuild, restore and replace? Yes! Can that which is facing death find hope amid personal uncertainty? Yes!

We should be very thankful for the words in First Corinthians 15:50-58 should be engraved in one’s heart, mind and soul: “Now I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in an instant, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must be clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come to pass: “Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the Law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast and immovable. Always excel in the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.”

The victory and triumph through our Lord Jesus Christ is for you who believe in Him! It is for you who have trusted Jesus Christ and been redeemed by His precious blood. In Him, you have His victory and triumph. In Him, you also have newness of life!

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.

MANTLES AND MENTORING

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I Was Just Thinking About – MANTLES AND MENTORING.

A foible in life is that many people do not allot or make time to invest in another's life by becoming positively engaged and involved in it. Mentoring means: “a wise or trusted adviser or guide; one who trains another.” The Biblical model is the ministry of Jesus Christ and the training of the twelve. His injunction was simple and clear: “Follow Me…I will make you…” into that which I want you to be – “fishers of men.” He was the teacher and example for what He wanted them to become and be for Him in ongoing ministry effort.

Mentoring involves God bringing two or more people together where a younger man can learn and benefit from the ministry, life and training of one who is experienced in ministry. While this happens often in the secular field (one becoming an apprentice of an experienced person), the focus in this Blog is the need for it to occur more frequently in the spiritual area. The idea of mentoring is to maintain that which must be ongoing with practical instruction and guidance. It is the desire that trial by error can and will be avoided.

A difficulty is the desire of the one needing mentoring to be willing to receive it. I recently watched a program on this subject by two ministers who had been mentored and were given opportunity to mentor others. It did remind me of an experience of several years ago. I was part of a small group of both layman and ministers who met weekly. On one occasion, there was a Spirit-led time of transparency. As different ones shared areas of vulnerability, there was time of prayer for the individual who was sharing a sense of need and inadequacy. I felt led to share a vulnerability and was interrupted by a dear brother in Christ (now in the presence of the Lord) who said: “And I thought you had your act together.”

It was not timely or helpful, but it was hurtful. Why hurtful? From age five, I did not have the relationship with my earthly father. He was in the Hospital and died when I was age seven. I grew up in a community and atmosphere where I was told that I’d never amount to anything and was even referred to with a coarse term that is defined as being illegitimate. In my childhood and teen years, it was my sister who consistently showed me love and affirmation. There were a handful of layman who nudged me along as well.  

It reminds one of I Corinthians 4:14-16 and the principle of mentoring, “I am not writing this to shame you, but to warn you as my beloved children. Even if you have ten thousand guardians in Christ, you do not have many fathers; for in Christ Jesus I became your father through the gospel. Therefore I urge you to imitate me.” The other reminder is in I Kings 19:16, the Lord directs Elijah, “Elisha you shall anoint to be prophet in your place.” Elijah was obedient to the Lord’s directive, First Kings 19:19 (NASB), “Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle (cloak) on him.” Paul wrote to Timothy about the significance of mentoring, II Timothy 2:2 (NIV), “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”

There are many passages to note on the subject of mentoring. Basically, it means one should be willing and ready to invest his/her life in that of another person(s). Sometime, the lack of peer acceptance is a detriment to ones mentoring desire and effort. In 2012, I wrote about peer acceptance and appreciation in a book – Realizing Significance. Part of the theme indicates there are no unneeded, insignificant, unacceptable, inconsequential or little people in God’s kingdom. Francis Schaefer wrote: “There are no little people and no big people. There are either consecrated people or unconsecrated people.”

Relationally, can we remember this as we try to mentor others? Have you made a difference in another’s life and ministry? Have you allowed yourself to be vulnerable when reaching out to another with “the things you have heard” and learned so they can “entrust (it) to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others”?

Prayerfully – consider these things with me.

IDENTIFICATION

I Was Just Thinking About – IDENTIFICATION.

How would you identify yourself? What do you do? What is the chief concern you have presently? How would I like to be identified? What do I do? How would I like to be identified? There are many ways these questions can be answered but narrowing it down to a brief sentence/phrase of five words, what would you say or write?

A suggested list for the Biblical Christian is given in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5): “I am meek! I am poor in spirit. I am humble! I am merciful! I hunger/thirst for righteousness! I am pure in heart!” Some would deem that to be presumptive, fanatical or dodging the question! But – should it? Isn’t this what Jesus was teaching and requiring? Why is one hesitant to say so? Psalm 107:2 (NASB), “Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the adversary.” Isn’t that who we are? Isn’t that our true identity in Jesus Christ? Redeemed by Jesus Christ and made a new creation in/by Him? Yes! Our song could be the words written by Fanny Crosby,

Redeemed—how I love to proclaim it!

Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb;

Redeemed through His infinite mercy,

His child, and forever, I am.

A broader question arises when one is confronted with adversity. How does one respond or react at such times? A testimony about a devastating moment is shared in A Story About A Hymn. Some of the detail is: “In 1978, cancer was discovered in Ron Hamilton’s left eye. Many people in his circumstance would be emotionally devastated and cave in, yield to self-pity or even leave the faith. Although Ron and his wife Shelly never fully understood why God allowed him to go through this ordeal, they committed everything to God’s gracious hand and let His will be done. He said, Hearing a doctor say I had cancer and may die was a very sobering experience. Many people would see the loss of my eye and the need for wearing a patch as a great trial. But I see it as one of the greatest blessings of my life. It reminds me that God teaches us the greatest lessons in the deepest valleys. Immediately after the loss of his eye due to cancer, Ron Hamilton penned a song based on Philippians 4:4, which says: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again, I will say, rejoice.”

Our renewed perspective and purpose for life could also be song in the words of the Hymn: O, Rejoice in the Lord. The lyrics include:

God never moves without purpose or plan

When trying His servant and molding a man.

Give thanks to the Lord though your testing seems long;

In darkness He giveth a song.

I could not see through the shadows ahead;

So I looked at the cross of my Savior instead.

I bowed to the will of the Master that day;

Then peace came and tears fled away.

Now I can see testing comes from above;

God strengthens His children and purges in love.

My Father knows best, and I trust in His care;

Through purging more fruit I will bear.

Refrain:

O Rejoice in the Lord He makes no mistake,

He knoweth the end of each path that I take,

For when I am tried And purified,

I shall come forth as gold.

May these words uplift your carking (burdensome) anxieties and cause you to “Rejoice in the Lord” today and all the days of your life. May this be your identification and witness.

Prayerfully – consider these things with me!