by HARVEYOPP | Sep 2, 2014 | Scott Henry
“Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness” (Psalm 37:3).
The measure of our trust in the Lord is determined by how well we know the Lord. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 1:12: “…for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.” Paul knew Christ was trustworthy and he willingly entrusted everything to Him! Do you know that the Lord can be trusted implicitly? Do you trust Him with your whole life?
The goal of every believer is to know Christ in a greater measure, to let the word of Christ dwell in him richly (Col. 3), and to think Christ’s thoughts after Him (2 Cor. 10). This is the only way we will ever trust in the Lord. To “Trust in the Lord” is a call to know the Lord, and to know the Lord means to be in saving relationship with Him. To know Him is to be in union with Him; Adam knew his wife Eve and she conceived and bore a son. The idea of “knowing” in Scripture is not just “knowing about” someone, but being joined and united to that person. That’s why Paul wrote in Philippians 3:8-10: “Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death…”
The only way we can know the Lord in this manner is by true faith in the promises of God found in the Word of God, the Bible. By true faith we are united to Christ as members of His body (1 Corinthians 12). By true faith we know that He is the eternal Lord who is faithful to a thousand generations of those who love him (Exodus 20). By faith we know He is the great I AM (Ex. 3) … He is Jehovah Jireh, God our Provider (Psalm 23), the One who is and who was and who is to come (Rev. 1).
How well do you know Him? How much time do you spend growing in the knowledge of Christ? When we meet someone we like we enjoy spending time getting to know them. Well, how much time do you spend getting to know God through His Word? If you don’t spend time in His Word then you don’t know God as your Savior, for to know Him is to love Him, and your love is expressed by desiring to spend time with Him. Do you know Him? Take some time this week and read Job chapters 38-42 and get to know, in a greater measure, the sovereign and almighty God in whom we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).
by HARVEYOPP | Aug 29, 2014 | Scott Henry
“YOUR WORD IS A LAMP TO MY FEET AND A LIGHT TO MY PATH” (PSALM 119:105).
The only thing that can satisfy the longing in our soul is the Word of God. Too often we are discontent with the things we have and when we obtain more in order to satisfy the longing in our soul we quickly learn that the hunger rages on. Why? Because the longing of man’s soul can only be satisfied by the Word of God; Scripture alone is the food for our soul. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4: “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” The Apostle Paul told the elders at Ephesus in Acts 20:32: “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” The Word of God is what the believer lives by; Scripture alone brings joy, comfort, peace, and satisfaction to our soul.
The Word of God brings light to our pathway and illuminates the way before our feet in this dark world (Psalm 119:105). This sinful world is a stumbling block of darkness on the pathway in which we walk. We cannot look to the wisdom of this world to give us guidance because the wisdom of this world is foolishness! (1 Corinthians 3:19). Only the Word of God is sufficient and dependable to guide us in this world. This doesn’t mean that we can’t turn to others for advice. The psalmist surely turned to his father, mother and friends many times for advice, but only when others give us counsel in accordance with the Word of God will their counsel be reliable and worthy to be followed. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked…” (Psalm 1:1).
Is your soul discontent? Do you have a longing that’s never satisfied by the things of this world? Do you have troubles in your marriage or with your family? Do you struggle with certain sins in your life? The ONLY solution is to feed on the Word of God. The Word of God is the ONLY reliable and trustworthy guide that can give us the strength we need to withstand the temptations we face in this life. That’s why the Psalmist wrote: “Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You!” (Psalm 119:11) Have you nourished your soul today on the Word of Life? “As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word that you may grow thereby…” (1 Peter 2:2).
by HARVEYOPP | Aug 26, 2014 | Scott Henry
“Whoever guards his mouth and tongue keeps his soul from troubles.” Proverbs 21:23
The easiest way for a person to sin is with the tongue. The restraining laws in our society prevent us from doing just anything we want, but it sure seems as if we can say anything we want. Man, because of his fallen, depraved heart, is prone to spew forth all manner of blasphemy and putrid language from his mouth, which produces a myriad of troubles for his soul. The Apostle Paul described man’s tongue in Romans 3:13-14 with these words: “Their throat is an open tomb; with their tongues they have practiced deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips; whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” Even those redeemed by Christ struggle to govern their vicious tongue. How many wars have been started because of a prideful, arrogant, rebellious tongue? How many couples have divorced because of a lying tongue? How many friends have been separated because of a gossiping tongue? How many times a day is God’s holy name, or the name of the glorious Redeemer, Jesus the Christ, taken in vain, blasphemed, or used in a joke?
Before you speak, dear ones, remember the words of Christ, “But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the Day of Judgment” (Matt. 12:36). As those who are redeemed by Christ, let us daily practice restraining our tongue, the ‘little member of our body that boasts great things’ (James 3:5). We do this by constantly and conscientiously speaking true, kind, edifying, gracious, and loving words, which honor God, and also by keeping our mouth shut when it’s not absolutely necessary to repeat a matter. Too many matters are repeated again and again that would better be left untold since they bring no edification to the hearer. “Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt…” (Col. 4:6). Only by guarding our tongue will we keep our soul from unnecessary troubles. “Who is the man who desires life, and loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceit” (Psalm 34:11-12).
by HARVEYOPP | Aug 22, 2014 | Scott Henry
“But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison” (James 3:8).
According to Scripture, the tongue reveals the true person because it manifests the condition of the heart. Jesus said, “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and they defile a man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies…” (Matt. 15:18-19). We read in Job 15:5: “For your iniquity teaches your mouth, and you choose the tongue of the crafty.” Simply stated, a man’s heart is the storehouse and his words indicate what’s stored there. As a doctor puts a thermometer under your tongue for your physical temperature, so Scripture teaches that the tongue reveals your spiritual temperature. It was said to Peter by those in the courtyard …“Your speech betrays you.” Jesus said in Luke 6:45: “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.”
However, we live in a society that thinks it can say just anything it wants in the name of freedom of speech, and this attitude too often creeps into the church. But James 1:26 tells us that genuine faith shows itself in the control of the tongue. “If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless.” In other words, is your speech consistent with the faith you profess? James says true faith is manifested by those who bridle the tongue, and the reason we must bridle the tongue is because of its great potential to condemn. Proverbs 26:20: “Where there’s no wood, the fire goes out; and where there’s no talebearer, strife ceases.” The talebearer or gossiper who passes on the evil report is the wood that fuels the fire. How are you doing with controlling your tongue? Is your speech seasoned with salt so that it imparts grace to the hearers (Col. 4:6), or do you just let your words fling off your tongue like a little boy who is just beginning to shoot a bow & arrow?
The following prayer ought to be the prayer of every believer: O LORD, help me to guard my ways that I may not sin with my tongue (Psalm 39:1). Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth, and keep watch over the door of my lips (Psalm 141:3) that I may not stumble in what I say (James 3:2). Let my speech always be gracious and seasoned with salt in order that I may know how to answer others for Your glory and their good (Colossians 4:6). Let my mouth utter wisdom, and my tongue speak justice (Psalm 37:30), and let not Your Word depart from my mouth (Isaiah 59:21). Help me always to open my mouth with wisdom, and make me to know what is acceptable (Proverbs 10:32) that my tongue may be as choice silver, and my lips may feed many people true wisdom (Proverbs 10:20-21). Grant this I pray, O Lord, for the sake of Your glory, honor, and praise. Amen!
by HARVEYOPP | Aug 15, 2014 | THOM RAINER
If you really want to hurt your pastor, then this blogpost is for you.
This past week alone, I had conversations with dozens of pastors. These pastors love their churches and the members. They are really committed to their callings.
But they are real people who can really be hurt.
The pastors I spoke with this past week shared with me seven common themes of the things that hurt them the most. So, if you really want to hurt your pastor, follow these guidelines carefully.
- CRITICIZE THE PASTOR’S FAMILY. Few things are as painful to pastors as criticizing their families, especially if the criticisms are related to issues in the church.
- TELL THE PASTOR HE IS OVERPAID. Very few pastors really make much money. But there are a number of church members who would like to make the pastor feel badly about his pay.
- DON’T DEFEND THE PASTOR. Critics can be hurtful. But even more hurtful are those who remain silent while their pastor is verbally attacked. Silence is not golden in this case.
- TELL YOUR PASTOR WHAT AN EASY JOB HE HAS. It can really sting when someone suggests that the pastor really only works about ten hours a week. Some actually believe that pastors have several days a week off.
- BE A CONSTANT NAYSAYER. Pastors can usually handle the occasional critic. But the truly painful relationships are with church members who are constantly negative. How do you know you’ve succeeded in this regard? The pastor runs the other way when he sees you.
- MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THE PASTOR’S EXPENDITURES. I heard it from a pastor this past week. A church member asked, “How can you afford to go to Disney World?” Wow.
- COMPARE YOUR PASTOR’S PREACHING AND MINISTRY UNFAVORABLY TO THAT OF ANOTHER PASTOR. Many times the member wants you to know how much he or she likes that pastor on the podcast compared to you. If you really want to hurt your pastor, you can make certain he knows how inferior he is.
So, if your life’s goal is to hurt your pastor, one or more of these approaches will work just fine.
But, if you are like most good church members, you want the best for your pastor. So just do the opposite of these seven, such as:
- Encourage the pastor’s family.
- Thank the pastor for all that the pastor does at the church.
- Take a stand for your pastor.
- Understand the number of hours a pastor puts in each week.
- Encourage the pastor instead of being critical.
- Don’t compare the pastor to the rare exceptions who live lavishly.
- Tell your pastor how the sermons impact your life.
And if you are worried that your pastor will not remain humble unless someone puts him in his place, don’t worry. There will always be plenty of those other church members around.
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