Archives for posts with tag: ministry

Why would anyone want to read about what I do day to day? Well, most people would not. Some people are curious. Some may be considering partnering with us in ministry, so this could be an introduction, to help you decide. Others might already know me and have wondered how I stay so lean. This answers that question. Or they may wonder why my joy and peace do not leave me in stressful situations. This bit of writing should serve for those reasons. I am mainly writing this so I can read it to my children.

Also, even if no one else ever reads this, I think it will serve well as a form of self-reflection. By thinking through what I am doing and why I am doing it, with each of these precious moments I have been given, I can hope and pray that my future choices will be closer to the best priorities.

If any historians happen to be reading this, in hopes of discovering what life was like back in this century, I have a bit of a disclaimer, of sorts. My life does not represent the common activities of this time and culture. Most people consider our family to be quite different from the norm.

Of course, my days are not each alike, so I will not be describing just one day. Rather, the topic will be day to day stuff, when and why. I do not intend to include such intimate details that you will be embarrassed by reading.

DayInTheLifeDayInTheLife

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Psalm 19:1-4
1 The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament showeth his handiwork.
2 Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night showeth knowledge.
3 [There is] no speech nor language, [where] their voice is not heard.
4 Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

Romans 1:19-20
19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed [it] unto them.
20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse:

Romans 10:17-18
17 So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.

It seems that the above verses are telling us that evangelism is not necessary. In contrast:

Proverbs 11:30 … he that winneth souls [is] wise.

Romans 10:15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

So, why evangelise? There are some good reasons.

One reason to preach the gospel is if you are called of God to do so.

Ephesians 4:1,11
1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called,

11 And he gave some, apostles; … and some, evangelists; …

1 Corinthians 9:16 For though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to glory of: for necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!

The purpose of this article is to give you encouragement, rather than guilt, regarding evangelism. However, if you are called to evangelise, and you are not doing it, then this article is not the source of your guilt!

Another reason to evangelise is that God cares for the lost. But, if God cares so much about the lost, then why doesn’t He tell them the gospel Himself? He does tell them. He does? Yes, He does tell them, as demonstrated by the scriptural passages at the beginning of this article. Then why do we need to tell them? We don’t need to tell them. We don’t? No, we don’t need to tell them. They are without excuse. If we needed to tell them, and we didn’t, then that would be their excuse. Whether we tell them or not, they have no excuse, because God already told them. Then, why is this a reason to evangelise? Because it is a blessing that God allows us to partner in His work. What a Partner! What a blessing! We will be blessed when our cares have the same object as God’s cares.

So often, God sheds His Light for others through us. What a beautiful design. He is The Source of all good gifts (He that ministereth seed to the sower, 2 Corinthians 9:10), yet He allows us to do some of the giving. That way both the giver and the receiver are blessed. Jesus said, “I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18). Aren’t you glad He invited you to the party?

Those human souls are all you can take with you from Earth to Heaven. As they say, “Measure your wealth not by money, but by all you have for which you would not take money.”

There are also other eternal rewards for winning souls to Christ.

Daniel 12:3 And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever.

Heaven will be better than we can imagine. But, there are some blessed things that can only be done in this life.

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James 1:16-27
16 Do not err, my beloved brethren.
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.
18 Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures.
19 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:
20 For the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.
21 Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the engrafted word, which is able to save your souls.
22 But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.
23 For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass:
24 For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was.
25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth [therein,] he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
26 If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion [is] vain.
27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, [and] to keep himself unspotted from the world.

In the first two chapters, God points to Job as being devoted to the pure religion. In the final chapter, God reveals that Job’s three friends had been followers of defiled religion. See Folly … In The Bible?

Saul’s (Paul’s) religion led him to persecute the church (Galatians 1). Many today think of religion as rituals and traditions. Those Christians who claim to hate religion, we hope, are referring to defiled religion. I can understand why they would say that, since many of the rituals and traditions are merely a distraction from 1 Timothy 1:15 This [is] a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

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