by Terry Laughlin | Apr 29, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
Are You the Lord’s Sheep
A key step to hearing from God is to take a truth spoken by Jesus seriously, “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand.” (John 10:27-28) Jesus spoke another truth that must be grasped in order to hear from the Lord, “But you do not believe because you are not My sheep.” (John 10:26)
It is imperative that you understand that Jesus is talking to Jews here. (John 10:24) He had been speaking to the Pharisees, (John 10:1) The beloved John makes it clear that the Pharisees could not understand what Jesus was teaching. (John 10:6) A Pharisee (Φαρισαῖος Pharisaios) is a member of a Jewish religious sect. Pharisees were educated (Nelson’s New Testament Bible Manners and Customs) The Pharisees are described by two first century sources, the New Testament and Josephus, a Jewish Historian who wrote for non-Jews in the Greek language. The picture of the Pharisees in the Gospels present them as legalistic, hypocrites and were blind to Jesus’ message. Jesus had a conversation with a Pharisee, Nicodemus. In that conversation, Jesus points out, “…you do not believe.” (John 3:10, 12) In His parable of the “Good Shepherd and His Sheep” Jesus taught, “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him, because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact they will run from him.” (John 10: 3-5)
“Travelers to lands where old-fashioned sheep herding methods are still used, have noticed the shepherds often give names to their sheep, just like we do our dogs, cats, and horses. They notice the sheep recognizes its own name, and comes when called by the shepherd they know. They even noticed that when the different flocks are mixed, as each shepherd begins to call his flock, travelers are intrigued by the sheep’s readiness to separate and follow the commands given. They notice the sheep paid no attention to the shepherds they did not know.” (Freeman, J. M., & Chadwick, H. J. (1998). Manners & customs of the Bible (p. 518). North Brunswick, NJ: Bridge-Logos Publishers)
Hearing from God in modern times requires that you be a true sheep, a child of God who hears the voice of the Great Shepherd, Jesus Christ.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Pastoral Appreciation
Pastoral Appreciation
There is no greater blessing than to see obedient Christians exercise their gifts under the guidance of agape love. Whether it be the gift of helps, administration, evangelism or any of the other gifts clearly described in the Bible, each one is equally important to God, useful to Jesus Christ and can be empowered by the Holy Spirit.
In 2 Corinthians 1: 11 there is a very special person that pastors are especially thankful for–prayer warriors. The greatest missionary of all time, the apostle Paul wrote, “As you help us by your prayers, then many will give thanks on our behalf for the gracious favor granted us in answer to the prayers of many.” (2 Corinthians 1:11) Paul writes this as a statement of fact proclaiming that it was the power of God in answer to prayer that enabled him and the ministry team he was working with to complete all that God had for them to do.
Paul’s life was often in danger and it was only by the hand of God that he had been delivered out of it. Paul also wrote “…But this happened that we might not rely upon ourselves but on God.” (2 Corinthians 1:9) Yes, Paul knew that it was God who protected them through and delivered them out of their great perils. He also was not so foolish as to deny or undervalue the secondary cause. Having first praised God earlier in this chapter, 2 Corinthians 1:11 shows how Paul remembers with great gratitude the earnest prayers of many loving prayer warriors.
The greatest ministry to the pastor of any Bible-believing church is the ministry of fasting and prayer. The church that looks past the world’s way of doing business and gets serious about praying for their spiritual leaders is the church that God will use to reach the lost and make true disciples of Christ. Your pastor faces great perils every day, the flesh often tempts him, the world continually draws him and the devil attacks in many different ways. Most pastors every week search desperately for times of fasting, prayer, Bible reading and study. Spending time alone with the Lord is the pastor’s food for strength to fulfill God’s calling. Pastors, now and especially in the near future, need the faithful prayers of those they oversee for the Lord.
An American preacher became the pastor of a London Church. On the first Sunday there were many converts. For the next year the Lord’s messages were delivered with power and many lost souls came to Christ. At the end of that first year this pastor was called to the bedside of a vary ill member of the church who told him how she had passed through a period of rebellion and spiritual darkness because of poverty, lameness and sickness. Upon repentance God revealed to her that He had given her the privilege of intercession. On the Saturday night before the pastor’s first Sunday this woman spent the entire night in prayer and had done that every Saturday night since. As her weak voice ceased, the pastor knew that this wonderful child of God had most certainly ministered to him and the Lord.
October is pastoral appreciation month. Will you be the one to uphold your pastor in agape love? Sacrificial prayer warriors have the most appreciation of their pastors.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Patriotism
Intercession for Our Armed Forces
Psalm 33:16-18 says “No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength. A horse is a vain hope for deliverance; despite all its great strength it cannot save. But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear Him, on those whose hope is in His unfailing love.”
The great preacher Charles Spurgeon wrote, “The strongest battalions melt like snowflakes when God is against them.” America has been blessed with great and powerful military forces, yet Americans must understand that the Lord is not on the side of those who have the biggest war heads and largest armies. His eyes watch out for those who look to Him as Lord and who fully understand that victory only comes from Him.
The Word of God lays out a format which can be followed in battling the enemies of a nation with a motto, “The People of God” or “In God We Trust.” There are those who are trained to go and fight and there are those who are commissioned to pray.
This is so clearly seen in Exodus 17:10-13. Exodus records the events of a battle commissioned by Moses and anointed by God to fight against the Amalekites who threatened the people of God. The warrior leading the Lord’s army was Joshua, whose name means “Yahweh is salvation.” The Bible says, “So Joshua fought the Amalekites… Moses, Aaron and Hur went to the top of the hill. As long as Moses held up his hands, the Israelites were winning, but whenever he lowered his hands, the Amalekites were winning. When Moses’ hands grew tired… Aaron and Hur held up his hands… so that his hands remained steady till sunset. So Joshua overcame the Amalekites army with the sword.”
In Exodus 17:9 we read of Moses telling Joshua that he would be holding the staff of God in his hand. This staff of God was a way of appeal to the Lord. Our appeal today is to enter the throne of grace in the name of Jesus Christ. Christians are not only to be light upon a hill, but intercessors as well. Our nation is fighting an enemy right now and Christians are to be quick and steadfast in prayer as Moses, Aaron and Hur. Our armed forces need God’s intervention as much as Joshua’s army did.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Easter
Why a Crown of Thorns
The Word of God gives us great details on the “Battlefield Wounds of Christ” which were inflicted upon Jesus Christ as He gave His life for our redemption. Taking time to remember those wounds and understanding what He purchased for us could fan into flames the love we should be expressing all year long to our Lord.
The scene of the battlefield of which Christ was on was humanity at his worst and Jesus was inflicted with many wounds, One of those infliction’s was a “crown of thorns.” Thorns came in with sin and became part of the curse that was the product of sin. (Genesis 3:18) Therefore, Christ being made a curse for us, and dying to remove that curse from us, felt the pain and hurt of those thorns.
Jesus’ bearing the crown of thorns answers the type of Abraham’s ram, which took the place of Isaac. The “thicket” (bak) that the ram had his horns caught in were a dense growth of heavy shrubs or underbrush that are intertwined in a manner that would catch persons or creatures and were very difficult to go through.
The Bible is very clear, God told Adam, “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you…” (Genesis 3:18) Thistles (darda) were a very prickly plant having no value for producing life giving fruit. Even though they are a luxuriantly growing plant, they are still a worthless plant. Thorns (qowts) are a non-fruit bearing bush noted for their sharp, wood-splinter-like spines or tines.
It has been said that “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay and cost you more than you want to pay.” Sin holds you in bondage and keeps you from having a fruitful relationship with Christ. Sin grows vigorously yet will leave you in a worthless state of mind and heart. The results of sin never escape the mind of the one who committed it nor of those who have had placed within their minds the horrors of it actions.
However, the Easter story is God laying the results of sin upon Christ, yet He got victory over sin and death, thus giving eternal life to all who come to Him in repentance. He got victory over the results of your sins.
by Terry Laughlin | Apr 20, 2016 | Easter
Why Mocking
The Lord had mocking laid upon him. Matthew 27:29 says, “They put a staff in His hand and knelt in front of Him and mocked Him…” A definition for mock is an object of ridicule. Christ withstood a false homage from the sinful wicked so that we may not have to remain guilty of sin that always brings mockery in the end.
In the workplace, it is not uncommon to see co-workers encourage sinful behavior that leads to all kinds of outward manifestation such as lying, adultery, and the misuse of God’s name. Worldly attitudes cause all to eventually misuse gifts, talents, and skills that God has given to mankind. When the manifestations of the sinful nature reach the point of public embracement, mockery comes from the co-workers, who by their actions and words encourage the sinful behavior. The very ones who encouraged flirting among the man and female sexes, mock those who eventually become involved in adultery. Those who encouraged back biting, telling dirty or off colored jokes, and wrong attitudes, publicly bad mouth those that they have encouraged to live a sinful lifestyle. Sin always brings approach, heartache, and emotional drain.
Yet, our Lord took those words and actions of mockery for the sake of God’s justice and our redemption. The Holy Spirit spoke through David, a man after God’s heart, reflecting the heart of Christ regarding His Father’s will, “For I endure scorn for your sake…”
The Romans had learned that this type of mockery is a powerful way to break a person mentally and especially emotionally. Mockery does not affect the body but it puts tremendous strain on the mind and tears at the heart of a person. Women and children have been scared for an entire life time from emotional and mental abuse. In war or sports, if you can intimidate or break the heart of your opponent the battle is half over.
Sin brings destruction to every part of our lives and this includes our emotions. Thus, our Lord suffered in mocking and reproach, being placed on the Cross of Calvary naked.
The great news is that Christ rose from the dead thus showing His power over sin and death. In Him you are victorious over the mockery that comes with sin.
Recent Comments