Loving Others

Recently I was in a meeting where the speaker was talking about “loving people into the Kingdom.” At first this brought back memories to me of years gone by where we, as preachers, were told that we should never mention things like “the blood of Jesus” and “any sort of sin” or it would turn those who were looking for a church family away never to darken the doors of our church again! But as I listened to this brother speak he was not following the “old school” of thought, but he was making a very valid point for the church today. We (both at church and those belonging to the church of Jesus Christ) should be at the forefront of displaying the love God demonstrated toward us by sending His only Son Jesus to die for our sins so that we might enjoy a restored relationship with our heavenly Father.

Loving someone into God’s Kingdom is not about hiding the truth from them. It involves us looking past our pre-conceived judgments at an individual and sharing that same God-Love with them which brought us to Him.

We are called to be witnesses for God. So get out there – show off the love of your God and I really believe others will take notice.

Reach Out

Recently, while checking out some of the “oldies” channels on my satellite radio I ran across an old song just as the group was singing “reach out. . .” and then they went on to sing “I’ll be there. . .” while not promoting the group or their song, there is definitely a message for all of us in it.

During this time of economic chaos there are a lot of people in our world which are feeling the crunch; many are hurting, reeling from the loss of jobs, and the increased costs of goods and services. Evidence of this can be seen in places such as in the sale of repair parts for cars; people are keeping and fixing their vehicles instead of selling them as we have in the past few years. The increased sales in groceries and markets, as families are discovering the cost savings of eating more at home and less out. Lower priced housing sales are booming while those expensive houses with excess space are selling slower. I know that there are a multitude of reasons associated with all of these and other indicators which you see every day, but they all point to a change in lives and lifestyles. As you know change comes hard for most of us and is often accompanied by painful experiences.

All of this leads me to the reason for this post. How will you respond, and more importantly, how will the true Christians respond? Just briefly, here are a few of the ways which I see the Christians and churches responding:

(1) Pray
– the first thing which needs to be done is to pray. Through prayer we can hear the heart of God and find His direction for our lives. It is through prayer we find the specifics of how we are to reach out to those around us who need a hand. It is through prayer that we become sensitive to the leading of Holy Spirit so we can go to the right places and do the right things. Pray for every government leader that you can think of. Nobody wants our cities, states or nation to crumble. But it will ultimately be God who brings healing to our land.

(2) Live
– live a life which is a true reflection of your relationship with the One True God. There is somewhat of a debate amongst the Christian community as to how our actions reflect our relationship with God. We are all still wrapped up in the carnal flesh housing appropriate to this world (got to have a body to hang out in this realm) and that carnality is subject to momentary failure at any time. If the Apostle Paul struggled with always doing what is right, saying (and I paraphrase) The things I want to do, those are the things that I don’t do, and the things that I do not want to do, those are the things that I wind up doing, then he adds, who will deliver me from this body of death! If that was his plight then we also are most certainly subject to making those same kinds of mistakes. However, we cannot allow out carnality to become an excuse for not trying our hardest to live a life which reflects our passion and thankfulness to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who, by the way, always causes us to triumph in His name. Just because we fail does not mean that we have to, sometimes we just blow it. All of that said, we are to live out our lives before the world so that they may see in us the glory of God and when they see the love we have it will direct them towards God. (sorry, that got a little preachy)

(3) Give
– during this time in our lives it is the perfect time to be generous. A couple of reasons, first, there are people around you which need your generosity. If your giving is coupled with your prayer only heaven knows the needs you may be meeting as you give. Secondly, God loves a cheerful giver. Our God is a generous God, who has given to us without measure, so should we give. Give that which you have in excess, and give out of your own hand as well. God challenges us to give in the Book of Malachi and to test Him with our giving. His part – He will open up the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon you which you cannot believe.

 

These are just three simple things which all of us can do to help our friends, those who are about be become our friends, and also those who we will never meet. I have started to hear those who are speaking of this economic time as a rebuke or “lesson” from God. While I believe that the removal of God from many of the affairs within our country has had a defined negative effect on our part of the world, I also believe our part as Christians is not to stand and point a “naughty-naughty” finger at then, but to stand, in the middle of the crises and direct all that we can towards Him.

One last thought. It is during times of crises that some of the greatest revivals have come. There are reports of Muslims, who do not approve of the violence of some of their fellow believers, beginning to question their faith, and in so doing they are opening themselves up to a presentation of the True Gospel. I find it much more useful for God’s people to take the hand of another human, created in the image of God, and lead them towards Him and let His Holy Spirit do His job of convicting of sin.

My prayer is that you will be touched by the heart of God as you have read these thoughts and that you will find your place in Christian service as He speaks to you. If you have questions or comments, just send me an email.

 

Serving Him by Serving You,

Joe Jackson, jr.

Something to Think About

As we go to the polls this week here are a few quotes from our founding fathers about the role God, and His principles, should play in our government.

 

*Our first president, George Washington, took the oath of office and put his hand on what? (The Bible)

*What was his first official act as President? (Kissed the Bible, then held a 2 hr. praise/worship session in Congress)

*How did they determine to open sessions of Congress? (Prayer)

*Who would lead in those prayers? (Chaplains)

*How would they be paid? (Tax dollars)

Does all of that sound like they wanted to keep God out of government?

By the way, opening in prayer is a mystery to investigate…why is it that the little boys and girls cannot, but the big Congressmen can?

*In 1776, 11 of the 13 colonies required that one had to be a Christian to be eligible to run for political office.

*In 1777, the Continental Congress voted to spend $300,000 to purchase Bibles for distribution in the nation.

*The Gettysburg Address states “…this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom…”

*94% OF THE WRITINGS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE U.S. CONTAINED QUOTATIONS FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

*THE STATE CONSTITUTIONS OF ALL 50 STATES MENTION GOD.

*On that First “Thanksgiving”, who do you think the people were giving thanks to? To God!

*The famous “Liberty Bell” has part of Leviticus 25:10 inscribed on it: “Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.”

*Part of the Scripture Proverbs 14:34 is inscribed above the L.A. city hall door: “RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION: BUT SIN IS A REPROACH TO ANY PEOPLE.”

*An image of Moses carrying the tablets of God’s Law faces the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

*The entering President takes his courtroom OATH OF OFFICE with his right hand on the Holy Bible, and concludes his vow “So help me God.”

*First Vice President and Second President, John Adams wrote in 1798:
“Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.”

* President Thomas Jefferson:
“I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just; that His justice cannot sleep forever.” – 1781

*Our sixth President, John Quincy Adams said:
“No book in the world deserves to be so unceasingly studied, and so profoundly meditated upon as the Bible.”

*At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, Benjamin Franklin said,
“God governs in the affairs of men. And if a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid?”

“We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven… But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us; and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It behooves us then, to humble ourselves before the offended power, to confess our national sins, and to pray for clemency and forgiveness.” – 1863

*Theodore Roosevelt, America’s 26th President, wrote:
“In this actual world, a churchless community, a community where men have abandoned and scoffed at, or ignored their religious needs, is a community on the rapid down-grade.” – 1917

*Woodrow Wilson, our 28th President and Governor of New Jersey, said this:
“America was born a Christian nation. America was born to exemplify that devotion to the elements of righteousness which are derived from the revelations of the Holy Scripture.” – 1911

*Calvin Coolidge, our 30th President, said this about our founding fathers:
“They were intent upon establishing a Christian commonwealth in accordance with the principle of self- government. They were an inspired body of men. It has been said that God sifted the nations that He might send choice grain into the wilderness… Who can fail to see it in the hand of destiny? Who can doubt that it has been guided by a Divine Providence.” – 1923

*Harry Truman, our 33rd President, not known to be a committed believer, understood the spiritual heritage of this nation:
“If men and nations would but live by the precepts of the ancient prophets and the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount, problems which now seem so difficult would soon disappear”

*Gerald Ford, our 38th President, quoted a 1955 speech by Dwight D. Eisenhower on December 5, 1974:
“Without God there could be no American form of government, nor an American way of life. Recognition of the Supreme Being is the first – the most basic – expression of Americanism. Thus the founding fathers of America saw it, and thus with God’s help, it will continue to be.”

And so, as we look today at our civic responsibility, the question is not, should a Christian be involved in gov’t…the question is: Can you be the Christian you are commanded to be and not be involved?

 

From Romans 13:1-7

 

5 things every Christian must do for their government:

1. We must participate in paying for government

2. We need to pray for our government

1 Timothy 2:1-4 NKJV

1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. 3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, 4 who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

4. Participate in government

It is our Christian duty to get informed, and vote!

 

Social Concerns

Ask anyone just about anywhere about the weather and you will get their opinion. I, myself, like the cool weather we are experiencing right now. I am rather warm natured and temperatures in the 60’s and 70’s are great. Besides that it makes great weather to be out and about on the ole Gold Wing. However there are those who have different opinions. Tammie, my wife, likes it much warmer, say in the 90’s – where she enjoys being in the warmth of the sunshine. Across the board we could all make a great case for why “our” weather is the best.

Just like the weather we all, in our society, have very definite opinions on many of the social concerns for our little corner of the world. Just a few days from now all good citizens will be headed to the polls to cast our ballot for our next national leader. We all have our own opinion of who would be the best leader. However, sometimes the questions which are put before our society are not so easy as to have yes-no type answers. Whom you choose for president is based out of that which you feel is the most important. As an example, I spoke to a person just the other day who is voting for one particular candidate because they believe they will receive the best tax benefits from them.

We as Christians have a responsibility to our society to act, including our voting, in a way which is most consistent with the Word and Will of our Heavenly Father. There are many other issues facing us here in Arkansas in addition to the presidential election. We have state and local leaders who are running for offices of all types, we also have decisions which will affect our quality of life here in the Natural State. Two of those issues are; the lottery and adoption. While I will not use this arena to tell you how to cast you opinion, I will make an appeal to you to make an informed, moral decision when you go to the polls.

If you need information on the issues or what is at stake in this election, may I suggest you check out the following web site www.familycouncil.org which has great information and discussions concerning some of that which is greatly important to the spiritual life here in our lovely state.

If you happen to see, as this great (in my opinion) weather continues, a full grown preacher rumbling along on an old Honda Goldwing GL1000, give me a honk and a wave, and look for the smile on my helmeted face as I enjoy this great time of the year! A guy outside, on his motorcycle, on the open road, with the fall colors, cool breeze, on his way to a football game – it doesn’t get much better than that!

Have a great day and remember God loves you more than you can ever imagine!

 

Serving Him by Serving You

joe

Pray

Just a month from now citizens from across our nation will gather at their local polling stations and elect the leaders which will lead our nation for the next term. It is time for the church to rise up and present our collective petition to God once again. Below is a suggested focus for your prayers for our nation. You can also go to www.prayer.ag.org and find a daily guide to help you pray for our nation until the election. Whether you follow one of these guides or make your own prayer pathway – pray. The effective fervent prayer of the righteous avails much before God!

 

• Seek God for a powerful spiritual awakening in our nation.

• Pray for our leaders, that they will look to God for wisdom and guidance in decisions that impact the course of our nation.

• Pray for our military, asking God to protect them from harm and danger. Pray also for their families, that they will find comfort and strength in Him during times of long separation.

• Pray for the spiritual climate in our nation, focusing on several key areas:

• Pray for the spiritual health of Christians, that we will grow in our faith, boldly stand for the gospel, and reflect the love of Christ.
  
• Pray for our churches, that they will be powerful centers of discipleship, worship, and evangelism.
  
• Pray that the ills of society—crime, addiction, violence—will be replaced with a desire to honor God and His Word.
  

• Pray for our civil servants and teachers. Seek God’s protection for those who take risks and make personal sacrifices on our behalf. Pray also that our teachers and other mentors in the community will guide youth toward wise and upright choices.

• Pray for fractured and dysfunctional family situations, asking God to bless and protect the young and the vulnerable.

• Pray for provision, as well as long-term solutions, for those trapped in the cycle of poverty.

• Pray that Americans will respect all human life as a precious gift from God.

Remembering

Remembering

 

Most of us can remember exactly what we were doing when we heard “The News.”  The news that the planes which flew into the World Trade Towers were not there because of an accident, but rather they, and the other two planes crashed that day, were an act of terrorism perpetrated against the citizens of the United States of America.  It seems as if we, as a nation, have barely gotten past the horrors of Pearl Harbor and D-Day (among others), when now another generation has a date, 9-11-2001, etched permanently into their minds.  Yes this is a day which we will not soon forget, nor should we.

The past has always been posted into our lives as signs of warning and signs of remembrance.  It has been said that those who forget the past are doomed to repeat it, but I think that it may possibly be more accurate to say that those who do not remember the past resign themselves to charge headlong into their own foolish (in the Biblical sense of the word) actions.  Some of those actions will no doubt be the same foolish mistakes made by others, but throughout history we have shown that we can become more and more degenerate in our way of life if our carnal nature is allowed to be in charge of us.

In Numbers 15:38-39, God speaking to Moses people says, “Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners.  And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined.”

We left to ourselves, because of our carnal lusts, are doomed to sin against God, however if we takes the steps to remember the instructions which God has given us to live by can avoid sin and thereby live a life full of joy and happiness. 

Let me to encourage you to take a few moments to remember the events of 9-11, talk about it with your friends, talk about it with strangers, just take the time to remember.  Also, take time to remember what God has said for you to do.  Both will be a benefit for you and to those around you.  Commit each and every day to remembering the past so you can live right in the future.

 

Serving Him by Serving You,

 

joe

The Greatness of God

Greetings,

As we are getting ready to leave for the National Fine Arts Festival in Charlotte, NC, I am anticipating the drive through part of the Smokey Mountains.  As a matter of fact, we will be stopping for a couple of days in Gatlinburg, TN, and camping at the foot of a very majestic mountain range. 

All of this brings me to today’s thoughts, the Majesty of our God!  As you read the first portion of the Bible you find the ease with which God created this whole universe.  He sat at the edge of His throne and simply spoke all of this into existence, preparing it all for the hand-made creation which we know as mankind.  Yes, us!  Knowing the first part of the creation account allows us to know a portion of the magnitude of our God and then to think that instead of merely speaking us into existence, God came down from heaven and hand-made us from the dust He spoke into being and then He blessed us by breathing His very life into us.  That inspires awe in my little finite mind! 

I am looking forward to seeing real mountains as opposed to the hills we have here in Arkansas, but I am most looking forward to seeing the work of God and then bask in His presence as  contemplate the “fearfully and wonderfully made” body that He has made for each one of us.

Let me encourage you to spend some extra time this week in meditation – not thinking about what you need God to do for you, but what He has already done in you.  Think about how wonderful and powerful He is.

As my technical ability increases I will try to share some photos of the places we travel – and some of the “God moments” our family has along the way.

 

BTW – I will be giving you a report on how we are doing raising funds to purchase the “Proclaimer” machines and where they will be taking the Gospel.

 

Serving Him by Serving You

joe