Skip to main content

A Warm Invitation to Church

This blog has been permanently relocated to https://www.removingbarriers.net Redirecting in seconds... Matthew 4:19 (And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.) “I do not care if you ever darken the doors of my church.” I would often say this to folks I am sharing the gospel with. My wife Jay did not like the tone of that statement and asked me to stop saying it. Tone aside, however, I mean it. I first said it to a person who accused me of evangelizing because I want more people to come to my church so offerings can increase. Our youth pastor lamented in a recent sermon, “We invite folks to a location rather than to the Person of Jesus Christ. That captures perfectly what I have felt all along. Too often, Bible believing Christians make it a habit to invite folks to a location. I decided years ago that I will never invite anyone to church without first tryin
1 comment

The Prayer of Serenity

The words of this prayer are attributed to the 20th century theologian, Reinhold Niebuhr. This prayer has been framed and hung on the walls of many homes and appears to be especially apropos for today’s culture.

 

In a nation where the voting populous seems to be split down the center, the ability for Bible believing Christians to leave things which they cannot change in the hands of God appears to be harder and harder to do. No matter what side of the political divide you may be on, until the next election, the most effectual work you can do is to pray. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty” (1 Timothy 2: 1, 2).

 

But it also important that Bible believing Christians be willing to share the gospel. It is only when folks’ hearts and lives are changed into His image that we will see a change to the present culture of this nation. However, sharing the gospel requires courage, courage that Bible believing Christians cannot and will not find within themselves. This courage will only come from prayer and reliance on Christ. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident” (Psalm 27: 1-3). When we present the countercultural gospel of Jesus Christ in a world that calls good evil and evil good, we need courage.

 

We also need wisdom, that which only comes from the fear of the Lord (Pro. 9:10). We have enough of worldly wisdom. We need wisdom that is led and guided by the Holy Spirit. This wisdom will help us to know when to speak up and when to keep our mouths shut. Wisdom that will help us distinguish between casting the pearls of God’s words to those who will trample it under their feet and those who will receive it – and possibly lead to a presentation of the saving grace of Jesus – and wisdom to know the difference.

 

Finally, we need serenity -- that peace of mind that only comes with a quiet trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. That way we know our hope is neither in man and nor in what man can do, but in the blessed Hope and “…the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ…” who gave us a peace that surpass all understanding. “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Phil 4:7).

 

God, give me grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
Courage to change the things
which should be changed,
and the Wisdom to distinguish
the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,
Enjoying one moment at a time,
Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,
Taking, as Jesus did,
This sinful world as it is,
Not as I would have it,
Trusting that You will make all things right,
If I surrender to Your will,
So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,
And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Serenity_Prayer



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Sad State of Basic Theology (Part 1 of 3)

This blog has been permanently relocated to https://www.removingbarriers.net Redirecting in seconds...   Episode 9 This is the first of a 3-part series on the Sad State of Basic Theology. Recently, Answers in Genesis published an article about a study conducted by Ligonier Ministries. You will be as surprised as we were at what evangelicals believe about basic doctrines of Bible. Is our culture in the state it is in because there is no difference between the saved and the unsaved? Is the doctrine of the Bible under attack because those who would defend and live by it no longer believe it? Listen to the episode for our answers. We ended the episode with the wonderful hope that can be found in fact that Jesus Christ died, was buried, and resurrected for even our littlest sins, and th
Post a Comment
Read more

The Barrier of Experience

This blog has been permanently relocated to https://www.removingbarriers.net Redirecting in seconds... "We have also a more sure word..."—2 Peter 1:19   So many people rely on their experience more than the Word of God. The apostle Peter, however, exhorted his readers that though his firsthand experience was a reliable eyewitness account, God's Word was "more sure." The Bible is completely reliable and trustworthy. It was a brisk morning. I rapped on the door to a nice home in a newer development on the outskirts of Great Falls, Montana. A lady in her mid-thirties answered, and her husband was inside near the door as we spoke. I quickly found out they were Mormons. When I inquired as to how she thought she was "saved," she mentioned several experiences she had since becoming Mormon. I referenced the verses that make up the context in which 2 Peter 1:19 is n
Post a Comment
Read more

Jacob Blake and the Value of Compliance

This blog has been permanently relocated to https://www.removingbarriers.net Redirecting in seconds... Episode 26 Could the shooting of Jacob Blake have been prevented if the officers had disengaged? On the other hand, would the situation have played out differently had Jacob complied? In this episode of the Removing Barriers, we discuss the circumstances surrounding the shooting of Jacob Blake and the values that compliance can buy a person when dealing with the police.   We also looked at other officer shooting incidents and discuss whether compliance would have changed the outcome. Is compliance   to law enforcement officers a bad thing? Does it change the outcome of the situation? Listen to this episode as we discuss Jacob Blake and the Value of Compliance. We ended the episode with the inevitable submission and compliance to Jesus Christ. You can e
Post a Comment
Read more