Friday, September 4, 2009
Ministry is from the heart!
" They don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." Here is a quote that I am not sure who it comes from but it is very true. I work with teens and younger aged kids and this statement hits home. I am sure it is true with any people or age group that you may minister too. I have come to understand that formal training is a great thing because it gives you the tools to answer just about any question, but experience is a wonderful teachers and that is something that you just can not get in a formal setting!
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Where to begin
I have been in Utah for 7 months, and I have not had a great deal of interaction (religiously) with the LDS people. A few things that I have come to realize about them is that they do not call themselves Mormons, but LDS, I do not know if there is any reason behind this or if it is just a preference? I have worked at a few different places while I have been here and all of them had some LDS people and/or influence. I worked for one company that had a special day so that they could christen the building. Today I cleaned carpets at a mans house who was a devout LDS, and like all of my other experiences he held strongly to the good works that he had accomplished, while on the other hand he explained how difficult it is for someone to come to Christ when they are in dyer physical need.
I know that all of Satan's lies work well when a little bit of truth is there to tangle up the person who is faced with them. I sat there today and listened to the man explain his lament over souls that need Christ, while he praised his good works and I wondered where do you works stand, before your need for Christ or after your need is met? I know that LDS theology is apostate and all that the LDS church believes is damnable apostasy, but like most people that practice a religion, they are not familiar with all their religion believes. I struggled today thinking where do you begin to witness to these people, when you share the loving sacrifice of Christ with them, they know they even know what the bible says about it and they say they believe, but what do you say?
That is why I can only trust in the unsearchable wisdom of God and trust in his grace towards man and how He causes the increase, and I just share Jesus Christ and preach only Him crucified.
I know that all of Satan's lies work well when a little bit of truth is there to tangle up the person who is faced with them. I sat there today and listened to the man explain his lament over souls that need Christ, while he praised his good works and I wondered where do you works stand, before your need for Christ or after your need is met? I know that LDS theology is apostate and all that the LDS church believes is damnable apostasy, but like most people that practice a religion, they are not familiar with all their religion believes. I struggled today thinking where do you begin to witness to these people, when you share the loving sacrifice of Christ with them, they know they even know what the bible says about it and they say they believe, but what do you say?
That is why I can only trust in the unsearchable wisdom of God and trust in his grace towards man and how He causes the increase, and I just share Jesus Christ and preach only Him crucified.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Wisdom is the principle thing
Proverbs 2:1-5
" My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God." The following two verses go on to say (paraphrased) that God will give it to the righteous He has it stored up for them! Well I have been trying to read proverbs in my devotions in the morning, I have been going through a lull in my personal time with God and He has been recently speaking to me from proverbs. How many times do we see the words Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge together, they are synonyms yet have their own meaning about them. I have always understood them to mean Wisdom = facts with common sense, Knowledge= facts, and Understanding = using the previous two together. There is probably a more suitable definition to them, but that is how my mind grasps them.
How often do we does as Solomon and James said to do, to seek after them and God will supply it, it is like He is just waiting for you to ask so that He can open up the floodgate and drowned you in them. You see God is wisdom, He is knowledge and understanding so when we ask Him for them we are asking to be like Him. He gives these with a heart to follow after Him as well. To just have knowledge, well that is useless, we need Wisdom and Understanding to follow right behind because that is where our hearts interact with the facts. How often do you pray for wisdom to minister to the people God sets before you? Or do you just try to minister with just knowledge and experience? God will give you wisdom if you just ask and He will give you the heart to present the facts.
" My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee; So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for treasures; then shalt thou understand the fear of the LORD, and find the knowledge of God." The following two verses go on to say (paraphrased) that God will give it to the righteous He has it stored up for them! Well I have been trying to read proverbs in my devotions in the morning, I have been going through a lull in my personal time with God and He has been recently speaking to me from proverbs. How many times do we see the words Wisdom, Understanding, and Knowledge together, they are synonyms yet have their own meaning about them. I have always understood them to mean Wisdom = facts with common sense, Knowledge= facts, and Understanding = using the previous two together. There is probably a more suitable definition to them, but that is how my mind grasps them.
How often do we does as Solomon and James said to do, to seek after them and God will supply it, it is like He is just waiting for you to ask so that He can open up the floodgate and drowned you in them. You see God is wisdom, He is knowledge and understanding so when we ask Him for them we are asking to be like Him. He gives these with a heart to follow after Him as well. To just have knowledge, well that is useless, we need Wisdom and Understanding to follow right behind because that is where our hearts interact with the facts. How often do you pray for wisdom to minister to the people God sets before you? Or do you just try to minister with just knowledge and experience? God will give you wisdom if you just ask and He will give you the heart to present the facts.
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