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Say Amen!
Ps 106:48 Intro: The word “amen” is a common word in our church setting. We use it as a closing for a prayer. We use it to express our agreement with the preacher. We use it in a more common way to express our agreement with a statement someone makes in regard to just about any subject: the weather, politics, work, life in general. So the word “amen” becomes very common and ordinary and even gets used sometimes in an inappropriate way because of carelessness. Still, in the Bible the word “amen” is an Important Word; A Powerful Word; a Word Full of Meaning and Purpose. In our text tonight we read where the Psalmist Cried out: Let All the People Say Amen. When you read the whole Psalm, he had written about the goodness and mercy of God; about his might and power in the earth; about how those who trust in the Lord are Blessed and Rejoice in Him. The writer then rehearsed much of Israel’s history: their deliverance from Egypt, the parting of the Red Sea, the destruction of the Egyptian army. He reminded them how their forefathers forgot the works of God and rebelled against him and he reminded of them the terrible price many paid for their rebellion. Some were slain by the Lord right at that time and eventually the entire nation was punished by being given into captivity to the heathen nations around them. The Psalmist reminded them of God’s great mercy in spite of their sin. God regarded their cries for help and remembered his covenant with them. Finally the Psalmist cried out in vs. 47- Save Us, O Lord our God! Gather us from among the heathen that we may give thanks unto thy holy name and triumph in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting! And Let ALL the People Say AMEN! In light of God’s Great Power; In light of Israel’s great Failure; In light of God’s Great Mercy; Let all the people say Amen! This is not just a word to be spoken by habit without thought; it is a word of Great Feeling Spoken from a heart that Rejoices in the Power and Glory and Mercy of God. 1) Saying Amen means I Agree with the Word of God. When you say Amen, you are saying I agree with the Word of God. Even when it Corrects me- I say Amen. When it Reproves or Rebukes me I say, Amen. When it Instructs me I say, Amen. There’s an interesting incident in Deut 27. Moses told the people that when they crossed over Jordan into the land of Canaan, their homeland, they would make a monument of stones coated with plaster; upon this monument they would write the Law of God so they would be reminded to Obey it all the days of their lives. Moses also told them that when they crossed over into Canaan’s land, representatives of 6 tribes would stand upon Mt Gerizim and pronounce God’s blessing upon his people. Then representatives of the other 6 tribes would stand upon Mt Ebal to pronounce the curses that would come upon them if they refused to obey the Law of God. The instructions were given that the curse would be pronounced, and “all the people shall answer and say, Amen!” 12 times, they were told to respond to the Word of God by Crying Out, Amen! You know what response God wants from you when you Read His Word? AMEN! You know what response God wants from you when you Hear His Word Taught and Preached? AMEN! Whenever God’s Word is proclaimed we are to say, AMEN and by doing so we are Saying, I Agree with God’s Word. Now God’s Word is True and will stand forever whether you and I agree with it or not; BUT if you want your life to Stand before God with his Blessing and Approval, you Must say Amen to God’s Word. 2) Saying Amen Means that I Approve of the Ways of God. When God proclaims his truth, I say Amen and by doing so I say, I approve of your Ways, Lord. Ps 18:21 For I have kept the ways of the LORD, Jer 7:23 Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people: and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well unto you. In Rev 15 there is a assembly of those who have gotten the victory over the Beast and are now in the glories of heaven- vs. 3 says, And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints. We must say Amen and Approve the Ways of God Even when we don’t fully Understand them from our human perspective. God told us in Isaiah 55:9 “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways...” 3) Saying Amen Means that I Appropriate the Gifts of God. When I say Amen! From my heart I am saying, Lord, I am Personally Obeying Your Word and I am applying it to MY Life. You provided salvation and I said, AMEN and I have been saved. You provided means for holy living and I said, Amen and I am obeying your Word to live holy. You provided the fulness of the Holy Ghost and I said Amen! And I am making every effort to be filled with your Spirit. Ps. 116:12 What shall I render unto the LORD for all his benefits toward me? 13 I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the LORD. 14 I will pay my vows unto the LORD now in the presence of all his people. 4) Saying Amen Means that I Give my Assent to the Will of God. Saying Amen from my heart means that I am surrendering my will to the will of God no matter what his will may be. I know that God doesn’t deliberately use his will to “punish” us even though some to have that mentality. Some have said, “think about what you dislike the most and you can pretty well figure that it is God’s will for you.” Nonsense! God’s Will for your life and mine is Heaven’s Highest Intentions for us! God wants your life to be full of Purpose; full of satisfaction; full of contentment; full of joy! So, however God leads your steps, say Amen! Yes, Lord- I give my assent to your will. Remember the prayer of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane? His human nature was recoiling at the thought of the torture, the suffering, the humiliation, and the agonizing death that was just ahead. Jesus cried out “being in agony, If it be possible let this cup pass from me...Nevertheless, not My will but Thine be done.” Jesus said, AMEN! Giving his assent to the will of God. God’s will may not take you away from your hometown, but it might. God’s will may not make you preach, but it might. However God works, he will use your abilities, your strengths, your potential for your best. He will direct your steps by his Word; he will direct your steps by his Spirit within you; he will direct your steps by the circumstances of your life; he will direct your steps by that inner feeling of peace and assurance. Say AMEN! Say it from your heart! Say it with your heart! Say it with fervency and devotion. I agree with your Word O Lord. I approve of your Ways O Lord. I appropriate your Gifts O Lord. I give assent to your Will O Lord. AMEN!
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Mary and the Master
John 20:1,2; 14-16 Intro: Easter Sunday is one of the Greatest Days of the year for the Christian. Of course, Christmas is one because it’s a celebration of Jesus’ birth as a baby in Bethlehem; Easter is the other because it’s a celebration of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, proving that He really was the Son of God, the Savior of the world. Lets take a look at that first Easter Sunday especially from the perspective of Mary Magdalene, a devoted follower of Jesus. I. The Misery Mary Magdalene came very early in the morning on the first day of the week. Mark and Luke record that she and another Mary had brought a preparation of spices to anoint the body of Jesus. Of course, they wondered how they would move the stone that had been rolled up against the opening of the tomb, but they loved the Lord so much they decided to at least try to anoint his body if it could be done. The last few days had been shocking to say the least. The followers of Jesus had been shocked by the betrayal of Jesus by Judas, one of his own disciples. They had been horrified by the trial and torture of Jesus. They had been devastated by his crucifixion. It seemed that their whole world had been turned upside down and inside out and they were in Misery. Now, when they arrived at the tomb, the stone was already rolled away and the body of Jesus was not there and their misery increased even more. The other gospels tell of an angel of the Lord that told the ladies that Jesus had risen from the dead; Matthew and Mark both say that the ladies were astonished by this turn of events and that they Ran from the tomb with fear and trembling. John picks up the story here and tells how Mary ran and found Peter and John and told them what she had seen and heard. She evidently came back with them as they ran to the tomb to see for themselves what was going on. Peter and John looked into the empty tomb for a few minutes then returned to their own homes. Mary, however, remained near the tomb, overwhelmed with sorrow. She was weeping and mourning the loss of her beloved Lord and Savior. This man was the one who had delivered her from 7 demons and saved her soul. She loved Jesus and believed completely in him as the Son of God. Now he was Gone. It was bad enough that he had been tortured and crucified, but now he had disappeared! In her misery, she turned away from the tomb and from the corner of her eye, she saw someone standing across the way in the garden. The man standing there asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She thought he was the gardener and that he might have moved the body of Jesus to a different place. She pleaded with him to tell her where Jesus was so she could take him herself and care for his body. Mary was immersed in Misery! II. The Master At this point in the story, Jesus said gently, “Mary.” Something pierced through her misery when she heard that voice; there was something about the way he said her name; She quickly Turned to face him and cried out, “Master!” It Was Jesus! He was really here; And He was ALIVE. He was standing there; breathing; speaking to her; he was Alive. Her misery dissolved into great Joy. Her sorrow vanished; her grief was gone. Hope had been reborn; Joy had been restored; Faith had revived; and Peace had returned. Jesus was Alive; She had Met the Master. Let me tell you here today; the cure for your misery is to meet the Master. The cure for your despair is to meet Jesus and find that he is STILL ALIVE TODAY. A. You Need to Hear his Voice. - Like Moses hidden away in the desert, a fugitive from those who would punish him for murdering an Egyptian. He was living in Misery until he saw the burning bush and heard the Lord say, “Moses, Moses! I am God and am come down to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Egyptians.” - Like Samuel who was dedicated by his parents to serve the Lord in a time when Israel was in spiritual darkness. The Lord called his name and he first thought that it was the Priest Eli calling for him. When he realized it was the Lord, he cried out, “Speak Lord, your servant is listening.” B. You Need to See his Glory. - Like Joshua who was facing the fortified city of Jericho with its massive walls; he was struggling with the coming battle and the Lord appeared to him as the Captain of the Host. The Lord reminded Joshua that he was not in this battle alone, the Lord was going to fight for him. - Like Isaiah who was grieving over the death of King Uzziah and knew that Israel was at a crucial point in their history. The Lord appeared to Isaiah while he worshiped in the Temple and his Glory caused the door posts to move; Isaiah saw the angels of God and heard them crying out, “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord.” - Like the apostle John who had been exiled to the Island of Patmos because of his faith in Jesus Christ. He was isolated and alone but he was worshiping the Lord on the Lord’s day. Jesus appeared to him in his Glory and said to him, “I am he that Lives; I was dead but Behold, I am alive forevermore!” Are you living in the misery of a sinful life? Have you allowed things of this world to bind your mind and your body and they are making you miserable? Have you drifted away from your relationship with the Lord and been overwhelmed by the frustrations of life? Are you a Christian but you have allowed your circumstances to beat you down? Are you carrying a heavy load of care today and its making miserable? You Need to Hear His Voice! You Need to See His Glory! In the words of Vance Havner- We have not gathered here today to Honor a Corpse, but to Hail a Conqueror. He is Aware of your situation He is Here to revive your Faith; renew your Hope; restore your Joy; Make Life worth Living! He will Give you Abundant Life and He will Give you Eternal Life. Look for Him
Heb. 9:28 Intro: “Look for”(ap e dech a me) means to attentively and patiently wait for. It is translated “wait for” 5 times in NT and 2 times “Look for”. 1Cor 1:7 So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Phil. 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ: Seven times in the Gospels, Jesus gave us a strong exhortation to WATCH- to be Watching. It is important for us to understand this statement: “unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” So, what does the phrase “look for,” “wait for,” or the word “watch” really mean to you and I? I. Expectation of His Coming. We must be expecting Jesus to come again. His coming is the clear declaration of God’s Word- no doubt about it. Jesus Promised it- “If I go away, I will come again and receive you unto myself.” Angels Promised it- “this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Paul declared it- “The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and the trump of God...” James declared it- “be patient brethren unto the coming of the Lord.” Peter declared it- “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.” John declared it- “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” We Can Expect His Coming; We Should Expect His Coming; We Must Expect His Coming. We sing it in our songs: “Just any day now our Lord is coming, he’ll be returning for you and me, O I’ve been watching and I’ve been waiting, just any day now his face I’ll see” “What a beautiful day for the Lord to come again, what a beautiful day for him to take his children home, How I long to see his face and to touch his nail scarred hands, what a beautiful day for the Lord to come again” “Jesus is coming soon, morning or night or noon, many will meet their doom, trumpets will sound. All of the dead shall rise, righteous meet in the skies, going where no one dies, heaven ward bound” Any Day we should Expect the trumpet to sound- expect to hear the voice of the archangel- expect Jesus to appear in the clouds- expect that all true believers will be caught up- raptured out of this world. To “Look For” indicates an Expectation of His Coming. II. Anticipation of His Coming. The coming of Jesus for his people is not only the clear declaration of God’s Word, it is also the Blessed Hope of every Believer. “Unto them that Look for him shall he appear...” Looking for him not only involves an Expectation of his coming but an Anticipation of his coming. This is Not just a Fact that we expect- but a Fact that we Anticipate- not Just LOOK FOR but LOOK FORWARD TO. To expect means to look for something to happen; to assume or suppose it will happen but to anticipate means to look with longing and excitement for something to happen. So Paul said that the Glorious Appearing of Jesus Christ our Savior is a Blessed Hope. Paul told Timothy about a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord would give to all them that LOVE HIS APPEARING. We not only Expect the Coming of the Lord- We anticipate His Coming. We long for his coming- We love to think about his coming- We love to sing about his coming- Testify about it- Preach about it- Talk to one another about it. The Coming of the Lord is the Blessed Hope of every Living Believer; Rapture to Eternal Life The Blessed Hope of every Believer that has already died; Resurrection to Eternal Life. It is Our Blessed Hope: Benefits of a Glorified Body: no sickness or disease, no weakness or frailty, no pain, no death. No weariness, no fear, no sorrow or tears, no burdens or worries. Beauty of Heaven: foundations of precious stones, walls of jasper, street of pure transparent gold, gates of pearl, crystal river of life, crystal sea and rainbow around the throne. Being Reunited with Saved Loved Ones: husbands, wives; parents, children, brothers, sisters, uncles, aunts, grand parents, brothers and sisters in the Lord, wonderful friends- reunited forever in the presence of the Lord. Blessing of God’s Personal Presence: God the Father seated on the throne; Jesus Christ, God’s Son at the Father’s right hand; Holy Ghost- the eternal Spirit of God; Holy Angels- worshiping and serving God. To look for his appearing certainly involves an Anticipation as well as an Expectation. III. Preparation for His Coming. If we are Looking for his coming in Expectation- and in anticipation- then we will Look for his coming in Preparation. If you are not preparing for the coming of Jesus, then you are not truly Looking for his appearing. The coming of Jesus is our Great Incentive for Holy Living. Why Live a Holy Life? God’s Word Requires a Holy Life; God’s Spirit Produces a Holy Life; The Coming of Jesus Inspires a Holy Life 1 John 3:2,3 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3 And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure. Titus 2:11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Romans 13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Unto them that Look For Him Shall he appear: Lets Look for Him! Look in Expectation. Look in Anticipation. Look in Preparation. Love is a Matter of Priorities
John 21:15-17 Intro: The disciples had struggled terribly with the arrest, trial and crucifixion of Jesus (we would have too). Even though he had appeared to them on two occasions after his resurrection, they still felt fearful and uncertain; they were still in turmoil and wondered what the future held for them all. One day, 7 of the 11 were together (maybe discussing their situation and maybe airing out their doubts and fears) when Peter in his impulsive way suddenly says, I’m going fishing. Well, it had a been quite a while since Jesus had called these men from their fishing to be his disciples and to become what Jesus called Fishers of men. Clearly, fishing was not a sinful activity, but its also clear that Jesus intended for their fisherman’s life to fade into the past while they moved forward into ministry and the preaching of the Gospel. Now, Peter was reverting back to a past Love. It had risen up in him suddenly and taken control. When he mentioned it the other 6 quickly joined in and agreed to go fishing also. You’ll notice that their efforts were fruitless and they caught absolutely nothing though they fished all night long. When the dawn broke, Jesus was standing on the shore. John records that the disciples saw him but at first did not recognize who he was. Jesus called to them and asked them if they had caught any fish. They answered, No! It’s interesting how a fisherman will talk your leg off when he’s had a great day of fishing; and how short he will be with words when it didn’t go well. Lol Jesus called out to them to cast their nets on the other side of the boat; they did so and they began taking in so many fish they couldn’t even draw the nets all the way into the boat. John immediately said to Peter, That’s the Lord! All of them made their way to shore and found that Jesus already had fish and bread for them to eat. They all ate and then Jesus singled out Peter and asked him this question: Lovest thou me more than these? Now, some have offered the opinion that Jesus was asking Peter if he loved the Lord more than these other disciples loved the Lord. I don’t think that’s the case at all. Later, Paul wrote that we are not to compare ourselves among ourselves and that those who do so are not Wise. So, I don’t believe the Lord was asking Peter if he loved him more than those other disciples did, I believe he was Pressing a Point and asking Peter if he Loved the Lord More than he Loved Fishing; more than the Boat; more than the Nets; more than the Thrill of taking in a huge load of fish; more than the whole experience of fishing. Jesus wanted to know what was the True Love of Peter’s life. Was it the fishing and being a fisherman; or was it being a Disciple and doing the work of the Lord? True Love is a Matter of Priorities. Peter was pressed to state his true love in such terms. I love you, Lord, More than I love fishing. I love you, Lord, more than I love the boats and the nets and the nights out on the sea. The Lord wants to hear from you today. He wants to know what is the true love of your life. I’m not talking right here about a person you may consider the love of your life, I’m talking about whether Jesus Christ is the true love of your life. Do you Love the Lord more than you Love Self? Over and over Jesus told his followers that those who would come after him would have to Deny Themselves. So it is almost 2000 years later, those of us who really love the Lord must love him more than we love ourselves. If your whole life is consumed with Your desires, your likes and dislikes, your convenience and your comfort, your wants and your wishes, You do not really Love the Lord. Being Selfish breaks BOTH of the commandments that Jesus said are the most important ones of all: - Love the Lord the God with ALL thy heart, soul, mind and strength. - Love thy neighbor as thyself Jesus wants to know if you love him more than you love yourself. Will you take your ways over his ways; will you take your will over his will; will you take your wishes over his commands? Paul said that we are to Present our bodies a Living Sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. That we are not to allow the World to Conform our life to its pattern But that we are to allow the Spirit of God to Transform us by renewing our Hearts and Minds. Do you love the Lord more than Self? Do you Love the Lord more than Material things? Paul wrote that the Love of Money is the root of all evil. He did not say that Money is the root of all evil but that the LOVE OF MONEY is the root of all evil. In another place we are told to Use this world but not abuse it. In other words, we are to use the material things that are a necessary part of this human life but we are NOT to allow them to control our lives. Think of the people who say they are Christians whose lives are consumed with their Work and their Income and their Salary and their Benefits and their Savings and their Investments and their Houses and Vehicles and on and on.... Jesus would say to you, Lovest thou me More than these? Jesus himself said that our heavenly Father knows we have need of food, clothing and shelter; God knows that we need a job, a source of income; God knows that we need finances to live in this physical world; but Love is a matter of Priorities and we must Love the Lord More than these. For the sake of space I’ll not try to name everything that can get our attention and our affection for I think I’ve made the main point: Nothing should be allowed to come between us and our Lord. In conclusion let me point out that there are two main ways of checking our priorities: The Use of Money and The Use of Time If you want to really find out what matters the most to you in your life, check where your money and your time go. Jesus said that where your treasure is, there is your heart also. When we have money for everything else but never for the Lord and his work, we are proving that we don’t love the Lord more than these. When we have time for everything else but not for the Lord and his Word and his church and his work, we are proving that we don’t love the Lord more than these. Love is a matter of priorities. Can you Hear Jesus asking, Do You Love Me More than These? Spiritual Strategies for the New Year
Heb. 6:11,12 and 2 Peter 1:5,10 Intro: I won’t take a long time talking about the motivation we all (or at least most) feel at the coming of a new year. Whether we write down resolutions or not, most all of us have made some in our mind; at least we’ve considered some things that we need to change in the new year; some things we need to Stop Doing and some things we need to Start Doing. So it is with our Spiritual Life. We need to plan some strategies Right Now for this coming year because we all Know that we have not fully Perfected our Christian life; we have not Lived it out to its fullest potential; we have not reached the pinnacle of Spiritual success. So, what strategies will you employ in this new year? I have three suggestions. I. Revive in 2025. The number one meaning of revive is to restore to life. Is it possible that your spiritual life has actually died in the past year? I hope not but it is possible for our spiritual life to die in the midst of the details of earthly life. There are literally thousands of incidents each year where a person’s Life ceases but they are revived and continue to live. Think about that! They were dead! Their life was over; they were not breathing; their heart had stopped beating; their existence in the world was ending; THEN Someone Intervened! The intervention actually brought them back to life. Sometimes it required that CPR be administered by someone’s hands; sometimes it also required mouth to mouth resuscitation; sometimes it required the intervention of high voltage electricity to shock the heart back into action. One thing is sure- whatever intervention is required; relatively gentle or extremely violent; IT HAS TO BE ADMINISTERED QUICKLY! There is a point where life cannot be restored no matter what you try to do. Let me Urge you today- if your spiritual life is ebbing and dying- REVIVE! Take whatever action is necessary to restore Life to your Christian experience. You May need to actually leave your pew and kneel at the altar; I know for some that’s really drastic action but it could be necessary. You certainly need to make a special place of prayer and Pray all the way through. Pray until you have repented of your disobedience; of your neglect and laziness; of your lack of diligence in your Christian life. The second definition of Revive is: to make active or flourishing again; to bring back into use. Hopefully you haven’t actually died as a Christian but maybe you have become listless and inactive. Maybe you have allowed the details of earthly life to overload you and you are no longer Active in your spiritual life. Are you Active in your prayer? Are you Active in studying the Word of God? Are you Active in Obeying the Word of God? Are you Active in your church attendance? Are you Active in Worship when you are here? Are you Active in Service for the Lord and the church? This year would be the right time to become active and flourishing again; II. Strive in 2025. If you need to be revived; that’s first on your to do list. Then, all of us who are Alive Spiritually; all of us who are Active and Flourishing; Need to maintain our Diligence and Strive in 2025. Not talking about strife between us that causes us to strive with or fight with one another. Talking about what the Bible has to say about being Diligent in our Christian life and walk. Our text in Heb 6 instructed us to “show diligence...unto the end.” We are told to “follow those who through faith and patience inherited the promises.” Our text in 2 Peter commanded us to “give All diligence...” and to “give diligence to make your calling and election sure...” Jesus said in Lu 13:24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. Paul wrote in Php 1:27 Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ...(and) stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel; 1Cor 9:25 And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. This is No Time to Slack Up or Back Up; this is a Time to Press Forward and Strive to show diligence Unto the End. Listen brothers and sisters to these words of Paul in Rom 13- knowing the time...it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering (immorality) and wantonness (indecency), not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Revive and Strive and... III. Prioritize in 2025. The key to being Revived and the key to Striving Diligently in the Christian life is to Prioritize. We all have differing amounts of money; differing amounts of material resources; differing degrees of wealth and health; BUT we all have the Exact Same amount of Time. The richest and the poorest; the most able and the least able; we all have 7, 24 hour days each week; we all have about 52 weeks in the year; and the Key to being Revived and Striving diligently is how we Use our Time. Twice (in Eph 5:16 and Gal 4:5) we are exhorted to Redeem the Time! Use your time to its Best Advantage. Don’t Waste your time on frivolous matters. Spend it on the important things of life. Sure you must spend some time for Work to earn money and material things. Certainly you need to spend some time for Family; family relationships are an important part of human life. Sure you need some recreation and leisure time; everyone needs to step away from the hustle and bustle of work, earning, toiling, paying bills, fixing cars, maintaining houses, and host of other earthly matters; need some relaxation and recuperating time. BUT WHATEVER You Do- Don’t Forget that Spiritual Matters are to be Your Number One Priority. Jesus was asked what was the Number One Commandment, the most important one of them all; you know what he said?..... Yes- Love the Lord your God with ALL your Heart, soul, mind, and strength. (With your spirit (heart), soul (mind, emotions, will) and body (strength). Love God with your Entire Being! Then Jesus also said this: Seek ye FIRST The Kingdom of God and his righteousness! First! First! Jesus knew we needed material things like money- but he made it clear that earning money is NOT To be our main priority. Jesus knew that we needed to care about our family- but he made it clear that family is NOT to be our Main Priority. Jesus knew that we needed some “down” time to catch our breath- but he made it clear that relaxation and recreation were NOT to be our main priorities. You need to make it one of your spiritual strategies in this new year to Prioritize! Put first things first; put what God says are the first things first. KEEP the first things first throughout the year. When you Love God with All of your heart, soul, mind and strength; you will still be able to work hard and earn money and pay bills and take care of your earthly possessions. When you love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength; you will still be able to Love your family and care for them properly. When you love God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength; you will still be able to enjoy times of leisure and recreation. You don’t LOSE those Other things just because you set your priorities right. Remember the words of Jesus- Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness... (but that was not the end of what he said) the then said “and all these things shall be added unto you.” God will help you take care of your earthly responsibilities when YOU take care of your Spiritual responsibilities. Spiritual Strategies for the New Year: Revive, Strive and Prioritize in 2025! |
Bro. Dwain GaliherPastor of JHPC Archives
May 2025
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