November 2013 – Page 2 – Old Paths Journal

Betraying Christ

Luke 22:4-5
“And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them. And they were glad, and covenanted to give him money.”

When you think of betrayal, you would never consider yourself to be one who would betray. To betray someone is considered the lowest thing someone could do to another. Sadly, Christ is betrayed on a regular basis.

The word “betray” means, to be unfaithful, or to surrender someone over for something. This word truly defines Judas Iscariot. There is no doubt that when you think of betraying that Judas’ name comes to mind. As a Christian, to betray Christ would seem like the unthinkable thing, but many Christians betray Christ on a weekly basis. No, they don’t intend to betray Christ like Judas did, but they do.

What is disturbing is what causes a person to betray Christ. One would think that betraying would happen because you hate someone, but when you look at the life of Judas, I don’t think you see someone who hated Christ. His betrayal happened because he loved something more than Christ. I find in the Scriptures there are three things that causes someone to betray Christ.

Money is the first thing that causes someone to betray Christ. You may say that you would never take any money to betray Christ, but sadly many people do. Again, all it takes to betray someone is to love something or someone more than the betrayed. In other words, when a person loves money more than they love Christ, then they will betray Christ for money. No, they won’t give up Christ to be killed, but they give up Christ for a job or financial success. I have watched people quit the ministry because they want to make money. That is simply betraying Christ. Your desire to have money caused you to give up Christ. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is the root of all evil:…” You must realize that this verse was given to a young preacher. In other words, Paul warned Timothy that a love for money would cause him to betray Christ and quit the ministry.

Peer pressure is the second thing that causes someone to betray Christ. Peter betrayed Christ because he wanted to be accepted by the crowd. Friend, are you so interested in being accepted by the brethren that you will give up the truths of God’s Word? Many Christians have betrayed Christ to be accepted by a group of people. I’m not talking about being an atheist, I’m talking about your desire to be with a crowd more than a desire to walk with God in the Scriptures and prayer. I’m talking about compromising what you believe just because you want to be accepted by the “in” crowd.

Position is the third thing that causes someone to betray Christ. Pilate was so worried about his position that he betrayed Christ. Many Christians have betrayed Christ for a position on a job. They will leave a good church and move to a place where there is no good church in the area, all for the sake of position. Many preachers have betrayed Christ all for the sake of having a leadership position in their movement. There are many Christians who are more in love with a title on their name than they are with doing what Christ commands them to do in the Scriptures.

Have you betrayed Christ? No, you may not have given Christ over to those who want to kill Him, but have you given Him up for money, friends and position? All it takes is for you to love these things more than Christ. When that happens, you will betray Christ. It’s not that you don’t love Christ, it’s that you love these things more than Christ. I challenge you to keep Christ first in your life, for that is the only thing that will keep you from betraying Him.

Let’s Not Overdo It

Luke 15:31
“And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.”

One of the most famous parables in the Scriptures is the parable of the prodigal son. It is a heartwarming story about a boy who rebelled against his father and after wasting all of his living, came to himself and went back home to his father. Any parent who has a child who has gone wayward holds to this parable as their hope that their child will return.

However, there was another child who stayed home and was faithful to his father. The one who stayed home didn’t shame his father’s name. But, when the prodigal returned home, the father threw a party for him. When the son who had been faithful to his father came home and saw the party, he was angry because he couldn’t believe his father would make such ado about the prodigal coming home.

I can certainly see both sides of this story. I can understand a father being overjoyed about his prodigal son coming home, but I would like to caution this father not to overdo the reception of the prodigal coming home. There is a side of me that completely understands the son who was faithful to his father. I can understand how he looks in amazement at his father throwing a big party for the prodigal, when he stood by his father throughout the years and had not shamed the family name.

We must be careful about not forgetting to honor the one who stayed home. Though the story of the prodigal is a more glamorous story to tell, the best part of the story is the son who stayed home and didn’t shame his family name. No, the story about the son who was faithful to his father won’t fill the seats when someone talks about it, but that son should receive the greater honor. That son should be the one who we honor over the one who left and came back home.

Preachers must be careful about overdoing the people who rebelled, and came back home. Throughout the years, the person who turned on God and came back home seems to be the one who we like to put in front of our youth. I understand we want the youth to hear about the horrors of sin, but maybe you should put those who lived a wholesome life in front of them and make them the heroes. I would much rather my daughter hear the stories of those who lived right than the stories of those who came back to God. Don’t get me wrong, I think both stories are important to hear, but let’s be careful about overdoing the focus on those who rebelled and came back home.

Moreover, let’s also be careful to promote the one’s who have been faithful to stand by the old-time religion. I have watched over the years that preachers will use men who left the old-time religion and came back over those who stayed in it all the time. I’m not against it, but it is wiser to use the man who has stood and never wavered on our national platforms over the one who didn’t have the discernment to stand when compromise was popular.

Finally, let me warn the parent not to forget to honor the child who is faithful and does right. If you have a child who has gone wayward, don’t forget to give attention to the one who has done right. If all your attention is on the one who has gone wayward, then you are showing to the rest of your children that the only way they can get your attention is by going to the world. Be careful to give the children who have been faithful the greater attention. Certainly, all of your children deserve the same amount of love, but be sure to give attention to the faithful child.

Simply put, let’s not overdo the honoring to the wayward. Love them, but don’t overdo it.

I Haven’t Heard From You Lately

Luke 9:9
“And Herod said, John have I beheaded: but who is this, of whom I hear such things? And he desired to see him.”

It says in the verse above that Herod desired to see Jesus. He heard about the miracles of Jesus and was curious about who He was. What is interesting is that Herod as the ruler, could have contacted Jesus if he had wanted. His problem was that he wanted Jesus to be the One Who contacted him. Herod made the same mistake that many people make in that he forgot that communication is a two-way street.

I recently called a friend of mine with whom I had not talked with in awhile. When he heard my voice he said to me, “Bro. Domelle, I haven’t heard from you in awhile. It sure is good to hear your voice again.” I was a bit surprised when he made that statement. My thought was that the phone calls go both ways. Every time we seem to talk is because I called him. I’m glad that we get to talk every once in awhile, but communication truly is a two-way street.

A person came to me not long after that phone conversation with my friend, and they asked me what to do with a sibling of theirs who complained that they never heard from them. This person told me that they are the one who always makes the attempt to call, and the sibling that complained rarely attempted to call them. I simply advised them to remind that person that the phone rings both ways, and if they wanted to talk more often then they need to call.

One-way communication is a poor way for a Christian to conduct themselves. Herod wanted Jesus to contact him when he should have been the one to contact Jesus. Herod’s problem was that he thought he was too big to lower himself to contact Jesus, even though he wanted to talk to him.

Friend, you are never too big to stay in contact with people. You must never get to the point that you want everyone to contact you. When you get to the point where you think everyone needs to call you, then you have too high of an estimation of yourself. Friendliness is a grace that every Christian should portray.

Moreover, when you are dealing with someone who never contacts you, let me encourage you to simply stay friendly at a distance. Contact them every once in awhile to keep the line of communication open, but don’t waste your time. There are many others with whom you communicate who are courteous enough to do their part of staying in touch. Spend your time influencing those who truly want to be around you.

Let me encourage you not to become known as a person who doesn’t contact others. Remember, one day you will become old, and how you stay in contact with others may determine how others will stay in contact with you when you get old. If you practice good communication skills by personally reaching out, then you will find that you will have more people whom you can influence.

Ways NOT to Know God’s Will

by: David Owens

Romans 12:2, “…that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”

1 Peter 4:1-2, “Forasmuch then as Christ hath suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves likewise with the same mind: for he that hath suffered in the flesh hath ceased from sin; That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.”

There are all kinds of strange and unscriptural ways that people are convinced of God’s will or that something is of God. According to Wikipedia, in 1977 Oral Roberts claimed to have had a vision of a 900-foot-tall Jesus. He claimed that the vision told him to build the City of Faith Medical and Research Center, and that the hospital would be a success. In 1980, Roberts said he had another vision which encouraged him to continue the construction of his City of Faith Medical and Research Center in Oklahoma, which then opened in 1981. The City of Faith operated for only eight years before closing in late 1989. Clearly Mr. Roberts was confused as to how to find the will of God, but many of God’s people are also puzzled and use human perception to try to discern the spiritual.

God’s ways are actually very simple, man tends to complicate everything because we are sinners and will naturally pervert everything that is godly. We have a human tendency to try to spiritualize the carnal and humanize the spiritual. I did not say it was easy to follow God’s will, but to discern His will is plainer than we suspect. We need no external evidence to discern what God’s will is. We are to prove God’s will. Romans 12:2 says “…that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” First, you don’t really find God’s will, you prove God’s will. Secondly, do not try to separate God’s will into three categories or levels such as God’s good will or His acceptable will or His perfect will. God’s good will is acceptable and perfect. God’s acceptable will is good and perfect and God’s perfect will is good and is accepted. God’s will is all three not one or the other.

God has given to us His perfect Word which tells us of His perfect will for us. Every command is His perfect will. Every prohibition in Scripture is His perfect will. Every suggestion is His perfect will. Every example in Scripture shows us of the results of obeying His will or disobeying His will. Don’t miss this, obey what God has revealed to you in Scripture, consistently and in every circumstance and you will prove God’s will with your life.

Yet, too often God’s people use Oral Robert’s ways of finding God’s will rather than just obeying God. Even when we agree that God’s Word is His perfect will, we struggle in applying it to our lives. Suddenly we forget that God’s will is directly connected to His Word, and we look for outward assurances of His will. We look for some outward proof that God’s will applies to us, or somehow if God doesn’t twist my arm I don’t need to obey. We start to misinterpret some spooky happening in life as “God trying to tell us something.”

We cannot list here every false assumption claiming God’s will or every wrong way to discern God’s will, but we can explain a few of them. These are some of the statements I have heard people use which are ways not to know God’s will.

1. “I know in my heart.” Boy meets girl and is smitten. Suddenly, they both think they know God’s will, but the Bible says, “He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:” Proverbs 28:26. “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” Jeremiah 17:9. Human thinking or reasoning will only get us into trouble. This is an attitude of if it “makes sense to me it must be of God.” But God says in Isaiah 55:8-9, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

We are not to make decisions based on our thoughts, but we are to think God’s thoughts. “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:” (Philippians 2:5) Christ’s mind is recorded in Scripture. It is important to think, but listen first, then think about obeying.

We have a human desire for the future to make sense to us, but God’s ways seldom makes sense until we obey and look back. For years, Joseph’s life made little sense, but as he continued to be obedient to the Lord through his trials, his life proved God’s will.

2. “I have faith that this is God’s will.” This is trying to justify ourselves by using the word “faith.” Be careful, God doesn’t care that you believe, what you believe or that we use the word “faith,” God only cares that you believe the truth. It is not important that you have faith, but that you have faith in the truth. “The just shall live by faith” (Romans 1:17, Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38) None of these Scriptures refer to faith in yourself or circumstances, but faith in the revealed Word of God. These New Testament verses are a quote from Habakkuk 2:4 which says, “Behold, his soul which is lifted up is not upright in him: but the just shall live by his faith.” Yes, God has faith. God believes Himself! Jesus believed His Father. Living by faith is living by what God believes is right. What God says is right, is right whether I believe it or not.

3. “I prayed about it.” John R. Rice correctly taught that prayer is asking, but often our prayers include more telling than asking. So, you told God the way you want it or the way you say it is supposed to be. Just like using the word, “faith,” we sometimes claim to have prayed, and so magically, just because I prayed, I get what I want. Both prayer and Bible reading are important, but if you must choose between prayer and Bible reading choose Bible reading. It is more important that we hear God than He hear us. Yes, God wants us to pray, but never to demand from God what we want, but to ask for help to live according to His will.

What about all the promises that God will answer my prayer if prayed in faith? Even our praying ought to be according to the will of God. Remember, faith is that I believe what God believes and I pray and I act according to God’s will.

1 John 5:14 – 15, “And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us: And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.”

4. “I have peace about it.” Please allow me to be blunt. Smoke a joint and you’ll have peace. Humans always feel good when they pursue what they want, and they are disappointed and unsettled when they don’t get what they want. “Hope deferred maketh the heart sick…” Proverbs 13:12. Somehow we are good at taking our hopes, wishes, dreams and desires and believe that God wants these also. We dream ourselves into believing that God wants what we want, and that makes us feel good. God will seldom give peace until after we obey or at least decide to obey. You don’t get peace from getting your own way, but peace comes when you know you are obeying God’s will. Why? There is no faith in peace. Peace comes after the fact when I obey. Do you suppose Daniel had peace when he prayed knowing he would be thrown to the lions? Did Abraham have peace when God told him to go to a place not knowing where he was going? Jesus did not have peace facing the cross, but in submitting to God’s will. Matthew 26:37-39 says that Jesus “began to be sorrowful and very heavy. Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death…and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.”

5. “I have an interest, aptitude or an ability.” The reasoning goes something like this, God has given me a natural ability in engineering, so God wants me to be an engineer. I have always liked war stories, so God wants me to join the military. Basically this thinking is: “Whatever I want must be God’s will.” No doubt God has given you your abilities and interests, but for a purpose. As easy as it is for God to give abilities, He can give abilities later in life if they are needed to obey Him. No doubt Gideon did not believe he had the ability to lead three hundred men to victory with pitchers, lamps and horns. Moses had quite a disagreement with God over his ability to lead His people. Too often our interests and even human abilities will get us into trouble because we won’t see the need to trust Him. We must not trust our abilities, but the clear commands of God.

6. “What is wrong with it?” That is the wrong question to ask concerning God’s will. God’s will is perfect. We are not to see how close we can get to wrong without touching the wrong, we are to get as close to right as we can. “Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.” Ephesians 5:10. The question should be, “Is it godly, does God accept it?” If the answer is, “Yes,” according to the Bible then you will get even closer to God’s will.

7. “I am following my leader.” This is no less than doing the will of man. I call this hero worship, paparazzi Christianity. This is exactly what got the followers of cult leaders like David Koresh and Jim Jones in trouble. God’s will is called the “will of God” on purpose. We are to follow God by faith, but nowhere in Scripture do we follow any man by faith. Two times Paul told the Corinthian Christians, “be ye followers of me.” Both times the context specifies that he was to be followed only “as I also am of Christ” or to follow his “ways which be in Christ.” Yes, there are those we are to follow, as a child is to follow their parents or church members should follow their pastor, but only as they follow Christ. The burden is on the followers to prove according to God’s Word that their human leaders are following Christ. This means that I must be able to prove from God’s Word, which is God’s will, that my leader is in line with my Saviour before I can follow him. Noah built the ark, but he later got drunk. Jonah was a preacher, but he got a bad attitude concerning Nineveh. The Apostle Paul took a Jewish vow. None of these leaders were to be followed when they did wrong just because they were someones leader.

8. “I promised God.” A Christian said to me one Saturday, “I won’t be in church tomorrow because I promised to be at our family reunion. Doesn’t the Bible tell us to keep our promises? ‘When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.’ ” Ecclesiastes 5:4. I answered; “It also says in verse 6, ‘Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin.’ Your mouth has caused your flesh to sin if you miss church, or, if you want to obey God and go to church you must break your promise.” He looked at me strangely, so I went on, “Let’s suppose when you were young you were angry with your brother. In anger you vowed to kill him. Should you break your promise or keep your word?” We do not determine God’s will by our promises, God determines it with His commands. Amazingly some people are more concerned with obeying their own self-made rules than God’s rules. Be careful what you promise, it may contradict God’s will.

9. “It worked out, so it must be God’s will.” I call this “the great Calvinistic cover-up.” Whatever happens must be God’s will. I needed a job, prayed, applied and was hired as a bartender. God let it happen, so therefore it must be God’s will. This thinking is similar to the, “If it feels good do it” philosophy. This thinking also looks at the obstacles in life and surmises that “it must not be God’s will, or there would be no negatives,” as if somehow God’s will always happens. There is some trouble at church, so it must be God’s will for me to leave. I won the lottery, so it must have been God’s will for me to gamble. Granny came for a visit, so it must be God’s will not to go to church. Someone did not get saved, so it must be God’s will that they don’t get saved. Good times do not mean God’s will. Easy times do not determine God’s will. Hard times do not prove God’s will. Because something worked out does not help you to know God’s will. Easy or hard, human obedience or disobedience does not determine God’s will. God’s Word determines God’s will. We all want God’s will like Joseph experienced while a ruler in Egypt, but we would doubt God when we are sold to the slave traders. God’s will is in obeying the commands of God in any circumstance.

10. “I have no fear.” Some only believe in God’s will if they have an absence of fear or the absence of doubt. Why did God have to tell Joshua “…Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest? Joshua 1:9. Because Joshua was afraid, he doubted! However, fear or no fear, Joshua was commanded to lead God’s people into the Promised Land. Let me assure you, following God’s will can often be very scary! In fact, personal security is often absent when following God’s will. Human security is not necessarily God’s will; actually, less human security is often God’s will. There is nothing unscriptural about preparation, insurance or a retirement fund, but to trust them rather than God is sin, which can very often lead us away from God’s will. “The just shall live by faith” Romans 1:17. We don’t ask God for our daily bread when the cupboard is full, only when it is empty. Remember, when following God’s will, God will pay, but when I follow my will, I pay. Jonah paid the fare to follow his own will, and God paid to get him to Nineveh.

Were you looking for directions concerning your life’s occupation? Who you are to marry? Should I quit the ministry? We worry too much about these specifics and not enough about the clear commands that make up God’s will.

So, how do you know God’s specific will? You don’t; you prove God’s will by doing it. David told King Saul that he could not use the king’s armour to fight Goliath because he had not proved them. Meaning, I have never used your armour; therefore, I have no idea if it will work. I have however, trusted and obeyed God before and He works! It wasn’t easy. I had to fight, it wasn’t popular and it was really scary, but God’s will is the way to go. David was saying to King Saul, God’s will proves itself if we will obey it. It doesn’t matter what is popular, it doesn’t matter if it makes sense and it doesn’t matter if I must suffer, God’s will for me is to accomplish God’s purpose, not mine.

God’s will is written. Your life will prove it, eternity will prove it, if you will live it. Most Christians do not accomplish God’s will or reach their God given potential for the simple fact that they do not fully obey God’s written will. Few Christians are 100% faithful to church, read their Bible faithfully, pray as they ought, separate from ungodliness or preach the Gospel to every creature. If I do not obey God’s will that is plainly written, how can I expect for God to further lead me in His specific will for my life?

Remember, in determining God’s will –

– God never leads us to do wrong in order to do right.

– God never gives what will cause us to do less for Him.

– God can take his child who obeys what is clearly written, and lead him anywhere!

Do not be guilty of living according to your own lusts and trying to justify them by claiming God’s will. “That he no longer should live the rest of his time in the flesh to the lusts of men, but to the will of God.” 1 Peter 4:2.

David Owens
Pastor
Westside Baptist Church
Pacifica, CA

Developing Strong Children

Luke 1:80
“And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of his shewing unto Israel.”

Developing strong children to serve the LORD and face the adversities of the world should be every parents desire. Training children is not something that we do just to get them out of our hair until they turn eighteen, but our responsibility is to make sure they can face life properly. If we develop strong children, then they will go on to live productive lives and serve the LORD.

Joseph and Mary did a good job in developing Jesus to be strong. It says that Jesus “waxed strong.” Yes, He was the Son of God, but Joseph and Mary had a big part in making sure that He was a well-balanced child. They put Him in circumstances that helped him become a strong individual who could face every circumstance in life. Let me show you some of the things Joseph and Mary did that can help to develop strong children.

First, they made sure the child grew. I know this sounds strange, but parents need to be sure their children are growing in every area. Don’t be aloof in parenting, but be sure your children are developing. You must make sure that you are doing what you can to make sure they grow so that they can face life. You will not develop strong children by allowing the television or daycare to rear your children. You have to be there with them if you are going to develop strong children. Children should not be an inconvenience to your schedule and life, but they should be a blessing that God gave you to help greater influence a world for Christ.

Second, they allowed their child time to grow. The word “waxed” means to increase or enlarge. In other words, they knew that it takes time to grow. You will not develop strong children if you are impatient with them. You must learn to be patient as they grow. Allow them to make mistakes, and take those mistakes and use them for teaching moments to grow them into a stronger individual.

Third, they made sure they developed His spirit. The spirit of a child is important. You must make sure that your child has a good spirit. The only way they will learn this is if you have a good spirit. Your spirit should be strong enough that you don’t fall to pieces every time you face adversity. They need to see that you can still have a good attitude and be calm when adversity arises. Your children don’t just need to know the right and wrongs of life, but they also need to develop a strong spirit that is on top side and in control in all circumstances.

Fourth, they made sure they developed a child who could face difficult circumstances. You will notice that Jesus was in the deserts until He stepped into the ministry. Parents must be careful about giving their children every thing they want. Children need to develop a toughness about them that they can face the hardest circumstances of life and make it. Don’t do everything for your child, but make them figure things out. Let them learn that you are not always going to be there and that they need to learn to face tough circumstances and figure a way out of them.

Developing a strong child is no easy task. These four areas are only a small portion of developing strong children, but they are a good start. I encourage you to make it your goal as a parent to make sure you develop strong children who can face life’s hardest circumstances and come through them pleasing God.

Responding to Prayer Requests

Mark 10:47
“And when he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to cry out, and say, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me.”

Recently, we started a new section for prayer requests in the Old Paths Journal. My initial thought would be that Christians would read these requests and pray for the one who is in need. On the majority scale this has happened, but to my surprise I have been amazed at some who don’t know how to respond to prayer requests.

In the verse above, Jesus was faced with a prayer request. A man who was blind cried out to Jesus that He would take the blindness away. This man requested of Jesus to answer his prayer for healing. It is surprising that this man’s request was encountered with criticism. Many said in verse 48, “And many charged him that he should hold his peace:…” What, hold your peace? Are they serious? Here is a man who has an opportunity to be healed, and they have the gall to tell him to be quiet. Their response to this man’s prayer request is shocking. Fortunately, Jesus looked beyond the criticisms of those around this man and healed him.

Throughout your lifetime you will be faced with hundreds of prayer requests. In many churches, prayer requests are typed out on a Wednesday night bulletin. Some churches take prayer requests from the floor. There will be times when you receive a prayer request from someone who comes directly to you. How you respond to these requests is important. Let me give you some suggestions on how to respond to prayer requests.

First, pray for the request. I know this sounds absurd, but you would be amazed how many people truly pray for someone’s request. Let me prove my point. Have you prayed for the requests handed out on the Wednesday night church bulletin? This happens to be one of the most neglected areas of prayer when it should be that these prayer requests are the one’s prayed for the most.

Second, treat each request as if it was your request. When you give a prayer request, don’t you want people to pray for it? Then, if you want people to pray for yours, then you should pray for theirs. Don’t be self-centered when it comes to prayer requests. Pray for them as if you were the one who gave the request.

Third, be sensitive in what you say to those who gave the request. For instance, if someone has a loved one who is seriously sick, don’t be so crude as to go to them and ask them when their loved one dies what they are going to do. That is absurd and wrong! You many think nobody ever does this, but I’ve seen it happen. Friend, you were asked to pray and not to give your opinions. The best thing you can do is pray.

Fourth, when the prayer is answered, take time to thank and praise God for answering the prayer. If you’re the one who gave the request and God answered it, then be courteous enough to let others know God answered your prayer. When you hear of God answering prayer, rejoice with them. Then, take some time to thank and praise God for answering it.

A prayer request is given for one purpose, for you to pray. Don’t be guilty of hearing a prayer request and forgetting to pray for it. When you hear someone needs prayer, join the army of Christians and pray for God to do something with that request. If you respond properly to another’s request, then maybe God will be sure to answer your request when you pray.

It’s All About People

by: Sandy Domelle

When God sent His only Son to this world so that we could be saved, He gave us His most precious gift. We are saved because of this sacrificial gift. When Jesus was on the Earth, every thing He did was about others. Every story you read and every thought you glean is all about the people. He was there to save and change lives. What a selfless act of love!

Probably the best verse that wraps up the life of Jesus is Acts 10:38 where it says, “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.” Jesus spent His whole life doing what He could to help people. Whether it was through healing people, teaching them or showing them how to be saved, Jesus spent His life helping people.

We as Christians should follow the example that God gave us through His Son and through His Word. Will we be perfect? Absolutely not! But He lived His life in such a manner that we should daily try to become more like Him in every way.

Do you know that every one of us has it in us to be a selfish uncaring soul? We get up in the morning and plan our day, but when things come up that change our plans, people call and need things of us and they don’t fit that schedule, or our world gets turned upside down, our selfishness becomes a side of us that others do not need to see.

We have to remember that we were created to help others. We help others through telling them how they can go to Heaven. We help others by teaching, training and pointing them to Him. How sad it is in life that we’ve become so extremely busy people that we are too busy to help others. We can get so consumed about the drama in our life that we forget about others around us.

Unfortunately, we are seeing a generation come up that their life is so busy that they want to make church time as short as possible and as convenient as possible. So if working on a bus route, teaching a Sunday school or junior church doesn’t fit into your “hurry to church to be there 5 minutes after it starts, and you are the first one out the door” then it’s not convenient. Some won’t come out for special meetings. Others won’t volunteer to help with anything that would require any other time slot other than Wednesday night church or the Sunday morning or night service. We don’t want to give more than the actual service times. We are just too busy!

What is sad about that philosophy is that we no longer leave time for God to work in our lives, to use us to help others, to allow us to be a blessing or encouragement to someone who is struggling.

When your time of need comes, you want everyone to drop everything and come to help and be a blessing to you, but how can you expect that of them when you have little time for them or the Lord?

We need to remember that the reason we do what we do is because of people. We serve at church to help people. The reason we go soul winning is because of people. There’s nothing more exciting than giving our time to win someone to the Lord, but also to continue to pour our time and efforts to get them to church and continue to grow in the Lord.

The bus ministry is a good example of helping others. Over the years I have seen young couples get involved and love the people so much that they get their children involved and it becomes a family ministry of service. Years later, after the kids have grown and left home you still see the parents working the bus route and loving the people. Why? Because they found an area of serving the Lord that involved people to whom they truly have given their hearts.

Sunday school and junior church can be areas of service to help others. I love seeing a teacher who gives their heart completely to their students. I can tell you of Sunday school teachers I had as a child or teenager that you could truly see the love of the Lord in them. You could tell they were there for their students. They are the teachers who visit their students, make class exciting and send notes in the mail when they have missed. What type of teacher are you? Do you put your whole self into them so that they truly know you care?

Missionaries go because of the people. If you live like the people and among the people, you will reach the people. That was my dad’s motto when my family went to the Philippines to be missionaries. We didn’t live above the people, but we lived in the same manner in which they lived. We didn’t live away from them, but we lived among them so that we could reach them. The whole reason we left America for the Philippines was because of the people. We wrapped our lives around the people, and that allowed us to reach them.

A successful marriage will only be one where each spouse lives their life for their spouse. We should keep ourselves for only them. Of course, God should be first in our lives, but your spouse should be the second one in your life whom you wrap your life around. The most successful marriages are the one’s that each spouse becomes selfless and lives for the other.

Parents should live to build their relationship to help their children. Don’t make your relationship with your children all about you. Get interested in what they do. Find their interests and do it with them. Have them help you with what you do in your chores and hobbies. If a parent will involve themselves in the life of their child, then they will most likely be able to have the heart of their child.

When we get our focus off the people, we focus in on the things of the world, what they say, what they do and allow the Devil to make us think we are missing out on things, and that we need more things. This type of self-centered life will only produce unhappiness. When your whole life is about you, it doesn’t matter what others do, you will find it will never be good enough.

When our heart is into something, we tend to give it our all. Some people start off great, but along the way they lose that love and passion. Why? Because they got they’re eyes off the focus that it is about people. Knowing that you are doing what you do to make a difference in lives is what will keep you going for many years. This is what will keep that passion alive. This is where true joy in life is found. Make your life one that it could be said about you that you went about doing good.

Why Troublest Thou the Master?

Mark 5:35
“While he yet spake, there came from the ruler of the synagogue’s house certain which said, Thy daughter is dead: why troublest thou the Master any further?”

One of the most absurd questions you find in the Scriptures you will find in the verse above when the servants of the ruler came and said, “…why troublest thou the Master any further?” Yes, the ruler’s daughter had died, but the ruler still loved his daughter. Yes, it seemed as if there was no hope, but the One Who gives hope was in the ruler’s presence. Yes, it seemed as if nothing could be done, but the One Who had the power to change the situation was there with the ruler. Because the ruler didn’t stop troubling the Master, he was able to see his daughter alive and well.

Do you feel like all you are doing is troubling the Master? Do you feel at times it is worthless to keep on bringing your prayer request to God? I want to encourage you to never stop troubling the Master. The Master, Jesus Christ, still has the power to help you with your prayers. Let me pose several reasons why you should keep troubling the Master.

“Why troublest thou the Master?” Because He wants you to trouble Him. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” One thing you should learn from the story above is that Jesus enjoys it when people trouble Him with their problems. You may think your problem is not worth troubling Him, but He truly wants you to trouble Him. Don’t ever stop troubling Him because you think it is a bother. That mentality will keep you from getting your prayers answered.

“Why troublest thou the Master?” Because you have a need. The ruler had a need, and he knew that only Jesus could meet that need. Friend, you should keep troubling the Master because you have a need that needs to be met. Until the need is met, keep troubling the Master.

“Why troublest thou the Master?” Because He alone has the power to help. Nobody had the power to help that ruler but Jesus; likewise, only Jesus has the power to help you with your problem. Why bring your problems to anyone else when you can trouble the One Who has the power to help? As long as God has the power to help, you need to keep troubling Him.

“Why troublest thou the Master?” Because He looks for opportunities to show His power. 2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him.” Your problem is an opportunity for God. He truly wants you to trouble Him so that He can show to those around you His power.

“Why troublest thou the Master?” Because the needs of others need His help. One of the greatest reasons you need to keep troubling the Master is because only He can meet the needs of those around you. Christian, your not just troubling the Master for yourself, but you are troubling Him for the needs of others. Don’t ever stop interceding for the needs of others. When God meets your needs, it will most likely meet the needs of others.

With what have you stopped troubling the Master? It’s time you pick up that request again and start troubling Him. Until your need is met, don’t let the naysayers keep you from troubling the Master. Keep troubling Him until He meets your need.

How to Be Compassionate

Matthew 20:34
“So Jesus had compassion on them, and touched their eyes: and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed him.”

One of the common words that describes Jesus is the word “compassion.” You cannot separate compassion from the ministry of Jesus Christ. No one had more compassion than Jesus. We see people today talk of their compassion, but none had more compassion for people than Jesus Christ.

The problem with compassion is that many don’t know how to express it. Being compassionate can be uncomfortable to some because they just don’t know how to express their compassion. When someone is hurting, how can you express your compassion to them? That is what many people struggle with. Yet, when you look at Jesus, you can learn how to express your compassion for others when they are hurting.

First, be empathetic towards their condition. You will notice that Jesus recognized their problem. It says that Jesus noticed they were blind. When someone is hurting, it is good for you to stop and recognize what they are going through. I want you to notice that Jesus did not talk about his problems and what He was going through, but he focused on the problems of others. When people are hurting, they don’t need to know how you have gone through something similar and it wasn’t that big of a deal. First, you don’t truly know that their problem is not that big of a deal. Second, your situation is different from theirs. Never compare your problems to others. Simply be empathetic towards them and let them know you recognize their situation.

Second, find out what you can do to be a help to them. Jesus had the power to heal the blind, and He did it. When you see someone is hurting, ask them what you can do to be a help to them. The common question I ask people is, “Is there anything I can do to be a help?” They may respond by telling you that they don’t need anything, but at least you asked to see if you could help.

Third, pray with them about their problem. Jesus didn’t have to pray because He had the power to heal them. On the other hand, you don’t have that power, so you need to pray and ask Jesus for help. All you have to do is ask the person if you can have a word of prayer for them at that moment. Don’t say that you are going to pray, but stop and pray for them. Simply ask them, “Can I pray with you right now?” That will do more to help them than you will realize.

Finally, don’t forget them once you leave them. Part of compassion is following up to find out if their situation is getting better. Just because you have moved on doesn’t mean they have. Coming back a day or two later and asking them how their situation turned out will help to comfort them in knowing that you cared for them.

Being compassionate is something every Christian should exemplify. Don’t be so wrapped up in yourself that you are not compassionate to others. The Christian life is truly all about others, and the greatest way to help them is to be compassionate towards them in their time of need.

How to Make the Earth Shake

by: Abdel Judeh

People are drawn to the extreme, especially teenagers. I remember watching with great anticipation as Nik Wallenda walked a tightrope across the Grand Canyon. I remember sitting there in unbelief as Felix Baumgartner jumped from outer space and landed on Earth – with his Red Bull! It is a picture that will be forever burned into my mind as he stood on that platform and looked down at our planet right before jumping. He stepped off the platform and fell 120,000 feet. That was riveting! That was extreme! There are times in the Scripture where God did the extreme. Times when He chose to completely abandon the laws of science and reason and show Himself strong. I think of Elijah on Mount Carmel – God did the extreme when He answered with fire! I think of when the sun stood still for Joshua during the battle – God chose to do the extreme! In Acts 16, God did the extreme when He sent an earthquake to free his servants Paul and Silas from the inner prison. There are times in our lives when we need God to come through in an unusual way. There are going to be times when we need God to do something that only He can do; times when we need to see the Earth shake. Please read along as I write about how to make the Earth shake.

In Acts chapter 16, Paul and Silas found themselves in a very difficult position. They were arrested and beaten for simply preaching the Gospel and healing a young girl who was possessed with a devil. This young girl was treated by her masters as a circus act, and they profited from her demon possession. Once she was healed, instead of rejoicing because they loved the young girl, they were furious because they now lost their profit. This young girl was nothing more than an ATM for these wicked men. Everyone WILL NOT be happy when you do right and good things happen.

In Paul and Silas’ case, they were beaten and put into prison (vs.23), an interesting thing about this story is that as they were brought into prison their jailor was given a very stern charge to keep them. The Bible says about the jailer, ‘who having received such a charge thrust them into the inner prison and made their feet fast in the stocks.’ What was the charge given to the jailor? Whatever he was told, he certainly took it seriously. He put Paul and Silas in stocks while they were in their inner prison cell to make sure they were secure! I’ve studied the charge that the jailor was given and some believe it was a fate worse than death. Some believe that the jailor was told that if these special prisoners escaped his care he would be put into prison himself. Not only would he be put into prison, but he would have a dead body secured to his body! A corpse would be tied to his ankles and to his wrists and to his neck. Everywhere he went, he would be accompanied with death. When he lifted his hands to his mouth in order to eat, he would also lift a dead man’s hand to his mouth. When he slept, he would sleep on top of a dead man. Eventually you would die slowly as that dead body decomposed and the infection and rot worked its way into your body! ‘Who having received such a charge…’ No wonder why the jailor was about to commit suicide when Paul and Silas were thought to have escaped from his watch!

Paul and Silas were in a position where they needed God. Their friends could not help them. Money could not help them. They needed a miracle; they needed to see the earth shake. God came through just in time! He sent an earthquake that split that prison in half, and freed the prisoners including Paul and Silas. The jailor, knowing his fate was about to commit suicide when he heard Paul and Silas calling out for him. Seeing their faith, the jailor and his entire family got saved that night! This is a wonderful story in the Scripture. Read on as I point out some things that I believe caused God to send an earthquake for Paul and Silas

1. They praised God in adversity. (vs 25)

Paul and Silas were in a desperate situation. They had been brutally beaten and then unjustly thrown into the inner prison with the worst of the worst. Many people, if put into that same position, would question God and lose faith. Instead of asking “Why?” they asked “What?” There are going to be times in our life when we are simply facing adversity. These are the times when we need God the most, but many of us never feel the earth shake because we are stuck asking “why?” when Paul and Silas prayed and they sang songs of praise to God. I’m sure they didn’t want to be in that prison, but they trusted God and instead of asking “Why?” they asked “What?” When you’re facing adversity ask God, “What are you trying to teach me?” Have faith, pray, and sing in tough times.

2. They prayed at midnight. (vs 25)

The midnight hour is typically a time of sleep. If we are ever going to see the earth shake, we will need to pray while others are sleeping. The fact that they prayed at midnight revealed just how much they wanted to see God work. When was the last time your prayer extended beyond your normal prayer time? When was the last time you were so consumed with wanting to see God work that you went above and beyond what you normally do day in and day out? I’m sure Paul and Silas were tired and sore, yet they pressed on in prayer and they received their answer.

3. The prisoners heard them. (vs 25)

This is an often overlooked part of the story. Paul and Silas prayed and praised in such a way that the prisoners heard them at midnight. They displayed BOLD TRUST in God. I love working with teenagers, because teenagers are bold. Many teenagers are bold in everything they do, except their relationship with God. No wonder God shook the Earth for Paul and Silas, they were bold! Imagine what kind of things the worst of the worst were screaming at Paul and Silas as their praise kept them from sleeping! They were bold! Have you ever been soul winning, and came across a group of rough characters and you thought to yourself, “I’ll just keep walking, they probably wouldn’t listen?” Paul and Silas were bold in the face of hardened criminals! As Christians in today’s world we need to be so bold that the prisoners hear us! So often our Christianity is kept secret, that’s not the kind of faith that sees the earth shake.

The result of all of this was simply amazing. God came through for Paul and Silas ‘suddenly.’ While they were doing right and being bold, God came through for them. ‘Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’ Sometimes God comes through ‘suddenly’ when you least expect it. The foundations of the prison were shaken, doors were opened and everyone’s bands were loosed (vs 26). Finally the hardest case was won when the very jailor asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” I’m not sure what he was calling Paul and Silas before God shook the earth, but I can guarantee it wasn’t, “Sirs” – they had earned his respect.

Here we are in 2013 in an uncomfortable position as Christians and as Christian teenagers. The world is as fierce as ever. Sin abounds on every hand. Christians are not respected in society and sometimes as young people we become ashamed of who and what we are. Oh how we need God to shake the earth for us. We need to see the foundations shaken, doors opened and bands loosed. Perhaps you are facing a situation in your own life where you need God to come through. Remember Paul and Silas and praise in adversity. Instead of asking ‘Why?’ ask ‘What?’ Pray at midnight, while everyone else is sleeping. Be bold and unashamed of Jesus no matter who sees and hears. I believe God can still shake the earth, but he will use committed Christians to do so!

Abdel Judeh
Youth Pastor
Landmark Baptist Church
Parkersburg, WV