Man of the Week: Job

Job 27: 5-6

A man ridden with guilt walked into his pastor’s office, hoping to find relief. “Pastor,” he confessed, “Ive been misbehaving a lot lately, and my conscience is killing me.”

“Well, let’s talk about that,” the pastor offered. “And then let’s pray that God would strengthen your resolve.”

“Actually, ” the man interrupted, ” I was hoping you could pray that my conscience wouldn’t bother me so much.”

How often do we long for a quiet conscience when what we really need is a clean conscience? The Old Testament story of Job shows us the crucial difference.

God allowed Satan to attack Job on several fronts at once, including his family life. Thereafter, three well-meaning but misguided friends offered Job their counsel as to what had gone wrong. one of those friends, named Eliphaz, offered this gem: “Is it because you’re so pious that he accuses you and brings judgment against you? NO, it’s because of your wickedness! There’s no limit to your sins” (Job 22:4-5)

There is no doubt Job did a quick personal inventory to see if Eliphaz’s words had any merit, but he already knew better. He had a completely clean conscience, and thought he was suffering greatly, guilt over some hidden sin wasn’t one of th reasons.

Though Job didn’t know why he was suffering, he knew that it hadn’t come about as a result of his sin. Even God had called Job “blameless- a man of complete integrity” (Job 1:8)

Difficult times are bound to come, but when you keep your conscience clear, you can find the same comfort that Job knew. A clean conscience provides relief that no medicine can touch.

The One Year Men of the Bible

Man of the Week: Paul

Suffering Has Benefits:  2 Corinthians 12:9-10

Vance Havner, a twentieth century preacher and writer, once reported that, of the 318 delegates who attended the Nicene Council (an important church meeting of the fourth century), fewer than twelve had no visible evidence of persecution or torture. One had a missing eye, another a crippled hand, and yet another a noticeable limp. All had suffered for their faith.

While believers in the Western world currently enjoy relative safety from most severe forms of persecution, followers of Christ during the first three or four centuries after Christ’s death and resurrection commonly faced the loss of property, livelihood, health, and even their lives.

The Apostle Paul had firsthand knowledge of these things.

Paul did much of his writing form a prison cell and endured many arrests, beatings, imprisonments, threats against his life, and other hardships, solely on account of his loyalty to Christ. He never complained, and he claimed to actually take pleasure in those things. Pleasure in suffering?

Paul gave a specific reason for his pleasure in suffering for the name of Christ: “When I am weak, then I am strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:10) Paul didn’t enjoy suffering for suffering’s sake. He knew that his suffering wouldn’t last forever and that God had prepared something far better for him. He also understood that in the context of eternity, his suffering would last but a moment., while the glory to come would last forever.

God can use the difficult things in your life to build endurance and maturity into your faith. He can also use those things to remind you of your own weakness and bring you to a point of complete dependence on Him.

One Year- Men of the Bible

Ananias

Verses: Acts 9:1-31

God often chooses those we least expect. He chooses the unexpected to show us His power and glory.(Ex. Moses, David, Saul) Saul was a murderer and persecutor of Christians and the image of Christ. The story of ’ conversion is a fabulous story. Jesus showed himself to Saul and blinded him. Then the Lord sent one of his disciples to Saul to touch and heal Saul. Then later, Saul was converted and changed to Paul who became probably the most influential Christian in the history of the Church. But, I don’t want to talk to you about Saul. I want to talk to you about Ananias. (The disciple that touched and healed Saul) Ananias was in the Bible for about 10 seconds, but his small role helped change a man, who went on to change the world forever.

God told Ananias to go and touch Saul, because Saul was to become an instrument of the Lord’s. Ananias doubted for obvious reasons. He had heard about Saul and all of the terrible things he was doing to Christians. “Lord, this guy? His only goal is to destroy Christianity and destroy the Church! You want me to go and help him?” (Verse 13-14) But God gave Ananias a command to go and touch Saul, so that is exactly what Ananias did. Ananias doubted, but still obeyed.

Are their people in your life that you feel called to witness to or those who just seem too far gone to even try to talk about Jesus? We all have those people in our lives that just seem to bad to try to save. But we need to take a lesson from Ananias. Ananias didn’t know if going to touch/witness to Saul was even worth it, but he still went and obeyed what God was telling him. There is no one too far gone or to in a hole for the Holy Spirit to work through you and your witness. We are called to be witnesses and to touch the lives of those around with the Holy Spirit. We are called to obey, even if we have our doubts.

Ananias took a step of faith and obeyed God. He wasnt the man who changed the world, but he did help change a man, and that man ended up changing the lives of thousands with the Holy Spirit. You never know who you are going to touch. The Saul in your life could be the next Billy Graham. Dont let your doubts or your fears deprive your witness. Take a step of faith, obey, and watch the Holy Spirit work through you and the Saul’s in your life!

Owners of Faith

What does it mean to Own your Faith?

If you’re like me, you have grown up in a christian home, went to church, and was surrounded by God wherever you went. When I was growing up, I didn’t know anything different from Christianity. I knew all of the stories of the Bible, and I knew that God loved me. But, when I was growing up my relationship with Christ was not personal, it was inherited. I inherited my belief in God from my parents, which is often times what happens. Inheriting your faith is not a bad thing when you are growing up, but there is a time in everyone’s life when inherited faith is not enough.

Throughout highschool I had been involved in youth groups, ministry programs, church events, christian school; these things were expected of me and I honestly liked being a part of them. But even doing that my relationship with Jesus was never personal. I only had a relationship with Jesus when other people were there. I never read my bible outside of the various programs that I was attending. I rarely prayed more than I needed to. And why would I? I was surrounded by Christianity 24/7. I convinced myself that was enough. My relationship with Christ was good, so why make it personal? Once I got to college, my outlook on my relationship with Christ changed. I was around people who were so in love with Christ that their relationships with Christ were nothing but personal. They challenged me to make my relationship with Christ my own, and spend time in His Word everyday. They were on fire for Christ, and I finally realized why. They were owning their faith. Reading the Word everyday, pouring out their hearts in prayer, spending countless times in fellowship and with other believers. To them Christ wasnt just inherited, it was theirs.

Inheriting faith from your parents is never a bad thing, but inherited faith is not enough for us. God deserves a personal and intimate relationship. The Bible is our only offensive weapon in the armor of God. We need to read God’s word and study it for what we believe it to mean, rather than what others believe it to mean. Take the personal time to get to know our Lord through reading and prayer. Own your Faith!

Fishers of Men

 Matthew 4:19-20
“Come, follow, me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.” At once they left their nets and followed him.

When Jesus was calling his first disciples(Peter and Andrew) he gave them a command. Not proposition, not a suggestion, a command. He told Peter and Andrew to follow Him. They were asked to give up everything they knew, everything they worked for, everything that was comfortable to follow Jesus.

We are given that same command. As followers of Christ, we are commanded to follow Him. We are called to leave everything of this world to follow Jesus. But, with this command Jesus also gives us a promise. He tells us if we follow Him, than He will make us Fishers of Men.

As believers, don’t we often try and come up with some type of discipleship formula to reach non-believers. We feel that we have to make everything perfect for every type of person in order to get people to come to church. Well God is simply telling us, “If you follow Me, I will make you fishers of men.” There is no complicated formula. All we have to do is simply follow Jesus with everything that we are, and by following Him, people will follow with us. People will notice, people will see something different. They will see something they are longing for; the love of Jesus.

There is no formula, there is no perfect combination of things we can do to bring people to church. Jesus brings people to the church. If we truly follow Him, the way the Bible describes than people will begin to follow with us. We don’t have the power to change people’s hearts. Only the Holy Spirit can change a heart, but we do have the power and command to follow Jesus. We are called; we are commanded to be Fishers of Men.

Verse Refrences: Matthew 4:19-20, Mark 1:16-18, and Luke 5:1-11