by Les | Sep 5, 2023 | Click Date to Respond
Matthew 24:40 ESV – And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’
William Booth founded the Salvation Army in London, England in 1865. Their mission was to help the suffering souls throughout London who were not willing, or were unable, to attend a traditional church service. The Salvation Army ministered to all people equally. Thieves, prostitutes, gamblers and drunkards were among their first converts for Christ.
On Christian Eve, 1910, General William Booth was invalid and nearing the end of his life. It was impossible for him to attend the annual Salvation Army’s convention yet he greatly wished to encourage their many laborers for Christ in some small way. He decided that a telegram to be read at the convention might bring them encouragement but funds were limited and telegrams were priced by the number of words in the message. Booth pondered this carefully before acting.
As the thousands of Salvation Army delegates met for their convention, the moderator opened the gathering by saying that General Booth would not be attending due to his failing health. A cloud of gloom quickly swept across the faces of the attendees until the moderator announced that Booth had sent a telegram to be read at the opening of the first session of the convention. As the assembled watched, the moderator opened the message and read it. It simply said, “Others!”
General Booth wished more than anything that the people in attendance focus themselves upon the needs of others. Any ministry that focuses outward will continue to flourish while ministries that become inwardly focused will gradually wither.
The measure of a person or organization is often found more in what they, or it, are willing to do for others than in what they, or it, are willing to do for themselves.
by Les | Aug 28, 2023 | Click Date to Respond
1 Corinthians 10:31 NIV – So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
The church exists for the purpose of glorifying God and reaching the lost. As fallen people we often forget that our innate sinful nature is self-centered.
In his book ‘ The Purpose Driven Life’, the first sentence in Rick Warren’s book reads, “It’s not about you”. Personally speaking, I believe that was the most important sentence found within the entire book. He opens with the acknowledgement that our lives should have meaning greater than ourselves. Warren’s first sentence conveys the idea that we have purpose; that purpose is to glorify God and to reach the lost.
If we focus on our wants and desires we too often miss opportunities to reach the lost simply because we were not tuned into their needs. Every time we serve another person we glorify God through our actions.
To the many within our church who help others, and to those who reach out to the lost, thank you for glorifying God through your lives.
by Les | Aug 14, 2023 | Click Date to Respond
2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV – Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Have you ever thought about the difference between fermentation and rot? Both are the process of decay but they have a different outcome. When something rots it might be used as fertilizer but for little else. When something ferments it becomes transformed into something other than what it was before.
In the fermentation process microorganisms, such as yeast, break down food components and the substance begins to change. Some familiar products of fermentation are yoghurt, cottage cheese, vinegar and sauerkraut.
The Holy Spirit is the yeast of our lives, causing us to become transformed. We are different after the transformation, infused by the Holy Spirit and a resident of Christ’s Kingdom.
by Les | Aug 8, 2023 | Click Date to Respond
1 Peter 4:10 NIV – Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.
I once came upon a coworker who had mounted a steel box in which a large battery would be placed as backup power for a railroad radio base station. As I approached I saw that he was moving a torpedo level (a bubble level around 10 inches long) around inside the box. When asked what he was attempting to accomplish he replied that he was looking for the low spot in the bottom of the steel box where he could drill a drain hole for any water that might be spilled while servicing the battery.
I had been drinking from a bottle of water, which was still in my hand. I poured about a quarter of the bottle’s contents into the steel box and we watched as the water collected in a single point within the box. The water quickly found the low spot that my coworker was searching for. Pouring water into the box was the result of having listened to an uncle once tell of a similar project and having used water to determine a low spot. My coworker, not having heard my uncle’s story, was doing the best he could with what he believed was the proper tool for the task.
Knowledge, mental and physical abilities, discernment and wisdom are some of God’s gifts given through the Holy Spirit. Whatever the task set before us we can accomplish if those with the needed gift become involved. As followers of Christ we are called to utilize our gifts in service to others. It is by bringing all that we possess in knowledge and in spirit before the Lord that we can serve him to the best of our abilities.
by Les | Aug 3, 2023 | Click Date to Respond
James 5:15-16 NIV – And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If they sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective
A former coworker recently shared a Facebook posting that read as follows.
“When you tell someone that you will pray for them, you have made a promise to speak to God on their behalf. Those are serious words not to be taken lightly.
Someone is counting on you.” Something that I observed while Dick Sipe was our interim pastor was that whenever somebody brought a prayer concern to Dick he would immediately pray with them. Pastor Dick acted on the request for prayer and did so with the requester of prayer present. He didn’t put the prayer off for another time or make a promise that might be later forgotten. He prayed whenever and wherever someone made a request for prayer. I believe that Pastor Dick’s approach is a response to emulate when asked to pray. That is, pray at the moment. Praying at the moment of request allows people, who are in need, know that you are supportive and care about their concerns.
