Tired ... So Tired

Tonight is the night of the 2016 presidential Iowa caucuses, and God knows there are a lot of tired politicians and political hacks out there.  Most of them are laboring, trying to deliver a victory for their candidate, because they believe he or she is the very best person for the job.  Tonight is when "the rubber" begins to meet "the road".  It is the first opportunity for a victory, in a long line of opportunities.

Today's passage, from Galatians 6:9-10, is about what to do when you are tired to very depths of your soul.  Check it!

9-10 So let’s not allow ourselves to get fatigued doing good. At the right time we will harvest a good crop if we don’t give up, or quit. Right now, therefore, every time we get the chance, let us work for the benefit of all, starting with the people closest to us in the community of faith.   

(The Message version)

In verse 9, a key point is getting tired from "doing good".  What does that mean?  If you are a Christian, you have a "calling" of some type, from your Savior, your God.  You may not believe this to be true, because Satan has duped believers into accepting that there is the clergy (the professional godly people - - whuuuuuh?) and  - - here's your $10,000 word-of-the-day - - the laity (the people in the pews).  But, bottom line, Jesus did not issue The Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20) to only the clergy.  At the very least, we are ALL commanded to share the gospel, in some way or the other, as God gives us opportunities to do so.  And, He does.

So, Paul is assuming here, rightly so, that Christians will be carrying out the "callings" God has placed on their lives.  A parent's calling is obviously to raise her or his children "in the nurture and admonition of the Lord", for example (Eph. 6:4).  A fellow believer said recently that if a believer is not fulfilling his calling, he is walking in disobedience.

No matter what calling God has given to you, you WILL get tired, and discouraged, and disgusted, and scared.  You will get angry at God and want to absolutely GIVE.UP.
I'm sorry to tell you - - - this is to be expected.
Why?
Because you are in a spiritual war.  Anytime and every time you yield yourself to the Holy Spirit in order to fulfill your calling, you will be opposed by the enemy, the evil one who is literally "hell-bent" on your destruction.
Isn't that just all flowers and bells?

Fortunately (oh yes!), God gives us His promise at the end of verse 9.  Don't quit.  Don't give up.
If you persevere, you will reap a harvest, a "good crop".

Some of you aren't "seeing" that right now.  But, look.  You aren't promised to see it.  Sorry!

I think of Vincent Van Gogh, who sold exactly one of his paintings during his lifetime1.  Yet, if you are at all educated, you've heard of the art of Vincent Van Gogh!  In fact, go google "Van Gogh at the Museum" and watch that vid, to get a sense of what I'm talking about here.  And, Van Gogh was a pagan, if I remember correctly!  How much more will our God do with our willing, persevering hearts if we will only trust Him and believe?  How much more!

The Scriptures say, "at the right time".  That's not your time.  That's on God's timetable.  HE gets to decide when "the right time" is.  Unfortunately, some of us play right into Satan's hands over timing. We get so discouraged at a lack of results, we just "chuck it all".  We do not live in a patient society. We live in a world where everything is instant, instant, right NOW!  Therefore, we expect our ministries to be the same.

So, let's persevere, people of God.  Go to Jesus when you are weary, and He will give you rest (Matt. 11:29).  Then, after He has restored your soul, get back out there, as Galatians 6:10 says.  "The test of your character is what it takes to stop you.  Finish the job!"1 Every time you get the chance, bless the people of God as well as the unsaved around you.  Be open-handed!  Give of your heart.  Give of your time. Give of yourself to advance Christ's kingdom.  Nothing ever given to God was ever wasted, nor will it ever be!

Father, even You rested, on the seventh day.  It is normal for us to get tired, in this war in which your gospel of salvation is continually opposed.  Thank you for being our source of rejuvenation, comfort and rest!  Thank you for equipping us because, you don't call the equipped; you equip the called! Help us to remember that and, like Winston Churchill said, "Never, never, never give up." as we keep walking in faith, fulfilling the calling you have given each of us.  In Jesus' name, amen
.
Source:

1  http://painting.about.com/od/paintingtrivia/f/van-gogh-first-painting-sold.htm
2  http://strader.cehd.tamu.edu/BobJonesQuotes.php

Churchy Stuff

Good morning!

As we move deeper into the book of Titus, we read that Paul left Titus in charge of the baby church in Crete. The bulk of this letter is to mentor Titus in how to pastor that church.

It must have frustrated Paul to move around that part of the world and then be called to another area, leaving things unfinished and in the hands of others.  Have you ever felt that way?  Felt God calling you to leave one thing and start another, when what you wanted to say was, "I'm not finished here yet!" In God's plan, you had finished the work He called you there to do, but you weren't feeling that yet.
God's perfect timing and His perfect way do not always seem right to us.
"We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps."  Proverbs 16:9
"There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end of it is the way of death." Proverbs 16:25
"As for God, His way is perfect..." 2 Samuel 22:31
We have to trust God's promises when things don't go the way we think they should or when we don't understand God's timing.  (I never said this was easy...)

Paul goes on to warn Titus to appoint godly leaders in the church, and to beware of those who would stir up trouble and dissension by teaching false doctrine.
He then gives Titus advice about how to effectively lead groups of people in the church - - - older men, older women, younger women, young men, slaves.

Paul makes a powerful point in chapter 2, verse 7.  He emphasizes that Titus must show the Cretans how to live in Christ by living right himself...that this is the only way to be authentic and to win others for Christ, as well as to help new Christians grow in the faith.

Some of my favorite verses from Titus are at the end of chapter 2, verses 11-14.   Here they are in the NIV:
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. 12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Here, Paul is making the point that, although our eternal salvation is a certainty in Jesus Christ, we are learning as we grow in grace to say "no" to ungodliness. This is an ongoing, purifying process that the Holy Spirit will do in our lives, if we yield to Him and let him purify us.  I love the word for that process:  Sanctification!
Paul reminds us in verses 4-8 of chapter 3 that we had nothing to do with earning our salvation, that it was all God's doing, not ours.
As a saved people, though, a people that Jesus can be proud of, we must live as those who have been washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit.
Paul said something similar to the Philippians in 2:12 when he instructed them to "work out their salvation".

The final point Paul makes to Titus is to stay away from mindless, pointless quarreling over "fine print in the law code" (Message version).  The major doctrines of our faith are worth fighting over, but all too often Christians harm their testimony in their communities by allowing their pride to lead to arguing over things that are much less important.  You know the things I'm talking about - - - whether the words to worship music are in a hymnbook or on a screen, whether the pastor should wear a jacket or a Hawaiian shirt, etc.  Satan loves to use these silly disagreements to disqualify the message of the gospel to unbelievers in our neighborhoods, when what we should be doing inside our churches is valuing others above ourselves.
Philippians 2:3 [Let] nothing [be done] through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves...{King James Version}
Love one another.

"By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."

 (John 13:35)When we do that, we honor Christ.

Good morning, Father!  Thank you for the rain that is falling on us here this morning.  As the water cleanses the earth so your Holy Spirit waits to cleanse our hearts, minds and spirits by your amazing grace!  I am so grateful for that.  Lord, remind us to take to heart the admonitions you gave to Titus in this inspired book.  Some days we seem so surrounded by evil that we despair of seeing your glorious appearing, and maybe we won't see it in our earthly lifetimes.  But, that only goes to show that our plans are not your plans.  Work Your will in me today.  Be King over my life today.  In Jesus' name, Amen.