Going AND Growing is God’s desire for each of us
Bobby G. Richardson,
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Because things were so much different in days gone by, some may have thought that they could fool around because there was plenty of time for them to get their house in order. But, today, we are living in a very different period of time. It is much closer than ever before. And, we are definitely living in the Last Days. In my opinion, it would have been foolish for anyone ... at any time ... to ever think they had plenty of time, when none of us is any further than one heart beat away from eternity at any given moment. And, fatal accidents happen all around us everyday, and take people out into eternity without the slightest warning -and most of them happen within 25 miles of home! Therefore, even if anyone ever did think there wasn’t a sense of urgency, they’d better NOT be thinking that way today. I can remember a time when most folks didn’t lock their cars and left the windows down, except when it looked like rain. And, most folks didn’t even lock their homes when they left. As a matter of fact, most folks kept their windows and doors open on hot summer nights, while they slept, and maybe only had a screen door latched ... if anything at all. Back then, the really bad news was usually always off in some big city. However, we are living in a much different time. Crime is rampant. Today, we put locks on our doors, and install alarm systems in our homes, to help prevent unauthorized entry and intrusion. But, what measures do you and I take to protect and "guard" our most valuable possession ... our soul? Some folks entrust their soul to the "deceitfulness of riches", while others commit theirs to all sorts of vices and "pleasures of sin for a season". However, the truly wise ones among us, are being good stewards with what God has allowed them to be in charge of, while laying up treasures in Heaven. Jesus said in Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." There is a huge difference in a "want" and a "need". And, while I am NOT teaching against having nice things, or providing for our family, **IF** my "treasure" is my bank account, a good job with a 401K, a nice home, an automobile or any other material possession, that is where my heart will be. Furthermore, that’s also what will dominate most of my thoughts. AND, that is what I will "put my heart in" and devote the majority of my time and attention to. In the past, I’ve had to drive 20-30 minutes to work, and be "on the clock" at 3 AM. And, I’d get up a little bit early to shave, get my shower and spend some time alone with God before I left for work. And, while I am NOT advocating doing things "on the clock" that would be considered dishonest or deceptive, I’ve been "on the clock" many times, taking care of my duties AND meditating upon the Word of God, the good things of God ... and sometimes witnessing to a co-worker or customer and doing a work for God all at the same time. So, a person has come too late to tell me that it just can’t be done. The bottom line is, people usually do what they "really" want to do ... involving what ever it is and where ever their heart truly is. Here’s the way I feel: **IF** I say I love God and His Word, and closely follow some sport (and have the names of most of the drivers, or teams or members of that sport memorized), and haven’t memorized the 66 books of the Bible and some of the Scriptures in them ... something is severely wrong with my testimony AND my priorities. Granted, we are all free moral agents. We can do whatever we choose to do. But, let’s make one thing crystal clear ... we are what we are; we are where we are; and we are who are; BY CHOICE! Nobody on the face of Planet Earth can "make me or you" go against our own will **IF** we have a made up mind. The ONLY way possible for you or me to be hornswoggled is either by our own carnal desire, or through deception, intimidation or ANYTHING that has the ability to cause us to take our focus off the prize and place our focus upon what ever "it" is. Am I saying we can’t be involved in anything but Church activities? Absolutely not! But the other things we do should be used in such a way to allow us to be a light to others, a good witness and ambassadors for Christ where ever we are and what ever the occasion may be. **IF** anything influences me and you to be less than what we ought to be for God, we would be wise to leave it alone. And, I am talking about everything from sewing circles to hunting clubs. It would be better to leave the light bearing, witnessing and ambassadoring for Christ to someone those who are strong enough in the Lord to NOT allow anything to have an adverse effect on their relationship with God. A good influence can have a positive impact on the lives of others. However, God only knows how many have jumped out there claiming they were going to "win someone to the Lord", and ended up falling flat on their face by letting the influence go the other way, and lost out with God. Proverbs 11:30 tells us that "... he that winneth souls is wise." Soul winning should be the passion of EVERYBODY who has experienced the baptism of the Holy Ghost. However, soul winning, gets the least amount of time and attention by many. While the passion of soul winning and reaching out to the lost caused our Lord to be seen eating with publicans and sinners, it did NOT cause Him to participate in any ungodliness or to compromise His convictions in the least. And, **IF** you and I are not rooted and grounded in the Word, and have a good relationship with God, AND keep our body under subjection to the Spirit through prayer and fasting, we will NOT be able to hold up under the pressure, the trials and the temptations that has to be dealt with in many situations in the "real world". Therefore, preparation AND education is a MUST! How wise would it be to have a high powered rifle, and not have the knowledge necessary to safely use it? Or how wise would it be to have a rod and reel, and a boat and motor, and not have the knowledge necessary to safely use them? Or, who would dream of putting a teenager behind the wheel of an automobile for the first time, and turn them loose with only a warning to "be careful"? Well, why is it that people don’t put any more effort into learning some things about winning souls than they do? Maybe it is because nobody around them knows how it is done, either. Think about that for a minute. How can I teach someone how to do something that I don’t know how to do ... and haven’t done, myself? And, how wise would it be for me to jump out there with only "book knowledge" and an inflated ego, and tackle a bear? Granted, the Holy Ghost will teach us and guide us into all truth. However, that is only **IF** we are sensitive to the leading of the Holy Ghost and submissive to the Will of God. The bottom line is, I need to be a soul winner. You need to be a soul winner. And, I can tell you this: the folks out there in the pig pens where some of us have been are NOT easily impressed by "talk", nor are they going to connect with someone who is as unstable as water. They figure that they’ll just stay the way they are because they’re as good as the luke warm Christians. And, regardless of the Church, everyone usually confesses that they want theirs to be a fully functional ... thriving ... Church. I don’t know of anybody who would want a dead, dry, dull and boring Church. However, not everyone understands what it takes to have a fully functional ... thriving ... Church. I am convinced that the following are essential ingredients ... 1) The Church "family" manifest a "genuine"
spirit of the Agape-type love; Duty Deuteronomy 6:4-5 Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. Honor Exodus 20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Ephesians 6:2 Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another; Romans 13:7 Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour. 1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. 1 Peter 2:17 Honour all men. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honour the king. 1 Peter 3:1-17 Likewise, ye wives, be in subjection to your own husbands; that, if any obey not the word, they also may without the word be won by the conversation of the wives; While they behold your chaste conversation coupled with fear. Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands: Even as Sara obeyed Abraham, calling him lord: whose daughters ye are, as long as ye do well, and are not afraid with any amazement. Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered. Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue it. For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil. And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing. Teamwork Leviticus 26:3-9 If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make [you] afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. And ye shall chase your enemies, and they shall fall before you by the sword. And five of you shall chase an hundred, and an hundred of you shall put ten thousand to flight: and your enemies shall fall before you by the sword. For I will have respect unto you, and make you fruitful, and multiply you, and establish my covenant with you. 1 Corinthians 12:14-20 & 26-28 For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body: so also is Christ. For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many. ... And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it. Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues. Ezekiel 37:1-10 The hand of the LORD was upon me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, And caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. And he said unto me, Son of man, can these bones live? And I answered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Again he said unto me, Prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD. Thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live: And I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD. So I prophesied as I was commanded: and as I prophesied, there was a noise, and behold a shaking, and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army. Joel 2:1 & 10-13 Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; ..... The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining: And the LORD shall utter his voice before his army: for his camp is very great: for he is strong that executeth his word: for the day of the LORD is great and very terrible; and who can abide it? Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: Guard Duty - The following excerpts were taken from an Army Study Guide found at this web site ... What are the three general orders? 1) I will guard everything within the limits of my post and
quit my post only when properly relieved. What two types of orders can a guard receive? 1) General orders What are you normally responsible for at your guard post? Your post and all government property in view What is deadly force? The power to cause death or severe bodily harm Who is responsible for the instruction, discipline and performance of the guards? The commander of the guards What is your chain of command as a guard? 1) Commander of the relief, If you sleep on duty, what could your punishment be? Court Martial How long will a guard normally stay at his post? 2 to 4 hours What are the duties of a guard? They must memorize, understand, and comply with the general orders for guards. In addition, guards must understand and comply with special orders applying to their particular posts, including the use of the countersign and parole word, if they are in effect. * * * * * I plan to elaborate more on the importance of these qualities in our next study.God bless! * * * * * |