Business as Usual?

Paul teaching in the Synagogue
courtesy photobucket.com

 

The church I usually attend is reciting the happenings of Advent and the lighting of the candle, “Preparation;” preparing our hearts to receive the coming Christ Child.  There would be much reading and explanations of Advent, and then the sermon.

Because my regular church had such a busy day, I decided to visit, Victory Christian Church, where I could share one of my stories from my book "Rescue the Stories Book One." 

 

After the service several told me how much they enjoyed my Christmas story about Tricksy My Favorite Doll.  The Pastor had been leading the song service and later he said he welcomed my story because it fit in so well to give him time to catch his breath just before for his sermon.

Pastor Jim was beginning a teaching from 1 Thessalonians chapter 2.  He began by saying that it is often difficult to do business as usual.

 

Paul had visited the synagogue for only a short time and argued from the Old Testament that Jesus was the Messiah.  Many believed and received the Lord and although they were persecuted they were examples unto the believers and also to those who did not believe.  A church was formed and the Lord added to their members daily.

Paul wrote them a letter encouraging them to continue to plant seed and to be living testimonies to the Gospel.  His anointed preaching brought results of changed lives. 

Paul ministered boldly and the Jews were upset that he was preaching to the Gentiles, and they wanted him placed in prison and eventually killed.

Like many today, these Jews were full of tradition and rules but their hearts were far from God.  The god they served was not the true and living God, and they hated the Gospel of Jesus Christ because they had rejected Him and sent Him to the cross.

Paul did not come with high sounding theology or pretention and trickery.  He was not trying to please people, but wanted to only please the Lord.  He did not come with entertainment, but with down to earth life changing Words from the Bible.

Our job is to plant seed into the lives of people we meet by our words and our example.  We are not responsible for the life changes in people.  It is not our job to make others live right. 

 

That is the work of the Holy Spirit as new Christians will get into the Word and search to see if these things be so.

We are to be gentle as a mother with a nursing child, and as a father who guides, encourages and comforts his children leading them by example and God’s word.

If we were to visit the South, and opened our mouth to speak, they would probably say, “You all are not from around here.” 

 

As Christians, when we speak to those around us some might say that of us because we are not of this world.  We are to be different than those of the world and others should notice as such.

May we be careful to share from the Bible and not from our opinion or the outlook of others.  Keep true to the Word and let it enter our hearts and those we share it with.

Not everyone will accept your message.  Jesus, Paul and many even today suffer because they preach Jesus Christ. 

 

If you are suffering for the Gospel sake, may I suggest that you are doing something right.  

 

May we continue to be examples of Truth, and hold on until Jesus comes?

 

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Hold ON !!

Courtesy photobucket.

 

This post is shared with Charlotte’s Spiritual Sundays