The "key"!

I often wonder if there's a "key" to reaching the lost. There is - but it's rusty through lack of use. The Bible does actually call it "the key," and its purpose is to bring us to Christ - to unlock the Door of the Savior (John 10:9). Yet much of the Church still doesn't even know that it exists. But Jesus used it. So did Paul (Rom 3:19, 20), Timothy (1 Tim 1:8-11), and James (Jas 2:10). Even Stephen used it when he preached (Acts 7:53).

Jesus said that the lawyers had "taken away" the key, and even refused to use it to let people enter into the kingdom of God. The Pharisees didn't take it away. Instead, they bent it out of shape so that it wouldn't do its work (Mk 7:8). Satan has tried to prejudice the modern Church against the key.

The key that Jesus spoke of is found in Luke 11:52. It is the Law of God (the Ten Commandments). The Law is the God-given "key" to unlock the Door of salvation. Charles Spurgeon said, "I do not believe that any man can preach the gospel who does not preach the Law. The Law is the needle, and you cannot draw the silken thread of the gospel through a man's heart unless you first send the needle of the Law to make way for it." Sadly, many hear the word "Law" and think of "legalism." While there are those who use the Law unlawfully (legalism), it shouldn't negate the fact that we can use the Law lawfully - to reach the lost. That's why God gave it - "for sinners" (1 Tim 1:8-10).

If you study how Jesus evangelized in Mark 10:17-21 you will notice how different His approach was from that of modern evangelism. A young man ran to Him (he was earnest), knelt down (in apparent humility), called Jesus "good," then asked how he could obtain eternal life. However, Jesus didn't preach the Cross, speak of God's love, repentance, or lead this potential convert in a sinner's prayer. Instead He corrected his understanding of the word "good." Then He took him through the Ten Commandments (the Law) to show this man what sin was.

If we want to be effective in reaching the lost, we must imitate the way of the Master. Let's pray this week on how we can utilize the law rather than denying its power as a relevant tool for evangelism.

Grace and peace,
Pastor Rony

Loving others when they cannot love themselves (Lunchtime for 11/18/09)

Often in life we are in need of others to help us out when we are unable to help ourselves.  This is love in action.  In Mark 2:1-12 we read an account of four guys who forcefully interrupt Jesus in the middle of one of His sermons to place before His feet a paralytic man in need of physical healing.  Obviously, since the man was paralyzed he was unable to physically force his own way into the presence of Jesus.  Thus, the need of his friends.  It was the faith and love of the man’s four friends who lowered him before Jesus that began this miracle of healing.  Today, if we look around we will realize that we are surrounded by spiritual paralytics, meaning those who are spiritually crippled and are unable to go before God themselves due to a variety of reasons.  They are in need of God’s miracle and our love.  This is an opportunity for us to demonstrate our faith and love by spiritually placing those who are presently unable to do so for themselves before the feet of Christ through prayer.  God honors and loves this type of faith in action through prayer.  At the end of the account in Mark 2:12 we read that the crowd was amazed at the power of Jesus.  His power is still amazing.  Let us go before Jesus today in faith, placing before Him those who are in need of a spiritual healing and are unable to do so for themselves. 

God bless,

Pastor Joe 

Persistence Pays off! (Lunchtime post for 11/11/09)

Continually praying for the same thing with no apparent results can be very discouraging.  Even the most faithful prayer warriors can feel like giving up.  Yet, God encourages all of us to pray until the prayer is answered.  This does not mean pray until you get the answer you want, but until the prayer is answered.  There is an old acronym P.U.S.H that stands for Pray Until Something Happens.  This is what Christ is speaking of in the parable of the persistent widow in Luke 18.  Jesus states He wants to encourage us to always pray and not give up.  God’s timing is not our timing, just as His thoughts are not our thoughts.  Often God allows His children to wait and rest in Him for His perfect timing before He answers their prayers.  As you are praying for the lost in your lives do not give up and get discouraged when you do not see immediate results.  Many prayers have been answered years later, and that was God perfect timing.  Christ calls us to be persistent in our prayers.  So lets keep fighting the good fight, not with weapons of this world but with weapons that demolish strong holds and set people free—Prayer!  PUSH on brothers and sisters.  God bless.

Pastor Joe

Fight to be clear? (Lunchtime for 11/4/09)

Have you ever realized how intently focused Jesus was on His and His Father’s purpose?  The Pharisees sought to discourage and harm Jesus in hopes to keep Him from His purpose.  Satin sought to tempt Jesus to avoid His purpose and mission.  And Jesus' own family, albeit unintentionally, even sought to encourage Jesus to neglect His mission.  The crowds wanted to force Jesus to be king for their own purpose. Yet, to all this His reply was, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come (Mark 1:38).  Jesus’ response to all distractions in word and in action was the Son of man came to seek and save that which is lost,” (Luke 19:10).  Jesus fought the distractions and temptations of this world in order to stay focused on what truly counts.  We read in Luke 4:42-44 Jesus prepared and planed His day to accomplish His purpose.  Today is another day that God has given us to draw closer to Him and be used for His kingdom.  Don’t forget that Christ gave us a new life with a new purpose. Be encouraged and plan and prepare to answer that purpose given to you in Christ: ambassador of the living God almighty! Fight to be clear on why God has you where you are at.  Do not allow things that do not have God's eternal purpose in mind distract you from what counts.

God bless, Pastor Joe