Paul On Paul

For I am the least of the apostles, and not fit to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

1 Corinthians 15:11-14 

The Apostle Paul was aware that people were suspicious of his ministry because he had previously persecuted Christians.  He held the coats of those who stoned Stephen.  His reputation was so bad that God gave him a new name - Saul became Paul.  

Through all this Paul's faith and ministry grew and he proclaimed, "By the grace of God I am what I am..."

That is the way it is when we come to Christ.  We are no longer who we were but we are transformed by the grace of God and become new.

And, we are equipped by God to proclaim Christ to the World. 

No Other Name Under Heaven

 

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people, if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as to how this man has been made well, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead—by this name this man stands here before you in good health.”

“He is the stone which was rejected by you, the builders, but which became the chief corner stone.  And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:8-12

Because Peter and John healed a beggar outside the temple, the temple officials arrested them.

And, what did Peter do when he was given an opportunity to speak?  Did he try to smooth over the situation and make peace with his accusers?  No.  He preached the Gospel. 

We should be so bold when we are questioned about our work for Jesus.  We need to stop apologizing for delivering the message of salvation through Jesus along with food, medical help and services to people who are hurting. 

We work for God and we should unashamedly say so.

There Is A Time To Judge

 

Do not be bound together with unbelievers; for what partnership have righteousness and lawlessness, or what fellowship has light with darkness? 

 

Or what harmony has Christ with Belial, or what has a believer in common with an unbeliever? 

 

Or what agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple of the living God; just as God said, "I WILL DWELL IN THEM AND WALK AMONG THEM; AND I WILL BE THEIR GOD, AND THEY SHALL BE MY PEOPLE. 

 

2 Corinthians 14-16

 

As Christians, we need to carefully consider with whom we develop personal and business relationships.  While a person or company may seem to operating in a manner that reflects Christian values, it sometimes is all a show to lure people in so they can take advantage of others good reputation and money.

 

I  say this because the internet is full of scammers who seek to lure lonely people with sad stories or promises of friendship and romance, and fake churches and ministries who plead for money to help people or offer blessings for money.  In this same deceptive boat, are fake businesses and investment companies that promise big profits on investments to people and then rob them of their savings to support their own lavish life styles.  

 

And, sometimes the deception boldly creeps into the church. 

 

Paul warns to not be bound with unbelievers, and we should heed his warning. 

 

This being said, there is a time to judge and it is now. 

 

I Owe You

 

Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.

Romans 13:8

I had a friend who whenever anyone did anything to help him out would say, “I owe you one.” 

This was so wrong!  This man would do anything he could to help anyone who asked him.  He would drive twenty miles out of his way to take someone home.  He would buy lunch for the guy who was short on cash.  He would come over in the middle of the night to fix a neighbor’s furnace. 

He was kind and generous.  Yet, he was humbled by actions of kindness shown to him. 

This is what we owe each other as the Apostle Paul said, “To love one another.”  

Let Your Light Shine

 

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 5:13-16

Jesus does not speak passive words to us; He speaks words that call us to action.

Jesus challenges us to live in a way which demonstrates our Christian beliefs by doing what is good and right. It is easy to sit by and complain about the state of the world, it is more difficult to get up and do something. When we help people we demonstrate God’s love. We may think we are only saying encouraging words or feeding a few poor people and debate what difference our actions make. But the truth is when we step out in faith and do something, we unleash the love of God upon the world.

Light up your light so all may see God.

Peter Was Famous For Messing Up

 

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”

John 18:25

The Apostle Peter was famous for messing up. He was the guy who cut off the Roman soldier’s ear in the garden and who denied Christ three times in one day. Peter was not perfect, but he was forgiven and he became one of the most dynamic evangelists in the world, bringing thousands to know Jesus. So, awe inspiring was Peter’s ministry that he is the model for the Pope of the Catholic Church. 

With this in mind, we need to consider how we judge one another and ourselves and understand this:  No one is perfect - but all can be forgiven.  We all mess up. We all sin. We can beat ourselves up for our shortcomings and have a regular pity party. Or, we can ask God’s forgiveness and get on with the mission God has assigned us – to take the Gospel to the world.

Forget your sin because God has forgiven you, and get on with your awe inspiring ministry.  

Attitude and Gratitude Adjustment

 

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

Colossians 3:15

Don’t you hate it when you are restless and agitated about something over which you have no control? Flopping around in bed at night, with a brain full of stuff that you can’t resolve and then facing the next day with a less than pleasant attitude is not the way it is supposed to be. The next time this happens rather than getting all bent out of shape, try doing an attitude and gratitude adjustment.

When we trust in God, it means that we trust God to take care of all our problems. All we have to do is pray and surrender our problems to God, and feel the rush of His peace fill our hearts, and then be thankful.