Welcome To The Christian Journeyman!

Welcome To The Christian Journeyman!
A CHRISTIAN TEACHING AND RESOURCE MINISTRY!

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Dealing With Divisiveness

"I appeal to you, brothers, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree, and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment." (1 Corinthians 1:10) 

One of the biggest challenges of the Church today, is dealing with divisiveness. The call of our Lord Jesus Christ to unity, is a vital, and urgent call. (John 17:20-21) But many churches have failed to heed that call, and because of a divisive spirit, churches have declined greatly, and in several cases have even closed.

When it is so necessary today, that the Gospel be preached, and shared by the members of local congregations, how can we let our differences, destroy the main work of the church?

At the time the Apostle Paul wrote this letter, the church at Corinth had four divisions in their fellowship. Some followed Paul, others followed Apollos, others Peter, and the fourth group, followed Christ.

When there is factions in the body of Christ, it only leads to the destruction of that local body. In the midst of our disunity, we fail to act like Christians, and we act more like those in the world. Selfishness, hatred, jealousy, and strife, show their ugly heads, and the love of Christ is thrown out like wash-water. In his letter,

Paul calls them (and us) to be united in the same mind (the mind of Christ) and the same judgment (way of thinking) We are to be like a quilt of various colors and patterns, blended together in a harmonious whole.

None of us are the same, we have our differences. But we are to find our oneness in Christ, as we strive to follow His teaching about love and ministry.

I like what one commentary writer said: "The more low-minded we are, the more like-minded we will become." GP

 artverau / 127 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required - www.pixabay.com

Friday, December 23, 2016

How To Love Your Life

"And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and with all your might." (Deuteronomy 6:5)

 As I write this post, there are several people who are contemplating suicide.
They do not want to enter a new year, because they cannot bear any longer, the sorrow and despair, they feel in their hearts.

We could make a long list of things that contribute to this.
But without a doubt it is different things, for different people.

And there are those who are insensitive to this, and say: "Come on, buck up, get over it, it's not as bad as you think." If those who utter such words would walk in the shoes of those who are hurting, they would change their tune.

But here's my thought for those who are considering giving up God's precious gift. How about loving your creator, with a love that is deep and strong. How about loving God like you have never loved any one, or anything before.

Instead of focusing on your life, and the bad of it; why not focus on your relationship with God, and the good that will come from it. You will love your life, when you totally love the Creator, Savior, and Shepherd, of your life.

Spend as much time as you can with Him, in prayer, and in His Word. Look for opportunities to serve Him, in ministering to people on behalf of Him. God will show you opportunities, you never saw before.

In your time with God, you will feel His loving Presence. In your service for Him, you will see His purpose for your life more clearly.
You will be a different person, with a totally different outlook on life.

Yes, you will come to love your life. Why? Because loving God with all of your heart, soul, and strength, will cause it to happen. Try it, and see! GP

 Inna Lesyk - 23 photos - CCO License - Free for personal and commercial use - No attribution required - www.pexels.com

Thursday, December 22, 2016

Sincere Submission

 "And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus." (Matthew 1:24-25) 

What is your response to God's will for your life? When you come to realize what God would have you to do, in regards to a certain situation, do you sincerely submit to His will? Or do you look at it as just an option, that you could pursue, if you wanted to.

 When Mary was found with child, and Joseph realized that he was not the father, his self-focused option was to put Mary away secretly. Instead of making her condition known to the public, and to the judges at the gate (which would have resulted in Mary being stoned to death-Deuteronomy 22:23-24) he decided to divorce her quietly.

But when an angel came to Joseph in a dream, and told him about God's plan for Mary and the Christ Child, (v.20) he didn't look at this as an option, he looked at it as a command from God. And in response, he obeyed, and took Mary to be his wife.

To sincerely submit to the will of God, is to exercise a strong and determined faith and obedience. To say to ourselves: God knows what is best, we don't. His will is always better than ours.

We may not like the direction that God is taking us, or the task that He has called us to do. But when we look back and see how God is using us, and how He is working His plan in our situations, we will be glad that we submitted to His plan and His will.

God is faithful, but the question is: are we? GP

 geralt / 13320 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required - www.pixabay.com

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

There's A New Kid In Town

*"There's a new kid in town
And he's lying in a manger down the road
There's a new kid in town
But he's just another baby I suppose
Heaven knows
There's a new kid in town
Here in Bethlehem"

 Every year, we are constantly reminded, to have a proper perspective, regarding the Christ Child.
While commercialism and bigotry, crowd Him out, we lose ourselves in the pursuit of selfish gain, and the despair that hangs over us like a dark cloud.

 Yes, Jesus was a new kid in town, born in Bethlehem. And yes, heaven knows, and because the angels gave a divine message to the shepherds, concerning this special child, we now know.(Luke 2:11)

But the key to coming to know that this special child,  is the Son of God, and is Savior, is by placing our faith in Him, to save us, and to shepherd us. To know Him as the best friend that we could ever have, is to personally, and constantly, place ourselves in His presence, and walk according to the truth, that He brings to our path.

Like David, each day,  we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. And the reason we can fear no evil, and embrace a confident security in this life, is because the "Christ Child" is "Emmanuel", God with us!

Have you placed your trust in the "Christ Child" today?

Yes, there is a new kid in town! The question is: Does He reside in your heart, and have you given Him, His rightful place in your life? If you haven't, it's time to let Him be more than just a child, but King of your life! GP

 Josh Willink - 25 Phtos - CCO License - Free for personal and commercial use - No attribution required - www.pexels.com

* Songwriters: PUTMAN, CURLY / COOK, DON / WHITLEY, KEITH
There's A New Kid In Town lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Thursday, December 15, 2016

The Faithfulness Of The Christmas Couple

Mary and Joseph have always amazed me with their faith and faithfulness. When the odds were against them, they stayed true to the will of God for their lives. They are very good examples for us as Christians. We are to stay true to what God would have us to do, instead of jumping ahead and doing what we think is best.

In the sixth month, from the time of John's conception, God sent an angel to announce to Mary, God's plan for her life. She was troubled at his words. I'm sure we would be as well.(Please read Luke 1:30-36) "God has found favor with you." What did this mean? Gabriel gives her this amazing information: "You will be with child, you will have a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, which means "Savior" The child you will have, is the Son Of God. The Throne of David is His, reigning over the house of Jacob forever. His Kingdom will never end."

Mary does not ask why, but how. She is not married, she is in the middle of the engagement process. But Gabriel assures her that God will do it. "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you." In verse 37 Gabriel makes a statement that we as Christians should never forget. "For with God nothing will be impossible." And Mary responds by making a statement of commitment to God's call upon her life. "Behold the maidservant of the Lord! Let it be to me, according to your word."(v.38)

(Please read Matthew 1:18-25) Matthew says of Joseph, that he was a "just man." Mary's pregnancy came as a surprise, and to him, and to the community, an immoral act. One that would meet with severe consequences. But Joseph did not have all the information. An angel filled in the blanks, with the information Joseph needed to fulfill the purpose of God for His life. In spite of the embarrassment and judgment of the community, he went ahead and took Mary as his wife, and did what God called him to do,

The lesson is clear to us, concerning this wonderful couple. They trusted God, and did what God decreed, instead of following their own wants and wishes. May we always remember that as Christians, we are not are own. We don't belong to ourselves. Every inch of us is to be committed to doing the will of God in our lives.

In so doing, we will feel the reward of fulfilling our purpose in God's sight, and we will have a peace, that will truly pass all understanding. GP

 Alexas_Fotos / 11579 images - CCO Oublic Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required - www.pixabay

Thursday, December 8, 2016

I'm A Sinner?

 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.." (Romans 3:23) "Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." 
(James 4:17) 

I'm a sinner? When did this happen?

 I may have a lot of disagreement about this, but I believe that when a person comes to have a realization of what is right, and what is wrong, and chooses the wrong, that person has entered into a state of sin.

According to our text, the Apostle Paul says that all of mankind has done this, from our first parents, Adam and Eve, until now. When we know the right thing we should do, and we fail to do it, (according to James) we have sinned.

In Ezekiel 18:20 the prophet speaks and says: "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the faither's iniquity. Nor for the son's iniquity; the righteousness of the righteous will be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked will be upon himself." 

To me, "sin" is an individual choice. If we are too young to understand the meaning of that choice, I don't believe that the Lord will hold us accountable. But once we "know" we are held to the standards set forth in God's Word.

Yes, I'm a sinner. But I am a sinner, saved by the grace of God,

 Have you allowed Jesus to be your Savior today? He will, if only you will surrender your soul to Him today!  GP

 Photo ID 1973701 © Dawn Hudson | Dreamstime.com

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Moving Away?

"...if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister." (Colossians 1:23) 

If you have lived in one place for a long period of time, it is difficult to move to a new location, and start over again. It was difficult for my family and I, to move to a new pastorate, after being with a church for almost eleven years.

 In our text, the Apostle Paul shares with the Christians at Colossae, concerning their response to the reconciling work of Jesus Christ. The Gospel is the precious message of the work of Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. The Christians at Colossae could confidently say, that they had allowed Jesus to reconcile them to Himself. They had (through their faith) stayed steadfast to their commitment to the hope of the Gospel. They had, (as we can call it) "a settled faith." They were not going to let anything cause them to "move away" from the hope they held so dear.

 As Christians today; is this the way it is with us? Do we have a "settled", "steadfast" faith, in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Does it show in the way we live? Does our worship reflect this "settle faith" in the hope we have in Christ?

 The world lures us, in so many ways, and causes us to "move away." Maybe not all at once, but little by little, we drift away from what we hold dear in Christ. We can, and do, major in minor things, the enemy hopes we will pursue. But when this world is gone, and all the things we used to hold dear in Christ is forsaken; what will be able to hope in then?

Let's stay home with Jesus, instead of trying to "Move Away! GP

 RolandSD / 63 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required - www.pixabay.com

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Who Can We Trust?

 "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (Hebrews 13:8) 

I know of people whose lives have been crippled, because the people they trusted, let them down. It is an on-going saga, of disappointment. People make promises all the time, that they cannot keep. Expectations that people make for each other, are not met. Why is this?

My answer to this, is not so much to the "why" but to the "what." 
And the "what" is what I call "The Human Factor."

Humans are weak, and although they mean well, and for the most part, do live up to the call to be faithful; They just cannot live up to the expectation of being reliable all the time. It does become crippling, when the word "Commitment" does not mean much any more. And selfishness plays a huge role in contributing to the break down of reliability.

 So what should we do concerning all this disappointment?

There is one person who will never let us down, while the people around us do. That is Jesus Christ. As the Hebrew writer says: "He is the same yesterday, today, and forever." (v.8) We can, and should always trust Jesus, in every aspect of our lives. Trusting that in all things, He will bring us through, and help us to not just survive, but to thrive.

If our security is placed totally on humans, or upon the things of this world, we are in store for some great disappointments. But the Lord's principles, purpose, and presence, in our lives is 100% sure.

And this promise I find true and faithful, and one that I bank on all the time: "I will not fail you, or forsake you." (Joshua 1:5c) The Lord never has, and He never will! GP

 Myriams-Fotos / 939 images - CCO Public Domain - Free for commercial use - No attribution required - www.pixabay.com