Jim's Missionary Blog

Christian First, Missionary Second

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Thu, 31 May 2012 13:45:00 +0000

One thing that has helped me over the years is having the right perspective about who I am. My identity first and foremost is who I am in Christ, I am a Christian. After my identity as a child of God comes the plan God has for my life; because I am His child I go to Him to see what it is He wants me to do. However, if I get these two things mixed up I might have some problems.

As someone who lives and works for God in a country that is not their country of origin I am usually referred to as a missionary. As I wrote about in a previous blog, the word missionary is used to identify people who actually do many different things but generally a missionary is someone who lives in a country they do not originate from. No matter what work a missionary may do, or what anyone might do for that matter, our work does not define us. And no matter where we live, our location does not define us; it is our relationship to God that matters.

One problem that missionaries have had in the past is that rather than go to evangelize and teach others, missionaries have gone to countries and worked more to change customs and culture than they have to promote God and His Word. When living in another country where things may be different than what we are used to it can be tempting to only focus on trying to make others like us and not to make them disciples like Jesus talked about in Matthew 28:18-20. This focusing on changing customs and culture without changing people normally ends in failure and frustration.

Many missionaries, spiritual leaders, and other people working for God get "burned out" because they are focusing on the wrong things. Too often people are missionaries first and Christians second or even, Americans first and Christians second. While I am very thankful for the work God has called me to and I certainly do appreciate my country of origin, my plan is to focus first of all on being a Christian and to let everything else come into line after that. In my view that is the way to be successful as a missionary or in anything else we might do for God.

Were The "Good Old Days" Really That Good?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:45:00 +0000

"Do not say, Why were the old days better than these? For it is not wise or because of wisdom that you ask this."
Ecclesiastics 7:10 (Amplified)

In the Old Testament we can read about God delivering Israel from bondage in Egypt. In other places in the Old Testament it talks about the people of Israel being in "oppression" in Egypt (Exodus 3:7), the Israelites being "mistreated and afflicted" by the Egyptians (Deuteronomy 26:6), and there was even a time when the Pharaoh commanded the people of Israel to kill all of their baby boys (Exodus 1:16). This certainly does not look like a very good situation.

If you continue reading the story about Israel being delivered from Egypt and their journey towards the land God promised them you see something very strange happening, the people of Israel started saying that they wished they were back in Egypt! Over and over again when Israel ran into a problem in their present situation they said they would have been better off in Egypt. This sounds a bit crazy, people talking about going back into slavery just because things get difficult.

What happened with Israel in the Old Testament is the same thing that happens today when people talk about "The Good Old Days" and how wonderful things were in the past. When we face a problem in life and things are difficult it is easy to look back to the past and think that everything was better back then. If we are looking back to some time or situation in the past and believing that it was so much better than what we have now we are falling prey to deception. In Philippians 3:13, 14 Paul talked about forgetting the past and moving forward to the goal God has for us.

If you really take an objective look back, the "Good Old Days" were really not always as good as we remember. If we stop or slow down to take a look behind us we will delay our process of moving forward and even create more problems for ourselves. We need to stop being deceived by romantic views of the past and move forward in our life. God has a plan and a purpose for us and it is not found in the past but in our future!

Walking In Love - Specks And Planks

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 17:30:00 +0000

"And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?
Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?
Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye."
Matthew 7:3-5 (NKJV)

In these verses we see a situation that too often repeats itself, someone pointing out the problems of another person without taking note of their own problem areas. It is quite sad to me how frequently I have seen or heard stories of someone who is quick to point out something negative about someone else. It is easy to spend time looking for the problems that other people have but it is better to look for areas in our own life that need development. Besides that, the New Testament says more about building up and encouraging others than about judging one another.

If we read 1 Corinthians 13, and specifically verses four through seven, we get a very good view of what love is; my favorite Bible version of these verses is the Amplified version. In 1 Corinthians 13 we see that love is patient, kind, not touchy, it bears up under anything and everything, and love believes the best about other people. Try to point fingers at others and judge them with all of that in mind!

How much time do we spend looking for ways to build people up, encourage them and help them go the right direction? If we focused more on helping people go the right direction then we would not have to be so concerned about people going the wrong direction. Let's spend more time dealing with our own "planks" and not be so concerned about the "specks" we see in the lives of others. Remember that God is love and He does not just spend all of His time telling you about your problems but instead He is trying to help you grow and develop spiritually so that you can be an effective part of the Body of Christ. That is a good example to follow!

Untaught And Unstable

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:45:00 +0000

In 2 Peter 3:16 there is an interesting combination of words that I have been thinking about lately, "untaught" and "unstable". The word "untaught" here means ignorant or uninformed, it gives us the picture of a person who does not know something. The word "unstable" comes from a Greek word that means "unfixed" giving the idea of someone who is not settled in one place, someone who lacks a firm foundation. Peter did not say untaught and stable, or taught and unstable and I think that is an important point to notice, Peter connects being unstable with being untaught. You can be sincere and a nice person but if you are untaught you will probably be unstable.

Peter is saying that some untaught and unstable people had taken things that Paul wrote about and "twisted" them, resulting in their own destruction. It would seem that if those same people had been taught that they would not only have been stable but they would not have misunderstood or misinterpreted what the Bible had to say. It is the things we don't know about where we have trouble, usually we don't have problems with the things we really know about.

It is sad to say but many Christians I have met are not taught well and they tend to be unstable. The majority of Christians are very wonderful people who love God but they are often very uniformed about what the Bible has to say. Too often people are like what Paul described in Ephesians 4:14 where he said "that we should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine"; that is a picture of an unstable person. God needs stable, mature people to carry our His plans and purposes in the earth today. God's Word gives us a firm foundation to live a successful life. We need to make it a regular, if not daily, habit of spending time with God's Word so we are not untaught or unstable and we don't destroy ourselves or others.

Christian Cruise Control

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Tue, 28 Feb 2012 11:05:00 +0000

Recently I took a trip by car that covered hundreds of miles through several states. Since I do not own a car in the USA I rented a car and like most cars today this car had cruise control. It seems that most cars have this feature but what surprises me is how few people actually take advantage of this wonderful benefit.

During my trip I would get up to the speed limit and set the cruise control. What I noticed was that some cars passed me but then I caught up to them and passed them. Other cars were going much slower than I was but when I got close to them they would then increase their speed. For me this was all very odd but it made me think of a spiritual comparison and how so many people are not stable in life, they are always up and down. It seems like what they need is some Christian cruise control.

If we base our Christian life on circumstances, our feelings, what other people say, the current economic or political situation and so on we will not have a steady, stable life. If we choose instead to live our Christian life based on what God has said in His Word then no matter what we face in life we will continue on the right path unhindered by the different things that could possibly get us off our course. The only way to have a steady stable life based on God's Word is to know God's Word and put it into action in our life.

So many Christians that I meet don't seem to know a lot about the Bible and this is definitely a problem. Often people rely on just what they hear in church for their spiritual nourishment. While I am certainly not against good churches that teach the truth of God's Word I would suggest that each Christian takes some time each day to read and study the Bible. There is no substitute for our learning God's Word and making it the basis for what we do, think, and say every day. By doing this we are setting our Christian cruise control for success and we will live the kind of life that God has planned for us.

Abraham Was FULLY Convinced

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 20:50:00 +0000

"He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."
Romans 4:20, 21 (NKJV)

In Romans 4 we read about the promise God gave to Abraham about having a son. When God first gave this promise to Abraham in Genesis 17:15-17, Abraham fell on the ground laughing! Laughing at the promise of God does not sound like something someone who is fully convinced about something does; it sounds like someone who does not believe what was said. The question is, how did Abraham go from not being convinced to being FULLY convinced and what can we learn from this story?

In Genesis 17:5 we read that God said, "No longer shall your name be Abram, but your name shall be Abraham; for I have made you a father of many nations". The name Abraham means, "father of a multitude". The interesting thing is that this was not the natural reality in Abraham's life. Then in Romans 4:17 it quotes what is said in Genesis 17:5 and adds "God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did". Abraham had a choice, to call himself what God called him (Abraham) or to call himself what he had always called himself (Abram). Abraham made the decision to talk about himself in the same way that God did and that is the key.

Many people are weak in faith and unconvinced about what God says in His Word, first of all because they don't really know God's Word, and secondly because they are not talking like God talks or seeing themselves as God sees them. No matter what is happening in our life we need to go back to God's Word and see what God has to say about it and then speak and act accordingly. This is how we get to the point of being fully convinced about God's Word.

At first Abraham did not believe what God had said and laughed about it. But as Abraham continued to act and speak in faith, by referring to himself as Abraham (father of many nations), Abraham developed in his faith to the point that he was not laughing at the promise but expecting the fulfillment. How about you? What is happening in your life and what does God's Word have to say about it? You may look at God's Word and what God has said about your situation and it looks as impossible as God's promise did to Abraham. But if you continue to focus on what God has said and continue to speak like God speaks, you will receive the promise and then you will really have something to laugh and rejoice about!

New Things In The New Year

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 12:30:00 +0000

As the New Year is about to begin there is a lot of talk about people doing new things and making changes to their lives. Many people make New Year's resolutions in an effort to make positive changes in their lives and in turn make the New Year better than the last year. Although it should be obvious that nothing special takes place between December 31st and January 1st, many people use the changing of the calendar as the point to make a change in their lives.

No one is perfect and we can all find areas in our life where we can grow and develop, but we don't have to wait until the end of a calendar year to do so. There is something about the change of the year that gives people new hope and the belief that things can change and be better. For anyone who is a Christian we know that God has promised to help us and God has given us the Holy Spirit to assist us in our daily lives. Positive changes can be made at any time and with God's help the change can be a permanent one.

Permanent change is another aspect of having new things in the New Year. Many people start the New Year wanting to change and trying to change, but by February some have already made a mess of things and they give up. Or they get sidetracked with things in their life and they lose their focus on the intended change only to remember it later and then feel remorse at the fact that no real change has taken place. The good news is that even if you get off course you don't have to wait until the next New Year to start over again and pick up where you left off.

For any real change to take place in a person's life there has to be a willingness to change; the hard part is to keep going after the initial change is made. Recently I heard about an App for Smart Phones that will remind a person about their New Year's resolution. When I heard that I thought about how God has given us the Holy Spirit to remind us about the changes we need to make and to help us make the desired change. So make this coming year a year of positive change and development with new things in the New Year.

The Light Of The World Or Just Like The World?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 17:35:00 +0000

"As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world."
John 9:5 (NKJV)

"You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden."
Matthew 5:14 (NKJV)

In John 9:5 Jesus said that as long as He was in the world that He was the light of the world. Then in Matthew 5:14 Jesus told His disciples that they were the light of the world. What was Jesus saying and how does it apply to us today? Jesus is the light of the world and as Christians we are His representatives in the world. Jesus is no longer physically present in this world but He is here through His Body, the Church.

Anyone can say "I am a Christian and I follow Jesus", but being a Christian is more than just saying a certain set of words; people often say one thing and then begin to act in a way that contradicts what they just said. There is an interesting verse in Titus 1:16 that talks about people who say that they know God but with their works (their actions) they deny Him. Paul wrote to the Corinthians that because of what they were doing they were carnal and acting like mere men. In other words they were not being the light of the world; they were acting just like the world!

So am I suggesting that Christians should live a life of following some rules and regulations in order to prove that they are Christians? Actually no, because as Paul wrote in Galatians 2:16 no one is put in a right position with God based on their works. What I am saying is similar to what we read in James 2:20 where it says that faith without works is dead. We don't do good works to get saved but because we are saved our life should produce good works.

Romans 12:1, 2 talks about Christians not being like the world but instead presenting our bodies to God to do His will and renewing our minds with the Word of God. By doing this we are transformed to be like Jesus instead of being conformed to the world; people who are not Christians need to see a difference in our lives because we are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17). Make the decision today that you will carry on the work of Jesus and be a light to the dark world around you. You may be in this world but you are different than the world, let your light shine!

God's Word Works The Same For Everyone Everywhere

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 21:05:00 +0000

There is a misconception that many Christians have about God and His Word. Many Christians think that God plays favorites and does some things for some people that He would not do for other people. Some people also believe that the things that God does in one place with a certain person or group of people is limited to that person or those people. None of those ideas come from God or His Word because God's Word works the same for everyone everywhere.

The Bible tells us in Romans 2:11 that there is no partiality with God, God has no favorite children. In Mark 9:23 Jesus said that all things are possible to those who believe and 1 Corinthians 12:6, 11 shows us that it is God Who works through people as He wills. God may use different people in different ways but it is still God working through that person.

We can look at the disciples of Jesus for an example here. Jesus picked twelve men from various backgrounds to follow Him and carry out His work. Jesus did not just select a certain class of people or people who had some special abilities, Jesus picked ordinary men who became extraordinary when they followed Him and acted on what He said. The same is true for people we read about in the book of Acts, God uses all kinds of people to do His will.

Today God is looking for people that He can use and we need to be ready to work with God. If we think that God and His Word work differently for some people based purely on some preference God has or that person being special then we are limiting ourselves and God. Jesus said in Mark 11:23 that whoever speaks to the mountain and does not doubt in his heart will have whatever he is saying. Remember, God's Word works the same for everyone everywhere but we still have to put it to work. Find out what God has to say about you and your life then believe it and act on it; you'll be glad that you did!

Speaking To Or Speaking About The Problem

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 09:10:00 +0000

In Mark 11:22 Jesus showed us how faith works, we must speak to the "mountain" (the problems in our life). Unfortunately today many people are not speaking to the mountains in their lives, they are speaking about them. If we look at the life of Jesus and what He did when He faced a problem we can see this in action and learn for ourselves what we need to do. If all we ever do is talk about and describe the problem we will not see the results we desire.

In Mark 11 Jesus spoke to the fig tree. Jesus did not talk about the fact that there were no figs, Jesus cursed the fig tree and the tree dried up from the roots. When Jesus faced a storm on the sea with His disciples in Mark 4 Jesus did not recite the weather report and check on the size of the waves, He rebuked the storm and spoke to the sea. In Luke 4 Peter's mother-in-law had a fever; Jesus rebuked the fever and the fever left her! Over and over again we see examples like this in the life of Jesus.

Sometimes when people see these examples they say, "Well of course Jesus could do that, because He was Jesus". But remember that in the original example from Mark 11 Jesus told us that "whoever" would do this type of thing would receive the same result and in John 14 Jesus told us that we can do the works He did and even greater works. It is not a matter of trying to put ourselves in a position where we do not belong but it is simply us taking our place as New Testament Christians and putting God's Word to work in our lives.

If you listen to most Christians today they are talking about their problems and not to their problems. When we face a difficulty instead of just talking about the situation and how bad it looks let's talk about what God's Word says and what Jesus did for us. When we have a problem let's not try to see how well we can describe the problem but let's use the authority God has given us in Christ to speak in faith to the problem. Don't become an expert at describing problems but become an expert at speaking to the problems and walking in victory!

Encourage Yourself In The Lord

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Tue, 30 Aug 2011 20:05:00 +0000

"And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the Lord his God." 1 Samuel 30:6 (KJV)

In 1 Samuel 30 we read the story of David and his men returning to their homes and finding the city burned and all of their families taken away as captives. 1 Samuel 30:4 tells us that all of the people, including David, "... wept until they had no more power to weep". This was obviously a very difficult situation and things then went from bad to worse when all of the people somehow decided David was to blame and they wanted to kill him. The good news is that David did not die that day but he went on to become the king of Israel.

The important thing to notice here is what David did in this difficult situation. Yes David faced some bad circumstances and his first reaction of crying would be the normal thing to do; but David did not just cry, he dried his tears and encouraged himself in God! David turned from his emotions and simply focusing on the problem to focusing on God and looking to God for the answer to the problem. Although it is not specifically stated here, I believe that David did exactly what he did in many of the Psalms he wrote; he started talking about how big God is and how God has the answer to any problem that comes along.

How about us? What will we do when we face a problem or a difficult circumstance? Will we just cry and look at the problem wondering what we are going to do? Or will we follow David's example and start talking about God working in our life, God being on our side, God leading us into victory, and God having an answer bigger than the problem? When we do those things we are encouraging ourselves in the Lord and tapping into the strength that God is always ready to give us in every situation. Next time you face a problem don't just look at the problem, see what God's Word has to say about the problem and then start talking about that. You will find yourself growing stronger rather than weaker and you will put yourself into the place where God can speak to you, just like He did to David, and God will show you the way to victory!

What Is A Missionary?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 17:45:00 +0000

Although it may surprise some people, the word missionary is actually not in the Bible. The word missionary came into use in the early 1600s and the word means, a person who goes on a mission, especially a religious mission. The closest word in the Bible that could be used for what is known as a missionary would be the word apostle, which means someone who is a delegate or an ambassador, someone who is sent out. However, because the word apostle has often been misused in the church world I would not want to call myself an apostle. But the word missionary can be so vague and it sometimes gives the wrong impression.

When people think about a missionary they often think of someone who lives in a jungle or some other primitive conditions. While this can be true many people like me live in very modern cities in modern countries. So a missionary cannot be defined just by where or how they live.

Some people think missionaries are those who help the underprivileged get access to food and clean drinking water. This may be the case but not always. Some missionaries combine humanitarian work along with their spiritual work but this depends on the missionary and the work they are called to do. Some missionaries spend time translating the Bible into the language of the people they work with. That is not an issue in Germany; Martin Luther translated the Bible into German about 500 years ago.

Missionaries can be from any one of the five spiritual leadership offices listed in Ephesians 4 (apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor, and teacher) or even in the helps ministry. But to define a missionary as only being a pastor or evangelist would not be accurate. Sometimes I have difficulty explaining to people that while I am considered a missionary and that I use the term because people understand it, my real calling in the context of Ephesians 4 is that I am a teacher and teaching the Bible is what I am called to do.

So what is a missionary? A missionary is someone sent out and equipped by God. Missionaries live in a variety of places, under a variety of conditions, doing all kinds of work. While every Christian is not sent out to another country, every Christian is called and equipped by God for some "mission" so in one sense of the word everyone is called to be a missionary. Next time you meet or hear about a missionary in another country, find out exactly what God has called them to do; I am sure you will be happy you did.

God And His Word Do Not Change, We Change

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:25:00 +0000

In 2 Kings 22 there is a story about King Josiah. King Josiah commissioned people to do some work in the temple and while these people were working they found a copy of the Book of the Law, which would have been the first five books of the Bible. When they read what was written to the king he had a dramatic reaction to what he heard. It says that King Josiah tore his clothes, which was a sign of his deep sorrow. King Josiah realized that he and the people had gotten away from the principles God had given them to live by. King Josiah made a positive change when he heard what God's Word said and King Josiah's change in turn affected the whole nation.

In Jeremiah 36 there is a story about another king, King Jehoiakim. God gave the prophet Jeremiah a message for the king with the intent that the king would repent and change his ways, which is what King Josiah had done. However, when King Jehoiakim heard the message God had given to Jeremiah and that Jeremiah had written on a scroll, the king took a knife and cut the scroll up and threw it into the fire! This is quite a different approach and attitude towards what God had said than King Josiah's. The end of those stories is that God blessed King Josiah but King Jehoiakim was taken captive and carried away to Babylon.

In James 1:21 we are told to receive the word with meekness, which means we need to come to God's Word with a sense of humility. There will be times in the life of every Christian when they see something in God's Word that is contrary to what they see in their own life. This is when we have the choice to be humble, put God's Word first and make a change; this is what King Josiah did. The opposite reaction is to try to ignore what we have learned or try to justify why we need to continue living the way we live; this what King Jehoiakim did.

There is one thing we can be very sure of; God and His Word do not change. God has given us His Word to show us the best way to live and to fulfill His will for our lives, if a change needs to take place that change will be with us. Sometimes our actions, attitudes, or beliefs needs to change to line up with what God's Word has to say. If we are wise we will be like King Josiah and make the change because the end result will be for our benefit.

It's What You Know That Matters

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:45:00 +0000

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the Word of life - " 1 John 1:1 (NKJV)

The introduction to John's first letter gives us a really good standard for the things we share with others, something we know and understand. John says that what he is talking about is not just something he heard from someone else or something he read somewhere but this is something he has spent time with and has experience with. If we really do not fully understand something we are better off not saying too much about it but instead we should spend some time reading and studying God's Word to get the understanding we need about that subject.

There are many people you can see on television or on the Internet who are supposed to be "experts" in some area or even say they are Bible scholars. My question has always been why are they considered an expert or an authority on the subject? What I have seen is that often people who claim to be experts in some field or even people who claim to be Bible scholars are not at all what they claim to be. Recently I read an article on the Internet by someone who claimed to be a Bible scholar and after reading their article I wondered if that person had ever read the Bible!

In Acts 4, when Peter and John were arrested for teaching people about Jesus, Peter and John said in verse 20, "For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard". This is just like what John wrote later in 1 John 1:1, we need to speak about what WE have seen and heard. It is the truth from the Bible that we personally know and have experience with that we will do the best talking about.

This is why our own personal time with God and His Word are so important; if we don't know something we can't put it into action in our own life and we really can't help other people understand it. The things we do to help other people and teach other people start with and come out of our own relationship with God. Read and study the Bible for yourself; not just so you can check up on the things you hear to see if they are true but also so you have firsthand experience with biblical truth that you can then share with other people.

Walking In Love - Speaking The Truth In Love

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 17:30:00 +0000

Our words are very important. But, it is not only what we say that matters it is how we say it. You can say the right thing in the wrong way, or at the wrong time, and have a negative impact instead of a positive impact. The words we speak should be the kind of words that help and not hurt, words that build up and not words that tear down.

"but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ -" Ephesians 4:11 (NKJV)

Here in Ephesians 4 Paul is talking about spiritual growth and development. One way we can contribute to the growth and development of others is by speaking the right words, in love. It is when we speak the truth in an attitude of love with the goal of helping the other person that we will see the greatest results from our words.

So often we speak before we really consider what it is we are going to say. The problem is that once you say something you can never take those words back. As it has been said, it is better to put the mind in gear before the mouth goes into motion. I would take that a step further and say that as Christians we need to check our heart before we put our mouth into motion. Is what we have to say going to contribute in a positive way to the person or the situation?

This does not mean that we are always just saying gentle, flowery words that lack any real content or even correction. There may be times we need to help correct someone but we can do it in love and bring correction and guidance to the person instead of beating them down with words that harm instead of help. As Christians our goal should be to contribute to the overall growth and development of those around us and by speaking the truth in love we are taking a big step towards doing just that.

What Do Othes Say About Us?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 09:55:00 +0000

"And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus," Acts 4:36 (NKJV)

In the Book of Acts we read about many great people from the early days of the Christian Church. One person who has always been interesting to me was Barnabas, whose real name was actually Joses. Barnabas is mentioned over twenty times in the Book of Acts but only once by his actual name of Joses. What I find interesting about "Barnabas", which means the son of encouragement, is that the name we know him by is really just a nickname that was given to him by the apostles.

This got me thinking about some other verses that show us this same principle of it being important how others see us and the reputation we have with others. In Acts 6:3 the apostles said that the people who would be chosen to serve needed to have a good reputation. In 1 Timothy 3:1-10 Paul said the same things were necessary for people who wanted to serve as bishops and deacons, they had to be "blameless" and have "a good testimony among those who are outside". While Christians should not live a life just to please other people or only do things to seek the approval of others, what others think about us is important.

If the lives of Christians are not meeting the standards of God's Word and they have a bad reputation with other people, then who will represent Jesus and Christianity to the lost world? What if Joses was a difficult person to get along with and the apostles decided to name him the son of discouragement? How about calling him, the son of sorrow, because he just made people miserable whenever he was around them? When we bring this into our lives, what terms do people use to describe us? How many of us would be called the son (or daughter) of encouragement today and how many of us might be called something else less flattering? Ouch!

In Titus 2:7, 8 Paul encouraged Titus to have a life style of good works so that people would have nothing evil to say about him. This is a pretty high standard to live up to but I believe it is God's standard and it is attainable. So when people talk about us, what name would they give to us? This is something we all need to consider and continue to grow and develop so that we are doing what it says in Philippians 2:14-16 where we live a blameless life and shine as lights in the world.

The Answer Is Closer Than You Think

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Mon, 30 May 2011 19:50:00 +0000

"Wisdom is in the sight of him who has understanding, but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth." Proverbs 17:24 (NKJV)

Everyone one of us will face difficulties in life and have questions that we need answers to. Often we find ourselves in a situation where we need wisdom to know what we should do and how we should do it. The problem comes when we look for the answers in the wrong place. As Christians we have two wonderful resources for answers in our time of trouble, God's Word and the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Over the years as I have talked with people who are going through something where they are at a loss about what to do or they are seeking counsel about something in their life I refer them back to the Bible, God's Word. What has been surprising to me is how often those same people almost seem disappointed that I don't have something different for them. Many times the answers to the questions we have are much closer than we think and because we fail to realize this we look in all the wrong places for our answers.

In 1 Kings 19 there is a story about how God talked to Elijah when Elijah faced a bad situation. Elijah was on a mountain looking for an answer from God and there was a strong wind, an earthquake, and a fire that came but the Bible tells us that God was not in those things. Then, after all of these spectacular things happened, there was a still, small voice that was God speaking to Elijah. I use this story to show how when we look for answers and we focus on some outward spectacular thing, waiting for writing in the sky, an angelic visitation, or some voice from heaven we miss the answers that God has already given us in His Word.

Not only that, but as the Bible says in Romans 8:14, the sons of God are led by the Spirit of God. Then we can add 1 Corinthians 3:16 where it says that the Holy Spirit is living in us. Rather than being foolish and looking everywhere else for the answers to the questions we have we need to start with the simple truth of God's Word, allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us through it, and let the Holy Spirit lead us and direct us. Finding the answer is a lot easier than we think because the answers are often closer than we think!

You Will Know Them By Their...

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 15:50:00 +0000

In our world today, through the Internet, advances in telephone technology and multiple channels on television a person has a wide range of ways to make connections with other people and what those other people have to say. This can be a good thing but it can also be a bad thing, it all depends on who you listen to and what they have to say.

In Matthew 7:20 Jesus made a statement about how someone could recognize a false prophet, Jesus said that we would know them by their fruits. In other words, we can tell what kind of person someone is by what their life is like and what things are being produced through their life. The Bible also tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:21 that we have to test everything and hold on to the best. Too many times however it seems that today people do not take any time to really find out what someone is like before they allow that person to influence their life and often the results are confusion and problems.

Today it seems like a lot of people think Jesus said, "You will know them by their titles, talents, tweets, or personality". But none of these things are necessarily a sign that a person is a mature, stable Christian who we should allow to influence us. Too many Christians are weak and ineffective and many times the root of the problem can be found in the people they allow to influence them. Our first and main influence should be from God through His Word, the Bible, and the direction of the Holy Spirit. If we start with this we will save ourselves a lot of problems in the long run.

We can all learn a lesson from what happened to Joshua and the children of Israel in Joshua 9 where they unwisely made a covenant with some people who were actually their enemies. What was the reason they did that? Because the people of Israel did not listen to what God had to say about those people. The people of Israel only took into consideration what the other people had to say and what those people had to offer. Just because someone has an impressive title, wonderful ability is some area, or has access to Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, or some other form of mass communication does not mean that what they are doing or what they have to say has any real value. Be careful who you listen to and who you allow to influence you. Make sure everything you hear lines up with God's Word and you will be better off because of it!

Language Skills

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:55:00 +0000

Over the past 12 years since I have been living in Germany I have noticed two different things about my language skills. First of all, my ability to speak German has improved. Although I would not say I can speak German fluently I can speak it well enough to hold conversations with people and to do the things I need to do here without always having to ask someone else to speak for me. That is a really good thing because being able to speak the language of the country that you live in is vital for a missionary.

However, everything we do in the ministry of RHEMA Germany here in Bonn is done in English and in German so I am not required to speak German all of the time; being fluent in German is not as necessary for me as it might be for some other missionaries in Germany. My goal is to improve my German language skills so that I can speak even better German than I do now.

The second thing I have noticed is that my English language skills have diminished a bit. Obviously I am still able to speak English but I notice that sometimes I get stuck with even simple English words and sometimes I think of the German word for something before I think of the English word! That is a strange feeling to have. When I do speak English with people here or I teach in English I always try to find a simple way to say what I want without using too many big words. It seems to me that this may be a part of the reason my English language skills have decreased a little.

I have also noticed that sometimes my sentences follow a German sentence structure instead of English. I must say that I am very happy for the spell check program on my computer and for my family members who proof read my newsletters before they are sent out. Now I don't think I will ever lose the ability to speak English but I have noticed that living in another country has had a definite affect on my language skills. In fact, when I did the spell check on this document I found that I made five simple mistakes so I think that proves the point!

Walking In Love - What's In It For Me?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 14:15:00 +0000

The subject of the love of God is something that is very important; love is mentioned in every letter in the New Testament. Even the small books of Philemon, 2 John, 3 John, and Jude all mention love. Walking in love is one of those things that we don't always hear that much about but living a life motivated by the love of God that is in us is a vital part of a successful Christian life.

If we read through the New Testament and study all of the Bible verses about walking in love we will find that we all have some room for improvement. Typically we tend to be selfish and we think about how what we are doing will benefit us. We might even ask the question, "What's in it for me?" as we consider doing something. The thing is that if we are going to walk in love, instead of wondering what we are going to get out of a situation we should be wondering what we could contribute to the situation and what it is that we have to give instead of what we could get.

Our goal should be to do what we can to help others and not to see what others can do for us; even Jesus said that He did not come to be served but rather to serve others (Mark 10:45). Love does not insist on its own rights or its own way, love always builds up and edifies; this is what Jesus did and we should do the same. When we go into a situation only thinking about how we can benefit we will miss opportunities to help others and we will fall short of the plan of God for our lives.

Too often we only focus on getting what we want and we don't even consider others and their needs. Instead of always asking the question, "What's in it for me?" we would be a lot better off if we would always ask ourselves the question, "What can I do to help and benefit that person and how can I help in this situation?" By doing this we will walk in love and be a greater blessing to the people around us.

Keeping Your Guard Up

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 20:45:00 +0000

"Keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it spring the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23 (NKJV)

One of the best things we can do is to keep a guard on our heart to be sure that the things we allow ourselves to be exposed to help us and don't hurt us. The Bible is very clear about our having the right kind of influences in our life and the results of having the wrong influences. By this I am not just talking about hanging around with the wrong kind of people and avoiding places that everyone knows to be a bad influence. Those kinds of things are certainly included, but from what I have seen and continue to see, many Christians are allowing themselves to be influenced by teachings and beliefs that are having a harmful effect on them.

One of the things I do in my ministry is to teach various classes in Bible schools. No matter where I might be and no matter what the topic of the class might be there is always someone there who has a question about something in the Bible. Very often the questions stem from something they heard someone teach somewhere. Then, because the person who asks the question is not sure what to make of that teaching they look for someone to help them understand what the Bible has to say about that thing.

No matter what we read or listen to we must be careful about what we "hear" because it will have an impact on us. Too often Christians just listen to anything that sounds good and they get themselves into trouble because of it. When we hear or read something we must always first check it with what the Bible says. If we cannot find clear Bible verses on the subject we should stay clear of it. If we don't do that we are not guarding our heart and the result will be confusion, doubt, and a hindrance in our relationship with God. We have to guard our hearts by keeping ourselves filled with the Word of God so that we will know what the truth is. If we don't we end up with problems that can send us off course in our walk with God. Guard your heart with the truth of God's Word and keep your relationship with God strong.

2011 - The Year Of ...

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 18:15:00 +0000

Here we are once again at the end of one year and the beginning of another. With a New Year often come great expectations of things being better this next year than they were the last year. One thing I have seen is that sometimes Christians will say that this next year will be a year of ______ (fill in the blank) and most of the time whatever they say rhymes with the year coming up. But there is one thing I have noticed about all of this that usually spells disappointment and unfulfilled dreams for people as they go through the next year.

The majority of the time when people look ahead to a New Year, and especially when people "name" the year as the year of blessings or abundance or something like that, they focus on something outside of themselves. Many times when Christians talk about what they are looking for in the New Year there is a big focus on what God will do but normally there is almost no focus on what they can or should do. Now I am not against declaring that 2011 will be some great year of whatever but my question would be, how is that going to happen?

If we want 2011 to be the year of blessings and abundance or whatever then a lot of that happening is going to depend on us. We just got done celebrating Christmas where we traditionally mark the birth of Jesus but we forget that He did not just stay a baby, Jesus came to fulfill the requirements of the Old Covenant and to bring us into a New Covenant with God. God's part in our being blessed or having abundance is pretty much taken care of. Now it is our turn to do what we need to do to live in the reality of what Jesus did for us.

My desire is for each and every person to have 2011 be far superior to 2010, but again so much of that is up to us. If we really want things to be different next year then maybe we should declare that 2011 will be the year of growing up spiritually, or walking in love, or renewing our mind with the Word of God, or giving more than ever before, or being a doer of the Word and not just a hearer, or volunteering in church more often, or studying the Bible more than ever before. If we do those kinds of things then the blessings and abundance we are so often looking for will be ours. May 2011 be a year of blessings and abundance for all of us as we live our lives according to God's Word.

What Are You Doing With What You've Got?

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 19:15:00 +0000

Every day we have different opportunities about how to use our time, our money, and our talents. How do we use these things and what could we do differently in the future that would make better use of them? As a Christian I believe that how I spend my time and money as well as what I do with the abilities that I possess is very important. The Bible shows us that God has a plan and a purpose for each person and that He has given each person certain abilities that should be used to serve and glorify Him. When we make wise use of our time, money, and talents we will live a much more satisfying and successful life than if we fail to do the right thing with what we have.

Many people do not realize that God has a plan for their life and that He has given them unique talents and abilities; this is the first thing to deal with. Before we can make a good use of what we have we must realize that we have it! If you don't know what plan God has for your life or what talent He has given you then start with the other two areas of time and money. How do you spend your time and money? Are you investing in things that are temporary or things that are eternal?

One thing that everyone can do is to invest more of their time working on accomplishing God's plans and purposes and investing financially into what God is doing today. This can start with your local church but it also includes what God is doing in your city, state, nation, and around the world. Now I am not saying to give away all of your money or spend all of your time working in the church, but we all should be doing something in these areas. This will help us to discover the unique plan and purpose that God has for our life and it will also help us to develop the talents and abilities that God has given to us. Then, once we are making good use of what we have we need to keep developing our talents and help others to discover their own unique talents. So, what will you do today with your time, money, and talent? Make the most of the opportunities you have and I guarantee you will be glad that you did!

IN Everything Give Thanks

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Wed, 24 Nov 2010 19:35:00 +0000

"in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:18 (NKJV)

Tomorrow, November 25, is Thanksgiving Day in the USA. As I was thinking about the whole subject of giving thanks, the Bible verse from 1 Thessalonians 5:18 came to mind. The original idea behind Thanksgiving Day was not just having turkey to eat with family and friends but the origins go back to the early settlers of the United States and a celebratory time they held in recognition of their recent successful harvest. In 1941 President Roosevelt signed a bill declaring the fourth Thursday of November as Thanksgiving.

Sadly thanksgiving is not something that people do a lot of, either on Thanksgiving Day or during the rest of the year. In fact it seems like the closer it gets to Thanksgiving and Christmas the more unhappy and grumpy people get! People get so caught up in what is happening that they lose their perspective and seem to only think about the negative side of things.

1 Thessalonians 5:18 says we should give thanks IN everything, but we don't necessarily give thanks FOR everything. For example, today the weather here in Bonn, Germany was cloudy, cold, and rainy, but instead of focusing on the negative I realize that there is a lot worse weather that I could experience like a tornado or hurricane so a little rain won't hurt me. We might look at where we live or work and wish we had something better but we can at least be thankful in our situation because we do have somewhere to live and somewhere to work. While being thankful does not mean we have to be satisfied with our situation in life we should at least be grateful for what we do have.

It is also interesting to notice how this verse in 1 Thessalonians 5 tells us that giving thanks is God's will for us. If we focus on the positive aspects of life and keep ourselves in the attitude of being thankful it is easier for God to work in our life and for us to hear His direction for us. If all we do is to complain and focus on the negative side of things our perspective is on the wrong things and that will cause us nothing but problems. So no matter what day of the year it is, choose to be positive and look for something to be thankful for in every situation.

The Importance Of God's Word

noreply@blogger.com (Jim) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 15:30:00 +0000

There are many things that are considered valuable. The value of something is normally determined by its importance or relevance to someone or some situation. Some people place more value on some things than other people would. Sometimes people do not see the value in something because they do not know its benefits or they do not realize what that thing is really worth.

While most Christians would agree that the Bible is very important many of those same people do not really know very much about what is actually in the Bible and they do not understand the relevance of the Bible for their lives. If we don't know about something or understand it then we really won't appreciate its significance and worth. As Christians we should be getting to know and understand God's Word better and we should put it into practice in our lives.

So, why is God's Word so valuable and what can it do for us? Here are a few things I found using my New King James Version of the Bible. God's Word is pure (Psalm 119:140, Proverbs 30:5), proven (Psalm 18:30), forever settled (Psalm 119:89), and profitable for many things (2 Timothy 3:16). 1 Peter 1:23 tells us that we are born again through God's Word and in 1 Peter 2:2 we are told that God's Word will help us to grow spiritually. God's Word is valuable to us because we can change our lives by renewing our mind with the Word of God (Romans 12:2). We are also told that faith comes by hearing God's Word (Romans 10:17), that we should live by the Words that come from God (Deuteronomy 8:3, Matthew 4:4), and that we need to do what God's Word says and not just hear it (James 1:23). God's Word can guide us (Psalm 119:105, 133), counsel us (Psalm 119:24), strengthen us (Psalm 119:28), and give us life (Psalm 119:50). The Word of God is very important and very valuable. Spend some time reading and studying God's Word today and let it make a difference in your life!