Author: theministrymama

15 Great Things About Ministry

15 Great Things About MinistryTo celebrate the incoming year of 2015 I want to recognize 15 great things about ministry!

One. You never walk alone.

Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen. Matthew 28:20

Two. With the many challenges of ministry God always provides answers from His Word. Thank the Lord for His Word that is a lamp unto our feet and light unto our path!

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Three. Going to church to fellowship with God’s people will lift your spirit. The family of God is a special group of people who can help you (whether they realize it or not) to see God’s blessings and provide the way in which you can get your mind off negative things and take a mind break from the weariness of the day.

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.  Hebrews 10:25

Four. God gives you discernment in matters pertaining to the heart so that you can address the needs of the people you minister to.

But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. Hebrews 5:14

Five. Faith becomes a regular aspect of your life whether it centers around money that  needs to be paid to keep your church afloat and waiting on God’s timing concerning matters. In this walk of ministry life God regularly calls us to step out by faith.

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. I Corinthians 2:5

Six. The power of prayer is more evident the longer you are in ministry. The more you go before the Lord in petition for people or circumstances that need an answer the more you will learn that God hears and answers those prayers in His own wonderful timing. You learn to value the power of prayer when God frequently answers prayers on you and your church’s behalf.

But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. Acts 6:4

Seven. We become witnesses of the impossible situations that seem to have no good ending or answer. We can realize that God can do anything with anyone in any circumstance to do His will.

And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. Luke 18:27

Eight. You learn that as you serve the Lord you can never fill in the gaps and be everything to everyone. Thank the Lord for His promise that as we water with His Word, He gives the increase!

So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. I Corinthians 3:7

Nine. God’s yoke is light. Every time you feel overwhelmed with the burden of ministry God will gently speak to your heart and remind you to give your burdens to Him.

Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. Matthew 11:29, 30

Ten. When we are weakest, God is strong. Whether you battle illness or spiritual discouragement, God steps in yet again to prove Himself mighty and faithful by being everything we cannot. He teaches us that our efforts can only go so far because, “I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.“ John 15:5

Eleven. That He is the Chief Shepherd. Ministry couples sometimes feel like they are responsible for making people choose to follow God because of the common title given to the pastor of “shepherd of the flock.” When shepherding takes its toll God will teach you He is the Chief Shepherd and the work is up to Him.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant;  Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13:20,21

Twelve. Long-term faithfulness can yield special rewards. When you sow the seed sometimes you do not see immediate fruit, but in time you learn that if you keep your hand to the plow of God’s work that there will be special people that God has allowed you to influence. It is those people and their godly choices that will bless your heart!

But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Matthew 13:23

Thirteen. Ministry challenges you to continue to be a student of God’s Word. When you teach or deal with people’s problems and questions then it should make you turn to the Word of God for the answers. When we study God’s Word it sharpens us and gives us wisdom to be able to help people.

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Fourteen. When you serve the Lord with righteous motives you are serving an eternal purpose. Ministry life can be one of the greatest ways to spend your life purposefully making a difference because not only are you helping today you are helping eternity have its greatest rewards.

Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:24

Fifteen. Ministry is a humbling service. This seems like a negative, but it is a positive. Humility teaches us to lower ourselves just as Christ did when He lowered Himself to become a man. When you look at your debt to Christ it should motivate you to humbly serve Him without pride being a root sin in our lives. Humility teaches us equality among our brethren.

He must increase, but I must decrease.John 3:30

Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.I Peter 5:5b

God’s Answer to Suicidal Thoughts is: Life!

This is written to people who are considering taking their own life through suicide. My hope for you, whether you know the Lord or not, is for you to understand your value to God. It is not too late to get help, to reach out to someone, to make the choice to choose life. I realize this a more lengthy post than most of my other posts and pray that you will continue on and read to the end.

  • My best friend in junior high’s cousin who just broke up with his girlfriend.
  • The girl I went on visitation with in college that extensively tried to win people to the Lord who lived in lower-income housing in our city. Years down the road when she was married.
  • The church assistant that worked in our church school that wrote a blog leading up to the date.
  • The man who announced to his wife, “I just can’t do it anymore,” and walked into the next room.
  • The church member that let his family leave for church without him.
  • The pastor that put a Wal-mart sack on his head and sprayed bug spray inside.

Suicide touched all of these lives. They were people I knew, call-outs as my husband has gone to as a police chaplain, or other stories I have heard through the years.

These stories of untimely death are sobering. Each person left people who loved them and who still grieve for the losses of the unexpected and horrific end to their lives. Questions, hurt, and grief will haunt their loved ones for life.

Suicide is an action that was preceded by thoughts… wrong thoughts. “Wrong thoughts?” Yes, wrong thoughts about the value of their life to God. People that believed death was the way out of their sorrows.

God is the giver of life first when it is created in the womb and the giver of eternal life when a person chooses to believe on Jesus Christ. Death for a believing person is a departure from this life to eternal life. Many people in this list were believers and I am confident that it was not God’s will for them to destroy their own lives out of His timing.

Death for the unbeliever is a departure from this life to a death that lasts forever. Suicide is an attempt on Satan’s part to destroy the life and souls of individuals.

Suicide is a personal destruction of the body.

Satan is the destroyer of life, as the Bible describes him as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour in I Peter 5:8. In John 10, Jesus describes Satan as a thief coming to steal, kill, and destroy. Satan’s plan is to separate people from God and destroy their relationship with God. One of his greatest “victories” is to have someone like you to believe wrong thoughts long enough to end your own life.

Not only does Satan attempt to destroy life through self-harming suicide his snares include the elderly and diseased with euthanasia, and assisted suicide through the means of drugs.  He also seeks to destroy life in the form of abortion and murder and self-harm through cutting. The list continues with drug abuse, alcohol, sexual addictions and STD’s that all lead to personal destruction of the body (in slow or fast ways) and many play a role in the majority of suicide attempts.

God's Answer to Suicidal Thoughts

Consider the value that God places on life.

The origin of life is God. He created man and woman in the Garden of Eden and created them to be able to reproduce life and subsequent generations have been the result. Every  generation through today has had the valuable gift of life given to them. God loves each life so much that He knew you before you were formed in the womb, (Psalm 139:13) the number of hairs on your head (Luke 12:7), and when you stand up and sit down (Psalm 139:2).

God loves life so much He gave His Son, Jesus, to die for it.

God the Father made a choice before the world was made, that Jesus, His Son, would be born as a man on this earth to die for the sins of every person (1 Peter 1:20, Titus 1:2). Jesus’ perfect body bore all sin (including yours) after He had been beaten and humiliated and hung on the cross to die. As He hung on the cross His last words were, “It is finished,” declaring He was finished with the work of bearing all sin upon Himself (John 19:30). His dead body was laid in a tomb for three days and nights. Then God allowed Jesus to raise back to life in His resurrection, where Jesus lived another 40 days on earth before going back to heaven. God loved your life so much that He gave His Son, Jesus, to die for it.

God loves life so much that He offers it to all mankind.

Satan, was known as one of God’s brightest angels of light, named Lucifer (Isaiah 14:12). In his pride, he lifted himself up to be higher and greater than God Himself. God cast him out of heaven and created hell to be the eternal place of punishment for him (Revelation 19, 20). Hell was not initially created for people, but it does later become the place where people who reject Jesus end up at the end of time (Revelation 20).

God allowed Jesus to die on the cross so you could believe and have eternal life, not death. There has to be a realization though of one’s sinfulness before God and that you cannot pay for your sins by yourself without paying the high price of eternal death in the lake of fire with Satan. That is why it is clearly taught and explained in the Bible that we needed a Savior (helper and/or rescuer). We are not good enough on our own to go to heaven and it is necessary for us to call upon Christ to be our Savior.

God’s love is so great that he offers salvation freely to all who choose to believe. The Bible says, “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” The word “whosoever” allows anyone that will believe they need Christ to pay for their sins to avoid the eternal punishment and have eternal/everlasting life. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever, believeth in him, should not perish but have everlasting life.”

Suicidal thoughts on the part of an unbeliever are often a lure from Satan to destroy that person’s body and soul. God though, provides not death, but the freedom of life. Jesus speaks of Satan and Himself in John 10:10, God never desires anyone to kill themselves because he wants you to have life.

God sustains life throughout eternity.

Eternity itself is hard to comprehend because we live a time-oriented life. God loves life so much that He  will sustain eternal life forever.

Jesus did not die in vain, His death was for you, so that God could give a way for you to have eternal life that will last for eternity. No matter what you’ve done, God loves you. No matter the dark thoughts in the forefront of your mind, He knows. He’s seen your sin and disobedience to His laws (Exodus 20), He has witnessed your very best and worst. He knows the fears you have and the way you do not want to face the hardships of life anymore. Stop and ask yourself, what would the God who loves me want me to do now? Would He want me to kill myself?

God’s provision of eternal life remains a choice for you to make. God allows us to choose His way to eternal life or our own way. Our goodness though, is not the basis of God’s gift of eternal life because the standard is God’s holiness. If we reject Christ’s payment for our sins on the cross, then we must pay for our sins ourselves with eternal death and punishment. No one likes to face the reality of this fact, that we are not good enough in and of ourselves to make things happen for us in a good way for eternity.

Some people believe, if you choose to kill yourself through suicide that you automatically go to hell, whether you say you were a Christian or not. This belief cannot be found in the Bible because it is a lie. The plain truth is not about how you die, it is what you do with what you know about Christ’s death that matters before you die that matters. So many people take the risk of saying, “I will find out what will happen to me after I die.” By then, it will be too late. Choices about eternity must be made before death.

Now that you know God loves life so much that He allowed Christ to die for you, what will you do with that truth?

Will you choose to accept it? or reject it?

Your life and time on earth is a gift from God, don’t rob yourself or others, by allowing wrong thoughts to lead you into destroying yourself.

At one point in time God is speaking to the Jewish people this message in Deuteronomy 30 and I believe that He would say the same thing to those of you who are considering suicide.

Deuteronomy 30: 19,20a “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live: That thou mayest love the Lord thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days…”

If you are a Christian reading this and you are thinking of taking your life, I want to beg you to wait. Take time now to pray and ask God to make Himself known to you in a special way, so that you can feel His love and presence. If you’re running from the consequences of your sin, I pray you will run like King David did on multiple occasions and rest yourself upon a merciful God. His plans are not to destroy you, but to make you come close to Him and become a fruitful Christian. If you’re running from dire circumstances that have happened in your life, I pray you will rest like Job in the hands of your Creator, and wait for these circumstances to end. If Job had ended his life, he would have missed out on the blessings of his restored life. What you need to do is cling to the hope of God’s promises, get in your Bible and memorize scripture that speaks to your heart about hope.

I understand this is a very sensitive subject, if you have any questions or thoughts that you would like to share with me, please contact me here. If you would like to know more about salvation then please do not hesitate to ask me and I will be happy to help you know more about how you can have eternal life.

 

 

Why Santa Ain’t Gettin’ The Credit for God’s Blessin’s

Santa & God's Blessings

I know some of you who only read the title are already arguing with me in your mind… you have your justification for having done or doing Santa Claus in your life. I’m not one of those people who call Santa, “Satan Claus,” so just give me a little slack here and let me explain why Santa ain’t gettin’ the credit for God’s blessin’s in our life.

Yes, in my childhood we did Santa, for those who might be wondering. My mom and grandparents, however, never did let us believe he was a real person. We always knew it was someone else giving us the gift in his name and loved the excitement of seeing what would be under the tree with our names on it from him. We were forbidden from telling other children at school that there really was no such thing as Santa Claus and honestly mocked those who did “believe” because we knew the truth. I understand the thrill, and the fun, but as I see the culture turning anti-God I cannot bring myself to continue that tradition with my children.

My reasons for not continuing that tradition include:

Using the Christmas Season to Build Up Faith, Rather Than Destroy It.

I believe when we use Santa and allow our children to write letters to him, believe completely in child-like faith that he is real, that we are doing them and God a disservice.

Jesus said in Matthew 19:14, “…Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.”  Children naturally are drawn to Christ when they are taught to love Him, and I hope to help our children love the story of His birth.

Building Up Their Faith Means I Will Not Lie

Justifying a reason to lie to your children for a period of 7-10 years using the Santa ideology, and then expecting your children to be truthful because it is a Biblical principle causes too much conflict. You can’t discipline your children for lying one minute and lie to them for one month every year because the last I checked lying was a sin (Psalm 120:2, Proverbs 6:16,17). I cannot lead our children into believing a lie without feeling deeply convicted. My desire is to build their faith, not breed inconsistency and deception.

How can children discern between the truth and a lie if they are in the sensitive time of their life where they believe everything their parents tell them? When many children realize that Santa is not a real person they lose faith in those people who allowed them to believe the years of lies. Children are very trusting and I do not want to be the person that abuses that trust. In order to eliminate confusion, our focus must be on Christ alone at Christmas and all other holidays with themes conflicting with our beliefs like Easter, Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day, and etc.

Our Christmas Focus

Our family dedicates all of Christmas morning to our tradition of honoring Christ alone. We have done many different things with our children to teach and emphasize the Christmas story like doing a birthday party for Jesus, dressing up as the Bible characters, reading the Christmas story as a family, and even listening to Christmas-themed audios that encourage us to look to Jesus. We open gifts on Christmas Eve and typically spend time with family in the afternoon. For the past 9 years we have lived far enough from family that we have the freedom to dedicate this time solely to Him without feeling conflicted. We also do not compete with other family members that do choose to add Santa into their traditions.

Christmas Family TraditionsLeft to Right: 1. The kids Christmas 2012  2. Birthday Party for Jesus Table Set-Up 3. Birthday Cake for Jesus (We always put a “?” for Jesus’ age since He really does not have one) 4. The cake was a gluten-free pinata cake 5.The kids Christmas 2013 dressed up as angels, shepherd, and a lamb. I was Mary and my husband was Joseph (not in photo).

Teaching that God is the Greatest Gift-Giver of All

Children worldwide try to be good for a fictional character so they can receive gifts on Christmas Eve. They anticipate it, they attempt to alter their behavior, they lay away thinking about it. Their thoughts are consumed with thinking of the good things Santa will bring. He is lifted up artificially to be the greatest gift giver, but my hope is to create a thought process in our children to realize that God is the greatest gift-giver of all, every day of the year.

We can learn from the Bible about God’s gifts

There are 9 specific Bible verses that are written containing the phrase “gift of God.” 3 references to “good gifts” from God in the New Testament. Ephesians 2:3 says, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.”

Psalms 68:19, 103:2, and 116:2, all describe God’s benefits to our lives in being something that is a daily occurrence we should never forget. Proverbs 10:22 teaches, “The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it.” The Bible’s most famous verses, John 3:16, 17 tell us about the specific gift of God that was The Ultimate Gift. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” And the gift He gave of His Son’s life as a payment for our sins is a gift that every person can receive (John 3:16 “whosoever” means any one).

I cannot give any gift to our children without God’s help. I can create an atmosphere of teaching them that every blessing is a gift from God and help them to view God as the best gift-giver.

Using Christmas to Focus On Christ and Christian Giving

The Distraction of Santa

Santa often steals the show as children consume their thoughts with writing out long lists and even letters to a Santa that will not even see or read them. Going to sit on his lap at the mall or school and tell them their heart’s desire becomes a fascination (if they’re not afraid out of their wits of the stranger). They are consumed with what they want to get for Christmas. I’m not saying that the entire Christmas season for a typical Santa believer is only filled with him because family traditions of giving tend to be another valued act that is entwined with him.

With the idea that Christ and Christ alone must be glorified at this time, we cannot allow the distraction of Santa. Our children are drawn to the allure but we explain why we must let God have first place. They are completely satisfied with the atmosphere of Christmas that we share together as a family. I want my children to take their heart’s desires to the Christ who already knows their hearts.

Giving in Jesus’ name, not Santa’s

I know many good-hearted people who give gifts in Santa’s name anonymously. Why would Santa’s name be more powerful a gift that Jesus’ name? The Bible says in Matthew 9:41 that if we give in Jesus’ name, we are blessed. “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.” I believe it is far more valuable to give a gift in Christ’s name whether in person or anonymously because God receives the glory and He will reward that giving. We hope to promote that in our giving habits.

Love and Thanks Should be Expressed to God and the Gift Givers.

When our children receive those blessings of wonderful gifts on Christmas Eve we want God to get the credit. Yes, we bought the gifts, but from the money that God provided through either the job my husband  has or through people who love us very much. This is one of the main reasons why Santa ain’t getting the credit for God’s blessin’s.

Allowing Santa to receive the credit gives the love your kids would give to you and others away to the wrong place. Gratitude should be able to be placed on the Lord and the gift-giver. Parent, when your children see the love you have for them because you have given them good things, then I believe their heart will be turned toward you. When their heart is turned toward you in thanks, then they are able to perform the Biblical commandment of honoring their parents, and thus glorifying God. After our children give us thanks it is our job to point them to God. Simply saying, “God gave us that money for the gift, be sure you tell Him thank you too” is all it takes to pass the praise to God.

Because the Spirit of Christmas is the Holy Spirit.

So many people cling to the traditions of how they grew up with Santa Claus and add him into their own personal traditions, and then call the excitement of Christmas morning the spirit of Christmas. I am here to say, the same Spirit that overshadowed the virgin Mary is the one that is the true Spirit of Christmas.

The Holy Spirit is the one that works in our hearts as we read the Bible and teaches us the profound blessing of the Christmas story each year. He works in the hearts of our children as we continue faithfully to teach them the truth about Christmas. He is the one that prompts our hearts to give to the needy families and reach out to neighbors. He is the comforter and leader as we speak to people about Christ during this season when joyfulness and open-heartedness abounds.

The spirit of doing things in the name of Santa Claus does not compare with the Holy Spirit’s working during the Christmas season. I want our children to realize His blessings.

My Final Thoughts

Santa ain’t got nothin’ on my God, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. And that’s why I can’t let him get the credit for how God’s blessin’ our family and we must teach them the Christmas season is all about Him being the best giver of all.