40
DAYS of FAITH-BUILDING
TOGETHER
Week 6
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March 9 Sunday |
What is fellowship life? Simply stated, it is communal interaction, with the goal of sharing God’s grace. It is putting Christian beliefs and teachings into practice, so that we may be the light of salt in our society and affecting those around us. In the New Testament, there are many passages on the topic of Christian interaction, below is a summary of the teachings from both the positive and negative perspectives:
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Fellowship
Do Not …
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Spiritual Nugget
Enoch was commended as
one who pleased God, to mean that he walked with God.
Enoch was resolute in his commitment thus bringing God joy and pleasure.
(Hebrews 11:5)
Are we resolute in our walk with God?
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March 10 Monday |
We have become such a weight-conscious society that we even have a business called “Weight Watchers.” The fit and skinny ones among us snicker at those who are overweight. Even cartoonists are making fun of fat Americans. There was a cartoon I saw recently where aliens no longer abduct Americans because they add too much weight to their spaceship! Obesity is no laughing matter. You won’t laugh if you are the one who is obese. I have seen overweight people break down in tears. Some have tried everything and still they cannot lose weight.
Obesity is not a human problem. According to a recent report, our lifestyle is affecting the animal kingdom as well. A special treadmill was constructed in Anchorage, Alaska, for the 9,120-pound African elephant named Maggie, who lives at the Anchorage Zoo. The zoo decided to build the treadmill, at a |
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Discipleship and F.A.T. People
Read: Proverbs 19:20 2 Timothy 2:24 Revelations 2:10
(1)World Magazine, Oct. 23, 2004, 11 |
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cost of between $150,000 and $250,000, to combat Maggie’s unhealthy, sedentary lifestyle. They say: “Elephants are just like people, they will be as lazy as they can be and still eat.”(1) When we turn to the Bible, we will discover a very interesting concept about the “fat” issue. Genesis 45:18 tells the Israelites that the “fat of the land” is the best part of Egypt. It was offered to them by Pharaoh. Also in the sacrificial rites in Leviticus, the fat of animals are offered to God as a pleasing aroma. Not all fat is bad. Similarly, the medical community is telling us that there is such a thing as good cholesterol (good fat) My thinking on this subject is that God generally does prosper us if we live according to his Word. We see this in most Christian nations. They become hardworking and generally become prosperous people. However, prosperity brings with it added responsibilities. Most of us cannot handle well the prosperity and the responsibilities that go with it. Like Israel in the Bible, we begin to take God’s blessings for granted. We stop trusting in God and turn our eyes elsewhere. We may even become arrogant and boastful about our successes. Like Israel, many believers become deluded into thinking that it is by their strength and power that they have achieved much in society. Just listen to “successful” and wealthy businessmen brag about their wealth. We are but stewards. All that we have comes from above. We are commanded to be F.A.T. people for God. Are you a Faithful, Available and Teachable Christian? Cultivate yourself: your spirit, soul and body. Develop faithfulness. Be available for God to use. Listen to Him and teachers sent by Him so that you can grow up. Be a F.A.T. Christian. Look out for F.A.T. mentors. Not all fat is bad! 2 Timothy 2:2 says, And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to Faithful men, who shall be Able to Teach others also (kjv). |
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March 11 Tuesday |
We read and hear a lot in the news media nowadays of the U.S. Army high command’s concern of its soldiers in Iraq not to over react or treat harshly civilians and enemy fighters in the conflict against terrorism. Any slight misdeed can bring about the public opinion against the presence of the United States in that region and the fight for freedom and a way of life.
Paul’s charge to Timothy in verse 16 has a tremendous impact as the extraordinary seriousness of the pastoral ministry, especially as a model for the pastors and elders of RCCC to make them more earnest and diligent in their prayers for all the vocational ministers of the church. |
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Ministry
The Concern of Ministry
Read: 1 Timothy 4:12-16
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Paul is saying that the eternal salvation of a pastor and his people is at stake in the holiness of his life and the truthfulness of his teaching. If a pastor grows lax in his personal holiness or careless in his teaching the whole counsel of God he will most likely pay with his life and take many of his people with him to hell. [Recall the recent revelations of several national church leaders’ downfall due to sexual impropriety?]
When a pastor takes heed to himself and his teaching and thus walks in the good works prepared for him by God, he proves himself to be the workmanship of God and a new creature in Christ. The contrary would be true and his faith would be in vain like that of Hymenaeus and Alexander (1 Timothy 1:20), Demas (2 Timothy 4:10), Simon the Magician (Acts 8:21) and all the wolves in pastor’s clothing that Paul and Jesus warned about in Acts 20:30 and Matthew 7:15.
Paul’s charge to young Timothy filters down to us as well as we minister to those whose needs we are able to supply. Our effectiveness in ministry lies in Ephesians 2:8-10,
For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9not as a result of works, that no one should boast. 10For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
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Spiritual Nugget
"I tell you that He will
bring about justice for them speedily.
However, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?"
Luke 18:8
As Christians, we are to see to it that the lamp of faith is always burning until He comes.
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March 12 Wednesday |
Recently there was stunning news in American sports. The official Mitchell Report on performance enhancing drug use in Major League Baseball was published after months of investigation. The report goes into how big names in the sport – players, coaches, managers and doctors of well-known teams – have been illegally using these drugs for the past dozen years or so. Because the accomplishments of these teams and players affect the historical records of American Baseball in so many ways, the request was made (after a public apology) that no player or a team’s past records should be subject to further investigation. I don’t know how this will all end, but one thing I do know: those who resort to shady methods to gain fame and fortune have fallen from glory. Making the end justify the means ultimately brings undesirable consequences.
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Evangelism
Spreading the Gospel with a Living Hope
Read:
1 Peter 1:3-13
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Thanks be to the Lord! Our God is not partial. He measures men by their goodness and faithfulness, unlike the world which only upholds success as the ultimate criterion for heroism and accomplishment. From the passage in I Peter 1:3–13 we can see that our God is full of compassion, really takes action and has given us untold blessing through Jesus Christ. He wants to give us so much more! Let us try to list them: to be born again, has living hope, obtain heavenly inheritance, can believe in Jesus, to be shielded by God’s power, receive salvation, has great joy, can go through testing, to suffer only temporary grief, has precious faith, be able to see Jesus revealed, receive praise, glory and honor from Jesus, love Jesus though not having seen Him, has glorious joy, has the prophecies and revelations of the prophets, has those who preach the gospel to us by the Holy Spirit, has angels who long to look into these things, can set our hope on the grace to be given when Jesus Christ is revealed…etc.
What we can understand today may be still superficial. When the Lord comes again we will see more clearly and be even more thankful. Let us who have a living hope spread the gospel by the Holy Spirit!
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Spiritual Nugget
Our hope is secured by the promise of God and the oath of God.
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March 13 Thursday |
A lady who attended Sunday worship for many years decided one day not to worship anymore. Her boy friend deserted her so she was angry with God and fell into depression. This kind of story is not uncommon, but why would a long-time church participant fall into such a condition?
In the March 8th devotional, we looked at what it means to worship God in spirit and in truth. There is one more very critical ingredient we must talk about in worship, that is, our faith in worship, because faith is the approach that pleases God and keeps us from despair.
In the Faith Hall of Fame, we meet many Old Testament giants of faith. There is one important characteristic common among them – a kind of faith that produces obedience and persevering hope which can be seen through the actions in their lives. “By faith, Abel offered to God a better sacrifice.” “By faith, Jacob, as he was dying, … worshipped.”
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Worship
Worshipping God by Faith
Read:
Hebrews 11:4, 6, 21
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In our Christian walk, we face trials and temptations, we have spiritual highs and lows, and we have the four seasons of life. To overcome them, we must cling to God’s promises as the giants of faith did. We must trust Him because He is God and we are not. We must determine to stay faithful to God through it all because God is and has been faithful to us. This kind of faith will inspire our heart to worship especially during adverse circumstances.
We have gone through almost 40 days in this faith-building journey, let us encourage one another that we should:
Worship the great God Worship the only true God Worship the jealous God Worship God with reverence Worship God regularly Worship God with integrity Worship God in spirit and truth Worship God by faith
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Spiritual Nugget
Do you know faith
prevents boasting? “Where is boasting then?
It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith.” (nkjv)
Romans 3:27
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March 14 Friday |
What is fellowship life? Simply stated, it is communal interaction, with the goal of sharing God’s grace. It is putting Christian beliefs and teachings into practice, so that we may be the light of salt in our society and affecting those around us. In the New Testament, there are many passages on the topic of Christian interaction, below is a summary of the teachings from both the positive and negative perspectives:
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Fellowship
Do …
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March 15 Saturday |
Jim Cymbala, pastor of the famous Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City, said that he stumbled upon a very effective way to combat the prevalence of gossip in his church. This happened about 20 years ago while he was receiving new members into the church. As he was speaking to the whole congregation, the Holy Spirit led him to say the following:
‘And now, I charge you, as pastor of this church, that if you ever hear another member speak an unkind word of criticism or slander against anyone – myself, another pastor, an usher, a choir member, or anyone else – you have the authority to stop that person in mid-sentence and say, “Excuse me – who hurt you? Who ignored you? Who slighted you? Was it Pastor Cymbala? Let’s go to his office right now. He will get on his knees and apologize to you, and then we’ll pray together, so God can restore peace to this body. But we will not let you talk |
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Discipleship and Relationship
Read: 2 Corinthians 12:20 Colossians 3:8 Ephesians 4:30-32
(1)Jim Cymbala, Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire, 160. |
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critically about people who are not present to defend themselves.” New members, please understand that I am entirely serious about this. I want you to help resolve this kind of thing immediately. And meanwhile, know this: If you are ever the one doing the loose talking, we will confront you.(1)
Since then, Cymbala has been doing this every time they receive new members. It is always a solemn moment. This is because he knows what can easily destroy a church. It is not crack cocaine. It is not government oppression. It is not a lack of funds. Rather, it is gossip and slander that grieves the Holy Spirit.
As imperfect people we are prone to gossip or speak disparagingly about others. During such times, it is good to be reminded that our words and actions may cause more harm than good. So let us think and pray before we so quickly mouth off our feelings. It takes a lot of work to maintain the spirit of unity in our church. An angry outburst and slanderous words can destroy this unity if we don’t guard against it. Take heed, beloved.
Philip Yancey was invited to speak to a group of pastors in Myanmar (former Burma). The person who invited him informed him, “When you speak to pastors, you should remember that probably all of them have spent time in jail because of their faith.”
Yancey wondered about what he should speak to the pastors. Since they had suffered so much, he thought they might be interested to hear him talk about topics like Where is God When It Hurts? Or Disappointment with God (titles of 2 books he had written). He was rather surprised when his host said, “Oh, no, that’s not really a concern here. We assume we’ll be persecuted for faith. We want you to speak on grace. We need help getting along with each other (emphasis mine).”
Brothers and sisters, we have to work hard at our communication skills. Let’s stop our gossips and “concerns” and let us encourage one another until the Lord comes. |
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March 16 Sunday |
No 483! A 483 is a form that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) uses to record non-compliance observations when FDA investigators inspect a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant to ensure that the plant is operating according to good manufacturing practice regulations and standards. The challenge for any manufacturing plant is being able to operate under federal regulation standards and not to receive a 483 or no non-compliant violations. The challenge to the FDA investigators is a careful review of the company’s quality systems, processes and documentation to uncover any non-compliant practices inconsistent with established procedures and best practices. It is a rare feat but after an intense week of answering probing questions from two investigators and providing volumes of records and documentation for their review, we survived without any non-compliant finding. As the investigators did not find any missing or inaccurate information, no 483 was issued! |
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Ministry
No 483: The Challenge of Ministry
Read: Titus 2:1-10
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Titus 2:1 says, “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine” [nasb]. In this verse Paul challenges Titus to communicate truth through sound doctrine to produce spiritual well-being. The things that Paul mentions in the following verses 2-10 pertain to truths, attitudes and actions that correspond to and are based on biblical truths. While Paul is challenging and encouraging Titus in pastoral ministry we also can apply his teaching to guide us as we serve in whatever area of RCCC that He has called us to minister by following biblical standards. As we do ministry let us work together and trust not in ourselves or become self-reliant such that our efforts either individually or corporately would not result in a spiritual 483 from the Master Himself. Selah.
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Spiritual Nugget
Faith is the foundation of Christian character and the security of the soul.