Talk of JESUS . com

Tag: Church

  • Remember the Widows

    Remember the Widows

    1 Timothy 5:5  She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day…

    In only a century since the millennia of the Bible, relationships of the family have been overturned. All older than sixteen require automobiles and all older than sixty-six need to be put away in a senior center. The sixteen-year old and the sixty-six year old work side-by-side; one to get ahead and the other to get by.

    As no honor is given to marriage, as no honor is given to the husband and as no honor is given to the grandparents; no consideration is given to the relationships relished by our aging widows and widowers of our churches.

    1 Timothy 5:1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers,2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity. 3 Honor widows who are truly widows.

    Christ Jesus would gently remind the church of those among us who live in poverty of relationship with the family, including the family of God, the church.

    Exodus 22:22 “You must not exploit a widow or an orphan.

    Why not?

    What is God’s will? Has social security not taken care of our widows and widowers? Do they not have pensions of their own saved to keep them in their old age?

    Have we not taken care of the orphans and children of the divorced and divorced ‘single moms’ through welfare of our government?

    Is this the attitude of the world?

    OR should this be the attitude of ‘Christ followers’, the church?

    Again, the several Biblical examples of widows and orphans are not directed only to the fatherless, but to those in need.

    To be continued…

  • Sanctuary

    Sanctuary

    Some refer to the ‘place’ where the church shares in corporate worship as family of Christ Jesus as “the sanctuary.” (Of course, the “church” is the worshipers.) 

    Exodus 25:8 KJV And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.

    The place may be worthy of the grandeur of the Living God or the place may be so humble as a servant’s living room; never-the less, where two or more are gathered in Jesus’ Name, we gather together in His sanctuary.

    Let the worshipers of Jesus our Lord come to the sanctuary of His Holy Presence.

     

    Sanctuary is a peaceful word for souls distracted by sin, hearts gathering safely into the worship of our Savior, Christ Jesus.

    Sometimes (like Jesus: in the wilderness… in a place away from the crowds… in a garden or olive grove… in Gethsemane…) we must get away from ALL of the DISTRACTION and noise of the world.

    Let the faithful enter into the sanctuary of our Father’s rest.

    It may be an empty sanctuary; perhaps a prayer closet; maybe a place in the woods where few feet tread. Maybe you just drive to a place where the lights and noise of the city fade from your rear view mirror into unending scene of mountain or seashore, stream or meadow.

    Peace. Sanctuary. A place and a time with God alone: we must find it. We much make a place for it. We must take time for it.

    Some crave the sanctuary and relationship of this time with God.

    It is more than just meditation. It is more than just talking to yourself. It is more than memories and more than planning ahead. It is much more than just asking what… or asking ‘WHY?’

    Sanctuary is our place of PRAYER.

    Sanctuary is that HOLY PLACE where God’s Presence hears and answers our prayers of faith. 

    Catacombs of Priscilla in Rome
    I was once one of many Christian tourists surprised to discover that many first century Christians in Rome worshiped in the sanctuary of the catacombs, burial places of the dead.

    catacomb tombs

    There they could not only meet safely out of sight of their persecutors, but there too (when corporate worship was no longer safe in their homes, as is the case in MANY places in 21st century China, most Arab countries and much of the continents of Africa and Asia), no doubt Christians found in this place to where our dust does return: a sanctuary.

    After having spent some hours of several days for many years praying to God in the ‘memorial gardens’ we call the ‘cemetery,’ I find sanctuary and peace in knowing that this is NOT the place where our soul will reside, but a time of rest for our wearied flesh.

    Will the dust of your wearied soul bow down to worship the Lord? Will your aching bones and soiled flesh be cleansed in His overflowing love?

    Will you invite His peace to dwell in your heart?

    Would you have sanctuary in Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior?

    I pray for this: for you and for others of His dear loved ones.

    Turn from our distractions of the flesh and embrace the peace of Christ Jesus.

     

    “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

    John 11:25-26

     

  • Distracted from Relationship

    Distracted from Relationship

    What is the one thing that makes Christianity different from every other religion?

    In a word: Relationship.

    We have a relationship with the Living God through Christ Jesus our Lord.

    What is the one thing making Christians look like everyone else in this world?

    In a convicting word: LACK of Relationship.

    Any look at Jesus’ incarnate life will reveal relationships of authentic love. It is this same authentic love christians have lost in our marriages, families, friendships, churches and distracted contact with unbelievers and believers alike for whom we sacrifice no time and show little of Christ’s love.

    Look at the timeline of the incarnate life of Jesus and you will see varied relationships: all perfect, all demonstrating love in the context of each precious moment for those receptive to God’s love.

    Jesus was NOT distracted from His relationships of love by the day-to-day distractions of life around Him.

    • He had compassion for the crowds.
    • He showed love for His Disciples (along with much patience).
    • He showed love and respect for His earthly parents.
    • He showed kindness to strangers.
    • He loved and even praised His enemies.
    • He served those He loved with deep humility.

    • He was not distracted ever from His relationship with God our Father and the relationship of prayer to seek God’s will first.

    • Jesus would NOT be distracted from the relationships of love. 

    Mark 3

    English Standard Version (ESV)

    13 And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him.14 And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach 15 and have authority to cast out demons.

    20 Then he went home, and the crowd gathered again, so that they could not even eat. 21 And when his family heard it, they went out to seize him, for they were saying, “He is out of his mind.”

    31 And his mother and his brothers came, and standing outside they sent to him and called him.32 And a crowd was sitting around him, and they said to him, “Your mother and your brothers are outside, seeking you.” 33 And he answered them, “Who are my mother and my brothers?” 34 And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!

    35 For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.”

    We know that Jesus began His earthly ministry when He was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit for forty days. We know that Mary, mother of Jesus, knows the truth that as a virgin Jesus was conceived in her womb by God!

    We know that after His resurrection that his brother, James, becomes leader of the church at Jerusalem, writes a letter to the church instructing us how to live our faith, and is eventually martyred for his faith in Jesus, the Christ promised by God.

    What has Jesus done here in fulfilling His teaching and healing ministries in this snapshot of a day in time? He has shown that He will not be distracted by even family who would stand in the way of God’s purposes.

    Throughout His journeys through Galilee, Judea, Samaria and other places, towns and hillsides; Jesus took time to reach out to individuals.

    Jesus touched individual souls with His relationship of love.

    Have you ever considered that when Jesus said:  “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother;” that He has included YOU?

    Christ Jesus established the church. He has just confirmed His church family(first disciples, then including others).

    Christ Jesus has established the close loving relationships of family between ALL who will do ‘the will of God.’

    How many times did Jesus have to take one or all of the Disciples aside and keep them from being distracted by other things than the will of God?

    Mark 8:31 And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. 32 And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. 33 But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.”

    Mark 10:13 And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them.14 But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God.

    35 And James and John, the sons of Zebedee, came up to him and said to him, “Teacher, we want you to do for us whatever we ask of you.” 36 And he said to them, “What do you want me to do for you?”37 And they said to him, “Grant us to sit, one at your right hand and one at your left, in your glory.”38 Jesus said to them, “You do not know what you are asking…

    Peter, James and John, the three Disciples who witnessed first hand Jesus’ transfiguration, as well as Moses and Elijah, ALL had to be rebuked by Jesus.

    Don’t be distracted by what the world would do.

    Pray to God our Father.

    May His will be done; on earth, as it is in heaven.

    Just ask.

    How are we doing in the love of our relationships, church?

    Are we distracted?

    John 13:34 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you,

    you also are to love one another.

    35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”