Midweek Reflections
Encouragement Please
Read: Romans 15:1-7
Is it just me or have we all but lost the ability to encourage one another instead of tearing each other down? Each day it seems that we are faced with another controversy or story about one person or group demeaning or attacking another person or group. I suppose this has always been a part of sinful human nature but in our instant social media culture it is so easy to share something or type something as quick as your fingers can move.
We need a better way! We need to focus more on encouraging words instead of critical and hurtful words. This doesn’t mean that we need to agree on things, in fact we may disagree greatly with some things that people or groups might do or say. But disagreeing does not mean that we need to demean or attack them. It definitely does not mean that we need to spew hatred out across the social media spectrum.
In Romans 15 Paul encourages Christians to bear with other people whom we might not necessarily like or see things eye to eye with. That doesn’t mean agreement or affirmation of false teaching and ungodly things, it just means that we are to treat others in the way that we would want to be treated in likewise circumstances. In fact, verse 4 talks about how scripture itself was written to teach us endurance and encouragement that leads to hope.
A great place to glean some profound insights into life is from Children’s stories. One from Winnie the Pooh comes to mind when thinking about being an encourager. As Pooh sets out one morning he is trying to think about who he should go visit for lunch. First he considers Tigger, then he thinks about Owl, but he finally decides on Rabbit. Why? Because he says that Rabbit always has encouraging words to share with him. Let’s be a rabbit to those in this world and be encouragers.
Make it Personal: Who has been a great encourager in your life? Think about how others might think of you when it comes to encouraging words? As coaching legend Lou Holtz once said, “Praise loudly, criticize softly.” Let’s all be known as encouragers! Please!
Have an encouraging week,
Pastor Glen Rhodes
No More! No More!
Read: Revelation 21:1-5
Recently I was asked the question, “What are you looking forward to the most in eternity?” That question caused me to think seriously about something I had not considered before. Sure, I have thought about all the great things that eternity in heaven will present to those who believe in and follow Jesus, but what if I had to choose one thing that I am most looking forward to?
In scripture we hear about the streets of gold (Rev. 21:21), the place that has been prepared for us (John 14:2), and the thousands of loud voices that will worship Jesus (Rev. 5:11-12). As the Christian Group Mercy Me sings, “I can only imagine when that day comes, when I find myself standing in the Son.” But the longer I thought about this question the clearer it became to me. I know exactly what I am looking forward to the most in eternity.
The answer is found in Isaiah 25:8 and Revelation 21:4-5 when it speaks of the New Heaven and a New Earth. It says, “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away… I am making everything new… Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.”
Yes, I am looking so forward to the wonderful things of heaven that we will enjoy together eternally, but most of all I am looking forward to these “No More’s.” When these verses say “No More” they are referring to more than just death, mourning, crying, and pain. They are also saying “No More” to every struggle, addiction, wounded relationship, illness, trial, and other dark corner of this fallen world. Thanks to Jesus we can find deliverance from these things now in this life, but thanks be to God that someday they will all be no more.
Make it Personal: Jesus came to earth and died on the cross so that we (you) can find redemption from the dark corners of this world in the here and now. If you take your struggle, addiction, wounded relationship, illness, trial, or anything else to him, Jesus can and will deliver you from it. Someday in heaven they will all be no more, but why wait, let Jesus take it from you now.
Have a great week, Pastor Glen Rhodes
Creative Communication
Read: 1 Timothy 4
Did you hear about the humerous news story recently about a man who threw a party for a pothole near his home? Apparently Frank Sereno of Kansas City placed a birthday cake on a plate and put it in a pothole near his home. He even put a number 3 candle on the cake since it has been 3 years that the city has not fixed the pothole. Sereno posted a picture of the cake sitting in the hole on social media and the rest is history. Turns out so is the pothole, because the city came a fixed it soon after. When interviewed about the post Sereno said that sometimes we have to get creative to get the message out.
The Holy Spirit has gifted each human being with various spiritual gifts. In the New Testament those gifts are referred to in various ways. One spiritual gift that church leaders have encouraged is creative communication. How can we be creative in worship, in finding times of rest, in telling people the good news about Jesus and other things? There are many other areas in which being creative can lead people to something they had not seen or noticed before.
In 1 Timothy 4 we are encouraged to be diligent in the use of our giftings. Once we realize what gifts we have been blessed with we need to think about how we can use them to creatively proclaim Jesus and share the truths of scripture with those God has placed in our life. You see, when we are creative we are more apt to gain the attention of others in a very busy world.
Mr. Sereno wanted that pothole near his home fixed, so he got creative in how he brought attention to it. And guess what, it worked. Let’s be passionate and creative in the ways that we share Jesus, worship Jesus, and communicate the Christian faith to others. Perhaps we can use social media in a positive way or talk with friends about other ideas. If you are a creative person let your creative juices flow.
Make it Personal: 1 Timothy 4:15-16 helps us to make it personal this week. “Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Have a blessed week, Pastor Glen Rhodes
Parking Lots & Mountains
Read: Matthew 17:14-21
The parking lot at our church was recently repaved and striped for parking spaces. That reminded me of this classic sermon illustration that points us to the mountain moving faith that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 17:14-21. The story is about a congregation in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains who had built a new church and sanctuary on a certain piece of land that they had recently attained.
The story goes like this…
Ten days before the new church was to open, a local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the size of the lot, they would not be able to use the new church and sanctuary. Unfortunately, the church with this undersized lot had used every inch of their land except the mountain against which it had been built. In order to have more parking they would need to move the mountain out of their backyard.
The pastor encouraged prayer and faith for a miracle from God in order to see a resolution to this problem come forth. After one particular prayer meeting that lasted until 10:00 pm the pastor closed with a final amen and assured everyone that they would open the church on a certain date in the not so distant future. He said, “God has been faithful to us before and I believe He will be faithful this time too!”
The very next morning as he was working in his study there came a loud knock on the door. As he opened the door he saw a construction foreman who removed his hat and said, “Excuse me pastor, I am from a nearby construction company in the next county over. We are building a huge shopping complex and we need a lot of fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that hill behind your church? We’ll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave and stripe all the exposed area free of charge if we can begin work right away. The church was able to be opened and dedicated on the planned date.
That story reminds me of the many parables that Jesus told in the gospels. If he had told this one it would have been about having mountain moving faith that he speaks of in Matthew 17. Many of his parables were not actual occurrences but told a story to teach and instruct people about their faith and their relationship with God and others. Perhaps this story can encourage you to have faith in God for the things that you pray for, hope for, and experience in life.
Make it Personal: What mountain is standing in front of you this week? Take it to Jesus and proclaim your faith in his power to move it, heal it, change it, increase it, or whatever else needs to happen.
Have a blessed week, Pastor Glen Rhodes
Let’s Eat… Together!
Two To Go