When I first cried out to Jesus, it was initially essentially for my own happiness. For relief from my ever-increasing guilt, and ever-increasing slavery to sin. I didn’t pray, “Jesus, please save me for your glory. I want to live a life to glorify God.”

Before Jesus saved me, I lived essentially for my own happiness. I wanted to make myself happy. I never actually said that, but I believe that deep down that was the driving force in my life. I learned to play guitar and got into a rock band because that brought me pleasure. I became an art major in college because painting and drawing made me happy. I wanted a girlfriend essentially for my happiness. And I had no idea how self-centered I was, how selfish I was.

Eventually, the more I read and heard God’s word, the longer I followed Jesus, he revealed the main reason he saved me – for his glory. God saves us, yes, because he loves us, and because  he is so merciful. But I believe the primary reason he creates us and then saves us is for his glory. And he is not some vain, self-centered God who just wants all the glory. The more we see and know God’s glory and glorify God, the more joy we experience in him.

Our greatest goal should not be to be successful or famous or rich. Our greatest desire should be to know our God, and to live to serve him and glorify him. As it says in the Psalms:

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness! Psalm 115:1

“Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.” Revelation 4:11

And God tells us in 1 Corinthians:

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31)

We may think that those who glorify God are those who have extraordinary gifts, maybe like preachers or missionaries or people like Mother Teresa. You may think, “How can I glorify God? I have to drive an hour to work every morning through heavy traffic. I work all day at this boring job. I drive home, and have to take care of my kids (if you have kids) or pay my bills, and clean up the kitchen after supper. I have to cut my grass and pay my bills. My life is ordinary and I’m not some powerful evangelist. How can I glorify God?

In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

We can let our light shine before our unbelieving relatives on holidays, by serving them. By being cheerful. By not grumbling when we don’t get our way. We can let our light shine before our children every day by serving our spouse, and by demonstrating thankfulness, patience, love, forgiveness.

We can let our light shine before our co-workers by not joining in with office gossip and grumbling about our boss. By looking for ways to serve our fellow workers. By seeking to be the most cheerful person in the office.

We are not all called as evangelists, but we can all share in the advance of the gospel. One way is by praying that God will bring his kingdom to the earth, to this nation, to your town. Hopefully your church proclaims the gospel. By welcoming new people, giving to the church, and serving in the church’s ministries, you help advance the gospel. You can advance the gospel by serving in your church’s children’s ministry or teen ministry. You advance the gospel by serving on the worship team as you sing of God’s power and glory. You help advance the gospel by serving on the projection team as you project Scriptures during the message.

We can pray that God will raise up laborers for the harvest. There are many ministries that help the poor and share the gospel with those they help. By supporting these ministries we help advance the gospel

Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. Colossians 3:23-24

When Paul exhorted his fellow believers to work heartily, he was primarily addressing “bondservants” to serve their masters heartily. But ultimately they were serving the Lord and that he would reward them. They may not have felt like they were glorifying God, but Paul said they were. They would bring glory to God by working heartily as bondservants, even though they may not have chosen to do that or desired it.

You may be stuck in a job you don’t like, but you can glorify God by doing your work heartily for the Lord, and not for your boss. And Jesus will reward you.

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The recent resurgence of Spurgeon study is a delight for those who appreciate his life and work. There is at least one clear reason for the rise of Spurgeon’s popularity: His day mirrors our day. Spurgeon saw all around him theological and moral decline. He was even asked once to preach at a circus but denied enthusiastically. Because Spurgeon spoke discerningly and clearly in his day, he speaks prophetically to our day. Charles saw the dangers of the entertainment in church. Even today, many churches are tempted by a form of the attractional model, seeking to lure devotees through prizes, expensive giveaways, games, fairs and promises of fun.

Lest we be tempted by the same schemes, Spurgeon rightly warns us of the danger in wielding Christ’s bride as a tool for frivolous amusement. An All-Round Ministry is a collection of Spurgeon’s Presidential Addresses at the Annual Conference of the Pastors’ College, from 1872-1890. In one of these sermons, “The Evils of the Present Time, and Our Object, Necessities and Encouragements,” Spurgeon presents several arguments against the entertainment-driven church.

What does Spurgeon have to say about the attractional church model?

Spurgeon remarks, “Within suitable bounds, recreation is necessary and profitable; but it never was the business of the Christian Church to supply the world with amusements.” Humans need leisure, and the church can be a place of rest and recreation with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our mission, however, is not to entertain the world; it is to save sinners through the preaching of the gospel. The world will provide entertainment and amusements enough. The church ’s distinct offering and singular mission is the soul-rescuing gospel of Jesus.

Spurgeon notes how one church put on a series of services focusing on special plays, concerts, recreational events, including rousing games of musical chairs. He laments that “this is to go on side by side with the preaching of Thy bleeding sacrifice, O Christ of God!”

Source: Church Leaders

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After T. D. Jakes was interviewed on CNN, he thought he was set up to share a word to those affected by the coronavirus plague.

SOURCE: T. D. Jakes Ministries

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Welcome to the How to Stay the Coronavirus Plague Briefing Podcast #7. My name is Daniel Whyte III, president of Gospel Light Society International.

Deuteronomy 29:22-23 says, “So that the generation to come of your children that shall rise up after you, and the stranger that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses which the LORD hath laid upon it; And that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom, and Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboim, which the LORD overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath:”

Matthew Henry said, “The ruin begins with plagues and sicknesses, to try if they will be reclaimed by less judgments; but, if not, it ends in a total overthrow, like that of Sodom. As that valley, which had been like the garden of the Lord for fruitfulness, was turned into a lake of salt and sulphur, so should the land of Canaan be made desolate and barren, as it has been ever since the last destruction of it by the Romans. The lake of Sodom bordered closely upon the land of Israel, that by it they might be warned against the iniquity of Sodom; but, not taking the warning, they were made as like to Sodom in ruin as they had been in sin. It would be enquired into by the generations to come, who would find the state of their nation in all respects the reverse of what it had been, and, when they read both the history and the promise, would be astonished at the change. The stranger likewise, and the nations about them, as well as particular persons, would ask, Wherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this land? Great desolations are thus represented elsewhere as striking the spectators with amazement. It was time for the neighbours to tremble when judgment thus began at the house of God.”

William Farley said, “Don’t mistake God’s patience with sinners for the idea that God is tolerant of sin.”

NEWS

According to the Washington Post, More than 600,000 people have been infected and at least 28,000 have died worldwide, according to Johns Hopkins University..

According to CNN, There are at least 101,242 cases of the novel coronavirus in the United States.

According to NPR, Some Recovered Coronavirus Patients In Wuhan Are Testing Positive Again.

FAMILY

Ephesians 5:24 says, “Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.”

Thomas Constable said, “This verse continues the comparison. Submission is the proper response to sovereignly designated authority in the church-Christ relationship and in the wife-husband relationship. “In everything” means in everything within the wife-husband relationship, the context within which the apostle was speaking. Paul probably did not mean in absolutely everything since the wife has a higher responsibility to obey the Lord. When she encounters conflicting authorities, the Lord, through His Word, telling her to do one thing and her husband telling her to do a contradictory thing, she should obey the Lord.”

——

Now, if you are with us today and you do not know Jesus Christ as your Savior, allow me to show you how you can place your faith and trust in Him for Salvation from sin and Hell.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 18:8: “Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now that is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “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.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9 & 13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If you believe that Jesus Christ died on the Cross for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead, and you want to trust Him for your Salvation today, please pray with me this simple prayer: Holy Father God, I realize that I am a sinner and that I have done some bad things in my life. I am sorry for my sins, and today I choose to turn from my sins. For Jesus Christ sake, please forgive me of my sins. I believe with all of my heart that Jesus Christ died for me, was buried, and rose again. I trust Jesus Christ as my Savior and I choose to follow Him as Lord from this day forward. Lord Jesus, please come into my heart and save my soul and change my life today. Amen.

If you believed in your heart that Jesus Christ died on the Cross, was buried, and rose again, allow me to say, congratulations on doing the most important thing in life and that is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Saviour! For more information to help you grow in your newfound faith in Christ, go to Gospel Light Society.com and read “What To Do After You Enter Through the Door”. Jesus Christ said in John 10:9, “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

If you accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior today, please email me at [email protected] and let us know. There is some free material that we want to send you. If you have a prayer request, please e-mail that to us as well, and we will pray for you until you tell us to stop.

God loves you. We love you. And may God bless you.

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Welcome to the Ordained Chaplains podcast. My name is Daniel Whyte III. I am the president of Gospel Light Society University. We are going through the book “Out of the Depths: An Autobiographical Study Of Mental Disorder And Religious Experience” by one of the pioneers of chaplaincy, Dr. Anton T. Boisen. This is episode #69.

Our Scripture Verse for today is Galatians 5:16-17 which reads, “So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want.”

Our Ordained Chaplains quote for today is from Marcus Aurelius. He said, “Death is a release from the impressions of the senses, and from desires that make us their puppets, and from the vagaries of the mind, and from the hard service of the flesh.”

In this podcast, we will continue discussing the book “Out of the Depths” by Anton T. Boisen. We continue today with “Chapter 4: A Little-Known Country” (Part 18):

I remember distinctly the beginning of that idea. It came first during that abnormal period in Washington, a flashing, blinding, overwhelming idea that I was not after all just what I had thought myself, but that I had lived on this earth many hundreds of years under different forms but always with the same problem which I had not been able to solve. It seemed that I was identified with the woman from whom the seven devils had been cast out; also with the poet Dante. Confirmation of this I found in the fact that my first illumination had come on Easter morning, that the problem was indeed the same, and that the idea was one I had never dreamed of before. It seemed also that in that struggle lay the center of the fight which had been going on for nineteen hundred years. The Christ personality had been imprisoned and crippled by the selfish demands of a love which had been essential to some weaker person’s salvation. He had been imprisoned because he could not destroy the weaker personality in his own interest; also because this problem, that of sex, represented the first and most difficult problem in the making of a better race. It seemed that as a representative of that weaker type, it was my duty to give up what I felt to be my claim. After I had acted on that it seemed that the fight had been won, and I became ecstatically happy. Them I was seized with a terrible panic from which I emerged only gradually.

One of the things which has most puzzled and horrified me in this recent delirium is the ideas which I have had regarding my own identity. Starting with the idea that I was the representative of the Magdalene-Dante type, I surrendered my claim and became a zero quantity. Then I became confused. I was a zero quantity, but I was also its opposite. Another idea which persisted throughout the disturbed period was that I was a representative of the sex instinct. It was in this role, I think, that I attempted repeatedly to eliminate myself. Once I tried to drown myself in the tub and nearly succeeded. Twice I rammed my head against the corner of the brick wall.

As I look back over this, viewing it more in perspective, I still wonder if there may not be some glimmering of truth in these strange ideas. We know so little about the unseen forces. Is it not possible that our minds are the scene of a struggle in which universal issues are at stake?

One such idea was that of life as consisting of two cycles, one in the flesh and one in the spirit. It seemed that the departed spirit had its abode in the subconscious of those whom it loved and that its chances of returning to the world and perpetuating the cycle depended upon the fidelity of the man or woman in whom that spirit abode. According to this idea, it should be possible, if we learned the laws, to select the types which are brought into the world and thus secure an unbroken succession of alternating personalities. That would be eternal life. I am giving this just the way the idea came.

The universe I thought of as a great living organism, or series of organisms. It seemed that out of the present world a new social order was to be formed. This would be a new spiritual body gathering to itself the spirits of those who were fit. In such a body the “family of four” would constitute a new type of cell replacing the simpler cell on which the present order is founded. It seemed that the present order is based upon competition, and competition eliminates the best as well as the worst. The new order would be based upon co-operation and would seek to preserve whatever was worth preserving, guarding carefully the finest and the best. According to this idea, the virgin birth of Christ would represent an actual new element entering into the race and it was made possible by some man giving his place to another. But the Second Coming had not taken place because of the frailty of some of the disciples. It seems that the personality which I represented had been chiefly responsible for blocking the way. Salvation was thus by no means assured. It depended upon the outcome of a titanic struggle which was still undecided.

In our next podcast, we will continue with Part 19 of Chapter 4, “A Little Known Country”.

—PRAYER—

Now, if you have come across this podcast, and do not know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour, allow me to show you how.

First, accept the fact that you are a sinner, and that you have broken God’s law. The Bible says in Romans 3:23: “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.”

Second, accept the fact that there is a penalty for sin. The Bible states in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death…”

Third, accept the fact that you are on the road to hell. Jesus Christ said in Matthew 10:28: “And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.” Also, the Bible states in Revelation 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”

Now this is bad news, but here’s the good news. Jesus Christ said in John 3:16: “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.” Just believe in your heart that Jesus Christ died for your sins, was buried, and rose from the dead by the power of God for you so that you can live eternally with Him. Pray and ask Him to come into your heart today, and He will.

Romans 10:9-13 says, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Until next time, my friend, God bless!

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“Have you noticed any signs of spiritual awakening in this part of the country?” That was a question I asked a road worker who was directing traffic at a construction site. He responded by saying, “What do you mean?” I replied, “Have you noticed how many people these days are coming to an awareness of their need for the Lord?” The road worker said, “I don’t know about anybody else, but I know I need the Lord.”  Well, that brief exchange opened up an opportunity for me to share the Gospel with the man and discover his eagerness to hear more about Jesus and what it means to know and follow Him. God had obviously prepared the man’s heart. I explained more about what it means to believe, confess and call on the Lord, from Romans 10. I sensed that the Holy Spirit was dealing with his heart, so I suggested that we include the Lord in our conversation and encouraged him to call on the Lord and confess his faith in Him, which he did.

Being Alert to Fertile Soil

That experience, years ago, impressed upon me how the Holy Spirit can work in people’s lives in those short encounters. We seldom know the condition of people’s hearts, or if they are fertile soil, until we connect and engage with them in conversation. Simple greetings, comments, questions or stories can open opportunities to connect with people and connect with God’s redemptive activities. Some may think of spiritual awakenings, revivals or movements of God as sweeping, sensational or spectacular transformational movements. In reality, seemingly small and insignificant conversations or acts of kindness can have a major long-term impact.

God Directs our Paths

The Pray-Care-Share lifestyle is an excellent and simple way of connecting with people in everyday situations that can change lives and have a strategic impact. As we pray for God to prepare our own hearts and give us a sensitivity to the needs of others — that He would direct our paths and bring us in contact with the right people — we can expect the Lord to answer those prayers. Another important part of the prayer aspect is simply asking people we connect with how we can pray for them. That question often leads to significant witness and ministry encounters.

SOURCE: Assist News

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(Visit the website www.coronavirusandthechurch.com for more information.)

From reports, we are hearing from around the world, God’s people are putting aside minor or secondary differences for the greater purposes of God. They are finding common ground for more unity and unified efforts to solve problems.  This is nothing new, and hopefully can be used for greater impact in advancing the Kingdom of God.  There seem to be more questions than answers these days.  There is a tendency to ask “Why” questions, when it might be more productive to ask “How, and What” questions. When crises come, maybe we should ask “How should I respond, and what can I do?”

Lessons from the Life, Spirit, and Teaching of Jesus

Thankfully, we don’t have to wait for some crisis to experience more unity in the Body of Christ.  From what we learn about the life, Spirit and teachings of Jesus, we know that oneness and unity in the Body of Christ is very important. The 17^th chapter of the Gospel of John makes that abundantly clear. However, in a practical way, how do we achieve unity? How can the Church (the Body of Christ) be unified when there is so much diversity and division among the various streams and traditions of the Church? How can there be unity and cooperation among an association of churches? Or, how can local congregations (house churches, small fellowships, church plants) achieve unity?

The Spirit of Reconciliation

Perhaps an even more important question would be “How can any group, community, organization, or even a family have unity?” Well, it seems that effective communication and trusting relationships would be the most basic building blocks to oneness and unity, anywhere with any group of people. Obviously, from a biblical perspective, the Spirit of reconciliation (which is the Spirit of Jesus) is the basis of resolving conflict and division, leading to genuine unity.

The Power of Stories, Questions, and Listening

Pastors in East Africa discovered that they had more in common than the things that divided them. What was the key to this important discovery? It was their participation in an Orality Training Workshop sponsored by Living Water International. Pastors and church leaders are discovering how telling stories, asking questions, listening and engaging in heart level conversations can help resolve conflict, remove barriers and build bridges. Individual members of local congregations and communities are experiencing greater unity and connectivity by participating in Orality Training events.

SOURCE: Assist News, Jerry Wiles

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