The Bible tells us in Matthew 28 to reach out to the ends of the earth... AND I WANT TO! I want to reach out to the ends of the earth! I want to minister to people I have never met before, as well as people right down the street. If you have read any of my blogs, please e-mail me at pastorjlaw@gmail.com. Let me know what you think, introduce yourself/where you are in the world, and let me know if there is some way I can pray for you. I am no one special, just a simple servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me hear from YOU!
Blessings,
Pastor Jamie Lawrence
Thursday, January 22, 2015
No Greater Love
I love ministry. It's that simple. I love ministry.
For me ministry happens between Sundays. It's that time of the week when you get to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty by being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. It's more than simple decisions to get a little here, or maybe give a little there. It's about pouring your heart out 100% until the last drop is poured out.
Think about what Christ has done for us. He died on the cross, pouring out his life that we might be saved. He went all in for us. He gave until it hurt, even unto death. The sad truth in many churches today is we give until it's comfortable. We give until it looks good. We give until our statistics are acceptable. There's just one question and it keeps coming back to me... As a Christian, knowing that one day you will stand face-to-face with your maker, what will you say to him when he asks you what you did for the least of these?
Did you follow his example and pour out your heart completely? Did you give as he gave all on the cross? We have our catchy slogans, but do we truly put God first, others second, and ourselves third? If we truly live in Christ, the cycle of discipleship and missions would be clear in every church, and something everyone in the church would be excited to be part of. More people would be saved and more people willing to be the hands and feet of Christ.
It's all about heart condition. Is the joy of the Lord so full in your heart that it overflows every time you open your Bible, or every time you tell someone the Gospel story, for every time you got your hands dirty in missions?
The big word here is love. Love is a verb, an action word. It is something you do. You love God, love others, then love self. This is what God has called us to... to love. It is active and not passive. I'm tired of passive church. It's time to be active, ready and willing to be the church! That means truly reading the Bible to understand it. That means working for the Lord to serve others who are in need physically, spiritually, or otherwise. That means sharing the good news of Jesus Christ unashamedly, whole-heartedly, and with a sincere conviction so that lives are impacted and changed for the cause of Christ!
Church, we are as much to blame for the condition the world is in as anyone. Once we accept our part in that, then it's time to do something about it. Live as if today was your last and you could almost see Jesus on the horizon! Then you will glorify God... Then you will see change in others' lives... Then you will find true fulfillment in your own life! No more living in the shadows, no longer shallow, and never again spiritually hollow! Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13.
I love ministry... Because He first loved me!
For me ministry happens between Sundays. It's that time of the week when you get to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty by being the hands and feet of Jesus Christ. It's more than simple decisions to get a little here, or maybe give a little there. It's about pouring your heart out 100% until the last drop is poured out.
Think about what Christ has done for us. He died on the cross, pouring out his life that we might be saved. He went all in for us. He gave until it hurt, even unto death. The sad truth in many churches today is we give until it's comfortable. We give until it looks good. We give until our statistics are acceptable. There's just one question and it keeps coming back to me... As a Christian, knowing that one day you will stand face-to-face with your maker, what will you say to him when he asks you what you did for the least of these?
Did you follow his example and pour out your heart completely? Did you give as he gave all on the cross? We have our catchy slogans, but do we truly put God first, others second, and ourselves third? If we truly live in Christ, the cycle of discipleship and missions would be clear in every church, and something everyone in the church would be excited to be part of. More people would be saved and more people willing to be the hands and feet of Christ.
It's all about heart condition. Is the joy of the Lord so full in your heart that it overflows every time you open your Bible, or every time you tell someone the Gospel story, for every time you got your hands dirty in missions?
The big word here is love. Love is a verb, an action word. It is something you do. You love God, love others, then love self. This is what God has called us to... to love. It is active and not passive. I'm tired of passive church. It's time to be active, ready and willing to be the church! That means truly reading the Bible to understand it. That means working for the Lord to serve others who are in need physically, spiritually, or otherwise. That means sharing the good news of Jesus Christ unashamedly, whole-heartedly, and with a sincere conviction so that lives are impacted and changed for the cause of Christ!
Church, we are as much to blame for the condition the world is in as anyone. Once we accept our part in that, then it's time to do something about it. Live as if today was your last and you could almost see Jesus on the horizon! Then you will glorify God... Then you will see change in others' lives... Then you will find true fulfillment in your own life! No more living in the shadows, no longer shallow, and never again spiritually hollow! Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. John 15:13.
I love ministry... Because He first loved me!
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