Matthew 24:12 And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.
She just needs some “me time!” He knows lots of Bible but is just tired of church! They used to be very faithful Christians and never missed church services. They used to be believers. They are not interested any more! This church isn’t their style. They want more music and less Bible preaching!
We have all heard it all! You know as well as I do that many people who say they are Christians have grown cold. They “used to” do lots of things.
They say that the church is old and that it is not meeting their needs. They say that the Bible doesn’t apply to life in 2009.
Jesus said that their love had grown cold because iniquity or sin was on every side. Today, I think you need to analyze why you don’t love Jesus like you used to love Him. I ask you to consider why attending church, being involved serving Christ, reading your Bible every day etc. is not as important as it used to be.
Who changed? Was it God? Was it the church? Was it the Bible? Or can we be honest and just say that sin became more and more important to you? Would it be fair to say that other “loves” just become more important than your love for Jesus Christ?
By the way the principal sin that would cause us to grow cold in our love for God would be loving self! We look for what pleases us rather than what pleases God.
God just doesn’t fit my schedule right now! I do love Him but just don’t have time. As soon as I finish these things I will have more time for God and the things that please Him!
Love is growing cold but can we be honest and quit blaming others and just realize that sin abounds in our lives?
So many distractions that we do not have time to love God. So many “me things” to do that we do not have time for “Him things!”
At least today ought to be a day that we consider what is happening in our lives. Has your love grown cold? Why?
“Missionary training is as much about character as it is about content.”
“No matter where you go or what you do as a missionary you will need training in order to survive and to serve well.”
“Specific training should be sought to meet specific ministry goals.”
“Seek equipping/training that will shape you in three major areas: character, skills, and knowledge. The classroom is a good place to start but it won’t cover everything.” It is highly suggested that you get a mentor or a spiritual and professional advisor in the area of life that you wish to work. You should also be very closely associated with your pastor.
“Character dimensions include personal life with God, spiritual disciplines, self discipline, emotional and spiritual maturity, moral purity, personal and family wholeness, servant attitude, teachable, adaptable, compassionate, spiritual gifting. Skill/competency dimensions include relational abilities, evangelism and discipleship, church planting and development, language and culture learning, communication aptitudes, leadership‑followership facility, practical talents, professional/vocational expertise. Knowledge dimensions include Biblical and theological truth, culture, communication and language, leadership‑followership development, ministry and missions, global partnership, human personality and health, professional/occupational issues.”
There are no shortcuts to mission work. You must prepare yourself and the more you wish to do the more you should prepare yourself. “Missions work is tough. But those who are well prepared will stick it out and see God at work. Heaven will be full of worshipers of the Lamb who are there because someone crossed geographical, linguistic, and cultural barriers to present the powerful, supernatural message of the living Lord Jesus Christ.”
Another article stated the following: “The New Testament prescription for leadership, as laid out in I Timothy 3 and Titus 1, list 22 characteristics of Biblical leaders. All but one of these characteristics‑ the ability to teach‑‑deal with character qualities, not ministry skills.”
2009 is officially half way over today. How are you doing on your goals for 2009?
How are you doing on your Bible reading plan?
So far this year are you on schedule in your plan for giving to and supporting the work of God?
How are you doing on your personal plan of managing the resources that God has put in your hands?
What have you done this year to strengthen your relationship with your spouse? Your children?
What have you done this year to grow spiritually?
What have you done to get the gospel to others?
Life is short! It is flying by! If we are not careful we will wake up and find out that we wasted our life! I challenge you to reevaluate what you are doing. Hit the reset button if you need to.
Matthew 23:5-12 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant. And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.
So much is wrong in Christianity. Jesus told us that to be leaders we needed to humble ourselves. He told us that we needed to serve to lead yet in our churches there is much of the same thing that goes on here in the lives of the Pharisees.
We do many things just to be seen of men! It isn’t real it is show! Matthew 23:5
We love to be called by our titles and recognized as big men every where we go! Matthew 23:6-7.
Jesus had a very negative attitude about the whole title thing. Matthew 23:8-10.
We think that the more people that follow us or the more that serve us the greater we are. Jesus said the total opposite. A friend recently died. He was a pastor. Just a regular man pastoring a church of 100. Around 1000 came to his funeral and memorial service combined. He only pastored a hundred people but he really pastored a town.
His church was located in a town of only about 300. He served many. God help me to be that kind of leader.
Real leadership is based on humility. That means that no one might remember my name or recognize me. That means that I might not get the credit for what I did or said and that is very important to me.
Real leadership will be on me serving and meeting the needs of others. That would mean a sacrificing of my needs to meet the needs of others.
The apostle Paul was used of God to say: 2Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved.
So let’s give our lives for others. Let’s serve them and love them no matter how they treat us. Let’s be givers and not takers. Let’s turn the other cheek and be wronged gladly.
I just arrived back home after leading Victory Baptist Church from Ruffin, NC to Arequipa and back. I had a great time with Pastor Scott Hefner and his people. On Monday I drove up to meet them in Charlotte, NC and from there flew to Miami and then to Lima. Tuesday we had a great time visiting the Efata Deaf Ministry and missionaries Joe and Lisa Kotvas. The Lord is truly blessing their ministry in Lima. From there we went to Arequipa were our ministry of the Peru Baptist College is based.
Our group had the opportunity to see the Bible College and many of the churches in Arequipa. I appreciate their work through the week also. In total we passed out about 10,000 tracts and invitations.
On July 6th, Amy and I both will be leading another group to Peru. We are looking forward to spending time with Pastor Derik Lawrence and the folks from Victory Baptist Church in Loganville, Ga. Please pray all goes well. If everything works out well, we will be aiding in starting a new church close to one of the largest universities in the city. I am excited about this opportunity.
I want to invite you to be a part of of one of our Peru Mission Trips in October or next year. I will be leading a group along with my pastor, Austin Gardner to Peru from October 5th to 12th. I have around 15 slots open if you are interested in being part of the team. You can also be part of one of my trips next summer. Just call or email if you are interested.
The Our Generation Camp went great this year. We had a great group of young people who are interested in getting the gospel to the world. We also had two people saved and four people who got assurance of their salvation.
We are now gearing up for the Our Generation Summit at the end of the year. Mark you calendars now for December 31 – January 2. It is a great time to be challenged for world evangelism. It’s also a great winter retreat for the family.
Please be praying for the Peru Baptist College. We are still in great need of monthly support. We don’t have any room to complain even though times my get tough. I just want to thank God for all He has done. He has got us through every single month even with huge deficits starting out. If you are interested in helping please let me know or if you know someone who is interested in helping please let me know.
I want to thank all the people that have been praying for me and my family. Without prayer I don’t know how we would make it. Thank you also for the financial support. We are still in the process of raising support for ourselves so if you would be interested in being a partner in our ministry, we would be privileged.
Here to serve.
Mark, Amy, Emilee, and Luke Coffey and Tyler and Chase
“A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded. ‘Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’ That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ‘If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles.”
Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.
One of the greatest weaknesses in my life is believing prayer! I dare not accuse anyone else of this same sin but there you have my confession. Oh, I get up every morning. I pray all the time. I pray for our church people by name all through my day. I beg God to work in the ministry, the family, and in my life.
But over the years sometimes I must admit that I have let it become more something I do, a ritual than simple child like faith, believing that what I ask He is going to do.
I am afraid that I have allowed the hard times in life to discourage me. I fear that I have “learned” to just accept that somethings are just like that. I pray but often it doesn’t even cross my mind that He is going to answer.
I want to pray more. I want to pray believing. I want my old child like faith back. I want to become a more simple believer.
I prayed. He didn’t seem to answer when I wanted or in the way that I wanted. I gave up. I just accepted. I doubt that you are in the same boat that I am in but maybe you have experienced a little of that.
The Bible is full of His promises to hear and answer prayer. I know that the Bible is true. I know that He hears and answers prayer. I know that He can and will change things in my life in answer to prayer.
So my prayer today is that He will help me. I believe but help my unbelief. He has convicted me of my lack of witnessing and praying. I have failed to get out and live what I know.
Could it be that Satan is winning a major war in my life by causing me to pray (oh, yes, every day) but not to fully believe in my heart? Could it be that my accepting things like they are is just a carnal way of not believing God?
Alex Montero became Vision’s newest member yesterday through believer’s baptism. God dealt with his heart during the Our Generation Leadership Camp. It was a great time. We are excited about all that God is doing in Alex’s life and the future ministry plans God has for him.
Join me in welcoming him into our church family. Let him know how happy you are for the work of God in his life.
Matthew 18:33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee?
The story is a classic. The first man owes a debt that he literally could never have paid. He is called to pay. When he can’t pay he is condemned to suffer in prison until he can pay. Don’t forget that he will never be free because there is absolutely no way that he can pay.
He then begs to be forgiven. He pleads for mercy. He in no way deserves it but he still begs.
He is forgiven. He is allowed to go free and his debt is cancelled.
Going out the door and down the way he immediately sees someone that owes him a small debt. He gets very angry and demands payment.
Though he has just been forgiven a far greater debt he imposes on the man to pay. He places his debtor in the same conditions that had been placed on him.
The debtor begins to beg for forgiveness but receives none. He is placed in prison to suffer until he can pay the debt.
The forgiven one will not forgive but wants to exact all the pain that he can from his debtor.
The lord then calls the first man in and makes him suffer and pay his debt because of his unforgiving heart.
This is not a story about our salvation. It is a story about forgiving and forgiveness. If you are forgiven you should be so grateful, so happy that you would forgive others.
You are not literally free until you can forgive. Though you have been forgiven your hard heart and bitterness are keeping you as a prisoner in your hurt.
When we have experienced forgiveness we know how it liberates us. This same compassion and love that has been shown to us should be extended to others.
Holding on to our hurt, bitterness, anger really only hurts us. It causes us to be tied to the past, doesn’t free us for the future, keeps us from enjoying the present. This bitterness will literally rob us and cause great suffering and heart ache.
Remember, the forgiven forgive! That is a Bible truth that rings out and echoes from page to page throughout!
