I Have Fought the Good Fight

2 Timothy 4:7

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

One of the things I do as a pastor – is to encourage the Saints of Christ in their final days. I have done more funerals than I’d like to count – losing some dear friends along the way. Along with being blessed and called upon to help folks in their last days or hours – I’m also called to encourage and guide the rest of us. We do not know when those last days and hours will come for us. We need to be ready – for it could come at any time.

I came to believe in Jesus Christ as a 12 year old. Oh – I was raised in a Christian home and would have told you – before 12 – that I was a Christian – but my faith was based upon my parent’s faith and my upbringing in the church. It wasn’t until a revival – the summer when I was 12 years old (57 years ago) – that my faith became personal and mine. I went to the altar and accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I asked the evangelist to pray over me after the service – because I felt a tug on my heart to do so.

Dirty Rags – Clean Up Our Lives

Isaiah 64:6

All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

I need to clean out the garage again (over and over). My wife likes a clean garage. Argue as I might that a garage is not meant to be clean – she won’t buy it. We have a friend – her name is Nancy – and her garage was and is always perfectly ordered. My father-in-law’s garage was too (that is where Carolyn got the idea of a clean garage I guess – you know – where there are outlines on the wall for EVERYTHING!).

When I clean out my garage – I always come across dirty rags. I use them for cleaning up most anything and at times they are not thrown away quickly enough for sure. I found one the last time I cleaned the garage that was soaking wet with oil – with dirt – with dust – etc. Whenever I pick up dirty – filthy rags  today’s passage comes to mind.

I am convinced that some of us believe that our sins are not as bad as our neighbor’s sin(s). Some might even think that because they go to church – because they may give support to the ministry of the church (time, talent, money, prayers) – they are not as bad as others.

Revival Starts on Saturday and Sunday

Matthew 28:18–20

¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Today’s passage is called the Great Commission. It is often seen as the marching orders for the Christian church. We are called to go and make disciples of or for Jesus Christ (whichever makes the most sense to you – lol). In the early years of the Christian movement called Methodist – making disciples – followers of Christ – seemed to be the main focus. Revivals and Camp Meetings were all the rage and altar calls were commonplace in Methodist worship – as pastors challenged parishioners to be transformed after the likeness of Christ. I remember revivals and camp meetings and altar calls and still use them today. I wonder how many pastors still call the people they serve to holiness?

Early Methodists were called to holiness – they were part of the holiness movement in the United States for instance. We were taught to study the Word of God (the Bible) and to strive to live our lives after what it taught. We were even encouraged to avoid some of the ills of our society. The way it was explained to me (as a third-generation Methodist pastor) – Methodists were encouraged to abstain from alcohol – from playing cards – from dancing – even from playing pool. The reason – again as it was explained to me – was because these social activities were often associated with bars and night clubs – with gambling and behavior and places that were not appropriate for folks striving to follow Christ and seeking holiness (makes sense to me). We were encouraged to avoid even the appearance of evil or sin (both Biblically and personally by pastors and parents). We were encouraged to keep Sunday set aside for the Lord. In my home growing up – Sunday was a day for Worship and Sunday School in the morning – a family lunch – a nap time – youth group – and worship in the evening. Sunday was a day set aside for being with God and with other Christians.

Nearing Two Years Ago

1 Samuel 2:1

My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.

Nearing two years ago – I posted this devotional. I’ll re-work it some – but mainly share what I shared on June 1 – 2021 (just a little under two weeks before it would be two years ago.

My heart rejoices in the Lord. Today (June 1 – 2021) is the day of my heart surgery. In just a few hours after this posts goes live – I will go under the knife. My prayer is that this is not my last devotional. My prayer is that God will deliver me from my surgery to bigger and better things – yet to come. I look forward to being in the presence of Jesus or back with my family and friends. As a dear friend once said – I’m in a win-win situation – I’ll be with Jesus or back with my family! Thanks Tom!

My heart rejoices in the Lord. Samuel wrote these words – recording what Hannah prayed and spoke. Here’s today’s passage – 1 Samuel 2:1 – Then Hannah prayed and said: “My heart rejoices in the Lord; in the Lord my horn is lifted high. My mouth boasts over my enemies, for I delight in your deliverance.”

My heart rejoices in the Lord. As this day unfolds – I will know if the surgery was successful (and maybe more so in the month to come) (and nearly two years later – my doctor has given me a clean bill of health). I will be on the road to recovery (and I pray a full recovery). I will be off meds and ready to tackle the days – weeks – months – and years before me (as the Lord allows).

What Does God Require of Us?

Micah 6:8b

And what does the Lord require of you?

Have we ever thought – what does the Lord require of us? I mean – salvation is free – but once saved – what does God require of us? I know what the membership vows say when we join the church – that we will support the church with our prayers – our talents – our time/attendance and our offerings – or something like that depending on which version is used. But have we ever thought about what God requires of us – as individuals and collectively as the church? Once we have received Jesus what should we do? Should we just rest in Jesus and rejoice?

The brother of Jesus – James by name – spent a good portion of his epistle/letter sharing that we should have faith – obviously – and that godly actions/works should be a natural response to that faith. James goes so far as to say that works or godly actions are a required feature of a person of faith when he writes: James 2:26 – As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. I shared that in the second part of a sermon series on the 5 Themes from James a few years ago.