As a church our ultimate goal is to reconcile the world and specifically our world to God through Jesus Christ. Christian churches around the world have worked tirelessly over the last twenty centuries and yet the world, at least our world here in North America seems farther way from God.
In my quiet time this morning I discovered something so simple yet so profound in God's word - something I've never seen in this light before. Listen to this...
When a person's ways are pleasing to the LORD, he even reconciles his enemies to himself. Proverbs 16:7 (NET)
WOW! Could this not also apply to the church - our church? Could we say that when the Adventist Community Church of Vancouver's ways are pleasing to the LORD, we even reconcile our enemies with the Church and thus with God?
As we envision the future of our church we must pray that the ways that we devise and follow would be pleasing to the LORD so that we could thereby aid in recociling our world to God.
Showing posts with label God's will. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God's will. Show all posts
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Succeeding through Faith - Failing through Self
This morning my devotionals also brought me to the 17th chapter of Matthew. I believe what I found is significant for the Vancouver Church as we move forward to develop our mission and vision.
In the NET translation of Matthew 17:20 Jesus tells those who had failed as they were are trying to accomplish God's will in their world, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.
Apparently the disciples were trying to accomplish God's will (freeing a boy from a demon) through self. Jesus says God’s will is accomplished through faith – not self. When we set out to do God’s will through faith nothing is impossible for us to accomplish for God.
As the Adventist Community Church of Vancouver seeks to accomplish God's will in our community the leaders and yes the entire church needs to check self (including our motives cf. Psalm 139:2). First, are we trying to accomplish God’s will or our will. Second, are we trying to accomplish it through self or through faith. If through faith then we guaranteed success.
Let's make sure we are on the right team for the right reasons and that we are setting the right goals - God's goals. Then let's let our team captain (Jesus) lead us to victory!
In the NET translation of Matthew 17:20 Jesus tells those who had failed as they were are trying to accomplish God's will in their world, “It was because of your little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; nothing will be impossible for you.
Apparently the disciples were trying to accomplish God's will (freeing a boy from a demon) through self. Jesus says God’s will is accomplished through faith – not self. When we set out to do God’s will through faith nothing is impossible for us to accomplish for God.As the Adventist Community Church of Vancouver seeks to accomplish God's will in our community the leaders and yes the entire church needs to check self (including our motives cf. Psalm 139:2). First, are we trying to accomplish God’s will or our will. Second, are we trying to accomplish it through self or through faith. If through faith then we guaranteed success.
Let's make sure we are on the right team for the right reasons and that we are setting the right goals - God's goals. Then let's let our team captain (Jesus) lead us to victory!
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