preachersblog.com.au
Hear the podcast here: https://bit.ly/36P1FEJ
4 You know my pedigree: 5 a legitimate birth, circumcised on the eighth day; an Israelite from the elite tribe of Benjamin; a strict and devout adherent to God's law; 6 a fiery defender of the purity of my religion, even to the point of persecuting Christians; a meticulous observer of everything set down in God's law Book. 7 The very credentials these people are waving around as something special, I'm tearing up and throwing out with the trash - along with everything else I used to take credit for. And why? Because of Christ. 8 Yes, all the things I once thought were so important are gone from my life. Compared to the high privilege of knowing Christ Jesus as my Master, firsthand, everything I once thought I had going for me is insignificant - dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ 9 and be embraced by him. I didn't want some petty, inferior brand of righteousness that comes from keeping a list of rules when I could get the robust kind that comes from trusting Christ - God's righteousness. 10 I gave up all that inferior stuff so I could know Christ personally, experience his resurrection power, be a partner in his suffering, and go all the way with him to death itself. 11 If there was any way to get in on the resurrection from the dead, I wanted to do it. 12 I'm not saying that I have this all together, that I have it made. But I am well on my way, reaching out for Christ, who has so wondrously reached out for me. 13 Friends, don't get me wrong: By no means do I count myself an expert in all of this, but I've got my eye on the goal, where God is beckoning us onward - to Jesus. 14 I'm off and running, and I'm not turning back. (Philippians 3:4b-14 The Message Bible)
Welcome to Tuesday, ConCafe Family! May this be a tremendously terrific day for you, Friend, is my prayer for you! I pray this finds you well and enjoying God's wonderful blessings. Yes, we still have the aches and pains, the new wrinkles or pimples, but onward and upward we follow Him! Please continue to pray for one another, pray for your needs, and pray for peace in the world.
The Apostle Paul never applied for the job as evangelist. It was a complete surprise. It was a knocked down off his horse encounter with the Risen Lord. Jesus knew him and wanted him as servant leader of the ministry into the realm of the Gentiles. He was as Jewish as he could be and he always had a heart for them, but his work among the non-Jews brought Christianity to the known world and established the foundation for worldwide evangelization. This passage shares Paul's pedigree or resume. He was born to a married couple, both of whom were Jews. He followed Jewish law and was circumcised on the eighth day. He was born into the tribe of Benjamin, and was himself a strict follower of the strict and devoted laws of God. He claims to be a "strict and devout adherent to God's law," and believed in supporting the purity of his religion, and taking it to the point of persecuting Christians. He also says he meticulously observed God's law. But now as a follower and believer in the Lord Jesus, he views his credentials as trash, because these are things of the past. Why? Because of Jesus Christ. He believes that all things that he once considered worthy of his credit hold no importance in his life. His highest privilege is now to know Christ Jesus as his Master. All that was important before is now not important. "All that I had goiing for me for me is insignificant - dog dung. I've dumped it all in the trash so that I could embrace Christ and be embraced by Him."
Wow! His faith is contagious to me! He realized that when we reach that point of meeting Christ and getting our lives changed by Him, all that came before counts for nothing. Everything from now on, counts for more. In his case, he left behind all he knew and loved for the new reality of Jesus and he embraced the urgency and seriousness of reaching people for God's kingdom. A district superintendent and I were just chatting about the sad reality of the shortage of ministers. This is something we knew was coming sooner rather than later, and the sooner is now. There are only three elders being ordained at this annual conference and about 24-plus retirements and leaves. What we call "the bench" is now almost dry, and the roster of eligible players is not what we once took for granted. The DS lamented that there was no longer an Emmaus pipeline, referring to the era of the Walks to Emmaus from about the early 1980s til late 1990s, with some Walks still happening, but the early days saw the working of the Holy Spirit among those who attended the Walks and several men and women felt their call into ordained ministry. I said local churches no longer send men and women into the ministry, and that most seminaries are failing at training pastors with a heart for Jesus and preaching the word of God. Whatever the reason, I still believe that God is at work and we will witness an awakening of His Holy Spirit that will respond to the need for revival in our churches. Men and women will undergo the transformation that Paul underwent that whatever their first passion may have been, it will take a back seat to God's leading to a faith like Paul that says, "I will dump everything in the trash just so that I can embrace Christ and Christ can embrace me."
Let us be in prayer about that. Where are you? Have you started already in your career path and you think you're at where you want to be, or, are you feeling the nudging of the Spirit into ordained ministry? You're not too old to finish strong, just like Paul!
PRAYER: Loving Father, speak to those whom already sense Your leading; may all of us open our hearts to where You would have us be and do what you would have us do. May Your Spirit bring the fire of an awakening that the world needs to see now; this we pray in Christ Jesus, amen,
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord! Let people see how much you love Jesus!
Receive my blessings of joy and peace,
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
