If God Is Loving, Why Is there So Much Pain in this Life? Which way are you turned? They were responsible for that. Repent and believe right now! It is difficult while we have evil habits and affections lingering about us, and it is impossible so long as we cling to these voluntarily. . Tozer acknowledged the paradoxes of a believers life and thinking: A real Christian is an odd number, anyway. Yes they certainly did. These verses will strengthen your faith in God. It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Listen now to what he said at the end of v.24 so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.Paul knew exactly what role the Lord wanted him to fulfill: He was to testify ofthe Gospel of the grace of God. Materialism. Fear is the first item listed in Joshua's challenge to the people. But now we come to the question. (praise and worship, teaching ministries, financial ministry, homeless ministry, recovery ministry, jail ministry, outreach ministry, cleaning ministry, building maintenance , food pantry, missions ministry, and so forth). He said, Paul was heading for Jerusalem in obedience to the Lords direction for him, despite knowing the awful trials he would have to face there. Did you feel released and free? Draw near to him. And so as Proverbs4:23says, you mustKeep [your] heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life., Unfortunately not everyone in Ephesus heeded Pauls exhortation to guard themselves. Although the Lord Jesus commended them for guarding the flock well against false apostles, He also rebuked them:Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, becausethou hast left thy first love.(Revelation 2:4) Let us ask ourselves this question: Have you left your first love? "Serve the Lord" Men's hearts are naturally atheistical, they will not endure the thought of God. Job eventually repents and is humbled before God. Paul did not say, , If anyone here is still unsaved, please listen to this carefully, because it is part of Gods whole counsel . Any complaint would arise, and they will go to any of the seven selected to handle this ministry. 4. Allow God to remind you who He is and what He promises, and then be honest with Him. The point is that God is behind this. Then he decided to return by a merchant ship to Jerusalem, sailing southwards along the coastline of Asia Minor. "How pleased the Lord must have been when Abraham did as he was instructed, without question and without wavering.". This is better than anything we could imagine. 3 Obstacles to Living God's Will for Your Life | Forward Progress MichaelKelley.co About Blog Contact Resources Bible Study Church Family Work MichaelKelley.co About Blog Contact Resources Mitragyna Speciosa Kratom guides: learn more Kratom resource: kratom.org Kratom vendors: read kratom reviews Best kratom: top strains for pain relief Our Christian life comprises of many obstacles we meet. This can be seen in the call which He gave to the church of Smyrna in Revelation 2:10. Colossians 3:24. He alone can give us the strength and wisdom we need to endure. These men were presented to the apostles who prayed and laid their hands on them. Psalm 32:11, "Be glad in the Lord, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!". The church has faced external and internal challenges since the day it began through the preaching of the apostles. We Must Obey God Rather than Men (Acts 5:12-42) by, Gods Wisdom and Requirements for Church Leadership (Acts 6:1-7) by, Stephen-A Man of Faith (Acts 6:5, 7:54-8:3) by, Acts 20:17-35 - The Challenge to Serve Faithfully, Mailing Add: 10 Gilstead Road Singapore 309064. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation" ( Isaiah 12:2 ). How can tell if your agenda or actions are from God or Satan? Yes, we deserve punishment. Earlier on we witnessed the addition of new members through baptism, reaffirmation of faith and transfer of membership. We're God's creation, and that means we were created to serve Him. The same thing happens if one member is not fulfilling his or her role faithfully The whole church suffers! You may be diligent in feeding others, but you also need tofeed yourself. During his third missionary journey, Paul spent most of his time in Ephesus, a city on the western coast of present-day Turkey. Without prayer all that we do willlackGods power and enablement. "Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. Others have been blessed with spiritual gifts of faith, administration, discernment, hospitality, giving, mercy, or encouragement. Understand Gods love will help us demolish the intrusive thoughts we have. When we spend too much time in a secularized society, the enemy can infiltrate and weaken our spiritual walls. As the people contemplated God's instructions, they faced the challenge . one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. God will help you knock down that wall in front of you. God detests pride, but humility prompts the gift of His grace. DAVID David is a Bible character who is no stranger to hard times. There an be obstacles in our spiritual walks, too, and sometimes we place them; sometimes we embrace them - addiction to television, busyness, overextending ourselves, video games Identify and address your obstacles. These are so easy to obtain on-line. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. Notice how verse 19 begins, Therefore, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus. He means that we have access to God now because Jesus died in our place. Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the holy places by the blood of Jesus, by the new and living way that he opened for us through the curtain, that is, through his flesh, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. These challenges come to distract us from our mission; they come to make us quit running the race. The church needs your effectual fervent prayers! You cannot serve both God and money". If you do, you won't ever feel alone. All you have to do is put your trust in Him. Romans 14:13 - Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way. Materialism is the third barrier that keeps us from being available to serve. Join The Hoot & Howl community for access to all the insider info! The food distribution ministry was just caring for the needs of those in the church. Many times, we wonder about God's purpose in our lives. Reduces Ego: When seekers realise that serving God happens very nicely after praying and not taking doership of the act, it helps in reducing ego. But what needs to be impressed on us is that, Now, besides faithfulness to the Lord and faithfulness to fulfill our God-given roles, there is another area where faithfulness is required of us. One of the greatest obstacles many Christians have is simply serving the Lord. God looks at you as a loving Father with his arms wide open and he says to you, Draw near by the blood of my Son.. The preaching and teaching of Gods word. There are obstacles in our way. The Bible says eternal life is to "know God and His one and only Son." As I made the transition from knowing about God for 19 years, to actually . To recognize and prepare for these common obstacles can be half of the battle to overcome them. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.". Acts 6:1-7 This was their main priority: In a Christ-centered church the preaching and teaching of Gods word must be the main priority. The apostles remained faithful to the task of preaching and teaching Gods word. Choosing our own way over Gods is always a losing option. This was his role in serving the Lord, and he devoted himself to fulfill it faithfully wherever he went. Cf. Tit was through all these works of God that the Ephesians had now grown into a thriving churchwithin three years. Two of the biggest barriers to adults being engaged in serving the body of Christ are these feelings: "I don't have anything in common with those I want to serve" and "I don't have anything to offer.". . Can God change your life? The trouble is, many congregations face substantial obstacles that make the daily practice of experiencing God more challenging. Through the Bible, we can understand the promises God has made for us, how He can help us in our time of need, and His amazing love for us. The punishment has been paid. Mailbox Club Bible Correspondence Courses, As we thank God for His faithfulness today, let us be reminded that God requires faithfulness from us. When we find a man meditating on the words of God, my friends, that man is full of boldness and is successful. To draw near. This requirement is highlighted in the words which Paul spoke in v.19Servingthe Lordwith all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations(v.19). "Listen to advice and accept discipline . They wept, Gods pattern for his people! Money from tithing is used to build God's kingdom upon the earth. They must be placed well above our own personal pursuits and interests. Just before those verses, the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) define a path to spiritual happiness and significance totally contrary to what were normally taught (blessed are the meek, not the proud). Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. It can be frustrating to give up control of your life, however to be a follower of Christ it must be done. Jesus Tells Us to Love the Lord Yes, our pain and our disappointments are real and valid. If we want to befaithfulto the Word we cannot pick and choose only what we love to hear from it, or what we love to think about all the time. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes - the hope of the world hangs on it (Rom 1:16). These are emotional, intellectual, and volitional barriers. Serving God is not without challenges and difficulties. In the earlier chapters of Acts we had seen that some are called to serve as deacons, some as evangelists, and some as teachers. Growing in Christ wont be without struggles. Share your prayer requests, receive prayer and pray for others! Most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. If Jesus had to endure them, so do we. *A.W. Desiring God partnered with Shane & Shanes The Worship Initiative to write short meditations for more than one hundred popular worship songs and hymns. The apostles would give their attention to prayer and the preaching of the word. There is one good way to know whether you are spiritually well or not. Acts 6:1-7 By: Ysrael De la Cruz The church of Jesus Christ has faced huge challenges throughout it existence and will continue to face challenges until Jesus comes back Being full of the Spirit and being wise are evident qualities in a person. Just as ancient cities needed strong walls for defense and protection, the Lord wants His people today to have a strong and well-founded faith that can withstand the attacks of the enemy. Did you laugh or cry tears of joy? Remind yourself that this isthe word of His grace, which is able to build you up, and to give you an inheritance among all them which are sanctified.. If He leads us to it, He'll lead us through it. " The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge " and " wisdom " (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10). So, this distribution of goods took place before and there wasnt a problem. God sometimes challenges us with a warning. 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