When the best is not good enough

We understand from the Bible that a part of the atonement is the forgiveness of sins, and also the freedom from the slavery of the sicknesses that abound in this world.  We are pretty quick to accept the salvation aspect of atonement, but we are reluctant to believe God for healing.  That is understandable.  With the present knowledge of medicine that the world has, it is quite easy to get treatment for most types of sickness.  We then tend to rely on the doctor and the medication to make us well.  I am in full agreement that we are blessed with knowledgeable doctors and incredible medicine.  What happens, however, when the best is not good enough?  If we have placed all of our confidence in modern medicine and it does not come through, we are left with a tremendous amount of anxiety and fear.  I believe God does use modern medicine to effect healing in people.  I believe that God has empowered doctors and others to have the capacity to soothe our pains and to make us feel better.  At the same time we should be looking toward our Lord and Master for the miracle of health we need.  It is not a matter of whether it is His will, it is a matter of whether we will accept that gift of good health that we are looking for.  When we get sick, the first place we should look is heavenward.  Once we know that God is involved, then He can lead us to a good doctor or treatment that will be a blessing to us.  Bottom line: look to Jesus first and He’ll help us through the emergency.

“Get out of debt” offering

Christmas is just one week away!  It does not seem possible, but the days on the calendar just have a habit of slipping by, one by one!  As I write this column, I have just come from the church office and was told that the income for the church for the last four weeks has been $4,000 less than what we need.  For the past several months we have been spending more than we have received.  However, due to a couple of good months in the spring, we were okay.  Not any more. We no longer have a balance to pay all of our bills.  I know this is a terrible time to bring finances to your attention, but I have felt led to do so through this column.  I will be announcing in the service this morning that we will be taking a special “get-out-of-debt” offering during the Christmas Eve service and on the Sunday morning service.  This is beyond your normal tithes.  A new pastor is about to come and we all must do sacrificial giving to assure him of our concern for the church and for the Lord’s work.  I plan to give a substantial percentage of what the church gives me each month back to the church.  I’m sure that the Lord will lay the amount He wants you to give on your heart just as He did with me.  Ask the Lord what He wants you to do, then in His name, please do it!  I don’t look to see who gives what, so I don’t have a clue what has happened, but the Lord is able to raise up what the church needs if we will all be obedient to Him. I’m not begging, but I am challenging you through this column.  Talk to the Lord and then be obedient to His voice.  You will be blessed beyond measure, the Bible makes that promise.

Greater days are ahead!

Early last week John Bueno retired as the Executive Director of Foreign Missions of the Assemblies of God. He had been in that position for 14 years and had served as the Latin American Regional Director for 8 years, a total of 22 years in leadership positions.  Before his leadership roles he had spent 28 years on the mission field for a total of 50 years of missionary endeavor.  I would like to quote a paragraph of his last letter as Executive Director to the missionaries, both active and retired.  Here it is:

“I don’t know of a time when the church has had more opportunities.  The work our missionary pioneers did to establish good foundations and correct missiological principles are bearing tremendous benefits today.  Being a part of what is happening in our world through this Fellowship is a privilege.  I am a great believer in the Assemblies of God and all that our churches and members have done to make this Fellowship successful.  We are living in great days, but I believe even greater days are ahead.”

I agree.  I believe we are living in the most exciting epoch of church history!  We should all feel privileged to be able to live, worship and work in these exciting times.

We should all be prepared for the unexpected

During these past several weeks tragedy has struck in many places around our country.  Just on a stretch of Interstate 84 there has been a series of accidents that has injured many and killed others.  The flooding in the central part of our nation has killed some people.  Just a short time ago, an airplane crashed into the stands at Reno while racing, killing several and injuring many others.  The people killed did not leave their homes on that day expecting to die!  No one does!  Yet, for them, death closed the book on their lives.  These events were all tragic, yet the greater tragedy is the death of that person who does not know Jesus as their Savior.  For the Christian death is merely a passing from this earthly life to the eternal life that God has prepared for them.  While death is quite final, for the Christian there is a hope that goes beyond the grave.  We should all be prepared to meet death each day of our lives.  It is not for us to know when tragedy will strike, but we do have the responsibility to be prepared to meet death.  How about it, are you ready?  I know it is a macabre subject, but it is all part of our reality.  We should all be prepared for the unexpected, do it today!