My Daily Pause

Blog

  • 5 Typical Excuses Someone Will Use Today

    5 Typical Excuses Someone Will Use Today

    There are a few excuses for missing church that keep getting recycled.

    Today I have an answer for them.

    1. Because no one invited you . . . People go to a lot of places uninvited, and even pay to get in. (Consider this your invitation!)
    2. Because of hypocrites . . . We associate with them in the world every day
    3. Because of company . . . Bring them along; they will admire you.
    4. Because you have little children . . . Jesus says, “Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me” (Matthew 19:14).
    5. Because you have plenty of time in the future . . . . . . Are you sure? (James 4:13-17).

    See you in church today!

  • 3 Ways to Unity

    3 Ways to Unity

    I’ve written previously about any church activity or teaching that doesn’t look the way the Apostles taught it. Keeping personal interest out of worship and Bible study is the only way to maintain unity. The Apostles gave us the example and pattern to follow and pass on. (2 Timothy 2:2, Philippians 4:9)

    Paul began 1 Corinthians (1 Corinthians 1:10) with a discussion about following ideas and teachers but not God. The whole letter was, for the most part, a reprimand of the Corinthians for getting off track. Letting our own ideas or “What we think” get in the way of the Bible is the quickest way to send a church away from Christ and down a lost path.

    So, how does a group of people maintain unity and ultimately remain in Christ? I’m glad you asked!

    Here are three places to start:

    1. Read and study the Bible together
    2. Never begin a sentence with “I think …” or “I believe …” when discussing the Bible.
    3. Develop a willingness to discuss differences in understanding of the Scriptures.

    Can you think of more?

    The folks in Berea heard Paul speak and dug into the Scriptures to check out Paul’s teachings. (Acts 17:10-12) This is how to keep a church united and on track.

  • The Lord’s Church

    The Lord’s Church

    Paul told the church to avoid those that cause divisions. (Romans 16:17)

    Logically speaking, those that would do things to divide the church have only their own interest in mind. The Lord was interested in unity. (John 17:21) Paul made it very clear in several places in the New Testament. If your church doesn’t look like the church the Apostles worshipped in, it’s probably the result of a division somewhere along the line.

    “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

  • What Doesn’t Kill Us…

    What Doesn’t Kill Us…

    It is a shame how easy that Satan can get into the middle of the Lord’s work. Nehemiah faced rumors, backbiting and inside jobs but still managed to get the wall repaired around Jerusalem. The people knew he had the help of his God.

    How can we be like Nehemiah?

    1. We do whatever it takes to get the Lord’s work done.
    2. We keep going even when the work gets difficult.

    We’ll be stronger in the end.

  • A Good Fight

    A Good Fight

    The Jews that could get back from the exile were ready to work and ready to build. They were following Nehemiah’s instructions to get the wall patched up and kept meeting resistance from their neighbors. So much so that the workers had to work with their swords close by. (Nehemiah 4)

    Trying to do the right thing is easy until you add other people into the mix. If you try to do your best work, someone is close by to tell you why you will fail. Much like Nehemiah, you can even face outright aggression when you try to build something up.

    Look what Peter and John did in Acts 4:23ff. They had healed a lame man and got jailed and beaten for their trouble. They went back to the others and told them what happened. The group went together in prayer, but didn’t ask to be delivered from the aggression. They asked for the boldness to face it and the strength to survive it.

    I hope I can always fight the good fight like they did. I want to win the race like Paul. (2 Timothy 4:7)

  • You Owe Me Your Love

    You Owe Me Your Love

    When Jesus gave the greatest commandments (Matthew 22:36-40) he was essentially giving us the cue to do no wrong to others and especially God.

    The way Paul put it was that we aren’t to owe anyone anything except our love. (Romans 13:8) In he summed it up into a very nice equation:

    Any Commandment (Romans 11:9) = “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” = The fulfilling of the law (Romans 9:10).

    When you think about it, there just isn’t any sin you can commit that doesn’t hurt someone other than yourself (or at least put them at risk).