Lesson I’ve learned from a man who was homeless
About two months ago I met a visitor at church named Mike. When I went up and introduced myself to him, I asked if I could stop by his house and talk to him about the church. His instant response was no, and that he was staying with someone else. I immediately thought this guy would never come back but I saw him again the following Sunday. This time I figured I would ask him if I could take him out for lunch. I figured what guy doesn’t like free food. I asked and he accepted. So Tuesday we went out an extremely fine place of dining known as Burger King. It was while we talked that I began to realize this man had had a very rough past. For the last ten years, the thirty nine year old had been on the streets, strung out on drugs, collecting cans to make what little cash he could. His family wanted nothing to do with him for all that he had done to them, he had been married and divorced, served time in prison, and has some very serious health issues. I found out that it was in prison, that he had made a profession of faith, but it was clear that he had no real assurance, and as he realized later was not really saved. It was a miracle that his mom let him back into her house, to try and “clean up” as he had so many times before. Little did he or his mother know that this time would be different. read more…
Hebrews 6:1-20
Out of all the characters in the Old Testament one of my favorites is Abraham. In James chapter two he is called the friend of God. Here is a perfect example of a Christian who spiritually grew up fast.
Genesis 12:1-4 Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father’s house, unto a land that I will shew thee: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing: And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.
Here is the scenario: God tells Abraham “I want you to leave everything. All your friends get out of your father’s house leave everything that you know.” Talk about getting out of your comfort zone. Notice what God did not tell Abraham. He did not tell him, where he was going, how long he would be there, what to do once he got there. The God gives them a huge promise! I will make of you a great nation! I will bless those that bless you, and curse those that curse you, and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed!
Notice what Abraham did. So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; read more…
Hebrews 5:1-14
Next we are going to be looking at the next warning passage, which starts in verse eleven. The warning that is being given here is don’t discredit Jesus Christ. Really what all the unbelief boiled down to was, discrediting God’s Son.
This warning comes more in the form of a rebuke, and what we are being told here in this first part of the warning is to grow up.
This call goes out to all Christianity today. If you were to do a survey of Christianity as a whole, you would find it in a state of drastic immaturity. That is why Christianity as a whole is so worldly. This is why there are so many groups who hold to beliefs that are blatantly un-biblical.
You see a mature Christian does not ask the question; “What’s wrong with this?” A mature Christian asks; “What’s right with this?” Often times we find Christians who are trying to justify every way their sin, instead of simply growing up spiritually.
If we are going to make a difference, we must be different. We may the only Jesus some people see. The devil’s best advertisement is a bad Christian. I’m sure we can all think of someone, who despises Christianity because they know a hypocrite, or a Christian had a bad testimony. The Bible says…
2 Corinthians 3:2-3 Ye are our epistles written in our hearts, known and read of all man: Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God, not in tables of stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart.
Our maturity as Christians means a great deal. Whether or not we remain faithful, whether or not we spiritually “defect” can have a huge effect. We as Christians need to grow up.
I wonder, are we grown up spiritually? Are we spiritually mature? Or are we like these Hebrew Christians, discrediting the Son of God? First of all let’s notice read more…
