The Steeple

Reading from the Book of Revelation 4:11
You are worthy, O LORD, to receive glory and honor and power . . . 

Burning most of the city in four days, the Great Fire of London in 1666 destroyed
St. Paul's Cathedral and many churches. Architect Sir Christopher Wren was
commissioned by King Charles II to rebuild these religious structures. In his design,
Wren included steeples that visually guided men and women to gaze heavenward
above the city's destruction. The steeple image quickly caught on, reminding people
of the Church's purpose: to glorify our Lord and Savior.

Yet tragically, in the busyness of new programs and entertaining fads, churches
can forget their purpose. Do we pamper our congregations with an entertainment
mentality that leads to biblical ignorance? It's not about how smart we are at
directing people toward our particular church. Our purpose isn't to be wealthy,
famous, or praised by a degraded society. Our singular purpose is to pave the
way for His return by sowing the Gospel person-to-person and nation-to-nation.

I'm thankful for the church steeple. It's a fitting symbol for the central purpose of
the Church, apologetically directing people toward the glory of God.
Step outside and gaze heavenward.

Hearts On Fire

Reading from the Book of Romans 12:9-11

⁹ Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. ¹⁰ Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; ¹¹ not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord;

Romans 12:11 instructs us to be aglow and burn with the Spirit as we serve the Lord. In order to do this, we have to have our "hearts on fire." How do we keep our "hearts on fire?" I have discovered that the Word of God coming out of my own mouth in the form of prayer, praise or confession is the best way. I can fan the fire. It stirs up the gift within me, keeps the fire aflame, and prevents my spirit from sinking within me. Staying thankful also keeps me enthusiastic.

Also, stay active. There is no point in putting off doing things until later. This is an expression of passivity, and it is one of the greatest tools Satan uses against God's people. The more passive we are, the more our flames diminish. Procrastination and laziness are the cousins of passivity, and they usually all attack in a group. Passive people wait to be moved by an outside force before they take action. But we are to be motivated and led by the Holy Spirit within us, not by outside forces. The best way to be on guard against the spirit of passivity is to do what we need to do now, and do it with all our might.

Remember, everything we do is to be done unto the Lord and for His glory. We should do it through Him, to Him, for Him and with Him. And we should do it willingly, stirred up, and our "hearts on fire".

Call Out To God

Reading from the Book of Psalm 14

¹ The fool* says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.² The LORD looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. ³ All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.⁴ Do all these evildoers know nothing?They devour my people as though eating bread; they never call on the LORD. ⁵ But there they are, overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the righteous.⁶ You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.⁷ Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion! When the LORD restores his people, let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

*NOTE: The Hebrew words rendered fool in Psalms denote one who is morally deficient.

 I want to encourage all of my fellow believers to stay strong in the faith. The Scriptures are now being fulfilled at a startling pace, and the signs Jesus told us to watch for are growing more apparent each day. If you feel confused or frustrated and unsure of what you believe, I urge you to call out to God. If you earnestly study the Bible and remain steadfast in prayer, you will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Saviour. 

Despite what the skeptics of this world might say, I have seen God work, and I know that He is our helper in the time of trouble, our great physician in the time of sickness, our provider in the time of need, and our Comforter in the time of sorrow. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain by fully surrendering your heart to the Lord. Call out to Him.