THE “UM-OK” WORKER

The Bible contains some fine examples of these types of workers. This group really wanted to serve God, but they took an awful lot of persuading and gave many excuses.

The two primary examples or culprits are in no particular order:

Peter in Acts 10

Peter was told by Jesus in Acts 1, that he and his fellow apostles would take the Gospel to the uttermost ends of the world. Why, when the dream happened, did he doubt this?

Peter was a Jew and when faced with anything new or anything that intruded on his Jewishness, he reverted to stereotype. Remember that Paul had to withstand Peter face to face, when he refused to have fellowship with Gentiles for fear of the Jews (Galatians 2:11). Are we like this? When God calls us to a new work, do we revert to our own set ideas and say God couldn’t call me to that place or to that group of people?

For example: God calls you to minister to prostitutes or homosexuals. I understand that their practices are wrong, but Jesus would go to these people and we are to go with the good news of the Gospel. If He called you to this ministry, would you react by saying, “Not those people they are deep sinners and deserve nothing!” We know like Peter that we are called to reach out to every people regardless of race, ethnicity or religion, so why does the Lord have to persuade us to go?.

Moses in Exodus chapter 3-4

Will the real Mr. Excuse stand up? Peter had just one excuse, Moses had four. While part of this was his true belief that he couldn’t do it and “cultural humility,” within an honour/shame context, it was ok until God got to chapter 3 verse 9. Moses must have been going, ‘This is cool’, and then the bombshell exploded, when God said:

“I AM GOING TO SEND YOU MOSES.”

He took the utmost persuading, and he finally went, but God had to reassure and comfort him. These examples show the gracious mercy and patience of God. He doesn’t lose patience with us.  He could become angry with us, but God acts in such a gentle way.

Other examples in Scripture include Gideon in Judges 6-7 and the two Sons in Matthew 21:28-31.

THE “I-QUIT” WORKER

“我辞职”的工人

In the NT, there are two examples of people who quit their God given ministry. The first is Demas, who was the Apostle Paul’s companion in ministry, and yet he left him because he loved this present world (2 Timothy 4:10). We are never told if he returned, and this is one of the great unanswered questions of the Bible. We will only know the answer when we get to heaven.

There are many outside the church today who once were immersed in Gospel work. For whatever reason, they are now immersed in the world or apathetic to the Gospel, perhaps because they have been hurt by someone in the church. There are thousands of them.  How important it is to keep our heart. Watch out believer, you don’t think you couldn’t be like Demas?

There is another I-Quit Worker in Acts and that is John Mark, in Chapter 13:13, John Mark left Paul and Barnabas, and this later caused the spilt up of Paul and Barnabas. He had seen them work miracles; he had seen the persecution, but it was all too much for Him. He was taken by Barnabas to Cyprus. But that thankfully is not the end of the story.

THE “RETURNING” WORKER

We met John Mark in Acts 13 and at the end of Acts 15. Paul was really upset about John Mark, but he had the true heart of a Pastor and a forgiving and compassionate heart. You remember what he said about Barnabas: ‘Receive Him.’

In his last letter, and indeed in the last chapter he ever writes, he says in 2 Timothy 4:11 that the one person Paul wants Timothy to bring to Him is John Mark. Isn’t that beautiful? Of all the people he could ask for, he asks for him. Look at what he says – John Mark is profitable to Paul for the ministry… isn’t that incredible.

Some time ago, I was an I-Quit worker, but by the grace of God, He brought me back… it’s all down to,

HIS GRACE

HIS MERCY

HIS PATIENCE

HIS LOVE

OH, HOW I LOVE JESUS.. AMEN.

So which type of co-worker are you?

Here are some verses for your consideration

Judges 6-7

Exodus 3-4

Isaiah 6

Romans 10:12-17

Luke 17:10

Nehemiah 1

Isaiah 52:7-15

Ezekiel 33

Philippians 2:5-11

John 13:1-17

Colossians 3

1 Kings 18

 ​

God bless you,

Keith

KIND OF CHRISTIAN WORKER ARE YOU?  part 1

One of our greatest privileges is to serve God. Throughout scripture we have many great examples of true service, and sadly we also find some examples of terrible service. 

Let’s outline these examples: 

The GO-WORKER 

In the Bible, there are many men and women who surrendered to God’s call for ministry。

One that comes to mind is the Apostle Paul. 

He went anywhere at any time. He was led by the Spirit, even though sometimes he had to change his own plans. You can read what happened in Acts 16. 

But the ultimate Go person is the Lord Jesus. He came to us, He laid down His life despising the shame of the cross (Hebrews 12:12), despite all the ridicule he suffered. He hid His glory in human flesh. Remember… the angels of heaven are continually praising Him day and night. He laid aside all of those privileges to come to earth.

We always say the Gospel is good news; indeed, it is the best news anyone can give to another person. It is the remedy for man’s deepest problem, and that is SIN. 

So what are the first two letters of the word GOSPEL,they are G O = GO. 

We aren’t all called to be evangelists and pastors, but we are all called to be witnesses to our Savior. Let me remind you that the first apostles were mostly fishermen –  not highly educated, but filled with a passion for Christ. 

They had to, like Peter, tell people what they had seen and heard. It was like a Holy compulsion; they couldn’t help themselves. Look at what the Apostles said in Acts 4:20: “We can only tell what we have seen and heard.” 

Let us be always be prepared to Go. I was never expecting to be sent to China. You may be surprised to see where the Lord sends you. I was surprised and so was Peter. Look at where God sent him too – to the Gentiles! Who did he use… a confirmed Jew, who had no time for the Gentiles.

The CO WORKER

Although all of us are called to share the gospel, there are many Christians who can’t go to far off places for some reason or another – maybe because of age, disability or family commitments. 

In 2 Thess chapter 3:1, Paul says these final words to the church:

‘Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course, and be glorified, even as it is with you.’

Every missionary in the field, every Go worker has thousands of co-workers or more importantly prayer partners or/and supporters. 

The greatest example of this is in Exodus 17. Joshua was the Go worker. He was in the valley fighting the battle, but it was Moses up on the mount who was the powerful one. Battles in the Christian life are not won anywhere else but in the prayer closet. It was Moses who won the victory through prayer, not Joshua through carnal weapons. When Moses let down his arms the enemy prevailed; when he lifted them up with others help, God’s people won. 

The same is the case with the Church, when the church has a focus on prayer. The Church moves forward in power. When it lets down its prayer guard the enemy advances.

There are many wonderful believers who cover me and Helen in prayer, our deepest thanks to you. 

If you pray for others involved in any ministry, you are a vital part of that ministry. If you do that for us, you are such a partner with us as we share the gospel. 

Prayer is paramount. Amen. 

The ‘OH I DIDN’T KNOW’ WORKER (Mr/MS/MRS SLEEPY) 

There are many in the church today who are like this. I have met lots of them, so have you. 

These are the people who will say things like this 

‘Well I didn’t know about that need in the church’. 

‘It’s in Africa, so it doesn’t affect me’. 

Or the ones who say this and this makes my blood boil: 

“Why should I pray for the persecuted church, persecution doesn’t happen in the West.” 

My answer to the last one is it will come, so watch out. We need to be informed; all Christian workers need to know what is happening in the world. We need to be aware of needs of workers out in the field. 

Don’t close your mind and just live comfortably in isolation. Awake, Christian, and be informed. 

THE WOE WORKER 

One of the greatest chapters in the Bible is Isaiah 6. 

Before any person can be a worker for God, he has to have an experience of God’s glory. 

Please note that Isaiah says these words: 

5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. 

It was only after saying these words that God commissioned Isaiah, so then God could say these words: 

8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ Then said I, ‘Here am I; send me.’ 

Moses also saw the glory of God, and then he was called. 

If we are to serve God, then we have to see our Sin, we have to “see” (though not the same way as Moses and Isaiah did), the glory of God. 

It is only when we say ‘Woe is me’, like Isaiah did, that God can say ‘GO’. We have to come to the end of our own effort and strength, so let God’s strength and power take over. 

Every true Christian worker has had moments like Isaiah and Moses had. They saw God in His glory and knew they were sinners in the hands of a holy God. 

Isaiah and Paul recognized the holiness of God and understood that they were lost sinners without Him, His grace and His forgiveness. This was their “woe” moment! 

Have you had a ‘WOE’ moment like Isaiah and Moses had or even like the Apostle Paul had on the road to Damascus? Before you can be a GO worker you need to have your ‘WOE’ moment. 

THE “NO” WORKER

We have a wonderful illustration in the Bible in the small OT book of Jonah. Here is the prime example of a “No” worker:

He was called to go to Nineveh, which was the enemy of Israel. What did he do? He disobeyed God and ran in the opposite direction. I’m sure none of us have ever done anything like Jonah did!

You realise that God didn’t pass Jonah’s calling on to someone else. He could easily give the job to another prophet, but He pursued Jonah. If God has called you to do a work, and you have run from it or are in the process of running from it, God will never let up. Whatever direction you take and what means you take, as they say, “You can run but you can’t hide.” especially from God.

Even after preaching in Nineveh, Jonah was unhappy that the whole city repented. Jonah was still saying “No.” Have you ever done that? Maybe you have served God in some area, but you have become bitter and angry like Jonah and told God He shouldn’t have acted like He did.

How many of us in Christian service are saying ‘No’ to how God acts? Are we like Jonah in chapter 4 verse 1? Jonah was angry and very displeased. Why?

People had repented. The whole city was transformed, and yet this sulking prophet was saying “NO” and telling the Lord what HE should and shouldn’t do.

How dare we do anything like this? Let’s remember it’s the Lord who gives the orders; we are here to carry out His instructions.

2 CORINTHIANS 5哥林多后书5章

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Many preachers especially in the United states are called Hell fire preachers, because they speak often and sometimes loudly on the subject of Hell.

Jesus actually speaks more on hell than he does on heaven and WE MUST confront the sinner, with this reality.

But, how does it affect the Christian, is this doctrine of any relevance to the believer in today’s digital age?

When I was saved, my dear brother  Victor Jack spoke on hell, I was confronted with that awful reality, ten years later, I was at the Bradford City stadium fire, where 56 people were killed, I escaped unto the pitch with many others.

As I stood facing the searing heat and seeing the flames, the heat and flames were overbearing, all the air was sucked out of the atmosphere, I wondered ‘ maybe this is what hell is like”.

If it is my brothers and sisters, and let me tell you, it is a million times worse, we should use it as a deep motivation in our Christian lives.

William booth, the great soldier for Christ and founder of the salvation army said this:

Most Christians would like to send their recruits to Bible college for five years. I would like to send them to hell for five minutes. That would do more than anything else to prepare them for a lifetime of compassionate ministry.

Hell is the least favourite doctrine of the devil and to be honest of most Christians, please tell us of the glories of heaven. The devil indeed hates to be reminded, where he is going after all.

Why is this doctrine, so important in today’s age?

Why does it need to be preached and proclaimed from every pulpit in the land?

Because it gives us a balanced view of God

Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men

We hear so much today on the love of God, and this of course needs to be preached, but every coin and every banknote has two sides.. right. Both sides have the same value,, amen. One side does not have more value than the other.

Many Christians, see God only as a God of Love,  He couldn’t possibly send good people to Hell,, could he? Well yes he can and he will, the qualifications for exiting the road to hell and taking the road to heaven are laid out in John 3:1-16, Acts 16:31, Acts 2:37-42 and Romans 10:9-14.

Because it reminds us of where we have come from

Psalm 40:1-4 and Ephesians 2 tell us of our state before we came to Christ, we were once on the slippery slope to hell, without a chance of rescue, before Christ rescued us, we stood no chance, but Christ pulled us literally out of the fire.

Because it reminds us how much it cost God to save us, and it makes Calvary such a special place

When we think of where we were and where we are now, surely it reminds us, that something supernatural was done to rescue us from the slippery slope that leads to Hell. Because of Calvary, the curse has been removed from us, we are free from the condemnation and curse, that was hanging over our heads, the axe was about to fall and suddenly, we heard stop the execution. We have been rescued, every time, we look at Calvary, we can say, this is the place, I have been rescued from.

What a place is Calvary

There was the curse removed

It was here that I was set free

Because Christ died for me

Because now we have a thankful heart

Pilgrim in Pilgrim’s progress had a heavy burden and a heavy heart until he came to the hill that led to the cross, where his burden fell off. Knowing the extent of the reality of Hell, gives us a thankful heart for all that God has done for us. 

Surely, this is a theme of praise for us, we have been rescued from the fire of hell, plucked out by the saviour.

Because it puts all our service into perspective

What is our main purpose in life?

Some of us, think it is to go to meetings and learn, receive etc, but it is not.

In Jude, it says this:

22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:

23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.

William booth, in his sermon called A vision of the lost tells of a great rock, which is Christ, around it is the sea, with millions drowning on it, some of the people on the rock are engaged in rescuing the poor people in the sea by any means possible, some indeed are jumping into the sea, but and this is something  he couldn’t understand, most of them are doing nothing.

It’s estimated that in America less than 5% of Christians regularly share their faith, we need to make Jesus main concern our main concern.

We say we obey him, but how many people have you rescued or helped rescue?

Well, I give to missionary organisations.. NO EXCUSE

Well I cant speak well enough.. NO EXCUSE

Well I cant speak the language  NO EXCUSE

好吧，我会向传教组织捐款……无需任何借口

Ezekiel 3 says that God will require the blood of that person, when you keep your mouth shut. It’s time to shut up gossiping and playing at Christianity.

I so admire my friend David in America, he is Chinese, but he goes and is going ON mission trips, soon, he will go to Mexico. He is eager to rescue people, are you?

Because it give us a compassion and concern for the lost

THE CHRISTIANS GREATEST MOTIVATION PART 2

READ

2 CORINTHIANS 5:10-15

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

11 Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.

12 For we commend not ourselves again unto you, but give you occasion to glory on our behalf, that ye may have somewhat to answer them which glory in appearance, and not in heart.

13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

When we have a proper view of the terrors of hell, when we see hell as an eternal punishment and eternal separation from God, we wont look on the people we see every day, and think badly of them, we will see them as Jesus saw them, sheep without a shepherd

Matthew 9

35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.

36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.

37 Then saith he unto his disciples, The harvest truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few;

38 Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.

You will be moved with compassion, you will look on people, not as numbers, but as real people, every day 150,000 die, most unsaved, most going to a Christless eternity, having a correct view of hell, will fill you with compassion. Because it makes everything else pale in comparison

How much time do you spend on your computer and your cell phone?

The answer is TOO MUCH.

Solomon in Proverbs 11, says this

Proverbs 11:30

the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Everything fades, the TV fades, the cell phone fades, because you are consumed with the souls of men. Every vain thing, will fade into total worthlessness.Christians spend hours on worthless garbage, years ago, I got rid of my TV, I was scorned and laughed at, not just by my family, but by my fellow church members.

There is a famous Article called the Parable of the fishless fisherman, they learnt all about fishing, they had all the equipment, they went to meetings about fishing, but they never caught a fish.. how dumb is that?

But we have Christians, who have never shared their faith openly, never witnessed to another person.. how dumb is that?

Proverbs 11:25 says the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, how much fruit have you on your tree?

Have you brought anyone to Christ?

He that wins souls is wise, Are you wise?

Spurgeon said if you have no passion for souls, if you have no interest in the souls of men, then you are not saved yourself. 

Strong words, but people are perishing!

Yes, we need to pray.. that is good

It’s even good for me to write devotions, many people see them, but that’s still not enough.

In Psalm 126 we have these words:

5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy.

6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.

Look at the words goeth forth and weepeth, many people go forth, not a lot weep.

When was the last time you/I wept over the state of sinners going to hell?

Charles Spurgeon said this:

Oh, my brothers and sisters in Christ, if sinners will be damned, at least let them leap to hell over our bodies; and if they will perish, let them perish with our arms about their knees, imploring them to stay, and not madly to destroy themselves. If hell must be filled, at least let it be filled in the teeth of our exertions, and let not one go there unwarned and unprayed for.

Charles Spurgeon

Finally

A proper view of Hell, transforms our lives.

We have to do something, we have to preach the gospel,  we have a divine compulsion, it is something that drives men and women to give up everything for Christ.

It is what drove CT Studd to give up his cricketing career and drove Hudson Taylor to China.

It drove Willima Borden to say:

NO RESERVES

NO RETREATS

NO REGRETS

Jim Elliott was martyred by the Auca Indians, he put it like this:

“He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose.”

。”

We can not sit idly by and let thousands die right in front of our eyes. Jim Elliott didn’t and it cost him his life.

Hell is real, as a Christian, you have been brought out of that road and placed on the road to life, your life mission is to take as many with you to glory as you can.

Are you up to the task?

God bless you

KK