My Electronic Pulpit: Are you "Out of Focus"?

My Electronic Pulpit

Welcome to my blog. Within you will find my writings, thoughts, sermons, and other items which I hope you find edifying, encouraging, and inspirational. All Scripture is taken from the New King James or English Standard Version unless otherwise stated. Let everything we do and say in word and in deed be for the Glory and Honor of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Please feel free to use anything you may find useful or beneficial . All I ask is let folks know you got it at http://www.forgodsolovedme.com/ . For God be the honor and glory.

Who we are in the Lord's church?

We are every-day ordinary people desiring to be faithful Christians. We seek simply to study and practice the only word of God, the Bible. We are not bound by denominational ties, traditions, doctrines, or organizations. We are not a denomination. We have no creeds or confessions of faith; the Bible alone is our source of faith (Romans 10:17) and authority in matters of faith and worship. We desire to practice simple New Testament Christianity. We desire to be the church that Christ built (Matthew 16:18)--the churches of Christ (Romans 16:16). We "speak where the Bible speaks....and are silent where the Bible is silent, with love in all things".
"We are Christians only, but not the only Christians"

Tuesday, August 5, 2008

Are you "Out of Focus"?

Many times in our lives, we feel that we are "out of focus", a term we acquired back in the old shutter and film days of photography. I personally remember having an old Kodak Brownie camera that took black and white photos with 127 film on rolls. Then I received an Instamatic camera that took preloaded color film cartridges. When I was in high school I used my first 35 mm camera, and learned how important it was to focus. With the old style cameras, focus was a hit or miss deal. But with a 35 mm camera, focus became a skill. Now we have digital cameras that auto focus, and we can download our photos onto our computers to edit anyway our programs and skill allows.

Our Christian lives and maturity are a lot like the evolution of cameras. When we are a new Christian, we are like the old fixed focus cameras. We have to have someone to help us stay focused. This is the task of our church family, shepherds, preachers, and teachers. Then we become like the 35 mm cameras, we can focus ourselves, we can begin to manipulate the photos ourselves, but still need help developing the pictures. This is in our Christian adolescence, when we have learned much, and can just begin to share Jesus with the world. When we have finished our 35 mm phase, we become the digital camera Christian. We are the camera, and Jesus is our PC. We allow Him to manipulate us into the "picture of love" that He wants us to be. By allowing Him complete and unconditional control, then and only then can we become the Face of Jesus that the world today sees. Jesus tells us that:

"A little while longer and the world will see Me no more, but you will see Me. Because I live, you will live also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you." (John 14:19-20 NKJV)

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."
(John 13:34-35 NKJV)

We must never forget that we are the only Jesus that many people will ever see. If we allow Him to keep us in focus, then the world can see a clear picture of Him working in and through our lives. We are a living testimony to Jesus and His love for us and the world. I have a simple equation for a successful, evangelistic way of life:

God Loves You + I Love God= I Love You.......any questions????
Ask God!!!