Greetings to everyone. Here it is, mid-January of 2010 and I finally thought to myself, why don’t you share an email devotional. I have not done this for some time so as we begin the new year, my goal is to write more often and share some thoughts with you, hopefully encouraging you in your daily lives.
I want to spend a few moments and talk about “influence” and what that means. We live in an age in which the Bible is available in our country twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. You would think with that type of influence through the media our country would be a hot bed of Biblical change. Yet it is not. I thought to myself, “could the problem be Scott Reeve?” Maybe I need to line up my life with the Word of God a little more. Jim Burnett, in an article in “On Mission” magazine, made the following observation that struck me hard:
“Ministering to the community creates credibility with the community, validating our theology and doctrines and making them believable. Without proof of the truth, we will make few inroads in reaching people for Christ. Today the Gospel is being broadcast in America 24 hours a day, seven days aweek, yet it is having little effect on people’s behavior and lifestyles. Why? Could it be that what is missing is proof of the truth Christians espouse.
”I realize that my relationship with God is based on faith in Christ for salvation. James 2:14-26 tells us though that our faith will be evident in how we live, how we act. Our beliefs have to not just be in our head, they have to be in our heart which influences the words we say and the things we do. I must admit that I have been embarrassed at times by the way I have acted in public or by things that I have said. We cannot compartmentalize our faith, putting our jobs in one part, our families in another, our community involvement in another, and so on. As Christians, our claims of knowing Christ must permeate every area of our life.
As is taught in the “Truth Project” with Dr. Del Tackett and Focus on the Family and in Charles Colson and Rick Warren’s “Framing Your Worldview”, the Bible’s teachings must be the filter that we live life, no matter the arena. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us that the Bible is “inspired”, God’s very words. It teaches us what is true and makes us realize what is wrong in our life. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us how to live right. I have learned this – if my beliefs are messed up, then others will be influenced by that, both by what I say and by what I do. Let me share an example from over 100 years ago.
Back in the 1800’s the Southern Baptist Convention,of which Burwell Baptist is a part, became mired in its first real controversy. A professor at Southern Seminary (a grad school operated by the Southern Baptists) named Crawford Toy began teaching things that were contrary to what the Bible teaches. Specifically Toy taught that since humans were involved in writing the Bible, their human fallibilities came through in their writings. This means that the Bible has errors in it, which if that is the case, what do we then trust to guide us into “truth” and how we are to live.
Crawford Toy left Southern Seminary and went to another school. His continual drift from the Bible led him to become a Unitarian, a group that denies every essential of the Christian faith – the Trinity, Deity of Christ (Jesus is God come in human flesh),along with every main doctrine of historic Christianity.
I have no doubt that Dr. Toy was honest in what he believed, but his beliefs would influence his teaching, and I have no doubt, how he lived. As Christians, we must keep in mind that God’s Word(perfect and without error) calls us to be imitators of God as Paul tells us to be in Ephesians 5:1. Ephesians, chapters four through six tell us how we are to live as followers of God’s truth.
My challenge to myself this year is to make sure that wherever I am, whatever I do or say, or whatever I teach and proclaim, I will be a reflection of Jesus Christ. I realize that we all make mistakes, we all sin, we all stumble, but let us commit ourselves this year to making a conscious decision and choice to reflect God no matter where we are or what we are doing. We just might be a difference maker in the life of someone who needs a relationship with Jesus Christ. In doing that, we cannot pick and choose the time or the place to live out our faith. It has to be an around the clock adventure. But it will be a fun adventure, and a challenging one. Join with me as we venture together to change our world right here in Central Nebraska.
We love you all.
Pastor Scott
