Character Of A World Changer

What is "character"? There is a huge difference between a person described as a "real character" and someone who is said to be a person of "true character." A "real character" is usually a carefree, happy-go-lucky, fun to be around kind of person. They may have tons of social appeal, and be described as the life of the party.

While it may be fun to be around a "real character," a person with those qualities alone will not be a world changer. That takes a person of true character.

True character could be described as the peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which someone is distinguished from others. It is someone with strength of mind, resolution, independence and individuality. A person of true character has a high moral quality, with principles and motives that control the life.

If you desire to be a world changer for Christ, then it demands that you be a person of true character – Christian character.

This Sunday we continue our "World Changers For Christ" series with a message most appropriate for the Memorial Day weekend – "Character of a World Changer." You will not want to miss this life-changing message!

4 Urgent Problems the Church Needs to Deal With!

by Perry Noble

1. We are answering questions that no one else is asking.

I'm glad that we can debate theology and know terms that make us seem intelligent and cause other people to scratch their heads; however, at the end of the day people are not asking about the five points of Calvinism, the trichotomy or dichotomy of the Spirit or the peccability/impeccability of Christ! They are asking "Why is my life falling apart?" or, "How do I get past the fact that I was sexually molested when I was eight?" Or, "How do I, as a single mom, lead and provide for my family?"

Too many people are so obsessed with their theological labels, I believe, so that they don't actually have to do real ministry!

2. We call laziness "authenticity!"

The church is the bride of Christ-established by Him, purchased by Him and pursued by Him! We have the promises of God and have been empowered by HIS HOLY SPIRIT! We should be doing things BETTER than Apple, BETTER than Disney and BETTER than Google!

There is way more at stake with what God has called us to! And "Spirit Filled" should not equal poorly planned, thrown together and poorly executed! And...no one should say, "I'm doing this for Jesus" and then follow it up with a half-hearted, poor effort.

When it came to redeeming mankind Jesus did not search the back corners of heaven to find some under-challenged angel who had nothing to do...HE came, HE did it, HE paid for the sin of the world! HE GAVE HIS BEST...His followers should do the same!

3. We use "discipleship" as an excuse not to do evangelism.

I've heard too many churches say that they are not reaching people because they are too busy making disciples. A few things to consider here...

One – Every disciple in the Bible was an evangelist! There is not one example of one of the original disciples that formed some sort of holy huddle and forgot about the world! It is IMPOSSIBLE to become a DISCIPLE if EVANGELISM isn't a part of the process!

TWO – I have found that every time people in a church says something like what was mentioned above it is simply because they do not know anyone that is lost!

4. We are becoming political and neglecting the prophetic.

Let me be very clear...Christians can and should have political opinions! (Have you ever noticed that those who criticize Christians for having a political opinion always seem to have their own political opinion?) We should vote (and if you don't then keep your mouth shut when it comes to our country and how it is led!) We should pray for our leaders as the Scriptures clearly teach.

However, the churches main goal should be to declare the Gospel, not advance an agenda of a particular political party! We should declare God's message, God's Word, God's truth and in God's way (see John 13:34-35!). Churches that get in bed with politics always wake up the next morning to find their lover gone! We should never use the platform God has given us for an agenda other than HIS!

Perry Noble is the founding and senior pastor of NewSpring Church in Anderson, Greenville and Florence, South Carolina. At just nine years old, the church averages over 10,000 people during weekend services and is launching another campus in Columbia, South Carolina. Perry is convicted about speaking the truth as plainly as possible. A prolific blogger, he's also the author of "Blueprints: How to Build Godly Relationships." Visit Perry at www.perrynoble.com

Recipe for Godliness

By David Jeremiah

One old recipe for rabbit began with this injunction: "First catch the rabbit." The writer knew how to put first things first. That's what we do when we establish priorities – we put the things that should be in first place in their proper order.

Stephen R. Covey, author of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, points out: "Keep in mind that you are always saying 'no' to something. If it isn't to the apparent, urgent things in your life, it is probably to the more fundamental, highly important things. Even when the urgent is good, the good can keep you from your best... The way you spend your time is a result of the way you see your time and the way you really see your priorities" (pages 157-158).

Does the recipe for your day begin with spending time in God's Word? Or do you pass over that priority as "urgent" matters crowd your schedule? God's injunction for your day is: Exercise yourself in godliness. Open your Bible and get started!

as seen in David Jeremiah's email devotional, "Today's Turning Point."

Trying To Please Everyone

by Alan Smith

The story is told of a man and his grandson traveling down the road, walking and leading a donkey. They met a man who said, "How foolish for you to be walking. One of you should be riding the donkey." So the man put his grandson on the animal.

The next traveler they met frowned and said, "How dreadful for a strong boy to be riding while an old man walks." So the boy climbed off the donkey and his grandfather climbed on.

The next person they met said, "I just can't believe a grown man would ride and make a little boy walk." So the man pulled the boy up and they rode the donkey together. That is, until they met another man who said, "I never saw anything so cruel in all my life — two human beings riding on one poor defenseless donkey!"

Down the road a ways, they met a couple of men. After they passed, one of the men turned to the other and said, "Did you ever before see two fools carrying a donkey?"

The point is: You can't please everyone! And it can be very frustrating to even try to do so because it's impossible. The truth of the matter is, even if we could please everyone, we shouldn't. In fact, trying to please others can distract from the One we should be pleasing, if we're not careful.

Though Paul was certainly mindful of the feelings of others, he wrote: "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Galatians 1:10, NIV)

Living our lives so as to receive the praise of people around us will only get us into trouble. I think of the chief rulers who "believed in Him [Jesus], but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12:42-43). When we become attached to public opinion and pleasing others around us, we will eventually end up denying God.

Have you found lately that everyone isn't pleased with your decisions? Don't lose any sleep over it, as long as you're seeking to please the only ONE that really matters!

This article by Alan Smith, Senior Pastor of the Helen Street Church of Christ in Fayetteville, North Carolina. You can visit his site at http://www.TFTD-online.com

Psalm 23 for the Workplace

The Lord is my real boss, and I shall not want.

He gives me peace, when chaos is all around me.

He reminds me to pray before I speak and to do all things without murmuring and complaining

He reminds me that He is my Source and not my job.

He restores my sanity every day and guides my decisions that I might honor Him in all I do.

Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mail, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines, budget cutbacks, gossiping co-workers, discriminating supervisors, and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning,

I will not stop, for He is with me!

His presence, His peace and His power will see me through.

He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.

He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.

His faithfulness and love are better than a bonus check.

His retirement plan beats every 401K there is!

When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer;

And for that, I will bless His name.

The River

Walking through the forest, a seasoned hiker came upon a broad, slowly moving river. He stopped to gaze over the waters, appreciating the beauty, when suddenly he heard a faint cry coming from upstream.

Looking in the direction of the noise, he saw an obviously drowning man floundering in the river and drifting slowly toward him.

The hiker was stunned momentarily, but he sprang into action when he saw the man disappear beneath the waters. Throwing off all of his cumbersome gear, he dove into the river and swam like a madman toward the spot where the man went under.

Upon reaching the spot he plunged below the surface and frantically hauled up the helpless man. He then laboriously towed the victim to shore. Heaving the lifeless body up on the riverbank, the hiker attempted to revive the man, who eventually spit up water and began to breathe.

Relieved, the hiker paused to catch his breath. But no sooner had he done so than he heard another voice out on the water. Another drowning person!

Once again he swam out and pulled the person to shore, a little more slowly this time. As the hiker-turned-lifeguard revived the second victim, he heard yet another cry for help.

All day long the hiker worked, rescuing one person after another as they came drifting down the river. There seemed to be no end of drowning victims, and the hiker didn't think he could keep it up.

Just when he was about to collapse from exhaustion, he spotted another man walking rapidly beside the river, headed upstream. "Hey mister!" he cried out. "Please help me! These poor people are drowning!"

Amazingly, the man kept walking upstream. The astonished hiker called out again. Without even acknowledging the cry, the man kept going. Indignant and angry, the hiker leapt to his feet, ran toward the uncompassionate man, stood directly in his path, and in a loud voice demanded, "Sir! How can you possibly walk past all these drowning people? Have you no conscience? Must I force you to help me save these people?"

The stranger stopped, looked at him for the first time and said with a calm, focused voice, "Sir, please get out of my way. I am headed upstream to stop the guy who is pushing all these people in."

Each of us has a role to play in rescuing those who are drowning in sin. Some of us pull people from the water and resuscitate them with counseling, food and shelter, a rehabilitation program, a support group, or financial aid. Affirm those doing these important ministries.

Others of us find our place of ministry upstream, opposing the one pushing people into the river. We do this by introducing those people to Jesus Christ. Knowing Christ sets a person free from sin and releases them from Satan's power over them.

By itself, pulling people from the water isn't enough.

We need to help people deal with the problem of sin at its source.

The Last Impression

A young couple decided to wed. As the big day approached, they grew apprehensive. Each had a problem they had never before shared with anyone, not even each other.

The Groom-to-be, overcoming his fear, decided to ask his father for advice. "Father," he said, "I am deeply concerned about the success of my marriage. I love my fiancée, very much, but you see, I have very smelly feet, and I'm afraid that my future wife will be put off by them."

"No problem," said dad, "all you have to do is wash your feet as often as possible, and always wear socks, even to bed." Well, to him this seemed a workable solution.

The bride-to-be, overcoming her fear, decided to take her problem up her mom. "Mom," she said, "When I wake up in the morning my breath is truly awful." "Honey," her mother consoled, "everyone has bad breath in the morning." "No, you don't understand. My morning breath is so bad, I'm afraid that my new husband will not want to sleep in the same room with me."

Her mother said simply, "Try this. In the morning, get straight out of bed, and head for the bathroom and brush your teeth. The key is, not to say a word until you've brushed your teeth. Not a word," her mother affirmed. Well, she thought it was certainly worth a try.

The loving couple was finally married in a beautiful ceremony. Not forgetting the advice each had received, he with his perpetual socks and she with her morning silence, they managed quite well. That is, until about six months later. Shortly before dawn, the husband wakes with a start to find that one of his socks had come off. Fearful of the consequences, he frantically searches the bed. This, of course, woke his bride and without thinking, she immediately asks, "What on earth are you doing?"

"Oh, no!" he gasped in shock, "You've swallowed my sock!"

This is Memorial Day Weekend here in America. I recently read that America has "sold out" the true meaning of Memorial Day, as it is marked more by special sales than anything else.

Memorial Day, which was known as "Decoration Day" when I was a child, is a day for us to remember those who have gone before us, especially those who have given their life for the cause of our freedom in this nation. My boyhood memories of the day include trips where our extended family would meet at the Laurel Hill Cemetery near the small town of New Florence, Pennsylvania, attending to the gravesite of our loved ones, and reminiscing about their lives. For me, these memories are an integral part of the fabric of my family understanding.

I would submit to you that far more important than remembering those who have died to provide our freedom as Americans, that we focus more on remembering the One who provided our eternal freedom from the fate of our sin.

Also, this Sunday is Pentecost Sunday, so in addition to remembering the freedom we have in Christ, we can also acknowledge the power we have in Him through His precious Holy Spirit!