October 8 is Pastor Appreciation Day in the states.

I certainly hope the weekend is going well for everyone, despite concerns all over the globe in various circumstances.

In the EE UU this Sunday is Pastor Appreciation Day, in which various things are done by congregations to show their love for their leader.

Often times, the believer is exhorted to behave as a gentle lamb, but its the leaders, often times that are bid to be put in the middle of varying kinds of situations.  The leader is often the focus of hostile efforts, of course, and the leader takes the "point" or the lead sometimes in other dangerous matters.

Let's pray for them, and lift them up!

Of course, in the field, often the faith-worker is the spiritual leader of a group, rather than an ordained minister or preacher or pastor.  These faith-workers then suffice as de facto pastors.

Pray for them, my friends and partners, and lift them up, that they may be equal to whatever challenges they face; just as believers themselves, may their joy be full.

one spurgeon and one tozer meme.

 

faith/fear, and faith/love dichotomies.

Some of the American tele-pastors equate faith with courage, such that fear is the opposite condition.  One particularly famous one mentioned having faith, yet being afraid, which contradict those others, such that when afraid and needing to act, don't pray away the fear, but simply perform the task while still being afraid......

Love is the impetus, perhaps, that which makes people display superhuman strength and courage at times, perfect love, and in the Bible, it is of course love that casts out fear.

faith <----> fear (????)

love <-----> fear  (right)

Nevertheless, doesn't it seem like unbelief is less heinous than simple fear, which is an everyday emotion for some, depending on circumstances.  We could be stricken to a standstill by fear, but let us hear a family member shouting---we run towards it to help.

"Perfect love casteth out fear."  (from the King James Version of the Holy Bible)

from Ecclesiastes, on the common evil for working people....

May the Lord's blessing be upon you.

 

Today I look at Ecclesiastes, a statement that sounds dejected, sad, brow-beaten: "I have seen an evil that is too common..."

He says he's seen the worker work hard, but not enjoy the fruit of his labor.

Why is that?

Consider, the words of the king, who receives tribute/tax from his subjects.  He takes a part, a legally-authorized amount.

The priesthood would take a tenth(1/10) of the total, the "gross".  This was to help sustain the priesthood, maintain the temple, and so forth.

Consider also, in sacrificial love, the worker wants others to benefit from his/her work, so often, and seemingly, at times, "works for nothing" or "works for free".

We don't mind helping others, of course, but where is our own stuff?  What happens when we get nothing for our labors?  That's sacrificial love.

When we love others, we often gift them our time, and sometimes our treasure, and yet time is the ultimate of our treasures, and our toil is not without value.  But for a loved one, the ones we choose to care about, we want to sacrifice for their needs and happiness......

In your heart, and in your prayers, you know who you choose to help, and why.  

God will show you what to do.

editorial update and Psalm 118

So I started listening to podcasts early in the morning, sometimes before sunrise.  This is part of getting my mind in the proper setting to approach the day.  I have various subjects on my podcasting app, but the best, the ones that really do the most, are devotionals.  There's the Morning Mindset, a Christian app that recites some scripture and tries to be practical and positive about it, and there's the various TV people who post audio of their television programs as podcasts.

These have done wonders getting me centered and all "hyped-up", bolstering my enthusiasm for spreading the Gospel throughout the day.  I've even started re-organizing my day for the purpose of supporting the page, and bringing new avenues of content.

All for the glory of our mighty God.

Also, the classic hymn line that many of us sing joyfully at Vacation Bible School in our youth:

"This is the day that the Lord hath made; I will rejoice and be glad in it."

This line is taken from an even older hymn from some 2500-3000 years ago, Psalm 118, as translated thereafter from ancient Hebrew into the English language.

As Pastor Butch Bruton says, "God is good, all the time."  (roughly, en Espanol: "El Dio es bueno, todos los tiempos.")

And having spoken and quoted of "patience" earlier, I note that this podcasting/devotional binge first thing in the morning really goes against patience most of the time, making the Gospel seem more urgent than when I didn't have the morning devotional time.

But it certainly gives the Gospel a bigger, more important presence in my day, and I'm grateful for that.  It came from a productivity thing, talking about successful people reading and doing audiobooks early in the morning, and this came from a Christian evangelist, this mention.  But I steered the advice toward the Gospel, getting me hearing the good messages early, the Good News, such that I get to the proper mindset early in the day, and it tends to stay with me all through the day.

Somewhat later on in the day, I do my Bible readings from various sources, Spurgeon readings, and few other.  I recommend that too, a bit of the Bible everyday, even if its only a piece of a scripture: something to feed the spirit.

Blessings, God's own time, and "the domino effect".

For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise.  -Hebrews 10:36(KJV)

No desechéis, pues, vuestra confianza, la cual tiene una gran recompensa.  Porque os es necesaria la perseverancia para que, habiendo hecho la voluntad de Dios, obtengáis lo prometido...  -Hebreos 10 

Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Bienaventurados sois cuando os vituperan y os persiguen, y dicen toda clase de mal contra vosotros por mi causa, mintiendo.

-Matthew 5(KJV and Espanol Moderno)

When you pray, wait on God, listen, be patient.  Trust in God's plan, trust in God's timing.  When the time is right, God is there.  God's time is always the right time, and when you are ready, his blessings will be there.  Your end is joy and peace.

In my own walk, it's taken sometimes years, and sometimes hours, and yet other times, instantly, healing, peace, hope, and prosperity.

God might change one little thing, and you maybe you notice, maybe not, but soon enough, the "domino effect", a cascade of consequences that brings about peace and happiness.  One seemingly insignificant little change can often bring about that bigger, larger, more important goal.

We have only to abide, and wait, for God's own time to coincide with whatever we petition for.

Memes: Psalm 118 and Ephesians 4

"....walk worthy of the calling you have received, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."  -Ephesians 4