I agree whole heartedly! We are to be "set apart" "in the world - not of it".
We will continue to lose folks to the kingdom if we are not truly being
disciples of Christ. I will continue to lift you and your ministry up in
prayer. God Bless. Stand strong.
Barb

Roger Gauthier <roger_g@...> wrote:
I am sure that this is not necessarily something that you would see
posted in a "Parish Nursing or Congregational Nursing" list. But
here goes. I have a number of older parishioners that have visited
me in the past week - and they shared some concerns on the current
state of affairs. These concerns ranged from health care, the state
of the world, and the state of the church and how they interrelated
with their health. Some wanted to hear and others dismissed some of
the things that I discussed. Particularly when it involved life
style choices that are contrary to what the Word of God says.
Anytime that I "counsel" anyone it is with the Word - When people ask
for advice or what about...; I tell them not necessarily what they
want to hear, but what the Word of God says. I don't judge, but in
love state what the Word says about their problem and point out what
the Word says that they should do to correct the problem.

As I was expressing this to some other ministers in the area
ministerial association a couple of my denominational brethren stated
that perhaps I could be more "tolerant" of others beliefs and learn
to accept them the way they were. That I should learn to be more
"mainstream" with the world.

That comment caused me to reflect on how the "Church" has learned to
become "mainstream" with the world. There is no difference between
the divorce rates of the world and the church, no difference between
the rates of abortion or "choice" of the world and the church and the
list goes on, depression, suicide, drug use, etc. The world sees no
difference between themselves and the "Church". How relevant are
we? And, what can we do to regain our relevance?

We must as the "Church" or the "Congregation" must live our lives
according to the Word. We are to be the salt and the light - to the
world. When they see us they should see God (the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob) or Jesus (Yeshua) living through us. Ministering
in love, but in clear defined ways. In all three areas - Spirit,
Soul, and Body. We are to be "watchmen on the walls". Giving a
reason for our hope.

Isaiah 21:6 “For thus has the Lord said to me: "Go, set a watchman,
Let him declare what he sees."

Ezekiel 33.3 If when he seeth the sword come upon the land, he blow
the trumpet, and warn the people;
Ezekiel 33.4 Then whosoever heareth the sound of the trumpet, and
taketh not warning; if the sword come, and take him away, his blood
shall be upon his own head.
Ezekiel 33.5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, and took not warning;
his blood shall be upon him. But he that taketh warning shall deliver
his soul.
Ezekiel 33.6 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the
trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take
any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his
blood will I require at the watchman’s hand. (KJV)

2Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall
humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their
wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their
sin, and will heal their land.

I strongly believe that there is something coming that we have not
yet seen and we must prepare ourselves and the ones that God has
placed in our care.

God warns His children again and again. He has always given
opportunity to every generation to repent and return to Him. In
Jeremiah's day He pleaded with them to repent, “Don’t let this
destruction happen, return to Me”; But, as in that day this warning
fell on deaf ears and the people laughed at Jeremiah - so too, they
laugh today. We can make a difference in our clients lives by
standing up, praying for them, showing compassion and living the life
that God has called us to live. We are all "ministers" - called by
God to minister to all aspects of our clients lives - Spirit, Soul,
and Body.

Thanks for listening, May the Lord richly bless you, your family and
your ministry.

Roger Gauthier

Taken From "Sparkling Gems - from the Greek" by Rick Renner
Rick Renner Ministries | PO Box 702040 | Tulsa | OK | 74170
www.renner.org

You Can Make a Difference In Someone Else's Life!

And of some have compassion, making a difference.
- Jude 1:22

If you are burdened for someone who isn't serving God the way he used
to, it's time for you to do something about it. Worrying won't change
a thing! But turning that worry into action can make a big difference
in the outcome of that other person's life.

You can make a difference in someone else's life! That is precisely
why Jude 22 tells us, "And of some have compassion, making a
difference." Do you see the word "compassion" in this verse? This
important word is taken from the Greek word eleao, which in this case
refers to deep- seated and unsettling emotions a person feels when he
has seen or heard something that is terribly sad or upsetting.

These are the kinds of emotions that well up inside you when you see
a child whose stomach is bloated from malnutrition and starvation.
You might also feel these emotions when you see a person who is
emaciated and dying of terminal cancer or a destitute family that is
forced to live on the streets with no food and money.

Jude's purpose in using the Greek word eleao is very plain. He is
doing exactly what television programs do when they flash pictures of
starving children with bloated stomachs on the television screen in
front of us. The producers of these programs show us these kinds of
worst-scenario pictures in order to stir us to action.

These pictures of desperate misery from Third World countries are
flashed in front of us while emotionally moving music plays in the
background. Then the celebrity host on the program says in an
impassioned voice, "Pick up your phone and call today. Your call
could save the life of a child."

These kinds of television programs are designed to stir up emotional
feelings of pity. The producers of the programs realize that simply
stating a need verbally would never get our attention; we're just too
mentally busy in today's society. Therefore, they make the need as
graphic as they possibly can, knowing that pictures speak a thousand
words and are much more effective in arousing pity from our hearts.

However, arousing pity is not the ultimate aim of these programs. The
horrifying pictures and emotional musical background are designed to
convince you to pick up your telephone, call the phone number on the
television screen, and make a donation to help the cause of the
sponsoring organization. This compulsion to act and to do something
is the moment when pity is transformed into compassion. By itself,
pity would simply feel sorry about the situation. But compassion
cannot sit by and idly watch the scenario grow worse. Compassion
reaches out to act immediately and to do something about the situation.

It is unmistakably clear that Jude wants to elicit an emotional
response from his readers. He wants them to graphically see and
understand the seriousness of believers who have backslidden into a
life of sin and disobedience. He wants his readers to "feel" for
these critically ill spiritual patients. In fact, he wants them to
"feel" their condition so intensely that he says, "And of some have
compassion." In other words, Jude is telling his readers to take that
pity and turn it into action!

You see, when genuine compassion begins to flow from your heart, you
cannot sit idly by and simply feel sorry about a person's situation.
Real compassion says, "I have to get up and do something about this!"

Because Jude uses the word "compassion," he is telling us that the
spiritual condition of a backslidden believer is just as real and
serious as the plight of a starving child, a dying man, or a
destitute family. If you will allow the love of God to flow through
you, it won't be long until compassion for these erring believers
begins to flow from you to them. Then you will be compelled to see
them set free from their bondage! That compulsion is the activity of
compassion!

You may think, "Yes, but those believers knew better! If they had
stayed faithful in their walk with the Lord, they wouldn't be in the
mess they are in right now. Isn't it their fault that they're in
trouble?"

The answer to this question may be "Yes, they are to blame for their
condition." However, consider this: Wouldn't you have compassion on a
homosexual who contracted AIDS due to his own illicit sexual
activity? Although his own actions got him into his mess, wouldn't it
still grab hold of your heart when you saw his wasting body? Wouldn't
his helpless condition make you wish there was a cure for AIDS?

In the same way, even though a sinning believer may have gotten
himself into trouble because of his own actions, we must not
therefore shut off the flow of God's compassion that resides within
us. Believers who have become spiritually deceived need a touch of
God's power more than they ever did before! Therefore, we cannot let
the enemy sow hardheartedness in our hearts toward people who have
become spiritually ill or backslidden. Their plight is very serious,
and they need our help and prayers of intercession!

If you know people who fit this description, it's time for you to let
the supernatural compassion of Jesus Christ begin to flow out of your
heart toward them. These error-ridden believers need a divine touch
from God that will open their eyes and bring them back to the Lord.
By releasing a flow of this powerful force toward them, you could set
in motion the very deliverance these individuals need from the powers
of darkness that bind their souls and keep them in deception.

This is why Jude urges us to release this delivering flow of
compassion when he says, "And of some have compassion." This kind of
compassion is a mighty force that reaches even into the flames of
judgment to snatch people from destruction. Why not open the bowels
of your heart and allow this supernatural flow of compassion to start
flowing through you today? Just think - by opening your heart and
letting compassion flow through you toward these people, you could be
the very one God uses to bring them back home again!



MY PRAYER FOR TODAY

Lord, please forgive me for being hardhearted, condemning, and
judgmental toward people who have needed my prayers and intercession.
Instead of wasting all my time judging them, I could have been
praying for them. Now I see my mistake, and I truly repent for it.
Starting today, I pledge to change my attitude - to open my heart and
let the compassion of Jesus Christ flow through me to help set their
deliverance in motion. Let Your compassion begin flowing through me
today!

I pray this in Jesus' name!



MY CONFESSION FOR TODAY

I boldly confess that compassion flows through me like a river!
Condemnation and judgment have no place in my life, in my thinking,
or in the way I relate to other people. I am filled with the love of
God, and I allow that love to touch others who are near me. The
bowels of my heart release the compassion of Jesus Christ, touching
the lives of people caught in the deception of sin and darkness and
setting them free!

I declare this by faith in Jesus' name!



QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER

1. Do you know anyone who is no longer walking with God and for whom
you need to be praying and interceding right now?

2. Have you acted in a judgmental way toward a sinning or erring
believer - someone who really needs your prayers and intercession,
not your condemnation? If your answer is yes, I suggest that you take
a few minutes to get your heart right with God and then begin to
regularly pray for his or her deliverance.

3. Have you ever been caught in a deception, but someone loved you
through it until you were set free and put back on a straight course?
Who was that person who stood with you through that ordeal? Did you
ever take the time to express your gratefulness for his or her love
and patience toward you during that time?

Leadership Secrets of Jesus
Boldness
by Mac Hammond

Timidity and leadership are mutually exclusive terms. As we examine
the leadership secrets of Jesus, it is clear that boldness is a vital
key to exerting positive influence in the lives of others. Jesus
walked into the temple as a twelve-year old, began to teach the
scholars, and turned the place upside down.

Everywhere He went, He spoke with authority and acted with
passion...not out of arrogance but with boldness and clarity of
vision. Timidity can be costly. My question of the day for you is,
"In what area of your life could you achieve more if you grew in
boldness?"

Source: Winner's Way Broadcast produced by Mac Hammond Ministries
(Minneapolis: Mac Hammond Ministries, 2003)
All rights reserved. Used by permission.
MAC HAMMOND MINISTRIES, 9201 75th Avenue North, Brooklyn Park, MN 55428
Website: www.winnersminute.org

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