Category: Building a Faith-filled Life

For the Love of Truth

Deut 4 29

What is going to keep you in your church or in this movement – Church of God General Conference?  The nice people that go there?  The music?  The youth group?  Fuel?

If you really think about it, I can pretty much guarantee that most churches in your neighborhood have nice people in them, maybe they even have bigger bands and bigger youth groups.  But, do they have biblical truth?  Unfortunately, I have seen many people leave our movement for “better” music and bigger youth groups.  They sacrifice the truth that will save them for temporary pleasures and personal preferences.

2 Thessalonians 2:10-11 says that people refused to love truth and so be saved. “and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved.  For this reason, God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false,”

If people do not love truth enough to genuinely seek for it, then God will allow them to keep believing what is false.

But, God promises to be found if we truly seek Him! “… from there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will find Him if you search for Him with all your heart and all your soul.”   (Deuteronomy 4:29)

Is our attitude that of Daniel’s?  “… I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.” (Daniel 9:3)

Hosea 4:6 tells us that the Israelites were destroyed for lack of knowledge.

The road is narrow that leads to life, and truth and righteousness are what that road is paved with.  Most likely your church or this movement will not be able to provide all that other churches or mission’s organizations can provide, but please never forget what they do provide.  Truth is a treasure and if you have to choose between popularity, great worship music or bigger youth groups, never settle for less than that which can save you!

Don’t take the easy road and leave when something “better” comes along.  If you want different music or bigger, more active youth groups, then don’t compromise truth, just do something about it!  No organization or group will be perfect, but if there is solid truth as a foundation, you can build anything you want, as high as you want.

Here are a few more verses to consider and meditate on.  Read them and consider the result of seeking God with all your heart.  Psalms 63:1; 2 Chronicles 15:12, 31:21

Will you make a covenant to always seek God?

-Tracy Zhykhovich

 

Tracy went to Oregon Bible College and then spent 17 years in Russia as a missionary.  She is passionate for biblical truth and that is why she went alone to Russia and not with another mission organization.  Upon returning to the United States she remains very active in evangelism and global missions and continues working as a missionary through internet evangelism and partnering with indigenous missionaries that are doing mission work overseas.   She currently partners with people in Russia, Pakistan and the Middle East.  She is president of the MN Missionary Society and is a member on Lord’s Harvest International missions board, and is the co-founder of Kingdom of God Ministry & Missions.  http://www.kogmissions.com

ON PURPOSE – Evangelism

Luke 15 6b

The past five days we have been looking at how to live our lives on purpose.  We don’t want to drift through life not accomplishing what God has prepared for us to do.  We don’t want worldly goals that pull us away from what really matters.

First, we looked at the Greatest Commandment and said that to love God is to worship God.  Next, we discussed the importance of following Christ by being a devoted disciple: the on-going process of becoming mature in Christ (discipleship) which begins with time in God’s Word – and will include other godly habits as well.  And, a disciple remembers they are not alone but are connected to other disciples as the body of Christ so they are eager to fellowship with and encourage one another.  Life in the encouraging body leads to seeing other’s needs and being willing to use our God-given gifts in ministry to others.

So far, we have created an individual who deeply loves God, is growing in their walk with God’s Son, has healthy connections to the church family and seeks to serve others.  That is a GREAT and beautiful start!  But, too often, we are content to stop right there and remain committed to just these 4 purposes – and stay inside our safe little church bubble (myself included).

When church members were surveyed, 89% said, “The church’s purpose is to take care of my family’s and my needs… Only 11% said the purpose of the church is to win the world for Jesus Christ.” (Purpose Driven Church – Rick Warren – p 82).  And we wonder why the church isn’t growing.  This selfish, inward focus is not healthy, and is not what God intended for us as individuals, or as the church.

The Great Commission did not tell us to just go and BE a good disciple – it commands us, “Go and MAKE disciples of all nations.”  It is not enough to only be concerned for my own salvation.  To truly love God and others includes a desire to share a great and glorious God with those who are lost and hurting and oblivious without Him.  God wants His lost sheep found and most often he chooses to use people to do that.  Only God can save the lost, but He relies on us to share the good news.  Read Luke 15 to see God’s heart for the lost – and pray that becomes your heart, too.

When Jesus said, “Come, follow me” he wasn’t just inviting you to his church pew on Sunday morning.  He said, “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” (Matthew 4:19.).  He is asking you to invite others to your church pew.

Who do you know who needs to know God’s saving power and plan?  Who do you know who is not ready for Christ’s return and the Kingdom of God?  Start by naming them and then praying for them and watching for God-given opportunities to speak and act with God’s love and truth.  Then, jump in there and do it.

For Him,

Marcia Railton

 

ON PURPOSE – Ministry

matt 20_26-27 fixed_

 

I had the privilege of attending the Atlanta Bible College graduation this week.  How exciting to celebrate these men and women who have dedicated years of their life to learning at a special institution specifically designed to create disciples of Jesus – who know and use God’s Word.  And, how exciting to think of these men and women going into ministry, in various forms, armed with their knowledge and experiences.

But, imagine the problems that would develop if we send them out into churches where they were expected to be the only ones ministering – the only ones caring for the church body, the only ones serving others as the hands and feet of Christ, the only ones showing love in a practical way in their community.  This would be a recipe for disaster – and certain burn-out.

How exciting that no degree is needed for ministry….and in fact, it is expected from each one of us.  God has already given gifts, talents and passions to each one of us so that we can minister to others!  But it won’t get done if we aren’t living on purpose – making it a priority to seek out ways to serve.

We are by nature selfish people who like to be served.  We are by nature prideful people who want to be recognized for our greatness.  Jesus knew that when he gave his disciples these instructions: “Not so with you.  Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matthew 20:26-28).

How will you give your life to others today – on purpose?

God Bless,
Marcia Railton

ON PURPOSE – Fellowship

1 Cor 12 27

We have been looking at living our life on purpose – choosing goals that are pleasing to God and then striving to live by them.  So far, we have covered the purposes of Worship and Discipleship.

 

Today, we consider the exciting fact that we are not the only disciple of Christ.  Rather, we are a part of a body of believers – the body of Christ.  It is God’s desire that we remain connected to the body of Christ in order to be more effective and to better fulfill the 2nd Commandment: love others.  This purpose can be called Fellowship.

 

Hebrews 10:25 gives great counsel to the family of God: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”   Unfortunately, sometimes the church body fails at this.  In a survey of people who have stopped attending church, 75% said they gave up meeting together because they didn’t feel like people cared if they were at church or not.  They failed to get encouragement from the body of Christ.  This should not be!   As disciples of Christ we have a responsibility to each other – to encourage, to listen, to greet, to show concern, to value the other members of God’s family.  The church is no place for cliques or loneliness.  And each one of us can be part of the solution.

 

Take a minute today to read Acts 2 (particularly verses 36-47).  Look for what the early church was doing together.  How were they creating a powerful body of believers that were on fire for God’s truth and a love for one another?   What will you do today and throughout the week to strengthen your bonds with God’s family?  They need you – and you just might find out you are better off with them, too.

 

A Part of His Body,

Marcia Railton

 

ON PURPOSE – Discipleship

Hebrews 12_2a

How well do you play Follow the Leader?   Do you watch carefully to mimic every movement, or do you get frustrated and jump to the front eager to blaze your own trail and display your fine leadership skills?  When Jesus called his disciples he said, “Come, follow me.” (Matthew 4:19). And the job description for Disciple has not changed in the last 2,000 years.  The CHRISTian church is called to be disciples and to follow Christ, and not just on Sunday mornings.  God sent his son to offer us a way to salvation, to prepare us for a life in the kingdom, and to show us how to love and how to live.

The angels rejoice with each and every new Christian – but there are warnings against remaining an infant in Christ.  The goal is to be mature in Christ.  This comes from developing the discipline (habit) of spending time studying every movement, thought, teaching, and attitude of Christ in order to follow his lead. Discipleship will include other disciplines, but it must begin and continue to grow with a constant diet of God’s word. Jesus studied, knew, and used scriptures well, which built the foundation for him to follow his Father. So we should do the same!

Hebrews 12:1-3 says,

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Make time today to fix your gaze on Jesus so you will be able to mirror his moves. The sermon on the mount (Matthew 5-7) would be a great place to start. You could listen to it while driving, mowing, cleaning, eating… whatever your day has in store.

Be a follower!

Marcia

ON PURPOSE – Worship

Matt 22 37,8

 

The rest of this week we are talking about living life ON PURPOSE – the way God intended.  Choosing God-given targets (not the fake worldly targets that keep popping up in our way), and then pursuing those goals with everything we have – both individually, as well as with the church body.

 

If you took the opportunity to read the passages at the end of yesterday’s post (Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 2:41-47), you read the Great Commandment(s), the Great Commission, and a brief description of the Early Church – great reading for sure.   In Rick Warren’s book, Purpose Driven Church, he recounts the work done at his church to create and live by a great purpose statement.  After much study of God’s Word they boiled it down to this slogan: “A Great Commitment to the Great Commandment and the Great Commission will grow a Great Church.” (p. 103).

 

Today let’s dive into just the first part of the Great Commandment passage.  A Pharisee tested Jesus, asking him what is the greatest commandment?  Jesus replied – quoting Deuteronomy: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” (Matt 22:37-38).  And, so living our life to love God should be our first and greatest priority.  What does this look like?  When we love something/someone we revere it and hold it up.  We spend time with what we love.  We seek out ways to honor those people and things we love.  We put up on a pedestal those we love – and in God’s case – he fully deserves this and much more.  We call this WORSHIP!

 

Worship is defined as, “the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity”.  I like that the definition includes not just feeling it – but showing it.  Our church worship services ought to be great places for us to be active, engaged, thoughtful, giving, speaking, singing participants in worship.  But, if that is the only time we are worshipping we are falling far short of our God-given purpose of worship.

 

Many examples of worship can be found throughout the book of Psalms.  Go ahead, pick a chapter or two and look for instances of worship – as well as why God is worthy to be worshipped.  Just a few examples are: “I will PRAISE you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will TELL of all your wonders.” (Psalm 9:1), “OFFER right sacrifices…” (Psalm 4:5), “WAIT for the Lord…” (Psalm 27:14).  “I PRAY to you, O LORD” (Psalm 69: 13).  “I will PRAISE God’s name in SONG and GLORIFY him with THANKSGIVING.” (Psalm 69:30).

 

This is all well and fine when we FEEL like praising God – when the sun is shining and we are on top of His world.  But, what about those days when the clouds are out and we are discouraged or feel God is silent or playing hide and seek with us.  Our feelings don’t change the first and greatest commandment – to LOVE God.  Our circumstances don’t change our first and greatest priority – to WORSHIP God.

 

Psalm 13 is a perfect example for us when we are stuck in the cloudy day mentality.  David feels forgotten by God, he is wrestling with dark thoughts and a heavy heart, he feels he has been trampled down by his enemies/life.  Yet, he ends the short Psalm with this: “But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.  I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.” (Psalm 13:5-6).   God is worthy of our worship – all the time …. And all the time – God is worthy of our worship.

 

How will you WORSHIP Him today?

 

Blessings,

Marcia Railton

 

On Purpose

Eph 2 10

Imagine a marathon runner who starts the race excited, prepared and pumped.  But, he doesn’t know where the finish line is or how to get there.  Add in lots of runners who are running lots of different races – following completely different paths to multiple finish lines.  It is questionable whether our racer will finish the race he had hoped to win.

Or, take an archery championship where all the competitors are lined up and across the field are 1000 targets.  They do not know which target they will get credit for hitting and they each have a limited number of arrows and time.

WHAT is YOUR TARGET_

“It’s not how you start out that matters but how you end.” (Rick Warren, Purpose Driven Church p. 26).   Life gets messy and when you lack a clearly defined goal and a plan for how to get there, it is easy to get completely off track and find you don’t reach the finish line you thought you would and you don’t hit the target that really counts.

 

Just as individuals need a goal – churches also will drift without a set purpose and vision.  Proverbs 19:21 says, “Many are the plans in a man’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.”  Why does the church exist?  Why do you exist?  God knows.  And He gave you His Word to help point the way.   Jesus knew his goal, and what sustained him and kept him going in the right direction.  “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.”  (John 4:34).  Paul said that we all have God-given work he designed us to do – “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” (Ephesians 2:10).

You don’t want to end life (whenever that might be) with the big house, cute family, lots of adoring facebook friends, and retired from the dream job; BUT, find you missed the mark on doing what God planned for you to do – meeting HIS Purpose for your life.

By digging into God’s Word we can get a clearer picture of what our God-given purposes are for us as individuals and for His church.  Take a few minutes today to look up a few key passages.  Matthew 22:36-40, Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 2:41-47 are great possibilities.  Tomorrow we will look further into God’s Purpose for YOU!

-Marcia Railton

 

Marcia has the cute family and the dream job (wife and mom).  She is working on seeking God’s purpose for her and for the Family of God she gets the pleasure of worshipping with in Granger, Indiana. 

 

 

A Lesson from Peru: Faith

peru children

Missions Spotlight: Peru

Within the past five years, ministry in Peru has boomed!  After studying Miguel Cervetes, Pastor Edwin Mauricio came to know the beliefs we hold dear, leaving behind a life of preaching to congregations of thousands. Pastor Edwin mentors several other pastors throughout Peru; we are learning of new pastors and congregations with each visit!  Pictured is a group of youth Yesenia Ruiz Castillo teaches each week in the northern-region of Peru.  

 

The “faith chapter” of the Bible is called the “faith chapter” for good reason.  Did you know, the word “faith” is mentioned 23 times in Hebrews 11? Starting with the first chapter, we are told that “faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see”.  People have faith in many different things.  We put our faith in our parents, teachers, doctors, and the government.  I have faith that when I flick the light switch, it will send electricity through the lightbulb and give us light. We as Christians know that faith is important because it is the vehicle of our salvation.  John 14:6 reminds us that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the father but through [him].”  Paul tells us, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).  This is nothing new, right?

 

Although you have most likely memorized the definition of faith in your 6th grade Sunday School class, I want to take a moment to reflect on the truly RADICAL things leaders have done in FAITH.  If they didn’t have faith, they surely would not jump out on a limb like this.  As you read through this list, try to put yourself in their shoes, imagine how they must have felt and thought.  I know these are stories we have likely heard before, but take a moment to capture how boldly these Christians stepped out in faith.

  • Noah – The whole world thought he was crazy for building a boat for the rains that no one had ever seen
  • Joseph – The man who stayed true to God even when he was betrayed by his family and sent to a strange land where he was a slave.
  • Moses – The man who returned to a country that hated him to command that Pharaoh set the Israelites free.  This same man had the faith to walk into the sea of reeds and watch as the sea parted before him and the entire Israelite nation walked on dry ground.
  • Daniel – The man who stood in the face of hungry lions with confidence knowing that God could deliver him from even the mightiest beasts.
  • Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego – The men who put their faith in God and told Nebuchadnezzar that God can deliver us from the fire, but even if he doesn’t we will not serve your gods because we know YHWH is the one true God.
  • David – The man who went up against a mighty giant with only a sling knowing that if God is behind him, then no one could stand against him.
  • Peter – The man who stepped out onto the water to meet Jesus, defining the natural laws of the world.
  • Paul – The man who despite his imprisonments, beatings, and shipwrecks kept preaching the gospel to whoever would listen to him.

 

Now I want to share with you several others who have stepped out in faith and inspired me on a personal level.  These are believers that live in Peru, and believe as we do.

  • Maria Poma – The woman who continues to serve her community and church after the tragic death of her husband, the former pastor.
  • Edwin Mauricio – The man who left pastoring a congregation of thousands to shepherd a small group, knowing he held the truth.
  • Marco Gutierrez – The man who spends hours travelling long distances to come to church each week to preach and lead Bible studies.
  • Yesenia Castillo – The woman who leads large groups of youth, even after the flooding and destruction of the church building.

 

God never promises us that we won’t have hardship in this life, but he does promise to be with us in the hard time. He will protect us from the hungry lions of this world, but even if he doesn’t, like Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, we will still serve him. And because of that, we will spend eternity in God’s kingdom.

 

If you would like to support our family in Peru with money for transportation for Pastor Marco to travel to church, along with buying materials for a renovation of the Lima church kitchen, please follow this link. Thank you! https://www.givelify.com/givenow/1.0/MjM0MDg=/selection

 

Love,

Josiah & Amber Cain

 

 

 

A Lesson from Russia: Restoration

 

maxsim

Missions Spotlight: Russia

Maksim works tirelessly to spread the Gospel throughout Eurasia. While trials and tribulations hit Maksim, he stands firm in the power and grace God gives him freely each day.  The evangelistic website he runs has been hacked twice and Brother Uli, a dear friend, is undergoing intensive chemo for a brain tumor. Nonetheless, Maksim keeps traveling, preaching and baptizing.

Whenever something is going poorly in my life or when times seem really hard, I think of the restoration that is to come on this earth. In December, my grandfather passed away.  Looking back on it now, the only way that my family and I made it through that hard time so well is because we had hope of a future where everything will be made right again. Isaiah 35 gives me hope for the future and I encourage you to read it all on your own sometime, but for now I am going to select a few verses here that stand out to me.

3Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble.
4Say to those with anxious heart,
“Take courage, fear not.
Behold, your God will come with vengeance;
The recompense of God will come,
But He will save you.”
5Then the eyes of the blind will be opened
And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.

10And the ransomed of the Lord will return
And come with joyful shouting to Zion,
With everlasting joy upon their heads.
They will find gladness and joy,
And sorrow and sighing will flee away.

It is no surprise to any of us that bad things happen to good people and I am convinced that sometimes Satan messes with our lives to try and make us lose sight of our hope and our future. He tries to get us to betray our hope and give up on God. Recently Maksim, our Christian brother in Russia, has gone through some trying events and deals with the sin of the world every day. He has had to deal with people hacking his website and undoing all of the hard work he has put in. His close friend has been diagnosed with cancer, which is trying on any Christian. He also sees the sin of the world in a unique way as he ministers to a young orphan through a big brother program. How can Maksim and others put up with the burdens that this sinful world brings? It is through our undying hope of restoration! We are looking forward to the time that God brings healing to all families, healing to all people, and puts a stop to all of the kinds of sin. Not only that, but we live with the current knowledge that God takes care of us through all things right now.

There is not a thing that we go through that God is not aware of.  That statement alone is comforting. This doesn’t mean that if you live a holy life, all things are always going to be perfect. It does, however, mean that in one way or another, in the end it will work out to your advantage, whether it be in this age or in the age to come. I know this because of Romans 8:28 which says, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” God works and it should be sobering to us that God works for us. He wants to make sure that we are taken care of but more importantly He wants to make sure that we never have to deal with sin again. This is why God is putting into place a kingdom age where things will be made perfect – where everything wrong with the world will be made right. The, “lame will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness” (Isa. 35:6). Let’s look forward to that day and let’s praise God for this amazing plan that He has set into motion for us! Hallelujah, praise God, amen!

It is also part of our Christian duty to support those in ministry through our money, through our gifts, and through our prayer. The order I put those in was no accident because I think of those three things money is the least important and prayer is the most important. If you would like to help support Maksim and his ministry in Russia, please pray and follow this link below. May the kingdom age come soon!

If you would like to support Maksim and his ministry in Russia, please follow this link. https://www.givelify.com/givenow/1.0/MjM0MDg=/selection Thank you!

Love,

Josiah & Amber Cain

A Lesson From Mexico: Peace

lupe

Missions Spotlight: Mexico

In 1961, After working as a migrant working in the USA, Lupe’s husband, Roberto, returned to Mexico with the only Bible in their village in hand.  Today, Lupe is a widow who has faithfully served our God and community for many years.  Lupe has served as a mother figure to countless children around her.  Unfortunately, the region of Mexico where she resides has become increasingly dangerous over the recent years, and has thus limited our ability to visit with Lupe from the United States. 

Peace is an interesting thing isn’t it? Peace is something that contradicts the way the world operates. When you are poor, the world says to steal and to cut corners to get ahead. When you are afraid, the world says to attack or run away. When you are angry, the world says to get revenge. But peace, humble old peace, throws that all back into the face of the world. A great passage to look at when talking about peace is Ephesians 2:13-18.

13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the enmity, which is the Law of commandments contained in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two into one new man, thus establishing peace, 16and might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the enmity.17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father.

Jesus came to preach peace. Peace is where, despite your circumstances, you are okay with who and where you are because of your greater belief in something. In our case as Christians, that is God and His son Jesus, who very obviously came to bring us peace – perhaps even a “peace…which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7). When we are founded on the truths of the Bible and our redemption from sin, we can be be filled with divine peace in any situation. Our sister Lupe carries on in faith. She understands that Jesus came as the, “Prince of Peace” (Isa. 9:6). I encourage you next time you feel overwhelmed or that you might soon be overcome by your circumstance, to take some time to remember who has your back. The creator of all the things around you has your back. Look around you, literally stop reading this for a couple of seconds and look around you and then come back to this post. How intricate and wonderful is this world that we live in? The creator of all of that has your back.  God has established a future that is better than anything you can imagine.  Breathe deeply knowing that the Prince of Peace shed his blood, so that we can live each moment with a peace that only comes from knowing our LORD.  Our hope in God, His son, and the coming kingdom fuels our peace.

Please take some time and pray for our sister Lupe.  Please pray that she might feel an everlasting peace from God and the strength to continue in faith, even as the world around her is different from anything she has ever known. If God so leads you, I encourage you to follow the link below and support her financially. Thank you for reading and God bless!

If you would like to support Lupe in Mexico, please follow this link. https://www.givelify.com/givenow/1.0/MjM0MDg=/selection Thank you!

-Josiah and Amber Cain