God Gave the Increase

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6).

If one were to type in “church growth” into the search engine of his choice on the Internet or any bookstore, he would find a wide variety of websites, links to programs, blogs, videos, books, articles, and opinions of how to affect increase in the church. The modern philosophy seems to be that the church should adapt to the world, though the Bible declares that Christians are not to be conformed to the world but transformed by the word (Romans 12:1,2). As Christians, we should be concerned about the growth of the church. We love the souls of mankind and desire for all men to hear the word and obey the gospel (Matthew 28:19,20). The question that we must answer is this: how can we help the church to grow?

The answer to the problem of church growth is found in the example of husbandry. In Luke 8:5-18, Jesus told the parable of the sower and explained the parable to the disciples. The job of the Christian is to plant seed, which is the word of God (v.11). In James 1:21, the implanted word (NKJV) is able to save the soul. The farmer who plants few seeds in the field will not reap a harvest. He must sow the proper amount of grain in order to produce a crop. The field must also be cultivated and watered. In the most basic sense, if a farmer properly prepares the soil and sows the proper amount of seed, he will produce a crop (unless weather, livestock or other outside forces destroys the crop).

Brethren, if we want the De Leon congregation specifically and the church of Jesus Christ in general, to grow, then we must follow the simple pattern of God’s word: plant and water. If we do our job, God will give the increase.

Presently, we are involved in viewing the series Searching for Truth. We can pass out these DVDs for our friends and family to watch (of course it is best if we watch it together). WVBS also has a video lesson on What Must I Do to Be Saved, which is a one lesson video that we can pass out. There are other video resources of course, but there is also print media. I recommend a book to you that is a narrative about how one man and his wife became Christians. The book is titled Muscle and Shovel. It is very popular in our current culture to use this narrative style in teaching sales, business, and time management. You may prefer a more straight forward approach but what this book does is walk through the growth process, deals with the objections, and overcomes obstacles that many face in study of the Bible and how one can know the truth and be saved. There are other methods such as Bobby Bates Back to the Bible or the Fisher’s of Men series. Whatever you choose to do, one thing is certain: we will never get a harvest if we don’t plan seeds!

Are you planting? Are you watering? Do you really think an increase will come if we just sit in the pews or stay in the comfort of our homes? Think about it. Are you planting and watering? Oh, you don’t have to knock every door in town, but have you talked to your best friend…and I mean seriously sat down with Bible in hand and talked about salvation and the church that Christ purchased with His own blood? I hope you think about it as we come to the end of the year. Make it a point to talk to your family and friends about Christ in 2014.

You can get your copy of Muscle and Shovel at Michael Shank’s website for $14.95. I recommend you get several: http://www.michaelshankministries.com/

You can get your copy of Searching for Truth or What Must I Do To Be Saved? at wvbs.org (along with many other great resources for study).

Psalm 13 & 14

Psalm 13

The thirteenth Psalm demonstrates the frustration David was going through and the sorrow he felt as his enemies pursued him. Yet David knew where to place his trust. David wrote, “I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (v.5,6 – ESV).

As we come to the end of another year, we look back and remember all the difficulties we have faced and the great blessings we have received. Most people have the tendency to focus on the negative. We remember the hurtful things that people have done to us. We remember the financial difficulties we have suffered. We remember the hardships, heartaches, and health issues we had to overcome. We remember the pain we, our friends and our families have felt. It is easy to look back and gripe and complain, wondering what might have been. Negative thinking will not help you to have a great day.

Instead, let us remember the bountiful blessings of God. Remember the people who have touched your lives this year. Remember the people who have been benevolent toward you. Remember those who have prayed for you, who have sent encouraging words to you, and those who ask about your well-being. Remember the great opportunities for growth that have come your way, how you benefited from the struggles you were able to overcome, and the blessings or prayer as you sought help from the only One who can actually do something about our hard times. Remember the financial blessings that have been given to you (especially considering we are very rich considering how most of the world lives). Rather than focusing on the hardships, let us focus on God. His love is constant and true. He provides us with salvation when we do His will. Therefore, we praise God for all that He has done for us…for His bountiful blessings.

If you do not know God and if you do not have a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the best thing you can do as we come to the end of the year is to give your live to Christ. We would love to have you come worship with us and if you have questions about how you can become a Christian, please let us know. We would love to help you come into the bountiful blessings of the Lord.

Psalm 14

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God” (v.1). It is unbelievable that anyone would not believe in God. In fact, the Bible declares that since the beginning of the world, God has made it clearly evident that He exists. He has made it possible for the world to see His everlasting power and divinity. Therefore we have no excuse if we fail to believe in God (Romans 1:20).

Because of their unbelief, many have failed to seek God (v.2). As a result they have become filthy and do not do what is good (v.3). If one does not believe in God, then obviously, they will not want to live under His authority. Sadly, even some claiming to believe in God do not want to live under His authority. Those who love God, keep His commandments (John 14:15).

The missing ingredients are knowledge (Hosea 4:6) and fear (Proverbs 1:29). Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Our mission in life is two fold: to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13); and to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). With knowledge of God’s word and a reverence for God we should have a desire to help the lost know God. Salvation comes from the Lord (Psalm 14:7).

Friends and neighbors, there is a God. He loved you so much that He sent His Son to die in yourstead (John 3:16). Christ loved you so much that He laid down His life for you (1 John 3:16). We love you enough to tell you the truth about the Christ and His church. We want to help. If you need proof that there is a God and there is a way that will lead you to eternal life, please contact us and we will be thrilled to study with you.

Empty Stomachs

“An empty stomach is not a good political advisor.” Albert Einstein

Have you ever gone to the grocery store when you were hungry? If you have not, let me advise you that this is not a good practice. It has been my experience that when returning home, I would find myself not with healthy vegetables, meats, breads, and fruits from my shopping list, but with cookies, soft drinks, ice cream, and every item that “looks good.” This is not a healthy way to shop, nor is it economical. An empty stomach is not a good decision maker.

Einstein may have been thinking of party choices, economic decisions, governmental policy, or even wise, prudent decisions in general. Regardless of his original meaning, the statement rings true. We will not make good quality decisions when something is missing in our lives.

Each day we are faced with a plethora of decisions such as when to start our day, what to eat, what we do, etc. More importantly, we are faced with decisions about the kind of person that we will be, what we teach our children, the strength of our relationship with our spouse, and the depth of our relationship with God. These decisions are affected by what is in our “stomachs.”

If we are going to make good decisions, we need to fill those empty stomachs. Most of us remember the ads telling us we are what we eat. We understand that eating junk food will hurt our bodies and that failing to eat healthy foods can lead to many health problems. Likewise, when we fail to eat the spiritual food of God’s word, we will be facing all kinds of spiritual health problems. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and finish His work” (John 4:34). Job 23:12 says, “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” The message is true for all men. We need to fill our spiritual stomachs with God’s word to bring forth good fruit. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Like the Romans, let us be “full of goodness, filled with all knowledge” (Rom. 15:14). Knowing the love of Christ let us be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19). Let us have love that abounds, knowledge, discernment, approving what is excellent, being sincere without offense, and be “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:9-11). With stomachs and lives filled with the goodness of God, we will make good decisions.

The alternative to being filled with God’s will so that we can make good decisions is to live making decisions out of our emptiness as did the lost son. “He would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate” (Luke 15:16). The lost son thought that he had the world figured out. He thought he knew everything he needed to know to be successful in life. What he learned is that when his heart and mind were focused on the wrong things, such as the pleasures of life, money, food, popularity, and having his own way, that his life was empty.

What is sad is that most of our world feels like the lost son. Most people think they can do it their way and will be fine. So did Israel of old. But God made it clear they were wrong. Hosea 4:6 gives us a great warning: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” To fail to feed on God’s word will leave us in a situation where we will be lost eternally. We must not be spiritually malnourished.

What is your stomach filled with: Godly things or worldly ideals? Fill your stomachs with the word of God and His plan for your life. If I can help you, let me know.

— Denny Wilson