Our 2020 Missions Conference begins this Sunday. This year, our theme has been "Continue in the Word." Together, we have continued to read, study, print, and deliver God's Word throughout the year thus far. Even this month, our church celebrated 200 million copies of Scripture printed at BPS since 1973.
As I find myself searching New Testament Scripture while making ready for a new GrowthGroup class in just a few weeks, my study has consistently been about truth for the believer. The reality is that God and truth are synonymous. Since this is a fact, and since the born again believer is positioned in Christ, truth should take on greater significance for those positioned in His body.
Philippians 2:13-16
As we read our text, we see in verse 15 the condition of the world in which Paul lived. Paul described it simply as crooked and perverse. We are familiar with the word crooked. It describes something that should take one form, straight, but instead presents itself in another form, crooked. We commonly use the word crooked to describe dishonest people or dishonest business practices. The word speaks of intentional deception.
Psalm 119:90-91, "Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants."
If the Lord tarries His return, 2020 will go down in history as a year of turmoil. This would be true not only of our country, but of those around the world who continue to deal with the Coronavirus and COVID-19, pestilence, famine, and wars and rumors of wars as the Bible declares. Here at home, we are still witnessing social and political unrest, spiritual wickedness in high places, wavering mandates and restrictions that make no sense, wars of ethnicities and socio-economic struggles, and whatever else the media seeks to place in front of our view. Fear and uncertainty about the future grips the hearts of multiplied millions, it seems. Depression, suicide, alcohol consumption, and other social problems are on the rise according to the Center for Disease Control. What shall we do?
Whose Approval Are You Seeking?
It is amazing how desperate man is for the approval and acceptance of others. So many times, we feel the need to be affirmed and validated and to have our work seen as noble and acceptable. We think that somehow the results of our work gives us the right to lay claim to our own worth. When in reality, people's opinions matter very little in what is actually appropriate and acceptable. Real success is measured by God's work through us, our obedience to God's work, and our faithfulness to His work.
