Saturday, March 28, 2009

What Next?


But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of,
knowing from whom you have learned them.
2 Timothy 3:14

Many of us have had the opportunity somewhere in our lives to learn from individuals that have imparted great wisdom to us. I could give you names of people that I have learned from firsthand and even from afar: Whetsel, Shafer, Pope, Nee, and my father, Jimmy Hudson. All of these men have taught me from both their words and experience. I am also grateful to say that I have a Godly wife that God has used to strengthen my walk with Him as well as bless my life.
While I am grateful for what they have each taught me, the truth is that their teaching only does me good if I apply it. We can learn a great deal in our years on this earth, but if we do not do anything with what we have learned we have profited nothing and wasted valuable resources. I remember standing in the backyard pitching a baseball to my father while he taught me how to do it correctly. I thought of that many times when I stood on the mound during a high school game. I often try to follow the example of loving the unlovely that I learned from a colleague named Charles Whetsel. My devotion life was taught to me through the example of my wife. All of us can learn, but we must decide what we are going to do with what we learn.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Guilty As Charged

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law,
that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Romans 3:19

We often think of being guilty of something as a negative in our life. To hear a judge declare us to be guilty in a court of law would surely be a fearful moment. However, the entire Word of God points out that we as sinful individuals are guilty before a holy God. Because of our sin, we are separated from God and living in condemnation. So, where is the positive in all of this? It is only when we see that we are guilty that we see that we need a deliverer, or better yet, a Savior. Many individuals live their lives considering themselves to be “pretty good” people. How many times have you heard someone say about a person that he is a “good man”? While that might be true by the moral standards of man, by God’s holy standard every man falls short. However, most men are not looking at God as the standard by which they compare themselves. They are simply looking at their neighbor and feeling justified in the fact that they are better than them. I would like to challenge you to take a good look at God’s Law for a moment. Do you measure up to His standard of righteousness? When you realize that you do not, then you see why the price Jesus paid on the cross was so precious. You were guilty. He was not. Yet, He willingly took your place. What a Savior!

Saturday, March 7, 2009

Where in the World Is Comoros?


Ye shall be witness unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea,
and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
Acts 1:8b

Every Wednesday night we pray for different countries that are considered “restricted” or “closed” nations. In many of these countries the individuals there have their freedoms either stripped away from them or they are so oppressed that they cannot worship God freely. As Christians here in the U.S., I believe we have two major responsibilities when it comes to this area of the persecuted church.
First, we need to thank God for our freedom to worship as we wish, and with that we need to take advantage of it. Our lack of assembling together for worship, lack of Bible reading, lack of prayer, and failure to witness on a regular basis are all evidence of ingratitude for the freedoms that God has given us.
Second, we need to be proactive in what we do for the persecuted church. It begins with prayer. Prayer is not a second option. It should always be our first option. We can also get involved in some physical or financial way. There are plenty of things that you can do for the Lord in these regions of the world. There is everything from signing petitions, donating money, or making items available for use in these parts of the world. For more information find www.persecution.net or .com. While you are there, find Comoros.