Hope

What is The Heart Of Ministry?

Posted on June 20, 2012 by mcalmond

Below is an email that I received and my response to it. I am posting it to see what others might think of this discussion and have some input. So have a shot and we will see where this takes us.

Blessings in Christ Jesus!

Email:

For me to minister, I need a heart to minister, but people are not that enjoyable to minister too.  How do I develop compassion and love for people?

I find people who are going through trials, I find it hard to minister to them, cause I really don’t want to help them, even though the right thing to do is still to minister to them.

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Categories: A Simple Reminder, Absolute Dependency, Authenticity, Awakening, Being Built Up, Benefits, Christian Maturity, Confidence, Dependency, Empowerment, Genuineness, God's Love, Hope, Seeking The Lord Jesus | Leave a comment

Holding Fast To The Truth

Posted on April 28, 2012 by mcalmond

Heb 10:23 Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. ESV

In the face of all that is going on around us in the world, let us remain strong in our hope, in our confident expectation regarding the Lord Jesus Christ and His faithfulness, His promises, His Word of Life.

Let us not become those who shrink back, or draw back into fearful compromise, acquiescing to those who would threaten, be offended by the truth, or would attack the message and thus the messengers of the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Let us not surrender our genuine saving faith and its message for the sake of cultural acceptance or relativity, self-preservation, or even of a worldly appeasement, or worldly acceptance and approval.

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Categories: Authenticity, Calling, Christian Maturity, Church, Communion, Confidence, Encouragement, Following Through, Genuineness, Hope, Persecution, Perseverance, Readiness, Sacrifice, Spiritual Warfare, Standing in Faith, Steadfastness, Suffering, Surrender, Tenaciousness, True Love, Victory, Word of God | Leave a comment

Thoughts About Age and Changes

Posted on April 14, 2012 by mcalmond

Change comes hard for most of us and as we get older, change seems to become even more difficult. It may simply be because of our age or it is simply because when you have spent a life time moving through one change after another, change just gets harder, more difficult and seems to require more of you than ever before. The motivation, energy and drive required for these changes seems to wane and not be as sufficient as it once was, to see you through these seemingly essential changes.

The truth is however, that true change is hard, risky and is always stressful whatever its ultimate fruit and our age at the time.

As a pastor or one who has spent the majority of his life in the ministry in one form or another, I find myself in such a season of life. The real question arises for me, regarding my need for change, is simply, is it worth the effort, difficulty, stress, etc? I have experienced a lot of changes in my life, from one move after another, from one church or ministry organization after another, from one home to another, one state to another, from one ministry crisis to another and even from one job after another. So, yes, the question arises, is this change worth all of the effort, stress and hardship it requires of us to accomplish this change and the promises that these changes hopefully contain?

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, Absolute Dependency, Being Built Up, Breaking Forth, Changes, Christian Maturity, Dying to Self Will, Fear of God, Genuineness, Grace, Hearing The Lord, Holy Ghost Burdens, Hope, Jobs, Mentoring/Discipleship, Ministry Motivation, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Spiritual Fathers/Mothers, Timing, Word of God, Work | Leave a comment

Persecuted Christians

Posted on March 31, 2012 by mcalmond

Matt 16:24-25 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ESV

I found my thoughts focusing upon the persecuted Christians throughout the world. Did you realize that Christians as a people group are the single most persecuted group in the world? Did you realize that of all the martyred Christians since the time of Christ Jesus, half of them have been martyred in the last century alone? I am not sure of the exact numbers but I believe that the number range maybe close to 100,000,000 Christians have died for their faith in the last century or so alone, with most of these occurring in the last half of the century and the beginning of this one.

Christians are dying for their simple faith in Christ Jesus every minute of everyday. They are not dying because of their hatred for the western culture or governments. They are not dying because they have some kind of a holy war against others. They are not dying because they are strapping bombs around themselves seeking to destroy themselves and any others they can along the way regardless of who they may be. They are not dying because they are out trying to destroy others for any reason at all. No!

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Categories: Believer, Body of Christ, Calling, Christian Maturity, Commands, Death, Exhortation, Faith, Following Through, Hatred, Hope, Mercy, Persecuted Christians, Persecution, Perseverance, Readiness, Spiritual Warfare, Steadfastness, Suffering, Transcendence, Victory | Leave a comment

Recognition Isn’t As Simple As Seeing

Posted on March 26, 2012 by mcalmond

Luke 24:15-16 (ESV) While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16 But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.

There is just something about Luke 24 as a passage of scripture that I have always been drawn to. It speaks to me often and I have therefore gained from it at important times in my life. So, every now and then I revisit this text to refresh myself in what the Lord has taught me there and to see what else I might get to see.

Today as I was reading it again, I noticed again something I had seen before and it is the title of this article, He whom they had known, had been familiar with over a period of years, they no longer recognized.

Why? Why did they not recognize their Lord and Savior anymore? What had changed? Was it them who had changed or was it the Lord Jesus? I think it was most definitely the Lord who had changed. He was, in so many ways, not who he was in the natural. He had been crucified, died, had been buried and now had been resurrected. He was now, more than ever, their Savior, Lord, God and King. He was, in every sense of the word a glorified new creation of God, transformed in and through the Power of the Lord God Almighty’s Resurrection of him from death.

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Categories: A Simple Reminder, Absolute Dependency, Anointing, Changes, Crucifixion, Divine Encounters, Election, Holy Spirit Hearing, Holy Spirit Listening, Holy Spirit Seeing, Hope, In Spirit and In Truth, Open Ears, Open Eyes, Regeneration, Resurrection Life, Work of God | 2 Comments

The Miracle and Mystery of Regeneration

Posted on February 25, 2012 by mcalmond

I want to write about something that near and dear to me and that’s the truth of the Lord’s miracle and mystery of regeneration. To understand this precious and most holy work of the Lord even a little bit is such a blessing beyond mere words. While in so many ways it is a mystery, it is also a miraculous reality without which no one can truly be saved in the Lord Jesus Christ. Let me try to tell you about this wonderful work of God’s awesome and sovereign grace.

It begins for each of us when we were chosen in the Lord Jesus Christ before the world’s foundation was even laid. That’s right, we were chosen (elected) in the Lord Jesus Christ clear back then (Eph 1:4). We were even then blessed of God.

Adam and Eve lived out their existence before the living God and before the fall, that is so very much different from ours. They were pure yet neither righteous nor unrighteous. They were given a single command, to not eat of the one tree in the middle of the garden, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

They were naïve and vulnerable, to sin, darkness, and the power of Satan to tempt and deceive them. They didn’t have to walk in faith regarding God, for God simply was and they simply were, because of Him. They walked with Him, talked with Him and fellowshipped with Him daily, in the cool of the evenings. There was no unbelief that had to be overcome, yet. There was no sin nature that had to be conquered, yet. There was nothing in them yet that was fallen and therefore dead. They only had the command of the Lord God Almighty to not eat of this one tree. This command was an opportunity for both faith, faith in God and His Word, and righteousness, the result of adherence or obedience to God’s direct command.

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Categories: Absolute Dependency, Adoption, Calling, Election, God's Faithfulness, God's Love, Grace, His Chosen, Hope, illumination, Imputation, Lies, Mercy, Obedience, Reformed Theology, Regeneration, Resurrection Life, Righteousness, Salvation, Sanctification, Saving Faith, The Power of God, Transformation, Work of God | Tags: , , , , , | 2 Comments

Monergism

Posted on February 20, 2012 by mcalmond

{The following article was discovered in an older folder by itself within my computer. I am not sure if I wrote it originally but I don’t think so. However, I have honestly re-worked it quite a bit in order to post it here. I am not sure where I may have gotten it from. It may have been when I was originally doing my research on this topic of Monergism years ago. If anyone reads this and recognizes some its basic nuts and bolts and can identify who wrote them originally, I would gladly post an acknowledgment saying so.}

*****

“It is the Spirit who gives life [quickens]; the flesh is no help at all. The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus knew from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) And he said, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me [i.e. believe in me] unless it is granted him by the Father.” John 6:63-65 ESV [text added for clarity]

Definition
The Century Dictionary’s definition of monergism may be helpful:

“In theology, [monergism is] the doctrine that the Holy Spirit is the only efficient agent in regeneration [the new birth] – that the human will possesses no inclination to holiness until regenerated [born again], and therefore cannot cooperate in regeneration.”

Etymology
The word “monergism” consists of two main parts. The Greek prefix “mono” signifies “one”, “single”, or “alone” while the suffix “ergon” means “to work”. Taken together it means “the work of one”.

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Categories: A Compilation of Sources, Authenticity, Belief System, Believer, Calling, Christian Maturity, Confidence, Dependency, Edification, Foundations, God Faith, Grace, Holy Spirit, Hope, Reformed Theology, Saving Faith, Teaching, Thankfulness, Theology, True Love, Word of God, Work of God | 2 Comments

Christmas, Santa And A Tree

Posted on December 22, 2011 by mcalmond

Part Two

Now as Christianity continued to expand, grow and thus celebrate the birth of Christ Jesus (Christmas, Epiphany, the Feast of the Nativity), His Baptism and obviously His death and Resurrection (Easter), the different cultures added their own marks upon these celebrations. It is these cultural adaptations, which most often incorporated some aspect of their local celebrations or local context into the celebration experience of the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ and yes, even of what we call Easter. Now, again, taking the more positive road on this, I believe this was all done for the same purposes as we have already stated in Part One, to replace what was previously observed or worshiped, with the true worship and celebration of the Lord Jesus Christ. How successfully this was always done, I am not always so sure.

The point of all of this is simply that the celebration of what we call Christmas is indeed the celebration of Christ’s birth and this has been in the church, in various forms, from very early on. The celebration of what we call Easter, the celebration of the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, has also been a vital part of the church from its very beginning. In fact, it was seen for a very long time as the greatest of the Christian celebrations or remembrances. I believe that Easter should still be our most important celebration. However, this of course is my humble opinion.

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Categories: A Compilation of Sources, Body of Christ, Celebration, Changes, Christmas, Church, Church Forms, Church History, Churches, Confidence, History, Hope, Humility, Questions, Remembrances, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Thanksgiving, The Power of God, Timing, Witness | 2 Comments

His New Adventure

Posted on November 19, 2011 by mcalmond

We have begun a new chapter in our lives. We are now pastoring a small rural Assembly of God Church in a small town in Ohio. We are truly looking forward to this with all of our hearts in the Lord Jesus Christ! We have no clear idea where all of this will lead us for certain, however we have a very real confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ that He has His plan and purpose for us all, in and through this. May it all be, from beginning to end, for His greater glory, honor and praise!

There was for us, from the very beginning, only one true desire, that only His will, word and ways would be accomplished in and through this whole process. Having walked it out, we rest in the truth that He is most certainly in this new adventure, His new adventure. To what end you may ask? Well, to His end. We have no idea for certain, as I have already said, where specifically this will lead, but we do know that it is in His very capable hands and not ours. This is His work, even as we are all His people. Letting Him has His way in, to and through us all, is our primary goal and aspiration.

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Categories: A Genuine Heart Cry, Authenticity, Awakening, Belief System, Benefits, Breaking Forth, Christian Maturity, Hope, In Spirit and In Truth, Ministry, Pastor, Prayer, Resurrection Life, Simplicity, Spirit, Spiritual Hunger and Thirst, Transcendence, Wind of the Spirit, Word, Work of God | Leave a comment

The Great Falling Away

Posted on October 29, 2011 by mcalmond

The Lord Jesus Christ one day while he was teaching asked a vitally important question. This question is almost too easily overlooked because of the way that it came forth. His question arose at the end of his teaching. He was telling a parable of the importance of persevering in faith, in earnest prayer, of how we need to be those who learn the power of and value of our praying through until we have what we are seeking the Lord.  For in Spirit and Truth, He is willing, just and ready to answer our prayers. As the Lord was finished sharing his brief parable, suddenly, almost as a passing thought Jesus says, “Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8 ESV)

Will we as believers persevere in faithful prayer, in genuine faith, while waiting for the Lord’s return? Or will we give up and walk away, throwing in the towel, turning around and no longer walking in the faith, hope and love of the Lord Jesus Christ?

We live in crucial times with rapidly accelerating darkness and sin all around us. We live in a time that all too quickly approaches, what the Word of God refers to as the time of The Rebellion, The Apostasy, The Great Falling Away.

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Categories: Anointing, Apostasy, Awakening, Being Built Up, Belief System, Believer, Body of Christ, Boundaries, Breaking Forth, Calling, Darkness, Dependency, Disobedience, Dying to Self Will, Edification, Empowerment, Encouragement, Exhortation, Faith, Fear of God, Flesh, Following Through, Genuineness, God Faith, God's Faithfulness, Grace, Growing in Faith, His Chosen, Holy Spirit, Hope, Knowledge, Last Days, Mercy, Ministry, Noise and Distractions, Now Word, Obedience, Open Ears, Open Eyes, Openness, Paradigm Shift, Persecution, Perseverance, Prayer, Presumptions, Priorities, Process, Profession, Promises, Readiness, Relationship, Rest, Righteousness, Rock, Salvation, Saving Faith, Seeking The Lord Jesus, Source, Spirit, Spirit of Truth, Spiritual Warfare, Standing in Faith, Steadfastness, Teacher, Teaching, Tenaciousness, Thankfulness, Thanksgiving, The Lord Jesus, Victory, Vulnerability, Waiting on the Lord, Witness, Word, Word of God, Work, Worship | Leave a comment

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