Preaching Is Not The Old Way-Guest Blog

by Joel Littlefield

The early Apostles preached Christ through the Holy Land, into Asia-minor and all the known world. You couldn’t have stopped them if you tried. Their words went out with power and with the Holy Spirit. Necessity laid hold of them and love constrained them onward in the face of opposition and persecution.

Can this kind of movement happen today?

Preaching is not the “old way”, as if some newer, better way has been invented. Neither does cultural relevance have anything to do with its success. With the right content, the power of the Spirit who raised Christ from the grave and willing vessels, the preached gospel can change the young, the old, the rich and the poor who believe.

The message that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners and that faith in Christ alone brings forgiveness of sin, must be preached in truth and proclaimed with passion. Why such passion? Because sinners who believe in the gospel receive eternal life.

They turned the world upside down with the finest preaching this world has ever known. It was truth. It was bold. It was risky. And it never came at the expense of good theology. They were martyrs; true and faithful witnesses to the glory of Him who loved this world to death.

So whether on the streets of our communities or in our churches; whether to a friend or a perfect stranger, the gospel must be preached. It must be heard. Let’s boldly tell the world the message of the crucified and risen King of glory until all have heard.

Romans 10:14 “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?”

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Joel Littlefield
Husband and father of three, pastor and worship leader. My desire for blogging and writing is from a heart for the Body of Christ to glorify God in everything, and through every season.

Author of Grace in Crossville and Beeline to the Cross

Link to Joel's website Made To Make Disciples

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Prayers For Blessings--Presented by my Husband

This is from the notes on the subject of prayer that my husband Ivan presented to the Silver Saints, a monthly luncheon for the older members of our church. Each month someone will deliver a short Bible topic and my husband was asked several times to speak. 
Please enjoy Ivan's message.

Lesson Topic--Prayers for blessings.
Matthew 6:31, 32. Therefore do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.”

Prayer is letting God know your personal wants for yourself and to others even though He already knows. Being able to talk with God one on one, letting Him know personally what you are asking, even when He already knows what you’re going to say. It isn’t selfish to ask for blessing or pray for yourself because He wants to hear from us individually. It pleases Him for us to talk with Him.

If you’re praying for health and wealth and you don’t get it, you may decide your faith isn’t right or maybe not enough. You begin to believe that’s why you’re not getting what you’ve asked for. I think that when we pray or ask for a blessing, we would like to have a response quickly, but time to the Lord is on a different schedule than ours.

Isaiah 55:8 "'For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways' Says the LORD."

Blessings don’t always equal health and wealth but praying for blessing is a good thing to do. It’s not selfish to ask. God wants to give everything good to us. But a good thing to remember is it’s not always a good thing to ask for yourself. Ask for others to be blessed; family, friends, even the unsaved, and your enemies.

If you prayed for someone to accept Jesus’ salvation and they do accept it at some point, it certainly is a blessing for them. It also blesses you and it blesses God. That’s a positive. And further, now they will have blessings of their own! Just think; if they accept Jesus as Savior, they then would have their lives turned around and their focus changed. They wouldn’t still be seeking the things mentioned in the verse in Matthew. Now, you can join in their happiness too.

I don’t know about you but I don’t think I pray enough. 

Examples of men who diligently prayed are Daniel, Paul, and Jesus.

Daniel 6:10 cf (....knowing the writing had been signed... he knelt down on his knees three times that day, and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as was his custom.."

(Paul’s letters open with praying blessing for someone. Romans 1: 7,  Corinthians 1:3, 2 Cor 1:2 and so forth) 

Daniel and Paul were very steady with prayers, praying everyday and anytime.

We know Jesus often went to be alone to pray and gather strength and get refreshed. Getting alone with God is important, but He prayed for His people. 

Finally, asking for blessings we don’t get doesn’t mean we’re not blessed. We might not receive blessing in our time but in God’s time. 

We are still being blessed. We’re making God happy!

• We awoke this morning. We’re blessed!
• We got dressed. We’re blessed!
• We ate breakfast. We’re blessed!
• We’re breathing. We’re blessed!

The list goes on and on and on………

I found these 2 quotes from Our Daily Bread that I feel sum up prayer.

“I blindly ask for what I crave,
With haughty heart and will so stout;
He oft denies me what I seek,
But gives me grace to do without”

And this quote—If God doesn’t give us what we ask for, we can be sure that He has something far better.

Have faith in the Lord for who He is and what He can do or will do for you or anybody. You can be certain it will come about in His time.

God is the Living God, there is no other we can go to have our prayers answered.

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This was delivered in 2008. Today, because of age and health, Ivan has since become too ill to attend church. But he is still a faithful prayer warrior.

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Motivation in Discouragement

Our faith in God doesn't change with our circumstances. My husband and I love Jesus and trust Him for all things. He is our Comfort and Guide, our Helper and the One who sustains us through all things.

"Now faith is the substance of things hoped for,

the evidence of things not seen" Hebrews 11:1.

We are without a personal vehicle.
We are in some financial difficulties. (My husband's age and health have changed our financial situation)
We are awaiting an official decision about a situation that needs clarification.

They are troubling singly and very troubling when coming all at the same time.

But that has nothing to do with our faith in God. God hasn't changed.

• God is still Omnipotent.
• God is still Omnipresent.
• God is still Omniscient.

We still need to pray with thanksgiving and supplication. Our intercessory prayers are not hindered.

We still need to read our Bibles. The truth and power of God's word is still the same.

We still need to evangelize. People held in the bondage of sin need to hear about the free salvation of our God.

These truths are to be grasped with zeal in our faith in God!

"I will lift up my eyes to the hills---from which comes my help?

My help comes from the LORD. who made heaven and earth"

Psalm 121:1,2.

God is doing something about our troubles, even though we know nothing about His future plan at the moment. The outcome is in His hands. Our faith is in Him.

If you are in a struggle, trust God is able to do all things.

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Thank you.