DEACON’S BEACON

Keeping God First

To know God means to Give Ourselves Daily to Him and ask Him every morning what path would He have us take today. Who should we witness to? What scriptures should we read today? What can we learn about ourselves through other people and situations around us? These are things we can always find out when we Give Ourselves Daily to God. However, how many of us really do that. We are taught and learn that God should always be first in our lives but often let worldly tasks and views disrupt our daily walk.

What can you do when work and family responsibilities seem to swallow every spare moment? God recognizes that we must take care of our children, spouse, and maybe even aging parents as well as earn a living. But He warns that you must put Him first in everything you do.

It was Moses who told the second generation of Israelites, as they were about to cross over the Jordan to claim Canaan as their Promised Land, that they must love the Lord with ALL they had — love God with heart, soul and strength — everything!  (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)

When Jesus was asked, “Which is the first commandment of all?”  He quoted Moses and added another dimension—the “mind” further expanding the totality of our love life towards God and others (Mark 12:30).

How can we interpret these verses for application in our lives as disciples?

    To love with our ‘heart’ is to love unconditionally

    To love with our ’soul’ is to love passionately

    To love with our ‘mind’ is to love willfully

    To love with our ’strength’ is to love continually

Loving God is the foundation for all other loves and must precede our love for others.  We must love God, understand and receive His love if we are going to be able to love others, including ourselves!  When we forget all that God has done for us, when we allow people, experiences, or material things to take His place in our lives,

or when we stop spending time with Him we can get to a place where we are no longer in love with Him. We must keep God first in our lives and he left us specific instructions that if followed will assist us in making God our number one priority.

First, memorize God’s words. Make memorization of Scripture a priority. That way, God’s instructions can always be in your mind, no matter what you a
re doing during the day.

Second, be diligent to tell your children about God’s ways (Deuteronomy 6:7). Make God’s Word a regular topic of conversation at home. That way, God can be at the center of your family life.

Third, keep God’s Word always in front of you—while at work and at home. Part of the Will of God is to study the Bible (2 Tim. 2:15).  Many who study the Bible, study for information rather than correction.  Disciples of Jesus Christ are admonished not to be foolish, but understand the Will of God (Eph. 5:17).  It appears that some who claim to be His disciples today are least informed about this aspect of spiritual and godly living (Col. 1:9).

Fourth, Be around  POSITIVE people.
1 Cor. 15:33 Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits”.  Stay away from those people who are trying to act like they are your friends but what they are really doing is bringing you down. They are pulling you in the wrong direction away from God. They can do this by encouraging you to do things that you know deep in your heart are not things that God approves of. That is why it says in this scripture – DO NOT BE DECEIVED.

Most importantly, Always be strong in your faith!  Hebrews 11:6 “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

If we find ourselves without faith it is because we are not seeking God. To diligently seek God means to pick up the Bible, read it, study it, meditate on it and apply what it says is our lives. Everything we need to please God is found in His Word. If you do these things along with Prayer, your faith will grow and you will put God first in your life.

Submitted by Deacon Archie Parks

From the Pastor’s Heart

From the Pastor’s Heart

April Showers Bring May Flowers

“April showers bring May flowers” is an old saying that we have heard growing up. There is a spiritual lesson in there for us as well. When we go through the “showers” of life, there is growth in us that can develop us spiritually, like the flowers in May. No one likes to go out when it’s raining. Many fun activities have to be postponed or canceled. Rainy days also affect many people’s moods. A rainy day is a good metaphor for our challenges and struggles spiritually. We grow the most when we are totally dependant upon God. Sadly, most of us only get to that point after we have tried everything else that we can.

But like the May flowers that unfold when in touch with the warmth of God’s love, we grow after a season of challenge, despair, rainy days, you get the idea.

The most encouraging books of the Bible were written from dungeons and on the run in the wilderness with danger and tension bearing down on the author. It is from those places that the authors of those books of the Bible were inspired by God to encourage followers of Jesus for centuries.

May all your “showers” bring forth spiritual “flowers.”

This May 16th we will say thank you and good bye to Rob Sandford, the ODU Baptist Campus Minister. Rob has the record of being the longest tenured Baptist Campus minister in the United States, which pretty much means, the WORLD. Rob has been to preach at Azalea many times and we have been blessed by his time of leadership. You are cordially invited to the Baptist Student Union at the Old Dominion University from 6-8 PM on May 16th.

See you at “the Sunday morning place to be”…grateful to God rain or shine!

Pastor John