Celebrating Anniversaries As a Single

I am a little late, in writing this. But the Holy Spirit JUST reminded me... that this month (May) is the 15th ANNIVERSARY since I began in Christian ministry leadership in my church. I believe the exact date was Sunday, May 13th, 2001. I was already going to Church On The GO as an attendee. But then the window of opportunity was offered to me as a young man, and I took it. I began to volunteer to teach the youth sunday class. I even drew cartoons with Scripture.

This is by far one of the very best things that the Lord has ever done for me.

Thank Jesus for 15 years of Christian leadership ministry, and 16 years (nearly) at the same church. I could not have done it without the Lord. I started as a single, and behold, I am single again now!

 

Thanks to ChristArt.com for this free image. http://www.christart.com/clipart/image/birthday-cake

Just because you are unmarried does not mean you do not have anniversaries you can celebrate. The Lord has done SO many significant things for you and I, and He INITIATED and MAINTAINED so much for us. Think about all the dates God has done something amazing for you. These are events and dates that have nothing to do with marriage, things that marriage has no bearing on. Whether you are currently married or single, choose to celebrate those anniversaries. It is an exercise in gratefulness and it helps us keep a proper heavenly perspective.

See, I COULD have focused on the 'negative' anniversary of May. I could have focused on my old marriage anniversary which was May 21 2005. That marriage ended in divorce sadly in October 2009, because of being abandoned by a non-credible (Greek: "APISTOS" meaning either incredulous, or unbelieving or both) wife (1 Cor. 7:15). 
See APISTOS definition here: https://www.blueletterbible.org/lang/lexicon/lexicon.cfm?Strongs=G571&t=KJV 

But I am long past that. The LORD gave me a ministry when I was a young man, just 21. That was long before marriage. I was single at that time. I believe the date was May 13th, 2001, when Pastor Rev. Marg Coates (she went home to be with the Lord in May 2012) opened the door for me to begin leading in a youth ministry at the church. Today, I am single yet again, and I have since become the Assistant Pastor, and I have been officially "on staff" with the church for years now. 

I am so very GRATEFUL for the privilege to celebrate my 15th anniversary in ministry. This is a distinctly "SINGLE" anniversary, and a Godly anniversary, particularly in my life, because I was single when God called me. This is not to say I will never remarry. But the Lord's call to Ministry leadership was the key event, the greatest event, of my 20's, and nothing else. Jesus, and His voice, must be our immediate priority. Discipleship is about immediate and continual response and obedience to the voice of the Shepherd, Jesus Christ, at any cost.

Ministry is just another word for servanthood. It is exactly like the servanthood of Jesus washing the feet of His disciples. Jesus demonstrated servanthood in His own leadership ministry, despite being the King of Kings. This is the model all servants of the Lord should follow, in heart and in principal and in action. It is nothing grand and showy. It is only for the meek and the lowly. Ministry is not for those who think they will be exalted by it. Anyone seeking to serve the Lord will be humbled in ministry, as I was. The Lord exalts the humble and the meek in His own time.

Abandonment (2008) and divorce (2009), as horrible as those events were, became the events God used to soften me and humble me (Romans 8:28). Pride cannot survive the call to ministry. So I am not "great" in my own eyes, or in anyone else's. I am a simple shepherd, a pastor, who loves helping others and teaching them the Word in a way that they can grow. I rely on the power of the Holy Spirit. I was mentored by Pastor Rev. Steve Coates. And really, I am constantly aware of the miracle that I am actually still in the ministry, despite being divorced. Ministry survived, by the grace of God. That keeps me quite humble. And so I should be. I have nothing useful in myself apart from the blood of Christ, the Spirit of Christ, and the power of Christ. Everything I need and desire is Christ. As flawed as I am, He still uses this vessel as I obey Him.

I love the Lord more than I love the prospect of getting a godly wife. And the fact is, I really think I am the least of the pastors in my church and in my broader ministerial. Everyone else has had more experience than me. My servanthood does not compare to the amazing hearts and service of those who have gone before me.

What has Jesus done for you? What are the significant dates that God has moved in your life? Don't wait until you are married before celebrating an ANNIVERSARY!

What are the Holy Spirit's anniversaries of your life? Find those things and use them as a tool of gratitude, to help you see God's patterns of consistent faithfulness in your life. You will be amazed and humbled at just how faithful Jesus has been to you over the years.

What was....

... the moment He gave you New Birth (The hour of your personal Salvation)?
... a time He rescued you from troubles?
... the moment He called you to walk the path of ministry?
... the moment He changed something in your life for the best?
... The moment He healed you miraculously?
That is just a handful of many possibilities.
There are myriads of OTHER examples we can find in Scripture and in our personal walk with Jesus. What is HIS STORY (History) in your life? Find those days and mark them as anniversaries of His faithfulness to you. 

God bless.

Pastor Curtis

Sun. May 22 2016 3:53pm EST

Singleness is For Pleasing The Lord

Singles, your job is NOT to simply "wait" on God. And of course, when married people tell singles like us to wait on God, it usually means "wait for God to introduce you to a spouse." Waiting is SO much more than that. As if you have nothing better to do than wait for a lover. As if being single automatically means that marriage MUST be needed. As if you cannot be useful in the Kingdom of God as a single. You are LOVED. God wants to HEAL you. He has a work for His saved children to do. You have been commissioned to spread the Word. You are acceptable to God as you are, single and in Christ.

"...He hath made us FREELY ACCEPTED in His beloved. By whom we have redemption through His blood, even the forgiveness of sins, according to His rich grace.... according to His GOOD PLEASURE..." 
Eph 1:6b, 7, 9b

Be sure to read all of Ephesians 1 for a great boost in encouragement in the Holy Spirit. That passage is SO RICH in truth and comfort for His disciples. Single or not, this truth is for ALL disciples. 

Now don't get me wrong, waiting on God is extremely important for renewing one's strength and for getting proper guidance from Him in all things. But it is not just singles who must learn to wait. ALL Christians must learn to depend on His presence and dwell there. Married people must do this too (I was married once, so I understand this well). And for them, it will be even more difficult, due to having both God and a spouse to please. Now, as singles, waiting on God for a spouse CAN be important, IF one is asking God for a spouse and desiring marriage. But it should not be so important that it sidelines the work God has commissioned you to do today, or the fellowship with Himself that is so sweet and powerful. Believe me, nothing is so sweet and peaceful as dwelling in communion with Jesus' Spirit. Nothing beats dwelling in the presence of the Holy Spirit, the One who created the universe and owns it.

Singles only have God to please. This is very freeing. And guess what? There is SO much you can do in God's kingdom today. God longs for more fellowship with you. 

Now, I know some singles will complain to me and say "stop trying to get me to accept singleness." To that I say: It's not you or me that accepts it, it's the Word that accepts singleness. The Word sees singleness as an equal gift beside marriage. See 1 Cor. 7:7. I am not trying to get you to "accept" singleness. I am simply presenting the Biblical view of singleness and challenging people to let the Spirit change their thinking.

Besides, everything has a season (Eccl. Ch. 3). Marriage and singleness are no exceptions. Nothing on this earth lasts forever, not even singleness. Time on earth is short. The question is: are you willing to let the WORD shape your thinking? Believe me, I have had to change my mind in order to conform to Biblical thinking, many times. The Holy Spirit keeps expanding my understanding. My understanding is still not complete, but it is growing in Him. Are you allowing the Holy Spirit to shape your thinking on subjects like singleness? Is there room in your heart for Him to influence you? I have done a complete 180 on singleness. I used to avoid it, and not appreciate it. Now, through His Spirit and His power and His Word, I have a more Biblical view.

Whether you accept singleness as a gift or not is irrelevant. What IS relevant is that you obey the Lord Jesus, the One who you follow as a disciple. And like it or not, when you follow Jesus devoutly, and you just so happen to be unmarried, you are automatically making use of the gift of singleness. Paul said that singles can devote their attention to pleasing the Lord. Discipleship IS pleasing the Lord.

1 Corinthians 7:32-35 ESV

32I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord.
33But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife,
34and his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband.
35I say this for your own benefit, not to lay any restraint upon you, but to promote good order and to secure your undivided devotion to the Lord. 

So the disciples's life is to be spent in undivided devotion to the Lord. Married or unmarried, we are called to please the Lord through letting Christ live in us. 

The single person has the advantage here. Rather than seeing singleness as a "problem" that marriage can "fix" (so to speak), why don't we take Paul's attitude here and see it as a gift for pleasing the Lord?







 
Paul makes it clear in the passage above that marriage will cause a division of attention to some degree.
And yet, the married individual, by making an effort, is also able to secure undivided devotion to the Lord. After all, discipleship and pleasing the Lord must come first. 

See, Bonhoeffer in his book "The Cost Of Discipleship" makes it clear that discipleship is not a group event. Each disciple is isolated from the world in Christ and surrounded by Christ. Not even a marriage changes the fact that you are called to be an individual before the Lord. Your allegiance lies first with Jesus. You can have or do nothing without Jesus. You have no righteousness of your own. You only have HIS righteousness as your own. This is the life of a disciple. 

Understand that the kingdom of Heaven that Jesus proclaimed has changed the order of things. No longer is marriage and childbirth the main way for the Kingdom to advance. Because of death, earthly kingdoms and the now-finished Levitical priesthood relied on marriage and childbirth. Now, the Kingdom of Heaven and the Melchisedec priesthood supercede death. Jesus the High Priest and High King will not die. He died once and rose the third day. He will never die again. And we His followers will also live forever. Jesus is glorified. And as the one who stands on the basis of an endless life (Heb. 7:23-24), Jesus grows His Kingdom through evangelism and discipleship. These two things are how God grows His spiritual family. That means you can be EXTREMELY effective as a vessel of obedience to Jesus in growing the kingdom, WITHOUT even being married! Children are still important. But the Melchisedec priesthood does not rely on children in order to continue. Why? Because Jesus will never die! He is Priest FORVER after the order of Melchisedec (Heb. 7:21)! And we are being made priests and kings after the same order, under Him! (Rev. 1:5-6; Rev 5:10-11)

God's focus is on the heavenly. Man's focus is earthly. But it is time we looked up. Lift the eyes and see Jesus the author and the finisher of our faith.

Yes, Jesus allows and upholds Biblical marriage. And Paul makes it clear there is no sin in a man and a woman getting married. But Jesus does not REQUIRE it for His followers. Neither did Paul. They also did not FORBID marriage. And yet, both Jesus and Paul were single on earth. And they were EXTREMELY effective. Jesus was the One to PAY for all our sins, and bestow His righteousness on ALL who trust in Him. Jesus INITIATED the Church and Kingdom expansion.

He IS the Way into the Holy Nation, the Heavenly Jerusalem. 

Paul, after his conversion, worked to EXPAND the Church and the Kingdom and grew it through the power of God, through epistles, preaching, working a job, and also cooperating with other disciples. 

What God cares about most is what you can do as a single. He cares about YOU. He cares about the salvation, holiness, and growth of souls. This kingdom expansion cannot be stopped by marital status. 

So the next time someone tells you that singleness is for waiting, just smile and say,

"Actually waiting on God  is something all Christians must practice. But the season of singleness is for pleasing the Lord." 

And the Lord is pleased when we obey His Great Commission in Mat. 28:19-20.

He is pleased with placing us in the Body for growth and edification as in 1 Cor.  ch. 12 and ch.14.

And He is pleased when we abide in His presence daily, like a branch abides in a vine. He is pleased to cause the fruit of the Spirit to grow in you. He is pleased to answer the prayers of the fruitful branch. Singles can be a fruitful branch, without children!  See John 15, Philp. 1:11 (fruits of righteousness) and Gal. 5:22-23 (9 fruit of the Spirit). 

And He is pleased to heal us of all our emotional and physical pain. James 5:14-16

Jesus is pleased to give and receive Love. And He is pleased when we love our brothers and sisters in Christ. 1 John 4:19:21. 

- God bless.

Pastor Curtis

Thu May 19 2016 1:50pm EST

Getting a "Helper" no longer depends on Eve.

I was just reading a social media post about what it means to be a "help meet".
So I looked up Genesis 2:18.

Genesis 2:18 GNV
Also the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be himself alone: I will make him an help meet for him.

That word "meet" is just another way of saying "suitable". Eve, Adam's wife, was a "help" and that help was suitable (or "meet") for him.

Here it is in other translations:
ESV
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

GW
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper who is right for him.”

MEV
Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone. I will make him a helper suitable for him.”

There is no doubt that Jesus upholds the Genesis definition of marriage and that man and woman should honour God's covenant of marriage if they choose to enter it (Matthew 19:4-6). A man and woman should always enter into the marriage covenant with witnesses before they live with each other or engage in sex. Marriage is very important.

But Jesus also made it clear that not all people need to be married. (Matthew 19:12) Marriage is not a prerequisite to being accepted by Christ or even being used to advance His Kingdom. Indeed, the New Covenant seems to make plenty of room of singles to get involved exactly as they are, living alone and set apart to do God's will.

Today, as Christians, we have an even bigger Helper, someone available to us at all times. Singles and married people alike can rely on the Helper who is suitable to guide us into all truth. Unlike Eve, the Holy Spirit cannot be tricked or deceived. He knows all things and is pure and peaceable and only speaks truth. He testifies of Jesus Christ alone. He is God. God is three-in-one, or Triune. The Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son, yet He is God. The Father and the Word (Son) and the Holy Ghost are One.

 1 John 5:7 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)

⁷ For there are three, which bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the holy Ghost: and these three are one.

 

We can safely rely upon the Holy Spirit in ways we cannot rely on a marriage partner. Marriage partners fail and sometimes are deceived. But the Holy Spirit is never wrong and He can guide you.

John 14:16-17 New King James Version (NKJV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— 
17 the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you.

John 14:16-17 1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever,
17 Even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him: for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

This means.... we do not need to get married to have a Helper. That Helper, or Comforter, is the Holy Spirit!
The same Holy Spirit who created all of the universe and made mankind is now here to help YOU, in Jesus name, to live for God and to remind you of His Word. He will live with you and in you FOREVER! How awesome that is! Call on Him today!

John 16:13-14 GNV
13 Howbeit, when he is come which is the spirit of truth, he will lead you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself, but whatsoever he shall hear, shall he speak, and he will show you the things to come.
14 He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you.

Romans 8:1 GNV
1 Now then there is no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus, which walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

Romans 8:26-28 GNV
26 Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what to pray as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh request for us with sighs, which cannot be expressed.
27 But he that searcheth the hearts, knoweth what is the meaning of the Spirit: for he maketh request for the Saints, according to the will of God.
28 Also we know that all things work together for the best unto them that love God, even to them that are called of his purpose.

2 Corinthians 3:17
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

You can, as a follower of Jesus Christ, have a Helper meet for you, without marriage! You can have a relationship to Him right now! Call on Jesus as Lord and yield to His Spirit. Seek to please the Spirit of God by faith.

And... Should you choose to get married, then that is great. But just remember your greatest Helper is already here: the Spirit of Jesus Christ!
-CJA

[Sun. May 15, 2016 3:18am EST]

God Sets Up Governments. Do you Trust Him?

Christians: The Question is not whether or not you trust the Prime Minister of Canada or (for Americans) the President, or the current Candidates. The ultimate question is, Do you trust The Lord Jesus in what He is currently doing?

Take a look at these verses to think about God's sovereign hand in all nations.

Romans 13:1 ESV

13 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.

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Psalm 4:4-5 GENEVA

4 Tremble and sin not: examine your own heart upon your bed, and be still. Selah.

5 Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and trust in the Lord.

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Note that David was under persecution from the governing authority, Saul, at the time he wrote Psalm 4. Saul was set up by God. And he was eventually removed by God for disobedience. But God did allow persecution to come to David, through Saul. 

The truth is, God sets up rulers and he takes them down again. He is sovereign over everything. 

Will you trust in the Lord more than in Canada? Will you trust in the Lord more than in The United States? Will you trust the Lord even though he instituted a Prime Minister you may, or may not like? Will you trust in the Lord even though He institutes presidential candidates you might not care for? 

The issue is, and always will be, that we must continually trust the Lord. He alone is in control of all nations at all times. Yes rulers do their plans. Jesus allows it for a time. But The Lord works a greater good that we cannot necessarily see. And He does it through all kinds of leaders. Just read through the Old Testament for many historical examples. 

Should we pray and then go out to vote in elections? Absolutely! But keep in mind the following verse:

Proverbs 19:21 GENEVA
21 Many devices are in a man’s heart: but the counsel of the Lord shall stand.

---

So many devices, like elections, and laws and plans are in mankind's power. But ultimately it will always be the Lord's plan and counsel that is established. Don't be fooled into thinking that human democracy somehow overrules God's kingly sovereign influence. God always gets His way. God is looking not just at countries but also at the spiritual health of his churches within those nations. Are they hot for Jesus, or lukewarm? Have we grown too complacent? 

Let us learn to trust the Lord and pursue Him with spiritual passion. See, if we didn't have difficult times in politics, when would we ever look to the Lord in trust? The goal is always that we should pray for leaders...  and put our faith and trust firmly in Jesus Christ who is God and Lord of all. 

Do you trust the Lord in what He is doing in the current Canadian political landscape? Even if we don't understand it, we can STILL trust the Lord! This goes for Americans too! I don't profess to know even half of what God is currently doing. I do know that I can trust the Lord. 

I do not necessarily agree or disagree with the strong opinions I have been hearing here in Canada and also from my American friends. I mostly do a lot of listening and observing. And in the end, it is not my opinion that matters. God's counsel is what stands. 

Habakkuk did not understand why God established worldly and bitter leaders. 

He did not comprehend God's workings in politics... BUT he still trusted the Lord, because he knew the Lord. He knew that the Lord is righteous only, and pure. He knew that God's plans are good even when there are bad people in charge. Sometimes, God uses worldly leaders, and their persecution, to bring revival to churches, and reignite passion for Jesus. 

Habakkuk 1:5-7 GENEVA

5 Behold among the heathen, and regard, and wonder, and marvel: for I will work a work in your days: ye will not believe it, though it be told you.

6 For lo, I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and furious nation, which shall go upon the breadth of the land to possess the dwelling places that are not theirs.

7 They are terrible and fearful: their judgment, and their dignity shall proceed of themselves.

----

Habakkuk shows that his trust in God is unwavering.

Habakkuk 3:16-19 GENEVA

16 When I heard, my belly trembled: my lips shook at the voice: rottenness entered into my bones, and I trembled in myself, that I might rest in the day of trouble: for when he cometh up unto the people, he shall destroy them.

17 For the fig tree shall not flourish, neither shall fruit be in the vines: the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat: the sheep shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no bullock in the stalls.

18 But I will rejoice in the Lord: I will joy in the God of my salvation.

19 The Lord God is my strength: he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on Neginoth.

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God bless you as you put all your trust in Jesus, and not in your own understanding.

-CJA

Thu. May 5/16 3:09pm EST