I won't retire from being an Ambassador!

I have been in the retail industry for 27 years as of this month! And God has used me in the retail marketplace. I have seen the Lord move over and over again. Christians need to remain in the world's marketplace system to keep shining the light.

Recently someone asked if I would retire from retail work soon. The more I thought about it, the more I realized something: I will never retire from being an ambassador for Christ (as long as I live on the earth)! I am actually representing the King in all I do and in every place I go. I am an Ambassador for King Jesus and I was appointed in His Kingdom. That is true of every believer in Jesus.
 So we think of earthly jobs as ones we retire from. But you and I, as believers, should NEVER retire from representing Jesus. That's my life mission, interwoven in the midst of every other vocation or occupation I have (I am a bivocational pastor who also works in retail management).
Ambassadors of a country always represent the will of their king or queen when visiting other countries. We are on the earth representing the will of the King Jesus, and the agenda of His Country and His government- the Kingdom of Heaven. We are His diplomatic representatives on earth. It is a life-time appointment to every person who believes in Christ.  

2 Corinthians 5:20-21
New King James Version

20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

We will never retire from this! That means, as long as we live on earth, we should see it as our mission to represent Jesus the King and to share His Gospel of the Kingdom.
It is a lifetime privilege and honour to tell others about the Gospel of the Kingdom of Heaven!

Matthew 4:17 NKJV

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 4:23-24 NKJV

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 

24 Then His fame went throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

This was Jesus' main message, and it should be ours as well! He tells us to preach the gospel of the Kingdom to everyone, everywhere!

Mark 16:15 NKJV

15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

 It is our lifetime message while on earth, no matter what other profession we may have or what other occupation we may be doing. The Gospel of the KINGDOM (God's Country) is meant to be our theme as Believers and Ambassadors! 

Blessings

Pastor Curtis

Thu Dec 29th 2022 10:38pm Eastern Time.

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Did the Last Days Already Begin?

According to Scripture, are we already in the Last Days, or are they yet to begin? 

Let's see what the Holy Bible has to say about that:

Hebrews 1:1-2 (NKJV)

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 

2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 

So Hebrews tells us when the Last Days began: they started when Jesus Christ, the Son Of God, came to earth and spoke to us as a man. We have been in the Last Days for nearly 2000 years now!

Also, we can further confirm that the Last Days already began at the start of the early church:

Peter tells us that the Baptism of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost was an indicator of the Last Days, according to Joel chapter 2.

Acts 2:16-17 NKJV

16 But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17 ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,

That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;

Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,

Your young men shall see visions,

Your old men shall dream dreams.

So we need to adjust our eschatology (our understanding of end times) based on what Scripture says, not what popular opinion may be or what tradition of men or ministries may say.

I hope these Scriptures encourage you! We are not at the start of the last days, no rather we are nearing the END of the Last Days. If you want to learn more, I encourage you to study the Historicist view of eschatology, the view held by reformers and several solid Bible teachers. The Historicist view is not as well known today because many sincere Bible teachers hold to the Roman Catholic doctrine called "Futurism". I hope you will be open to learning more about Scripture. Consider why you believe what you believe. Is it what Scripture teaches, or is it what mankind teaches? 

Resources:

Karl Tester teaches Revelation from a Historicist Viewpoint: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLMV1A56bZ4_JrHHpRcHzd4WnwHqtFFdLN

Robert Caringola teaches Revelation and Daniel from a Historicist View Point: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLvNU1xaiTlC2JCS0VfI1GGCDNT6Wm2j9E 

   

- - -

Blessings

Pastor Curtis

Thu Dec 29th 2022 12:20pm Eastern Time

The Overcomer's Attitude (Dominion Mindset)

We need a Biblical attitude as believers. This begins with understanding what God's plan for mankind is: To be bearers of God's image in the earth, having kingdom dominion over the earth, in fellowship with God!

Genesis 1:28

New King James Version

28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

 Our own personal attitude is the first arena of life we must conquer and be dominant in. 

In order for Adam to dominate that garden and keep it under control, he first had to THINK like someone who has dominion. His attitude was affected by the Word that GOD spoke to him.

 In Christ, the same is true for us as believers and saints today. The overcomer's attitude is a DOMINION MINDSET. And Jesus is the Word of God. He is God. (John 1:1) He was made flesh and dwelt among us! (See John 1:14) By hearing and believing Jesus, we can regain that dominion mindset, that overcomer's attitude that we lost at Adam and Eve's fall. 

 If your thinking is off, the rest of your life will be too. We must dominate wrong attitudes trying to get into our minds by overpowering them with a Biblical Godly attitude, fueled by the Person known as the Holy Spirit. I am not talking about dominating other people's attitudes. I am talking about letting the Holy Spirit shape your OWN attitude into a dominant attitude that overcomes the world, pride and sin and Satan. The first war is the war of ideas. The only way to conquer a bad idea is to bring a better idea to the conflict. 

I have learned from the Lord Jesus: Attitude is my own responsibility. It is also in my own authority. No one can make me feel or think like they do. I choose how I think and feel. This is true no matter who I am around. It could be family, friends, church goers, co-workers, staff who are under my leadership in my department, or co-workers, or managers above me. I can work for others and they have authority over my actions while I am on the clock. BUT they can never force their own attitude on me. If we aren't careful, some people's negative and terrible attitudes can seep into our thinking. Bad attitudes such as: favourtism, hypocrisy, gossip, defeated mentalities, victim mentalities, bullying, gas-lighting, etc. No matter who the person is who has such attitudes, and who presents them to you, they have no authority over your own attitude. Zero. Only you choose what mindset to adopt. If we are left to our own devices, as fallen sinners, we will spiral into selfish, sinful and deadly thought patterns.  

And yet there is hope. The inerrant Word of God tells us to willingly submit our soul (our mind and thoughts) to the Lord and His Spirit. Submit every idea to Him. Put the bad ideas, and ungrateful attitudes and toxic envy in chains. 

2 Corinthians 10:5 NKJV

casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ,  

So while no one has authority over my attitude, I must grant Jesus and His Spirit authority to shape my mind and my attitude. Jesus chooses not to force His mind or ways. We must be hungry for His thoughts and ways. I strive NOT to live by my soul (mind will emotions). I practice living by the Spirit of God. There's a difference. Soul is the realm of emotions and will power and personality. But the Holy Spirit IS a person and He has an attitude. Adopt His attitude according the the Holy Bible. Let Him teach you His attitude. As we yield to Him, no one else will be able to dominate your attitude. Your overcomer's attitude will begin to bring you dominion over circumstances. In the face of blatant disrespect, rudeness, and selfishness, your Holy Spirit inspired attitude will begin to have dominion in the earth (your body) and in your region. This is an attitude of humility, grace, blessing, peace and holiness. The person who practices daily submitting to the perfect attitude of the Holy Spirit and of Christ Jesus will begin to build a godly sphere of influence around them on planet earth. Attitude, then, is the first ingredient to us having dominion on earth as God intended. And it is only possible through Jesus Christ and His Spirit!

 This is a key ingredient to the original commission given to Adam in the garden of Eden. To have dominion over the earth (rule responsibly), we must first have the RIGHT ATTITUDE.

 It is all spelled out for us in the Bible.

No one has authority over your attitude except you,

and those whom you grant authority to.

(Self Portrait of Curtis Alexander on the roof dining area of

Halifax Public Library, June 2022)

Rom 8:5
For they that are after the flesh do mind G5426 the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

Rom 12:3
For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; G5426 but to think G5426 soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

Philippians 2:5 KJV
Let G5426 ➔ this mind be G5426 in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:

Col 3:2 KJV
Set your affection G5426 on things above, not on things on the earth.

Rom 15:5 KJV
Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be likeminded G5426 one toward another according to Christ Jesus:


The Greek Word "Froneo" G5426 is in every one of these Bible verses, as indicated with the bold, underlined text. The Blueletterbible definition is:

to have understanding, be wise

to feel, to think

to have an opinion of one's self, think of one's self, to be modest, not let one's opinion (though just) of himself exceed the bounds of modesty

to think or judge what one's opinion is

to be of the same mind i.e. agreed together, cherish the same views, be harmonious

to direct one's mind to a thing, to seek, to strive for

to seek one's interest or advantage

to be of one's party, side with him (in public affairs)
---

So in the case of the Believer, we are to be of Christ's mind, Christ's opinion, agree with Christ, understand Christ, and ultimately, have relationship with Christ.

And all this is done by the Holy Spirit in us, as we participate with Him.

John 16:13

New King James Version

13 However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come.

The Holy Speaks as He hears the Lord speaking in Heaven. And if we will take time to listen to HIM, the SPIRIT of TRUTH, He will begin to gradually shape our minds, and attitudes in new and powerful and indomitable ways. 

Let me give you an example. Today, at the store where I work as a department manager, an employee came to me with a question in the aisle. It was very quick. But a customer came behind him and complained that we employees were blocking the aisle. I said to the customer politely that we are happy to move aside, and that he should "say the word". (Funny thing: some people have forgotten how to say "excuse me" nowadays. They seem to prefer barreling through people and shopping carts with little regard for manners.)

So the two of us immediately cleared the way for the man, and he was grumbling. So as he shopped down the aisle I followed him and approached him. I think I surprised him actually. 

I said: will you be needing any assistance with product today? 

He, not expecting kindness after being a grump, decided to ignore my words. 

So I, in an attitude-dominating fashion, spoke up again: "are you doing well today sir?"

This time, he had no choice. If he ignored me again, he knew that would expose his terrible attitude. So he turned his head toward me slightly and let out a tiny little "yeah...."

And then kept shopping. 

So I concluded by telling him "That's wonderful, have a great day!"

He was out of the store pretty fast. 

You don't have to be a grump. Instead, be dominant in kindness, be dominant in blessings, be dominant in forgiveness. Christ commands us to forgive others if we want forgiveness from the Father in Heaven. 

So be dominant in an attitude that forgives the rudeness of others. If you begin to get grumpy over other people's rude or belittling behaviours, you are now granting that person AUTHORITY over your attitude. You and I need a better alternative. The attitude of Christ. Fill your mind daily with Christ's Words. Be so full of His thoughts that when people give bad attitude, your own mind will be ready to dominate the scene with Blessings, and with truth given in kindness and love. 

I am far from perfect. I still have bouts with my old-fallen nature attitude. But after walking with the Lord and reading His word and following His Spirit for 36+ years, I believe I have made some headway into modeling a Christ-like mind and attitude. When people cut me off or are rude to me, I tend to bless them. Why? Because my Master, Jesus Christ, has authority over my attitude, and His attitude allows me to overpower bad thoughts with good and godly ones. Just look at the BEATITUDES of Christ to get a snapshot at what a Christ-like attitude in the Kingdom of God is really like:
Jesus tells us how to think, and it will take daily meditation on His word and daily practice.

He says the following in Matthew 5:3-12:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn,

For they shall be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek,

For they shall inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

For they shall be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful,

For they shall obtain mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart,

For they shall see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers,

For they shall be called sons of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. 

12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

He teaches us how BLESSED we are when we are persecuted for His sake, when we are merciful, when we are peacemakers, and when we seek the Kingdom of Heaven with a poor and humble spirit. We are blessed when we prioritize right-living, and right-standing with God! 

We are blessed when we maintain a pure heart, washed in the blood of Jesus.

Kingdom of Heaven Dominion on earth begins with the right attitude. It's Christ Jesus' attitude. We can choose to adopt it and be overcomers. Our attitude in Him will OVERCOME the "stinkin-thinkin" of other people.  

This topic is much bigger and I have only begun to scratch the surface. So, I encourage you to study this in Scripture for yourself. Adam's commission begins with attitude. An attitude of agreement with God. An attitude that believes one can do what God calls them to do!

I will leave you with two more Bible verses:

This one from 1 Peter shows us some key traits to an overcomer's attitude. Courtesy is often missing in the world, but Peter tells us we need a courteous attitude!

1 Peter 3:8 NKJV

Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous;

Finally, John the Apostle records the words of Jesus, promising a reward for the overcomers in Christ!

There are several verses in Revelation chapters 2-3 that discuss this. Here is one example:

Revelation 3:21-22 NKJV

21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.

22 “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’ ”

So Jesus rewards the overcomer, not just with eternal life and salvation, but also with rulership- coregency in Christ!

So in order for us to BE overcomers, we must first THINK like overcomers, nurture the ATTITUDE of someone who says "In Christ, I can overcome this challenge!". It begins in our minds. 

Think like a winner, a victor: think like Jesus Christ! His attitude can be in YOU through the Word and the Spirit. His heavenly attitude OVERCOMES the bad attitudes of the world, the flesh, and the devil. 

Blessings

Curtis Alexander

Assistant Pastor,

churchonthego.ca 

Thu Dec 22 2022 4:44am

 

Ask for what you want, and be more specific: A Retail Manager's Plea.

"“Ask, and it will be given to you..." (Matthew 7:7a NKJV)

"Do you have Muffin Mix?" asked the customer, a man likely in his 60's or 70's.

I replied, "Yes we do, right down this aisle" in a cheerful tone.

I took him to the exact location of our muffin mix.

He said, in a huffy tone, "This isn't muffin mix!"

Perplexed, I replied, with politeness "It says 'muffin mix' right on the package sir."

Then he finally revealed his actual, previously uncommunicated desire, hidden deep within his mind: "It's not oatmeal muffin mix."

I was then able to tell him: "Oh well I did not hear you ask for the oatmeal type, sir. You only said 'Muffin Mix'. Unfortunately we do not have the oatmeal kind, just this other one."

It was clear that being specific in his request had never occurred to the customer, and he remained silent. He did have a shopping companion, younger than him. 

His younger fellow shopper came along side him and said "Okay thank you" to me in a knowing tone, realizing that the customer had not been specific, leading to temporary confusion. 

Since I have been in the retail industry for over 27 years now, I have dozens of these kinds of stories and experiences. I also have plenty of positive experiences. Not everything is frustrating, though things like the above story do happen. 

Now as a grocery department manager for a family department store, I encounter a lot of great people. I love our customers. They are usually quite polite and some of them even compliment me. I had such a compliment yesterday actually. I answered a couple of questions about specific grocery items that required a little more knowledge and she said "You're amazing!" Apparently she used to work in retail and was impressed by my level of service and knowledge. It made my day. (Well that and another older lady called me "young man"... that made my day also! I told her "thank you for the 'young' compliment!")

I enjoy helping customers and leading staff. But I am a stickler for detail also, and it frustrates me when a handful of customers expect me to read their mind. They give minimal information when asking me for a product and expect me to read their mind and know what they are thinking. This comes down to the very rudimentary thing called "communication". Humans have a long history of struggling with communication. The speaker speaks, and thinks he has been heard. The listener hears, but does not fully understand what was spoken. Then the breakdown occurs where the speaker is disappointed that the listener did not "get it." But perhaps, the speaker left out some details that are crucial to the passing on of the information. I am guilty of this too. We can all struggle to get our message across at times.

So when it comes to customers with vague requests, I ask questions.

Yesterday, I was approached by a middle aged man asking for, and I quote: "sticks". I thought he meant those little sticky strips for holding picture frames to the wall, known as "Command Strips." Maybe he means "pepperoni sticks". We do sell those on the deli counter. Or maybe he was asking for tree branches? I had no idea what he meant by "sticks".

He did not give me enough information and I do not read minds. So I asked him: "do you mean Command Sticks or Strips?"

Then he paused, and was not able to say yea or nay to that. It was like he had to think about what I asked. Eventually he was able to come up with enough detail in his communication to tell me exactly what he was looking for: "sticks for dogs" as in treat sticks they can chew on. I immediately said yes, we have those and brought him to the right department and showed him all of the various dog chews and sticks we sell. He found what he was looking for and was on his way. Another happy customer!

I have learned to ask questions: it makes people think about their requests more carefully and be more specific. I enjoy helping customers find the products but I really can only do that when the words communicated put us both on the same page, so to speak.

One time I was asked by a customer for, and I quote again: "baking flavouring". I asked her a bunch of questions to narrow down what she meant by this extremely vague and broad request. It could have been anything: chocolate, cocoa, spices, cinnamon, ginger, etc. She was unable to express anything more specific. She had no idea what it was specifically called. So we wandered the baking aisle trying to identify her mystery substance. After a couple of minutes she identified the item she wanted on the shelf: Artificial Vanilla. So I said it's called artificial vanilla so she would know what to ask for next time.

It is a real challenge at times to communicate effectively and we can all struggle with it. This is because we all have different experiences and some words may have different connotations to us that are not obvious to the other person because they do not share our previous experiences. That is why I encourage anyone who shops to give more detail when asking for an item in a store. It really helps us out when we know exactly what you're looking for! A good trick is to bring a flyer or a cellphone app that shows the item directly. That is extremely helpful.

Because I am also a pastor, I want to add a spiritual dimension to this article now. Jesus wants us to ask and be specific about our needs. He DOES read minds, unlike me. Nevertheless, He wants us to ASK for our specific requests. This is so that we do not start taking God for granted. He wants communication. He wants relationship with you. And you can only have that relationship to God through Jesus (see John 14:6). Jesus tells us:

Matthew 7:7-12 NKJV
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.
8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.
9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?
10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?
11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

So Jesus is all about communication and being specific in our requests. This is the most important thing we can ask: What must I do to be saved from my own sin, the wrath of God, and eternal torment in hell? 

Acts 16:29-31 NKJV
29 Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas.
30 And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”

The answer? We must simply Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. No works can save us, just simple faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. 

So whether we are shopping or having fellowship with Jesus Christ, let us be more specific in our asking. Ask for something specific, and you will receive it according to God's will and timing!

Blessings
Pastor Curtis
www.churchonthego.ca
Thu Dec 15th 2022 1:29pm Eastern Time.

14 Dating Tips for Christian Believers

Here are some tips for dating in a godly way:

1. Date in a way that leads to marriage (eventually).

2. Let go of bad dating relationships or dating relationships where stagnation has occurred. Godly dating is meant to help the man and woman grow in Christ, and should some day lead to Biblical marriage. A relationship should not always be in a state of uncertainty. It's natural to be uncertain in the early stages of a relationship. Normally, such uncertainty is settled into confidence as the couple walk and grow together, and look toward Christ.
But if after a long time, you still don't know where your relationship is headed or where you stand with someone, that is a sign you need to re-evaluate the whole thing. Have a talk and see if your partner is willing to discuss things.

3. Don't be afraid to stay single a while, maybe even a very long while.

4. Ask God for direction in Jesus' Name. His Holy Spirit will guide you.

5. Seek God's Word for knowledge, wisdom, and light when dating. The Bible is great at helping us identify the fruit of the Spirit, and godly character.

6. Your relationship should come with a sense of purpose and progress over time. It may require patience at first as there may be a period of uncertainty in the beginning. That is completely normal.

7. Don't plan your future wedding after only one date. Let things progress in their own time, and let your relationship flourish in the Lord in its own time. Dating is the process, not the goal. Marriage should be the goal. Any process worth doing will take time, and it's usually more time than we anticipate. Be patient, and take your time.

8. Take in all the little details about each other, and know that it takes a lifetime to really get to know someone very well. Assume there is more to learn about your relationship and about your romantic interest.

9. After you have both agreed to a committed stable dating relationship that is showing the promise of growth, plan to ask each other the deeper and harder questions. Never shy away from the hard stuff. Do you both agree on boundaries? Christians should save sex for marriage, as an example. Do you both agree on this? How about money? Tithing? Church? Family expectations? Career? Retirement plans? Travel expectations? Communication skills? Do you have common interests and activities? Are you in agreement about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit? Do you both see the Bible as the ultimate authority on life and practice? Are you a spender, a saver, or a giver? What about your partner?

One of the biggest, most crucial questions is: Do you both know the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you both Saved? Are you both committed to following Him?

10. Pay attention to Red Flags, no matter how advanced the dating relationship is. If you haven't married the person yet, then there is still time to end a relationship that has some red flags. By "red flag" I mean signs that the other person is toxic, or that the relationship is unbalanced or that the future marriage might fail or be in constant turmoil. Here are some examples:

- The person you are interested in has a criminal record

- the person is almost always unemployed and usually unwilling to work (especially men)

- the person is always gossiping about others and trying to discredit them to you

- the person cannot (or will not) keep confidentiality

- the person only comes to church because you want them to. (They have no desire of their own for God). After marriage, such a person will not likely come back to church now that they have you as a spouse.

-the person is a poor sport, shows bad attitude when they lose at a board game or a sport

- they cannot control their anger

11. Pay attention to "Green Lights". These are signs that the person you are dating is a good match for you. Some examples of Green lights are:

- you make each other laugh and feel at ease

- you respect each other and the physical boundaries you both established for dating

- you are both saved and at a similar stage in your walk in Christ. You are both hungry to participate in sharing the Gospel of the Kingdom of God on earth

- you both have a similar calling from the Lord

- you agree on things like family, children, money, church and so on.

- you are both faithful at work/church and dependable.

-the person you are dating is kind and helpful to others, even those who cannot benefit them directly.

12. Don't expect people to change once they get married. If you saw an undesirable trait surface in the dating phase, you better believe it will show up more prominently in marriage. People CAN change at their own pace with the Lord's help. BUT Do NOT expect a change going into a marriage. Marriage does not change a person's character, it only reveals the character they already had before marriage.

13. Don't use the person's "potential" when deciding their marriage-readiness. Instead, use their habits, patterns, results and achievements as a guide. Someone who has the ability to work yet refuses to lift a finger may have lots of "potential". But their habits tell you that they will leave all the work to you in marriage. Assume that they will never change, and go with their patterns of behaviour. Never use that nebulous idea called "potential". That just forecasts your own ideals onto them, and will lead to frustration and disappointment down the road when they fail to meet your "idea" of their "potential".

See a man who works hard and is responsible with money and reaches anniversary milestones at his job and/or church? That is not "potential", that is "results" due to healthy "habits"! That is one good example of someone who can be a good marriage partner.

See a woman who always looks for ways to help and is always improving the lives of others around her? Perhaps she just reached a special milestone in her workplace.
That is not "potential"! Again, those are her habits and results! These are good things that are already facts about her, due to her observable attitudes and healthy long term habits! 

Use a person's habits, patterns, results and achievements to gauge a person's marriage-readiness during the dating phase. Also, listen to their attitudes. Does their attitude bring you up, or pull you down? Do you find yourself walking on egg-shells around them? Or can you truly be your authentic self with them?

14. Finally, if you love Jesus and want His blessing, then in accordance with Scripture, live apart before marriage. Save cohabitation for marriage if you want the Lord's Blessing. For more on this topic, follow this link to my Bible study on the topic of cohabitation.   https://view-finder-blog.blogspot.com/2016/06/what-does-bible-say-about-cohabitation.html

I hope these tips help! Ask the Lord Jesus to guide you. If you truly desire a Biblical marriage that will serve King Jesus in the Kingdom of God on earth, then He can supply you!

(ABOVE) Pastor Curtis Alexander with his wife Jenny Alexander at Jackson's Point Harbour, ON at Lake Simcoe. Nov 10th 2022. 

Blessings!!

Pastor Curtis
Assistant Pastor
churchonthego.ca
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Sunday Dec 4th 2022 3:44am Eastern Time.

Recognizing Opportunities to Rest

Healthy Boundaries in The Lord

I am a middle aged bivocational pastor (I am also full time department manager for a store.) I have been at these aspects of my calling for years. And unlike my younger self, I find I am not able to ignore the need for restorative rest and time alone. I have started seeing the healthy boundaries of Jesus in scripture. He needed rest time, alone with the Heavenly Father. So do we, His followers. He was God, yet was He was also human. He modeled an ideal lifestyle.

 I have realized the need to stop pushing myself and rest sometimes. Pray often. Talk to the Lord Jesus. Jesus Himself was an example of balance when dealing with the demands of ministry and the need to rest and recover. Also He dealt with grief. 

In the passage below, Jesus had just heard about the death/execution of John The Baptist, His cousin. He was clearly in need of time alone with the Heavenly Father to grieve and feel sorrow. Humans need to process and feel their sorrow, not hide and deny it. We, like Jesus, need to submit our soulish feelings to the Holy Spirit, and live by the Spirit of God, and by the Living Word of God. But how can we submit our feelings if we do not first feel those feelings? This is done by getting away from the crowds, from ministry, from work, and sometimes away from friends too. 

I want to encourage you to read this passage. Most of the time, we focus on Jesus performing the miracles in this chapter, the multiplying of the bread and fish, and the walking on water later in the chapter. And those are very amazing feats of Jesus. No question.

 But right now, I want to highlight how Jesus deals with His need for rest and His need to grieve the loss of John the Baptist.

Matthew 14:10-23
10 So he sent and had John beheaded in prison. 

11 And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother. 
12 Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
13 When Jesus heard it, He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself. But when the multitudes heard it, they followed Him on foot from the cities. 

14 And when Jesus went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick. 

15 When it was evening, His disciples came to Him, saying, “This is a deserted place, and the hour is already late. Send the multitudes away, that they may go into the villages and buy themselves food.”
16 But Jesus said to them, “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.”
17 And they said to Him, “We have here only five loaves and two fish.”
18 He said, “Bring them here to Me.” 

19 Then He commanded the multitudes to sit down on the grass. And He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes. 

20 So they all ate and were filled, and they took up twelve baskets full of the fragments that remained. 21 Now those who had eaten were about five thousand men, besides women and children.
22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 

23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there.

Now I want us to zero in on Jesus' grief and also His need to be alone at this time. See how the crowds are oblivious to the loss Jesus feels. They just came to see the miracle worker, and get blessed with a healing. So He, in His sorrow, has true deep compassion on the multitude, and even corrects the disciples for suggesting that Jesus sends the crowds away. Jesus POSTPONES His own needs to care for the needs of the people. He even performs a miracle and divides 5 loaves and 2 fish endlessly until all 5000 men (plus women and children) were fed. 

Jesus temporarily puts His own rest and alone time on hold to care for the sheep. His disciples probably could tell that Jesus was feeling the pain of loss. Sometimes, that is what ministry is. In my 22 years of involvement at Church and in ministry leadership, I have come to realize this. Pastors must sometimes (or often) POSTPONE their needs to look after the needs of God's flock. But that does NOT mean we are to NEGLECT our needs. God will care for us if we seek first His Kingdom (His country and rulership) and His righteousness in our lives first. We are to live selfless lives. All Christ-followers should follow this example of Jesus. And especially pastors.
 But being selfless is NOT the same as being reckless toward our own health and recovery periods. 

Notice that Jesus merely postpones His alone time. He does not forego it, or neglect it or completely ignore it. Pastoral ministry that is modeled after Christ Himself will often look the same.

Jesus had compassion, and healed the sick. He did not get annoyed at the crowds for following Him. He did not take the easy way out that the disciples had suggested- (to send the crowds away while they were hungry). 

He remembered that these precious people were why He came to earth- He came to seek and save the lost and to tell them His main message: The GOSPEL OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN.

 

Matthew 4:17

New King James Version

17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Matthew 4:23 NKJV

23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. 

He started off wanting to get alone with The Father (v13). Then the crowds came. After healing them, and feeding them, He did send them away. He sent His disciples away on a boat. He stayed alone. He rested and prayed to the Father in Heaven. He also likely felt the grief of losing John. In His alone time, He would have experienced rest, and recovery as He communed with God the Father.

God the Spirit does not get fatigued. But God in flesh, subjected willingly to the limitations of flesh, DOES get fatigued. His humanity needed a rest. And so do we. As believers and also as pastors. 

It's ok to get away from the friends, companions, church, crowds, and work, and spend alone time with God the Father. In fact, it's more than ok, it's necessary. These are the healthy boundaries based on the actions and lifestyle of Jesus when He was on the earth. 

He never ever neglected His ministry or calling, but He also ensured He rested and prayed and got personal recovery. There are many times like this in the Gospels. (Other examples: Luke 9:18; John 6:15)

I think the disciples might have wondered why Jesus would send them away. They were not just students or disciples or learners. They were His friends and companions. But here in Matthew 14:22, He sends them away. Then as He sends away His disciples, He dismisses the crowds, who were now satisfied and healed.

There must come a time in our day and/or our week when we realize we need a break, a time alone with God and ourselves. Self-neglect is not selflessness. Rather, Self-neglect is destructive. Don't neglect your personal rest and recovery time. Sometimes, as pastors, we must postpone it for a time. But It will come.
As we selflessly seek God's Kingdom and ask for it to expand on earth, and serve God's people in God's calling, God will always be faithful to provide you with openings for personal rest and recovery. Discover them and take them as you need them. Jesus was fully God and fully human. We should take notes on how Jesus balanced rest with work. 

My take-away from this passage in Matthew 14:10-23 is this:

Jesus did not neglect His rest and recovery periods, He briefly postponed it at times out of compassion for the lost and the sick and the brokenhearted. But such postponement was not the norm and we should, if possible get into a daily or weekly routine which includes rest and recovery. God is a God of recovery. God the Father Himself rested on the seventh day, after creating Heaven and Earth. God, who does not get tired, CHOSE to rest. Let that minister to you.

We need to choose to rest. YES that might sometimes mean saying no to certain activities or outings or invitations with friends. Those friends may not understand. Just plan to re-schedule at a different time and place. 

Now of course, resting does not mean being lazy and doing nothing all the time. But I never struggled with being outright lazy. I struggled finding time to rest in a busy bivocational schedule like mine.  Sometimes I still struggle. But now, I am getting better at choosing to rest. Rest makes ministry and other forms of work more enjoyable! 

 Middle age has made it a necessity for me as my body is not quite as energetic as it used to be. Physically and mentally, I am healthy and strong thank God, but we are not meant to just keep working all the time. 
AND,  I am blessed that I now have a lovely and godly wife, Jenny, who helps me and ministers to my needs (and I minister to her needs also). She recognizes how hard I work, even when I don't see it myself. She supports my work and also encourages me to rest at the right time.

 Ultimately God gives us opportunities to rest, but it's up to us to recognize them. Jesus is calling:

Resting stones, at Lake Simcoe in Georgina, ON. Photo (c) By Curtis J Alexander 2022.

Matthew 11:29-30

New King James Version

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 

30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

 Learn to accept God's invitation to rest. Get regular intervals of rest with Jesus. Learn to recognize the time to postpone rest, and also the time NOT to postpone it. God's Love and compassion toward people will be your motive in postponing your rest on occasion (Like Jesus). Just understand that postponement is meant to be temporary. 

Blessed rest will always come to to all those who come to Jesus and choose to abide in Him. 

 

 When balanced with the work of the ministry, the call God placed on you, rest is just as productive as work!  Work will be more productive when you find rest for your soul (mind, will, emotions) in Jesus! 

God bless,

Pastor Curtis

Assistant Pastor

ChurchOnTheGO.ca

Newmarket ON.

Thu Dec 1st 2022

4:31am Eastern Time.