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“The Challenge of Serving”
Reverend J. Loren Russell
Matthew 6:24 (NKJV)
No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.
Serving God is not intended to be a half-hearted endeavor. To be a true servant of the Lord, you must be engaged mentally, physically, and spiritually. It will require your full commitment. But the truth is that it is much easier said than done.
The challenge of serving means forsaking everything else that competes for our attention; material possessions, relationships, career ambitions, even our personal desires. “Mammon” can be defined as anything that competes against the Lord for our attention or devotion. It may make us feel good on the inside and look good on the outside but is not serving the Lord.
To serve the Lord, as is cited in the scripture text, requires intentionality. Moses questioned the Israelites, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you, but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments of the Lord and His statutes which I command you today for your good? (Deuteronomy 10:12-13) Those of us who are followers of the Word of God know that obedience is better than sacrifice. We also know that obedience to God is for our good, but still find it challenging to serve as the Lord directs us.
Because we cannot meet the challenge of serving through our own power or ability, the Lord gave us step-by-step instructions. First, we must trust the power of the Holy Spirit who enables us to serve God effectively. Then, we must set aside regular time for prayer, Bible study and worship. Finally, we must surround ourselves with fellow believers who encourage and challenge us in our service.
The obstacles, hurdles, and challenges to effective service to the Lord are not insurmountable, they are merely steppingstones to more effective and productive discipleship. Whatever “mammon” competes for your heart will ultimately compete for your service. Choose Christ first, and everything else will find its proper place.
Be Blessed!
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Reverend J. Loren Russell
Ephesians 2:8-10 (NKJV)
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Salvation has been described as God rescuing people from sin, spiritual death, and eternal judgment, while restoring them to a right relationship with Himself through Jesus Christ. Then comes the proverbial question, “Can you earn salvation?” Paul, writing to the church of Ephesus says emphatically, “No!”
If anyone could earn their salvation, then it would not be a rescue effort but something anyone could do for themselves. It would be like a drowning person saving themselves, or someone caught in a fire rescuing themselves. They could boast about it and hold themselves up as being better than everyone else who drowned or were consumed in the fire.
I am very grateful that salvation is not something that can be earned, and that we cannot do for ourselves. It points to our need for God. I could only imagine the arrogance and sense of entitlement the saints of God would have if they could be saved because they had a specific gift or ability. Paul’s intention in this epistle is to make it clear that you don’t “do” your way into the kingdom. Work does not earn us a place in the Lord’s Kingdom. We are welcomed into the Kingdom because we receive the gift of salvation.
The process is very simple; the moment a sincere confession of Christ as Lord and Master of [your] life, and a belief in [your] heart that Jesus was raised from the dead, salvation takes place. You are, at that moment, a recipient of the gift of salvation. All your sins are caste into a sea of forgetfulness, and [you] are saved.
Because salvation rescues people from sin, spiritual death, and eternal judgment, theologian Ravi Zacharias observed, “Jesus does not offer to make bad people good, but to make dead people alive.”
The Kingdom of God belongs to those who understand that they cannot earn, but are ready, willing, and able to receive the free gift of salvation.
Be Blessed!
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Reverend J. Loren Russell
Matthew 11:12 (NKJV)
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force.”
When we think about the Kingdom of Heaven, we rarely associate it with words like violence or force. We picture humble believers entering God’s presence with joy and peace. Yet Jesus makes this startling statement concerning the Kingdom. What did He mean?
Jesus was not encouraging physical violence or aggression. Rather, He was describing the intense, wholehearted determination of those who truly desired Him. Beginning with the ministry of John the Baptist, people were responding to God’s Kingdom with an urgency unlike anything Israel had witnessed. They pressed through obstacles, ignored criticism, overcame fear, and refused to be denied access to Christ. Their pursuit was relentless.
Unlike many modern churchgoers who are satisfied with hearing a good sermon yet remain unchanged, those who encountered Jesus desperately wanted Him more than comfort, convenience, or public opinion.
Consider the woman who suffered from an issue of blood for twelve years. She forced her way through a crowd because she believed that one touch of His garment would change her life.
Think about the four men who climbed onto a roof, tore it open, and lowered their paralyzed friend into the presence of Jesus. Nothing—not a packed house nor a closed door—would stop them.
Remember Zacchaeus, who ran ahead of the crowd and climbed a sycamore tree simply for the chance to see Jesus.
Recall the desperate father whose demon-possessed son could not be healed by the disciples. Refusing to give up, he pressed his way to Jesus Himself, believing that Christ could do what no one else could.
Each of these people demonstrated a holy persistence—a determined faith that refused to quit until it reached the Savior.
Charles H. Spurgeon once lamented:
“I have gone into churches and seen dead men in the pulpit, dead men as deacons, dead men holding the offering plate, and dead men sitting to hear the Word of God.”
Sadly, there are still churches filled with people who attend faithfully but pursue Christ casually.
But that was not the atmosphere surrounding Jesus.
Spurgeon also observed:
“So intense was their desire to hear the Saviour that they pressed upon Him… They trod one upon another.” What a picture!
Jesus saw men and women pressing, pushing, reaching, and striving—not because they loved excitement, but because they knew He alone possessed eternal life. That is the kind of spiritual intensity that marks genuine faith.
The Kingdom of God is not entered by the indifferent, the complacent, or the half-hearted. It belongs to those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, who seek first the Kingdom of God, who refuse to allow obstacles, disappointments, or distractions to keep them from Christ.
Today, the question is not whether we attend church. The questions needing to be asked are: How desperately do we want Jesus? Will we press through disappointment? Will we push past distractions? Will we overcome pride, fear, and convenience? Will we pursue Christ with unwavering determination? Those who ask these questions will discover what Jesus meant…, the Kingdom belongs to those who seek Him with all their heart.
Be Blessed!
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In Plain Language, Be of Good Cheer!
Reverend J. Loren Russell
Scripture:
John 16:33 (NKJV)“These things I have spoken to you in figurative language; but the time is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figurative language, but I will tell you plainly about the Father… These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”
Within the church, many of our prayers, sermons, songs, and expectations center on one desire: that God would deliver us from trouble. We often measure God’s favor by the absence of hardship.
But what if we’ve been looking at it backward?
What if some of the very troubles we pray to escape are actually the blessings God is using to shape us? What if our greatest spiritual growth comes disguised as life’s greatest difficulties? Sometimes God’s blessings arrive wearing the clothes of adversity.
Jesus had given His disciples much to process in this chapter. He warned them that because they followed Him, they would be expelled from the synagogue (v. 1). They would face hatred, persecution, and even death at the hands of those who believed they were serving God (vv. 2–3). Then, as if that were not enough, He announced that He was about to leave them (vv. 5–11).
The disciples could not understand how Jesus could depart at the very moment they needed Him most. With danger surrounding them, they wanted His physical presence, His leadership, and His protection.
Yet Jesus explained that His departure was actually for their benefit. If He did not go away, “the Helper”—the Holy Spirit—would not come. But when the Helper came, He would convict the world concerning sin, righteousness, and judgment. More importantly, He would glorify Christ by revealing His truth to His followers and guiding them into all truth (vv. 13–14).
Then Jesus spoke even more plainly. Through His finished work, the disciples would have direct access to the Father. They would ask in Jesus’ name, and the Father Himself would hear them because He loved them and because they had believed in His Son (vv. 23–27).
Finally, the disciples realized that Jesus was no longer speaking in parables or figures of speech. He was speaking plainly.
Even so, Jesus did not hide the difficult truth. He told them they would soon scatter in fear and leave Him alone. Yet He also assured them that He would never truly be alone because the Father was with Him.
Then came one of the greatest promises in all of Scripture:
“These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
Notice what Jesus did not say; He did not say you might have trouble; He did not say believers are exempt from pain; He did not promise a life free from disappointment, sickness, persecution, loss, or heartbreak.
He promised tribulation, but He also promised peace. The peace is not found in the absence of trouble; it is found in the presence of Christ. Our confidence is not that life will become easier. Our confidence is that Jesus has already conquered everything this world can throw against us. His victory guarantees ours.
So, in plain language, when life becomes difficult, be of good cheer! When the diagnosis is frightening, be of good cheer. When relationships fail, be of good cheer. When the future is uncertain, be of good cheer.
Not because the storm has passed, but because the Savior has overcome. The world may produce tribulation, but Jesus produces peace. The world may create fear, but Jesus gives courage. The world may wound us, but Jesus has already won the victory. That is plain language. That is enduring hope. That is the good news of the Gospel. Be of good cheer!
Be Blessed!
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Reverend J. Loren Russell
Scripture: “And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” — Galatians 3:29 (NKJV)
When we read the Old Testament, it is easy to think of God’s promises as belonging exclusively to Israel. We marvel at His faithfulness in delivering His people from Egypt, providing for them in the wilderness, defending them against their enemies, and bringing them into the Promised Land. Yet the New Testament reveals an extraordinary truth: through faith in Jesus Christ, believers have become heirs of those covenant promises.
The Apostle Paul declares that everyone who belongs to Christ is “Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.” This means that God’s covenant faithfulness did not end with the Old Testament—it finds its fullest expression in Jesus Christ. While some promises were uniquely given to the nation of Israel, the character of God revealed through those promises remains unchanged. His love, His presence, His peace, His provision, His protection, His mercy, and His unfailing faithfulness belong to every child of God.
The promises of Isaiah 43 remind us that we are redeemed, called by name, and never alone. The promise of Joshua assures us that God will never leave us nor forsake us. The words spoken to David remind us that God’s steadfast love endures forever. The hope proclaimed by Jeremiah tells us that God has plans to give His people a future and hope. These promises are not dusty relics of an ancient covenant; they are living testimonies of the God who is “the same yesterday, today, and forever.”
This inheritance is not earned by our performance but received through God’s grace. It was purchased at an immeasurable price—the sacrificial death and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ. At the cross, the promises of God were secured for all who believe. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen.” Every promise that finds its fulfillment in Christ is available to strengthen, encourage, and sustain His people today.
Too many believers live like spiritual paupers while possessing the riches of God’s covenant. Fear replaces faith. Worry overshadows peace. Doubt silences confidence. Yet our heavenly Father invites us to live as sons and daughters who know what has been freely given to them. His promises become the anchor for our faith, the comfort in our trials, and the assurance of our eternal hope.
For those of us who celebrate as citizens in America’s semiquincentennial anniversary, I encourage you to choose to live like an heir instead of an outsider of the covenant. Open God’s Word and embrace His promises with confidence. Reject the lie that you are forgotten, defeated, or alone. Through Jesus Christ, you have been welcomed into God’s family and given an inheritance that cannot be stolen, diminished, or exhausted. Receive that inheritance with gratitude, walk in it with confidence, and celebrate it with joy. The God who made the promises is faithful to fulfill them, and every day is an opportunity to rejoice in the riches that are already yours in Christ.
Be Blessed!
Matters of Faith 