No Sheep Left Behind

By Ariel E. Gaskill, M.S.

Photo by Flavio Gasperini on Unsplash

“The Culture does not dictate the truth; The Gospel dictates the Truth.”

- Voddie Baucham

Churches around the country, including The Shepherd’s House International Christian Church (TSHICC), will participate in Back To Church Sunday on September 15th. This day is designated for church congregations to extend an invitation to family, friends, co-workers and neighbors who may not be planted at a local assembly, or who are unchurched altogether. As exciting as this charge is, and as important as it is to shed light on this issue in the Christian community, it begs the question,“Why are people leaving the church in the first place?” The church ought to be a place of refuge and solace. It ought to be viewed as a hospital for the spiritually sick and hurting. But does the 21st century church depict that?  Growing up, there was a period of time where my family and I were called away from the church we had attended for a majority of my life. We were led to hold “church service” in the comfort of our home. It was during that time that the idea of church began to change for me. Church is far more than a building with pews and a pulpit. It is a collective experience shared with believers and rooted in the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

As the culture has shifted, there has been a change in the reverence of church assembly and participation, the importance of attendance and involvement and the spiritual enrichment that is offered. In conversations with fellow millennials, I have heard that their lack of interest in attending or being engaged with the sermons is due to them not feeling connected to the messages being preached, or that the “theatrics” distract from the message, or that “church people” are not accepting of them and are rigid in their approach when trying to speak with them. They would rather not be judged so they choose not to attend at all.

As ambassadors of Christ, we need to work harder to change this narrative. We need to get back to the basics. During Jesus’ time in ministry, He taught by example. He showed us how to love people into the Kingdom. He befriended the outcasts, He was kind to the poor, He healed the sick, and because of that love, lives were saved, hearts were again filled with hope, purpose was revealed and souls were won. As Jesus, the Good Shepherd, did well not to leave any sheep behind. It behooves us as followers of Christ to do the same.

Going forward. May we bear in mind the words of John MacArthur, “Scripture needs no updating, editing, or refining. Whatever time or culture you live in, it is eternally relevant. It needs no help in that regard. It is pure, sinless; inherent truth; it is enduring. It is God’s revelation for every generation.”

The Silence Of God. Lord Where Are You?

By Pastor R. Kevin Matthews

Have you ever felt like your prayers were just bouncing off the ceiling?  Like, God had forgotten about you or worse, turned His back on you?  Like, He brought you this far just to disappear? Perhaps this has been a taunting giant of your past, or is one you’re up against now.  Whatever the case may be, we are here to deliver hope, encouragement, and the truth that you have not, are not, and will never be alone.

God Promised To Be With You. Hebrews 13:5-6 (NKJV) reads, Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, I will never leave you nor forsake you. So we may boldly say: The Lord is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Even though there may be times where you feel alone or as if God is distant or silent, how you perceive it at that time is key.  According to the Scripture above, God will never leave us, so our perception plays a critical role.  We must remember to govern our lives by the truth of God’s Word and not temporary feelings or circumstances.  So, how do you do that?

1. Daily Affirm Your Trust In The Lord. Proverbs 18:21(NKJV) says, Death and life are in the power of the tongue, And they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. You must intentionally feed your faith and starve your doubts. One way to do this is through daily faith confessions of God’s Word. Revelation comes by repetition, and the more you hear yourself speaking the Word, your understanding will surpass from head knowledge to heart revelation.
2. Get Wise Counsel. Surrounding yourself with negative people who lack Godly wisdom is the last thing you want to do. Psalm 1:1(NKJV) reads, Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful. Be purposeful about the company you keep.  Get and stay around people who are full of faith, God’s Word, and can encourage you.
3. Daily Confession. Repeat this prayer. Father, I thank you that I am your child and you are a good dad! My feelings and emotions do not govern my life. I know that you are with me because your Word says so, and your Word is the truth I live by. Confess this prayer daily and watch your spirit change.

About The Author. Pastor R. Kevin Matthews is the founder and senior pastor of The Shepherd’s House International Christian Church (TSHICC). He is the epitome of a servant leader and his innate ability to connect people to their God given purpose is unparalleled. He empowers audiences across the country with biblical based teachings and practical tools to fulfill their destiny instead of dreaming about it. Pastor Kevin is married to Malissa Matthews. They live in Maryland. For more information about TSHICC, visit www.theshepherdshouseinternational.org

Where Does Your Faith Lie

by Ariel E. Gaskill, M.S.

When we study the New Testament, we see in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  The Word is an archetype of Jesus. We learn early on in this book, that the Word was never separated from God the Father. The Word, along with the Holy Spirit, works in conjunction with the Father.  God is infinite. He always was. He always is, and He always will be. This is something that we as Christians are called to believe by faith.  I recently heard International  Pastor, Joseph Price (Singapore), deliver a message on faith. One profound statement he made across the pulpit was that “Faith is a revelation of Jesus.” This truth is confirmed over and over again throughout scripture. Those who dared to believe and apply the message of Jesus to their hearts; and those who had big faith, saw more of Jesus’ deity and Sovereignty when He walked among them over 2,000 years ago. What can we learn from them? The more faith we have, the more of Himself He will reveal. Why? Because He trusts us with the revelation. As we go about life, it can be easy for us to focus on works and ritual; but we must remember that without faith as the motivation, our works mean nothing. All of this begs the question - where does your faith lie?

Too Many Hands In The Pot

By Ariel E. Gaskill, M.S.

It has become a societal norm to overshare and overindulge. Gone are the days where our first thought is to experience a moment for what it is, rather than capturing it to post on social media. It is common to reach for our phones before we reach for a hand. In the infamous words of Marvin Gaye, “What’s Going On?” 

When we think about the life and ministry of Jesus, we see that His message drew many, yet, we learn in Matthew 17:1-13 that He revealed Himself in all of His glory to a close and select three: Peter, James, and John.  There is a reason. Jesus trusted them and knew that their faith was large enough to receive the Truth of who He was, without question or doubt.  In the same way, if God has placed something big in our hearts to do, that means  He trusts us enough to carry the weight of it. It also requires us to ponder it in our hearts and share the vision only with those who can believe in faith with us. In order to be a good steward over what the Lord has entrusted to us, we must posture our hearts and faith to move as His Spirit leads, and with hopeful expectation, trust the Lord for the manifestation of that dream.  

We are called to make kingdom impact; and in the Kingdom, there is no room for doubt. Faith and fear cannot coexist. One of my favorite quotes by Josie Bissett says, “Dreams come a size too big, so that we may grow into them.” God created us intentionally to fulfill a specific purpose. He equipped us for it. That is all the assurance we need to pursue all that He has placed inside each one of us to do and to grow into the people that He has created us to be. 

Don’t allow too many hands in the pot of your life. Trust the Master, and posture yourself to receive the blessings that He has for you.