Daily Devotional for Sunday October 7, 2012
We Are Here to Serve Not Be Served
DAILY DEVOTIONAL SUNDAY OCTOBER 7, 2012
***ASK BILL: Pastor Bill, some people think God chose who he was going to be saved even before they were born. I tend to think He just knew who was going to follow him and who wasn't. What is your opinion?
ANSWER: It is the age old debate about "election." God in His omniscience knew before the foundations of the earth was formed who would accept Him and who would reject Him. Having said that, despite His knowledge, man has the free will to accept or reject Christ and God DOES NOT interfere with that free will choice, meaning each person is responsible for what they do with Jesus. Otherwise, there would be no need for preaching the Gospel, there would be no point in evangelizing, and all of the commandments regarding telling others (Romans 10) would be meaningless.
As always, our example on how we are to live this life comes from Jesus. One of the most powerful lessons He taught during His earthly ministry was that He came to serve others, NOT be served. One of the things that I vowed to God when I started Liveprayer.com over 13 years ago, was that I would be a servant, that I would freely give of all that I had to meet the needs of the hurting and the lost of this world using this incredible technology. I believe in my heart that one reason God has had His hand on this ministry and has helped it reach so many, is because I have been faithful to that vow.
There is NO other Internet ministry of our size that literally responds in a personal way to every incoming email. I have assembled an incredible team of over 700 retired pastors nationwide that help me make this happen. Between the Daily Devotional I write each morning, the 40,000 plus personal responses to incoming emails that go out daily. Everything we do is geared to sharing the hope and love of Jesus Christ in a very personal way with people worldwide.
I personally still answer 200 or so of the incoming emails myself each day. Why? Sure, I could have my team do it, but I want in on the action! This is what God has called me to do with my life. I want to be a servant like Jesus was a servant! I don't ever want to get removed from the hurts and pains of the people we minister to each day.
For many years I was involved in a large way in the Christian television world. I have to admit that I was a bit shocked at how some of the men and women God has so richly blessed have it upside down. Jesus said He came to serve others, NOT be served. Yet so many of our Christian leaders seem to have forgotten this.
Being the recipient of numerous death threats a month, I understand how those high profile people need to be sensitive to security needs. But the entourages, the opulence, make these people of God look more like visiting royalty than servants of God. Some pastors are harder to get on the phone than the President. Again, I understand the need for order and the incredible responsibilities some of these men and women of God have, but we are to be servants first and can never lose sight of that!
I love you and care about you so much. You are the reason I am here each day. Your needs, your concerns, your hurts, your pains. That is why Liveprayer is here. While I have tremendous responsibilities in the daily operations of this ministry, I don't ever want to forget that my number one responsibility is to be a servant.
I pray in the coming weeks and months, should Jesus tarry, that I can serve you and stand with you in an even more of an intimate way for those needs that you have in your life. I never want to lose sight that just as Jesus came to serve, not be served, so are those who have been called into full-time ministry. We are to be servants first. Our needs come second to the needs of those God has called us to minister to.
I pray today that my service to Him will be pleasing and acceptable in His sight! After all, the words all of God's children should yearn to hear are, "well done, thou good and faithful....SERVANT" !!!!!!!
In His love and service, Your friend and brother in Christ,
Bill Keller