Year-end Message
One
of the by-products of the Christmas season for me is the opportunity to reflect
on all the ways God blessed me during 2013. My wife and children were generally
healthy during the year as they pursued God’s will for their lives individually
and collectively. God has continued to provide construction/carpentry
opportunities for me so that I can continue to provide for my family and
continue to fund all my ministry efforts. I praise God for all he has done and
provided for me and my family. I am so thankful to those of you who have prayed
for me and this ministry over the last year. It has also been such a blessing
to see how so many of you have been willing to share the link to this site with
your family and friends. Because of the untraditional delivery method and international
setting of A Pastor’s Thoughts
ministry, it can be difficult for all of you to know or recognize what has
transpired over the last year. Let me start by saying that I absolutely abhor
when churches pat themselves on the back telling their congregation about all
the great things they have done (all in the name of Christ of course)—as though
they’ve done God a favor. I will simply say that it is only because of God and
your willingness to be obedient to share the message that this ministry can
grow. Without God and your faithfulness, what I do and write would be useless. Whether
or not this ministry is successful is largely unknown to me because of the
unconventional nature of the ministry and because I’ve learned that my idea of
success and God’s idea of success are very different. Therefore, I leave the
judgment of the ministry’s success or failure in 2013 in God’s hands. Having
said that, I want to praise God and thank you for the blessings you were a part
of this year at A Pastor’s Thoughts
ministry.
Communication and
transparency were important for the Apostle Paul’s ministry. Most of the people
in one area where Paul ministered didn’t generally know the people who belonged
to the Church in other areas or what was happening in those areas. As a result,
Paul would provide updates of what was going on in other churches and express
his gratitude when members of one church provided for or cared for those in
other churches. It was a means of encouragement for the churches so that they
would understand that their faithfulness and influence reached far beyond their
own church walls or their immediate town or city. Theologian Albert Barnes
wrote in Notes On The Bible in 1834
that “It is not improper to commend Christians and to remind them of their
influences; and especially to call to their mind the great power which they may
have on other churches and people.” For those of you who have done so much and
continue to do so much for this ministry, and for the things you've done to serve those
around you through your prayers and actions, I offer you these verses from Paul
to the church in Thessalonica:
2 Thessalonians 1:2-4; 11-12
2Grace and peace to you from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. 3We ought always to thank God for you, brothers, and
rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love every one
of you has for each other is increasing. 4Therefore, among God’s churches we boast about your perseverance and faith in all the persecutions
and trials you are enduring…11With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our
God may count you worthy of his calling, and that
by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and
every act prompted by your faith. 12We pray this so that the name of our Lord Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in him, according to the grace of our God and the Lord
Jesus Christ.
A Brief
Summary of 2013
Very
briefly, in 2013 I was able to post 52 lessons including this one. Not
including this week’s message, weekly lessons were accessed in 79 countries
outside of the United States! The top ten lessons accessed during the past year
were as follows:
#10—Squandered Blessing http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/06/squandered-blessing.html
#8—Don’t Worry, Be Happy http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/02/dont-worry-be-happy.html
and Christians
at the Border: Immigration, the Church, and the Bible http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/07/christians-at-border-immigration-church.html
#7—Permissible But Not Beneficial
http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/03/permissible-but-not-beneficial.html
#6—Testify To Love http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/07/testify-to-love.html
#5—The Rise Of Christianity http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/08/the-rise-of-christianity.html
#4—The Worst Of Sinners http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-worst-of-sinners.html
#3—I Could Have Done More http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/10/i-could-have-done-more.html
#2—A Living Sacrifice http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/10/a-living-sacrifice.html
#1—Sex, Sex, And More Sex http://seredinski.blogspot.com/2013/09/sex-sex-and-more-sex.html
What To Expect In 2014
Although
I try not to presume upon God’s will for this ministry, I have been praying for
the last few months about the ministry’s direction for 2014. God has made it
clear to me that, as has been the case to this point, I must not seek or accept
any financial donations, contributions or offerings as part of this ministry. The
Vision and Mission for the ministry remains unchanged. However, during the
first quarter of 2014, if it is God’s will, I will be adding an audio version
to each of my weekly lessons. If you are willing, could you please pray for
clarity for this plan as my time already seems to be stretched to the limit? I’m
hoping it will offer another option to those who don’t have the time to sit
down and read the weekly lessons.
Final Thoughts
As
my final words to you all for 2013, I want to praise God for you and your
faithfulness. I encourage you to continue reading the lessons every week,
meditating on the message, and incorporating its Biblical truth into your
everyday lives. Please take every opportunity to share the message of God’s
love as revealed in Jesus Christ to anyone and everyone. There are still countless
people all over the world that have yet to access the weekly lessons or hear
the saving message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ so please share the link to this
website whenever you can. I pray that God will protect you, bless you, keep you,
and give you strength as you faithfully follow his will for your life
personally and within your respective communities during the year to come.
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