Month: January 2019

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His Will is What I Want

Paul the apostle was certain of his purpose in life. If we read his letter to the Colossians, we discover that he identified himself as an apostle of Jesus Christ “by the will of God”. As he carried out his mission, he prayed for these people he had never met personally.

Paul prayed that they too “might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding”. They were tradesmen, artisans, merchants, scholars, government workers, wives, husbands, children, servants; all kinds of folks. Paul’s prayer was that these ordinary people might know their God-given purpose in life, as he did.

That is what I desire for myself and for readers of this blog. Welcome.

I want to provide Bible-based encouragement, that we might discover God’s will. This involves knowing what the Lord wants us to believe and how he wants us to live. This is the architecture of most of Paul’s letters, including the one to the Colossians.

God’s will is what I want for my life. I hope you want this too. This is how we can be sure of our purpose and mission in life.

On this site, I intend to write expositions of scripture, musings on theology, or responses to God in worship. Once in a while there might be a reflection on our common life as citizens and as fellow believers in Jesus.

If something interests you, pass it along, think about it, or  write a response.

“We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way”. (Colossians 1:9-10 NIV)

— Pastor Randy Faulkner

 

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Retirement is a Change of Venue

I am now in retirement after twenty-eight years of ministry in Metropolitan Baptist Church of Oklahoma City. The people of the church made those years very satisfying and happy ones. it has been an honor to serve among them.

During recent months my wife Connie and I have been traveling, visiting our children and grandchildren, and enjoying some special adventures with friends. This has been restorative.

Folks have asked what I want to do in retirement. For one thing, it’s nice to be able to read the newspaper all the way through in the morning, and take a nap in the afternoon. Prerogatives of advanced age!

I have a few hobbies and I want to develop some new interests too. Life at this stage is good. Connie and I are happy together. We recently celebrated our fiftieth wedding anniversary in Florida with our five adult children and their spouses.

Recently I have been reading and re-reading Paul’s letter to the Colossians, recording impressions in a journal. I noticed something that Paul wrote near the end of his letter. In his personal words to his friends at Colosse, he admonished Archippus, “See to it that you complete the work you have received in the Lord” (Colossians 4:17).

“That’s a word for me”, I said to myself. “Retirement doesn’t mean my work for the Lord is finished. There is more that I can do for Jesus. I need to pay attention to how he may be leading me.”

I read how Paul asked the people to pray for him. He said, “Pray that God may open a door for (his) message, so that (I) may proclaim the mystery of Christ… Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should”.  (Colossians 4:2-4).

Without for a moment comparing myself to Paul, I have been adopting his prayer as my own. I want the Lord to continue to use me as his witness, to go through the doors of service he opens for me.

Connie and I are joyfully serving as volunteer chaplains with the Oklahoma Jail and Prison Ministry. I’m a Whiz Kids tutor every Tuesday evening as I have been for almost twenty years. There have been opportunities to preach the Word and I look forward to doing that more. I just want to “see to it that (I) complete the work (I) have received in the Lord”.

Retirement is not the end of my ministry. It is merely a change of venue.

— Pastor Randy Faulkner