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Archives for October 2010

The Immanent Guest – Part 5

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When I think about the preaching and practical observances of my own past, is it any wonder I grew up with such a foggy conception of the Holy Spirit? Conversion was limited pretty much to “gettin’ saved,” and that meant being snatched from the pit. Water baptism, despite my Baptist background, centered more on controversy—dunking versus sprinkling; and, though necessary, it was an act of obedience to a symbol which was difficult to relate to modern life. I laughed recently when a young friend explained the circumstances of his water baptism. “The pastor just said, ‘We don’t really understand this, but we do it anyway, because our Lord told us we should.”

Hands were never laid upon me for the gift of the Holy Spirit. This elementary doctrine, as stated in Hebrews 6:2, was reserved only for those entering professional ministry. Moreover, I was never told that upon making my declaration of belief in Christ I could expect the Spirit to indwell me with Christ’s very Presence. The whole subject of the Holy Spirit was shrouded by confusion.

The historical record of the church on this issue hasn’t been consistent. Often the reception of grace was reduced to formula. The confirmation service before a child takes his first communion is directly related to the apostolic laying on of hands for the filling of the Holy Spirit of the New Testament church. And many 15th-century reformers, reacting to man made formulas, threw out important babies with dirty bathwater in their occasional overstatement of protest. This doctrine of the Spirit, which was supposed to occur in harmony with one’s verbal confession of Christ and in relation to the entering of baptismal waters, has been mired throughout the centuries in controversial muck. Fortunately, God is not limited by our ignorance and has chosen in His grace to work in His children’s lives through a variety of ways.

My own home is an illustration of this. David, my husband, did experience the mulling of the Spirit at conversion. At the age of thirteen, he was hungry for a deep experience of salvation. He testifies to locking himself in the bathroom with His Bible so he would not be disturbed while searching the Scriptures.

One night, he finally, from the depths of his young soul, cried out to be saved, and knew assuredly that instant gratification which comes to some, that Christ had heard and answered his prayers. He was bathed in peace—a release of guilt and an assurance. I believe he was given the measure of the Spirit in accord with his hungry heart. That evening he was set aside unto the Lord, and, when I first met him, the most outstanding characteristic about David was that he was first and foremost a man of God.

Even though I became a Christian at an early age, I knew next to nothing of the work of the Holy Spirit, even on a basic intellectual level. Later, after we had begun Circle Church and were examining the Scriptures, I began to grow. I could remember vague references from my past to this third Person of the Trinity, but nothing which had changed my life.

After we discovered the work of the Spirit on the pages of His Book, I began to look and listen for His voice and work in my life. I think I fell into the category described by A. W. Tozer: “Every Christian has the Holy Spirit, but the Holy Spirit doesn’t have every Christian.” As yet I had not discovered the need to yield myself so totally, that the Spirit could “have” me.

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For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

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The Immanent Guest – Part 4

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In Acts 8:18, Simon, the magician, is intrigued by the demonstrated authority of these apostles and the narrative records: “Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money…” He was sharply rebuked and informed that the gift of the Spirit could not be bought.

The order of these three parts of conversion was often reversed, such as in the case of the conversion of the Apostle Paul. I imagine in the three days between the brilliant encounter on the road to Damascus and the knock of Ananias at the door, Saul had deeply considered the claims of his Lord—“I am Jesus whom you are persecuting.” Ananias in obedience sought out this one-time inquisitor:

And laying his hands on him he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized, and took food and was strengthened (Acts 9:17-19).

We can safely assume that the hands which conveyed healing also brought to Paul the filling of the Holy Spirit. He immediately went to the synagogue and began to proclaim Christ as Lord. All three ingredients of conversion are noted, but in a different order.

Sometimes there is such an atmosphere of belief that the Spirit comes without the laying on of hands. Such was the case with the Gentile Cornelius, a devout man whom God used as an illustration to the Jewish church of His impartial love (See Acts 10:44-48).

A study of the book of the Acts of the Apostles (some think it should be called the book of the Acts of the Holy Spirit) reveals that the infilling of the Holy Spirit was an integral part of the circumstances of conversion.

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Karen Mains has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

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The Immanent Guest – Part 3

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The history of the early church as recorded in the Book of Acts is essentially a history of the church under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. It is a chronicle of the results which the Spirit is working within the believers, and the effect on the corporate body of believers. What we now familiarly term conversion occurred almost without exception in a threefold manner:

  1. A person proclaimed the name of Christ as his Savior and Lord. His mind decided, “Yes, I believe and will follow this Christ and become a part of His Kingdom.”
  2. He repented of his sins, entering the waters of baptism as a visual act of following Christ into death, but also to symbolize turning from error and trusting to God to wash away the sins of the past.
  3. He submitted to the filling of the Holy Spirit, either through the laying on of hands or through what I call spontaneous combustion—when the Spirit naturally “fell out” on believers.

All these steps generally followed in short order, one upon another. Peter, in his powerful sermon delivered on the day of Pentecost, exhorts (after he identifies an atmosphere of belief on the part of his audience), “Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38).

In Acts 8 the apostles in Jerusalem receive the word that Samaria has responded to Philip’s message of Christ and to His demonstrations of power. The story continues in Acts 8:14:

Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John, who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; for it had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

This last phrase—“…but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus”—indicates that something more is desired for the Spirit to fall on these people. The following verse explains what was to become a norm for the New Testament church, but never a binding pattern. “Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit” (Acts 8:17).

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Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen Mains serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

For decades, Karen and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

Likewise, pastors will find special resources to help them prepare effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

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The Immanent Guest – Part 2

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When we have yielded ourselves in obedience to our Lord, opened our lives to the indwelling of His Spirit, and pleaded to be purified by the fire of His Presence, we discover with de light that He has endowed us with marvelous tools to aid us in our missions. Curdie  is fitted with a gift of discernment, which not only saves his own life and that of the people he loves, but helps him rescue the Kingdom from the doom of evil.

We too can have similar surprising abilities. But, before we discuss the manifestations of spiritual gifts, we must achieve a clearer understanding of the role of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit is real and His power is available to us. He is not a discussion of words or a statement of creed. Through His infilling, we have Christ within our beings. Most of us will agree to this. Yet there is controversy over the question of “How does one get the Holy Spirit?” The question itself is flawed. It treats Christ through His Spirit as a commodity to be acquired or a goal to be achieved. Rather we should ask, “How do we allow the Holy Spirit to get us?”

Unfortunately, many of us come to this question influenced by our own experience and of the Christian brethren with whom we feel comfortable. It is as difficult to look at the Scriptural teachings on this subject with impartiality as it is to be neutral in judging the people we love—children, husband, friends, parents. Realizing that volumes have been written on this topic, I will attempt to give a simple explanation, admitting all the while my own obvious and hidden partialities, so that the role of the Spirit and His gifts can be applied to the use of hospitality in our unredeemed world.

Scripture does clearly teach that the mark of the Christian is the Spirit of Christ who dwells within each believer. Romans 8:9 states, “But you are not in the flesh, you are in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God really dwells in you. Any one who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him” (RSV). In the same chapter the author reiterates in verse 14: “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” I John 3:24 is another example of this truth: “All who keep his commandments abide in him, and he in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit which he has given us.” This is the basic premise: The Holy Spirit dwells within each Christian.

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Award-winning author Karen Mains continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

For decades, Karen and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

Likewise, pastors will find special resources to help them prepare effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

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The Immanent Guest – Part 1

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George MacDonald, the Scottish minister who lived during the early 19th century, has written the marvelous children’s fantasies, The Princess and the Goblin and The Princess and Curdie. Perhaps one reason I like these books is because God is symbolized by the figure of the wise and mysterious great-great-grandmother, Irene. In the second book there is a section of which I am particularly fond. Curdie, the miner’s son, has been sent from the mountains to undertake a treacherous assignment. Before he leaves he is commissioned by Irene.

Up into her tower he climbs, winding through the multiple passages, then into her remarkable chamber. Curiously he notices that on the hearth a fire is glowing. It is a fire of roses which burn and give forth a sweet pungency, yet they are not consumed.

“Curdie,” says the great-great-grandmother, who now appears in a form of youth and beauty. “You have stood more than one trial already, and have stood them well: now I am going to put you to a harder.”

She instructs him to thrust his hands into the fire. He obeys, enduring the intense pain only to discover, when he is given permission to take them out, that his hands have not been destroyed or charred, but are rather as white and smooth as those of the princess.

“Now here is what the rose fire has done for you,” explains the princess. “It has made your hands so knowing and wise, it has brought your real hands so near the outside of your flesh gloves, that you will henceforth be able to know at once the hand of a man who is growing into a beast…According, then, to your knowledge of that beast will be your knowledge of the man you have to do with. Only there is one beautiful and awful thing about it, that if any one gifted with this perception once uses it for his own ends, it is taken from him, and then, not knowing that it is gone, he is in a far worse condition than before, for he trusts to what he has not got.”

I wonder how much George MacDonald understood the Scriptural doctrine of the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts. This short passage contains many excellent symbols relating to these Christian concepts. Our discipleship is certainly a treacherous mission on which we are sent by our Lord.

But, before we do His work in this world, He bids us cast ourselves into the rosyfire of Himself. In obedience we must yield to His burning, be it chastisement or agonies of spiritual warfare, or the dismays of ordinary circumstances or suffering. Here the stubby chaff and the cherished dross are destroyed and the soul-calluses are smoothed. We withdraw ourselves, refined and new, childlike again.

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For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

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On Entertaining – Part 9

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In Webster’s dictionary, the definition for “hospitable” is wedged between the word “hospice”—a shelter—and the word “hospital”—a place of healing. Ultimately, this is what we offer when we open our home in the true spirit of hospitality. We offer shelter; we offer healing.

When we give, having put away our pride, then Christ sanctifies the simple gift. He makes it holy, useful. My three dollar oak table has become an altar where hungry hearts have been nourished with the Bread of Life, where thirsty spirits have received the Living Water. Our living room has been made a sanctuary where sacraments of comfort and communion have been offered, where we have shared in the fellowship of human suffering and human delight. More perfect to me than the praise, “You entertain beautifully!” is the whisper of the young girl who had just come to know Christ, “Thank you for having me. God is here in this home.”

This really is the essence of hospitality, a heart open to God, with room prepared for the “Guestness” of the Holy Spirit, which welcomes the Presence of Christ. This is what we share with those to whom we open our doors. We give to them Him and think nothing of what we give of ourselves.

Perhaps your children sing, “Company’s comin’!” or maybe you have a guest night scheduled on your calendar. Perhaps your doorbell is ringing. May I ask you my father’s question? Where is your hospitality? Where is your pride?

It’s time, again, to take a brief pause from my narrative and offer you a chance to reflect on what you’ve read in this post and in the preceding eight blog posts. Please take this moment to reflect on the Life Lessons that you might within the information I’ve shared with you.

To do that reflection more intentionally, may I ask you to please think very carefully and analytically about the following questions? Then, will you please take a piece of paper and jot down your answers?

  1. What excuses do you find yourself giving as reasons for not practicing hospitality?
  2. List those excuses.
  3. Consider which of these stem from pride and mark them with a “P.”
  4. Make a resolve to practice this good discipline: The next time someone drops by unexpectedly, promise yourself you will attempt to extend a warm welcome. This means that even if you have to soon excuse yourself to rush off to an appointment, you will make the drop-in feel welcome. Remember, good friends are hard to find.

Thank you for taking time to reflect. In future blog posts, we will return and look at these questions again to see if you would still answer them the same way that you did at this point in time.

Please continue reading, as I share with you my thoughts in the next series of blog posts on the most important guest you will ever receive into your home. As always, I welcome you to connect with me through my website, Hungry Souls.

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Karen Mains has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

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On Entertaining – Part 8

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After we develop an attitude of openness toward our immediate families, we can then more readily impart it toward those brothers and sisters in Christ, the household of faith. This marvelous refuge of acceptance and mutual support is graphically described in Ephesians 2:19-22  RSV:

So then you are no longer strangers and sojourners, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built into it for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

When have we experienced such unity? Our churches are filled with strangers and sojourners. The homes and lives of our congregations are often closed to one another. Efforts at entertaining, with the emphasis on things and pride, often build more gaps than they bridge. How much today’s church needs to be bathed in unselfish, loving, accepting hospitality.

Unless we develop a true spirit of acceptance in our church families, the hospitality we extend to our world will be hypo critical. When our immediate homes and the household of God are what our Lord intended them to be, we will naturally extend an attitude of openness to our neighbors around us. It is appalling how few Christians have entered into the lives of their immediate neighborhoods. These are a nearby inheritance to which our Father desires us to minister. How few of us are trying to find ways to serve our neighbors, to extend mercy. Often our official Christianity—our meetings and commitments—make us less accessible to them rather than more available.

Once the gift of hospitality has been developed in our homes, churches, and neighborhoods, we can begin to participate in a larger and more difficult effort: that of playing roles of significance in our society.

This ministry to society cannot be accomplished without the utter abandonment of ourselves to God. He will fill us with His Spirit and allow us to participate in healing and redemptive works completely unfathomable to us, if we are open to Him.

What a sin it is that many Christians know so little about this broken world. They have isolated themselves from the starvation of nations, turned their backs on battered and abandoned babies. Little do they care that children grow without a gentle touch, that old men haunt park benches dying from loneliness rather than age. This world, to many believers, is one large, silent scream. We refuse to hear the agony—of children too hungry to cry, of mothers with breasts gone dry, without energy to moan, of impoverished peoples numbed with outrage, of Indian youths suicided by despair.

I am moved to pray:

O God, help us to hear, to hear those cries without fear for ourselves, and with compassion for those who mourn. Help us to listen to those in need, without thought for our own material treasures. Help us to seek to be like Christ, upon whom was the Spirit of the Lord.

If Christians, corporately, would begin to practice hospitality, we could play significant roles in redeeming our society. There is no better place to be about the redemption of society than in the Christian servant’s home; and the more we deal with the captive, the blind, the downtrodden, the more we realize that in this inhospitable world, a Christian home is a miracle to be shared.

Thank you for allowing me to share with you. I am continuing to draw a contrast between “entertaining” and “hospitality.” I invite you to join me at this blog for my next blog post.

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Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen Mains serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

For decades, Karen and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

Likewise, pastors will find special resources to help them prepare effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

Share this Article

On Entertaining – Part 7

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Entertaining subtly declares, “This is mine—these rooms, these adornments. This is an expression of my personality. It is an extension of who and what I am. Look, please, and admire.” Hospitality whispers, “What is mine is yours.” This is the secret of community that is all but lost to the church of the 20th century.

“And all who believed were together and had all things in common.” (Acts 2:44  RSV)

The hospitality of that first-century church clearly said, “What is mine is yours.”

Entertaining looks for a payment—the words, “My, isn’t she a remarkable hostess”; a return dinner invitation, a job advancement for self or spouse; esteem in the eyes of friends and neighbors. Hospitality does everything with no thought of reward, but takes pleasure in the joy of giving, doing, loving, and serving.

The model for entertaining is found in the slick pages of women’s magazines with their appealing pictures of foods and rooms. The model for hospitality is found in the Word of God.

In 14 years of an open house, I have never felt that people have abused the privilege. In fact, they have shown extreme concern not to take advantage. Many hands make light the work. The blessings from the practice of the gift have been overwhelming—“good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over.”

Hospitality, like charity, must begin at home. How sad it is that so many of us don’t feel comfortable in our own homes. Men are not warmly welcomed at the end of a long day’s hard work. Roommates live in a tense atmosphere. Children are greeted with scoldings and reprimands. Wives and husbands wait to dump frustrations on each other. How we all long to hear, “It’s so good to have you home.” Or, those other words, “It’s so good to come home to you.” If those dwellings we inhabit are not filled with the gentle considerations, the cherishing, the openness which earmark hospitality, it will be most difficult to extend the gift beyond our front doors.

Think with me for a moment. How have you shown hospitality to those who reside within the framework of your own home? Do you realize you are extending the love of Jesus to these ones who hold such an important position in your life? Please return to this blog and read more, as I continue to draw a contrast between “entertaining” and “hospitality.”

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Award-winning author Karen Mains continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

For decades, Karen and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

Likewise, pastors will find special resources to help them prepare effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

Share this Article

On Entertaining – Part 6

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For most Christians, taking in anyone in need, even one’s own family, is a radical step. Many who say they follow Christ have no comprehension of the basics of hospitality. We have allowed the world to force us into its mold. We think in terms of entertaining as a woman’s chance to demonstrate her skill and the quality of her home. Entertaining has little to do with real hospitality.

Secular entertaining is a terrible bondage. Its source is human pride. Demanding perfection, fostering the urge to impress, it is a rigorous taskmaster which enslaves. In contrast, Scriptural hospitality is a freedom which liberates.

Entertaining says, “I want to impress you with my beautiful home, my clever decorating, my gourmet cooking.” Hospitality, however, seeks to minister. It says, “This home is not mine. It is truly a gift from my Master. I am His servant and I use it as He desires.” Hospitality does not try to impress, but to serve.

Entertaining always puts things before people. “As soon as I get the house finished, the living room decorated, my place settings complete, my housecleaning done—then I will start having people in.” “The So-and-so’s are coming. I must buy that new such-and-such before they come.” Hospitality, however, puts people before things. “We have no furniture; we’ll eat on the floor.” “The decorating may never get done. Please come just the same.” “The house is a mess—but these people are friends. We never get to see them. Let’s have this time together anyway.”

Because we are afraid to allow people to see us as we really are, we welcome the false ideal of entertaining. To perpetuate the illusion we must pretend we love house cleaning, that we never put our hair in rollers, that our children are so well disciplined that they always pick up their toys. We must hint broadly that we manage our busy lives without difficulty. Working hard to keep people from recognizing our weak points, we also prevent them from loving us in our weakness.

Because hospitality has put away its pride, it doesn’t care if other people see our humanness. Because we are maintaining no false pretensions, people relax and feel that perhaps we can be friends.

I imagine that right now, if you think for just a moment, you can think of someone who needs to sense the gentle touch of our Savior’s love. So, I invite you to return to this blog and read more, as I continue to draw a contrast between “entertaining” and “hospitality.”

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For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

Karen has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

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On Entertaining – Part 5

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In I Timothy, Paul lists hospitality as a requirement for high office in the church, and he emphasizes in Romans that we are to “practice hospitality.” I Peter 4:9 stresses this again, saying we are to “practice hospitality ungrudgingly to one another.” The King James Version translates I Timothy 3:2:

A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality…

Those who desire to lead in the church—the early church called them “bishops”—need to have a very intentional leaning to offer hospitality. This requirement only emphasizes that hospitality is more than just a human talent, it is a gift of the Holy Spirit, It is a supernatural ministry which, when combined with righteous living, bathed in prayer, and dedicated to the Lord, can be used by God far beyond anything we ask or think.

Scripture indicates that the Judeo-Christian heritage is rooted in hospitality. A theme of hospitality runs through the Bible—a design for open-heartedness to all people. We are to share what we have with those in need. We are to open our selves and our homes.

I am overwhelmed when I envision the results of a corporate return to the principles of Scriptural openness. For instance: Think of the impact the church could make in society if only four or five families in each congregation would care for needy children, nurturing them in love and pointing them to Christ. If a large urban area has a hundred churches, four or five homes times a hundred would involve at least four or five hundred children.

It is important that we do not think of hospitality as strictly a woman’s prerogative. In fact, this ministry is also the responsibility of men—indeed, of the entire Christian family.

If any of these thoughts I’m sharing are beginning to resonate with you, I invite you to return to this blog for the next installment. I’m drawing a contrast between “entertaining” and “hospitality.” Our world, today, desperately needs Christians willing to follow Christ in extending true hospitality to people who need the gentle touch of our Savior’s love.

————————————————————————————–

Karen Mains has long had an interest in Christian hospitality and is the author of the best-selling book, Open Heart, Open Home.

An award-winning author of several other books, Karen continues to write content for her Christian blog, “Thoughts-by-Karen-Mains.” In so doing, she desires to touch the lives of Christian women and men and help them find ways to walk closer with the Lord Jesus Christ. In addition, through silent retreats, spiritual teaching, women’s retreats, Christian vacation opportunities, and other ministry activities, Karen helps each Christian woman and man receive vital spiritual food.

For decades, Karen Mains and her husband, David, have served God through religious communications—radio, television, and print publication. The are the co-authors of the Kingdom Tales Trilogy: Tales of the Kingdom, Tales of the Resistance, and Tales of the Restoration. To find many valuable resources for pastors and churches at the Mainstay Ministries main website, please click here.

In addition, pastors will find special resources to help them create effective, life-transforming Sunday sermons by visiting David Mains’ website by clicking here.

Through her Hungry Souls ministry, Karen serves as a spiritual coach to many Christian women and men, and teaches a mentor-writing class. And, through the Global Bag Project, she is working to develop a network of African women who sew exquisite cloth reusable shopping bags. This micro-finance women opportunity helps provide a much-needed sustainable income for struggling African families. For more information on this critically important project, please click here.

Share this Article