Stay Vertical

God cares about our losses and crisis in our lives. I used Psalm 42 to share at church in New Jersey the Sunday after hurricane Sandy. Most did not have electricity, all had some damage to their homes, and some were displaced. You may not have just gone through a hurricane, but storms in life abound. Our focus needs to stay vertical.

 As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, my God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God.  My tears have been my food day and night, while people say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”  These things I remember as I pour out my soul: how I used to go to the house of God under the protection of the Mighty One with shouts of joy and praise among the festive throng.  Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

It is a great reminder of what our number one desire should be - to be with God. God is a living God. He knows your pain and loss.

Are you reaching out to Him? He’s there.

Always praise God during and after the storm. He is worthy. Amen?

Grow and Go

 Life is about growing! Death happens when you stop, John tells us in 1 John 2:12–14, I am writing to you, dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.  I am writing to you, fathers,because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one.  I write to you, dear children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God lives in you, and you have overcome the evil one.

By John’s definition, spiritual children are those who have received Jesus. They’ve had their sins forgiven by receiving Christ and they know God. Spiritual young men are strong because they are regularly reading God’s word, and they are involved in the cause of Christ, advancing his kingdom and thereby “overcome the evil one.” This is part of spiritual growth - growing in faith, obedience, and maturity.

Whatever you do - keep growing! Amen?

Dying

You have probably heard this before, but if you're not growing then you're dying! This is true of us physically, mentally, and spiritually. How can you tell if someone is spiritually dying on the inside?

There are 3 signs:

1. They stop learning. They stop coming to church and small group. They are not allowing themselves to go deeper in God’s Word or exposing themselves to teaching through reading, sermons, etc..

2. They stop maturing. Their character isn’t growing in Christ or becoming more patient, thoughtful, or helpful.

3. They stop caring about leading others to Christ, social injustice, hurting, morality, and dying people.

Always keep learning, maturing, and caring. 

Amen?

Good Growth

One aspect of Spiritual Growth is: Life is about growing.

Look what Paul has to say in Colossians 2:6-7; So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.  

This is a great reminder on how to grow and keep growing in our Christian faith. You first accept Christ as your Savior, then live your life in Him and through Him. We are "rooted" by our faith and strengthen by learning His Word, and from mature Christians. This will lead to a life of joy and thankfulness!

Take time today to do a faith and growth "check-up". One quick test is to ask others if they think you are joyful and thankful.

Be wise - keep rooted and growing in Jesus.

Amen?

Transform

Here is a great aspect of Spiritual Growth - Growing is about transformation It’s about moving from something we’re not to something we should be. 

Paul tells us:

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. - Romans 12:2

What is it we should be when we’re all grown up?

Paul says in Romans 8:29 that we’re supposed to be “conformed to the image of God’s son.” “Conformed.”  In Romans 12, he says we’re supposed to be “transformed.” To be transformed is to have our form changed. Trans means “change.” To be conformed is to have our form changed with another. “Con” means “with.” The goal of our growth is to be changed to “conform” to the shape of God’s son—to think and act like Jesus.

Be transformed so you can conform to Jesus Christ. Amen?

Turn Towards Prayer

Today we’ll continue looking at how sin keeps us closer to the devil and further from God. Remember - No sin is too small to hinder prayer, especially the sins of:

1. Doubt. Possibly the greatest hindrance to prayer (. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That man should not think he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all he does. James 1:6–8).

2. Self. A full hand cannot take Christ’s gifts. Pride prevents prayer, for prayer is a humbling thing. (Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4).

3. Unlove in the Heart. We cannot be wrong with men and right with God. ("Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift. Matthew 5:23–24).

4. Refusal to Do Our Part. When we pray for the conversion of others, are we willing to be the means? (Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” – Isaiah 6:8)

5. Praying Only in Secret. The Bible often refers to united prayer! (They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. – Acts 1:14)

6. Failure to Praise the Lord. We are commanded to “be joyful”! (¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. - 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18)

Ask the Lord to search us for any prayer-hindering sin, and then give all the praise, honor and glory in worship back to Him.

Turn From the Devil

When a believer’s prayer life isn’t focused then they are in trouble! Start by praying: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” - Psalm 139:23-24

God wants us to pray, but the devil seeks to hinder us. We are told in Isaiah 59:1–2: “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear”.

The way to forgiveness is also given in God's Word:“ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:10

Amen?

The Doing

Today let's look at the third truth about worship.

Worship is a verb.

Romans 12:1 - Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

It’s not a noun that describes a person, place, or thing. It’s a verb that describes an action you should do with every breath you take.

Colossians 3:23 says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as if you were working for the Lord and not for a person.” That’s worship.

 Romans 12:1 in the Message, “… Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering (an act of worship).” That’s how you worship!

Today and every day- worship God with all you have. Amen?

Growth Habit

The Bible says that meeting together ought to be a habit. We ought to do it every week. The second great truth about worship is:

It's God’s will is for us to gather weekly

Hebrews 10:24–25 - And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Remember - “Let us not give up meeting together …”  The Bible describes a lot of positive habits that help us give God glory, but gathering for weekly worship is the primary, foundational habit, because it’s the one that resets our priorities every week, before the week begins.

May we always prioritize our worship time together. Amen?

Wired

People from everywhere and every language praise God because He saved them. God deserves praise just for who He is because He’s wise and powerful and strong and eternal. 

Over the next few days will be looking at three truths about worship:

1. We were wired for worship

•Revelation 4:11; “You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being.” 

7:9; After this I looked, and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.

Worship is important because we are made to give glory to our Maker. The Bible says it’s good for us to meet together so that we can spur one another on toward love and good deeds. It is what we are meant to do,

Today and always worship God.

Amen?

Life of Worship

Christians are to worship God by using their bodies, minds, and spiritual gifts in a glorifying way.  How can we glorify God by making worship our way of life? Paul gives us a blueprint of how to live a life of worship in Romans chapter 12.

12:1 – Worship: Present Yourself Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.

Verses 2-3 – Worship: Renew Your Mind.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.  For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 

Verses 4-8 – Worship: Use Your Gifts  For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function,  so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.  We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith;  if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach;  if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully.

Use your mind, tongue, body, and spiritual gifts to worship God!

What commitment to change do you need to make?

Worship God with your life. Amen?

Time to Share

We who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior are mandated to share the Good News with the world around us.

Here are 5 SIMPLE STEPS FOR SHARING YOUR FAITH

1. Understand that your own life is a great part of your witness.

2. Realize that we earn the right to be heard by sincerely listening to others.

3. Recognize that people are looking for a cure.

4. Keep it simple.

5. Stress the love of God. (Use John 3:16 then Romans 6:23)

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.  As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,  for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:9-13

Allow the Holy Spirit to use you today to witness. Amen?

Without Fear

3 Key Things: How to Overcome the Fear of Sharing Your Faith 

- The need for hope and healing is greater than any roadblocks.

- Salvation is the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s supernatural.

 - Experience and live for God daily

And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. - Revelation 12:11

Say this out loud, "No one can take my testimony away from me." It's powerful and can change lives. Don't let satan tell you otherwise.

We’re all in this together: 

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God grew it. - 1 Corinthians 3:6 

You are never alone.

Living for God daily and sharing that testimony is evangelism. Amen?

Community

Church should be about community. Jesus shows us what this looks like in John 4:28-41, and what happened after Jesus’ encounter with the Samaritan woman at the well.

²⁸ Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people, ²⁹ “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” ³⁰ They came out of the town and made their way toward him. ³¹ Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”³² But he said to them, “I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”

³³ Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?”

³⁴ “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. ³⁵ Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. ³⁶ Even now the one who reaps draws a wage and harvests a crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. ³⁷ Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. ³⁸ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”³⁹ Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me everything I ever did.” ⁴⁰ So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. ⁴¹ And because of his words many more became believers.

You see people who meet Jesus are so moved by him that they want to introduce him to those they care about. The woman in story cared about the other people in her town.

Do you care about those in your community?

Share Jesus with those around you. Amen?

Turn to Success

The world measures "success" much differently than God does. In order to grow in Christ let's make sure we understand what our "goals" should be. Four components that we must use in our Christian walk, and incorporate in our lives to have success:

God’s Word

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” - John 8:31-32

Our Unity

Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand. -Matthew 12:25

Our Obedience

Jesus said, “If you love me, you will obey what I command. -John 14:15

Our Love

Jesus said, By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” - John 13:35

Grow in Christ. Measure success by God's standards. Amen?

Restoration

Relationships are always worth restoring!

“If you've gotten anything at all out of following Christ, if his love has made any difference in your life, if being in a community of the Spirit means anything to you … Agree with each other, love each other, be deep-spirited friends.” Philippians 2:1-2 (MSG)

Because life is all about learning how to love, God wants us to value relationships and make the effort to maintain them instead of discarding them whenever there is a rift, a hurt, or a conflict.

Paul taught that our ability to get along with others is a mark of spiritual maturity. If you want God’s blessing on your life and you want to be known as a child of God, you must learn to be a peacemaker. Here are seven biblical steps to restoring fellowship:

1. Talk to God before talking to the person.

2. Always take the initiative.

3. Sympathize with their feelings.

4. Confess your part of the conflict.

5. Attack the problem, not the person.

6. Cooperate as much as possible.

7. Emphasize reconciliation, not resolution.

Who do you need to contact as a result of reading this today? With whom do you need to restore fellowship? Don’t delay another second. Pause right now and talk to God about that person. Then pick up the phone and begin the process.

It takes a lot of effort to restore a relationship. That’s why Peter urged, “Work hard at living in peace with others.” Hebrews 12:14

When you work for peace, you are doing what God would do. That’s why God calls peacemakers his children. Amen?

Turn from Excuses

What stands in your way of living a purposeful life for God, and being a 100% committed to Him? What keeps us from totally surrendering our lives to Jesus?

It comes down to one word - but.

I would love to worship God in all I do but… I could spend more time at church but…. I know Christ wants me to be like Him but… I realize that I should serve in ministry but… I am supposed to share my faith but……

Jesus spoke to us about this in Luke 9:57-62 - ⁵⁷As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, "I will follow you wherever you go." ⁵⁸Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head."  ⁵⁹He said to another man, "Follow me."  But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." ⁶⁰Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."  ⁶¹ Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." ⁶²Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God."

At first glance Jesus’ words may seem harsh but they really aren’t – they are life giving! He is saying the most important thing you can do with your life is to follow Him. It may not be easy, it will probably be uncomfortable. You don’t have time to put it off concerning yourself with the things of this world. Your family and friends may never understand your faith, yet Jesus begs us to follow Him.

For 2000 years Jesus has invited the world to, Follow me”. Many say I will or I wish I could but… We need to be like Peter who said, “Lord where could we go? You have the Words of life! We give up everything for You!

Commit yourself today to follow Jesus completely. No more excuses or “buts”

Time to Turn

Does it not fall in the boundaries of God’s law and desire for us to boost our activity in the Name of Jesus and be about His agenda, timing, and perfect will? Is it not time that we truly seek revival and renewal to be God’s children and to love and worship Him alone with all our heart, mind, body, and soul? Are we ready to get off the slippery slopes and sinking sand to stand on the only firm and sure foundation, the Rock of our salvation Jesus Christ, the Son of the Living God? Shall we set about trying to recover that “first love” and joy of knowing Christ? Will we be willing to listen and obey God’s increased demand call on our lives, time, finances, heart, and actions? Will we help our neighbors and country to hear the truth, that we do trust in, want to bless, and will strive to be “One nation under God”?  I believe it’s time!

In 1963 the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. stood before God and the country in front of the Lincoln Memorial and said these words: I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together and, to stand up together.

The Word of God says in Numbers 12:6, he said, "Listen to my words: "When a prophet of the LORD is among you, I reveal myself to him in visions, I speak to him in dreams. Today we find our situation like the one found in 1 Samuel 3:1, the boy Samuel ministered before the LORD under Eli. In those days the word of the LORD was rare; there were not many visions.  The Bible prophesizes in Acts 2:17, “‘in the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

It is time “even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow” to have a dream. Realize that God is in charge, and he can do all things. By His strength and in His will He can use us as part of His purpose and plan. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together and, to stand up together. By God’s Word He will reveal Himself and give the vision for our church and country, but we must turn to Him in faithfulness, obedience, and love. Amen?

Unification

Let's continue looking at church unity today. Let's be reminded of three important cautions regarding unity:

1       Unity must never be at the expense of truth. We are NOT all headed in the same direction. We do NOT all serve the same God. Only those who look to Christ as Savior are really our brothers and sisters in the faith.

2       Unity does not mean ignoring controversial issues. We must not ignore those areas on which we disagree. The matters we disagree on are important to our growth and development. However, the attitude in which we carry on our debate must be one of love: first for God, second for each other. The process of discussion and debate is what sharpens and deepens us . . . even if we never convince each other to change positions.

3       Unity is not the same as Uniformity. We are not called to be "the same" we are called to be one. Variety is valuable. In many cases the issue does not boil down to who is "right" and who is "wrong". Many issues are simply a matter of personality and preference. Different means "Different". It doesn't mean "better than" or "worse than", it just means "different".

It is time that we were clear on what we are about. We are about glorifying Christ, not our particular gathering of followers. We will have different approaches, different points of emphasis, but agree that there is one Lord, one faith, and one Baptism.

It's time we worked together rather than against each other. Time to encourage rather than divide. Time to work together so our friends and neighbors might be kept from perishing apart from Christ. It's time to stop making it easy for the Devil. AMEN?

All Together

One rhyme said it well, "to live above with those we love, oh, how that will be glory. To live below with those we know, now that's another story." It's true . . . but it shouldn't be. At the conclusion of Jesus' great prayer, He prays for those who would believe because of the message of the disciples. . . .He prays for us. He prays for the church. The one request that stands out (because it is repeated three times!) is that His followers be united as One.

We are not called to create unity . . . we are called to maintain it. However, before we can maintain the unity that comes from being related to each other in Christ, we must repair some of the damage we have done. Let's talk about maintaining unity in our church and community. Here are two Good Reasons for Unity:

1. The greatest tool of evangelism is the love we show for each other.(vv 21 & 23) Unity is the bedrock of evangelism. People understand the love of God when they see that love manifested in His people. What happens more often is people are turning away from the gospel because of the bickering between Christians. 

2. We need each other. In 1 Corinthians Paul likens us to a body, a family. We need the comfort, instruction, gifts the other possesses. We also are depriving ourselves of great joy when we divide.  Our differences serve a very important function:

1       Differences keep us from grievous error.

2       Differences force us to think about what we believe.

3       Differences expose us to joys we would not have discovered without them. Differences do not destroy us . . . they strengthen us.

Let's not allow division to destroy the work of Christ any longer. Amen?

Being Healthy

Did you know that you get a new skeleton every seven years? Your bone marrow is constantly creating new bone, and you’re sloughing off old cells so that your skeleton can grow with your body. 

Change is necessary for growth.

-         Restructuring prepares the church for growth and to break through barriers.  

-         About 95 percent of all the churches in the world stop growing before they get to 300 people because they are structured to be at a size less than 300.

-         It’s not the problem of the pastor or the people; it’s a problem of the structure.

We often ask the wrong question. 

The wrong question is, “What will help my church grow?”

The right question is, “What is keeping my church from growing?”

Growth is natural. All living things naturally grow. I don’t have to command my grandkids to grow; they just do it, if they’re healthy. If your church is healthy, then it is going to automatically grow.

May we pray for and seek to be healthy churches. 

Amen?

Abundant Grace

Trouble times can make you bitter or better. Maybe the Why Me? question should be thought of differently. Why not me? - should be the question we can ask. Look in Matthew 24:3-14 to see what Jesus had to say about the subject.

^3 “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,” they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”

⁴ Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you. ⁵ For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Messiah,’ and will deceive many. ⁶ You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. ⁷ Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. ⁸ All these are the beginning of birth pains.

⁹ “Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. ¹⁰ At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, ¹¹ and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. ¹² Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, ¹³ but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. ¹⁴ And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

Looks like we are promised troubled times, but it will lead to Jesus’ return! Our greatest growth will come from those times we choose to overcome the adversity and allow our trials to make us better. We all have the choice to say “Why Me?! - Why am I so blessed?” Even in troubled times God’s grace is abundant and a blessing. Amen?

Troubles

There is a lot we can learn from the book of Job about God and our relationship with Him. Three things the story of Job shows us:
1. I am shown that God does not cause evil.
2. It shows that I can be sure that my perspective is limited.

3. It shows that I can be satisfied that God is at work. 

After chapter 2 in the book of Job ends, the next thirty-five chapters are filled with the opinions and philosophies of men, trying to answer the question, Why is Job suffering? While Job felt like life was spinning out of control, God never did. He never lost control. 

God speaks in chapter 38. God does some of His best work in our lives during our darkest trials. Not everyone’s suffering ends so completely, so happily … on this earth anyway. But everyone’s suffering ends. And someday, God promises, so will evil. And while we may often get impatient in the meantime, the Bible says that God is at work … all the time … and His purpose is far more, far greater, than making our lives happy and easy … or even making our lives livable. His purpose is bringing about His glory and leading us all into His kingdom... Amen?

Turn to God's Grace

Everyone will go through difficult times. Troubles can educate us; they can build our character and help us develop patience, humility, and strength if we choose to let them. But still, Many of us spend our lives thinking “Why me? Why is my life hard? Why do I have to struggle? Why do I have to suffer loss? Why, why, why?” 

We are promised that one thing is for sure – there will always be trouble in this world. It rains on the good (just, righteous) and the bad (unjust, unrighteous).  We will never understand our need for Jesus until we lament in our need for God. Let's take a look at Job's journey: 

Job’s Realization – Job 9:33 -  If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together,

Job’s Redeemer -Job 16:19 - Even now my witness is in heaven; my advocate is on high. I know my Redeemer lives!

Job’s Rejection -Job 19:2 - “How long will you torment me and crush me with words?

The answer for Job is not that he got his stuff back after his troubles, but that he got God back. That will always be the most important thing. Amen?

Facing Life

I love God’s family – the church. With my brothers and sisters, I have made some major decisions in my life, and through some tough times. My church family helps me with facing life. Let’s take a look at a few Scriptures on the subject:

Jesus died for us so that we can live together with him ... So encourage each other and give each other strength.  1 Thessalonians. 5:10-11

You should be like one big happy family, full of sympathy toward each other, loving one another with tender hearts ... 1 Peter 3:8

In Christ, we who are many, form one Body and each member belongs to all the others.  Romans 12:5

It is God himself who has made us what we are and given us new lives from Christ Jesus; and long ages ago he planned that we should spend these lives in helping others. Ephesians 2:10 

There are different kinds of service ... together you form the Body of Christ and each one of you is a necessary part of it. 1 Corinthians.12:5,27

Be thankful for God’s family. Love, encourage, and strengthen your relationships. Amen

Focus Up

When it comes to our relationship with God and His church it is sometimes one sided. We have great expectations of them, but find serving, obeying, and following an inconvenience and a problem. We need to focus fully on God and seek His plan and vision for our lives.

 President John F Kennedy, a man of vision, said in His inaugural address:

Now the trumpet summons us again - not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need; not as a call to battle, though embattled we are - but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation" - a struggle against the common enemies of man: tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself. 

In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role of defending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility - I welcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any other generation.

 Listen carefully to these last words. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our country and all who serve it -- and the glow from that fire can truly light the world. And so, my fellow Americans: ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country. 

Energy, faith and devotion will bring light into our country, and the glow can truly light the world! Are you ready church to let the light of God shine? Then ask not what God or the church can do for you, but what can you do, where can you serve, where can you minister, to bring glory to the kingdom of God? It is time for God’s church to rise up and “stimulate” the world in the Name of Jesus! Amen?