Faithful

Don’t be afraid of what you are about to suffer. The devil will throw some of you into
prison to test you.

You will suffer for ten days. But if you remain faithful even when facing death, I will give you the crown of life. Revelation 2:10

Faithfulness, kind of an old-fashioned word…

Faithfull, someone has to retire before we think to use the word in our “modern” culture.. “After thirty-years of “Faithful” employment” …. Thanks…

Faithful, “My dog may be an ugly-mutt, but she’s Faithful….

The word is employed to describe the most famous geyser in America, Old Faithful, at Yellowstone National Park. Old Faithful is not the biggest geyser in America. And it’s not the most powerful geyser in America…

What makes it famous is its faithfulness! It’s like clockwork. Reliable…..

People appreciate dependability, even in an old geyser…

It’s not easy to find someone who can be counted on. One who will be faithful to the end. One who is dependable through thick and thin. The fact is that not everyone who volunteers actually comes through. Not everyone who says they will perform a task actually does it. Not everyone who makes a commitment can be counted on. Not ever Friend will “Stick” with you through a storm..

I’ve learned after almost 30 years of pastoring that “few” people will be “With You!” for the whole journey..

You should THANK-God for those who are with you! And “Have been” with you..

But, Faithfulness is not just a religious duty that we employ on Sundays or when we are supposed to be Christian. When we tire of our roles and responsibilities, it helps to remember that God has planted us in a certain place and told us to be a dependable and reliable accountant or teacher or parent or engineer. Christ expects us to be faithful where he puts us…

In the eleventh century, King Henry III of Bavaria grew tired of court life and the pressures of being a monarch. He made application to a Monk at a local monastery, asking to be accepted into the monastery, so as to spend the rest of his days in quiet meditation.

“Your Majesty,” said the Monk, “Do you understand that the pledge here is one of obedience? That will be hard because you have been a king.”

“I understand,” said Henry. “The rest of my life I will be obedient to you, as Christ leads you.”

“Then I will tell you what to do,” said the Monk. “Go back to your throne and serve faithfully in the place where God has put you.”

Not bad counsel. Go forth and do likewise “Faithfully”….

Uncommon people Do daily what Common people Do Occasionally…

Deb & I are “striving” to BE Faithful

Pray for Us, we are praying for YOU!

Leave a “Comment” love to hear from you…

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Got more “Time” check out “Stability through Faithfulness”

Milk, Meat and the Malnourished Church by: Steven Furtick

One of the greatest critiques of the American Church today is that it’s malnourished. Some would even say it’s our most pressing problem….

When most people voice this complaint, the focus is on the “Sunday Worship Experience.” From people who leave these churches, you hear, “I wasn’t getting fed.” Or, “I just want some deeper teaching.” From people outside these churches, you hear, “Too much milk, not enough meat.”

In some cases, I’m sure this is true. But I really don’t think that’s the real problem. Yes, American Christians are malnourished. But I don’t believe it has anything to do with milk or meat.

Most American Christians aren’t malnourished because of what they’re getting fed on Sunday. They’re malnourished because they don’t feed themselves Monday through Saturday.

So you had filet mignon on Sunday and learned about the mystical union of Christ and the church as it relates to the rapture and the design of the tabernacle in relation to Levitical dietary laws as understood by the Council of Trent. Good for you. Have fun starving yourself the rest of the week and letting your pastor read the Bible so you don’t have to.

So you had some milk on Sunday and learned 37 ways to _________________. Have fun having 37 new ways to not obey God during the coming week.

The crisis facing the church today isn’t what people are getting fed on Sundays. It’s what they’re not feeding themselves the rest of the days. Who really cares whether you consume meat or milk on Sunday if it’s the only meal you have all week?

I’m not saying this to get pastors and churches off the hook. It is the shepherd’s job to feed the sheep (John 21). And feed them well based on their needs and faith development. But it’s also the sheep’s job to eat:

For everyone who continues to feed on milk is obviously inexperienced and unskilled in the doctrine of righteousness (of conformity to the divine will in purpose, thought, and action), for he is a mere infant! But solid food is for full-grown men, for those whose senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law. ~Hebrews 5:13-14

Here’s the point.

Churches: we have a responsibility. We should serve up the Word, hot and fresh, every single Sunday. As church leaders, it is our job to create and sustain processes and systems that responsibly enable people to grow in their faith after receiving Christ.

People in our Churches: you also have a responsibility. If you refuse to study the Word, apply it, pray some during the week, join your (Mid-Week Bible study) or a small group and dig deeper with others, (commit to reading Selah Everyday) there’s not much we can do to help you. Your malnourishment won’t be cured by anything we give you on Sunday…

So are you an infant and need milk? Drink it for now, but the only way you will mature and be ready for meat is by training yourself. Constantly. Do you want meat? From these verses, it seems like meat is doing the milk. On your own. Constantly. Not getting it served to you once a week.

Hey! New Life Family …. Ouch!

Read this article yesterday, thought it “kind” of fit with our theme the last few weeks at our Thursday Night “Study-Hall” sessions… If you haven’t been there… Re-Read the article above!!

Deb & I Love You

Want you to Grow Up… Healthy and Strong!!

Got to eat Right! Got to eat your Veggies and plenty of Protein..

See You At “Study-Hall” This week…

For older sessions listen here.. http://tinyurl.com/2dheza2

Are You an Influencer?

You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste (its strength, its quality), how can its saltness be restored? It is not good for anything any longer but to be thrown out and trodden underfoot by men.
~Matthew 5:13

NEWS FLASH!!

Spreading the Gospel isn't solely the church's job; it's the job of every Christian.

Salt seems little more to us than a cooking spice, flavoring agent, or dinner table accessory. But history tells a different story of salt. Before refrigeration, people had no way of preserving meat they owned. A good day out hunting might provide many hundred pounds of meat, but without a way to preserve the meat, the food was lost in spoil. To help this problem, many people used salt to preserve meat. Barrels of salt were taken on long journeys to keep food from spoiling. In fact, salt became so necessary to every-day life that it became quite expensive. In Roman times, employees were sometimes paid in salt which they could sell or trade for other necessities. Next to the sun, Romans valued nothing more than salt.

Examining the properties and uses of salt is useful not only in the scientific realm, but in the spiritual realm as well. When describing the Christian's duty on earth, Christ refers to us as "salt and light." How are we to be salt? What are we to do as light? Notice a few uses of salt which can be applied to our spiritual lives.

Salt Preserves from Contamination. Salt is commonly used to flavor, but it was also used to preserve, as seen in the above illustration. It keeps foods from spoiling. Christians are to be a preserving influence on the world. We are to hold back complete moral and spiritual spoilage in our culture by living a God-centered life. The unsaved have no moral guide or compass, but as Christians we are to preserve the world around us by living by God's morals.

In what areas should we preserve our lives?

Our Testimonies- How can you influence the world? Start by preserving your personal testimony. James 1:27 says, "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world." You can't have a good influence on others if you aren't different from them. Make sure your Life-Testimony is Christ-honoring.

Our Families- Just as Jesus commanded His disciples to begin their ministry in their own circle of influence then spread out, so you should focus on your family first. As Deuteronomy 6:6-7 says, “And these words which I am commanding you this day shall be [first] in your [own] minds and hearts; [then] You shall whet and sharpen them so as to make them penetrate, and teach and impress them diligently upon the [minds and] hearts of your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise up.” Influence those closest to you first.

Our Communities- Contrary to popular belief, man is not "evolving upward." Spiritually, morally, and even physically, man is getting worse. But as Christians, Christ tells us we are made new, clean, whole. “Therefore if any person is [ingrafted] in Christ (the Messiah) he is a new creation (a new creature altogether); the old [previous moral and spiritual condition] has passed away. Behold, the fresh and new has come!” ~2 Corinthians 5:17

Too often, our influence in our communities extends (or is limited) to church programs, outreach events, or weekly services. While those things can help present the Gospel, God desires for us to personally be influences on the world around us. Spreading the Gospel isn't solely the church's job; it's the job of every Christian. Our greatest influence comes through our testimony, our families, and our life around our community. Are you influencing those around you today by being a preserving agent?

Deb & I are trying to “Be” Salty

Shake it Up! & Shake it Out!

See You IN Church…..