A sure way to be blessed!

John 13: 17

“Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.”

Our Family Life Conference at WCF concluded last night, and each of the 5 teaching sessions were filled with great revelation.

God’s Word when applied, not only brings freedom, but an abundance of joy.

Each evening, you could see that Dave’s messages were gaining momentum.

You could witness each night, that our attendance grew in number. I guess that’s the power of the Holy Spirit at work.

Could it be, that some people were actually hungering and thirsting for the righteous things of God?

I said it last night, and I’ll say it again; What would be tragic about this whole event, if we just heard the words, but never put them into practice.

How long do we sit in our churches—hear messages of hope, confession and repentance—but still hang on to known sin?

I purposed myself when I left last night, that I am not going to allow these words, to fall upon deaf ears.

What will you do differently today, that brings honor to our great God?

It is all about Him you know—and not at all about us.

If for some reason you missed one or more of the sessions, I challenge you to go to our church web site, and take a few moments to listen.

There might be something there, that might just change your life. 

Now that we know these things, Jesus said, we would be blessed if we actually did them…

Persecution Guarantee!

2 Timothy 3: 12

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…

 

Satan is the ruler of this small world.

God has given him this little, tiny domain, but God is still the great ruler of the greater Kingdom.

 

Every day, the demon of darkness, tries to influence our lives.

Paul is telling Timothy, that everyone, without exception or partiality, will face tough spiritual situations.

Especially the person who wants to live a life, pleasing to God.

 

This is a guarantee, that we will be forever harassed.

Do you ever wonder, why we have to struggle?

 

Some Christians become very disheartened, in part because many of them thought the Christian life was easier than this.

Make no mistake about it my friends—we are in a war!

 

Maybe you did not realize that, when you signed up for the Kingdom of our great God.

Remember this though—the only harm that can come to us in this battle, is only temporary.

 

Real victory—and lasting triumph, is certain.

The Bible says, that it is our inheritance.

 

Stand firm this day my friend—the day of celebration and victory parade, is coming…

Be Positioned Ready!

Matthew 24: 44

So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.

 

Today starts a brand new week.

Many people expect things to go just as they did last week—good or bad.

Most of you expected the Packers to win last night—and they did.

 

At some point in our lives, or in a generation to come, Jesus will return for His bride—the church.

People will rise in the morning, and expect their day to go just as the one before.

 

But something will be different about this day—it won’t be as normal as the day before.

Jesus will have returned, and no one would have really expected for this day to  come—but it will have.

 

Today, some of you will get the kids ready for a new school day.

Folks are busy getting their yards and homes ready for the winter—but few, are truly getting ready for the return of Christ.

 

If Jesus would have come back last night—I would have been ready—in part, because I was in the best place I could be—in church, with other worshippers,

I want to position myself, in the best way possible.

I’m getting ready for Jesus to come back, and I expect Him to keep His promise—because He’s never, ever lied.

 

I don’t want to be in the wrong place when Jesus comes back.

Like grocery shopping or at Fleet Farm on a Sunday morning—when I could have  been worshipping the One true God.

 

Today I’m getting ready—especially when I know, He could return at any hour…

Pay back!

2 Thessalonians 1: 6 – 7

God is just: He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled…

 

I don’t know about you, but does it seem like the world is becoming crazier by the moment?

Violence seems to be the mark of this current age.

We actually have young teen age children, killing their teachers?

 

Did you know that in our “civilized”? society, the suicide rate climbs higher every year.

What a future, huh?

In all this chaotic state, one thing I do know—it’s that the future belongs solely to our God.

 

Many Biblical scholars believe, that Jesus could come at any time.

When He does come—and no one knows when that will be—He will most certainly bring peace with Him.

 

World leaders have been trying to bring peace to the world for centuries, but haven’t had much luck.

I wonder if it’s because, they’re trying to do it without the Prince of peace?

 

The great and mighty Kingdom of Jesus, will be filled with peace.

But until He does come—there’s work to be done—and some of it will be done, in the midst of great craziness and trouble.

 

Relief is coming my friends—to those of us who are troubled.

And God is going to pay back, those who cause it…

Are you a sort of?

John 8: 11

"No one, sir," she said. "Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."

Jesus said… “Go now and leave your life of sin.” Another translation says… “Go and sin no more.”

Isn’t that the summation of the Christian life?

Because of what Jesus did for us, shouldn’t we actually do, what He tells us to do?

We’re not sort of a Christian, are we?

We’re not kind of a Christian.

When we obeyed the words of Jesus’ teaching, to walk away from our sinful lives, we became a true, died in the wool Christian.

To accept anything less, would be like saying, we sort of sin—or we kind of sin.

So do we sort of sleep with our girlfriend/boyfriend before we’re to be married?

Or do we only shoplift or steal, in moderation?

I think Jesus is pretty direct in what He expects from His followers.

I think Jesus is going to be pretty direct one day, to those people who were just kind of followers.

You know, the luke warm one’s He spoke about in Revelation chapter 3. And these words are not condemning—there honest.

I can tell you what my wife would say, if I was sort of faithful to her.

It’s the same way for the person that says… “Well, I go to church half of the Sunday’s in a year.”

Call me crazy, but I take the words of Jesus pretty seriously—especially the ones, that call me to die to self…

Correction is good!

Matthew 16: 23

Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me; you do not have in mind the things of God, but the things of men."

 

I guess you could say, that Jesus was pretty emphatic when he spoke these words to Peter.

I wonder what tone of voice Jesus used, when he spoke these cutting words?

Make no mistake about it, Jesus made it quite clear, that Peter didn’t have any idea what he was talking about.

 

How would we in the church, handle this kind of correction?

Most people would probably leave the church, if they were spoken to in this tone of voice.

 

A friend of mine in ministry told me a few years back, that the church has been way too nice—for way too long.

I wonder if we’d have the societal problems we have today, if wayward people were corrected, like Jesus corrected Peter?

 

This same friend, said they overheard one of their congregants, after a harder Sunday morning message say…. “I’m not sure I can attend a church, that brings this kind of conviction….”

Maybe that’s the problem in a nut shell. I guess if the spiritual shoe fits, maybe we should actually wear it.

 

What was Peter’s reaction? Was he disgruntled? Did he leave this band of merry men? Did he discontinue his membership?

No, Peter took the blows, and it was used to make Peter, the powerful man he became.

 

Maybe if we didn’t get so hot under the collar all the time, when someone spoke honest corrective words to us—maybe it would actually make us a better man/woman?

I’m so glad we didn’t see Peter’s response, as one who was holding a grudge—or one who got ticked off.

 

I wonder how much time do we waste, by refusing to receive the correction we actually need?

Encourage!

1 Thessalonians 5: 11

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

 

Yesterday at church, some of the people there, paid homage to the Pastor and his family.

Frankly, I’m a little uncomfortable with all the attention.

 

There is a couple though, who goes out of their way, to make the day special for us. They have done so for the 11 years I have been there.

It often makes me wonder, if anyone else would even notice, if they had not made this celebration happen.

 

A handful of people sent cards, and one couple even sent a special personal note to each of us, along with a gift card.

But there’s one gift that stood out, over all the best and the rest.

 

One person actually took time to pen a letter of appreciation.

It’s the kind of letter that you store in the back of your Bible, and when you go to open it, it falls out along with all the other treasures stored there.

 

When’s the last time you encouraged someone? When’s the last time you told someone, that they really mattered?

What about the UPS or Fed-X driver that takes special care to deliver your consumer packages?

What about the teacher who labors over instructing your child? When’s the last time you encouraged them?

How about the co-worker who goes to great lengths, to make your load a little lighter? How about building up the receptionist at your local doctors office?

 

We live during a day and time, when we all need words of encouragement, that build us up.

We need people to take the time, to write us personal notes, that tell us how much they care.

 

Sometimes we can be pretty ungrateful—especially me included.

So who will you target today, to send along a word of encouragement? It might just make the difference that person needs, just to get through their day…