Blessings of Family and Friends

The words of a familiar hymn comes to mind whenever I think of my family and friends... "COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS". Each moment with them is a blessing... a special time shared, a moment/gesture of love, and a time of/for making memories because we will never have the moment again. As a grandparent, we are given the privilege to capture/share more of the "special times" that we missed with our own children. It is not that we were bad parents, but somehow we missed many things. At many of our family gatherings, as we share bygone days and happenings, we will hear much of what we missed and wonder when/how it happened. As a parent, we may have gotten too busy in trying to do "everything right" to impress other people, who really didn't care about us anyway.

As siblings, we recall many of the things we did that our parents didn't know about and we, prayerfully, hoped some of those things would never be known by them. The time shared with brothers and/or sisters is to be treasured... the memories made take us back to times when "everything was right with/in the world". In the hustle of everyday life, in this generation, even close families grow apart through many different incidents and/or for many reasons, but our hearts long for the closeness and for things the way they once had been.

As friends, we have learned one another... shared many intimate details about ourselves and our lives, both good and bad. We've learned we can be open and honest, yet not judged or condemned... almost as close as our relationship with GOD.

As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are part of a much larger family... we share love, joy, burdens, heartaches, prayer requests, fellowship, praise time, and worship.... WE ARE SO BLESSED AND THE BLESSINGS ARE TOO NUMEROUS TO COUNT!!!

The Christian's Greatest Gift-SALVATION

THE CHRISTIAN'S GREATEST GIFT: SALVATION

In our Sunday School series "ALWAYS REJOICING", we are having a verse by verse study of the book of Philippians. GOD has a "way" of causing, even familiar and often read, Scripture to speak a new message to our hearts. We are in Lesson One - studying the first five verses, but I have been reading the first chapter in my daily devotion time. In chapter 1: 28c-29, HE lifted some word phrases to complete a great message to share with family, friends, and acquaintances... " to you; salvation; of God." "... is given in the behalf of Christ" (This message should be the one to challenge our hearts and be what we share with the lost souls around us). GOD gave the world HIS only begotten SON - JESUS. This gift is freely offered and given to "all mankind", but only the "whosoever" who will accept this gift by faith, receives it. Many would use the past tense form of the verb "is" and say JESUS "was" given... this is true, but "the rest of the story" is GOD gave JESUS to the world (translated mankind)... JESUS gave HIS life for mankind (PAST) that mankind through HIM might have "eternal life" through and with HIM (PRESENT) so when one believes that JESUS came into the world to die for his/her sin (unbelief) , and accepts the "gift of salvation" by faith, HE is given "new life" and is made a "new creature" from within because the presence of GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT comes to dwell in the life of the new believer forever. GOD'S gift "keeps on giving." (FUTURE) Then, we go to live with the GIVER of the GIFT, eternally!!!

God's Promise To Moses

GOD'S promise to Moses, after the Great Flood, was given by a visible sign of beauty that can still be seen in our generation and HIS promises are still more numerous than we can comprehend. As Christians, we face battles, storms, and chastening in our lives to grow and strengthen us in our walk with Christ; however, we rarely welcome or enjoy them. In Hebrews 12 : 11, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness..." and the reasoning behind the chastening is given in verse 10, "...for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness." Psalm 30:4 c-5, "... and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness. For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning."

During one of our past Sunday School series, I noticed the word "through" kept being repeated, so I determined to know what the word/message was for me. Websters' definition is, "from end of to end of; from end to end; to the end." James Strong, in his Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, gave many action verbs to describe the word's usage in the many scripture references where it appears. In the Old Testament's Hebrew meanings were "into, middle, and out of; to go beyond, to deliver, to go forth/forward; to enter, to deliver, to escape; to thrust forward; to break forth, to win; from, among, after, out of; to push forth/forward." The New Testament's Greek meanings lists "from, to cross/pass over; to walk, to travel, to journey pressing forward; to proceed; to complete; to penetrate or pierce through entirely." Considering those definitions, my gleaning revealed - there is a "through" for us... there is an "other side" to our battles, storms, trials, and chastening, whether in this life or into eternity. The LORD is with us "... alway, even unto the end of the world" - then, we will be with HIM forever.

Experiencing Church Problems Is Universal

A Christian friend in Morocco, Africa, has shared some of the problems their house church has been experiencing. Some of the missionaries who went there to, supposedly, share the gospel have forgotten their mission and purpose. They are causing much confusion and division among the new believers... those saved out of the muslim beliefs. My question is - how do we, as Christians, portray Christ to the world around us and among our fellow believers?

Living in the area of the US known as the Bible belt, we face many of the same problems in our churches. Those of us who call ourselves Christians make one wonder if we are true believers of THE CHRIST of the Bible or do we serve a god that we have made up in our minds? In our thinking/lifestyles, we are stooped in idolatry... as if we make an idol and set it before us/bow down to it. We let mankind dictate what we think/believe/do. We have our “form of godliness”, we have our traditions, we have/hold to our religious rituals/beliefs… everything is okay in/for us. Yet if all is well, why are there so many churches… with new ones “popping up” every week? Have the congregations outgrown their facilities because of the masses being saved? This is NOT the case, the problem is brethren cannot “dwell together in unity”. We want sports teams, fellowship meals, music programs, worship teams, entertainment/activities to grow our crowds/numbers. If our church does not supply this, we will leave and find one that will or start our own. Is this not shameful that we must be amused with programs/activities and give the preaching/teaching of the WORD of GOD a lower position? Remember an unsaved world is looking on. We're unconcerned and forget about the masses of unsaved who need to be reached with the gospel of CHRIST… oh, how this must delight the devil. There is no reason for us to wonder why we are unable to get people to come to church to hear the gospel message or realize that even fewer will take the gospel out beyond their walls… by their action or lack of it, we wonder if they have anything to share.

Each country has it own culture and traditions to be respected, for sure, but we cannot and/or should not change for anyone - except CHRIST, then it is due to HIS changing us from within. HE makes us “new creatures”. "Therefore if anyone be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." (2 Cor 5:17) We cannot/will NEVER reach an unsaved world by being like them and conforming to their tradition, habits, beliefs, and standards. The Bible says Christians are “peculiar people” and “separate” from the world. The statement, “we are all shaped by our culture” should not be true… we are affected and influenced by our culture, for sure, but we should never let it overrule GOD’S standards/principles for our lives. The Christian faith of our brothers and sisters in CHRIST living in other countries is so much stronger than our own… they have learned the secret of knowing GOD for who HE is, not just what HE has done or can do. They have learned that GOD'S WORD is TRUTH - it is reliable, dependable, and trustworthy. Many have learned that when HE is all they have, HE really is ALL they need. They believe THE TRUE GOD of the universe. Most of our western culture knows about GOD, but are so far from knowing GOD'S Person. There is an eternity of difference between the two, yet by a physical measurement, only, a possible 18-20 inches from one's head to his heart.

We must not isolate ourselves from unbelievers nor can we become like them to win a few… we should not limit ourselves or GOD, as to the number we can reach for HIS glory. With CHRIST, living in our hearts and directing our walk, people will see and know the difference CHRIST has made in our lives. An anonymous writer stated, “the Lord looks at the heart” - yet Jeremiah wrote, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" After the question, a solemn answer is given, "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.”(ch. 17:9-10) Do we, as David did in Psalm 139:23-24, pray this - “Search me, O GOD, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts; And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Would we be fearful of what GOD would find in HIS search? Do we have things hid in areas of our heart that we think will not one day be revealed and have we forgotten GOD already knows and is the final JUDGE? “Man looks at the outward appearance” – this is a very common statement heard, in our generation and a very true saying because "the outward appearance" is all we see/know about others, yet are we not affected in some way? The things that enter our eye-gates and ear gates have great effects upon all areas of our lives and determine our actions/reactions, for good and/or bad. 

Our Christian brothers and sisters around the world need our prayer and encouragement. Our missionaries need our prayers, also, that they may represent CHRIST in a loving CHRIST-like manner - giving CHRIST, the preeminence in their lives (having love for HIM and being 100% dedicated to HIM for service) - and showing forth a love/concern for the need of lost souls... to preach to/teach them, to win souls, to begin to disciple those won for spiritual growth, and then, to train them to win others. May GOD help us all to realize our purpose and do GOD’S will to our best ability until we leave this world by death or the Rapture!!!