Tag: excerpt

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Do we Need to go to Church to be Christians?

 

Are You Wrinkled with Burden?

 Come to Church and Get a Faith Lift

                                                 

Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.

Romans 12:10

 

Do we need to go to church to be Christians? Not in the thinking of a many people. Do we need to go to church to grow and be strong Christians? In my thinking, yes—it is a must.

I find this second thought important in my own life. Where else can I sit and share my beliefs in God more than in God’s house. Those people who think the same way need me there to support them—and I need them to support me.

There are many times when we face sickness, sorrow or tragedy. People will pray for us, and we will pray for them. Jesus calls His children to a community where they gather and share together.

We know that we need to be with brothers and sisters in Christ if we are to grow in the Spirit. When we are with other Christians, we begin to feel more like loving one another, and feel free to share without fear. Christians who gather together learn that each member is a special present from God—someone with whom we can share and grow spiritually.

 

As the bumper sticker suggests: We can get a faith lift every time we come to church and share with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. Spending each Sunday with people who love us and want to help us grow is one way to have many close encounters with God.

I have developed some close friendships with Christians from my home church and we keep in touch during the week. It helps me to stay on level with God and to be strong.

We can stay strong another way—as part of a Bible study during the week. Most churches have study groups that are a comfortable place to share and grow.

There is also an international Bible study group (Bible Study Fellowship—BSF) that I attend during the week. There are groups for just men and groups for just women. Some women’s groups meet during the day. Many meet on the same weeknight evening so both spouses can attend at the same time while their children are part of program geared to their age group.

There is a different study in each term of the seven-year cycle and you eventually get a great overview of the entire Bible. I have been blessed each year I’ve gone and have developed close friendships there. After the lecture over the passage we study during the week on our own, my small group of ten to twelve men meets. We share our hurts and needs at the end of each session. Some men would not open up in other settings, but they feel safe at BSF.

 

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and the he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

Hebrews 11:6

 

Further adventures

  1. Visit your neighbors and talk to them about coming to church. I realize this may be a difficult assignment. It may be uncomfortable to speak up for the Lord, but just think if everyone in your neighborhood was a strong Christian. What if they all went to churches where they were growing in the Lord? What a glorious place to live. What a boost that would be. Isn’t it worth trying to tell your neighbors about your church, and more importantly about your Savior?
  2. Call a fellow Christian from your church and thank him or her for being there for you. Although they may not understand what you mean, they will be grateful for your thoughtfulness and glad they have contributed to your life. Your friendship may even grow stronger.

 

Something to ponder

Isn’t it funny that even every hair on your head is counted by God?


 *Excerpt from: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World

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God Doesn’t Make Mistakes. He Made You

Hate Is Not a Family Value

 

You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbors and hate your enemy.”

But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.

Matthew 5:43–44

 

I have had students say things to other children that I couldn’t help but think came from their own homes. Surely these 8–11-year-old children couldn’t have learned so much hate anywhere else. They learned about discrimination and bigotry right in their own homes—perhaps because the parents also grew up with hate and prejudice.

Hate should not be a family value, but it feeds on generations of hate. And it will not stop being handed down as long as each family member continues to let hate breed within them. Someone needs to break the chain so that it stops in this generation.

If you are one who fuels hate, prejudice or discrimination, it has to stop with you! We must realize that it can stop when each of us decides to do something about it and banish it from our thinking. We accomplish nothing by showing hate or even simply looking down on other people as “beneath” us. We are all people of worth, and we need to respect that in everyone.

Proverbs 22:6 reminds us of this important thought: “Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not turn from it.”

As parents and grandparents, change can start with us. We have the responsibility to teach our children to love and respect others. Imagine what a change there would in the world if everyone started to respect and love each other.

God didn’t create anything that wasn’t good. Each and every person (and thing) on earth was created by God. He does not make mistakes. He has a purpose for everything and everyone He created. Each of us has the same value to Him. Therefore, we should consider everyone around us as one of His creations and love them as we would love ourselves.

Hate never works any good in the end. We may try to hate, and shun someone, but we are the losers when we do. We wallow in our own mire and muck trying to hate our neighbors, but the only misery it causes is our own.

It really is so much easier to love someone than to work so hard at hating him or her. The stress level is much higher when you hate someone, and you never feel like you’ve won the game. Loving someone reaps many rewards—peace, for instance. Hating someone only destroys the crop—and eats away at you.

Avoid the rush. Be one of the first in your world to reach out and love those with whom who you’ve had conflict. They will be surprised, and may not react right away. But in the end they will respect you. They will have the burden on their shoulders to either accept your peace offering, or they will be the ones who get to wallow in the muck and mire.

Who would you rather it be—them or you?

 

But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.

Luke 6:27–28

 

Further adventures

Think about what your parents taught you. Are they values you want to pass on to your children? Are they values you live by today? Do they teach tolerance and love? If not, do some soul-searching. For the sake of your children, take time to evaluate your thinking. If it isn’t quite what you think you want your children to know, do something about it. Get into the Word and see what God says about loving your neighbor—and yes, even loving your enemy.

 

Something to ponder

Isn’t it funny that when you smile you have more face value?

 * Excerpt from: Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World

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Do I have to Give up My Toys to go to Heaven?

Many of you already know that I have signed a contract with Winepress Publishers to have my book: “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World,” published.

I had six deadlines that I had to meet with my publisher since I signed a contract with them January 15th. It Seemed like an overwhelming task. But, I met every deadline (so far) with the help of God.

We often turn our backs on challenges because we think they are too frightening, or to much to handle. There is nothing on this earth that can’t be handled when we turn things over to God.

When we can be submissive to His calling, and obey His commands we can conquer all our fears, and accomplishing many things.

It is very difficult to be submissive to anyone. We have to give up freedoms to do that. We don’t want anyone controlling our lives. However, if we allow God to lead us, being submissive is easy because we look at His only Son who was totally submissive to his Heavenly Father. He obeyed God all the way to the cross.

He could have decided that He wasn’t going to be put to death. He could have caused the earth to shake and the cross He was would have fallen to the ground. He could have destroyed any of the people who were mocking Him. But, He loved them so much He remained on the cross, and died a horrible death.

He obeyed His father, and because of that we can have eternal life if we accpet Jesus and try to be like Him.

What is stopping you from being submissive to God?  Can’t give up that job that is giving you many goodies in life, even though you stepped over many people on the way up that ladder of success?

Still wanting that boat, because the Jones’ next door have two, knowing that you will not be able to tithe to God if you do get one.  

How about that Beamer? Looks nice in the show room doesn’t it?

All of these are things that get in our way of serving God the way we should be. The old saying, “You can’t take it with you,” should have a lot of meaning here. Material goodies mean nothing if you don’t have eternal life.

Being submissive is turning our back on this world, and living a life for God. It is hard at best to accept that , and to really commit to it.  Think of the ultimate goal, and that is to be ready for the day of judgment, and to serve God during your time on this not so friendly world.

* My next post will be an excerpt from the book: “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World. It will come out Wednesday the 3rd.

Doug