Text: Jonah 1:1-3 ¹ The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.”

³ But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD.

The Book of Jonah (Hebrew: Sefer Yonah) is a book in the Hebrew Bible. It tells the story of a Hebrew prophet named Jonah ben Amittai who is sent by God to prophesy the destruction of Nineveh but tries to escape the divine mission.

Nineveh:  was a great city in Assyria, it was a city of power, it was wicked, it was guilty of evil plots against God, exploitation of the helpless, cruelty in war, idolatry, prostitution, and witchcraft.

This city that was full of evil, God was willing to show them mercy if they would only turn from there wicked ways.

• Jonah like many of us did not want to do what God want!

⁴ Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. ⁵ All the sailors were afraid and each cried out to his own god. And they threw the cargo into the sea to lighten the ship.

But Jonah had gone below deck, where he lay down and fell into a deep sleep. ⁶ The captain went to him and said, “How can you sleep? Get up and call on your god! Maybe he will take notice of us so that we will not perish.”

⁷ Then the sailors said to each other, “Come, let us cast lots to find out who is responsible for this calamity.” They cast lots and the lot fell on Jonah. ⁸ So they asked him, “Tell us, who is responsible for making all this trouble for us? What kind of work do you do? Where do you come from? What is your country? From what people are you?”

• Here the sailors are relying on superstition to give them the answer. (Pagans)

⁹ He answered, “I am a Hebrew and I worship the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.”

• You cannot seek God’s love and run from him at the same time.
• You cannot hide from God.
• You must stop going in one direction to go another.
• How can you say you love God and do not do what he says? ¹⁰ This terrified them and they asked, “What have you done?” (They knew he was running away from the LORD, because he had already told them so). ¹¹ The sea was getting rougher and rougher. So they asked him, “What should we do to you to make the sea calm down for us?” ¹² “Pick me up and throw me into the sea,” he replied, “and it will become calm. I know that it is my fault that this great storm has come upon you.” ¹³ Instead, the men did their best to row back to land. But they could not, for the sea grew even wilder than before. ¹⁴ Then they cried out to the LORD, “Please, LORD, do not let us die for taking this man’s life. Do not hold us accountable for killing an innocent man, for you, LORD, have done as you pleased.”

• The pagan sailors showed more compassion than Jonah.
• Remember, he did not want to go to Nineveh
• They called out to Jonah Lord.
• We should be shame when unbelievers show more concern and compassion.

¹⁵ Then they took Jonah and threw him overboard, and the raging sea grew calm. ¹⁶ At this the men greatly feared the LORD, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows to him.

Jonah’s Prayer ¹⁷ Now the LORD provided a huge fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

Jonah 2:1 ^{1 [a]}From inside the fish Jonah prayed to the LORD his God. ² He said: ¹⁰ And the LORD commanded the fish, and it vomited Jonah onto dry land.                                                                                            

Jonah  Goes to Nineveh Jonah 3: 1-3 ¹ Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: ² “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” ³ Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very large city; it took three days to go through it. ⁴ Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” ⁵ The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth.

Closing: 1.   God wants us to be concern for all of his people, lost and saved.                                                                                                        2. He wants our obedience.                                                                       3. He wants our unconditional love.

Rom 6:23   Sin PAYS its servants: the wage is death. But God GIVES to those who serve him: his free gift is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Pet 2:16 (NIV)  Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.

Gal 5:13   My brothers, you were called, as you know, to liberty; but be careful, or this liberty will provide an opening for self-indulgence. Serve one another, rather, in works of love.

Who’s In Control 1 Cor 6:19-20  You are not your own; you were bought with a price.

Rom 14:8    If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord.

Richard Foster: “A natural and understandable hesitancy accompanies any serious discussion of service. The hesitancy is prudent since it is wise to count the cost before plunging headlong into any Discipline. We experience a fear that comes out something like this: “If I do that, people will take advantage of me; they will walk all over me.”

“Right here we must see the difference between choosing to serve and choosing to be a servant. When we chose to serve, we are still in charge. We decide whom we will serve and when we will serve. And if we are in charge, we will worry a great deal about anyone stepping on us, that is, taking charge over us. But when we choose to be a servant, we give up the right to be in charge. There is great freedom in this. If we voluntarily choose to be taken advantage of, then we cannot be manipulated. When we choose to be a servant, we surrender the right to decide when we will serve. We become available and vulnerable.

“Self-righteous service picks and chooses whom to serve. Sometimes the low and defenseless are served because that will ensure a humble image. True service is indiscriminate in its ministry.

Mark 9:35  ³⁵ Jesus sat down and called for the Twelve to come to him. Then he said, “If you want to be first, you must be the very last. You must be the servant of everyone

Flesh Test! How Hard Is It To…? Richard Foster: “Nothing disciplines the inordinate desires of the flesh like service, and nothing transforms the desires of the flesh like serving in hiddenness. The flesh whines against service but screams against hidden service. It strains and pulls for honor and recognition. It will devise subtle, religiously acceptable means to call attention to the service rendered. If we stoutly refuse to give in to this lust of the flesh, we crucify it. Every time we crucify the flesh, we crucify pride and arrogance.”

Giving Up Your Rights Oswald Chambers: “Obstinacy and self-will will always stab Jesus Christ. It may hurt no one else, but it wounds His Spirit… Every time we stand on our rights and insist that this is what we intend to do, we… vex and grieve His Spirit.”

A Living Sacrifice to God Romans 12:1¹ And so, dear brothers and sisters,^[a] I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him.^[b]

Rom 12:1 (KJV) I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

• The key to real Christian living is dying to the world and living unto Christ.
• “Reasonable” is the Greek logikos (logic coast), from which we derive our word “logical,” and “service” is the Greek latreian (La train), referring to service as a priest. We have been made “an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5), and it is perfectly logical that we render such lifelong service.

Jesus, The Suffering Servant, Dives Into Humanity To Rescue A Few Luke 4:18                                                                    ¹⁸ “The Spirit of the Lord is on me. He has anointed me to tell the good news to poor people. He has sent me to announce freedom for prisoners.  He has sent me so that the blind will see again.  He wants me to free those who are beaten down. What me do? 1.   Love must be honest and true. Hate what is evil. Hold on to what is good. ¹⁰ Love each other deeply. Honor others more than yourselves. ¹¹ Never let the fire in your heart go out. Keep it alive. Serve the Lord.  ¹² When you hope, be joyful. When you suffer, be patient. When you pray, be faithful. ¹³ Share with God’s people who are in need. Welcome others into your homes. Romans 12:9-13

2.   Let us not become tired of doing good. At the right time we will gather a crop if we don’t give up. ¹⁰ So when we can do good to everyone, let us do it. Let us make a special point of doing good to those who belong to the family of believers.  Gal 6:9-10

Matthew 9:35-38                                                                             Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶ When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. ³⁸ Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

1.     Servant hood  define  by Webster:  a person who is devoted to or guided by something; A servant of the truth; One who serves  others.                                                                                                   ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few… He meant there were many people ready to be harvested for the Kingdom. All around us there are broken, bleeding, hurting people, ripped apart and left to die, they are ready to be reached if only someone will go to the harvest fields. If only someone will tell them about Jesus. So where is the harvest fields today?   It’s outside these doors.

So to be this servant, How must one act? Phil 2:1-4               Now if you have known anything of Christ’s encouragement and of his reassuring love; if you have known something of the fellowship of his Spirit, and of compassion and deep sympathy, do make my joy complete–live together in harmony, live together in love, as though you had only one mind and spirit between you. Never act from motives of rivalry or personal vanity, but in humility think more of each other than you do of yourselves. None of you should think only of his own affairs, but consider other people’s interests also.

Have the Attitude of Christ Phil2:1-5                                          Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.  Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.  You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

How To Get Ahead In The Kingdom Of God…Mat 20:27-28  ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first among you must become your slave. ²⁸ For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.”                                                                                                   John 12:25-26 (NIV) “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant also will be. My Father will honor the one who serves me.”

In John 13:12-17 Jesus had washed  his disciples feet,  In this scripture he set an example that we all  should  follow.   He said, do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Psalm 23:1-4 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.   He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.   He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.   Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Being that this is the second day of 2011.  I know many of us had trouble times in 2010.  The question is how did you handle it and what are you going to do when trouble come knocking at your door in 2011?  What do you do in times of trouble?

J. Stephen Lang said it best, Quote; “What does God promise his people? Relief from all troubles in the next world, relief from some troubles in this life. Faithful people throughout the centuries witness to dramatic deliverances from sickness, from financial woes, from all manner of troubles. Flesh-and-blood human beings have testified to miracles. They happen.  But not always. Sometimes we aren’t relieved by God. Sometimes we merely endure. This isn’t such a bad thing. We are never nearer to God than when we are troubled. In times of comfort and ease we forget him. In the worst of times, we suddenly remember, “Ah, what if I asked God for help?” Sometimes the answer is the help we pray for. Sometimes the answer is “Lean on me, and you will survive and thrive.”  Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.” Unquote.

So let me ask you these questions:                                                     When Christ was betrayed by Judas was He in trouble? No! When Christ stood before Pilate was He in trouble? No! When Christ was on the cross was He in trouble?  No! When Christ was in the grave was He in trouble? No!

No! Christ was not in trouble because his father was watching and with him all the time.  God was looking after him,  Jesus knew that he was not along. God was always with him, and he is always with you! Satan seemed to be victorious in the Garden of Eden and at the cross, but Jesus turned Satan’s apparent victory into defeat when Jesus Christ rose from the dead.

Hebrews 2:14-15 Since the children have flesh and blood, he too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— ¹⁵ and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.

Jesus Christ is given us power over the devil/satan,  He’s  taken the fear from death.  Christ over came death and one day we will also over come death.

We need to trust and lean on Jesus and we to, will be victorious. Psalm 30:5 (King James Version)  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

Let us make  2011 the year that God is our Strength, God is our stronghold, God is our refuge.  Remember this:   “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew: 11: 28-30

Lesson to learn:  You need to keep the right Godly attitude

Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,       Note: There will, indeed, still be eating and drinking in the future kingdom (Matthew 6:25; Revelation 22:2), as there is in its present phase, but its essence is now and shall always be, not material, but spiritual.

Matthew 6:25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what  ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Now that Christmas is over, what do we do?  The gifts are all opened.  The gift wrap and boxes all picked up, and stuffed into the trash bag for the trash truck to pick up this week, and hopefully we won’t go over our limit on trash bags.

The family and friends have or will be heading home soon.  The house seems to have lost its holiday atmosphere.  And now, we’re soon facing the task of taking down the tree and the decorations soon.  Pine needles all over the place and stuck in the carpet…So,  then the tree either goes out onto the trash, or gets stuffed back into its box.

The colored lights will soon to be unplugged, and taken off the house, and will  either be neatly stored, if you’re a compulsive like me…or just thrown into a bag and untangled next year.

So, that brings me to a reflective question…Have you ever asked yourself the question… “Is this all there is to Christmas?” Is the spirit of Christ and His birth just a once a year thing?

I suppose if we try to answer that based on a materialistic mindset, and judging from the return lines you’ll see if you venture out to the mall tomorrow, there’s good reason to think that Christmas is not much more than  another seasonal commercial money making time for merchants, and a seasonal shopping time for all the rest of us.
Personally, I want more. Because IF all Jesus means to me, is just a ‘once a year celebration’ and giant spending spree on gifts to be given, and food to be eaten, then that is going to leave me drained, and empty.
So, how can I go through Christmas and the months to follow, and keep my own lights of Christ in me burning brightly?  For the Christian, it has everything to do with our attitude and perspective.  You see, …if we see Christmas from the ‘kingdom’ perspective, then we’ll discover how to keep some of that glow of Christ in us shining out of our lives for the rest of the year.

In fact, as we look at this passage, we find that Paul was actually addressing a very specific problem that was plaguing the Roman believers. It was a problem of allowing externals to get in the way. It was the problem of allowing things like eating and drinking, and celebrating, or traditions, or whatever to get in the way of the joy and peace, and righteousness that should  be present instead in our lives.

So Paul, in fact, is addressing a kingdom principle…a principle that if we adhere to it, and put it into practice in our lives, will help keep Christ’s peace, joy and righteousness in our lives forever.

That practice is accepting the Holy Spirit into your life.  We must allow it to transform our live in every aspect.

Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost.

Freedom must be guided by love as we build each other up in the faith, being sensitive and helpful to those who are week.

Freedom is being free from sin, becoming over comers of sin and its temptation.  The power that he instills in us allows you to become more like Christ by obeying his word.  When you are growing in your relationship with Christ, The Holy Spirit frees you from the demands of the law and from fear of judgment.

Each of you needs to re-examine your commitment to Christ and reconfirm your relationships with other believers in Christ’s body.  When this is done, actively and vigorously build up other believers, my bible says that we can be a symphony of service to God.

1 Timothy 3:4 The husband must manage his own home well; he is the manager.

Genesis 2:21-23 Marriage is a committed partnership between man and woman.

Marriage Defined: The social institution under which a man and woman establish their decision to live as husband and wife by legal commitments, religious ceremonies, etc.

Tune up:  A car is essentially a machine, and as such, it requires a certain amount of preventative maintenance in order to continue to perform. A tune up is a regularly scheduled opportunity, usually once a year, to do all of the preventative maintenance that needs to be done. Ensuring that your car gets a tune up regularly will help maintain the performance of your car and extend its life.

Owning a car: Owning a car shouldn’t mean that the car has to be repaired everytime you turn around. Failure to do the necessary maintenance will cause your car to fail before long and leave you stranded on the road side.

Marriage: Being marriage is much like being obligate to someone  If the husband fails to do the necessary steps I can assure you that your marriage will fail and you will be stranded along the road called life.

The Car:

Components of a Tune up:  You will want to make sure that you change your oil every 4,000 miles by using a new oil filter and an oil designed for your engine. Keeping antifreeze in your car all year round and checking the transmission fluid often are other ways for your car to remain in tip top shape. You can get an oil change at any oil and lube shop for around $10-$20, so there is no excuse for not having it done.

Filling your car with an high octane content fuel will keep the engine running cleaner. Do not let your gas tank ever go below the empty line. This will churn up sediments in the bottom of your gas tank. This causes parts of your engine and your spark plugs to become clogged, thus needing repair down the road.

The marriage or wife:

Components of a Marriage: Communication, openness, integrity, responsibility, spiritual maturity and Love.

What to listen for:  If you hear any new sounds with your vehicle, you have it checked out before it turns into a real problem. You don’t wait until last minute when the damage is done.

Things to listen for in a marriage:

1.     Your wife telling you she can’t cook due to being too tired.

2.     Your wife telling you that you don’t understand.

3.     Your wife telling you that she needs help around the house.

4.     The tone of her voice is different.

5.     Your wife has a lot of mood swings and crying.

6.     We always do what you want.

7.     You never listen to me.

Changing the tires: When they become worn will keep your tires from going flat and you from having blowouts that can be dangerous. If your tires have a blowout at speeds in excess of 55 miles per hour, you can become involved in an accident and be severely injured, or cause others to become severely injured.

Changing tires in a marriage is like going in another direction: many times in our marriages it may seem like you’re going 55 to 100 mile per hour.  It work, work, work;  Late hours, long hours;   kids are everywhere, sports and more sports,  no time for vacation and  no time for each other.

STOP! Just stop.

If  you recognize these situation and you qualify in one or more, take note:

1. Change the oil every: religiously, check in with our wife.  Sometimes just stop and look and watch her.  Ask her the questions:

A.   How you doing?

B.   How was your day?

2. Check out of the engine light!   Remove all dirt (sin).  This means give your wife the kind of respect that you would give the queen of England.  Stay alert and be aware of the warning signs.

3. Change air filters and fuel filters regularly: Avoid pushing her buttons too much (stop, look and listen).  Watch her emotions and be pleasant at all times.  Trying buying her some flowers, candy or a muffin of her liking.  Start thinking about her and not so much about you.

4. Never ever let the wife over heat:  If she even comes close to overheating, stop it immediately. Overheating means premature death to all kinds of peace, joy, communication and love in a marriage.  Stop talking and start listening.

5. Set up a regular maintenance schedule: Have regular schedule dates or vacation.  It’s important to have time together and not with the kids.   There is a time for kids and there a time for your wife.

6. Make sure that one of the top technicians: Inspects your marriage. Watch for certain people who want to tell you how to manage your marriage.  The top technician should be Jesus Christ.

Closing:

In general, The only real advantage to tire rotation is that it makes all of your tires wear out at the same time.  Check in with your wife more ofter and stop and listen and just maybe your meet your wedding vows “Until death do your part.”

1. Do not let anything squeak for very long. Squeaking means that  improper friction is happening somewhere in your marriage. Stop look and listen and then talk.  Remember that your don’t have to always win,  Love first.

2. Do not let anything grind for very long. A low-frequency grinding noise means that actual destruction is going on in your marriage! Find it and fix it.

3. Develop your sense of awareness for your marriage. Tension is one sign; anger another; name calling is another; silence is nerve racking, hand off is another; coldness is a sickly bad feeling; an argument is another and division is another. These are the main ones. Try to learn them, and pay attention if you suddenly start to become aware of any of them do something right.

4. Do not drive when a red warning light comes on. The red ones are serious and must not be ignored. Better to stop and pray.  It better than destroying the whole marriage for lack of Love

5. Get to know your Wife and love it. Be aware when anything seems to change for the worse. Pay attention and be aware of your car just as you are aware of your own body. Be able to express your observations in words, so you can accurately tell your wife what you have noticed.

The most important single thing you can do for your marriage is to establish a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, in which He is your personal Lord and Savior.  If you want your marriage to survive in this world, keep Jesus as the oil, coolant and water in your marriage.  If you do this, you will find joy, happiness and love now and forever.

If you do not do this one thing, you will continue to deprive yourself of the many blessings God has intended for you to receive

C is for: Christ, Christ was Love

H is for: Happy or Happiness

R is for:  Remember the troubles that have passed away

but never forget the blessings that come each day.

I  is for: Instrument to help others.

S is for:  Submission, Sin being removed.

T is for: Trust, total trust and thankfulness.

M is for: Merry, because you remember what Christmas is about.

A is for: Acceptance of what Christ did for you and me.

S is for: Savior and Salvation.

This is what Christ is all about!

Note: Here are some story’s that were shared that were found on the internet.

CHRISTMAS LOVE

Each December, I vowed to make Christmas a calm and peaceful experience. I had cut back on nonessential obligations: extensive card writing, endless baking, decorating, and even overspending. Yet I still found myself exhausted, unable to fully appreciate the precious family moments, and, of course, the true meaning of Christmas. My son, Nicholas, was in kindergarten that year. It was an exciting season for a six-year-old. For weeks, he’d been memorizing songs for his school’s Winter Pageant. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I’d be working the night of the production. Unwilling to miss his shining moment, I spoke with his teacher who assured me there would be a dress rehearsal the morning of the presentation. All parents unable to attend that evening were welcome to come then. Fortunately, Nicholas seemed happy with the compromise. So, the morning of the dress rehearsal, I filed in ten minutes early and found a seat in the cafeteria. Around the room, I saw several other parents quietly scampering to their seats. As I waited, the students were led into the room. Each class, accompanied by their teacher, sat cross-legged on the floor. Then each group, one by one, rose to perform their song. Because the public school system had stopped referring to the holiday as “Christmas” I didn’t expect anything other than fun, commercial entertainment: songs about reindeer, Santa Claus, snowflakes, and good cheer. So when my son’s class rose to sing “Christmas Love” I was slightly taken back by its bold title. Nicholas was aglow, as were all of his classmates, who were adorned in fuzzy mittens and red sweaters, with bright stocking caps on their heads. Those in the front row, center stage, held up large letters, one by one, to spell out the title of the song. As the class would sing “C is for Christmas” a child would hold up the letter “C.” Then, “H is for Happy,” and on and on, until each child holding his portion had presented the complete message, “Christmas Love.” The performance was going smoothly, until suddenly we noticed her: a small, quiet girl in the front row holding the letter “M” upside down. She was unaware that reversed, her letter “M” appeared as a “W.” The audience of first- through sixth-graders snickered at this little one’s mistake. But she had no idea they were laughing at her, and she stood tall, proudly holding her “W.” Although many teachers tried to shush the children, the laughter continued until the last letter was raised, and we all saw it together. A hush came over the audience, and eyes began to widen. In that instant, we understood the reason we were there, why we celebrated the holiday in the first place, why even in the chaos there was a purpose for our festivities. When the last letter was held high, the message read clear:

“CHRISTWAS LOVE” (“CHRIST WAS LOVE”)

And I believe He still is. — Author Unknown

ACCEPTANCE THROUGH CHILDREN’S EYES

Too often we look at the outward appearance of someone and don’t even give them a second glance. If only we could see people through children’s eyes. We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking.

Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, ‘Hi.’ He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment. I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map. We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. ‘Hi there baby! Hi there, big boy. I see ya buster,’ the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, ‘What do we do?’ Erik continued to laugh and answer, ‘Hi.’ Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man.

The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, ‘Do ya know patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek-a-boo.’ Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My Husband and I were embarrassed.  We ate in silence, all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments.

We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot.The old man sat poised between me and the door. ‘Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,’ I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby’s ‘pick-me-up’ position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man. Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby showed their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man’s ragged shoulder.The man’s eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labour, cradled my baby’s bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time. I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, ‘You take care of this baby.’ Somehow I managed, ‘I will,’ from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, ‘God bless you, ma’am, you’ve given me my Christmas gift.’

I said nothing more than a muttered thanks.With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, ‘My God, my God, forgive me.’ I had just witnessed Christ’s love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes.I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, ‘Are you willing to share your son for a moment?’ when He shared His for all eternity. The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, ‘To enter the Kingdom of God, we must become as little children.’ Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow human being that identifies who you are.

Here’s a poem sent to Dear Abby from a couple who have too much stuff.

So many of you asked us (since Christmas is drawing near)
“What do you want for Christmas? What can we give you this year?
If we say, “We want nothing!” you buy something anyway,
so here’s a list of what we’d like; believe now what we say:
Pajamas for a little child, food to feed the poor.
Blankets for a shelter and we ask a little bit more—
Perform good deeds and let us know, or volunteer your time.
These last are worth a fortune, and they needn’t cost a dime.
We have too many things now, vases, candles, tapes and clocks. We have our fill of garments, ties, underwear and socks. Candy is too fattening, crossword books we’ve more than 20. We don’t need trays or plates or cups, and knickknacks we have plenty. We’ve no walls to hang more pictures; we have books we’ve not yet read;
So please take what you’d spend on us and help the poor instead! Just send a Christmas card to us and tell us what you’ve done; We’ll open them on Christmas Eve, and read them one by one.
It won’t cost as much for postage as a package sent would do,
You’ll need no wrapping paper, ribbons, ink or glue.
And we’ll thank God you listened to what we had to say,
So we could be the instruments to help someone this way.

Hebrews 12:1-4 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,  Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.   For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.   Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

Samson was a man who had a hard time allowing Jesus to work in his life.  Samson was special because he had a calling on his life from God.  Some saw  Samson as a shaggy, long-haired man chasing after bad women. They see a wild man slaying a thousand men with the jawbone of an ass in hand. They see a blinded, bitter Samson ending his life in a last fit of vengeance. But few have understood and learned the real lesson of Samson’s life.

What we were never told on the screen or on our Sunday School flannel boards is that Samson is going to be in the first resurrection with Abraham and David! Samson is counted among the righteous, and he is going to rule with Christ on this earth!  Samson was considered among the righteous as mention in Hebrews 11:32.

The Book of Hebrews included Samson with such men as Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, Samuel and the prophets. The Bible affirms that these righteous men endured many trials through faith, “that they might obtain a better resurrection” (verse 35), the resurrection to rulership with Jesus Christ (Rev. 20:6). And Samson is one of them!

The historical is in the land of Israel, in the 12th century B.C.  Samson’s birth was a miracle. His mother wasn’t able to have children, but that was no problem for God.

God ordered Samson put under a special consecration governed by the Nazirite (meaning separated or dedicated) vow. This was a unique vow, applicable during the Old Covenant of national Israel, whereby a non-Levite (Samson was a Danite) could dedicate his life to the full-time service of God. This vow required that the hair not be cut– a sign of subjection–nor could any alcoholic beverages be consumed (Judges 13:5; Num. 6).

As a boy Samson was obedient to his vow and loyal to God. His friends undoubtedly came to have a healthy respect for his physical strength. Not many fellows would have braved picking a fight with him.  But once he was grown, Samson seemed to lack concern about the Philistines’ oppressive occupation of his land. He wasn’t revolted at the sight of the foul pagan practices of these evil Gentile overlords. He didn’t share God’s hatred of evil, and he lacked a compelling zeal to see Israel freed of Philistine domination.  Samson didn’t think the Philistines were all that bad.

In fact, his first girlfriend was a Philistine from Timnath (chapter 14). He became so infatuated with this Philistine babe he put pressure on his parents to approve their marriage.

On one of Samson’s trips to Timnath to see his girl he was attacked by an Asian lion. Bare-handed he grabbed the poor lion and tore him in two!

God’s plan for Israel was far from his mind at this point. Since he was more interested in serving himself than serving God, he would, like a lot of us, have to learn the hard way. The only way Samson would fight against the Philistines, it seems, was if he personally were hurt or wronged. And this is precisely what God allowed to happen.

The marriage didn’t last a week! The Philistines didn’t trust Samson.    To get rid of them, Samson composed a clever riddle and promised them each a complete wardrobe if they could come up with the correct answer.

They got busy on it, but weren’t smart enough. So they put pressure on Samson’s wife with violent threats to burn her and her family if she didn’t find out the answer for them.

Samson had his weaknesses. He gave in to her, and gave her the answer to the riddle.  Again looking for the easy way out rather than the right way.

When the Philistines came up with the riddle’s solution, Samson immediately knew that they had gotten the answer from his wife. He was mad! He left his wife and went to Ashkelon and slew thirty men and took all their apparel and gave it to the thirty who had answered the riddle. He then went back to live with his parents. He had been betrayed! He was angry and discouraged! But would he learn his lesson?

Samson got lonely and went back to the Philistines to get his wife, only to find she had been given to another man (chapter 15). He was beginning to personally hate the Philistines and anger boiled! It was now personal.

Samson devised an attack plan. He caught three hundred foxes and tied their tails together. He must have been a good trapper, or faster than any track star we have today.

It was harvest time for the Philistines and Samson set fire to  the crop lands of the Philistines–wreaking great destruction.

The Philistines retaliated by burning Samson’s wife and her family. The girl he loved was now murdered and his miseries increased

Samson became anger, he slaughtered many more Philistines. Later, he arranged to be caught by an army of a thousand Philistines and while they surrounded him, he broke loose and grabbed a fresh jawbone of an ass and killed a thousand men in hand-to-hand combat!

Sex was a weakness for Samson like many man.  Sampson didn’t and  could not resist its pull. He frequented harlots and seemed bent on following the destructive pulls of his flesh. It wasn’t that he couldn’t have had a fine wife and a wonderful marriage.

His parents had told him: “Is there never a woman among the daughters of thy brethren, or among all my people, that you go to take a wife of the uncircumcised Philistines?” (14:3).   Like many of us, Samson did not listen to his parents wisdom.

One mistake after another–one loose woman to the next–that was the path Samson took during his twenty year judgeship in Israel. He had been so faithful to himself that God was place second in his life.  Does this some like some you you know?

His selfish lust finally brought him to his last harlot–Delilah (16:4).  Samson wanted love and happiness but As for Delilah, she was in love with herself and money, not Samson.

The rulers and generals of the Philistines offered her a large sum of cash to find out the secret to Samson’s strength. After being “nagged to death” by this wicked, unprincipled woman, he finally told her the key to his strength. If his hair were cut, the vow would be broken and he would lose the strength God supplied him; he would become as any other man.  You would think that he would have  learned from the first time.

Samson hair was neatly arranged in seven locks or braids and probably formed an impressive looking crown to his formidable physical body (16:13).

Delilah got the secret she sought and after deceitfully causing Samson to fall asleep tenderly upon her knees, she called for an aide to come and shave off the seven locks of his head.  She called for the Philistines who were waiting outside her chamber.

The Philistines overpowered him and he quickly realized his special strength from God was gone! The vengeful Philistines then gouged out his eyes and bound him with brass chains and bands, fastened him to a grinding wheel in a dark prison and made him rind grain like an ox.

Here was Samson  blind, bald, a dejected hulk of a man grinding like an animal, stepping in his own manure. Day in and day out he walked the same circle amid the continual abuse of his captors.

But now Samson had time to think. Time to think about what a fool he had been. Time to think of the lusting eyes that had led him from one sin to another–with all the bowel twisting anguish those sins brought. Now there were empty sockets where eyes had been! Now he was in  slavery where before no one dared question his freedom and power.

Over the months he had plenty of time to meditate on God’s purpose for his life and what a shattered mess he had made of it. He had time to repent before his Creator for all his filth and self-seeking vanity.There had to be many question that had to run through Samson mind.

• Was it too late to repent?
• Was God through with Samson?
• Was God’s back turned on Samson?
• Hadn’t God given him enough time, enough mercy?
• Was this the end of the road?

What about you? Many of you may feel like you are right there with Samson in the prison grinding like a dumb ox. You may feel you have made a total mess of your life. You too may have broken God’s holy laws with little regard and lived only for momentary selfish pleasures. You too may feel it is a little late for God’s mercy.

God has open arms and a loving, tender heart full of mercy waiting for Samson and you to make the total a commitment–to repent and obey Him!

This is the decision Samson finally made. He couldn’t see the light of day without his eyes, but he came to see the truth that the way of this world and sin does not pay. He came to see that yielding to his Maker would have spared him a life of suffering. He was still alive and while he yet lived he had the opportunity to serve his God.

The Philistines were gloating over their capture of Sampson and when a major holiday came a large crowd gathered. The occasion was to offer sacrifice to their great god Dagon and to celebrate Sampson’s imprisonment.

In attendance were the royal family of the Philistines, the Philistine General Staff and the whole administration of that powerful nation. They were seated in a large viewing stand suspended over an arena where games were played.

It was a time of boisterous rejoicing and making merry, thinking that their god–had delivered Samson into their hand (16:23). So they called for Samson to be brought out to torment and ridicule.

It had been some time since Samson’s head had been shaven and his hair was long again, perhaps hidden from view by a head wrap (16:22).

After abusing Samson and having their perverted sport, he was allowed to stand near the two main supporting pillars for the elevated stands from which the dignitaries watched the festivities. Still blind, he asked the young boy who was leading him to guide his hands to touch each of the two pillars. Sampson prayed.

Sampson knew he had been called to deliver Israel from its oppressors, but instead he had mainly served himself. In his pathetic troubles he experienced a conversion and became totally committed to God and to doing His work…even if it meant his own life. He saw the sorry mess he had made of himself and was willing to let God work his will through him.

He fervently prayed and asked God to hear him. God did. God always hears such heart-felt, humble prayers. Samson said, “Let me die with the Philistines.” He then bowed himself with all his might against the two pillars. His muscles bulged, quivered, and filled with greater God-given strength than ever before. The pillars began to push apart, and then like a massive earthquake the entire viewing stand collapsed, killing about three thousand including virtually all the leadership of the Philistine nation.

This disaster so disrupted the Philistine nation that Israel was able to throw off its yoke of oppression. In this one act, after yielding himself to God, Samson accomplished more than in his entire life following the way that seemed right to him.

Lesson Learn from Samson

God was not only still willing to hear and forgive Samson, but God was still willing to use him in doing His work of deliverance for Israel.

It doesn’t matter what kind of mistakes you have made. No matter how bad your past is, if you are willing to totally submit your life to your God in Heaven, there is hope for you. But the clock is running.

We must all  learn from the mistakes of Samson rather than repeating them. We can draw encouragement by how in the end he turned out. After all, it isn’t how we start the race that counts–though that’s important–it is how we finish. If we have life, we can change.

If our merciful and patient God could forgive Samson, redeem his life, and use him mightily, won’t he do the same for you and me? He will if we let Him.

Family Praise & Worship
November 14, 2010

Text: Colossians1:16:
For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.

When we talk about the Holy Spirit we need to realize that we need to live and be submissive to the Holy Spirit.
How many of you really know who the Holy Spirit is?
How can you live as God wants you to, if you do not know who He is?
Paul talking: “All creation in this world was created by God”.
We need to realize that in the beginning, all three were involved in the creation of the world ; The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit.
All powers, rulers, and authority, both physical and spiritual, are under God’s authority.

Galatians 5:16
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.

What Paul is talking about is the desire that is a part of us that keeps us outside the will of God.
We never get rid of the evil part of us, but we need to realize that being lead by the Holy Spirit is being led to hear and obey God’s Word, and be sensitive to discern good from bad.

When you have the spirit as stated in Galatians 5:20:
idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy drunkenness, orgies, and the like.  I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

What we want is the fruit of the Spirit that is in Galatians 5:22-23:
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.   Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:25: Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.
So the question comes to mind, who is He? (the Holy Spirit)
Let’s go back to the beginning of time: The Holy Bible says……
In the first book, 1st chapter and 2nd verse

Genesis 1:2
Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Here it is telling us that the Holy Spirit was there in the Beginning.
The Spirit of God was actively involved in the creation of earth.
So here is proof that the Trinity was alive and well in the beginning.
The Father, The Son and the Holy Spirit- the Trinity.

So what is it also telling us?
1)    You need the Holy Spirit to help/ assist you in knowing who God is.
2)    You need Him to help you to understand or interpret the Bible.

How do we live in today’s world?

Zechariah 4:6:
‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.

This is how we need to live, not by our power, but by His Spirit.
It is only through the Spirit of God that we can preserve and accomplish the things we want in life.

1.    We must realize that the Holy Spirit is not a force.
2.  The Holy Spirit  is a person.
3.    We need to be dependent on Him.
4.    We need to serve Him.

Another question is, Do you believe in the Holy Spirit?

John 14: 16-17
And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever.  The Spirit of truth.  The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him.  But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

The Counselor is also called a Comforter or Counselor.
The Holy Spirit is a powerful person.
His assignment is to work with you.

The Holy Spirit is called the Spirit of Truth, which has several qualities:
He thinks, He reasons and He has a will and emotions.

John 14: 26:
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
Advocate (another name for Holy Spirit or Helper).
Counselor = helping, encouraging.
Spirit of Truth = teaching and  reminding.
One God.
Here we have the Father ( God).
Will send, in the name of Jesus.
Who is called the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit has an Assignment:
1)    To be beside us.
2)    To teach you.
3)    Remind you  (witness).

John 15: 26:
“When the Advocate comes, whom I will send to you from the Father—the Spirit of truth who goes out from the Father—he will testify about me.

He is sent to testify about who Jesus is.
It is always about Jesus and never about Himself.
The Holy Spirit ministers to the head and heart of man.

John 16: 8-13:
When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 about sin, because people do not believe in me; 10 about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; 11 and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned. I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. 13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Convicts us concerning sin.
Glorifies Jesus.

Romans 8:11:
And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.

The Holy Spirit has a special purpose in the life of believers.
The Holy Spirit is God’s promise or guarantee for eternal life.
Believers need to believe and have faith.
The Holy Spirit indwells in every believer.

(Congregation helps with the closing and speak with holy boldness)

Is the Holy Spirit a person?                    YES
Does my Holy Bible tell me this?             YES
Do the scriptures validate the Holy Spirit?    YES
Is the Holy Spirit Vital to a persons life?        YES

If you can answer the above questions, then you know who the Holy Spirit is.

He is a …………….PERSON.

Text:  1 Timothy 3: 4-6 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.

We need to get grounded in the Word of God. The family is the basic unit of human relationship and as such is foundational to both society and the church. (Genesis 2:18-24).

What is a family? : A basic social unit consisting of parents and their children, considered as a group, whether dwelling together or not: the traditional family.

Christian Family: A Christian family is one which lines up with Biblical principles and one in which each member understands and fulfills his or her God-given role. The family is not an institution designed by man. It was created by God, and man has been given the responsibility of stewardship over it. The basic Biblical family unit is comprised of one man, one woman—his spouse, and their offspring or adopted children.

One of the primary principles: The family unit is one that involves a commitment ordained by God for the lifetime of the members. The husband and wife are responsible for holding it together; the current attitude of our culture notwithstanding. Although divorce is sought and granted much too easily in our society, the Bible tells us that God hates divorce. (Malachi 2:16).

When you think of a family, you have to think about the words accountability and responsibility.

Accountability: Liable to being called to account;    answerable.

Responsibility: Liable to be required to give account, as of one’s actions or of the discharge of a duty or trust and the ability to act without guidance.

1.    Able to make moral or rational decisions on one’s own and therefore answerable for one’s behavior.

2.    Able to be trusted or depended upon; reliable, good judgment or sound thinking.

To be part of a family one must be willing to be held accountable and responsible to a higher calling.

Ephesians 5:22–26 (NIV): Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything. …

1.     Provides the guidelines for husbands and wives in a Christian family.

2.     The husband is required to love his wife as Christ loved the church.

3.     A wife should respect her husband.

4.     A wife must willingly submit to his leadership in the   family.  (RESPECT)

5.     The husband’s leadership role should start with spiritual matters and then flow to instructing and teaching both his wife and their offspring scriptural values, leading the family into biblical truth.

6.     Of course, the first requirement for the members of a good Christian family is that they all be Christians, having a true relationship with Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior.

7.     Fathers are instructed to bring up their children in the training and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).

8.     He is also to provide for his family. If he does not, he “denies the faith and is worse than an unbeliever”. (1 Timothy 5:8).

9.     So a man who makes no effort to provide for his family cannot rightly call himself a Christian. This does not mean that the wife cannot assist in supporting the family.

10. Proverbs 31 demonstrates that a Godly wife may surely do so, but providing for the family is not primarily her responsibility; it is her husband’s.

11. Woman was given to man for the purpose of being her husband’s helper (Genesis 2:18-20) and to bear children.

12. Husband and wife are to remain faithful to one another for a lifetime.

13. This eliminates the cultural view that divorce, living together without being married, and same-sex marriage are acceptable in God’s eyes.

14. Sexuality, expressed according to Biblical standards, is a beautiful expression of love and commitment. Outside of marriage, it is sin.

15. God declares equality of worth in that all people, men and women, are created in God’s image and likeness, and are therefore equally valuable.

16. This does not mean, however, that men and women have identical roles.

17. Women are more adept at nurturing and caring for the young, while men are better equipped to provide and protect the family.

18. Thus they are equal in status, but each has a different role to play.

Children : They have two primary responsibilities in the family.

1.     To obey their parents and to honor them (Ephesians 6:1-3).

2.     Obeying parents is the duty of children until they reach adulthood, but we are to honor them for a lifetime.

3.     God promises His blessings on those who honor their parents.

So what is your responsibility in God’s Church?

1.     Love , believing and accepting Him.

2.     Romans 12:10-11 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord.  (NIV) Follow his word

3.     Romans 13:13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. (KJV)

4.     Ephesians 5:1 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; (KJV)

5. Ephesians 4: 26 “In your anger do not sin”[a]: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, (NIV)

6. Ephesians 4:29-32 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

So what is the problem?

Many Christians say they are Christians but they don’t act like Christians.

1.     When we talk we do not sound like Christians. (tongue & mouth)

2.     We look for excuses not to go to church and other church programs.

3.     We refuse to follow Gods word by looking for loop holes.

4.     We refuse to give our 10 percent of our tithes.

5.     We’re unwilling to become a part of the body.

I was once asked:  Why should I  Join a church?

The same analogy is true for a human body.

• Your body isn’t a casual collection of loosely related parts.
• You don’t keep your fingers in your pocket until you need them.
• They are joined. They are members of the body.
• The local body of Christ should be like this also; those joined to Christ

who are members of  His body should express that relationship through

a visible membership.

To be a stone in his temple means to belong to a worshiping community.

• To be part of a body means to belong to a living, functioning, serving, witnessing community.
• To be a sheep in the flock means belonging to a community dependent on Him for food, protection, and direction.
• To be a member of a family is to belong to a community bound by a common fatherhood.
• When put together you have the main functions of an individual Christian.

Evidently, we are meant to fulfill these, not on our own but together in the

church.

And in a household, a family,

• You’re either a member or you’re not.
• So, if you are part of the family of God, show it by joining a local expression of God’s family.

What Must We Do?

1.     Workers Together With God: Paul uses a phrase in 2 Corinthians 6:1 which says, “And working together with Him…..”

• It is a fascinating thought that we can indeed be workers together with God in the accomplishment of His purposes.
• While your part in God’s scheme of things may be small, it is nevertheless important.
• If I fail, then my part goes undone.
• Even the screw that holds down an oil pan on the motor is important. Nothing in the service of the Lord can be called unimportant.

2. Get The Job Done

• There are times when church work means hard work. Sometimes it is the baking of a cake for someone in need.
• Sometimes it is the writing of a note of encouragement.
• Sometimes it is seeing a job that needs to be done and doing it.
• Be assured that God has a place for you in the church.
• Don’t wait for someone to ask you to do it.
• Find your place of service and give God the strength of your whole being. He expects no less.
• Your Role: It doesn’t matter:

A.   Your role may be an energetic greeting at the door.

B.    A behind the scenes volunteer, teacher, usher or preacher, a clerk or trustee;  JUST GET THE JOB DONE!

Closing:

When a husband, wife and children all fulfill their God-appointed roles in the family, when they have all committed their lives to Christ and to His service, then peace and harmony will reign in the home.

If our church families believe, trust and follow God’s word, WE will find joy, peace, harmony and love (The fruits of the Spirit).

But if we try to have a good Christian family and a good Christian church without Christ as Head, or without adhering to Biblical principles the Lord has lovingly provided for us, we will fail.

REMEMBER, WE ARE FAMILY!