Faith Promise

We have seen a drop in our Faith Promise Giving of late.  In part, this is due to the fact that you have been faithful to continue your Faith Promise without having to revisit it.  Yet there has been attrition since we last focused upon faith promise and what it is.  We all understand that things in the economy are tight.  That holds true to the missionaries that we support as well.  So today, we will focus upon our what Faith Promise is to those who may not know, and review it for those of us who do.  Our gift this Christmas as a church will be in the Faith Promise promotion.  The Heavenly Father gave the best He had, Himself, so that we could be saved.  Let’s take a look at what we might be able to do above our tithe toward helping meet the needs of those missionaries that need our faithful support.  Begin to pray now for what you might be able to give to help others know the marvelous grace and gift of God; His Son, Jesus.  The world needs hope today, and He is not only our hope, but our joy and love.  It’s why we celebrate Christmas.  Faith Promise Sunday will be the 23^rd of this month.

What will they remember you for?

What will you be remembered for; what will be your epitaph?  There are some great statements made by God about certain men in the Bible.  As we continue our series, Man Up, we want to take a look at a couple of these men and what it takes to follow their example.  Specifically, we want to look at the life of Abraham.  It was due to his faith and willingness to obey and follow God that resulted in him being the source of blessing for all humanity.  The question each of us should be asking is this; how can I live a life so that God can use me to bless the world?  Too many don’t believe that it is possible for one man to make a difference.  But that isn’t the teaching of Scripture.  Sadly, it was one man missing that resulted in the fall of Israel to captivity.  And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.   Ezekiel 22:30.  I often wonder if God is looking for that one person to make a difference, a time for a man to step up and make all the difference in his family, his church, or his country.  Thank God that in Abraham, God found a man willing to make a difference!

Thanksgiving...

Thanksgiving is a time of reflection upon all God has done for us and seen us through.  That first Thanksgiving followed hardships that saw hard winter, hunger and sickness among the pilgrim forefathers.  Surviving that first winter, not to mention the kindness of the Indians in that area helped the Pilgrim people make it through.  The harvest that fall was something that was a blessing and sent them reflecting upon the goodness of God.  The men of those families had taken the role of leadership and led their families in private devotion, but also pursued taking their families out of harm’s way where they could worship God corporately and freely.  These families were hounded and persecuted for their faith in Christ and desire to find religious freedom.  They were men who were willing to lead without the compromise of Scripture or convictions.  We need such people today; people willing to live for Christ and pay for their convictions of faith regardless the cost.  Just as they were thankful for God’s care, so too we should be appreciative and thankful for all that we have in Christ.

From My Heart to Yours:  We all think about it from time to time.  How do we want to be remembered?  Do we want to be remembered for our achievements or perhaps our attitude?  Most of us would like to be remembered in a positive way.  In the end, it isn’t so much what others think of us but rather what God thinks that is important.  In Malachi, the people of Israel were confronted for their spiritual compromises and lack of commitment.  They were indicted as nominal people of faith rather than as a sincere people of faith.  If we want to be positioned for the blessings of God; for a Heaven sent revival, then we must be sincere.  This is an interesting word, meaning not hypocritical or deceitful.  It is to be open and genuine.  Sculptures and potters who were insincere would cover their mistakes or blemishes with wax.  When heat was applied the wax would begin to melt away showing the imperfections.  Life has a way of heating things up, and it is then that we begin to see the sincerity of our faith or its lack displayed for all to see.  In the midst of the social, global, and religious  upheavals we currently see, those with sincere faith will stand out.  These are the type of people God desires and takes note of; those who seek to worship Him with pure hearts and motives.  

Verse of the Week:  But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in Spirit and in truth:

John 4:23

FROM MY HEART TO YOURS:  Being positioned for the blessings of God, especially as it pertains to revival, involves confession and repentance.  Confession is an admission of wrong thoughts and actions that are usually a result of self-sufficiency and dependency rather than relying upon God and His Word.  Such is born of pride and human wisdom, and it always leads to a breach of fellowship and resultant corrective measures.  When we are confronted with our wrong attitudes and actions we can confess that they are indeed wrong and then repent of them.  Repentance is Key to Revival.  I often ask if you think that we need revival.  The response is almost always unanimous.  The confessed need for restoration and revival points out the clear need for repentance.  In 2nd Chronicles 7:14, God required that a return to God must be with a whole heart that involves a turning from evil ways.  We can define an evil way as one that isn’t God’s way.  It could be that we don’t recognize that the decisions and directions we have made are wrong, that we’ve left God out of them and not sought His wisdom or will, or just outright gone against His clear teaching and leading.  Let us pray that God will reveal to us the areas in which we need to confess and repent so that we can experience His joy, assurance and the blessings of true Revival.

VERSE OF THE WEEK:  If My people, who are called by My name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from Heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

From My Heart to Yours:  Is the Bible clear on what I need to do to be positioned for God’s blessing upon my life?  The answer is a definite Yes!  God’s Word tells us what we need to do to expect God’s blessing upon our life.  We all have our ideas as to what we should do to make God grant us grace and favor.   Some kick in a little bit more in their offering on Sundays, others quit or commit to something that they believe will trigger the door to open God’s blessings upon their life.  What is that key that will place us in the position to receive God’s blessing and bring His smile upon our life?  Micah tells the nation Israel what it is that God requires.  It isn't what you or I think that it takes to bring God’s blessings, but rather what God has revealed in His Word.  We don’t have to guess at it until we hit it.  God Himself has told us what it is He expects from us in order to receive His blessing upon our life.  Micah 6:8 gives us the answer to discovering the key to unlocking God’s blessings for our life.     


   He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; 
   And what doth the LORD require of thee, 
   But to do justly, and to love mercy, 
   And to walk humbly with thy God? 

Verse of the Week:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in Heavenly places in Christ.

Ephesians 1:3

To encourage means to give somebody hope or confidence; to motivate somebody to take a course of action or to continue doing something.  (Encarta Dictionary)  When it comes to our walk with Christ, we as a church need to be a source of encouragement.  We need to instill hope and confidence as we seek to grow in Christ an walk daily with Him.  There are many avenues this encouragement can take.  It might be a visit or call simply to show your care.  It could be just in showing up for class or worship to encourage those who lead.  It could be a simple act of kindness to take a bit of the load off of someone’s plate.  It is thinking and doing as Christ would think and do.  The question we ought to ask daily is, “How can I show the love of Christ?”  When we go about our day and people cross our paths, showing the love of Christ, and encouraging others into a deeper walk with Him should be uppermost in our mind.  By setting our focus early in the day, we can ask God for direction and wisdom to be a source of encouragement to others.

Verse of the Week:

Fear thou not; for I am with thee: Be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

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