Do You Believe This???

(1 John, Chapter 5: Verses 9-13)
We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

I like to think that these words are not just for those who believe... but also for those who do not believe, those who are searching, and those who are not sure.

It's not for me to tell you what you believe ... that decision is yours and yours alone ... but I would like to close this post with a question that only your heart can answer ... and it's not me who needs to hear what that answer is ... but rather the person who is asking the question:

(John, Chapter 11:Verses 25-26)
Jesus said ... , "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"

Why Do I Need Sunday's Service in My Life???

Are you currently going to church with the attitude of allowing God to draw nearer to you? Are you going to have your body cleansed and the guilt of sin forgiven? Are you going to church to spur one another on with love? ... OR... Are you going there just for your own selfish needs? Are you going with a plan to find fault in the service and those around you? Are you going to church with the intentions of putting something into the service & its fellowship?... Or.. Are you only looking to get something out of it for yourself? ... Are you even going to church?

Whether you are currently attending church, have stopped attending church, or have never attended church .... I think the following passage clearly explains why we need to be going and the attitude we need to bring with us:
(Hebrews, Chapter 10: Verses 19-25)
Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

Two Hearts Beat as One!

(Ephesians, Chapter 5: Verse 31)
... man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.

This has been my most difficult blog posting to date because words can not fully describe my feelings. The above passage of scripture describes Meredith and myself ... But it wasn't until last week that it truly hit home for me. I guess I always thought of myself as one who is able to function on my own. I love Meredith and know that she is my one true love and that I want more than anything to spend the rest of my life with her.

Last week I realized just how much she has become part of me. She was only gone for 8 days but it was the longest we have ever been apart. Whenever we are apart I always miss her but can function until she gets back. Last week I was doing alright until about day three leading into day four and it hit me ... just how much I was missing her ... and it wasn't because I was doing the single parent thing. It's kind of funny, but it made me thing of the movie Good Will Hunting when Robin Williams is describing how he misses his wife who had passed away and I think he hits the nail right on the head. You miss the normal everyday things like having coffee, talks in the car on the way to and from work, lunch, watching a show together etc., you know the normal everyday things ... but it's more than that ... I noticed myself missing the little things that she does throughout the day that make me smile. Things that she may not even know she does. Things that I have taken for granted and didn't even realize it. You know, the things that only you notice. The things that truly connect you at the heart. I never noticed just how much of our lives and love I have taken for granted. Last week I realized that I am not just growing in my faith for God but I am also growing more and more united at the heart with my one true love each and everyday.

Meredith, I know you won't believe it, but I have been working on this post for almost a week wanting to get the words as close as possible to describing how I feel ... but I guess the best ones are these .... I miss you when you are not with me and I love you more than you could ever imagine. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me and it brings a smile to my face knowing that we are going to grow old together! I Love Ya Babe!!!

I Say What I Mean & Mean What I Say!!!

I always loved that expression, but I would like to modify it a little ... "I do as I say and mean what I do!".

We are very good at telling others what they need to be doing or what they are not doing. Quick to point out their faults but slow to encourage their gives and good qualities. If you are a parent you will truly understand what I am saying. The next time you find yourself giving your opinion to someone, stop and ask yourself ... "Does my character and my actions reflect what I am saying? Do I have these faults? Can this person look at my life and see that I am not just saying this with words but with my day to day actions?" ... because if you can't answer yes to all of these questions perhaps it's best to keep your opinion between you and God until you have corrected these faults in your own life.

I found myself doing this yesterday. I have a child who is lazy. He'll admit it. But he is getting better. I find myself getting upset because I know he sees areas where he can help out but chooses not to because he knows either myself or Meredith will end up doing it. ... Well I finally admitted to myself that at times I do the same ... You see, Friday is garbage day and I hate hauling the big bins to the road. I procrastinate until I can't wait any longer and by then my Dad (who lives next door) has already done it for me while hauling his own up to the road. I lie to myself and say "Well I was going to do it" while knowing deep down inside that if I waited long enough ... Dad would take care of it. Well it's hard to try and teach your kid to do something the right way if you are not doing it yourself. The right thing ... I knew I needed to be the one hauling my own bin to the road while at the same time hauling Dad's up with it. I have been hauling both up for some time now but with yesterday's snow I really wasn't looking forward to it, but I got it done. My father would never have let my grandfather do it for him and I thank him for showing and teaching it to me ... thanks Dad ... I love You!
(Romans, Chapter 6:Verses 11-16)
In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace.

What Leads To Peace & Mutual Edification?

Someone who I have come to consider a good friend and a close buddy, reminded me tonight of one of the callings we have as a Christian ... the calling of making every effort to do what leads to peace and mutual edification with those we consider a challenge to be around.

We are all different and are at different places in our walk with Christ. We all have flaws that make us human. However, we are to remember that it is not for us to place judgement or look down on our brother over disputable matters ... we are not to do anything that would cause our brother(s) to stumble. But ... we just can't always leave it be, Can we? ... and even if we don't mean to, we can become a stumbling block for others. We need not only be aware of ourselves and our actions but we need to be aware of how we are and how our actions affect those around us. He read a piece of scripture that puts this into perspective and followed it up by saying that he wished everyone read this before starting each day ... I too would have to agree with him on this. I think if we started each day by reading the following piece of scripture ... we would find our hearts and mouths glorifying God as we walk with Christ!
(Romans, Chapter 14:Verses 1-23)
Accept him whose faith is weak, without passing judgment on disputable matters. One man's faith allows him to eat everything, but another man, whose faith is weak, eats only vegetables. The man who eats everything must not look down on him who does not, and the man who does not eat everything must not condemn the man who does, for God has accepted him. Who are you to judge someone else's servant? To his own master he stands or falls. And he will stand, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

One man considers one day more sacred than another; another man considers every day alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. He who regards one day as special, does so to the Lord. He who eats meat, eats to the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who abstains, does so to the Lord and gives thanks to God. For none of us lives to himself alone and none of us dies to himself alone. If we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God's judgment seat. It is written:

" 'As surely as I live,' says the Lord,
'every knee will bow before me;
every tongue will confess to God.' "

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. As one who is in the Lord Jesus, I am fully convinced that no food is unclean in itself. But if anyone regards something as unclean, then for him it is unclean. If your brother is distressed because of what you eat, you are no longer acting in love. Do not by your eating destroy your brother for whom Christ died. Do not allow what you consider good to be spoken of as evil. For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, because anyone who serves Christ in this way is pleasing to God and approved by men.

Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. All food is clean, but it is wrong for a man to eat anything that causes someone else to stumble. It is better not to eat meat or drink wine or to do anything else that will cause your brother to fall.

So whatever you believe about these things keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.
(Romans, Chapter 15:Verses 1-7)
We who are strong ought to bear with the failings of the weak and not to please ourselves. Each of us should please his neighbor for his good, to build him up. For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: "The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me." For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Why?

Recently I was watching a show where the worldly ' I don't believe in God ' question was asked: "If there is a God, why would he let something so terrible happen to you?"

It's a good question, because even us Christians find ourselves asking this same question from time to time. The answer I have come up with is this. We don't know God's plan for us. But what we do know is that God does have a plan and it is one that is so much better and so much more fulfilling than what we could ever hope to comprehend. There are times when we pray, we ask God for what we think is best rather than putting our faith in him to do what is best. There will be times when bad things will happen to good people. Things that can not be rationalized by our human minds. This is when we show just how strong our faith is. This is when we can choose to pray to God for the strength to overcome or choose to be angry at him for allowing this thing to happen. Angry for not listening to our prayers and answering them with our will rather than his.

In our lives we will face trials and heartache, but it is by faith that we grow beyond and heal. I think Jeremy Camp (Christian Singer) puts it best in is introduction to his song ' Walk By Faith ' ... When is wife was dying from cancer he recalls constantly praying to God for her to be healed. When she died, he was mad because God didn't heal her the way Jeremy wanted. But then it hit him ... she was healed ... she was a devoted Christian and she was now in a much better place. Jeremy realized that his Faith during this very difficult time was not for God's will but rather his. He states "It's easy to have faith when things are going well ... it's when things are bad that we realize just how strong our faith in God is!"

God has a plan for us and along the road there will be highs and lows but he will never gives us more than we can handle.

(James, Chapter 1:Verses 2-4)
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

(Romans, Chapter 8:Verse 28)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

(Jeremiah, Chapter 29:Verse 11)
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

Tag Team Ministry Hitting It's Stride!!!

(1 Thessalonians, Chapter 5: Verses 9-28)
For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it.

Brothers, pray for us. Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss. I charge you before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.

WOW ... Now that is a great letter with a powerful message Paul has written to the Church of the Thessalonians. What responsibility!

I don't know what it is ... have I grown spiritually? ... am I feeling more content? ... Am I more open minded? ... Or is it that the Leadership, Ministers and Deacons here at Sherwood are working as a complete unit? ... I suppose it could be a little of each ... but I have to say, I have really found Sunday Mornings very spiritually recharging for me. I'm leaving the church feeling encouraged and searching ... two good things. I go home and find myself reading scripture throughout the week, trying to pick-up where the Sunday message left off. For me, with each passing week I am seeing our ministers becoming more and more comfortable with their new roles and responsibilities here at Sherwood. I read the above passage of scripture and I thought of them and how they are towards us (the congregation). Keep up the good work Matt and Ben. Thank you for the encouragement and building up. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ is most definitely serving in you both.

Your brother in Christ.