The Last Ride of your life
Why do people ride Motorcycles? I guess there are lots of reasons depending on who you are. I’d venture to say it’s the feeling of freedom as you feel the wind rushing past you, the ability to see so much without the confines of a car surrounding you, but most likely, it is the pure joy of just being on the open road. You pick a destination, or not, just get on and go where the road leads you. It is definitely a feeling of being in control of your own destiny of where and when you will go.
Why do I like to ride? Oh and for those who don’t know me, I ride behind my husband, literally, on the seat behind him. I ride with him because I like doing something that he likes, and the plus is I like it too. We started riding together when we were teenagers and we were dating. That was many moons ago. I tried once to learn but the bike was too heavy for me, besides, it’s more fun just sitting close to him.
I entitled this article, “The Last Ride of Your Life” because whether you ride a motorcycle or not, someday you will be making a trip down a road to your final destination from this earth. As I said earlier, you will be the one in control of where that destination will be, because God gives us a free will to make our own choices in this life. There are many wrong roads to take. Here are three:
The first wrong road is: Self Road. It is the one that takes YOU any where YOU might want to go, where YOU think YOU can get the most pleasure. It is just south of Selfish Way. The Bible tells us in 2 Timothy 3:2 “For men shall be lovers of their own selves,…” 3:4 “Lovers of pleasures more then lovers of God.” If you are on it, YOU need to take the off ramp from this one as soon as possible!
The second wrong road is: Religion Road. It is the one YOU might choose because YOU think a little religion will satisfy God. Go to a church that thinks it is ok to do things as long as it is in moderation or do some good works to balance out the bad. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 2:8-9 “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” Time to make a U Turn off this one!
The third wrong road is : The Broad Way. It is so easy to follow this road, You might think if Everybody’s going this way it must be ok. The Bible says in Matthew 7:13 “…For wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:” God’s Word is the WARNING sign, so definitely turn around from this one before it is too late.
So which way should YOU go? First you need to find someone who knows the Right Road to take. You need to ask them for the map that shows the Right Road and how to get there. It’s call the Narrow Way. The Bible, God’s Word is the Map that you need. It says in Matthew 7:14 “Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” You will want to get on this one, and keep going straight.
If you want to know more about how to get on the Right Road, go back to the face page and click on “Salvation”. It is there that you will find what we call the Roman’s Road from God’s Word. Because there is only one true way to be saved, and that is through God’s Son Jesus Christ. Article written by Susan (03/08/2023)
Why the “World” and many Christians say that Street Preaching is wrong (06/08/2022) By Brother Skip.
I got on the computer the other day and searched the words “Street Preacher” and I was quite surprised at what I found. There were articles not only from those that are lost but some that were written by so called “Christians” they proceeded to explain why Street Preaching was the wrong way to go about doing the Lord’s work. I have, over the years, stood on street corners and preached and held signs and I have experienced what many of those articles have called “Negative Feelings” towards my being out there and lifting up the scriptures. The question that many seem to ask, Is it the wrong way to go about spreading the gospel?
Let’s begin with what the command is for all Christians. Mark 16:15 says “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature”
The command for every Christian is to go out and preach or witness to every person so that they have the opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel which is able to save their souls. There are many ways to witness. The Bible is against any Christian staying silent when it comes to the Gospel. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says “Now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” To wait could be nothing but disaster for the sinner without Jesus. But brother Skip, they don’t want to hear it. Well, tomorrow may be too late. How about the fact that they may get mad about being told? That will happen many times but that should not cause you to stop telling them. NOTE: Jesus did not preach in a church; he did all his witnessing and preaching “Open air” (Out in public; in the highways and byways of where he traveled).
Let’s understand what most people think when they see a gospel witness or hear a street preacher. 1 Corinthians 1:18 “For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God”. When you give the “Gospel” you can expect a reaction of surprise and sometimes bewilderment. But, with that in mind, you also have to realize that they are lost and needing a Savior and you need to do all that you can to get the gospel message to them. Without it, they are will remain lost and who knows how many more days they have on this earth before they will have to face God.
You may ask, does it do any good to stand out there and preach or witness or go up to someone and give them a gospel message? Isaiah 55:11 says “So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” That means when you witness, using the Word of God, He is going to use that to convict and save souls. It is the Word of God planted in the heart that saves. 1 Peter 1:23 “Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth forever” Has anyone ever responded to the message? Yes, there has been many who God spoke to through his Word. One day, a man drove on his way to the gym, saw us starting there and about 10 minutes later he turned around and came back and mentioned how he saw the scripture signs and God had dealt with his heart. Several minutes later one of our men was knelling with him, winning him to Jesus Christ. God used every Word that was preached and seen on those signs as planted seed in the person’s heart.
So you can see that getting out there and witnessing and preaching is the time tested way in which to witness (Done by Jesus himself).
The question now arises, why do other (So called) Christians speak against things like Street Preaching? They react that way because they are disobedient to the mission that we are given to be a gospel witness, anyway that we can. They don’t do what God has called them to do and therefore those (So called Christians) are the first to stand up and speak against any confrontational witnessing. Many are afraid to take a public stand and when they see others taking that stand, they are the first to speak out against it. As for the lost people who write articles and speak about street preaching, they can’t stand that you are out there and they are quite happy to see all the backslid Christians agreeing with them.
Several years ago, there were several of us outside a Florida State University football game, passing out tracts and preaching to those that passed by as they prepared to enter the stadium to see the game. I was standing on a small elevated spot next to the sidewalk preaching, when a young lady came up and stood in front of me. I stopped to ask her what she needed and she began to tell me that she was a Christian and what I was doing was wrong and that I needed to stop because I was turning people off to the Lord. I thought for a moment seeing she would not be convinced that open air preaching was what God wanted me to do so I dropped to my knees before her and prayed. As many passed by us and she stood there with that “I don’t like what you are doing” look in her eye, I asked God to forgive her for stopping me and that she might be causing several people to perish because of this interruption. When I finished, she stood there, face white as a sheet, and then walked over to a grassy area close by and sat down with her back to us and there she sat for the rest of the time we where there.
Was I trying to be mean to her? No, I was just trying to show this Christian that what we were doing was important and that her stopping me robbed that quickly passing crowd of the gospel message. Had she been another lost spectator I would not have said a thing and would have just kept preaching but claiming to be one of God’s children inspired me to pray.
Bottom line, if God calls you to open your mouth for Him, then don’t worry about what anyone else thinks. Just obey his command and try to win that soul to Jesus. It may be with a tract; it may be with a witness; It may be that he will have you lift up your voice on high and let a group know about what the Bible says about going to Heaven. It doesn’t matter what anyone thinks; saved or lost, only what God thinks and what He wants you to do to fulfill the great commission. Keep on witnessing for the Lord until his return.
Whatsoever state I am in to be Content (Susan – 08/31/2021)
My husband is a retired 20 year veteran of the Navy. I married him after he had been in three years. He says it was the uniform that finally won me over. In a sense I joined the Navy as well when we got married. I spent the last 17 of those 20 years as a military wife. It was totally an adventure.
When you get saved you are joining a special military, the Lord’s Army. You become a soldier in a fight against a powerful enemy, the Devil. But God does not leave us defenseless; Ephesians chapter 6 gives us the armor we need to complete our mission on earth.
Now my husband was never on a ship (He was an electrician on planes called P-3 Orion sub-chasers). We still traveled from state to state every two to three years. He got deployed many times for 6 months to other countries and I stayed at home (Where the home base was located) with our children but he always came back. Then it was on to another duty station.
Jesus came and was here for awhile. He had the most important duty of all; to die for our sins, which He did and He is coming back again! All of us who are saved will be going on the a new permanent duty station where we will never be separated from Him. Once you go home to be with Jesus, you are home for good!
Staying in touch during our enlistment then wasn’t as easy then as it is today. E-mail wasn’t really an option then, or cell phones. We wrote letters! They were like receiving little gifts in the mail box, even if it was short and just talked about what we did that day. They were always signed at the bottom with that one word that we always wanted to see, Love. Sometimes only one would come, sometimes none, and sometimes 2 or 3, depending on how the mail moved. You savored those letters and read and reread them till the next one came. Sometimes getting them all out and reading from the first one to the last one all over again.
Jesus often spoke of His Father and talked about the Kingdome of God and the Kingdom of Heaven where all the saved would be one day. He also referred many times to the Old Testament and the stories that were written . We are so blessed to have those words that are written in the Bible, that we can read and reread. They are words of love and comfort and victory, and sometimes sorry and loss, but God’s Word is always there to help us through our battles. The Bible is often called a love letter from God.
Homecomings in the military were always so wonderful. The saying “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” could not have been any truer for us. In the military you would go to meet the plane and you could barely stand it till you saw your loved one get off and search the crowd for you. When you got back home, there would be homemade signs posted in the yard and in the windows welcoming them back. “Home” is such a comforting word when it translates to “The place where the ones you love are”.
One day those of us who are saved will be going home. Jesus will step out into the clouds and call us up. Read 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17. Can you imagine seeing the Savior and meeting him? There’s a hymn called “My Savior first of all” written by a blind woman back in the 1800’s named Fanny Crosby. The lyrics are beautiful and a true testimony to the one she loves as her Savior. She writes in one place that “His smile will be the first to welcome me.” And in another she writes “Oh the dear ones in glory how they beckon me to come,…they will sing my welcome home…but I long to meet my Savior first of all.” I encourage you to look this beautiful hymn up and read the words to her song. That’s one homecoming we as saved people should look forward to and long for.
Base housing was such a blessing. We were people who were in the same situation, and if your husband was deployed, there were neighbors who were there for you when you needed help, Moving was probably the hardest thing to do because you has so many new friends and then you had to leave. But you knew there was a new adventure and new friends to make, awaiting you at the next duty station.
Jesus knew we would need each other here on this earth. He tells us in Matthew 22:39 “Love thy neighbor as thyself” When you love someone you care about them. Jesus loved us enough to die for us.
Then retirement, Wow, what a lifestyle change that was and really somewhat scary, but looking back, God has taken care of us through it all. So what did all this teach both of us, over the years? To be content. And how could we be content through all those years? Not long after we were married, we both got saved (Accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior).
God had sent Christians to our door many times, throughout our lives; they witnessed and invited us to church. They kept coming back (Thank God) till we saw our need for a Savior and called upon Him to save us. Now may we who are saved, as Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15:58 “…be steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the word of the Lord, for as much as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” Tell others about Jesus and how to be saved. Then they too can learn to be content. Philippians 4:6 “Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.”
Tangled! 08/24/2020 (By my wife Susan)
What a pain! Ever heard someone use that expression? I know I have because on many occasions I’ve said it myself. Take for example hangers. They organize our clothes in the closet so nice and neatly and make it easy for us to look over our wardrobe and pick out what we want to wear for the day. But they have a DARK side. While I was working at a department store one time we had a bin below our register where we threw hangers when we took the clothes off before bagging them. At the end of the day the bin was brought to the back from each register. We each had to take turns and untangle the tangled mess that was in each bin. Methodically you had to unravel each one from the other. AGGHH! Worst job ever! “What a pain!”
Oh and don’t get me started on Christmas lights! Every year I try my best to roll them in such a way as that next year when I pull them out of the bag they will not get tangled. Yeah Right! It seems each little bulb has its own agenda. I can already imagine their conversation in the bag as I pull them out, the red one says to the green one, “Turn left and hook on the yellow light and I’ll turn right and hook myself on the blue light.” I can almost hear myself pulling those lights out and muttering those three little words, “What a Pain!” What was that, did I just hear snickering from the garage where those lights are stored?
Take long hair. I love it but it is a lot to take care of. Worst of all are the tangles I get in it. For instance try riding on the back of my husbands Harley going 60 miles an hour for awhile then getting off and pulling your helmet off. Rat’s nest doesn’t even begin to describe what it’s like. Then try and run a brush through it. Yikes! Literally, “What a Pain!”
All kidding aside our lives can get tangled too. There are always ways to resolve problems. Take the hangers. If we had been given a small rod under our registers we could have hung the hangers already. The Christmas lights could be wound around a tube to keep them from tangling. And I did learn to braid my hair or pull it in a ponytail to keep it from tangling while riding. Our tangled lives are much like a complicated highway with many exits and on ramps. Each day is different and our choice of direction can either end us up at the right place or tangled up in a traffic jam of the world’s circumstances and we lose our way. If we choose wrong we end up stuck in our daily lives lacking the direction of where we are supposed to be. So, how do we choose our direction? God’s Word has the answer to this dilemma:
(1) Let God choose your direction – Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths”
(2) Don’t let the world choose your direction – Romans 12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God” God’s will – means doing it God’s way, not your own.
(3) Let God’s Word light your path – Psalms 119:105 “They word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path”
***When I think of someone choosing the wrong path I think of Jonah in the Old Testament. He was a prophet chosen by God to go to Nineveh. God told him to preach to those people and warn them that they would be destroyed if they did not listen and obey God and turn from their wicked ways. But Jonah decided he didn’t want to go. He found a boat going another route and took it instead. If you know the story you remember he was swallowed by a whale. Then three days later he was vomited up on the shore near Nineveh. He eventually did preach and those people were saved, but what a price Jonah paid from choosing his own path at first.
Remember to thank God for: Jesus Christ, tomorrows, second chances, forgiveness, His love, mercy and grace. He only wants what’s best for us.
Your personal Mission Field (08/10/2020)
SOME THING FOR YOU TO REMEMBER
Your pulpit is every doorstep to every house you go to, every line you stand in with other people, every cashiers’ register you stand in front of, Every bank tellers’ window you walk up to, every bench you sit on with somebody at the bus stop, or at the park, every street corner where people wait to cross, every table you sit at, that has a waiter or a waitress. Your opportunity to tell someone about Jesus can be anywhere and at anytime. Don’t wait, because you may be the one who tells someone before it’s too late.
Encourage-Mints (By my Wife 5/26/2020)
Don’t you wish they really sold these? You know, right there on the shelf by the register between the gum and the Tic-Tacs. Picture your self sitting at home watching some boring TV show and a commercial comes on for Encourage-Mints. They are saying that these mints lift your spirit and make you feel as if you can accomplish anything. And you say to yourself, “I need to go to Wal-Mart and get a box of those Encourage-Mints”. You get in the car. drive down to Wal-Mart, and go in and as usual you see 10 things you just know you need even before you get to the register. (Happens almost every time I shop there.) So after you’ve compulsive shopped you head for the register to get the 1 item you actually came for. You walk to the register and there are 50 people waiting and two cashiers. Ok, so I exaggerated a little. When you’re in a hurry you want to get in and get out as soon as you can. Ahh, the self checkout is open, but you remember the Encourage-Mints are at the “Real Registers” up by the cashiers. So you wait in line, after all that is why you came. You look at all the magazine covers with all the “Fake News”. There has always been Fake News but this new term is something we all love to throw around now, it just seems so cool to say. In my day we just called it lies”
Finally, you are up to the conveyer belt. I know this technical term because I was a cashier before. All right where is the divider bar! Another technical term I know. You unload your 10 items you didn’t come for but really needed. You see the Encourage-Mints on the shelf, Oh poo, there are three flavors. Now for some people that would be exciting, but for me it just means I will stand there and read every ingredient, how many are in each box, every warning, every direction, how to open the box, how to close the box, how many calories, how much sugar, you name it, I’ll read it. A little OCD you say, you bet! But you pick up a box of all three flavors because it stops any confusion and after all they are only a $1.00 a box. You can afford that because you just got your Social Security check, why not splurge, especially if these are as good as the TV commercial said.
Finally you’re home, you unpack your 10 items you really needed, and you sit down and pop an Encourage-Mint into your mouth. You try the Grape flavor cause that’s your favorite. You relax on the couch and by golly you are encouraged, to sit and watch some more TV!
We all wish it was as easy as that to get encouragement. Life can get difficult at times and we get discouraged. Sometimes it seems easier to get discouraged then to get encouraged. Just because you are a Christian doesn’t mean you won’t get discouraged. But, because you are a Christian you have great resources that will lift you up and help encourage you in the face of any trials. Here are 3 that have helped me.
Three Resources for Encouragement
(1) GOD – No one loves you the way that God loves you. He made you. You are his child because the moment you got saved you became a part of His family. Put Him first in your life everyday. When things get tough, don’t forget to keep Him first. Trust Him to help you through whatever you are going through. Be encouraged by the fact that you can put it in His hands whatever it is and He will do the right thing for you. Pray and stay in communication with Him every day. He is listening and waiting for you to ask for His help. The Bible explains in Romans 8:26-27 that the Spirit makes intercession for us because we don’t know what to pray for as we ought to. The Spirit makes this intercession for us according to the will of God. You can’t ask for anything better than God’s will. I read in a book that God is as close as your very breath. Be encouraged that He is listening and waiting for you to talk to Him and to help you.
(2) GOD’S WORD – It’s the way we can hear from God. There’s a great solace (Peace) when we speak to a friend who understands us and knows intimately our trials in this life. King David relied on God so much and often spilled his heart out to Him in the Psalms. David was not the only one who wrote in Psalms: Moses, Solomon and Asaph were among others who added to the book. Two inspiring Psalms that were suggested to me and are encouraging are Psalms 91 and Psalms 103. Read them. The whole Bible is an inspiration if we read it from the standpoint that God wants us to really know Him. It is often called a love letter from God. Be encouraged that you have his Word.
(3) GOD’S SON JESUS CHRIST – He died for our sins and was buried, and rose from the dead and beat death. Wow! That should be encouraging! If we had to work our way to Heaven we would never make it. To know that God would send His only begotten Son to die for us sinners is amazing. He told us we must be born again. He told us when we get saved He would be building for us a mansion. He is now our mediator (An intercessor) between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). What Jesus did for us and our salvation through faith in Christ puts us in favor with God. When you got saved the Holy Ghost came in and now resides inside you. The Bible says in 1 John 4:4 “…greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.” Be encouraged that you have the Holy Spirit inside you.
There are other ways that God encourages us, through Pastors, our family and friends. God sends people into our lives when he sees that we are in need. One of the best ways to get encouragement is so simple, encourage others. When you do, it has a way of encouraging yourself. Remember to be thankful for what you have and count your blessings, and thank God for each one.
If you are not saved today and don’t know the Lord Jesus Christ as Savior, please go back to the salvation page of this website and read how to be saved. Knowing you’re going to Heaven is a wonderful encouragement! If you decide to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, please let us know. We would be encouraged by your decision.
Broccoli, Collards, and Brussels Sprouts (By my wife)
Three foods that I didn’t much care for or didn’t want to eat as a child. All three have a certain smell that just wasn’t appetizing. I remember our neighbor cooking collard greens and I couldn’t even stand to be in their house! My parents were from Ohio so as far as I know they didn’t eat collards. Moving to Florida introduced them to new foods, although I don’t remember mom ever making collard greens. I didn’t learn to love collards until I was an adult and someone brought them to a pot luck dinner at the church. It took a few times and some seasonings to get the right taste for me to enjoy them, but now I really like them. Broccoli and Brussels sprouts took a little while also but now I like them too. I chose these three because they are very healthy for you, and what is healthy doesn’t always seem to be that taste at first, especially if you have been eating the wrong food for a long time.
God created all the vegetables and fruits, and meats that we need in order to stay healthy, to give us all the vitamins and minerals for this earthly body. He created our bodies in such a way as to depend on His creation of foods and water to survive. It was all made specifically for us to enjoy. We have everything we need to live healthy: But, it is up to us to be good stewards of our bodies to keep them that way. When you get saved 1 Corinthians 6:19 tells us your body becomes the temple of the Holy Ghost. Now think of it this way: You have invited a person to come live in your home to stay. He is a very important person (VIP) with a very important job to do. What would you do to make sure he is well taken care of so his work could be done efficiently?
(1) Give him a CLEAN place to stay. King David said in Psalms 51:10 “Create in me a clean heart O God;…” (An uncluttered place shows him you care about him getting his job done.
(2) Give him a Comfortable place to stay: Paul told us this in Ephesians 4:30 “And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption” (A home free of sin and confusion makes the work easier to get done)
(3) Give him Culinary delights made with good nutritious foods: Job said in 23:12 “…I have esteemed the word of his mouth more than my necessary food” (The right diet strengthens our bodies and prepares us for the work ahead).
At the beginning of this article I told you about three foods that were very good for you. Also that God made water and all the necessary foods to supply our needs. A balanced diet of these will keep us strong and healthy, but remember “We” have to make the decision to eat right. God also made the body a warning system to help us know when something is wrong. Sometimes we feel overly tired, or the opposite, anxious, or run a fever, the one that tells us most is pain. It’s our job to pay attention to these signs and heed their warnings. God also gave us another warning system for spiritual matters, guilt, fear, and conscience; but the greatest warning system is the Holy Ghost. I spoke of him earlier. He is the one who will help you when problems arise, and temptations come your way. He is called the comforter for a reason. If you are saved you have this helper, advocate, and teacher, he is someone who wants to keep you from going astray. But just as eating right keeps us healthy, so does listening to the Holy Ghost make you spiritually healthy. If you ignore him your spiritual health will fail.
Jesus said he was the “Bread of Life” in John 6:35. He also said he would give us water that we would never thirst and the water would be for us “A well of water springing up into everlasting life.” (John 4:14)
So feast on the things that bring spiritual growth: Bible Reading; Going to Church; Listening to good sermons; Singing songs that give God the glory; Fellow-shipping with other Christians; Studying God’s Word; Prayer (I especially don’t think you can ever over indulge on this one); Witnessing to others about what Jesus did for us all.
No matter how healthy you are physically you won’t live forever. If you want eternal life you have to partake of the saving power of Jesus Christ.
VERSE: John 14:6 “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me”
Potato, Potato, Potato (By the Wife)
Ok, So you might be saying, “What is this article going to be about, French fries, Potato chips, Idaho?” Well, no, it’s going to be about one of the five senses God created us with.
First, let me list the five senses: Touch, Smell, Hearing, Sight and Taste. How wonderful that God included them when he created the first man and woman. Each sense brings us closer to Him and His creation in different ways. Simply put they help us “sense” all the things He created. If we were created with only sight we might not realize what we were missing but the fact that he made us with five senses, the whole package, is a miracle of God’s creative ability. He knew exactly what He was doing.
Now, as I said earlier I was only going to pick one of the senses for today’s article and that is hearing. Like any of the 5 senses they all can trigger a memory or make a memory, so why potato, potato, potato? My husband rides a Harley Davidson motorcycle. It has a distinct sound when idling. When I’m in the car and stop at a red light and one pulls up next to me I immediately hear the potato, potato, potato, and it makes me think of my husband. Simply put, it reminds me of him, and makes me smile.
In the bible there are many verses about hearing, and the really important thing about hearing is that we LISTEN! It’s amazing what the brain can tune out if we are NOT listening. Learn to pay attention. I’ve had good sermons go in one ear and out the other because I was thinking about what to cook for supper. It’s a real art to learn to listen AND pay attention. The Devil loves to distract us from hearing what God wants us to hear. That’s one reason why I like to take notes as I listen to a Pastor preach or teach. It keeps me on track and paying attention. But, (isn’t there always a but?) be careful, taking notes, it can distract you also. You need to be able to write your own style of short hand to keep up sometimes. Even then you may get home and look over your notes and think, “What in the world does this say?” It’s best sometimes to just listen and then buy the CD of the sermon. I always try to focus on what the sermon is saying to ME personally. Sometimes it might be just one verse that God wanted me to hear out of the whole sermon. But you have to be actively listening. Hearing is a gift from God. Sometimes as we grow older we may lose this gift, but God is good. He gave us 4 other senses to rely on as well, and each has a special purpose to bring us closer to our Creator. Use them wisely, and always for God’s glory.
VERSE: Romans 10:17 “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God”
The Right Fit! (By the Wife)
How important is the right fit for a pair of shoes? Well, just buy the wrong size and your feet will instantly tell you once you’ve walked a few feet in them. The right fit in anything is important. Buy a new dress online that won’t zip up. Ugh, now you have to send it back. Or the men’s sport coat that the sleeves are too short. Fine when your arms are at your side, but reach for something and up they go! And the choices, wow, there are so many things to choose from now days: the choice of colors, sizes, materials, prices, durability, etc. Advertisers are so sophisticated now they can talk you into just about anything. Look around and compare and give yourself a chance to think about the purchase before you buy, and talk to others who have bought a product you are considering. And if possible, talk to the person who actually makes the product. It pays off in the end. But looking for the right church is probably one of the most important choices you’ll ever have to make. My husband was in the Navy for 3 years before I married him. When he re-enlisted off we went. This meant moving multiple times. We both got saved after we got married (Praise God). But that meant finding a church. And each move meant a new church to find. We didn’t know much when we got saved but God set us off in the right direction from the very beginning. What a blessing that was. As we searched for a church at each duty station we looked for the things that we had learned from other churches. We kept to our new Baptist roots. My husband after attending Bible College after his conversion was on a learning spree. When you get saved there should be a thirst and hunger for the Word of God.
11 things to consider when choosing a Church:
(1) PRAY – Ask God where you should go. Ask Him to show you the right church. If possible, the person who led you to Christ may be your first clue.
(2) LISTEN – Pay attention to what is being preached and taught. Look up the verses you have heard and check them out. Sometimes verses are taken out of context. This can change it’s meaning completely.
(3) MUSIC – It should not be worldly my nature but glorifying to God. If you’re paying more attention to the beat instead of the words, chances are it’s not right. Nothing speaks more to me than the old hymns. Take time to read the words to a hymn and look up the writer’s biography and why he or she wrote the song.
(4) MINISTRIES of the Church – Do they support missionaries, do they have soul winning times to go out and spread the gospel, visitation to visitor’s homes, an active prayer list for the lost, for healing of the sick, needs of the church that need to be met, and a time to have these requests prayed for.
(5) The Pastor – Get to know him, and his vision for the church
(6) ATTEND ALL THE SERVICES – at least once, or more – Sunday School, Preaching, Prayer meeting. Experience all that is offered so you can make a wise decision about if it is where you need to be, if you are considering being a member. We have rushed into a decision before only to find out that God wanted us somewhere else. If God leads, don’t be afraid to visit other churches of like faith.
(7) IS IT A PLACE you feel you are going to grow spiritually, are you being taught and challenged to grow in your faith and how to live for God.
(8) REMEMBER – Even in the same denomination there can be some differences in how services are conducted and how things are taught. Some need the meat of the word and others the milk. Each Pastor if he is led by God knows what and how his flock needs to be fed.
(9) DOCTRINES – Do they believe in the true doctrines of the Word of God? Ask if they have a statement of faith that outlines and explains these doctrines and carefully read them. This is a great insight into what the Church believes.
(10) WHICH BIBLE does the Pastor teach from. This is so important. I personally believe the King James Bible is the inspired word for God for the English speaking people. There are so many translations with word changes and omissions of certain verses it is misleading. EXAMPLE – When an Orchestra Leader stands before his musicians and starts to conduct he relies on each of them to have the same sheet music. If they have all received different music what is going to happen when they start playing? it will be confusion. If everyone has different Bible versions it will be confusion. God is not the author of confusion.
(11) PRAYER – I started off with this so i’ll end with it as well. It is vital to your Christian walk with God to keep in communication with Him. He will guide you if you stay in His Word. The Holy Ghost was sent to guide us into all truth. Ask for wisdom.
**When you find the right church:
(1) Join – It’s a great joy to the Pastor and the congregation to see another Christian join. Another soldier to fight the good fight of faith.
(2) Tithe – God purposed for us to give. It teaches us how to trust Him for needs to be met.
(3) Pray – For your church and your Pastor. Remember the foe (Satan) is always trying to destroy the work of God.
(4) Get Active – Do your part. See where help is needed.
(5) Go Soul Winning – If you’ve never been, learn from those who go. Ask the Pastor to show you the verses and the way to witness to people.
VERSE TO MEMORIZE: Hebrews 10:25 “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.”
Spiritual Manslaughter: The Following Story comes from a preacher by the name of Monroe Parker “I was in a revival in Detroit and a man asked me to go to county prison and talk with a relative of his who was sentenced for man-slaughter. I went down to the prison and led the man to Christ. I had him to sign his name to a gospel tract that has a footnote with a blank for one to sign the statement: “I hereby accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my Savior.” The man asked me to send the tract to his mother, who he said was a Christian. That man was in prison three years for manslaughter, not first-degree murder. He had been left in charge of a railroad gate. He failed to put the gate down when a train was coming. A car ran onto the track and a man was killed. So he was doing time for the dereliction of duty. I left the prison that day asking the question: “Lord, is it so that if I fail to put down the gate of warning and people run past me into Hell, I become guilty of spiritual manslaughter?” The Holy Spirit brought to my mind this verse of Scripture found in Ezekiel 3:18 “When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.” Ezekiel 33:8 has similar wording. Notice: not “Thy blood,” but “his blood…at thine hand”