The Beginning of Knowledge

     Education.  It’s something all of us need, and all of us use.  As we gain education, we also gain knowledge.  The Oxford University Press Dictionary defines knowledge as: 1. Information and skills acquired through experience or education.  2. The sum of what is known.  3. Awareness or familiarity gained by experience of a fact or situation.

     We begin our journey of education, our input of knowledge at birth and continue the learning process throughout our life.  Someone very wise once told me ‘You should learn something new everyday.’  I’ve also heard ‘You’re never too old to learn something new’.

    The learning process is a growing process and there are a lot of good, practical reasons to make learning something new a part of your daily routine.  We are learning creatures, and the lifelong practice of learning is what makes us humans and our lives worthwhile.

     Here’s a few more down-to-earth benefits of learning and gaining knowledge:

          Learning makes us more confident.

         Learning deepens our character and makes us more inspiring to those around us.

         Learning instills an understanding of the historical, social, and natural processes that impact and limit our lives.

         A broad knowledge of unfamiliar situations feeds innovation by inspiring us to think creatively.

         Learning across a wide range of subjects gives us a range of perspectives to call on in our own narrow day-to-day areas of specialization.

         Learning helps us more easily and readily adapt to new situations.

     We have access to more information and knowledge today, at our finger tips, than most libraries could hold just a few short years ago.  At the touch of a screen of the click of a mouse, we have access to an entire world of knowledge, just waiting to be mined and absorbed by those seeking to enrich their lives and enhance the world around them.

     But like the author J.E. Dinger said, ‘Knowledge, like food must be digested and assimilated before it comes to life or gains force.  Mere learning is not wisdom, and pure knowledge is not necessarily vital energy.  Unless knowledge is converted to wisdom, into faculty, it will become like stagnant water.’

    That’s exactly what Solomon is telling us in Proverbs, 1:1-7.  Listen now to Solomon’s words of wisdom,

 1.  These are the proverbs of Solomon, David's son, king of Israel.

 2.  The purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help them understand wise sayings.

 3.  Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair.

 4.  These proverbs will make the simpleminded clever. They will give knowledge and purpose to young people.

 5.  Let those who are wise listen to these proverbs and become even wiser. And let those who understand receive guidance

 6.  by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles.

 7.  Fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Only fools despise wisdom and discipline.

     The beginning of knowledge is the fear of the Lord.  From there we take the education, the knowledge, and the skills we gain, and apply them in the way and manner which glorifies God and encourages and builds up our fellow man.

    Throughout the Book of Proverbs, Solomon reminds us of the value of having wisdom.  The type of wisdom which provides us with understanding, prudence and the ability to discern.   The wisdom which helps us apply our knowledge and experience and skills with precision toward productive, prosperous and honorable activities.

     Today we congratulate and celebrate the graduation of all of the other graduates of the Class of 2011.  May your journey of life be blessed as you continue your education in the coming months and years.

    To the rest of us, let us be reminded that our education should never end.  We would be wise to learn something new every day.  We would be wiser, as Solomon tells us to ‘listen to these proverbs. And let those who understand receive guidance by exploring the depth of meaning in these proverbs, parables, wise sayings, and riddles.’

    The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, and the gaining of wisdom begins with the Word of God.  From there, our journey of life begins to unfold and blossom before us.

     It is through our education, our knowledge and our wisdom that we are equipped to follow the path God has set before us.  It is through prayer and faith we find the way and have the strength to proceed, endure, and succeed.

     May you always try to learn something new everyday.  May you constantly seek God’s wisdom and guidance.  I pray you prosper in all good things you do.  Amen.

LIVING HOPE

    I just returned from a weekend at St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, and I have some bad news.

     What I’m about to say is going to bother some of you.  For some of you, you won’t want to hear what I have to say.  None-the-less, I am going to say it.

     The church as we know it today will soon be no longer.  The church as we know it, is in fact a dying breed.  The church most, if not all of you grew up with, will simply be no more.  Everything you have come to know and love and cherish and use as the foundation of your faith and family is on a fast track to extinction.

     I know that is not what you wanted to hear this morning.  But it is true.  And there are three reasons I say this.

     First – The church as we know it is rapidly becoming more like an entertainment center than a house of prayer and worship.  I recently read in a popular religious magazine, that the churches with the highest attendance rates are those with the most audio visual stimuli.

      It is the churches which have the biggest and baddest projection and sound systems that are attracting the most people.  We live in a culture where people have to be engaged at every level and in several areas at once, or they loose interest and leave.  They come for the show and not the Savior.

     This is not to deny the use of multi-media in the church, because there is certainly a great value to proper use of the technology, but those churches who cannot afford or who do not wish to stay on top of the latest and greatest bells and whistles soon find themselves lost in the dust of technology and the need to be entertained.

     The second reason I say the church as we know it is a dying breed is because of the Progressive Theology currently being taught at our seminaries.  For example, the morale and ethical values you have been taught are now being questioned and the standards loosened.

     Every thing you have been taught about the Bible is now going under severe scrutiny and is being changed so it is more palatable and less offensive.  The very Word of God is being changed to suite a pampered and spoiled society, instead of using the Bible as the model for society.  God is quickly becoming subservient to the people, instead of the people honoring and serving God.

     The area between right and wrong, good and bad, sin and righteousness is being challenged and rapidly becoming simply grey areas instead of Biblically based criteria for holy living.  Even the judgment of God has been reduced down to mere discernment of how we used our gifts while here on earth, instead of our relationship with Jesus Christ.  The judgment of God between believers and nonbelievers, Evil and goodness, and heaven and hell has been replaced with simple levels of goodness and reward in our final days. 

     If the current trend of Progressive Theology continues and is carried on by those graduating and become pastors, the church will soon become nothing more than an emasculated free for all where there is absolutely no personal responsibility or accountability. 

     The third reason the church is headed for extinction is seen in Ezekiel’s vision of the Valley of Dried Bones.  The bones God showed Ezekiel were the Israelites.  The Israelites who, even thou they were the chosen people of God, had become complacent, had turned to other gods, and who, in many instances, refused God.

     They had become lifeless in their relationship with God and in their service to him.  They had become merely perfunctory in their worship and attention to the ordinances of God.  These people reached a point where they cared more for themselves than for the people around them.

     Jesus calls us to reach out to the least and the lost.  In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus tell us, ‘The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.’

     I Matthew 28:19-20 He says, ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’

     We have become a society of individualists.  We can find God by ourselves, in the woods, on the golf course, or in our recliner watching the tube.  We don’t want the headaches or responsibilities involved with going to church and participating in corporate worship or becoming active in their little programs.

     As disciples of Christ, we are called to the assembly of believers.  In Hebrews 10:24-25 we read, ‘And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.’

     We as believers are called to the community of faith.  As believers, we have become ‘the Body of Christ’ and are to gather and work together.  We are called to the assembly of believers, church, to praise God together, the pray for one another, to be a support network for one another.  To share in the tears, fears, joys and praises of each others lives and families.

     The church is a network of fellow believers designed specifically to encourage one another, the build each other up, to lend a hand or shoulder to each other.  To help one another go through the challenges and victories of this life, to help strengthen our walk with the Lord and be with us when we fall.

     Even in our own lives, we have become spiritually lifeless.  How often do we practice spiritual disciplines like daily prayer, reading of the Word, times of private and family devotion.  How often do we share the Word of God with others?  Reach out to the poor and hurting.  How often do we bring life to someone else by acts of kindness and grace?

     As I speak to many pastors from all across Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri, I here how the church is like the Valley of Dried Bones.  Yes, we go to church.  Some of us give to the church.  And a few of us actually participate in the ministries of the church.  But over all, the church is as asleep as ol Lazarus. 

     The church, or the Body of Christ, has gotten lacidazical, lazy, and self-oriented.  The numbers speak for this truth.  With churches having ‘memberships’ in the hundreds, at actual weekly attendance in the dozens.  It’s getting more and more difficult to get people to serve on committees or boards.  The church is like the dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision!

     Incidentally, that’s exactly why society is able to dictate how the church is run and how the Gospel is presented.

     Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time we called out like Ezekiel, ‘Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that we may live.’  It’s time we again hear the words of Jesus in John  11, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. "And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?’

     It’s time the stone was rolled away and our grave clothes loosened and we come alive like Lazarus.  It’s time we accept the Word of God in Ezekiel 37 – ‘I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land.’

     If we don’t, we have no hope.  If we don’t hold fast to the solid teachings of the truth we have grown up with, we’ll fall for anything.  If we don’t keep a firm grip on the Biblical morale and ethical standards, we have no hope.  If we don’t keep our faith in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and His blood shed for us on judgment day, we have no hope.

     If we just remain complacent, and not work our faith, or help it grow, or help others to a relationship which Christ, we have no hope.

     But we do have hope.  We have the God’s word!  Listen - ‘O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord!  ‘Thus says the Lord God to these bones: "Surely I will cause breath to enter into you, and you shall live.’  ‘Lazarus, come forth!’

     Our hope is in a living God who wants to put the breath of life in us.  A God who wants to give us living hope.  A living hope that brings life to us, life to the church, and life to our neighbors. 

     Jesus Christ is the breath of life, and He is calling out to you and me -  ‘come forth! And receive this living hope, and as freely and you have received, freely give.

     For living hope – lives forever.  Amen.

SIMPLE GRACE CONCERT
March 26, 6:00 PM
Oxford United
Methodist Church

     Simple Grace features the full-time ministry of the Jim and Kathy Hitch family, from rural Martell, Nebraska. 

Simple Grace offers a variety of Christian music, artistically blending acoustic bluegrass, gospel, traditional hymns, folk, and fresh original pieces. 

     Their concerts shine with strong vocals and personal testimony to affirm their message of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

     The Hitch family’s performances include guitars, fiddles, banjo, mandolin, piano, harmonicas, cello, and percussion in an inspirational and uplifting program, which ministers across denominational lines.  Sharing their incredible individual gifts from the Lord in a corporate endeavor, this family gives their hearts to the audience in a vulnerable and refreshing style.

You don't want to miss this concert!  Come and enjoy and be blessed.

ARE YOU BLESSED?

     By show of hands, how many of you think you are blessed?  Come on, don’t be bashful, being blessed is nothing to be ashamed of or feel embarrassed about.  Do you believe you are blessed?

     Amen. You can put your hands down.  With so many of you thinking you are blessed, I’m curious as to why you believe you are blessed?  Is it because you have a good job?  Is it because you have a nice home and all the trimmings?  Perhaps it’s because your life is going pretty good with no major concerns or challenges.  You know, your bills are paid, you have a few dollars in savings, your health is good, and your family all gets along extremely well with one another.

     That’s the type of blessedness we hear about from our friends on TV.  They tell us that if we just believe and pray and have faith, we will be blessed not ten fold, not 20 fold, but 50 to a hundred fold.  "Just think of the blessings you’ll receive if you send just $50.00 to our ministry", they say.  Do you know what 100 times 50 is, my friend?  "That’s what the Bible says in Matthew 13 - A hundredfold blessing", they shout.

     They go on and say anything you need, a new car, a better house, a better job, or all your relationships will just magically be healed and everyone will get along, all you have to do is say a special prayer, believe and you will be blessed.  "It’s all right here in God’s word", they say.  And, to some degree, they are right.  God’s word does say that for those who call on the Lord in prayer, He hears, and He answers.  God is always faithful in blessing those who earnestly seek Him.

     But the reality is, God never promised some of the things the TV preachers try to persuade people into believing.  God never promised us monetary riches in this life.  God never promised us mansions on the hill or a Mercedes in the drive.  He never once promised we would be cured of all our ills in this life.  And He never promised all of our relationships would be smooth as silk.  What He promised is that He will always be faithful in blessing those who earnestly seek Him.

     In our passage this morning we here Jesus repeat the phrase, "Blessed are, or blessed are those....."  Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who morn, blessed are the meek..... and so on.  Nine times in succession Jesus said "blessed are....."

     So what does He mean blessed, or to be blessed.  According to several reliable sources, this term, to be blessed, can best be summed up in three words - God's gracious favor.  To be blessed, it to have God's gracious favor.  To have God's gracious favor.  Can you imagine that?  We read of Mary, and Noah, and Abraham and Sarah - all who had God’s gracious favor. 

    Another translation defines blessedness as happiness.  But not the earthly kind of happiness, which is derived from the Greek word 'hap', which means haphazard.  To be happy, or blessed is to have an unshakeable joy, and peace, and contentment. A happiness, or joy which is completely independent of all the chances and the changes of life.

     True blessedness, according to Elwell's Theological Dictionary, 'is the happy state of a man to where Christ's righteousness is imparted by faith.'  Here again, happiness, or being blessed is to have - God's gracious favor.

     How do we qualify or quantify God's gracious favor?  The answer to that question is as diverse as we are, and as diverse as the plans God has for each of us.  As opposed to God's grace, which is a free gift, God's favor is only achieved through right motives and a right relationship and with the Lord.

     This morning, Jesus helps us understand what it means to be blessed in God's kingdom and the means by which it is possible.  Jesus begins by saying blessed are the poor in spirit.  Translated, "Blessed is the man who has realized his own utter helplessness, and who has put his whole trust in God." 

     Blessed is the man who knows God alone can bring him help, and hope, and strength. The man who is poor in spirit is the man who has realized that things mean nothing, and that God means everything.

     Blessed are those who mourn.  This beatitude carries with it several inclinations. Blessed is the man who has endured the bitterest sorrow that life can bring, and cries out to God.  Blessed are those who mourn and cry out for the suffering of this world.  But the main focus of this beatitude is - Blessed is the man who is desperately sorry for his own sin and his own unworthiness.  Blessed is one who cries out to Christ for the forgiveness of sin, and for salvation.

     Blessed are the meek.  Simply put, blessed is the man who has self-control.  One who may be extremely passionate, but exercises his passion through controlled, constructive behavior.  Blessed is he who keeps his own pride in check and offers humility to thers.

     Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.  Blessed is the one who seeks the kingdom of God with his whole hear, mind and soul.  Blessed is the one who seeks to walk as Jesus, to learn and practice His ways and continuously be in the will of God.  The one who seeks after goodness, justice, and mercy.  The one who extends grace and compassion at every opportunity.

     Blessed are the merciful.  The term merciful can best be described as forgiving. The New Testament is insistent that to be forgiven we must be forgiving.  The Lord's Prayer underlines this imperative in these two verses, "Forgive us our debts as we also have forgiven our debtors". "For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses".

     Blessed are the pure in heart.  This beatitude is very demanding.  There is no grey area or room for error.   It clearly says, "Blessed is the man whose motives are always entirely unmixed, but fixed on God, for that man shall see God."

     Blessed are the peacemakers.  This beatitude is quite often misinterpreted.  Some would argue that a peacemaker is a passivist.  One who doesn't want trouble and will go to any extreme to avoid it, or one who will try anything to avoid confrontation or struggle, even to the point of giving in and compromising their beliefs - just to avoid an issue, or situation.

     However, what this beatitude demands is not the passive acceptance of things because we are afraid of the trouble of doing anything about them, but the active facing of things, and the making of peace, even when the way to peace is through struggle.  Another way to look at it is, Blessed are those who produce right relationships, even in the face of adversity and peril, for they are doing a godlike work!

     And finally, Jesus says, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness" sake.  As with the early Christians, we often find ourselves where we find a conflict between our business interests and our loyalty to Jesus Christ.  Sometimes, our Christianity disrupts our social and family life.  Families, friends and neighbors become divided.  Every day we hear about the assaults on our belief from civic and governmental agencies.

     Persecution is inevitable because the Church, when it really is the Church, and the Christian, when he really is a Christian, is bound to be the conscience of the nation and the conscience of society. Where there is good the Church and Christian must praise: where there is evil, the Church and Christian must condemn--and inevitably men will try to silence the troublesome voice of conscience.

     Persecution of the faithful is surely a sign of faithfulness.  And as William Barclay said, 'When a man has to suffer something for his faith, that is the way to the closest possible companionship with Christ.'

     In many ways, we are a blessed people.  But in may other ways, well, we fall quite a bit short.   Honestly, are we poor in spirit?  Do we mourn for the less fortunate, or our own shortfalls?  Do we exercise self-control, or let our pride go before us? 

     Do we honestly seek the kingdom of God, or our own satisfaction?  How forgiving are we?  Really?  Do you have ought against your brother today?  How’s your heart?  Fixed on God?  Or maybe just sometimes?

     Are you a peacemaker, a passivist, or one who just likes to stir the pot?  Do you take a stand for your beliefs, or do you try to white wash or hide your Christianity so as to not be singled out?

     Are you satisfied with the status quo?  Do you want to have God’s gracious favor bestowed upon you?  Jesus lays it out for us here this morning.  He also tells us in Luke 11:13, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God - and keep it!"

     Do you know God’s gracious favor?

Embrace Your Faith

   In Deuteronomy 13:4 we read:  "You shall walk after the Lord your God and fear Him, and keep His commandments and obey His voice, and you shall serve Him and hold fast to Him."

For more about Embracing Your Faith, contact us at

umcone@aol.com

GOD'S CALLING PLAN

     At the expense of asking a seemingly rhetorical question - How many of you have a cell phone?  OK, good.  I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t talking to a technologically challenged group here.

     How many of you have a smart phone?  Those are so cool.  You can do just about anything of them.  Check weather, sports, surf the net, do e-mail, watch movies...  all on a cell phone.  Makes me think Chester Gould was on the cutting edge of technology.  Who’s Chester Gould?  The creator of Dick Tracy in 1931, and in the comic strip, introduced us to the 2-way wrist radio in 1946.  Can anyone tell me what he introduced in 1964?  The 2-way wrist TV!  This guy was definitely ahead of his time. 

     These things are great.  You can get a plan that suits any need and any budget.  My mom has one of those pay-as-you-go-phones.  Kind of like having a phone booth in your pocket.  But instead of filling it full of quarters, you buy minutes on a card.

     You can get plans from the national providers that range from just having a phone to talk on, to one that does everything.  Ellen and I have what they call the Nationwide plan with texting.  That way I can go to Kansas City and she can go to Denver and we can talk without getting hit with roaming charges.  When she was in Hawaii, we did a lot of texting – and waiting.  It didn’t cost extra, but the delay was something else.

     I used to have VZ-Navigator, the GPS program, till Ellen shut it off.  Now I don’t know where I am or where I’m going, or even how to get there.

     There’s a plan for every one.  Whether you just want to talk, or text, or get e-mails, movies and all the other bells and whistles.  Oh and you can get different ringtones too.  Bells, whistles, songs, donkeys braying…  just about anything.  In fact, I have a new setting on my phone… it’s called – 'Do not disturb'.  My wife hates it.

     With the cell phone technology of today, we can call or be called by anyone, at any time, just about any where.  That is unless of course you’re in a dead zone.  The only thing left is what to do when the phone rings.  Do we answer it?  Or do we just let it roll over to voice mail and deal with it later.  My wife has 78 missed calls - they're all from me!

     It’s really amazing.  We have the ability to call someone just about anywhere in the world and not only talk to them, but see them too.  Either by cell phone or by satellite phone, or via the internet.

     What’s even more amazing, is that it all came from God.  It's all modeled after God's calling plan.  God can call any one of us, at any time, no matter where we are.  The difference, is there’s no roaming charges, no dropped calls, and no confusing contracts to sign or card numbers to program in.

     Throughout the pages of the Bible we see where God called His people.  Folks like Moses, Noah, Jonah, Abraham and Sarah.  And an unlikely bloke named Saul, later named Paul.

     Here in today’s passage we hear Jesus call four of His disciples.  He was walking along the sea and when He saw them He called to them and said: 'Follow Me'. 

     Sometimes when God calls, there isn’t such a loud a ring tone as 'follow me', but the call is there none-the-less.  It may be that pang in our heart, a knowing thought that won’t go away, or something that someone said that we can't forget.  It could be our conscience speaking to us.  God uses a multitude of ring tones to help connect with us at every level.

     But unlike our calling plans, God's calling plan is more than just checking the weather, asking about lunch, or brokering the next big deal.  God's calling plan is about life.

     God's calling plan isn't just about planning for the next few days, or setting up a meeting next month or putting a schedule together for next year.  God's calling plan is for the long haul.  God's calling plan is for eternity.

     When God calls, He doesn't just call us for lunch, or to ask us to stop at the store for bread and milk or a six pack.  When God calls, He calls us to follow Him.   He calls us to a new way of life, a new way of living with one another.

     When God calls, we are called to turn from the ways of the world, from the ways of man, and to the way of life in Christ.  We are called into a community of believers where we are to love, encourage, and support, one another.  We are called to a new life of love, joy, grace, and freedom.

     When God calls, we are called to be set apart.  To set the example.  To help others hear and respond to the call.  We are called to be followers.  To be disciples of Christ.  To learn His will and ways and walk in His wisdom and power with humble submission and gratitude.  We are called to embrace the Living God.

     God's calling plan, is a plan for life.  God calls each of us.  He calls us in ways we know and asks us to follow Him in areas He has already prepared us for.  He has promised and provides everything we need to respond.  And, He has promised never to leave nor forsake us.

     God calls us each and every day.  Speaking to us.  Nudging us.  Prompting us.  He rings our bell.  Moves our hearts.  Touches our spirits with His.  Like the disciples along the sea, He calls us to follow Him.  He calls us into a loving relationship full of opportunities, and challenges, and blessings.  He calls us to be His children, living the fullness of life in Him - forever.

     The question is, how will you respond to His call?  Will it be just another 'missed call'?  Will you just let it roll over to voice mail?  Or, will you answer it?

     Will it be: 'I'm sorry, no one's here to take your call so leave a message', or will it be: 'here I am Lord, send me'?

     Your phone’s ringing - ya gonna answer it?

BEING INVOLVED

“Being a Christian is pretty easy” someone once said.  “All you have to do is go to church every once in a while, put a few bucks in the plate, listen to a few boring sermons and sing a bunch of songs nobody knows”, they told me.

     Just the other day I heard a person of notoriety state that “To be a Christian means learning the Ten Commandments and following the Golden Rule.” “It’s just that easy” they said.

     I can’t count the number of times I have heard people say that “being a Christian means God loves you and all you have to do is say a few prayers and He will give you whatever you pray for.”

     It’s been said, “Being a Christian means life is good all the time and God will protect me from everything bad or dangerous or harmful.”  I even heard on fellow on TV say, “God loves you so much, you deserve the best, and He wants to bless you with ‘all His riches in heaven’, because you are His child He wants to give you His heavenly treasures right now – what are you waiting for – ASK!”

     Sounds pretty easy, doesn’t it!  Simply quote a few ‘promise verses’, pray a few times, send $20 to the guy on TV and believe God is going to bless you 100 fold.  Tell you the truth, I want some of that!

     But THAT is not IT!  That is NOT the truth.  The truth is that being a Christian is more than what we see on TV, or hear some politician say to bolster their position, or even what we may have been led to believe from other sources in our life.

     Truth is, being a Christian means being involved.  Being involved in relationships, the church, and with God.

     Being a Christian means being involved with the Spirit of God and following the Word, will and ways in which we are commanded.

     Being a Christian is accepting Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and not only accepting His leading, but being involved in His mission and ministries within the area and gifts we have been given.

     Being a Christian means becoming a part of the Body of Christ and being in connection with other believes in a time of praise, worship, support and encouragement.

     Being a Christian is not just another spectator sport we watch on TV.  It is a lifestyle which requires contact with other people in a focused and intentional manner to communicate the awesome love and grace of God in a variety of ways.

     Christianity is involvement in the lives of others, in the life of the church, and in the world we live in.  We are called to reach out to the least and the lost, to help and comfort those around us, to help guide the affairs of our world, and to help build up the Body of Christ by our involvement in the local church.

     But sadly, most Christians are either not involved, or they involved on a merely superficial or perfunctory level.  We know this by the state of our society and the state of the church.

     I fully believe the church was designed to be the backbone of our families and of our society.  But, over time and for reasons beyond the realm of this article, the church has lost its backbone.

     I submit that – “Christianity only works when believers work.”  I add to that – “The church only grows when we grow.”

     I further submit that – “The Spirit of God only moves as we allow it.”

     Instead of so many preachers preaching about the ‘entitlements’ of Christianity, I believe we need to hear more sermons about the ‘involvement’ of the Body of Christ.

     For it is only through the involvement of the Body of Christ will the mission of Christ be realized within the church, community and the world around us.

     I believe God is calling us to be involved.  We have the opportunities, we have the resources, and we have the people.

     Most important, we have God’s word that when the people of God are doing the will of God in the Spirit of God, He will not only provide all that is needed, he will also bless the efforts and lives of those involved!

     Thus, the blessings of God overflow and fill the land with His glory and goodness!

     May the hand of God be upon you, as you become more involved and reach out to others…..

Pastor Eldon