Weekly Encouragement
Good Wednesday Everyone,
Weekly blessings to all. The last few weeks. The last few weeks have been greatly missed. As your pastor, I so enjoy preparing our weekly encouragements. It is always a blessing to write to our beloved congregation at Bethel Baptist and to all others who are reached through our ministry. The goal with each encouragement is to lift us up, bind us together, and share what God is doing and will do at Bethel Baptist.
This new year, as every new year has the same single thing in common – Opportunity. What will we do with all the opportunities God will give us? Will we grow spiritually stronger as a Christian congregation? Will we grow spiritually stronger as individual Christians? Growth is the key to opening opportunity. Since the last week of August, God has taken us through His word in Romans and showed us through the life Elijah the gift and the power of His grace. God’s incredible grace has provided us opportunity to do so much if we will apply and appreciate all He gives us. The deepest hope and intention I have through Romans is you have grown in spiritual strength, biblical wisdom, and most of all your love for and connection to Jesus Christ is stronger. Romans is a book written for Christian assurance. Assurance of Christian truth. Assurance of Christian salvation. Assurance of the Lordship of Jesus Christ. And the assurance of joy in the Christian life. When you are sure, then you are strong.
These Christian assurances from Romans must be passed on to others. So many people we meet each day are good, hard-working, honest, and loving people. But so many are missing the essential component vital to their lives, and they don’t even know it. You hear this concluding thought in every Bethel encouragement, but Christians have something the world is dying to hear. Once they know what it is the power of God’s Holy Spirit will convict and convince them of God’s truth. The Apostle Paul’s incredible book to the Roman Christians is a tremendous help and motivation for us to reach others for Jesus Christ.
This Lord’s Day we will conclude our sermon series in Romans, “The Righteousness of God.” Paul will describe the complete Christian. Paul cannot write to us about the perfect Christian, because we can never be so. Paul wrote to us from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and what he wrote to us made him complete too. Paul always intended for all readers of Romans and his other letters to be complete in their faith.
Having a complete faith equips us to do what God intends for His Kingdom on earth. A complete Christian is not seeking truth: They have found truth. A complete Christian is not searching for peace: They have found peace. A complete Christian is not hunting for purpose: They have found purpose. Paul will conclude Romans with this final thought: We must be complete. As Jesus Christ is perfecting our faith, we must be applying our faith in everything we do.
The wisdom of truth given through the book of Romans must be shared with others. Christians must never be satisfied with wisdom alone. Wisdom makes us smart, but love makes us teach. Christians must seek to teach others. Focus on this final thought about teaching. First, teach others by your daily life. Let others see how differently you live. Second, teach others by how you speak. Let others hear how differently you live. And third, teach others by how you respond. Politics are not the end nor the beginning of anything. The cold and heat, and the wind and rain fall on us all. The prices, inflations, and wages impact the world. But others are watching how you as a Christian respond to the same things impacting everyone else. When they see how differently, yet confidently you live they will want to know why. They may even demand to know why. Then with the boldness of a lion and the gentleness of a lamb tell them why your life is the way it is. Jesus Christ will be shared, the Holy Spirt will convict, and God will be glorified. You will be shocked to find in 2024 that people, “Really want what you have they just don’t know it yet.” Someone else’s LIFE can start in 2024 by being invited to church. Reach out. Call. Email. Text. Knock on a door. Find a way to invite someone to church as soon as possible in 2024.
In Christ,
Pastor Michael
