Weekly Encouragement
Good Wednesday Everyone,
Weekly blessings to all, or monthly blessings. The summer weeks are flying by. Between travels for Heidi and me, and unexpected mid-week work travels we have missed several Wednesday encouragements. Not this week. Bethel Baptist – Make sure you have marked your calendars for this Lord’s Day. Sunday is our regular “Fifth Sunday Fellowship” immediately after worship in the followship hall. The main meal is fried chicken, and if you can bring a dish/dessert to pass. This brings us to more news for this Sunday. The Lord is good, and He will prove it this week. For several years I have had a bad right shoulder and it is has come to a point surgery is required. Tomorrow morning, I will have rotator cuff outpatient surgery. For this Sunday we will be blessed to have Pastor Paul Russell preach with us, and he will be our guest at the fellowship afterwards. Pastor Paul has always been well received at Bethel and he is a great friend to help us with such short notice. I asked if preaching was possible for Sunday and the surgeon did not respond with a ringing endorsement. God will heal me quick, and all your prayers will be greatly appreciated and answered in the coming days.
Let’s catch up on our latest sermon series, “God’s Way”. We are in the middle of a series with several New Testament passages focused upon the things that are “mine”. Things God has gifted to me, blessed me with personally, and in His infinite wisdom, God has granted me full autonomy to use throughout my life. Now, all these same things God as also graciously provide to unbelievers. Every healthy minded person wants to be successful with God’s gifts in life – They just aren’t!!
There is a mystery to achieving the success we all desire. The only right answer is divine, and it is exclusively Biblical. Beloved, it is not enough to want all the good things in life. It is not enough to accept all the good things in life. It is not even enough to earn all the good things in life. Only God can give you your life, your family, your spirituality, your career, your community, and your purpose. Because God does this for everyone – Why isn’t everyone happy, joyful, and successful? Here is the answer to the mystery. I must do all things God’s way. I cannot experience all God has instore for me unless I do everything God’s way. The Christian life reveals this mystery to the rest of the world.
We will never escape our comparison mentalities. All choices and decisions are made after a gauntlet of comparisons. The Christian has learned, and we keep learning, and we will make mistakes as we learn this truth – God’s way is always perfect. God’s way is harder, but it is best. When others see Christians, and they do, they compare us to a mysterious gold standard they don’t have, and they can’t achieve. They can’t because they cannot see God’s way. They don’t see us fall and then God pick us up. They don’t see us miss the mark because God keeps giving us arrows. They don’t see us lost because God gives us light. They don’t see us as wrong because God gives us truth. They don’t know God’s way and they won’t find God’s way on their own. See, we have to tell them God’s way. We have to tell them about what they don’t see: our failures, our mistakes, and our sins. They will only know God’s way when we tell them what it is.
God’s way is the Gospel. God’s way is one of revelation and repentance. God’s way is one faith and trust. God’s way is one of life and love. People are trying so very hard to be successful, but they are doing it the wrong way. Tell people why you have, what you have, the way you have it. You have it only because you’re doing it God’s way. Tells somebody this truth. Invite them to Bethel Baptist. Every person you meet is either a child of God or a someone who, “Really wants what you have they just don’t know it yet.” Join us this Sunday.
In Christ,
Pastor Michael
