Weekly Encouragement
Good Wednesday Everyone,
Weekly blessings to all. We greatly enjoyed our trip to Louisville, Kentucky to meet our newest family member, Lacey Elena, our granddaughter, and visit with family. Thank you for allowing us to get away. Pray for Jacob, Tori, and Lacey as they navigate as a new family with all the challenges of seminary. Family living a distance away is tough, but we know God’s will is being done. Although we missed you all, our fellowship was blessed again by Pastor Dean Finch in our absence. Thank you, Pastor Dean.
This Lord’s Day we will celebrate our “Fifth Sunday Fellowship” immediately after our worship service. All of us look forward to our fellowships together. Bring a dish or a dessert to share and extend an invitation to someone you know. Breaking of bread is the best way to meet people, and to introduce them to Bethel Baptist. Never forget this truth and never understate the need others have to fellowship and meet God’s people.
Also, this Sunday we will vote on the motion to update Bethel’s media equipment. We put forward the motion to set aside funds to purchase a new computer to accommodate our social media. All we do at Bethel Baptist is covered in prayer and advanced through unity of spirit. There are great positives to having a social media footprint, but we want to be unified in how we do all things. A social media platform is a great encouragement for those who cannot be with us regularly on Sundays, and it allows us to share what the Lord is doing at Bethel Baptist through our testimony to others. Before you cast your vote – PRAY. Then, prepare to present any opinions and ask any questions. We want to share what God is going at Bethel Baptist and social media is a very positive way to do this.
The past several months we have concentrated our spiritual attention towards faith. Matthew focused our faith to the life of Jesus Christ by communicating that Christianity is not a religion, according to the world’s definition, rather Christianity is a change of life producing a new way to live. Religion is only as good as the source it comes from. Think about the amount of faith an atheist has to believe in evolution and a godless existence. Religious atheists have placed their faith in a flawed and a false source – Themselves. The atheist believes, “I can make my heaven.” Likewise, all other spiritual religions of the world. Although they claim faith in a god, many gods, or all gods they function with the wrong source for their faith – Works. The worldly religious person believes, “I can earn my heaven.” Neither the atheist nor the religious have a functional faith, and they are doomed to destruction unless they repent and believe. The life of Elisha exemplified a functional faith where the living, true God is the only source of faith. The Christian has accepted Christ, repented of their old life, and lives a new life. The Christian believes, “I have received God’s Heaven.”
Now, over the next few weeks we will examine several different passages of scripture regarding how to live life by faith. Remember living by faith is hard, but life is joyful when we listen to God. God’s greatest desire is for mankind to be saved and enter into a personal relationship with Him. Then after the assurance of salvation, God desires more than anything to keep talking with YOU!! God has a message for you. God has a plan for you. God has a purpose for you. The only way for you to know all this is to listen to God. Consider a telephone conversation. The Christian has answered the call from God. God has convicted you, you accepted Him by faith, and you are willing to follow Him for the rest of your life. Do you think God has nothing more to say? Don’t you have questions to ask God? Once you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord, God never hung up. God is always there. God is always ready. God is aways listening. The greatest misunderstanding you can have about your relationship with God is that you cannot hear Him speak, and that you cannot speak to Him. God never hangs up. God is always listening. This is the way, the truth, and the life for the Christian forever. But did you know, God is calling other people all around you. Every time you meet them or see them, their “spiritual” phone starts ringing, and it is God speaking to them through you. Don’t hang up!!! God wants to talk to the people all around you, “They just don’t know it yet.” A great way to start your conversation from God is to invite them to Bethel Baptist, or to the church you attend. People want to speak to God. Don’t hang up!!!
In Christ Jesus,
Pastor Michael
