As I closed the message yesterday I tried to remind us all of the great opportunity of service we have today. I spoke of God's calling some to "full time" service and the great open door that this calling brings. I wanted us to remember that God has given us all spiritual gifts and with these gifts we have specific areas of service in the body of Christ. This opens a door of special purpose and place in service. Yet with both of these there are also the many things all Christians are given to do, such as, being a witness to others (Acts 1:8), being hospitable (Romans 12:12), bearing one another's burdens (Galatians 6:1-10), and several other regular actions of the believer that follow Christ's example who went about doing good. The doors are there, most are open wide, some need just to be pushed a little, but we all need to make an effort.
How I wished that the Holy Spirit would have pressed all of us through a door of simple service (Maybe He did) such as cleaning a room at the church, sweeping a sidewalk, washing windows, inviting a neighbor, preparing a meal, starting a Bible study of prayer group, writing a letter of encouragement, or another daily or weekly task that could go on unseen by most but invaluable to the body of Christ. Just doing a small part adds up to big things so ask yourself "What am I going to do for Jesus today?" Maybe you would share your open door on the comment response. Let's be workers together for His Kingdom.

Yesterday during the message I mistakenly said Raybelle for Rahab. It caused a few chuckles and a big moment of embarrassment for me. It's awful when my tongue gets over my eye tooth and I can't see what I'm saying!
Anyway that night when I sought Raybelle out to say I was sorry for the slip up she said something that blessed me. She said "You can call me Rahab any time if I can have faith like she had!" What a truth, what a great attitude, what a right way to think about others. She saw what God had made her not what she was before faith. She knew the new Rahab, a product of God's mercy and grace, was a worthy hero and she wanted to be like her. Rahab was her blessing not her bad example.
So, why is it that we have such a hard time seeing what God has done in the lives of people He has saved? Why is it that the past is remembered as if there is no changing power in the Gospel we preach? Although God refers to her as the harlot in the New Testament does He only so we don't confuse her with other Rahabs. God makes her an example of a real, visible, working faith for us to follow. So who is Rahab to you, a harlot or hero? What about that brother or sister in Christ? Are they the person with a sinful past who should be avoided or a brother or sister with a forgiven present who is worthy to be followed? Remember 1 Timothy 1:12-16

It was encouraging last night to hear so many people say that Joshua was their favorite Old Testament book. The comments ranged from "I can't wait for the series of messages!" to "How can I get a copy of the message the week I can't be at Church?" It wasn't just the comments that caught my attention but the countence too. The smiles, the twinkle in the eyes, the overall look of excitement was an equal blessing. The eagerness to hear the Word is always an encouragement to a pastor.
It is true that our attitude toward the preaching and teaching of the ought to be eagerness. The Bible says we should desire it as new born babies desire milk, as a hungry person wants bread, and as a student desires learning. A desire for the Word is Spirit given but is developed by the faithful receiving of the Word. A willingness to be led of the Spirit will always bring us to the teaching of the Word. Check out Acts 17.
Desire of the Word should also have discipline with it. For the believer to receive the most from the Word we need the attitude of a student who will study, search, and apply the Word to his life. It's important to come to a place of the teaching of the Bible with an open mind, a soft heart, and a pencil to write something down to remember and think about later. It's important to seek to keep what we learn in our mind over the next few days until the Spirit of God has put it into practice in our lives. Check out James 1.
Last but not least is to remember to distribute to others the things we have learned from the Word. In 2 Timothy 2:2 the Apostle Paul taught this principle and it proved to be a strength to the churches where he ministered. Maybe you would consider starting a small "afterglow" group to meet together during the week and discuss questions and blessings learned from the Word at church or Sunday School.
I admit I left church last night with a greater desire to prepare to preach this series from the Book of Joshua, looking forward to the growth it will bring in my life and in the lives of those who hear and obey it. It is our solid foundation (Matthew 7).

As I prepared this message and I thought about our satisfaction and contentment in the days of recession and evil (hard) times (v.19) I noticed the unceasing work our God does for us. He sticks close to us during the tough times and, unlike money, doesn't take wings and fly away. Take your Bible this week and read again this passage and notice the words "the Lord". Some things He does is conditional, like verses 3-8, but most are unconditional and happen just because He loves us and cares about our needs. Take a look at the words "the days" in verses 18 & 19 and the promised, proven fact in verse 23.
It is so true that if we are unsatisfied with our lot in life it's not the Lord's fault but ours because we have our eyes on the conditions and not the controller. It's so important every day to see Jesus, remind ourselves of His presence (even if we don't feel it), and present the day to Him. Romans 13:11-14 applies to this and is our privilege daily.
May the reminder that the Lord is at work for us this week bring contentment to your life, joy to your heart, and a message to your neighbor. Let Psalm 37 fill your mind, soul, heart, and body until you're bubbling with the truth of verse 19. Have a good, Godly, and glad week!

Someone said to me, "Pastor how can I grow?" I don't want to be at the same spiritual stage next year at this time. I wish there was a special little bottle of spiritual growth tonic to take every day but there isn't. Growth is a lifetime on earth experience and requires regular discipline. Remember the disciples became a disciple when they came to Jesus and grew as disciples the remainder of their lives because they stuck together at the place Jesus said He'd be.
I pointed out the role the church and it's teaching ministries have in spiritual development and want to remind you again why the ministries are important for our growth and development as disciples.
In 1 John 2:11-14 we find the 3 stages of growth and at each stage of development the teaching and fellowship is profitable. For the children it provides the required "food" for growth. New born again Christians can't get enough to fill their spiritual hunger and take it all in. For a new born again person to miss a service or not take part in a ministry destroys an appetite, invites malutritation, and slow spiritual starvation.
For the young men who have learned enough of the Word to effectively fight spiritual battles and overcome the evil one, it is a resource for more spiritual ammo and a rest from the battles. This is an age of practical growth for these believers coming with eagerness to apply the Word to daily life and decision making. For them not to take advantage of the ministries of a local church can leave them defeated by the enemy and discouraged spiritually.
For the grown-ups in the Christian life (called in the Scriptures fathers), fellowships are a time of rehearsal and remembrance. It's not that they know everything there is to know about God but they have grown into a daily intimate relationship and fellowship with God's people and Him, which at church make them glow. They love to be there because this is where Jesus is spoken about and exalted.
Church going is important to spiritual growth for disciples and that's why Jesus made it His habit. Maybe that's why we should too. A disciple does what His masters says and does. Jesus knew attendance and involvement at the ministries of a local church would grow us that's why He said what He did in Hebrews 10:25.
Yet when it's all said and done it's about the things we think are valuable. The choices for growth is ours and out of the things our heart says is important we will choose. Will church attendance be part of that choice?

Last night's service was one and a half hours long. Someone remarked that if I'd had preached that long someone might have grumbled a little. I would hope not, even though we've made it almost Biblical to have a worship service only one hour long!
But it's not the time I want to comment about, it the blessing that it was to all who came. The songs were about Calvary and our Christ and when it was all over I felt as if I had been in His presence. I was feeling joy and thankfulness and really didn't want the service to end. I noticed that others were slow to leave also, most stayed around and talked with others for another half hour, some were still there an hour later. It seems that when we feel the fellowship with the Spirit we want the fellowship with the saints.
Yet the thing that impressed me the most was the joy that radiated from the faces of those who ministered the Word through music. It wasn't just a performance of talent, but of young people and children who believed in what they were singing about. There was a desire to be there and minister, a word of personal testimony, a twinkle in the eyes, and smiles that reached from ear to ear. It was a heart to heart service and was a blessing to all.
I had a brother leave after one of the services yesterday say to me, "I came because I needed encouragement and I got it". That's what our fellowship is all about and we find what we need when we come. What a blessing is the ministry of the Word and the fellowship of the Saints.

Last night as a person was leaving the service he made the comment, "I think the signs of His coming will be much more intense than anything we see today".
It is so true. The time of the tribulation will be an unbelievable time of trouble and terror. The judgments of the book of Revelation describes them in a way that should bring fear to the readers. They are so fearsome that men cry out to God to die. We have never seen anything even close to those coming signs.
Yet even those things that happen are mild in comparison to an eternity in the lake of fire, eternally separated from God. How much more we should we be moved with compassion to reach the lost as we see just a glimpse of things to come.
As Paul said to be with Jesus is far better, but it is needful to be here. How shall they hear except someone tell them.