Many of us were disappointed last night. If you were not and all your candidates won, bear with us :>)
What can you do?
"Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit."
I Thessalonians 5:17-19
1. Pray without ceasing. For 8 years many of us have been, though we hate to admit it, trusting in George Bush. Now we need to do what we should have done all along - pray fervently for our nation, the unborn, marriage, religious freedoms, and for the grace of God to give us strength to suffer for doing right. The church has spent most of its history under bad governments and we have been spoiled. If the Obama administration and the Democrat congress were to accomplish what it says it wants, this is going to be a bad time to be a half-hearted believer in Christ. I will be praying that they will not accomplish their desires, but if they do, you will need to know Christ intimately in order to stay with Him.
2. In everything give thanks. For what? That nothing, no nothing, can ever separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:31-39). That Christ died on the Cross because He loves us that much. That to live is Christ and to die is gain (Philippians 1:21). That we live in a country where we are still allowed to vote. That the structure of our government is based on the Word of God with checks and balances other governments do not have. That we have a church like ours. That attacks on the church and the family, if responded to in the right spirit and in the power of Christ, have historically strengthened and purified the Body of Christ. The list goes on.
3. Quench not the Spirit. Friends, if there was ever a time when you and I needed to be about the Lord's business, this is one of those times for sure. In Romans 8 we are told to set our mind on the things of the Spirit and not of the flesh. Search the Lord's Word in prayer and as the Lord leads you, follow Him. Our battle is not against flesh and blood but against the spiritual world (Ephesians 6). The coming days could be the best days yet for the church. Don't dwell on the news of the world, but look for ways the Lord might use you to advance His Kingdom during these times. "Take away the dross from the silver, and there shall come forth a vessel for the finer." (Proverbs 25:4) Focus on the spiritual in your life, allowing the Lord to "take away the dross" from your life. That dross was the scummy or dirty part of the silver that had to be removed through the purification process. Then, when the purified silver remained, a fine piece could be crafted. Let's not quench or block the Spirit of God as He seeks to make us, the Church, useful to accomplish what He would during this time.
Anxiously awaiting the future activities of His Kingdom and blessed to be your pastor.
Learning to enjoy Truth, Beauty and Goodness Together
1 comment:
anThat was a great message from your pastor. I think messages like that were missing from American churches for the past many years and that's whats got us to this point. I know we're looking at our lives and how much we've put our light under a bushel versus on a hill for all to see.
~Melanie V
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