Announcements:
- Several pastors in town have gotten together and will try to contact everyone in the 72768 area code to share the love of God and see if we can help them. This is a non-denominational effort. If you would like to join, please contact David. Pray for the success of this ministry.
Praise Reports:
- Elaine sold 3 goats this week, a great blessing!
- Nellie is is feeling better and her dad (who had a stroke) has experienced an amazing recovery.
- The pain from David's torn hamstring is going away and he can walk without a cane!
- Pam is back with us and is thankful to be home.
- Warren was blessed with a carport.
- Vanessa's house was full of grandchildren.
- Elaine is over her kidney infection.
- Ken's work is going well and his eye continues to improve.
- The pipes froze at Harbor House's cabin, but did not bust! Praise the Lord!
Prayer Requests:
- Greg is now on the Sulphur Springs City Council. Please pray that he will be a great benefit to the town, that God will use him, and that he will be protected and strengthened.
- Remember Mary and Byron as they struggle with physical weaknesses.
- Vanessa's sister Dixie is back in the hospital with complications.
- Pray for those in Tucson who were affected by the recent shootings.
- Pray for repentance for the United States of America--for righteousness and justice in Washington.
- Remember the Allen family, especially little Gabe who needs joy and peace.
- Remember our military, especially those serving our nation overseas.
- Pray for Ken and the Parks Commission: that they may be effective, have volunteers, and feel appreciated.
- Pray healing and joy for Pam.
- Continue to pray for healing for Scot, with ALS.
- Sulphur Springs--may God bring down the strongholds of complacency, may His holy fire burn.
- Pray for the families of Julie's hospice patients who have died.
Vernon brought us the message last Sunday.
Last week we looked at practical Christianity; what can we do? If we want to be with the Father, where is He? Vernon used to think that most Christians were "lukewarm", but now he believes that they are really just confused--they don't know what it looks like to be a Christian.
So what is God doing, what does the Kingdom of Heaven look like? Vernon had an idea of where he was going with this message, but then realized that he was majoring on the minors and minoring on the majors. This is where he began:
Matthew 4:23--Jesus was healing people.
Mark 16:15-18--He said to preach the gospel, drive out demons, etc.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2--He said to fully obey the commands.
For a long time Vernon tried to follow the Old Testament commandments as closely as possible, but they became extremely burdensome. For example: for a long time Vernon tried to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), but found it impossible and discouraging. This is what happens when we chain ourselves to the Law. We can love the commandments, but we can't keep them all by ourselves. They are the minor, not the major.
What did Jesus say in Matthew 22:36-40? He said that all the law and the prophets hung on two commandments--Love God, and love your neighbor. It doesn't matter if we are too legalistic or too charismatic: we are majoring on the minors. This could be pictured like scale that is unbalanced by those who go too far on either spectrum. The Major is love.
Read 1 Corinthians 13 to get a good idea of what that looks like. The word for love here is agape, which has a strange definition: love-feast. So instead of hating those people who rub you raw, you should have a love-feast for them! Abandon pride and self-consciousness, replace your own agenda with pure love.
Of course, we can't do this on our own any more than we can keep the other commandments perfectly. We simply can't manufacture that kind of love. Jesus alone can do this. If we are filled with God's love we can reach others and conquer our own flesh. Then we can be where God is! And nothing else matters.
Matthew 4:23--Jesus was healing people.
Mark 16:15-18--He said to preach the gospel, drive out demons, etc.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2--He said to fully obey the commands.
For a long time Vernon tried to follow the Old Testament commandments as closely as possible, but they became extremely burdensome. For example: for a long time Vernon tried to take every thought captive (2 Corinthians 10:5), but found it impossible and discouraging. This is what happens when we chain ourselves to the Law. We can love the commandments, but we can't keep them all by ourselves. They are the minor, not the major.
What did Jesus say in Matthew 22:36-40? He said that all the law and the prophets hung on two commandments--Love God, and love your neighbor. It doesn't matter if we are too legalistic or too charismatic: we are majoring on the minors. This could be pictured like scale that is unbalanced by those who go too far on either spectrum. The Major is love.
Read 1 Corinthians 13 to get a good idea of what that looks like. The word for love here is agape, which has a strange definition: love-feast. So instead of hating those people who rub you raw, you should have a love-feast for them! Abandon pride and self-consciousness, replace your own agenda with pure love.
Of course, we can't do this on our own any more than we can keep the other commandments perfectly. We simply can't manufacture that kind of love. Jesus alone can do this. If we are filled with God's love we can reach others and conquer our own flesh. Then we can be where God is! And nothing else matters.
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