As a Christian I am glad to not have to follow the O.T. Law but I am constantly challenged by the thought that God knew it was a good idea for His people to live by these decrees. And yes that includes Leviticus! Not only that but Jesus Himself has set a much higher standard a “fullfillment of the Law” which is not only visible to the eye but invisible i.e. our thoughts, motives and desires. I definitely need more of God and less of me!

I’ve noticed that when you leave a worship service there often  is a sign that may say something like this “You are now entering the mission field” with the expectation that we will take to heart that we are on the mission of God.   But seldom do I see a sign that tries to accomplish a similar expectation of what it means to come to worship together.   You see, when we enter a house to worship with other believers there are also expectations.  Consider these:

• Mark 9:50 – “Salt is good; but if the salt becomes unsalty, with what will you make it salty again? Have salt in yourselves, and be at peace with one another.”
• John 13:14 – “If I then, the Lord and the Teacher, washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.
• John 13:34 – “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another.
• John 13:35 – “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
• John 15:12 – “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you.
• John 15:17 – “This I command you, that you love one another.
• Romans 12:10 – Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor;
• Romans 12:16 – Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation.
• Romans 13:8 – Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law.
• Romans 14:13 – Therefore let us not judge one another anymore, but rather determine this–not to put an obstacle or a stumbling block in a brother’s way.
• Romans 14:19 – So then we pursue the things which make for peace and the building up of one another.
• Romans 15:5 – Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus,
• Romans 15:7 – Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.
• Romans 15:14 – And concerning you, my brethren, I myself also am convinced that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able also to admonish one another.
• Romans 16:16 – Greet one another with a holy kiss. All the churches of Christ greet you.
• 1 Corinthians 11:33 – So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another.
• 1 Corinthians 16:20 – All the brethren greet you. Greet one another with a holy kiss.
• 2 Corinthians 13:12 – Greet one another with a holy kiss.
• Galatians 5:13 – For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
• Galatians 5:26 – Let us not become boastful, challenging one another, envying one another.
• Galatians 6:2 – Bear one another’s burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.
• Ephesians 4:2 – with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love,
• Ephesians 4:25 – Therefore, laying aside falsehood, SPEAK TRUTH EACH ONE of you WITH HIS NEIGHBOR, for we are members of one another.
• Ephesians 4:32 – Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.
• Ephesians 5:19 – speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody with your heart to the Lord;
• Ephesians 5:21 – and be subject to one another in the fear of Christ.
• Philippians 2:3 – Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves;
• Colossians 3:9 – Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices,
• Colossians 3:13 – bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.
• Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
• 1 Thessalonians 3:12 – and may the Lord cause you to increase and abound in love for one another, and for all people, just as we also do for you;
• 1 Thessalonians 4:9 – Now as to the love of the brethren, you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another;
• 1 Thessalonians 5:11 – Therefore encourage one another and build up one another, just as you also are doing.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:13b – Live in peace with one another.
• 1 Thessalonians 5:15 – See that no one repays another with evil for evil, but always seek after that which is good for one another and for all people.
• 2 Thessalonians 1:3 – We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brethren, as is only fitting, because your faith is greatly enlarged, and the love of each one of you toward one another grows ever greater;
• Hebrews 3:13 – But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
• Hebrews 10:24 – and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
• Hebrews 10:25 – not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
• James 4:11 – Do not speak against one another, brethren. He who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks against the law and judges the law; but if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge of it.
• James 5:9 – Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.
• James 5:16 – Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.
• 1 Peter 1:22 – Since you have in obedience to the truth purified your souls for a sincere love of the brethren, fervently love one another from the heart,
• 1 Peter 4:8 – Above all, keep fervent in your love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.
• 1 Peter 4:9 – Be hospitable to one another without complaint.
• 1 Peter 4:10 – As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.
• 1 Peter 5:5 – You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.
• 1 Peter 5:14 – Greet one another with a kiss of love. Peace be to you all who are in Christ.
• 1 John 1:7 – but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin.
• 1 John 3:11 – For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another;
• 1 John 3:23 – This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us.
• 1 John 4:7 – Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.
• 1 John 4:11 – Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
• 1 John 4:12 – No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us.
• 2 John 1:5 – Now I ask you, lady, not as though I were writing to you a new commandment, but the one which we have had from the beginning, that we love one another.

The question remains how do we accomplish these characteristics in the gathering?  The answer is not complex yet curiously  hard to live out.  Simply put the sign you read when you enter a house of worship might say something like this:  “You are now The Body of Christ together, please leave your individual desires at the door”

Verses that if put into practice would improve our online and offline dialogues:

Honor everyone… (1 Peter 2:17)

Consider others better than yourself. (Philippians 2:3)

Forgive one another. (Ephesians 4:32)

Love one another. (John 13:34)

Remember kindness leads to repentance. (Romans 2:4)

Be kind and compassionate to one another. (Ephesians 4:32)

Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry. (James 1:19)

Treat others as you would want to be treated. (Luke 6:31)

Have the mind of Christ. (Philippians 2:5)

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. (Psalm 34:13)

Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. (Ephesians 4:29)

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. (Romans 12:10)

Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. (Colossians 3:12–14)

Grace & Truth 101: You cannot separate the Messenger from the Message. It’s a contradiction to say I follow Jesus, but then to not follow God’s Word or to say I follow God’s Word but then to not follow Jesus.

John 1:14 (ESV) And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

You are invited to a fun night of music and fellowship this Friday at Dan and Wendy Meade’s home.   Please bring food to share or meat to throw on the grill.  (Hawaiian shirts are optional) Please see your church directory for Dan and Wendy’s  address or  call the church office for directions to their home.

Thursday, May 7th is the National Day of Prayer!  Click the link below for a printable prayer guide.

Prayer Guide

Some churches add an extra service during Easter Sunday or at the least choose to set up a few extra chairs for visitors, but what if your church doesn’t? What if on Easter Sunday morning you have the same people or even less people as some are away visiting family? Looking just on the surface we may think things like “they are irrelevant to the community” or they themselves may feel inferior. Unfortunately that is how today’s christian culture define how “good” or “bad” a church is.    Our western culture has programmed us to believe “bigger is better,”  Supersize me we say as we go through McD’s., but when I read scripture numbers seem to be less important to God.    we do read  this  in Acts 2:41 (ESV)
⁴¹  So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.”   That was awesome!  The newly formed church must have been on the the biggest spiritual wave you could imagine!  But what we don’t read, is that they formed a 3000 member mega church.  God is calling churches to be faithful to what He has given us!  No matter if you attend a “Mega church” or a “home church” or something in between, we together are the “Bride of Christ!”    Let us be faithful to Jesus until He comes.

The idea of having a Bucket list became very popular a few years ago and it is rather enticing to consider specific things you want to accomplish before you die.   Now, there is nothing wrong with planning and doing the things you like or think you would like to do, but from a purely theological perspective a bucket list has a fundamental flaw.   That flaw is in the way we view this earthly life compared to the life after that.   You see for believers this earthly life is a just smidgen of the life yet to come.  The greatest and most spectacular thing we want to accomplish is like a rubbish heap compared to what life will be like with Almighty God!

In just a few days we will remember Christ’s death and celebrate His resurrection!  It is because of the resurrection that I am assured of the same resurrection power!  A new life where everyday for all eternity is the very best (no bucket list needed).  Let us not live life like it ends when we die.  Instead live life in the truth and power of the resurrection!

• But your dead will live; their bodies will rise. You who dwell in the dust, wake up and shout for joy. … The earth will give birth to her dead. (Isaiah 26:19)
• Many of those whose bodies lie dead and buried will rise up, some to everlasting life and some to shame and everlasting disgrace. (Daniel 12:2 NLT)
• We will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. (1 Corinthians 15:52-53)
• The Lord Jesus Christ … will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. (Philippians 3:20-21)