Sunday Words of Encouragement May 2, 2021

It was good to be back in church in person today. Hubby isn’t returning yet, but I went and wore my mask. It was great to see my church friends face to face after all this time!

Pastor continued with Part 4 of his series: It Matters. He reminded us that last week’s part 3, reminded us it was important to come into God’s presence on His terms and conditions, not on ours.

This week Pastor focused on ‘temperature checks’. During the Covid19 pandemic year (plus) many businesses, schools and other facilities required a temperature check for entry. An elevated temperature signifies something going on and is the bodies way of fighting an infection.

Pastor advised that it is time for each of us to get a spiritual temperature check. Is our temperature low, high or normal? Low isn’t good and even normal isn't enough. Our spiritual temperature should be elevated to help fight off the enemy. We need to take action, not just sit passively, in order to get our spiritual temperature to rise.

In Revelation 3:14-16 Jesus wrote a letter to the church at Laodicea noting they were neither hot nor cold. But because they were lukewarm, he said he would spit them out. After chastising the church, Jesus exhorted them to turn from your indifference. “So be earnest and repent.” Revelation 3:17-19.

Indifference kills. It is a gateway for depression. Indifference manifests in laziness, apathy and self-centeredness. The first step to move from indifference is to recognize our need for Christ.

Our spiritual temperature matters. It should be rising. If we understood whose presence we were in, would we ever be indifferent? Taken, one step further, do your actions match up with your beliefs?

Pastor shared a story about a man and his daughter he recently ran into while waiting for an elevator in an Orlando hotel. They were returning from the pool where they had worn their masks. As they chit-chatted, the man said he was from New York and had moved to Tennessee. He expressed that he was scared of those states that had opened too soon, too quickly. Pastor thought, if he is scared, then why is he vacationing with his daughter in Orlando?

There are many examples in the Bible of men and women whose actions matched their beliefs. The woman who broke the alabaster jar to anoint Jesus knew whose presence she was in. The woman with the issue of blood knew whose presence she was in. Stephen continued to preach Jesus even as he was facing being stoned because he recognized whose presence he was in.

The Point: Our spiritual temperature matters. It is proof of the true nature of our relationship with Jesus.

Paul directs believers to examine yourself in 2 Corinthians 13:5 - to make sure you are in the faith.
Do you hunger for His presence?  Press into His presence.
When our spiritual temperature is on the rise, God can do something with us.

I had a great time picking a song video today. I started out with one thing in mind but got to find many new songs and listen to some favorites. That made it a harder choice. 😊 I listened to four different versions of this song and chose this one for the beauty, reverence and JOY!

A Verse for Today
2 Corinthians 13:5 NIV
5 Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?

Dear Lord - Please don't let me ever take Your presence for granted.

Sunday Words of Encouragement June 26, 2016

We had three grand messages this morning. Our Sunday School teacher taught a lesson from Romans 13 entitled “A Wake Up Call”. I will share more of that another day.  We had a guest evangelist who shared a lovely message on "A True Shepherd" as we prepare to meet candidates to be our new pastor. I am saving that message also.

In between we shared communion and my words today are from that time of sharing. Our church shares an ‘open communion’ which means visitors can partake. They do not have to be members of the church but they must be believers and take the offerings with the remembrance and reverence intended for the Sacrament of Holy Communion. (I was raised in an Episcopal, liturgical church, so I still recall the formal names.) Our Pastor reminded us that sharing in communion should be done after self-reflection so that we do not partake lightly lest we bring judgment on ourselves. I took the warning and wrote this phrase in my Sunday Journal: Self-reflection to submit to God’s discipline so that we may be saved. We will not be judged by worldly standards but by God’s standards which are higher; yet through the loving eyes of grace we are judged with mercy. This tied in with the Sunday School message which talked of the process of salvation which will not be complete until Christ returns.

Evangelical or fundamental churches rarely use ‘rote’ prayers or formal liturgy. But communion time always takes me back to my childhood lessons of the 'general confession'.  That is something I can, and should, pray at the end of every day.

The formal version is from the Book of Common Prayer 1662 (and in the small devotional book In God’s Presence which was given to me in 1965 at my confirmation). I also remember this shorter version that I think of at each communion:

Most merciful God, we confess that we have sinned against you in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done, and by what we have left undone. We have not loved you with our whole heart; we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves. We are truly sorry and we humbly repent, for the sake of your Son Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and forgive us; that we may delight in your will, and walk in your ways, to the glory of your Name. Amen.

We sang this song in worship this morning. 

I found it comforting as Bob and I prepare for his open heart surgery tomorrow morning.

Verses for today:
2 Peter 1:3-4 (NIV)
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

I thank you, Lord, for your great mercies. I seek your strength and guidance daily to do all as I ought; as you desire.
I thank all my family, local church family and friends, and my distant online friends for prayer support!