Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 29,2012

Grace for your spirit
And it came about when He went into the house of one of the leaders of the Pharisees on the Sabbath to eat bread, that they were watching Him closely.  Luke 14:1

Recently I was driving down the highway when I car passed me with a big JESUS bumper sticker on the back.  There was fine print above it and below it that I couldn't read. Out of curiosity, I worked to catch up with them and get behind them. At a stoplight, I got really close to them and it read, "Are you following JESUS this close?"  Well, are we?  How much effort do expend to follow Jesus closely?  Some watch closely to condemn, others follow closely to be faithful disciples.  What do people notice about us?  Do they notice by our lives that we follow closely to be His faithful followers.  That's the reputation I want, don't you?

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 28, 2012

Grace for your spirit
For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may, become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.  Now for this very reason also, applying all diligence, add moral excellence.  II Peter 1:4-5

We live in a very immoral world with an increasing acceptance of godless living.  Does God have a  solution for this destructive behavior?. In Christ we have promises that will make us partakers and participants with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  With them, we can escape this corruption in the world if we apply it.  Seriously applying our faith, we add moral excellence, and we can be victorious. Just talking about our faith won't do.  Let's make a commitment to apply all diligence in finding God's will and doing His will.  Sin is crouching at our door.  With God, we can master it.

Monday, November 26, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 27, 2012

Grace for your spirit
When Israel saw the great power that the Lord had used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and believed in the Lord, and in His servant Moses.  Exodus  14:31

The children of God spent most of their time on a roller coaster ride between panic and praise.  Panic in bondage, praise in the passover deliverance.  Panic standing at the edge of the Red Sea being chased by the Egyptians, praise when the sea opened for them and closed on the army of Pharoah. What a miserable life.  God wanted to them to trust in Him continually in good times and in bad ones.  As His children, let's make a commitment to level out our experience with God.  Instead of panic to praise day in and day out, let's allow Him to make our paths straight and level every day.  The Christian experience should be joyful.

Sunday, November 25, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 26, 2012

Grace for your spirit
Things which eye has not seen and ear not heard, and have not entered into the heart of man, all that God has prepared for those who love Him.  I Corinthians 2:9

God communicates His love, His providence, His blessings, and His salvation through the Spirit and the Word.  Those who are led by the Spirit, and walk after the Spirit, find great revelation from God.  If the world could see, hear, and know in their hearts how much God really loves us all, and what He has planned for us,  most of the opposition against God would cease.  Unfortunately, the god of this world, the devil, blinds eyes, plugs ears, and closes hearts to God.  We need to get in the eye, ear, and heart improvement business, so the lost world can know the magnificent Lord we all know.

Monday, November 19, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 20, 2012


Grace for your spirit
Though the fig tree should not blossom, and there be no fruit on the vines.  Though the yield of the olive should fail, and the fields produce no food.  Though the flock be cut off from the fold, and there be no cattle in the stalls,  Yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.  Habakkuk 3:17-18

Hard times were approaching and God's people refused to accept His decision. They claimed they were right and God was wrong and demanded justice.  After debating with God they realized that justice would bring them bondage due to their rebellious living.  After a while, futility turned to faith and finally acceptance that they could do anything with God.  They finally realized that with God they could rise above any adversity with rejoicing and praise, because mercy would be greater than justice.  God's grace can give us victory no matter what happens.  Have we realized that yet?  Let's communicate with him a little more. It will give us a happier thanksgiving no matter what our circumstances.  Let's trust in the Lord and His grace for our future.  Happy Thanksgiving to all.

Sunday, November 18, 2012

What to expect at Northwest Church of Christ


The church building is located on U.S 41 North at Florida Avenue. Just 1/2 mile north of the 41/63 interchange in Terre Haute, Indiana

Sunday Bible Classes: 9:30 AM
Sunday Worship 10:30 AM:
Sunday Evening 6:00 PM:
Wednesday Study 7:00 PM:

DECEMBER ACTIVITIES


Holiday Dinner
Mark your calendars now, and plan to be together for our Christmas party.  It will be Monday night, December 17th at 6:30 P.M.  at MCL Cafeteria in the Meadows.  We will have a “white elephant” grab bag.  If you wish to play, wrap something useful from around the house or buy an inexpensive gift to trade.  Debbie will do the decorating. If you would like to help with games, please let me know

Food Baskets
We helped three families with food at Thanksgiving time.  We always fill baskets during December for Christmas.  If you would like to bring Christmas dinner items or contribute to the purchase of the meat, it will be appreciated.  If you know of a family that could use such a basket, please give the name to David.

Warm for the Kids
Right after Christmas break, we will take gloves, hats, scarves, and socks to shelters and elementary schools.  You may start bring those items at any time.  The more the merrier.



BELIEF STATEMENT

We are a fellowship of believers in Christ who believe in one all powerful, all knowing, ever present God. We believe the Bible is God's inspired word, and provides our only standard of right and wrong.

We believe that Jesus Christ, God's Son, died for our sins all the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead for our justification. We believe that mankind is lost without the saving blood of Jesus and that He is the only way to the Father

We believe that saving faith includes repentance, and baptism for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe the baptized believer is a member of the Lord's church and the kingdom of God.

We believe that the Christians should worship properly and share the good news of Jesus until He returns with out heavenly reward

At worship you may expect joyous acappella singing,prayers,communion services, and a lesson from the Bible every Sunday Expect our worship to be warm, uplifting, and orderly, praising the Lord.

Everyone is always welcome. We hope you will be spiritually enriched by your worship visit

Grace for your spirit November 19,2012

Grace for your spirit
In everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.  I Thessalonians 5:18

Many people misread this verse and dismiss it.  They think it reads that we need to be thankful for everything, and object.  They wonder how they can be thankful for all the evil that comes our way.  God's will is for us to be thankful in every situation.  In whatever state we find ourselves, God wants us to be thankful.  It is a key part of holy living, prayer, and helping others in bad times.  It is God's will for us, so he expects performance instead of complaints.  Let's start practicing right now.  In every circumstance we find ourselves today, let's find something for which we can be thankful. It's God's will becoming our will. It will help us all have a happy thanksgiving.

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 16, 2012

Grace for your spirit
And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all  your soul and with all your might.  And these words, which I am commanding you today shall be on your heart.  
Deuteronomy 6:5-6

Which words do you notice?  Love, God, heart, soul, mind?  How about the little word, "ALL"?  We have some capacity to love God.  His presence can sink into our hearts and souls, and capture our attention, once in a while, for a little while.  That is hardly the description of a true disciple; once in a while for a little while.  As we read a couple of more verses, we also see His call to remember this ALL the time, and teach it to others ALL the time. This was the focus of the Old Law, and called the greatest commandment in the New Testament.  We can scarcely keep any of His commands without giving Him our ALL. Y'all in?

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 15, 2012

Grace for your spirit
For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds in the body, according to what he has done, whether it be good or bad.  Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade men.  II Corinthians 5:10-11

Hundreds of years ago, people started writing stories for kids, often called nursery rhymes.  No matter when the content, the story usually started with, "Once upon of time", and then concluded with the words, "And they all lived happily ever after."  Life is not a nursery rhyme, and we need to be aware of that.  We all have our time to obey the Lord, and someday our time on earth will be over.  There most certainly will be a judgment day to determine our eternal destiny.  Will it be joy with the Lord, or misery out of His presence?  Often we hear of the departed, that they did their best, and they are in a better place. The Lord will be the final judge of whether that is true or not.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 14, 2012

Grace for your spirit
And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending on Him...and immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go into the wilderness. 
Mark 1:10+12

The gospel of Mark is a booster shot to anyone needing their faith strengthened.  It displays the good works of Jesus quickly to draw us in and keep us interested.  The word immediately is used forty times in this short book, to show us the intensity of Jesus' life.  Jesus completed His ministry that took Him to the cross in three short years. Mark is like a parade with one great float after another to hold our attention from His baptism to His resurrection.  If we are a little bored with our Christian life, may we recommend to immediate shot of Jesus.  We can get that immediately from Mark.  Let's get to it...immediately

Monday, November 12, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 13, 2012

Grace for your spirit
Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show  yourself an example of those who believe.  I Timothy 4:12

It is so easy to be intimidated by others.  When we are trying to be good examples of a disciple who follows Christ each day, someone can be right there to discourage and discredit us.  We might be called too dumb, too smart, too beautiful, too ugly, too aloof, too humble, or any number of things to diminish our light in a dark world.  For Timothy, Paul's son in the faith, his age did not match his wisdom and knowledge.  God's answer for that was to walk the walk, and talk the talk.  Be an example of those who believe, for those who are struggling.  Leave them saying, "Man, he may be young, but wow, what a disciple."  For us in may be, "Wow, they may be ________, but wow, what a disciple. " Let's go and not look back.

Sunday, November 11, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 12, 2012

Grace for your spirit
Your lamb shall be a unblemished male a year old. you may take it from the sheep or from the goats.  You shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the month, then the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel. is to kill it at midnight.  Exodus  12:5-6

On the very first Passover celebration in Egypt, the blood on the doorposts came from a special sacrificed sheep or goat. The sacrifice was brought into the house for five days and then killed.  Just as soon as the family got to love this cute animal they had to watch it die. It was sad, but the blood saved their lives.  This became a type of Christ who was to come.  When we come to know Christ and love Him, then we must see Him as our crucified Savior.  Although it is sad to see such a loved one die, the blood saves us from our sins as God's wrath passes over us.   Before we celebrate our Passover, the Lord's Supper next Sunday, let's bring Christ in our houses and hearts as first.

Thursday, November 8, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 9, 2012

Grace for your spirit
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success.  Joshua 1:8

Most everyone wants to be prosperous and successful.  It would be nice if we could just set back and let the blessing flow over us, but it doesn't work that way.  Joshua advised the people that the wisdom and knowledge paving the road to success was found in God's book.  We can chart the success and failures of God's people by their attention to the book of law.  In the reign of King Josiah, they found the lost book of law, and no one could figure out what it was.  When it was identified, it led them to repentance. Is righteousness and success escaping us?  Let's find our map to victory in God's word, and put it to good use day and night.

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 8, 2012

Grace for your spirit
To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ.  Ephesians 3:8

Paul had been standing on the riches of God's blessings all along, but he didn't know it until he knew Jesus.  Then those unfathomable riches were his to use and proclaim.  Something like Jed Clampitt of the Beverly Hillbillies.  "And then one day he was shootin' at some food and up through the ground came some bubblin' crude." Jed had been a millionaire all along, but he couldn't use it until he knew it and found it.  Whether are standing on the promises or sleeping on the premises, God's grace is sufficient to make those riches useful to all of us.  When we get to know Jesus, we will get to know His riches.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 7, 2012

Grace for your spirit
Whoever loves discipline, loves knowledge. But he who hates reproof is stupid.  Proverbs 12:1

This is not a difficult concept to understand.  In order to learn most things, one must discipline their thoughts and make time to focus on the challenge.  We also must be willing to take correction or we won't learn anything.  With no discipline and the inability to take correction all knowledge will escape us.  Somebody was asked. "Did you go to school, stupid?"  He responded, "Yes and I came out the same way."  As Christians, it is time for us to grow up and wake up.  We need discipline, knowledge and reproof to do our Father's will.

Monday, November 5, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 6, 2012

Grace for your spirit
For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God that is in you by the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline  
I Timothy 1:6-7

We all face big challenges that come with lots of discouragement and very little help.  It is easy to become discouraged, and that is why we need to be reminded of the weapons we have to stay in the battle.  We all have many gifts from God that are extremely powerful if we will activate them in our lives.  At the times when we "hit the wall", and are tempted to quit, let's remember that God has given us a spirit of power, love, and discipline, and greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. May those gifts of faith, spirit, and grace, rekindle the fire within us.

Sunday, November 4, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 5, 2012

Grace for your spirit
As a gold ring in a swine's snout, so is a beautiful woman without discretion.  Proverbs 11:22

We would wonder about someone telling us that they loved the gold ring, but didn't notice the pig.  Gold can be like that.  Lots of beautiful people can be that way too.  We notice the beauty but fail to notice the person cannot make decisions about what is right and wrong.  The discretion will be needed in life long after the beauty fades.  May we have the wisdom to look past the "bling", and see the qualities of inner beauty.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Grace for your spirit November 2, 2012


Grace for your spirit
The seed that fell among the thorns, these are the ones that have heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.  Luke 8:14

Put a potato in a cars exhaust pipe, the engine dies.  Take in food, put none out, the constipated body will die.Take in worries fears, and anger and, don't let it go, the spirit will die.  Many a spiritual life has been choked to death with worries about the things in this world and have never brought forth fruit nor come to maturity.  We cannot avoid some worry, some fear, or some anger, but we must find the solution before it chokes us off.  May I suggest the antidote might be faith, hope, and love.  For worry, faith.  for fear, hope.  for anger, love.  As the old song went, "You gotta have faith, hope, and charity. That's the way to live successfully.  How do I know?  The Bible tells me so."