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Beating the Harvest Into the Ground...

7/27/2017

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23Listen to me; listen, and pay close attention. 24Does a farmer always plow and never sow? Is he forever cultivating the soil and never planting? 25Does he not finally plant his seeds—black cumin, cumin, wheat, barley, and emmer wheat—each in its proper way, and each in its proper place? 26The farmer knows just what to do, for God has given him understanding. 27A heavy sledge is never used to thresh black cumin; rather, it is beaten with a light stick. A threshing wheel is never rolled on cumin; instead, it is beaten lightly with a flail. 28Grain for bread is easily crushed, so he doesn’t keep on pounding it. He threshes it under the wheels of a cart, but he doesn’t pulverize it. 29The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is a wonderful teacher, and he gives the farmer great wisdom. (Isaiah 28:23-29 NLT)
 
Leadership is a very tricky endeavor – spiritual leadership even more so. There is always a fine line between expectation and accomplishment – between motivation and abuse. As a football coach it is entirely unfair of me to get angry and scream at a player whom I have neither taught nor practiced the skill at which he is failing. It might make ME feel better; it might make me feel more powerful and in control – but the unintended consequence is that the player will simply learn to avoid taking risks and trying hard things for fear of punishment. In short, the player will never MATURE and be able to see what the coach sees and understand what the coach understands and become the player that he could be. And so it is with spiritual leadership. Using the analogy above, a spiritual leader must not only cultivate the soil, he or she must also take the time to plant, nurture, harvest and then incorporate that harvest into the body. Moreover, and we see this all too often on the football field and in the church, the leader – if by chance something actually does grow under such adverse conditions – cannot beat the harvest back into the ground, crushing and destroying it so that it never again benefits the body. The individual and the body will never grow, never mature, and never be the instrument for the Kingdom that God envisions. The believer, like the player, will never experience embedded encouragement and good will and never grow up and step out on their own – teaching others and growing the body. (or the team!) So I challenge you as a leader with these questions: Do you beat the sheep or feed the sheep? Do you lead for the benefit of those who choose to follow – or is the source of your motivation the satisfaction of you own ego and need for power? Oh, and as a follower, do not forget, you have the model of scriptural leadership and the right to be under it. If you are not – make the change so that you can grow, harvest, and re-invest in the people and the body that you love. 
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Perhaps the Most Important Message I Could Ever Preach...

7/24/2017

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Called to Be Saved and Called to Behave...

7/20/2017

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9Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10Love each other with genuine affection,e and take delight in honoring each other. 11Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.f 12Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality. 14Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all! 17Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. 19Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. (Romans 12:9-19 (NLT)
 
It is interesting that EVERY single one of these statements indicates an INVESTMENT on the part of the believer. God does not call us to simply be saved – He calls us to behave! He calls us to behave in ways that demonstrate our salvation, and our love and thanksgiving for Jesus for saving us. We are called to be intentional as we love, and yes hate – to hold tightly, take delight, be patient, help people and practice hospitality, to bless people and enjoy people. Moreover, we are called by God to Never curse people but pray for them, and NEVER take revenge, or return evil with evil. These are all behaviors that we are in control of – behaviors that we can choose (or not choose, as the case may be). God calls us to action for more than international missions and mega-church building project; He calls us to be INTENTIONAL about making our worlds a better place. Together, we can extend the kingdom of God and make His world a better place. What’s the old saying? “Preach the Gospel always; use words when necessary.” Submit yourself to the will of your Savior and Lord and be intentional about the rest of the world knowing it! ​
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You Cannot Drink from Both Cups

7/13/2017

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14So, my dear friends, flee from the worship of idols. 15You are reasonable people. Decide for yourselves if what I am saying is true. 16When we bless the cup at the Lord’s Table, aren’t we sharing in the blood of Christ? And when we break the bread, aren’t we sharing in the body of Christ? 17And though we are many, we all eat from one loaf of bread, showing that we are one body. 18Think about the people of Israel. Weren’t they united by eating the sacrifices at the altar? 19What am I trying to say? Am I saying that food offered to idols has some significance, or that idols are real gods? 20No, not at all. I am saying that these sacrifices are offered to demons, not to God. And I don’t want you to participate with demons. 21You cannot drink from the cup of the Lord and from the cup of demons, too. You cannot eat at the Lord’s Table and at the table of demons, too. 22What? Do we dare to rouse the Lord’s jealousy? Do you think we are stronger than he is? (1 Corinthians 10:14-22 NLT)
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Last Sunday I said to the congregation, “Don’t let your salvation turn into a religion.” They know that I mean for them to NEVER lose sight of the fact that who we are as individuals and as a congregation is determined exclusively by our relationship (or lack thereof) with Jesus – the Christ of God. This week we will participate in the ordinance of The Lord’s Supper. Some of us call it, communion and refer to the act as a sacrament; but whatever you may call it or however you may refer to it, I urge you to heed the Word of God and receive this meal in the manner in which it is intended – as a physical reminder of a spiritual gift, that is, of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ and the subsequent power of Holy Spirit within us. It is not a ritual. It is not just a part of a religion. It is not something that must be done in order to be a “good Christian.” It is the gift of Jesus Christ Himself, given to us for the forgiveness of sin and the redemption of our fallen selves. Do not make your communion with God a sacrifice to Satan’s altar by turning God’s gift into nothing more than ritual or religion. Do not sacrifice The Lord’s Supper on the altar of satanic idol worship. Give yourself wholly unto the Lord and receive the gift of His life. Remember, none of us can drink from “both cups.” 
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Lose Your Life - Gain Your Calling

7/6/2017

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23Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross daily, and follow me. 24If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. 25And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but are yourself lost or destroyed? 26If anyone is ashamed of me and my message, the Son of Man will be ashamed of that person when he returns in his glory and in the glory of the Father and the holy angels. (Luke 9:23-26 NLT)
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You are a part of a much bigger and much more beautiful picture than you can imagine. I hope that you realize this and realize that your life matters. It matters to your Heavenly Father; it matters to your family and it should matter to YOU. Jesus teaches that if we try to hang on to our lives, we will lose them; and if we lose our lives by giving them over to Him, we will save ourselves. This might seem contradictory but it is not because life really does not begin until we are born again through Christ. My prayer is that every human being will come to know who they are meant to be in Christ, giving themselves over to HIS calling upon their lives. Have you done that? Have you submitted your will to His? Do you truly trust God with every facet of your life? Believe it or not, it is possible and the key is Jesus Christ Himself. In all we do, just as scripture teaches, “Seek the kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” (Matt 6:33 NLT) Pray – now. 
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    Pastor Brian is the senior pastor of Churchtown Church of God and regularly shares his thoughts & insight here - he invites you to join in the discussion of life & faith!

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