JUN-2015
Have You Decided Whom You Will Serve?
And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will service; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.- Joshua 24:15
All believers are called to serve the Lord our God as Kingdom participants. Jesus told the woman at the well that there would be true worshippers that worship God in spirit and in truth. Our worship and our Kingdom service should not be driven by public opinion or status. Our service should not be about giving God what we want him to have but rather what the ministry moment calls for at that time. Evaluate your service, is it about how you feel, who ask you to serve, or how much you can get from doing it? Or is your service truly unto the Lord? "Have You Decided Whom You will Serve
Joshua, the successor to Moses is at the end of his journey as Israel's leader and he is speaking to the leaders of all the tribes in the kingdom in order to ensure they are committed to doing things unto the Lord. In verse fourteen, Joshua encourages the children of Israel to serve him (The Lord) with sincerity and in truth; and to put away the God's of their fathers which they brought out of Egypt. Many of the Israelites worshipped the Egyptian God's and now Joshua was challenging them that the should only worship and serve the LORD God Jehovah.
Joshua announces that he and his house would only serve the Lord. Make the decision today, don't wait, make the commitment to serve the Lord who saved you, made you and know all about you! "Have You Decided Whom You will Serve?
Pastor SP Courtney
Being blessed is being connected to the best!
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he mediate day and night. -Psalm 1:1-2
In the 21st century social media allows people you do not know and people you have never met in person to connect to you and even through twitter or face book to follow who what you do on a daily basis. However being connected through social media while it gives you connectivity it has not impact or influence beyond being connected. But, if you are connected to the one who is Lord of Lords and King of Kings, then you are blessed! "Being blessed is being connected to the best!
Psalm 1, speaks to those who are committed to sever and separate themselves from anything or anyone that is ungodly. They are diligently ensuring that their path does not have any connection to the path of sin or sinners. With this mind, the Psalmist is excited about his connection to the LORD our God and to His word. This connection promises that the one who chooses to walk in righteousness will benefit from the blessings of God.
Every believer has a past, but we must not maintain our connection to our past, but rather we must make sure we are connected to the Lord. Connected through our faith, through our praise and our worship. Connected through our service in the kingdom. Connected by seeking after righteousness and fleeing from unrighteousness. Being blessed is only available through our relationship with the LORD! "Being blessed is being connected to the best!
Pastor SP Courtney
Will You Have Compassion or will You send them Away?
I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and have nothing to eat: And if I send them away fasting to their own houses, they will faint by the way: for divers of them came from far. -Mark 8:2-3
Many people today see others, their needs and unfortunately the most we will say is that I am praying for you. We are often in position to speak over them, or even sometimes God places us in their pathway to make a difference in their lives but unfortunately we stumble and fall. If you are given the opportunity to help, our ministry mindset should be to help those in needs. Will You Have Compassion or will you send them away?
The gospel of Mark records the parable of Jesus as he finished teaching the great multitude and how they followed him until the end of the day. As a result of their obedience Christ expresses to the disciples that he has compassion for the multitude because they have been with him. Those who are faithful in service and in fellowship will sometimes need to experience the compassion of others. When people come to you in need of compassion do you offer to pray or do you attempt to meet their needs.
Prayer offers encouragement to the hungry, it offers strength to the thirsty but food and water will meet their needs. Being concerned and compassionate about the needs of others is what Jesus did and what we the church should always do.
The world is watching and others are standing in need, what will the 21st century church do? "Will You Have Compassion or will you send them away?
Pastor SP Courtney
