BY FAITH!

How will you live your life in 2011?

The phrase "BY FAITH" is found in the New Testament 37 times. A quick search will yield some exciting principles about how God would have us to live our lives.

Real life begins as you receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour by Faith. Ephesians 2:8 says "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." Acts 16 tells of a distraught jailor who ask a very important question: "What must I do to be saved? And they answered and said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Romans 1:17 "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith." When you know the Lord that makes you righteous or just before God. He expects us to LIVE by Faith!

Hebrews 11:6 "But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."

If we live to please God in 2011 we must live BY FAITH! We are to walk by faith, it is by faith that we have access to God and it is by faith that we shall be able to stand.

So how will you live in 2011? Will it be "BY FAITH"?

Thanks To GOD!

To Give Thanks to God for His bountiful blessing is such a great privilege. He is worthy of all our Praise! I would agree with one of our past Presidents:

"It has seemed to me fit and proper that
God should be solemnly, reverently
and gratefully acknowledged,
as with one heart and one voice,
by the whole American people."

-- President Abraham Lincoln, 1863

All around I see the Blessing of the LORD! Take TIME TODAY to say THANKS TO YOUR CREATOR!

If you have not yet come into a personal relationship with Him let me encourage you to give it serious consideration. "For God So Love The World That He Gave His Only Begotten Son That Whosoever Believeth In Him Should Not Parish But Have Everlasting Life" - John 3:16 from the Holy Bible.

Seasons Of Life

"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:" Eccles. 3:1 With the changing of the seasons, comes the opportunity to reflect on where we are in life. I guess with grandchildren now and over thirty years pastoring the same church, you would have to say that I am in the autum of my life....maybe even the winter. I am certainly not in the springtime, that being the beginning.

I enjoy the fall season because it is harvest time. Time to enjoy the reaping of that which has been sown. Jesus had something to say about the harvest in John 4:35 Behold I say unto you, lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. I am thankful that in the fall of our lives we can reap a harvest in obedience to the Lord Jesus. These are exciting days! What a joy to be able to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with those who are searching, those who are needy, those who are ready for the Saving Grace of JESUS CHRIST.

This was a quiet place for meditating on God's Goodness and Grace!

Are You Ready To Live?

Some one has well said that you are not ready to live until you are ready to die. While thinking about this I recently visited a cemetery near our church. This grave marker had this inscription written in 1892.

"Remember Friend As You Pass By

As You Are Now So Once Was I,

As I Am Now, So You Must Be,

Prepare For Death And Follow Me"

This is a sobering thought for all of us. We don't know when our time will be up. We need to be ready to die, so that we can live as God has intended us to live. Solomon in Ecclesiastes 9 gives us some good advice about enjoying life now. He makes this pointed statement "For Man Knoweth Not His TIME."

After participating in three funerals in seven days, I thought how do I want to be remembered? What is it that I want people to know about my life? What is it that really should count?

Jeremiah 9:23 - 24 provides some divine guidance. "Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord."

I see three uncertainties in life in these verses; wisdom, might, and riches. The worlds approach to significance; the desire to be, do, or have, none of which are certainties.

I see two opportunities in life that have lasting value; the opportunity to understand the Lord and to know Him. Jesus said "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." What an opportunity we have to understand and know the Lord.

Three certainties that we can count on are God's loving kindness, His justice, and righteousness. What are you living for? What do you glory or boast in? CERTAINLY SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT!

This is our theme for 2010 at Bluelick Bible Church. We know that God desires us to pray. In this great passage of scripture Paul sets forth the Priority of Prayer when he says in verse 1; "I exhort therefore, that first of all supplications, prayers, intercessions and giving of thanks be made for all men;" First of all, we have an obligation to Pray! Then the Principle Focus of Prayer is to be "For Kings, and for all that are in authority:" for all men pray but especially for those who have God given authority over our lives. The Petition of our Prayers "that we may lead a quiet and peacable life in all godliness and honesty." We are to pray for those in authority so that they will allow us to live in a way that pleases God without their interference. The Purpose of such Prayer seems to be that it pleases God and will enable us to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ so that men may be saved! 1 Timothy 2:3-4 "For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth." The next two verses give us a reason for Passion in Prayer; "For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." Please Join us in Praying and if you do not know the Saviour please contact us at preacher@wciol.com for a personal opportunity to talk about having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.