The Apostle Paul warns of something...

... in the New Testament that is definitely as relevant today as it was then, maybe even more so. In 2 Corinthians 10:12 (NLT) He says “Oh, don’t worry; we wouldn’t dare say that we are as wonderful as these other men who tell you how important they are! But they are only comparing themselves with each other, using themselves as the standard of measurement. How ignorant!” Comparing ourselves with others is about as common as judging others but that is a subject for another time. We all get caught up in this trap of comparing ourselves with those around us.

My doctor tells me to lose weight but I can see others who are in worse shape than myself. When we are confronted with our disobedience before God we can always find someone else who is living more wrongly than we are. When our children do not want to be denied whatever the latest event that is happening, they want to compare themselves with their friends who seemingly get to always do whatever they want. “It is not fair” they say!  We always come back with the same proverbial answer, “If your friends wanted to jump off of a cliff would you want to jump off too?”

  What I believe the answer is for this horrendous habit of comparing ourselves with others is that we answer the question, “What is our standard?”  Is it my friends, are they my standard?  Is it the latest fad, is that our standard?  Is it that I am better than that person or the other?  What is our standard?  James 1:22 (NLT) “But don’t just listen to God’s Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.”  I make my choices based on what God’s Word says about my situation. Philippians 2:5 (NLT)  “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.”  When I am faced with tough choices, instead of comparing myself with others, I should ask the question, “What would Jesus do?”  Comparing yourself to others is unwise...comparing yourself to Jesus can be life transforming! 

Hurricane Harvey devastates southern...

... Texas and Louisiana and our hearts are broken to see lives lost and property destroyed. I heard the governor of Texas say the water around Houston was the size of Lake Michigan…unbelievable!  Our hearts ached for the people there so we prayed and we gave. Then, Irma shows up…islands wiped out and the entire state of Florida is affected. Again, lives lost (elderly in a nursing home) and property destroyed from Key West to Jacksonville. Over half of the population of Florida was without electricity at one time and many are still without it. It is definitely easier to pray for others going through a storm and even, easier to give to help others going through such tragedy, than to go through it ourselves. 

Listen to the psalmist: Psalm 107:28-32 (NKJV)  “Then they cry out to the LORD in their trouble, And He brings them out of their distresses. He calms the storm, So that its waves are still. Then they are glad because they are quiet; So He guides them to their desired haven. Oh, that men would give thanks to the LORD for His goodness, And for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them exalt Him also in the assembly of the people, And praise Him in the company of the elders.” He, God, calms the storm and He guides us to our desired haven. Do you just suppose God is trying to get us to return to Him? We should give Him thanks for His goodness, for His protection, for His provision, and for His unending love for us.

I kept hearing people say during and after the storm, “We have no power!” My friends and fellow followers of Christ, that is not true. We may not have electricity but we have power in the Name of Jesus. We have the power to pray, we have the power to help someone else in need, we have the power to give to bless those who are hurting…oh, we have power. Acts 1:8 “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you…” Let us use the power we have to be hands-on witnesses during this time of devastation. Who knows, this power we have may just lead someone to Jesus! 

We are getting ready to welcome...

...new folks into covenant membership in the next couple of weeks and we are so excited about that. In this article I want to speak about covenant and the vision of what it means.  We shared these verses from Matthew 19:4 6 (NLT) “Haven’t you read the Scriptures?” Jesus replied. “They record that from the beginning ‘God made them male and female.’  And he said, ‘This explains why a man leaves his father and mother and is joined to his wife, and the two are united into one.’  Since they are no longer two but one, let no one split apart what God has joined together.”  We have examined how God compares the covenant we have with our local church to marriage between a man and woman.

The difference between an attender and a member is the difference between living together and getting married. A lot of people want to date the church, but they don't want to get married.  If someone or some church hotter comes along they will drop you and go to something more exciting.  God is serious about marriage and about His Church, “... let no one split apart what God has joined together.”  

Many have viewed church membership as being non-essential and even a type of manmade bondage.  The truth is God has emphasized covenant from the beginning.  Pastor Brandon Hovey from Calvary Chapel in a article wrote “What is the big deal about church membership or covenants?  Church membership is a good idea. You see church membership is not about having your name on a dusty roll sheet. It's not about secret clubs, silly handshakes or more rules. It's about something many in our culture are terrified of: commitment. It's about making a public promise to live according to Scripture and support the work of the congregation.”  Come on, Life Church, let us be one and let us be covenant members serving God, one another, and reaching the lost!