FUEL YOUR ADVENTURE! Without enlisting the services of a travel
agent, we are all on a “last-days” adventure … and believe me, it is going to
be an itinerary that will outshine all others we’ve ever been on! Road-trips, cruises, mountain-climbing, flights
high in the atmosphere, wilderness hiking, hot-air balloon rides, river-boat
excursions – none will begin to compare with what we are embarking on in these
days! The adventure is all around us! Don’t you just love being in the middle of it
all? God has been giving us a sneak preview
now and then – but every day we are seeing more and more of His side-trips
taking place! We would have to be blind
not to see and recognize that God is up to something! We not only get to witness what He is putting
into place – but we get to sign on for active duty for what lies ahead with the
dawning of each new day’s agenda! The
big event is not here yet … but God has it all planned out – down to the most
intricate, yet powerful detail! The
date, the time, the crescendo of the trumpet sound announcing His arrival, the
armies of heaven standing at attention in rapt wonder as they will suddenly see
the Son of God descend in the twinkling of an eye to rapture His church and
bring us Home! Oh, how exciting that
will be! That is, for those who will be
ready for the trip through space ~ from earth to heaven. Talk about time-travel like it has never been
experienced before. Talk about breaking
the sound barrier. Traveling that
incredible distance in the mere twinkling of an eye is not even fathomable by
human minds or scientific design. And I
am not alluding to a science fiction movie about some time way out in the
future – some millions of years yet to come.
There are signs all around us that are pointing to a soon-to-be, never-before-experienced
event of such huge proportions that the world will not know what to do with the
chaos in the aftermath of the Rapture.
But in those moments there will not be a doubt that Jesus Christ is who
He said He was – and that He did what He said He was going to do: RETURN for His bride – the bride who is
beautifully pure without spot or blemish.
That’s US, His Church … at least that who we are supposed to be! It’s time to
take an honest look in the mirror and see if we truly reflect our Lord. It’s time to evaluate and review how we spend
our time – and how much of it is spent with Him, our coming Bridegroom. It’s time to recognize that the things of
eternal value are probably not the things we are striving for here on earth. It’s time to wake up to the fact that what we
can hold in our hands will most likely sift right through them like sand; but
the things that we allow God to do with our hands to help others will become
gifts to lay at the feet of Jesus when we finally see Him face to face. Gifts for our Bridegroom – if you will. I suggest that we get busy. The right kind of busy. Too many kinds of busy are but a tool of the
enemy to just keep us away from God.
Busy can look and feel Godly and good – but if all those wonderful
“busies” are not what God has called us individually to be busy with – then we
had better re-think our involvement. I
say this with acknowledgment that I still have not achieved the measure of
Godly success that I long for, when I state:
“The true success of what I am doing is shown by how much time it affords
me for God and my family!” Believe me,
how well I know the struggle for balancing life in a fallen world with all of
its demands and responsibilities – and living above all of that in the reality
of “the Kingdom of God” that we are
a part of. Needed reminder: we are NOT of this world, we are just
traveling through (another of God’s choice adventures for us!). But while we are here, may we live like He
planned for us to live, not missing one deep valley, one treacherous mountain,
or any of the rocky, twisting trails in between. For it is in those places that His work is
done, where lives are changed, and victories are won. Sometimes it’s working until we’re
fatigued. Or giving until we have
nothing left to give. Sometimes it’s
just putting our arms around someone and caring in hands-on ways that allows them
to see a ray of hope and a shred of belief – even just a tiny bit, that Jesus
must be real. He sent YOU to them, after
all! See how you get to be a direct part
of what God is doing? While it’s
exciting to think about heading Home to Heaven, there is still lots that needs
to be done, with the ultimate task being that we take as many people with us as
we can!!! And what’s the best way for
that to happen? Is it knowing and being
able to recite every scripture in the Bible?
Most people could care less about that, sad to say. But living a life that allows them to see
Jesus in us, is the key to introducing them to a new life in Christ and the
promise of an eternity with Him! Max
Lucado has penned an incredible quote about a man and a woman that goes like
this: “A woman’s heart should be so
hidden in God that a man has to seek Him just to find her.” I think it is timely to paraphrase it to say
this: “The mission and heart of the
Church (that’s us!) should be so hidden in God that the world has to seek Him
just to find us!” When that’s who we are
… we will see people coming to Christ en masse because what they see will be
genuine. In the Bridegroom’s eyes ~ a
bride worth coming for to take to Himself!
Let’s fuel our adventure before He returns for us so that we will be
ready and pleasing to Him!
WHAT'S HAPPENING THIS WEEK . . .
A SPECIAL
WELCOME to Nicole, Peyton, and Noah who worshipped with us for the first
time this past Sunday! God’s best to all
of you!
TODAY, SUN, OCT 20:
10:00 A.M. - PRAISE & WORSHIP
10:30 A.M. - KIDZONE CHURCH
WED/THU,"BIBLE DOING", OCT 23-24 / 7:00 P.M.:
WED - Join us in the book of Hebrews at the church
THU - Join the group at 905 El Dorado Street SE
FRI, OCT 25:
7:00 P.M. - LADIES NITE OUT ~ see "Spotlight" below
SAT, OCT 26:
9:00 A.M. - LADIES PRAISE & PRAYER at the church
9:00 A.M. - Barnabas Team Meeting at the church
ELEVATION NORTH SPOTLIGHT!
An extra
event for our women will be held at the home of Shelly – one of our friends
from another church who loves to host our women at her place! This Ladies Nite Out will offer one last outdoor
bon-fire of the season - with games and refreshments inside her nice, warm
home! This evening will be an
opportunity for those who attended the Women of Faith Conference to chat about
that and to enjoy fellowship with other gals that perhaps were not able to be
there. Plan to bring a snack to share
with the ladies … and plan on a great time together encouraging each other in a
fun setting! YOU are invited: DATE – Friday, October 25th / TIME
- 7:00 p.m. / WHERE: Call for the locations! See you there!
REMEMBER . .
. Scripture tells us this about Christ coming back for us: “Then the rest of us who are still
alive at the time will be caught up with them into the clouds to meet the
Master. Oh, we’ll be walking on
air! And then there will be one huge
family reunion with the Master. So
reassure one another with these words.”
I Thessalonians 4:17-18
Serving Christ Joyfully . . .
Pastor Doug and Debbie
