A Challenge to You

I want to let you know God is answering prayers for ministry in Milford. Keep praying. I would also like to put forth a challenge to you.

THREE MINUTES FOR THREE DAYS FOR GOD'S GLORY IN MILFORD!

Will you join me in this challenge and pray for God's working in Milford. Only HE deserves the Glory.

You will find several requests below .


Prayer

• We will see a response of at least 35 people from the community to our Feb 5th meeting in Milford
• That the February 5th meeting in Milford will have at least 15 people willing to join in a Bible Study.
• Good weather on February 5th
• God will bring unsaved people to this meeting as a first step to faith in Christ.
• Safety for those traveling to our meeting.
• That much time be given to prayer for our outreach efforts in Milford and the meeting on February 5th. Our team here has noticed that each time we attempted to survey or distribute material in the Milford area the weather was a factor. Pray that Satan will be hindered from disrupting the outreach into this community and God would bring in willing people to impact the community of Milford.
  

Your Partners in Missions,

Ray & Louise Bertolet

Facing the Music

There comes a time when we just "through up our hands" and give in to whatever is coming our way. Sometimes it is when we are lying, we do it so often that we find we have to lie to cover the last lie that we just finally except that we must tell the truth if we are to ever have a hope of fixing the mess. Naomi must have felt the same way. Leaving Israel created one problem after another and now with the death of her two sons there was no place to go but back to Israel.

Naomi had heard there was food back in Israel so maybe things could get better, surely they couldn't get worse.

Naomi seek to "release" both Orpah and Ruth from any obligation to follow her back to Israel. She saw the situation as a hopeless one!

Ruth 1:6-13 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the land of Moab, for she had heard in the land of Moab that the Lord had visited His people in giving them food. 7 So she departed from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, "Go, return each of you to her mother's house. May the Lord deal kindly with you as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 "May the Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband." Then she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, "No, but we will surely return with you to your people." 11 But Naomi said, "Return, my daughters. Why should you go with me? Have I yet sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 "Return, my daughters! Go, for I am too old to have a husband. If I said I have hope, if I should even have a husband tonight and also bear sons, 13 would you therefore wait until they were grown? Would you therefore refrain from marrying? No, my daughters; for it is harder for me than for you, for the hand of the Lord has gone forth against me." NASU

However, just around the corner we will get a glimps of what God is doing. God is not a God of hopelessness but of HOPE!


Prov 23:18 18 Surely there is a future, And your hope will not be cut off.
NASU

Good Idea Gone Bad

Did you ever have one of those days when you figured it couldn't get any worse and then it seems to go down hill?

Such was the way things unfolded for Naomi, who along with her husband and two sons decided since there was a famine in Israel why not go to Moab. After all, there was food there


Ruth 1:1-5 Now it came about in the days when the judges governed, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem in Judah went to sojourn in the land of Moab with his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife, Naomi; and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Bethlehem in Judah. Now they entered the land of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi's husband, died; and she was left with her two sons. 4 They took for themselves Moabite women as wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. And they lived there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and the woman was bereft of her two children and her husband. NASU

So how can we learn from this difficult situation that came upon her.

1. We don't see Elimelech spending time in seeking God's direction.
2. Look how God looked upon Moab. Ps. 108:9 Moab is my washbowl.... dirty, filthy, disgusting
3. Famine's in Israel were God's judgement, running from God does not avoid judgement in our lives. (Ask why before we consider running)
4. Marriage women outside of Israel was forbidden by God.
5. Short term solutions can have long term consequences.

There is much we can learn from this difficult situations. Look around you today. Are you facing a challenge? You can learn from it (don't run away).

There is TRUTH that you know you must obey. Obey it!

But this bring up another question. What if I already messed up? Let just say, come back for more.... God will show us that there is HOPE even in the midst of difficulties.

Why are here?

Have you ever wondered what is the purpose for your life?

We need to understand that the Lord has made everything for His own purposes. We are God’s workmanship created in Christ Jesus to do good works.

Here are a couple of verse that will help us.

• Our bodies should be given to God...Rom 12:1
• God is serious about your life...John 9:4
• Acts 13:36 For David...served the purpose of God in his own generation

So when considering that you were created by God ask yourself how should I change my behavior?

Ask not , "how should I change" but rather, "will I allow the Holy Spirit to change me"
2 Corinthians 6:16-17... God said, I will live with them and walk with them, And I will be their God, and they will be my people

Remeber, we are God’s workmanshiwp, created for good works. Eph 2:10

So what are my priorities?

• Mohandas Gandhi says "The actions we take will always express our priorities"
• Fruit of Spirit evidence of God’s work in your life...Gal 5:22
• God has a special mission for your life Eph 2:10
• Seek first what God wants.... others things will come. Matt 6:33

All these things are valuable to know, it is important that you understand who God is but, nothing truly matters if we fail to respond to the God call to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior.

Devoted to What?

What are you devoted to with your life? One of the ways to tell where your devotion lies is to see where to spend your time or money.

The early church was devoted to five things. We will take a look at these things found in Acts 2: 42-47 42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.

• Worship... (the breaking of bread and to prayer)
• Fellowship.. (the fellowship)
• Discipleship... (the apostles teaching)
• Service.....(anyone as he had need)
• Evangelism...(the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.)

These were things that the whole church was involved with doing because these are commanded by God.

So I ask again... "Where does your devotion lie?"

I pray that you will be devoted to what God commands.

God's View of Church

So we continue to take a look at what God says about the church. Here are six snapshots as to what God calls the church.

• A building...Eph 2:20
• A body.....Eph 4:15-16
• A family....Eph 2:19
• An army....Eph 6:12
• A flock......1 Pet 5:2
• A bride.....Rev 19:7

Here we see the start of the first church.

Acts 2:42-47
42 They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. 44 And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; 45 and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. 46 Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. NASU

These are five things the first church did (they devoted themselves to...)

• Worship... (the breaking of bread and to prayer)
• Fellowship.. (the fellowship)
• Discipleship... (the apostles teaching)
• Service.....(anyone as he had need)
• Evangelism...(the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.)

We have to ask ourselves, "Am I doing these things which God desires?"

God requires obedience, not good intentions.

Why are there Churches?

If Salvation is based on my relationship with Christ....What’s the purpose of the church? This is a questions many ask and some live. They claim they know Christ as Savior but they never attend church with any regularity.

If you ask the person on the street they will say.

• To worship God
• To help people
• To help the needy

The typical church member will say

• To help me grow spiritually
• To meet my needs
• To help me spiritually educate my children

But God describes the church as:

• "Christ’s bride"
• All His hopes for eternity are wrapped up in it.

The church is more than just a social club or place to go on Sunday's. It is a place Worship with others and to serve the Christ.

God has commands that the church (a body of believers--not a building) must do.

Why are you going to church? Are you even going to church? Begin to make this the year you start being obedient in all things in Christ.