The Christian’s Three Families

Attending our Pastor’s funeral the other day I noticed how so many had been touched by his life. How there were many who grieved as if they were family. I had seen this before at my Dad's funeral years ago. As I stood ready to take a seat with other family members, I looked up and saw the grief in the eyes of many people who attended Church with him. Some of these had been by his side when I was not around. They grieved as much as I did, if not more. But custom dictates the family was to be taken care of. The Church treated us like royalty. But, it had always troubled me that those people where close to my Dad more than I was and therefore, their hurt was just as real. So here I stood in their shoes with the same hurt. So I wondered about this. And the Lord showed me how we have three family groups in our lives. Being made up of Body, Soul and Spirit, why couldn't I have three families?

First we have the physical family or blood family if you wish. This includes those we are linked by blood to and those that are married into the family. When two become one in marriage, they are also joined to the family. No doubt the grief of a loved one in this group should never be treated lightly. Even family members that are not close can still feel a very deep loss of someone in this group.

Second is the soul or soulish family. This is made up of friends and acquaintances. Some of these can be very close to the person and sometimes said to be "close as a brother" or "He was like a Father to me". The grief of these can be really hard to handle. If a person in both groups, blood and soul, then they can count themselves double blessed.

The Third group is the Spirit Family. To the Christian we say they are "Church Family.” In this article I will be referring to the Christian Church in general. The grief in this group can be pretty strong. If some find themselves in the physical, blood and Spirit families, then they are triply blessed. The Church family by custom usually takes care of the physical and soulish families during the funeral and dinners. And this is rightly so. For the Church family will see the departed again. And they have a the Comforter for their grief. If those in the physical & soulish family groups do not belong to the Church family, then their grief is hard because they have no hope of ever seeing the loved one again. They need comforting from the Church family. That is what we are for. To be the comforting arms of the Lord to those hurting.

So I comfort those that are in the physical and soulish family members of our Pastor that are also in the Church that we will see him again in Glory. Those that are not, I strongly urge you to become "Born Again" (John 3) so that you may join us and see Him again.

Book Review: Bill Wallace of China

Bill Wallace of China by Jesse C. Fletcher
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of those books every Christian should read. I highly recommend this book. Growing up I thought reading books about missionaries would be boring, but this is one that proved my thinking wrong.

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How to Present Your Testimony

To be better prepared in presenting your testimony, here are some simple and helpful guidelines to follow.

First of all (besides prayer) select a salvation plan to use along with your testimony. You may use, for example:

* Romans Road

* The 3 R's

* A B C's of Salvation

According to the group you are speaking to, you may want to center more on one area of your testimony than another.
For example, If you are speaking to a mostly church crowd. You may want to spend more time on your after salvation testimony.(baptisms,healing, incouagments etc....)If it is a crowd on non-believers, you may want to tell more of your before salvation life. But please remember that your new birth is what they need to here. Use wisdom by not glorifying your sins.(If you can speak of your past sins with a grin on your face, your teatimony will be shot). Quoting the verse,"He who is forgiven more ,loves more",is not only a misinterpretation but has hurt many believers.

Example Outline Using the "3 R's"

1. Realize
Realize your a sinner: Romans 3:23

"For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God"

Tell how your life was before you were born again. Use wisdom on the details as to what type of group your with. Try not to use terms the people may not understand. Explain how all persons are born in sin.

2. Repent
Repent of your sinful nature. Acts 3:19,

"Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the Lord".

Tell how the Lord moved in your life to get you where you could be born again.Tell exactly how you were saved.

3. Receive
Receive Christ Jesus as Lord of your life.John 1:12,

"But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that beleive".

Tell what God has been doing in your life since He saved you.

End with exaltation. Go over main points of salvation such as: Realize, Repent, Receive. And if it is approved by the leader of your group, you should give an invitation to be born again or for christians to repent and receive power from God to serve.Turn the service over to your leader for closing comments and ending prayer. Or you may pray if approved by your leader.

2013 Memorial Day

On this memorial day I would like to remember those who gave their lives to the Spiritual Battlefields of the world. Like the three veteran missionaries that were shot down in Yemen some years ago. They gave their lives for the Kingdom of God and for the freedom to worship the King of Kings.

The Calvary Road by Roy Hession
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

One of the Great Christian Classics, a must for any that wish to grow in the Lord.


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Book Review: Key to the Prison

Key to the Prison by Louise A. Vernon
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Very good story of the starting of the Quakers and their start in the Americas. Bio of George Fox written  from the prospective of a child during those times.


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The Duty of Christian Businessmen by Rev. Phillip Brooks

Men are talking about the institutions in which you are engaged, my friends, about the business from which you have come here to worship for this little hour. Men are questioning about what they care to do, what they can have to do with Christianity. They are asking everywhere this question: "Is it possible for a man to be engaged in the activities of our modern life and yet to be a Christian? Is it possible for a man to be a broker, a shopkeeper, a lawyer, a mechanic, is it possible for a man to be engaged in a business of to-day, and yet love his God and his fellow-man as himself?" I do not know. I do not know what transformations these dear businesses of yours have got to undergo before they shall be true and ideal homes for the child of God; but I do know that upon Christian merchants and Christian brokers and Christian lawyers and Christian men in business to-day there rests an awful and a beautiful responsibility: to prove, if you can prove it, that these things are capable of being made divine, to prove that a man can do the work that you have been doing this morning and will do this afternoon, and yet shall love his God and his fellow-man as himself. If he cannot, if he cannot, what business have you to be doing them? If he can, what business have you to be doing them so poorly, so carnally, so unspiritually, that men look on them and shake their heads with doubt? It belongs to Christ in men first to prove that man may be a Christian and yet do business; and, in the second place, to show how a man, as he becomes a greater Christian, shall purify and lift the business that he does and make it the worthy occupation of the Son of God.

Year 1895

Taken in part from: The Project Gutenberg EBook of Addresses, by Phillips Brooks

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at http://www.gutenberg.net or http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14497

Rick Warren on "Can a Business be Christian?"

In the March 2013 issue of "Decision" Magazine, Pastor Rick Warren made a very good point on on the matter of , "Can a business be Christian?" In the article, "Rick Warren on the Hobby Lobby Lawsuit.", page 14.  In the article Pastor warren answers the question asked above.  To quote the article, "Some flippantly say 'A business cannot be a Christian,' but the truth is, every business is either business is either moral or immoral, ethical or unethical, depending on the values they base their business on. "
I interrupt this as saying that a business, just as art, music and literature,  reflects the morals and ethics of its creators  We creations should reflect the morals and ethics of our creator  God. This article can be read at:  http://www.becketfund.org/pastor-rick-warrens-on-hobby-lobby-lawsuit/

Christ in My Career Part One (Talents)

What keeps many from thinking about being a witness in their workplace is the belief that the sacred and secular are separate. What happens on Sunday stays on Sunday. Growing up I was under the impression that we could live as we like during the week as long as we gave God Sundays and Wednesday nights. But since I gave my life to the Lord, I have learned better.

Not only does our little 10% belong to the Lord, our whole life does. In this post I would like to share a little of the first chapter of Allen W. Graves’ book, “Christ in My Career”, published in 1958 by Convention Press. He brings out Paul’s writing in 1 Cor. 6:19-20,

“What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price.”

 And Mr. Graves says, “Christians belong to God, A Christian’s life is measured by the way in which it is used for God.” Or may I say, “Used by God?”  Also, Mr. Graves adds, “The freedom of the Christian is disciplined by his loyalty to Christ and a desire to please Him.”

Now you may ask, “Which part is he talking about?” The Word of God is very plain; “all” belongs to God. First, our talents belong to God. The whole reason we are given talents, gifts, and skills is for God’s use and the work of God through His Church. Romans 12:1 read,

“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

To use our talents for service is the least we can do, the most reasonable things for us to do in our workplace.  Without this attitude of the ownership of our talents to God, we will never be effective in our Christian lives in reaching the lost.

This is Part one of a series of post I will be sharing on from Mr. Graves’ book.