Do Christians have the capacity to do wicked things and commit hypocritical actions?

Whether one is referencing the terrorist organization Hamas, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram, Taliban or
ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria), sometimes called ISIL (change the Syria to Levant,
which includes all of the Eastern Mediterranean), they all share a commonality. They represent
the unchecked base and depraved nature of mankind that is given over to fully do evil under the
guise of the Muslim faith.
The considerable banter of President Obama and his cabinet with conservative media over why
thousands of young people are flocking to join the terrorist cause has vividly proved that our
leaders don’t or won’t address the root cause. Obama’s notion that providing jobs, education
and a better quality of life will thwart the movement, while somewhat helpful, misses the mark.
His admonition that Christians should avoid getting on their “high horse” in light of the
Crusades, Inquisition and Christian Germany’s persecution of the Jews, is right, but for all the
wrong reasons. His defense of Muslim terrorists on the basis of others having sins is age old
and he needs to be reminded that two wrongs don’t make a right.
Do Christians have the capacity to do wicked things and commit hypocritical actions? Paul said
it best in Gal. 5:16-17, “But I say walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the
flesh, for the flesh sets its desires against the Spirit and the Spirit against the flesh, for these are
in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please.” Further, he
writes in Romans 7:18-19, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in the flesh; for
the wishing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. For the good that I wish, I do not
do; but I practice the very evil that I do not wish.” Oswald Chambers put it this way, “There is
no criminal half so bad in actuality as I know myself to be in possibility.” As Christians we
must walk by the Spirit, die to the flesh and put to death the deeds of the body, or we too, have
the capacity for unlimited evil (unforgiveness, bitterness, anger, wrath, malice, etc., etc).
So, what is the attraction of these groups? The terrorist movement caters to fleshly and
demonic desires to cast off all restraints and steal, kill and destroy, and to do so with impunity.
They claim to wage an Islamic holy war by killing all the immoral infidels, while they themselves
commit barbaric atrocities. Their actions are in keeping with a movement steeped in
darkness, supernaturally empowered by the father of lies and devoid of the “Light of Life”.
Next week we talk about this “Light of Life” and contrast His lifestyle with terrorism.

Living In Contentment

http://www.ligonier.org/blog/secret-of-contentment/

As we seek to be Faithful in ‘15, contentment will inevitably be a matter

of consideration, for how can we be true or authentic if we are unwilling

to consider the condition of our heart? Can we honestly say as Paul, “…

for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content?”   Php. 4:11

Faithful in '15 acronym

Unfailing L.O.V.E.

To help keep the idea of faithfully making disciples before us, we put together a simple
reminder through a short, but powerful acronym; L.O.V.E.
L – Listen (Listen up through prayer, the Word, other and the promptings of His Spirit.
Each one can and has the responsibility to hear from the Lord.)
O – Obey (Obey what the Lord shows you to do.)
V – Vocalize (We have to speak.) The quote from St. Francis, “Preach the Gospel at all
times and when necessary use words,” is often misquoted. People try to replace the word
“when,” which means we will tell “if,” as though we can decide if we want to speak. We
must open our mouths and share the Good News; tell how Jesus has changed your life; tell of all
that He has done.
E – Engage (We must engage, intertwining our lives with others, sharing our resources of
time, hospitality, energy, wisdom, material goods, etc…for His glory.)
To be unfailing in L.O.V.E. is to be constant about the Father’s business. Paul charged
Timothy to be prepared “in season and out of season” (2 Tim. 4:2). This serves as a reminder
that there will be times for exercising fervent and regular L.O.V.E., as well as times when we are “out of season,” Those "off season" times are usually a preparatory time.  Any athlete will tell you that the off season can be as critical as the season of actual play for this it marks a time of strengthening and healing.  We do not retire from being who we are - a child of the One True King. The challenge this week is to evaluate which season we are in, and then to assess whether we are being faithful in it? Are you anticipating and preparing to move into the next season? ~Pastor Cory

F-F-Forging Christ-Centered Communities

Forging Christ-Centered Community “Forging is the manufacturing process where metal is pressed, pounded or squeezed under great pressure into high strength parts known as forgings. The process is normally (but not always) performed hot by preheating the metal to a desired temperature before it is worked….The forging process can create parts that are stronger than those manufactured by any other metalworking process.” (Forging.org)
     Just reading the natural process of forging metal and considering the spiritual application, well, it’s just makes me squirm! Truth be told, I think we would all say that we look for shortcuts that will allow us to avoid suffering or other uncomfortable situations. But can we truly become an authentic Christ-centered community if we dodge the hard stuff? Now that I have made you a bit uncomfortable, why don’t we dig a little deeper into what a Christ-centered community might take?

     Hebrews 10:24-25 is the classic verse to encourage us to “not forsake assembling together,” as a community of Believers. It also tells us to consider how we can “stimulate one another in love and good deeds,” (NASB). Did you know, that the word, stimulate comes from the Greek (paroxysmos) which is can mean “provoke,” “irritate,” “exasperate,” or “stir-up.” (cslewisinstitute.org) Now, we’re messing, huh?!

     Folks, if we are going to be “FAITHFUL IN ’15,” we have to embrace relationships in our Christ-centered communities. Marriage and family life presents plenty of opportunities for our character to be, “pressed, pounded or squeezed,” right? What about church life? Do you seek to engage or avoid the “heat” of forging new relationships within our body?

     Basil, an early church father said, “When we live our lives in isolation, what we have is unavailable and what we lack is unprocurable,” (cslewisinstitute). Community is part of God’s plan for our spiritual growth.

     Forging is a process that takes time just as relationships take time to develop. The heat might need to be applied more than once to remove the impurities from the metal. Are you willing to go beyond the weekly “hello” and get in the messy business of stimulating your fellow Christians? Do you think God delights in giving us ways to express sacrificial love to one another as a means of developing our marriage, our families, and our church? I look forward to hearing what God shows you about how we can cultivate a community that reflects God’s glory.~