Friday, October 31, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 31, 2014

Grace for your spirit
For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.  I John 5:4

Jesus told us to take courage when we have tribulations, because He had overcome the world and we can too.  When we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, we all can overcome the world.  Throughout the book of Revelation, the Lamb of God is pictured as the one who overcame the devil and the world.  The Bible promises us that we too can overcome and receive the crown of victory in Jesus.  Let's keep our eyes on Jesus, let our faith work and never give up.

Thursday, October 30, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 30, 2014

Grace for your spirit
But we speak God's wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for it they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 
I Corinthians 2:7-8

While on the cross, how could Jesus say "Father forgive them for they don't what they are doing?"  Because they indeed did not know what they were doing.  When anyone walks away from Jesus, it is basically because they do not understand the mystery, and don't know what they are doing.  May we all get the message and help others to get it too. When we do, let's turn around for the forgiveness that is available in Christ.

Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 29, 2014

Grace for your spirit
I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,  Ephesians 1:18

If everyone really knew the great things God has for us in this life and in the life to come, people would be lining up to take advantage of it all.
The devil and our world works overtime to hide the hope we can have in God, and the glory of the inheritance He has for us.  We may work hard to bring lost souls to Christ, but let's also pray that the eyes of their hearts may be enlightened to see the truth too.

Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 28, 2014

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indlgence.  Matthew 23:25

Would you let someone continually wash your dishes if they only washed the outside of the cup and dish, but left the inside full of old dried caked on food? Well you might say, it looks good on the shelf, but don't use it for anything but show.  The religious leaders of Jesus' day were all show and no go.  When we use the Pharisees as our mold, we too will be all show and no go.  If we insist on our insides being full of sin and self-indulgence, Jesus will leave us on the shelf too.  May our outsides reflect our true cleanliness through and through

Monday, October 27, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 27, 2014

Grace for your spirit
Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 3:13-14

A man had an argument with his wife and she got historical on him. You mean hysterical?  No, historical.  She brought up everything he had ever done wrong.  It is easy to be confused in the present, guilty for the past, and see the future as very dim.  The apostle Paul could have looked back with regret, but instead he forgot about it and reached for the prize in Christ.   Let's not  let people get historical on us.  May we all show the new person in us as we press on toward the goal in Christ.

Saturday, October 25, 2014

What to expect at the Northwest Church of Chist

The church building is located on U.S 41 North at Florida Avenue. Just 1/2 mile north of the 41/63 interchange in Terre Haute, Indiana

Sunday Bible Classes: 9:30 AM
Sunday Worship 10:30 AM:
Sunday Evening 6:00 PM:
Wednesday Study 7:00 PM:

Radio Programs
93.7 FM the Sunday morning sermon is aired on Wednesday at 7:00 AM &; 3.:00 P.M.
You may also download archived radio programs at Wordpower.us
BELIEF STATEMENT
We are a fellowship of believers in Christ who believe in one all powerful, all knowing, ever present God. We believe the Bible is God's inspired word, and provides our only standard of right and wrong.
We believe that Jesus Christ, God's Son, died for our sins all the cross, was buried, and rose from the dead for our justification. We believe that mankind is lost without the saving blood of Jesus and that He is the only way to the Father

We believe that saving faith includes repentance, and baptism for the forgiveness of our sins. We believe the baptized believer is a member of the Lord's church and the kingdom of God.

We believe that the Christians should worship properly and share the good news of Jesus until He returns with out heavenly reward

At worship you may expect joyous acappella singing,prayers,communion services, and a lesson from the Bible every Sunday Expect our worship to be warm, uplifting, and orderly, praising the Lord.

Everyone is always welcome. We hope you will be spiritually enriched by your worship visit

Friday, October 24, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 24, 2014

Grace for your spirit
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life. I John 5:13

Can we know we have eternal life?  We've always been taught that we can only hope we have it, but not know it.  When we count on our own righteous living, indeed all we can do it hope for the best.  When we allow Christ's righteousness to make us righteous, we can know His righteousness will overcome our sins.  We are saved by His life.  That's why it is called good news.  Know it and give God the glory

Thursday, October 23, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 23, 2014

Grace for your spirit
For I am afraid that perhaps when I come I may find you to be not what I wish, and may be found by you to be not what you wish; perhaps there will be strife, jealousy, angry tempers, disputes, slanders, gossip, arrogance, disturbances;  II Corinthians 12:20

Someday we will all stand before God to give account about our lives. When that day comes, will we be all we wanted to be?  More importantly, will we be all God wanted us to be?  Everyone who is successful in this world has preparation and performance goals.  Could we list any spiritual preparation and performance goals we are following?  Let's remove anything that stops us from meeting our spiritual goals starting right now.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 22, 2014

Grace for your spirit
A bruised reed He will not break. And a dimly burning wick He will not extinquish;  He will faithfully bring forth justice.  Isaiah  42:3

It is the nature of man to devalue people who we think are useless. It seems to give us license to abuse and eliminate those who are worth nothing to us.  God is not like that.  A bruised reed or a dim burning wick would be broken and snuffed out by most, but not by God.  We should be thankful that God is not like that.  God sees value in every living soul and does what is right.  If God is that way, shouldn't we be that way too? 

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 21, 2014

 Grace for your spirit
Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;  Proverbs 24:17

We might say it is "human nature", to be happy when our enemy stumbles and falls, but it is not God's nature.  Even though vengeance belongs to God, He is not willing that any should perish but all would come to repentance.  The Lord doesn't like our "human nature" and it will cause Him to turn His anger away from them, but not us.  Let's learn to love our unruly neighbors.

Monday, October 20, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 20, 2014

Grace for your spirit
When the Pharisees saw this, they said to His disciples, "Why is your Teacher eating with tax collectors and sinners?"  Matthew 9:11

The Pharisees felt that their mission was to represent God on the earth. They reckoned themselves to be righteous and did not wish to be infected by the sinful people around them.  Jesus the only truly righteous one, loved to be around people in need.  Like a physician is drawn to sick people in need, Jesus was drawn to sinners in need.
Sometimes our church buildings become sanctuaries for saints, instead of hospitals for sinners.  Which reputation do we prefer?  It is a shame to worship with sinners, or our mission to do so?

Friday, October 17, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 17, 2014

Grace for your spirit
Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me.  Ezekiel  3:17

Jerusalem and Judea were on the brink of destruction.  The Babylonians were threatening and would soon attack.  God revealed to Ezekiel the strength of the enemy and the vulnerability of His people. His job was to watch, warn, and prepare.  His life depended on it.  We are somewhat like Ezekiel.  We have been appointed watchmen on the wall.  We also are commissioned to watch, warn, and prepare.  The stronger our enemies get, the more important our task becomes. The devil is getting stronger, are we?  Are we standing on the promises, or sleeping on the premises?

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 16, 2014

Grace for your spirit
Now I exhort you brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.  I Corinthians 1:10

Once in an African village, a pig died and fell into a stream.  Everyone upstream from the pig were well, but everyone downstream were always sick.  The dead pig was poisoning the water, but because it was submerged, no one could see it.  Why are there divisions in the body of Christ?  Something or somebody has poisoned our water supply.  It seems we are all drinking from the same water, but false teachers have changed things.  Our water supply defines us.  Let's get the "dead pig" our of our stream, enjoy the pure living water of Jesus, and unity will soon follow.

Wednesday, October 15, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 15, 2014

Grace for your spirit
Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments; but rather by means of good works, as befits a women making a claim to godliness.  II Timothy 2:9-10

What is proper to wear when assembling for church services? Traditionally we have been taught to wear our very best, but there may be a higher priority.  Scripture calls for proper, modest, and discreet, not flashy and high priced.  The real thing we should want to be noticed for is good works and godliness, not our latest fashion conquest.  If we think better of those who look rich, we're thinking about the wrong things. 

Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 14, 2014

Grace for your spirit
Iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.  Proverbs 27:17

God has a plan to keep us sharp and ready for use.  The plan is stay together, work together, and keep each other sharp.  Are we hanging in the shed, gathering dust, and rusting?  When we get together we can knock the rust off, sharpen our tools, and quit gathering dust. Whether we are spending time with our Christian brothers or working with those in the world, the result is the same.  Look sharp, be sharp, and stay sharp.  Let's get back in the game.

Monday, October 13, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 13, 2014

Grace for your spirit
I have set the Lord continually before me; because He is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.   Psalm 16:8

What do we focus on, and from where does our strength come?Hebrews encourages as we the run the Christian race, to fix our eyes on Jesus and be lifted up by those who have ran before us.  If our focus waivers, and if our fellowship waivers, we all call be shaken. Right hand in the sign of strength in scripture.  His hand in our hand brings us ultimate strength.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 10, 2014

Grace for your spirit
What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open pasture, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it.  Luke 15:4

Remember the nursery rhyme, "Little boy peep has lost her sheep and doesn't know where to find them.  Leave them alone and they'll come home wagging their tails behind them."  Cute but not true.  Sheep cannot find their way alone, nor can they defend themselves.  That is why sheep need a shepherd, and why Jesus is portrayed as our good shepherd.  The good shepherd who will come looking for us.  If your church is employing the "Little Bo Peep" plan of evangelism, don't wait up.

Thursday, October 9, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 9, 2014

Grace for your spirit
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as you have: for He has said, I will never leave  you, nor forsake you.  Hebrews 13:5

Coveting is the desire for anything wrongfully, without due regard for the rights of others.  When we talk about such desires, we show our lack of content of what God has given us.  Technically, our conversation is conspiracy to covet, and as bad as coveting itself.  Thou shalt not covet is the 10th commandment.  If you think about it, it is the cause of  breaking all the other commandments, and seldom remembered.  Let's trust in God's promises.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 8, 2014

Grace for your spirit
Preach the word, be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction.   II Timothy 4:2

Did you ever go out in the morning looking for someone to rebuke, criticize, and run down?  Hold that thought a minute.  Rebuking alone doesn't help anyone, and drives people to despair. God has a better way when someone needs correction.  Use the Word to reprove, or set God's standard.  Then show how far we have fallen from the standard, and finally offer a path of encouragement or improvement.  Mix in a little patience, and you create a great opportunity to do good.

Tuesday, October 7, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 7, 2014

Grace for your spirit
Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.  Matthew 6:11-12
We all certainly need to have enough spiritual sense to pray and thank God for our daily bread and for forgiveness from our sins each and every day.  Jesus taught us to do that, but He also added that we should pray for those we need to forgive.  Next time we pray, let's slip in a prayer for those we have not forgiven.  God has blessings for us we can't even imagine.

Monday, October 6, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 6, 2014

Grace for your spirit
You are the light of the world.  A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.  Matthew 5:`4-15

When a bad storm is rolling in, and I fear we might lose power, I prepare. I find the candles and matches before I'm stumbling around in the dark. Then I position them up high to spread the most light.  The world's power is already out, and people are stumbling in the dark. Jesus has appointed us the lights of the world.  A light not to be  hidden but up on a lamp stand to shine.  Let's get prepared now.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 3, 2014

Humor for  your spirit
The preacher search committee asked the applicant to tell his favorite Bible study in his own words.  He stood and said,
 
"The Good Samaritan was man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, who went down to Jericho at night.  He fell among the thorns and they choked him half to death, and he said, What shall I do?  I will arise and go to my father.  And he arose and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see who was to pass that way. And his hair got caught in a limb of the tree and he hung there for forty days and forty nights, and the raven came and fed him.  Delilah came by with her sheers and snipped off his hair and some it fell on stony ground.  Elijah came by and took him down to Jericho and Jezebel was sitting on the wall and he said, Chuck her down boys.  And they said how many times shall we chuck her down, until seven times?  And he said, Nay, until seventy times seven.  And so they chucked her down and she burst in their midst.  Then they picked up 12 baskets of the fragments that remained.  And whose wife shall she be in the resurrection?"

The committee all agreed that he wasn't much to look at, but he sure knew his Bible.  :)

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 2, 2014

Grace for your spirit
The Lord spoke to Aaron saying, "Do not drink wine or strong drink, neither you nor your sons with you, when you come into the tent of meeting   Leviticus  10:9

The Old Testament Priests were commissioned to make distinction between holy and profane, clean and unclean, and teach the people. God wanted them to be good examples and get it right, and therefore avoid wine and strong drink.  I Peter 2:9 tells us that in the New Covenant of Christ, we are all priests.  We are called to proclaim the excellencies and light of Christ.  Our tent of meeting is never closed. We're on duty all the time.  Let's watch our behavior.  Everyone else is watching.

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

Grace for your spirit October 1, 2014

Grace for your spirit
And he answered and said to him, Let it alone, sire, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.  Luke 13:8-9

This is a great parable from the vineyard. A fig tree is just taking up space and the owner calls for it to be cut down.  The vineyard keeper steps in and begs for one more chance, that with a little extra effort the tree might be saved.  We are in the vineyard of the Lord to bear fruit for Him.  We risk destruction by lack of productivity.  Jesus begs for one more chance, and a little better effort to help us.  Thank you Jesus for being our advocate with the Father.