BE READY WHEN THE ROAD FORKS

Transcription

1 BE READY Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear a sermon based on the words Be Ready. Those words are mentioned numerous times, but I will mention the four that were used in the sermon. But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear (I Peter 3:15). Be ready to give an answer to someone who ask you about becoming a Christian or living the Christian life. In order to do that we have to be familiar with God s word. We have to know why we are what we are. Do so with meekness and fear. You do not answer arrogantly or with rudeness. Be ready! Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrates, to be ready to every good work (Titus 3:1). Paul indicated to Titus that we need to be ready to every good work. We need to be ready to help in any work that the Lord considers a good work. Yet have I sent the brethren, lest our boasting of you should be in vain in this behalf; that, as I said, ye may be ready: Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetous-ness (2 Cor. 9:3,5). We need to be ready to give as we have purposed in our hearts to God. That same context indicates that God loves a cheerful giver. We should look forward to participating in giving to God. Therefore be ye also ready: for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh (Matt. 24:44). Above everything else, we need to be ready for the Lord s return. We do not know when that will be, therefore we need to be ready at all times. When the Lord returns, judgment day will take place and we will enter eternity. Prepared or unprepared, the Lord will come. When that takes place, it will be took late to prepare. I close with the words of the apostle Paul, For I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand (2 Tim. 4:6). The apostle Paul was ready. How about you? L. Cole WHEN THE ROAD FORKS Now it came to pass after these things that God tested Abraham, and said to him, Abraham! And he said, Here I am. Then He said, Take now your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you' (Genesis 22:1,2). (NKJV) THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS LIVING A HUMAN LIFE WITHOUT BEING TESTED. Every decision that any of us makes is a test, from the little choices all the way up to the major decisions. When the road forks and one path or the other must be

2 chosen, we are in each instance being asked what kind of character we have. If we make our choice on the basis of which path is easiest or most personally satisfactory, we indicate that our character is of one sort. If, on the other hand, we choose the path that we judge to be the most honorable and the most pleasing to God, we indicate that we have another kind of character. As life moves along and our decisions begin to multiply, it becomes more and more obvious what kind of stuff we re made of. When the end comes and we stand before our Maker for His judgment, the evidence will be irrefutable. We will have chosen our own destiny. Do we understand what a crisis is? Our English word comes from the Greek verb krinein, which meant to separate, to decide between, or to judge. A crisis, then, is a situation in which a crucial decision must be made. It is a turning point, a pivotal circumstance in which we have to make a choice. Abraham faced such a crisis when God called on him to choose whether he would or would not comply with His instruction to give up Isaac, his only son. In making the choice that he did, Abraham showed himself to be a man of faith and godly integrity (Hebrews 11:17-19). In every human life there eventually comes an ultimate crisis, some single test larger than all the others combined. This fact should not frighten us. It should move us to work on our character a little bit each day, building strength by practicing the discipline of good decision-making. The most foolish fellow in the world is the one who supposes that he can waste the little decisions and still pass the big test when it comes. So we will be brought one by one to the testing place, and we may never know when we are there. At that testing place there will be no dozen possible choices for us just one and an alternative but our whole future will be conditioned by the choice we make (A. W. Tozer). Gary Henry WordPoints.com 09/22/16 THINKING CAPS You may remember your teacher saying something like this to you in school, Okay, class, it is time for you to put your thinking caps on! This might have meant you were about to receive a lesson, take a test, or consider something very important. Though it seems almost silly to state something so obvious, thinking is not overrated. It is essential to success in every aspect of life.

3 In the August 1981 issue of Reader s Digest one story told of a time when Henry Ford hired an efficiency expert to evaluate his company. After a few weeks, the expert made his report, which was highly favorable except for one thing. It s that man down the hall, said the expert. Every time I go by his office he s just sitting there with his feet on his desk. He s wasting your money. That man, replied Mr. Ford, once had an idea that saved us millions of dollars. At the time, I believe his feet were planted right where they are now. Imagine being paid just to think! Maybe if we were paid to do it we would do it more often! The fact is, we are rewarded with so much more than monetary blessings if we will let the mind of the Master be the master of our minds. Consider a few of the things that taking time to think will accomplish: avoiding rash decisions avoiding speaking when better to remain silent better communication real, sound, beneficial solutions to problems avoiding temptations knowledge, wisdom, and understanding better choices God s advice to Joshua in leading Israel was to THINK This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success (Joshua 1:8). It is not only important that we think, but it is just as important to choose the right subject. The only true help for those who are looking for it is going to be found in the Word of God. The key to good thinking is found in the word meditate. Meditation is time spent in the action of thinking. It is dedication coupled with a willing mind for understanding. Meditation is not putting on your thinking cap, but rather, realizing that you are never supposed to take it off. We all need to be wearing our thinking caps all of the time! What a shame that anyone would ever have to encourage us to put it on! But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night. ~ Psalm 1:2 Jeremiah Tatum, Legacy of Faith 08/30/16 MONTROSE FAMILY NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Oct. 02, 2016 THOSE PRIVILEGED TO SERVE WORSHIP----SUNDAY---9:00 AM Coordinator Mitchell Brooks Announcements Jacky Carver Sr. Scripture Reading 2 Tim. 2:15 Gavin Spurlin Song Leader Opening Prayer Glen Reece Steve Anderson Lord s Supper-Preside: Roger Draper Serve: George Clay, Austin Clay, Kaleb Bush, Justin Draper Closing Prayer... Brian Smith

4 Greeter Billly & Karen Halliburton Greeter Rachel, Kimmie & Kaleb Bush Count Offering Jacky Carver, Sr Kaleb Bush AM Sermon Why Study the Bible? PM Sermon A Delivered Sinner. WORSHIP---SUNDAY---6:00 PM Announcements Jacky Carver Sr. Song Leader Steve Anderson Scripture Reading,, I Tim. 1:12-16 Gavin Spurlin Opening Prayer Roger Draper Lord s Supper Glen Reece Kaleb Bush Closing Prayer George Clay BIBLE STUDY WEDNESDAY---7:00 PM Announcements Jacky Carver Sr. Song Leader Glen Reece First Prayer Billy Halliburton Opening Prayer George Clay Closing Prayer Jimmy Smith Prepare Communion for Oct. Cynthia & Paige Note: If you are not able to fulfill your assignment listed above, please notify the coordinator so that he can find a replacement. MONTROSE BULLETIN BOARD NURSING HOME: Opal Agee-Kindred Huey Smith Red Boiling Springs Pearl Anderson Knollwood Manor, Lafayette Kasel Dillehay Overton Co. Nursing Home THOSE ON THE SICK LIST; Kathy Harville W. A. Gibbs Cindy Bennett Janice Pinckley Jimmie Faye Cole Sue Buckner Gaye Yeaman Charlie Pinckley Gladys Bowling Our sympathy to the family of Bob Dillehay who passed away this past week.

5 Our sympathy to the family of Brandon Powell who passed away Saturday morning, Sept. 24th. OUR RECORD OF LOVE FOR CHRIST 09/25/16 Wednesday Worship Sunday AM Bible Study Sunday AM Daily Bible Readers Worship Sunday PM Upcoming Events: Oct. 2nd. Men s Business Meeting Oc. 2nd. Nursing Home 2:00 PM. Deliver Baskets Oct. 22nd. Hayride at Bush residence. Oct. 29th. Fifth Sunday BIBLE READING FOR OCTOBER 01 Micah Nahum Hab Zeph Hag. 1-2; Zech 1 06 Zech Zech Zech Zech ; Mal Mal Matt Matt Matt Matt Matt Matt Matt Matt Matt ; Mk.1 20 Mark Mark Mark Mark Mark 16; Lk Luk Luke Luke Luke Luke Luke Lk ; Jo. 1