Happy New Year

Are you concerned with the lack of reading going on today? For the majority of parents, they understand the importance of stressing reading to their children. In fact, one of the first things that children learn in elementary school is how to read. But, when we enter our high school years, and the teacher threatens us those two deadly words “BOOK REPORT!” maybe your first thoughts are whether film industry made that book into a movie or where the local Coles store is so you can purchase those familiar and trusty Coles Notes. Studies indicate that one half of the students who graduate from college never read another book. I like what one man said “A book store is one of the only pieces of evidence we have that people are still thinking.” Another reads, “I hate books they only teach us to talk about things we know nothing about.” Reading is essential to living. But with all the books, magazines and web sites circulating our globe, you would think we would be living in a generation of knowledge; that is why when I read these news paper headlines. I could not help but laugh…..
1) “Something went wrong In A Jet Crash”
2) “Police begin campaign to run down jaywalkers” (Now that is taking it a bit too far)
3) “If strike isn’t settled quickly, it may last a while” (who would have guessed that?)
4) “Red tape holds up new bridges” (WHERE THEY OUT OF DUCT TAPE?)
5) “Tornado rips through cemetery; hundreds dead”

Reading helps us keep our minds stimulated, it helps us be creative, it helps grow in knowledge, and it helps us in following instructions.

Joshua 1:7-9 Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

God told Joshua that if he wanted to be successful he must meditate in the Book. The Hebrew’s word “meditate” means “to mutter”. It was the practice of the Jews who would read the Scriptures aloud and talk about it to themselves and to one another. In order for Joshua to be successful he had to meditate, to be constantly thinking about the Scriptures. If you want to be successful in the Will of God then remember that God’s Work done God’s Way always needs to be in accordance with God’s Word. That is why God warns Joshua that the Book of the Law was not to depart out of his mouth.

As a tree soaks up water and bears luscious fruit, we are to be soaking up God’s Word – thus producing actions and attitudes that honour God. To achieve anything worthwhile in our lives, we must have God’s Word rooted in our lives.

We must adjust our minds to God’s way of thinking. Often we cannot see what the results or future benefits of following God’s Word will be. Nevertheless, if we desire to succeed by God’s standards-we need to follow the Book! Study the Book! Meditate on the Book! We might be living in a time where reading is quickly becoming extinct but if your desire is to be successful in 2010 in the eyes of God, it all begins by keeping in the book, so keep reading!

How is your humour? Have you laughed lately? When was the last time you laughed so hard your stomach hurt from laughing? Think about the last time you laughed so hard that milk came flying out of your nose…I am sure as you think about those days you can not keep from smiling. Its ok, don’t stop it, let that smile stretch across your face. The majority of News Channels overload with us messages of disappointment and pain. We are bombarded with messages of hate, and pastors are busy giving us the doom and gloom messages, that maybe you need a diagnoses of laughter. After all, “laughter is the best medicine.” J. Oswald Chambers tells a story about Charles Haddon Spurgeon who was constantly criticized by the press because of his humour. Do you know at times in the middle of his sermon he would lean back and laugh to the top of that great London Tabernacle! The press would write, “Look at that. Irreverent.” I think the best answer that he ever gave was this, “If my critics only knew how much I held back, they would commend me.” Although written centuries earlier Solomon talks straight to our generation when he wrote, “A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance; by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.” He would later write, “All the days of the afflicted are evil; but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.” I want to turn your attention to one more found in the book of Proverbs, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Right now, are you experiencing that continual feast that Solomon has just described that comes from the result of laughter? Are you experiencing a merry heart or have you begun to shrivel into a bitter, impatient, cranky Christian? Trust me, they are out there! We might be living in hard times but there is never a reason not to laugh. Some Christians are quick to respond by saying you have no idea of the circumstances that I am dealing with right now. My response is this: when did we as Christians have permission to allow the circumstances to steal our laughter? Before your bones dry up, for heavens sake, start laughing! I like what Fred Allen wrote, “It is bad to suppress your laughter because when you do, it goes back down and spreads to your hips.” What ever you do, don’t stop laughing!

This week at THFC:

Tuesday 7pm - Ladies' Bible Study
Wednesday 6pm - AWANA Pizza Party - Bring your parents!!
Saturday 8am - Men's Bible Study
Saturday 7pm - Youth
Sunday 10am - Sunday School
Sunday 11am - Teen Sunday

God Bless,
Pastor Paul