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Dear Christian Family,
God bless you and your families
in the name of Jesus Christ.
Well, all the Fellow Laborers
are here and moving ahead. At this writing (9-15-05) they
all have housing and 8 have jobs and the other two will
have jobs by the weekend. We have had 2 meetings already
and everyone is getting settled in, and excited about
their year of learning. I took two of them with me the
other night to Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the opening of
a new fellowship and the Leadership of the fellowship
had asked me to come and teach at the first fellowship.
The two that came along got many extra's as we traveled
there and back plus our dinner time together. Every time
I go to a home fellowship I get so blessed. What a sweet
informal time to be together to sing, pray, and to hear
the Word of GOD preached and taught. The formal Sunday
Fellowships, the Special Advances, Weekends in the Word,
Conferences, Camps, and Family Reunion are all great and
unique in their own way and have their places, but the
home fellowship, (Church in the home) is still necessary
and sweet for the individual. It is a small family time
where everyone can contribute in some way or manner. If
the believer can take the special family time of the Home
Fellowships back to their own family, their families will
benefit and be blessed, and become stronger in their beliefs
and in their living GOD'S Word.
I had read Psalm 40 a couple
days before, and one of the verses really jumped off the
page for me.
Psalm 40:10 (reading
from the Amplified Bible)
I have not concealed [hid] Your righteousness within
my heart; I have proclaimed Your faithfulness and Your
salvation; I have not hid away Your steadfast love and
Your truth from the assembly.
David said to GOD, I have not hid or
concealed Your righteousness in my heart. Immediately
I thought of how so many Christians do what David said
he didn't do. When a man or woman hears the word of salvation
concerning GOD'S Word and plan of salvation through Jesus
Christ, and they confess the Lord Jesus and believe in
their heart that GOD raised him from the dean as declared
in Romans 10:9-10; they are saved; born
again of GOD'S spirit, heaven bound and all hell cannot
stop them from going. They have received GOD'S incorruptible
seed within. Within that seed is His salvation, His redemption,
His justification, and His righteousness. David also knew
that GOD'S righteousness was within his heart and he made
it known. I know Christians that know they have the righteousness
of GOD within them and yet they say and do nothing.
They don't speak of it in a one on one setting let
alone to a congregation of people. And it makes me wonder
are they ashamed to speak of it? The apostle Paul write
in:
Romans 1:15-17
SO, as much as in me is, I
AM READY to preach the gospel to you that are
at Rome also.
16FOR I AM NOT ASHAMED of
the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of GOD
unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew
first, and also to the Greek.
17 For therein is the Righteousness
of GOD revealed from faith to faith:
as it is written, THE JUST SHALL LIVE BY FAITH.
Are you ready to proclaim
His righteousness? The righteousness, that HE has put
within your heart? The words "I am ready"
in Romans 1:15 is translated from one
Greek word, "pro-thum-os,"
and it means "eager; willing." Paul
said he is eager and willing to preach the gospel of Christ
because it was the power of salvation to those who believe.
David said he had not hid the righteousness of GOD that
was with his heart. He proclaimed to the congregation,
he let everyone know about it. How about you? Are you
ready? Are you eager? Are you willing? If not you, then
who? I Timothy 2:4 is the will of GOD;
Who will have all men be saved and come unto
a knowledge of the truth.
Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing the Word of
GOD. (Romans 10:17) If you have been ashamed or afraid
to be willing and eager to preach the gospel, then it's
time to change. Uncle Sam may need you for a few years,
but GOD needs you for the rest of your life. Don't hide
in your heart that which GOD has given you, OK?
Love John
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