The approval & acceptance of man

The desire that we have to be accepted is nothing new.  We have been seeking the approval of others since the disease of sin began in humanity.  As people we naturally seek to be liked and want the approval of others.  Yet so very often we do so while we disregard the most important acceptance and approval that exists, being accepted by God.

Here we have the example of this in the book of John, nothing new but plainly stated.  So often today people tell of how they need not be open to talk about Jesus and what He has done for them, because their life will show it.  I pray that is true for them, but most often this is used as an excuse by those who fear what people will do if they are open about their Faith.  In many ways this is a rather "faithless" reality for many.  

John 12:42, 43 ESV

"Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God."

http://bible.com/59/jhn.12.42.esv

We are not only to live a changed life because of Jesus but also we are to identify with Him first and not concern ourselves with the reality that the world will reject us.  Let us not be rejected because of our humanity, nor accepted because of it.  Rather let us be conformed to the image of our Lord Jesus and walk in fellowship with Him no matter what others think.

Will you identify yourself today with Jesus?

Preacherman

I could not find your sermons on youtube lately

What do you do when your technology fails?  Well I hope you continue on as best as you can.  Like at our Church FFBC in Brandon, the last few weeks the internet drops out often.  Now the techs are looking at it this week and hopefully it gets fixed.  But as the problem has been present it caused us to not have video feeds or recordings of the last few Sunday sermons.  Whether it is your internet, your IPAD, Laptop, Projector or Sound Board, if your technology dies your message must continue on.  The message is much greater than the technology we use.

God will use the message and like the many generations of Christians who preached and taught without such technology we too must be prepared to minister without them.  The message of the Gospel, the teaching of God's Word is not to be held back by our "program" crashing.

So all that being said for those of you who missed Church in the last few months we do have a link for you to access the audio files if you would like them.  I will post this same info in a few other places as we do not have the Church website updated yet with the files.

https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0Bz69ajNSG55pRk1FV0ZXdkNrMXM&usp=sharing

It should be sorted in folders of year, then month and then the files should be named in dates on which they were recorded.

Lets us seek to grow together and not be restrained by our modern technology or lack of it.

Pastor Bruce

Deeper

Just when I find myself thinking that God has taken my faith to a deeper place, He shows me that I am no where near where I thought I was.  Then I am reminded that I am still one of little Faith.

And so the road continues. May we see to grow daily in our Faith.  Repenting of our sin, which includes lack of obedience to God;s Word.  Seeking to love and serve others as we share with them the words of life which are the Gospel of Jesus.  This is a life we are given as Disciples of Jesus.  A life of Worship and sacrifice for Him.

Too often I find myself in comfort instead of obedience.  Please join me in a commitment to love God more anything.  More than myself, more than my stuff, more than my money, my retirement, my job, my friends, my position, more than anything else.  If I truly love God first then I will treat everything else the way He wants me to.  How do I know this, you can fin the answers for how we are to live our Faith in the Bible.

Be a student of the Word of God and receive the challenges it holds, do not be one who acts like a non-believer and yet claims to believe.  Let us not shame the work of Christ.

I humbly ask you to join me in fresh decisions to be who Jesus planned for you to be, obedient to Him.

Cheers

Pastor Bruce