A NEWSLETTER FOR THE MEMBERS OF THE GREENWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

VOLUME 2 NO. 11                                              May 1, 2005

TURNING ASIDE

BY STEVE NIEMEIER

“They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them.  They have made themselves a molded calf, and worshipped it and sacrificed to it, and said, 'This is your god, O Israel that brought you out of the land of Egypt!”  (Exodus 32:8)

As we look back on the children of Israel it is hard to understand how they could turn from God Almighty who had led them from Egyptian captivity and was directing them to a better land.  A land that flowed with milk and honey that the Lord was going to give them for just being His people.  We find it difficult to understand how they could just forget what He had done and still was doing for them.

The reading of Exodus 32 is very difficult because Moses had gone to the mountain to speak to the Lord and the people became impatient and asked Aaron to make gods for them.  What is more amazing is Aaron did what they asked!  Why?

In our lives today we at times forget what God has done and is doing for us.  Sometimes we become impatient and want to change God's will.  Maybe we do not mean to do anything wrong but when we decide to alter God's plan, we transgress His will and that is wrong.

Let us heed the lessons of the Israelites and stay steadfast and unmovable in the work of the Lord (I Cor. 15:58).

WE MUST SUCCEED

BY STEVE MIEMEIER

Winston Churchill said, “There is no use saying we're doing our best.  We must succeed at doing what is necessary.”  His determined philosophy united Great Britain and produced a victory against incredible odds.

We need a HUGE dose of that kind of positive commitment in the Lord's army.  We are in a REAL war (Ephesians 6:12), and our enemy is far more powerful than Adolph Hitler and the dreaded Nazi army (I Peter 5:8).  We cannot be content to say, “We're doing the best we can.”  As Churchill said.  WE MUST SUCCEED---and we can, with the help of our Lord (Philippians 4:13).  However, our Lord has required us to do certain duties as a member of His army.  The question then comes to us; “Am I doing ALL that I can for the Lord?”

While many of us have a competitive spirit, we usually display this spirit when it is something we like to do.  The work here at Greenwood needs that spirit to display itself in the members as we fight for the Lord in this area.  WE MUST SUCCEED and brethren it is time that we stop and think about these words.  To succeed we must be dedicated, to be dedicated we must be committed, to be committed we must be convicted, to be convicted we must be knowledgeable, to be knowledgeable we must be willing to sacrifice, to sacrifice means that we have counted the cost and dedicated ourselves to succeed.  Our competitive spirit must be directed in the right direction.  We must not LOSE this war; we must focus on each battle that Satan is engaging us in and fight to succeed.  Yes, WE MUST SUCCEED!!!!