SEPTEMBER NEWSLETTER

“STAYING STRONG IN THE LORD”

I can't thank you enough for what you do for The LORD JESUS CHRIST.  Summer has come and gone and we need to stay fit for the fight we have with the devil.  Thus, we need to stay strong in the Word of God to have the boldness to share what we know.  Paul makes an appeal through this scripture to be ready and bold to proclaim the truth.  In Ephesians 6:17-20, it says,¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints ¹⁹ and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.

We as ambassadors of the Christian faith need to be spiritually fit to fight the spiritual battle ahead of us.  We are so blessed to have the Word of God given to us to arm us in our time of battle.  The more we know of it, the better we will handle the situations that come our way.  As we study the Word of God, we become more spiritually fit.  The devil will always do everything in his power to stop even the most Spirit-filled Christian from speaking a word for the LORD!  Moreover, when we read in Ephesians 6:12 "for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places," we can relate with Paul's word to us.  Take the interaction with Jesus and Peter when Jesus told the disciples He must die and would be raised in three days.  Peter told Jesus, no!  Jesus said, "get behind ME Satan."  There are many times in our lives where people are influenced by Satan. I ask you to guard yourselves from this happening to you.   If we are not prayed up, studied up and yielded to the Holy Spirit we can or will give way to Satan.  I ask each of you in the church to read your Bible daily, pray to The LORD JESUS CHRIST establishing your relationship with HIM, and seek out wise council in your decision-making process. 

As ambassadors, we are to work together to make the body of Christ stronger.  It is very difficult to instruct someone how to do something if you do not possess the knowledge yourself.  That is why many people don't teach because you have to know your subject matter well.  I thank God for all the people in our church who are stepping up to lead the way.  The church needs every one of us to be willing to do what we can for the edification of the Body.  We are not here to tear down, that is the devil’s job.  We are here to build up.  Paul, discusses this in I Corinthians 3

3:1 And I, brethren, could not speak to you as to spiritual people but as to carnal, as to babes in Christ. ² I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to receive it, and even now you are still not able; ³ for you are still carnal. For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men? ⁴ For when one says, "I am of Paul," and another, "I am of Apollos," are you not carnal? ⁵ Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers through whom you believed, as the Lord gave to each one? ⁶ I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase. ⁷ So then neither he who plants is anything, nor he who waters, but God who gives the increase. ⁸ Now he who plants and he who waters are one, and each one will receive his own reward according to his own labor. ⁹ For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. ¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. ¹⁴ If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. ¹⁵ If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire. ¹⁶ Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you? ¹⁷ If anyone defiles the temple of God, God will destroy him. For the temple of God is holy, which temple you are.

Please recognize who you are entertaining in your life and what you are doing with your voice, actions and reactions because it is not about you, it is about JESUS CHRIST!  In Deuteronomy 31:6 it says, " ⁶ Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you."   I pray for you all and know we all face difficult challenges in life.  No matter what we are facing, the LORD promises He will be with us.  Therefore, get to know HIM as best as you can and be ready to give a witness of what HE has done for you!  I am proud to be your pastor and know we are looking at great things to come!  Serve where you can and do all you can to help build the Kingdom of God here at Linden United Methodist Church!  Have a blessed month of ministry!