Because It Changes

Our last blog entry was on August 11, 2011.  It was a link to the Word For Today--short daily bite-sized messages that help to feed your mind, which then enable you to live sensibly.

That specific message was appropriate for the moment, since before I had read it there were some high profile scandals that shook the body of Christ. Because the embedded link was not static, readers clicking on it after that date would see the current date's message and not the intended one.  That's okay, because every Word for Today message has relevance.

However, since these message may be shared freely, I have taken the liberty to paste the direct text of the article of August 11, 2011.

The Stink or the Storm

 11 Aug 2011

 'Let my prayer be... as incense...' Psalm 141:2 Noah's ark is a picture of your church. It wasn't a luxury liner; can you imagine spending a year in that ark with all those animals, and just one window? But Noah had only two options - the stink or the storm. So what's the relevance here? That there are no perfect churches! Furthermore, if you found one and joined it, you'd ruin it! We all love to talk about the power of the New Testament church, but what about its problems? They had hypocrites. Remember Ananias and Sapphira? They had financial scandals (Acts 5). They had doctrinal differences that almost split the church down the middle (Acts 15). And they had moral problems. They actually had a man belonging to the Corinthian church who was sleeping with his stepmother (1 Corinthians 5). So what should you do when there's a big stink in your church? First, don't spread it. 'And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins' (1 Peter 4:8 NKJV). Second, work for reconciliation. '...If someone falls into sin, forgivingly restore him, saving your critical comments for yourself...' (Galatians 6:1 TM). Third, burn incense. When the lamps in the tabernacle were snuffed out each evening they left a bad smell, so God commanded Moses to burn incense. Don't be discouraged when 'flesh acts like flesh'. And don't be part of the problem by being immature; instead, be part of the solution. The Psalmist said, 'Let my prayer be set before You as incense.' When problems arise in your church, you should pray, walk according to God's Word, and believe Him to bring good out of the situation.

The Word For Today is written by Bob and Debby Gass, with Ruth Gass Halliday and can be found on the UCB website.

Please visit:   http://ucb.co.uk/

There you will find the best in free online TV and radio broadcasting.  A truly satisfying experience.