While the left is talking about ‘greed’, it is also talking about ‘complacency’. The ‘attitude’ that often develops on the heels of ‘things seemingly going very well’.

‘Complacency’: a feeling of smug or uncritical satisfaction with oneself or one's achievements.

This self-satisfaction; self-congratulation is a plateau of zero growth. It's sort of like the 'flat line' of growth and progress.

To grow you need altitude, attitude, aptitude and challenges.

SCRIPTORIALS

AT  YOUR SERVICE

We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

Romans 12:6-8

Altitude means aim high from a solid base of humility (Philippians 2:5-14).

Attitude means never losing heart or hope because you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you and realizing that if God is with you then who can be against you. All you need is patience (Isaiah 40:31). If you don't have any to bring to the table, don't sweat it! God will help you get some.

Aptitude as one business definition puts it: ‘is expressed in interest, and is reflected in current performance which is expected to improve over time with training’. Or, as God puts it, ‘1 Corinthians 1:26-2:5’. Summed up in 2 Tim 2:15; 3:16-17 it lived in the lives of Moses, David, Peter and Paul, who counted everything as ‘rubbish’ that he may gain Christ. 1 Cor 1:8-14 

HOME AT LAST

YOUR PLACE TOO!

God gives us a way to do things because for one thing He knows it works. For another thing He knows there are ways that things work on multi-levels in many directions both simultaneously and sequentially.

Like a chess game going on at the same time on many boards, stacked on top of each other level upon level, it’s simply mind boggling. Only you don’t have to play it. God does– as long as you do your part: 

- It enables conflict resolution 

- Facilitates spiritual growth on all sides

- Builds character

- Improvises damage control

- Proactively prevents one sin from leading to another as a   

  matter of course and natural consequence.

Sin seems to take the path of least resistance like water flowing downhill. Before you know it, It will carry you with it like a flash flood or a unsuspecting current. If and when you realize you're in over your head and want nothing more than to reach 'safe ground' you'll be dog paddling seemingly beyond hope even to make it to the shoreline.

Sin disguised also seems like the easy way out. Even more so when it  masquerades under the illusion of something appealing not only through the five senses but primarily by way of our desires. Though it cuts smoothly, effortlessly and quickly through character, morals and ethics like a hot knife through butter, it is just that; an illusion. On top of that, bet it's not real butter!

Don’t fall for it. Eve did and Adam wasn't far behind.

Notice that the illusion had great appeal to Eve.

GOOD NEWS!

The Churches of Christ Salute You

​Romans 16:16

​Go And Make Disciples Of All Nations

​

Matthew 28:19

ABOUT US!

las iglesias de Cristo os saludan Romanos 16:16

GET IN TOUCH

​'Mse Undr Stand Ing': just whose patient is she anyway?

Misunderstanding: a failure to understand something correctly.

E.g. "a misunderstanding of the facts and the law". Synonyms: misinterpretation; misconstruction; misreading; misconception; the wrong idea; false impression 

Not surprisingly many quarrels, disputes and differences between family members are often a result of misunderstanding and perception.

Surely that’s why in Matthew 18:15-17 Jesus starts off by saying ‘If your brother sins against you’.

Thus I had better make sure that the alleged ‘offender’ did indeed ‘commit an offense’. Can’t tell you how often I simply didn’t want to hear what needed to be said.

Oft times there are mitigating factors which act as filters altering the perception of what was said.

Simply put, if someone says something I don’t like, I need to examine myself and make sure it’s simply not me. I could be having a ‘bad hair day’ for all kinds of reasons.

So... ​Feeling offended emotionally or actually being offended?

Make sure!

There's a lot riding on it. It 'rail-ly' matters!     --------------------->

"If your brother sins against you go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that 'every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.'  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector".

'Mse ​Undr

Stand Ing' 

USE AS DIRECTED ​DR. CORE EK LEE

 ​​​THE GOOD NEWS 

​​Challenges stimulate; necessitate the gathering of knowledge; acceptance of God’s wisdom; produces perseverance and the perfection of a craftsmanship that only comes from making mistakes and learning from them. As character is forged on the ‘anvil of the Almighty’s grace’, the fires and experiences of life challenge, mold and shape you for loving service like nothing else can.

ALL ABOUT  YOU!

DIRECTIONS

PRO RE NATA

The churches of Christ Salute You Romans 16:16

Nowhere that I know, does Christ sanction me to be a ’venting bag’ or sounding board for someone else to punch out a brother or sister. What I do need to say is- ‘Ok, stop right here. Go to your brother or sister and show him or her what you believe to be the problem ‘just between the two of you’. For the moment ‘case closed’.

I must  resist reverting to ‘blame transferal.’ That person’ is unapproachable therefore it’s not really my fault for circumventing the very tools that Jesus gave me to work with. So I not only discard His tools made for ’constructive building up and restoration’, I lay aside Christ’s blueprint for success.  How wise is that?

I not only fail to try and build up a brother or sister but fail to see that this first step that Jesus gave us to rise above the occasion, was actually meant for ‘self’ to first and foremost take personal ownership of my own particular weakness. Thus the situation is not only a ‘fail to try’ but unwittingly a ‘try to fail’. ​Let’s grow and go! Accept the challenge with me!

All the king's officials and the people of the royal provinces know that for any man or woman who approaches the king in the inner court without being summoned the king has but one law: that he be put to death. The only exception to this is for the king to extend the gold scepter to him and spare his life. But thirty days have passed since I was called to go to the king."

When Esther's words were reported to Mordecai, he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for  "the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish.

And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Esther 4:11-14

MATT 18:15-17

There’s no time like the present.

There’s a first time for everything.

If you don’t get started you’ll never finish.

I’ll get around to it.

Thanks, but no thanks!

I’ll never do that, not in a million years.

No, I’m just not ready yet.

I’m too young.

I’m too old.

I tried it once– just didn’t work out.

That’s not my talent.

There’s others more qualified. Get them to do it.

If the Lord wanted me to fly– I’d have wings. Oh, you mean like a chicken? Ok, will that be mild, medium or buffalo– chicken?

Wow, to the Christian who refuses to try something new in the Lord– you’re kidding right?

How many things have you tried for the first time in your life at some point or another, whether you’ve wanted to or not?

Think of how many things you’ve had to try again and again in your life just to reach a level of competency or getting by.

Think of all the things you’ve learned in your life that at one time were ‘new’ for you and you did it!

Think!

And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.' "Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods.

And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry."' Luke 12:16-19

Concerning Matthew 18:15-17, give some thought as to why Jesus says ‘this’ is the way to resolve differences between two people. Give some thought as to why this method promotes individual growth spiritually and builds character. Think of sins which might result from not following these instructions. One of the first that comes to mind is ‘gossiping’. Can you think why following these instructions from Christ would prevent  ‘gossiping’? 

Another level being played out in this chess game? Most people really pull back from talking to those they need and should be talking to right from the ‘get go’. They talk to others instead, under whatever ‘protocol or label’ works for them to justify ‘not following’ Christ’s instructions which simply put is, ’just between the two of you’.

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. 

1 Timothy 4:15-16

Moses said to the Lord, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

"Ah, Sovereign Lord ," I said, "I do not know how to speak; I am only a child."

Then the man who had received the one talent came. 'Master,' he said, 'I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed.

So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.'

Matthew 25:24-25 

He said to another man, "Follow me." But the man replied, "Lord, first let me go and bury my father." Jesus said to him, "Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God."

Still another said, "I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say good-by to my family." Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Luke 9:59-62

​The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai: "Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me."

But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord. Jonah 1:1-3

WELCOME HOME

Lastly, some people would have you believe you can always 'agree to disagree'.

While a very popular yet poor exit strategy 'discussion cop out', when it comes to salvation, show me where God says He'll punch that ticket. Need to know what 'loco-motive' is pulling the cars.

Show me where God says we can take it upon ourselves to take a gospel, neither of our own making nor paid for by us, and take two separate opposing meanings from it regarding salvation and in effect, not only say to each other but God as well, 'We've decided to agree to disagree God'! Read Galatians 1:1-9 and see just how well that rides the rails considering that Paul in Romans 1:16, calls the gospel 'The power of God unto salvation'.

You don't have to be an engineer to see just who throttled scripture like Ephesians 4:1-6. Can you say 'derailment'? As for the 'agree to disagree line' - next stop 'Noresolutionville'!

The only track I want to be going down is God's so pardon me if I wait for the next train headed in the right direction on the right track right to the end of the line. I would suggest we all conduct ourselves accordingly.

All aboard?

THE LORD'S DAY

Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,

To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:

Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:1-8