The Church - A Simple Plan

So what constitutes a great church from an ok church?

Its rather simple really.

A great church has the following in place:

- a high view of Scripture and all that accompanies it.

- people that enjoy hanging out with each other.

- people that eat together. a lot.

- people that continually pray for each other.

Nothing that grandiose.   It's not a great building.  It's not a great worship band.  It's not a website that uses flash technology. 

Luke says it this way in Acts 2:42-47,     

And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

What's amazing about following this simple plan is that it became contagious to a point where others, non-believers, wanted to join in.

So, the question is, how are you doing in this?  Or how is your church in this?  

The result should be 

- hearts filled with joy

- the worship of God

- unbelievers coming to Christ  

If you don't see those things happening in your church and life, then perhaps you have been focusing a little too much on making sure that your favorite songs are in the worship service.

Justified Today - C.H. Spurgeon

I received the email below today. What a great statement that we all need to be reminded of daily.

"All that believe are justified."
--Acts 13:39

The believer in Christ receives a present justification. Faith does not produce this fruit by-and-by, but now. So far as justification is the result of faith, it is given to the soul in the moment when it closes with Christ, and accepts Him as its all in all. Are they who stand before the throne of God justified now?--so are we, as truly and as clearly justified as they who walk in white and sing melodious praises to celestial harps.

The thief upon the cross was justified the moment that he turned the eye of faith to Jesus; and Paul, the aged, after years of service, was not more justified than was the thief with no service at all. We are to-day accepted in the Beloved, to-day absolved from sin, to-day acquitted at the bar of God. Oh! soul-transporting thought! There are some clusters of Eshcol's vine which we shall not be able to gather till we enter heaven; but this is a bough which runneth over the wall.

This is not as the corn of the land, which we can never eat till we cross the Jordan; but this is part of the manna in the wilderness, a portion of our daily nutriment with which God supplies us in our journeying to and fro. We are now--even now pardoned; even now are our sins put away; even now we stand in the sight of God accepted, as though we had never been guilty. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." There is not a sin in the Book of God, even now, against one of His people. Who dareth to lay anything to their charge? There is neither speck, nor spot, nor wrinkle, nor any such thing remaining upon any one believer in the matter of justification in the sight of the Judge of all the earth.

Let present privilege awaken us to present duty, and now, while life lasts, let us spend and be spent for our sweet Lord Jesus.