CO-WORKERS OF CHRIST – PART TWO of TWO

Have you ever worked at a job where the team you belonged to had one particular employee who just exceeded everyone’s expectations? Who, when they came into the room, brightened it with good-humored and encouraging morale? A natural born leader that others naturally followed? The sort of person that you couldn’t imagine not being there? That made your job a joy?

I’ve actually had that experience in a few different jobs throughout the years!

As Christians we have the astonishing privilege of joining the best team ever – the church of the LORD Jesus Christ! And as the Head of the church, He doesn’t merely lead us as a whole, but each of us individually!

Previously we looked at MATTHEW 11:

MATTHEW 11:29-30
29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.

We saw that the LORD places a yoke on us that is a double-yoke and that it’s a light burden, only because the LORD bears the brunt of the load!

And being so yoked together as a team, we are near Him, and are well able to learn of Him, of His gentleness, of His lowliness, of His heart where we can truly find rest for our souls.

CO-WORKERS OF CHRIST – PART ONE of TWO

GENESIS 1:1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

We marvel at the ingenuity, wondrous artistry, and astonishing architecture of this universe, both in its macrocosmic and microscopic elements. The farther and deeper one examines creation, the more astounded one becomes.

Barely over 100 years ago, it was the belief that the human cell was just an extremely small globule of some sort of protoplasm. With the advent of the electron microscope, we discovered that a single cell has far more complexity than the most sophisticated computer chip.

PSALM 139:14
I will praise You; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are Your works; and that my soul knows very well.

Our Milky Way galaxy is over 100,000 light years across (that’s not even considering the entire mass!). It’s dwarfed in size compared to others, the largest galaxy thus far on record is nearly 10 times our size! There are approximately 100 billion (observable) ‘stellar-islands’ dancing about in the heavens, to the tune of GOD’s own orchestrated omnipotent music! There are stars so huge, that you could fit our solar system from the Sun all the way to Jupiter (365 million miles away from the Sun) inside any one of them!

PSALM 19:1
The heavens declare the glory of God; And the firmament shows His handiwork.

JEWELS FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN: JOHN 6:41-44 - Murmurers and Unbelievers

The following is a series of short exhortations, brief commentary, and writings to convey thoughtful meditation on God's Word. I have chosen the Gospel of John as the subject. I pray that these will be a blessing and an edification for the saints.

JOHN 6:41-44
 41 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. 42 And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? 43 Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves. 44 No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

JEWELS FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN: JOHN 6:40 - SEEING And BELIEVING

The following is a series of short exhortations, brief commentary, and writings to convey thoughtful meditation on God's Word. I have chosen the Gospel of John as the subject. I pray that these will be a blessing and an edification for the saints.

JOHN 6:40
40 And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.

Second Star to the Right - - and Straight on til Morning

That famous line from PETER PAN, "...the second star to the right, and straight on til morning" that which led the way to Neverland - the place where children need never grow up; because when one grows up, they eventually get old; then they die. This expression rings with angst in our souls.

The conundrum of humanity is summed up by Gertrude from the Shakespearean play Hamlet when she addresses her young prince regarding his late father, recently (mysteriously) dead:

"Do not forever with thy vailèd lids seek for thy noble father in the dust. Thou know’st ’tis common. All that lives must die, Passing through nature to eternity."  

Death is the insult to our existence, the infringement and lastly the denial of what we would have - life unending (though there are those who find this idea abhorrent, having nothing to compare an eternal life with, other than the present one, fraught with sorrows and strife). Neverland was the symbol of exuberance, the escape from death, the perpetuation of youth, of life and vigor - and quite simply, fun! 

JEWELS FROM THE GOSPEL OF JOHN: JOHN 6:37-39 - A No Lose Situation

 The following is a series of short exhortations, brief commentary, and writings to convey thoughtful meditation on God's Word. I have chosen the Gospel of John as the subject. I pray that these will be a blessing and an edification for the saints.

JOHN 6:37-39
37 All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. 38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. 39 And this is the Father's will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day.

This is an argument that's lasted throughout the ages of the church: can a true child of GOD forfeit their salvation? Many solid arguments on both sides of that debate. It was a question I wrestled with as a young believer and in those days, I wasn't at all certain which view was correct. The one thing I was certain about was, I wasn't willing to experiment! So I held fast as close to Jesus as I could!

Things as They Are - October, 2021 with Greg Reid

Youthfire! Newsletter: 

Things as They Are - October, 2021

Dear Friends,

God bless you all, and thank you for your continuing prayers and support! September raced by, and the days have been full and productive.

This last month, I was blessed to attend the installation of both Mike Schuetzler and Kerry Boone as the new pastors at my former fellowship, Crosspoint Church. I was honored to have been their youth pastor for a time, and I am so proud to see how they have walked with Jesus and followed their call into ministry. I also was blessed to attend Pastor Dan Sattlemeier’s retirement weekend events. It was a wonderful time to reconnect with him and his family, and so many others I had not seen in a while. May God bless the new pastors and keep them steady and strong!

Last night I was privileged to be part of our Christian TV station’s telethon and share on an hour program with NRB president Troy Miller and host Pastor Joe Williams, as well as be able to donate 50 copies of Treasure from the Master’s Heart for giveaways to donors. The work KSCE TV has done for so many years is so vital in a media world growing increasingly dark. I am thankful we were able to have a small part in their efforts.