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Whose Team are You On?

9/25/2017

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Whose team are you on?  The kids are practicing plays on the field.  Winning the game is the goal.  The push is on.  Parents are looking on as their kids work on improving their skills.  Oops, a kid misses an important catch.  It’s a foolish mistake and shouldn’t have happened.
 Enter the coach, grabs the kid by the shoulder pads and yells into the player’s face.  He really gives it to him.  All this to make a better player so that mistakes won’t happen again.  The parents look on and watch the coach doing his job.  They look on approvingly.  They want their kid to be successful, too.
     It’s a game.  Life isn’t so different.  There are two sides--good and bad, right and wrong, God and Satan.  So, whose team are you on?  Two coaches preparing their team for two very different goals.  One shows the way to heaven and the other shows the way to hell.  Who are you going to be sold out for?  Where do you want to wind up?
     Heaven’s coach says commitment is the key.  Believe what He is saying.  Follow His guidelines.  Hell’s coach says that the ones on the other team have it all wrong.  It’s not like that at all.  Self reliance is the key.  Make decisions, take care of business.  That’s the way to win.
     Two very different choices.  But, for want of a better way to put it, which one has more skin in the game?  Revelation 13:8 tells of the “…Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.”  God has sacrificed his Son, the Lamb of Revelation.  That’s His skin in the game.  Satan?  The skin he has in the game is yours.  It’s a chilling thought but it’s reality.  Whatever it takes to keep your skin in the game.  You’re his lamb.  ​
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Faith in Action

9/19/2017

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“Ready or not--God will call an end to the whole shooting match.” Words spoken by Pastor Josh who impressed on his listeners the importance of putting faith into action.  The kind of action that was shown by Noah. Our text was taken from Hebrews 7:11, “By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not even seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.”
     It’s a mouth full and loaded with meaning.  If it weren’t for Noah and his faith, humanity would have perished.  Think of it.  You, the one reading this, wouldn’t be here to read this.  Let it really sink in, and the thankfulness for Noah’s faith should be overwhelming.  An act of faith saved humanity.  Hebrews 11 is the faith chapter and gives accounts of others whose faith sprung them into action.
     This kind of faith, the kind that people are moved to take action, is so important in daily living.  Chances occur every day for active faith.  If for no other reason, every one on this planet should be moved by faith to gain heaven.  Active faith takes learning and living God’s word.  Read it, study it, pray about it: then, look for opportunities (the Holy Spirit will act as guide) to act on faith.  Like Noah, heed the word, believe it, and prepare for it.
     Noah, in the face of adversity, kept the faith.  Day after day, he warned of a flood and built an ark to prepare for it.  Day after day, people walked by and shook their heads.  Noah entered the ark before it started raining.  The door was locked behind him.  People still shook their heads.  Surely he was "not all there".  Then, it started to rain.  Water came up from the ground, too.  The whole world was filling up with water.?
     But, then it was too late.  How many times had Noah said it was going to flood?  A hundred times?  Two hundred?  Act on faith before it’s too late.  Warnings are shouted from pulpits all across the country.  Today’s warning can be found in II Peter 3:10, “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.”  How many will act on faith?  Or, how many will just keep walking by shaking their heads?  There’s an answer to that, too.  It’s in Matthew 7:13-14.  Look it up.
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    Linda Johnson

    Linda Johnson moved to Douglas County with her husband Tom 12 years ago after retiring from teaching. Following Tom's death in 2016, Linda began facilitating a grief support group called GriefShare through Sweden Church.​ She serves as the Sunday School teacher for our High School class. Her "Layman's Pen" articles are also published in the local paper, The Douglas County Herald. 

    Andrea Strong

    Andrea is Pastor Joshua Strong's wife. She also serves Sweden Church as Church Secretary, website administrator, and Sunday School teacher to the Intermediate Class.

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