Friday, March 23, 2007

Oh Living Word send out a signal from your written word for my life and
the soul of your church today.

Read: Philippians 1:14-16

What imperatives does Paul issue the church and why?
Why does it matter if our light is bright or dark?

$350 will get you the ultimate paranoid parent’s must-have gizmo. A new
company is now marketing GPS equipped shoes. With a kick on the panic
button a distress signal is sent. The signal sent out from your soles
can save a life!
As followers of Christ we are not equipped with panic buttons but we do
send out a signal to the world emanating from the depth of our souls.
Too often our signal broadcasts the wrong message. When we grumble and
argue instead of broadcasting a “get help here” sign, we transmit a
death signal.
When a darkened world looks to the body of Christ for hope and sees the
same crookedness, the familiar darkness of grumbling and arguing, it
gets the message loud and clear: There is no rescue available here.
Paul calls us to examine how we serve and specifically, how we serve
together. It may be a good time to ask what signal the soul of our
church is sending to people in our community who are searching for a
beacon of life.
A crooked world is studying the crookedness in us. We have an
opportunity here, but we must hold tight to the word of life together.
While under its inspection light, we can become the signal light leading
to a life saving rescue.
God didn’t give us an alarm switch like those GPS shoes, but we have
been given the Holy Spirit who, if we’ll listen, sounds an alarm
whenever our grumble light starts to shine. Church, lets serve together.
Whenever we complain and argue about one another, let’s consider it a
life and death emergency. Our disputes send the wrong signal. Its up to
you and me whether or not our souls will be seen in a better light.

Forgive us, Lord, and lead us to humble ourselves before one another so
that the word of your Life will be better seen in us.

Art Barrett, New Life Christian Fellowship