It’s State Fair Time and Sister Tarpley is in front of Big Tex, as he welcomes the fairgoers.
By Sister Tarpley
Religious Editor
God is a good God and His ways are perfect. We can eliminate much needless pain and misery from our lives just by following His ways.
Even if you were the last person on earth, Jesus Christ still would have died just for you.
Prayer is not conquering God’s reluctance but taking hold of God’s willingness. The task ahead of you is not as great as the power behind you.
Worship God is giving Him your love, your thanks, and your praise to God; and proving these things by instant, joyful, and whole obedience.
Don’t wait for God to change your circumstances; make yourself available for Him to change you. Worry is like a rocking chair; it gives you something to do, but it doesn’t get you anywhere. Remember, God doesn’t use wastebaskets!
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Somxtimxs it sxxms likx a txam or a church is somxwhat likx my old kxyboard—not all thx kxy pxoplx arx working togxthxr for God’s work.
You may say to yoursxlf, “wxll, I am only onx pxrson. I won’t makx or brxak a txam xffort.” But IT DOXS makx a diffxrxncx, bxcausx a txam xffort, to bx xffxctivx, nxxds thx activx participation of xveryonx.
So thx nxxt timx you think that your xfforts will not bx missxd, rxmxmbxr my old kxyboard! You are important and with God’s help and guidancx, His work will gxt donx. Without God, likx my old brokx kxyboard is missing the “e”, is the missing “kxy “ to make everything work the way it should.
It has been said that there are four Types of Christians. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” Galatians 5:18.
The following four categories provide an excellent tool for self-assessment: 1) The Christian who is simply trying to survive. Christians who are simply trying to survive have no purpose or zeal for integrating their faith in their community.
They have not seen the power or presence of God in their community. Such Christians segment their faith-life from their community. They lack purpose and meaning and they have little direction.
2) The Christian who is living by Christian principles. They participate in a 12-step program and read books with guaranteed formulas to help lose weight or improve our marriages.
This programmed teaching can be beneficial to change negative patterns in our lives. However, it is important to recognize that the root of this type of teaching comes largely from a Greek-based system for attaining knowledge, as compared to the early church Hebraic model of experiential learning.
3) The Christian who is living by the power of the Holy Spiritt understand the importance of developing a heart toward God through prayer.
They study of the Word of God and also obey Him. They realize that these are the three core ingredients to experiencing the power of God in their lives.
4) The Christian who is transforming his or her community for Christ. A wonderful by-product of living by the power of the Holy Spirit is that you can transform your community for God.
Christians who passionately seek the manifestation of God’s kingdom here on earth will be able to realize this transformation in their community. When the kingdom of God is demonstrated on Earth, it can transform the community and society.
