My wife and I drive about 45 minutes to get to our church – My Father’s House (MFH) – in McConnellsburg, PA. And we’ve been doing it for over 9 years. There’s an obvious question that follows those opening comments. With a church on every corner in your hometown (it seems), why are you driving 45 minutes to attend one? Here’s my answer: we were invited to a special service on a Wednesday night at MFH in June, 2000. After attending the special service, we felt led to visit a regular service the following Sunday. We’ve been going there ever since. Why? Well, we really believe that God led us to this fellowship for a lot of reasons. The Pastor – Bill Chilcote – is as down-to-earth as a preacher can be. He is consumed with the desre to KNOW God, to hear His voice (John, Chapter 10, verse 27 : My sheep ((us)) hear my voice and I (God/Jesus) know them, and they follow Me.), and to do what God says. As Pastor fellowships with God and meditates on God’s Words, it is clearly visible in his life and conduct that he sincerely wants to please God. He is an example to the congregation of what a God-seeking individual is like. His behavior has inspired us to get closer to God. Though God is invisible in the natural, I believe He is totally accessible for fellowship, for praise, for worship, and for receiving our thanks for all He has done and is doing. Other reasons for attending are because we are being prepared for the work of the ministry, for the maturing of the believers, and for the building up of the body of Christ, so that we can get along with all the various churches, regardless of doctrinal differences, etc. According to Jesus’ teaching, “love” is the great commandment: love God and love one another. We at MFH want to receive God’s love toward us, then turn around and give it away to everyone. Are we perfect? Nope! But, we’re seeing lives being changed and that brings pleasure to God.
Posts Tagged ‘work’
The Pleasures of Going to Church
Thursday, October 29th, 2009More Pleasures of Being Married
Saturday, October 24th, 2009Give yourself the chance to save your marriage if you are on the verge of divorce or separation. Think back to a time when the 2 of you could not stand being apart. Meditate on what drew you together in the first place. Perhaps a spark from the past will fan the flame for the future. Take time to recall the good times. Usually the decision to divorce or separate is a quick one. So, s-l-o-w down. Set aside some time to really think about what you’re doing. I can tell you, if you think things will be better by leaving, you’re in for a surprise. Here’s what happened to me. I thought, “I’ll divorce, then remarry.” Then I got to thinking: If I remarry, she’ll probably have parents, brothers, sisters, children, etc. Do I really want to re-learn about all these new folks?, when I already know the folks in the current marriage. I know what they think of me. What will the new folks think? And, my own son, he justs wants mom and dad, not mom and half-a-dad. Well, to make this a short story, I decided: it is going to be better to change me and stay rather than stay me and change. Get it? Anyway, either way, it won’t be easy. Marriage requires work and dedication. By thinking back to the good times, I’m convinced it is possible to rediscover what brought us together initially. For us, it was first and foremost, our commitment to God that we had in common. I decided that was enough to keep us going. And so, here we go …
The Pleasures of Being Married
Saturday, October 24th, 2009Wow, I never thought I would ever say that, much less write about it – being married. Marriage is a social contract between 2 people (I beleive of the opposite sex), who enter a verbal commitment to spend their lives together until death. Sometimes, it turns into a wish list for ‘death now’. But I’ve come to realize that marriage is a relationship that requires work, commitment, and forgiveness. There was a time that I was lazy. I didn’t want to work. I wanted her to be “commited’. And I certainly wasn’t going to forgive. But now, I find pleasure in the work of marriage. I know now I’m the one who should have been “commited”, and I’m definitely the one in need of forgiveness. Do you want a successful marriage? Or, do you just want to quit, divorce, and then do it all over again? Here are some things that might help in your marriage. Learn to adjust to one another, rather than always trying to change the other. Share what you have; try “ours”, instead of mine and yours. Communicate. Nothing can be achieved without talking to each other. Look for things to agree on rather than automatically disagreeing. Try not to blame one another. Be willing to compromise on issues. Don’t fret about who’s right or wrong. Encourage each other in the things that are of individual interest. Allow time alone so that the times together can be more enjoyable. Practice trust. And remember, to keep trust, each must be trusted. Respect each other. Nothing will cause division quicker than not respecting your mate. And lastly, teach your values to your children. If they have the positive affirmation of your commitment, chances are they will succeed in their choices as well.