"ATTITUDES NEEDED" #2

The first attitude we need to maintain is one toward ourself individually. In a world where most people think too highly of themselves and what this world owes them, we, as God's people are to have a humble estimation or evaluation of our own self. I believe this is highly important. Romans 12:3, "For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith." (NKJV) 

Romans 12:16, "Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion." (NKJV) Humility includes a willingness to serve, even many times to do those "menial" tasks.
Read John 13:6-17 

"Show me a man who cannot bother to do little things and I'll show you a man who cannot be trusted to do big things." (Lawrence D. Bell) 
Matthew 25:21, "His lord said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.'" (NKJV) 

Are we humble enough in our own skin to serve our fellow brother; even when it means getting dirty? The second attitude we need is one in which we as individuals are teachable. 

To be teachable is to be wise. Proverbs 15:31-32 "The ear that hears the rebukes of life Will abide among the wise. 32 He who disdains instruction despises his own soul, But he who heeds rebuke gets understanding." (NKJV) 
 Teachability includes an eagerness to learn more and grow deeper. It includes The ability to learn from correction, to profit from advice as well as criticism. The old as well as the young need to always have a teachable attitude. "Education is too good to limit to the young." (Elton Trueblood) 
How teachable are we, when it comes to the many opportunities placed before us to study God's word? 

WE ALSO NEED TO HAVE HONESTY WHEN IT COMES TO OUR MISTAKES. This includes a willingness to first of all admit our mistakes. 
James 5:16, "Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." (NKJV) 

Along with that, we must have a willingness to make necessary and Godly corrections. Everyone makes mistakes. A congregation that functions well and grows is a congregation filled with people who learn from one another and from their own mistakes! 

The attitudes of humility, teachability, and honesty will certainly help prepare us to be useful to our Great and Awesome God. They will also have a bearing on our relationship with others in the congregation. Learn something new today and grow in the knowledge of Christ. God blesses us daily; may you Bless God by your life before the sun sets tonight.

"ATTITUDES NEEDED"

As Christians who so often work together in a local congregation, the right attitudes are very necessary and so helpful. We may have all sorts of talent in a congregation but all the talent in the world cannot make up for wrong or bad attitudes. When we have the right attitudes, our best efforts in service to the Lord are greatly enhanced and will better live up to their full potential. In what areas should we be concerned about our attitudes? I see at least four. 1. Our attitude toward God 2. Our attitude toward ourselves as individuals 3. Our attitude toward one another and 4. Our attitude toward the work we do together as a church. In at least these four areas, we must be sure to maintain the proper attitudes for the sake of The Body as well as those watching from the outside who may be won by our life. And what are the proper attitudes? Let's begin with our ATTITUDES TOWARD GOD. First of all we need an 'Attitude of Love." We must have the right kind of love toward God. Jesus defined that kind of love in Luke 10:27, "So he answered and said," 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart (Emotion), with all your soul (Conscience), with all your strength (Desire), and with all your mind (Intellect),' and 'your neighbor as yourself.'" (NKJV) Do we love the Lord with 'all our heart, soul, mind and strength' or 'all our Desire, Intellect, Conscience and emotion'? Then we need an attitude of FAITH AND TRUST. Faith is a strong conviction and trust in things a person does not see but of which a person does have some understanding - Hebrews 11:1. Hebrews 11:6 tells us 'Without faith, it is impossible to please God.' Do we have the kind of faith every day that pleases God? If not, read again Romans 10:17, "Faith comes by..." We also need an attitude of THANKFULNESS. Every Christian should have "the attitude of gratitude" - Colosians 3:17; Ephesians 5:20 God's righteous indignation is toward those who have become unthankful in tneir living -Romans 1:18-21. An attitude of thankfulness for the blessings we have will help put aside the bitterness that so often destroys the spirit in any congregation or individual life. If our relationship with God is right, it increases the likelihood that our relationship with others will be smooth as well. Proverbs 16:7 tells us, "When a man's ways please the LORD, He makes even his enemies to be at peace with him." (NKJV) We will pick up next time with attitudes we need to have towards ourselves. God bless and stay faithful...WITH A GREAT ATTITUDE!

"A RECIPE FOR DISASTER"

Hosea 7:8-9, "EPHRAIM IS A CAKE NOT TURNED...GRAY HAIRS ARE HERE AND THERE UPON HIM, AND HE KNOWETH IT NOT." Israel here is described as a 'cake not turned'. She is half burnt and half dough, not one part of it is fit for use. What is seen here is a mixture of idolatry or false worship, with the True worship of Jehovah God. It has never worked in ages past and never will be accepted in the eyes of God. We see in this text that in their disobedience, Israel was reminded of the approaching ruin as promised by God, as grey hairs are of old age, failing strength, but yet they refused to even notice them and take heed. The pride that leads a man to break the law of God only leads to self-flattery, excuses. It is a matter of trusting God to supply or trusting in what man can see physically and rely on his own devices. We must understand that the mercy and grace of God are the only refuge to which hard-headed sinners should ever consider for their salvation. In these two verses the prophet shows, by vivid figures of speech, the extent of the moral decay taking place in Israel. The "cake" mentioned here is in Hebrew, Uggah literally, "circular," and was a thin pancake, to which a scorching heat was applied on one side at a time. Israel had been separated by the Lord (Lev. 20:24-26), to be a people dwelling separate from heathen nations (Num. 23:9), in order that it might be a holy nation to serve Him. But Israel thought itself wiser than the Lord and mingled with the nations through intermarriage (Ahab and Jezebel), through cultural and economic exchanges, through political alliances, and most disastrous of all through adoption of heathen religions of idolatry. A cake not turned is burned to a crisp on one side and uncooked, incomplete, on the other side; it is worse than useless, it is nauseating. This is the first figure to describe Israel's moral decline. The second figure of speech used by Hosea pictures Israel as a man whose hair is beginning to show signs of physical decay by the sprinkling of gray hair as it begins to appear. Interesting phrase...'yet he knoweth not'. Though old age should bring with it wisdom, he neither knows of his senile decay, nor cares to gain the true knowledge from God that should lead to repentance and God's healing. If man is not continually learning so as to avoid spiritual decline, he will become senile and maintain a loss of his mental faculties. The phrase "and he knows it not" is also interesting in light of how 21st century folk take to gray hair making its presence known. I would ask any of you reading this who may be 'blessed' with a gray hair or two, if you were unconscious of when those gray hairs began to appear? This kind of reaction seen in Hosea is quite unnatural today. Men discover gray in their hair and laugh at them, try to pull them out or dye them to hide the truth; but, personally, I find we do not ignore them because they are signs of age and declining strength. As tragic and unreasonable as this might be in the physical realm it is even more tragic and unreasonable when it comes to the spiritual and moral realm. Yet it is continually true that signs of spiritual decline, which are many times so obvious to others, are too often undiscovered by ourselves. We go on, and on, and on, often the victims of weakening strength, spiritually and morally becoming degenerate, and often unwilling to recognize it! We are too often blind to the neon signs which are so evident to others. And there is no condition more dangerous to our highest well-being than being unaware of our own spiritual degeneration. Paul tells us in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (KJV) Get into The Word of God. It alone has the power to save...