Raise Your Hands!

Word of today:

Psalm 134
A song of ascents.

Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
    who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
    and praise the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion,
    he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.

Thought of today:

Selah people' and friends as you bask in the afterglow of Christmas Day, take some time to simply give glory to God and praise His holy name for all that He has done and continues to do for His people. God gave the unimaginable gift - His only and very beloved Son. And He gave Him so that we - though we are rebellious and often unappreciative - could be reconciled to Him. I want to live my whole life as a song of praise to Him.

Today especially,  I lift my heart, my hands, and my eyes to the heavens to praise our wonderful God and Father.

Today's Prayer:

Father, we acknowledge Your greatness and praise Your name! May glory, honor, and praise be lifted up to You. May we offer our lives as a sacrifice of praise to You today. We love You and thank You through Christ, our Lord and Savior, amen.

In Christ service,
Rev Patrick Muston

Children Obey Your Parents

Greetings!    Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

Today's Scripture:
"Honor your father and mother," which is the first commandment with promise: "that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth." (Ephesians 6: 1-3)

Today's Word:
God's estimation of the respect due to our parents is evidence by the fact that the subject made His top ten list! That is to say, included in the 10 Commandments are the words: 

Honor your father and your mother period!   Now, notice the different nuances the apostle gives to this command to honor our parents. In addition to encouraging us to honor them, he makes some significant distinctions.  

1. He suggests that we have at least two kinds of parents. We have natural parents in the flesh. These are the ones who give us life. Then, we have spiritual parents in the Lord. These are the parents who give us spiritual guidance and mentorship. In some cases, these two sets of parents are one in the same. In many cases they are not.  

2. When Paul tells us to obey our parents in the Lord, he is teaches us two things. First, he is saying that we should not only obey our natural parents, but also those who are our spiritual parents. Furthermore, he is instructing us to obey both our natural parents and our spiritual parents in the Lord - that is in godly things.  

3. Therefore, we are bound to honor our parents no matter what and no matter who they are. However, we are only bound to obey our parents in the Lord. If our parents give us instructions which are godly, we are bound to follow them because those instructions are in the Lord.

However, if our parents of either sort give us leadership and guidance which is not in the Lord, we are not Biblically bound to obey them.   Already some of you reading this can anticipate the chaos that this could cause when children (especially young ones) rebel against the rules of the adults over them and then have the audacity to blame it on the Bible.

However, this text should be seen as a word of warning to parents to be good examples and to give godly instructions. At the same time, it is an escape clause for the children of parents who are being trained, expected and directed to do that which is wrong.   On the one hand, the key for any child (of any age) is learning how to honor and respect his or her parent even when they are not bound by the Bible or righteousness to obey them.

Then, on the other hand, the question for any child (of any age) becomes how can he or she ever justify disobeying their parents when what he or she is being directed to do is clearly in the Lord?

Prayer for Today:
Lord we ask for you wisdom in our actions and that you guide us in obeying our parents and other leaders who give us advice or commands.  Many who have no parents but have mentors or parental roll models must seek your will to ensure we follow Godly direction. Please fill us with what is right and empty us of all that is selfish and evil.

In Jesus name we pray.
Amen!

Rev Patrick Muston, Pastor
Selah Christian Church
Four Oaks, NC
www.selahchurch.com

Stand Up For Freedom

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:
“You have been set free from sin...”(Romans 6:18)

TODAY’S WORD :
Today in America, we celebrate Independence Day. July 4, 1776 was the day America declared its independence, but the battle for freedom went on until 1783 — seven years later. Even though the people declared their freedom in 1776, they had to stand and fight for many years before the British would accept and recognized the United States of America.

In the same way, we have to declare our freedom and be determined to stand against the opposing forces of darkness in our lives. We have to declare our freedom from addiction, poverty, sickness and lack. We have to stand and fight until we fully experience His freedom and the peace that He has promised.

Selah people' and friends, do you know what the early colonists did once they signed the Declaration of Independence?

They read it out loud in public. They published it in the newspaper. They spread the word. They continued to declare and celebrate even though they were in the midst of the battle.Today, no matter what battle you may be facing, declare that you are free, stand for freedom, and celebrate your freedom because the victory is on the way!

OUT PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Father, thank You for setting me free in every area of my life. I declare today that nothing can hold me back. I declare that You have set me free! Thank You for freedom and victory in every area of my life in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Your brother in Christ,
Patrick

Rev Patrick Muston, Pastor
Selah Christian Church

The Journey...

How is your ATTITUDE?

An excerpt from: Attitude is Everything by Vicki Hitzges

I used to worry. A lot. The more I fretted, the more proficient I became at it. Anxiety begets anxiety. I even worried that I worried too much! Ulcers might develop. My health could fail. My finances could deplete to pay the hospital bills.

A comedian once said, "I tried to drown my worries with gin, but my worries are equipped with flotation devices." While not a drinker, I certainly could identify! My worries could swim, jump and pole vault!

To get some perspective, I visited a well known, Dallas businessman, Fred Smith. Fred mentored such luminaries as motivational whiz Zig Ziglar, business guru Ken Blanchard and leadership expert John Maxwell. Fred listened as I poured out my concerns and then said, "Vicki, you need to learn to wait to worry."As the words sank in, I asked Fred if he ever spent time fretting. (I was quite certain he wouldn't admit it if he did. He was pretty full of testosterone—even at age 90.)

To my surprise, he confessed that in years gone by he had been a top-notch worrier!"I decided that I would wait to worry!" he explained. "I decided that I'd wait until I actually had a reason to worry—something that was happening, not just something that might happen—before I worried.""When I'm tempted to get alarmed," he confided, "I tell myself, 'Fred, you've got to wait to worry! Until you know differently, don't worry.' And I don't.

Waiting to worry helps me develop the habit of not worrying and that helps me not be tempted to worry."Fred possessed a quick mind and a gift for gab. As such, he became a captivating public speaker. "I frequently ask audiences what they were worried about this time last year. I get a lot of laughs," he said, "because most people can't remember. Then I ask if they have a current worry—you see nods from everybody.

Then I remind them that the average worrier is 92% inefficient—only 8% of what we worry about ever comes true."Charles Spurgeon said it best. "Anxiety does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow, but only empties today of its strength."

Rev. Patrick Muston

"Come as you are...leave better."

Hold On to Your Peace My Friend !

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE

"Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you"
(Luke 6:28, NIV).

TODAY’S WORD

I've learned that some people are peace stealers. They feel like it's their calling in life to aggravate you, try to make you look bad, and tell you what you can't do. They'll try to bait you into an argument to get you upset, annoyed and frustrated. But don't take the bait! Nothing is worth losing your peace over. They may think they're getting the best of you, but in the end, God can use that to take you higher. When people come against you, choose to keep your peace. Choose to forgive. Pray for that person because that's how you disarm the enemy against you.

Selah people' and friends scripture says your battle isn't against flesh and blood. In others words, that person isn't your enemy; the accuser—Satan—is your enemy. He's trying to bring division and get you upset. But when you choose to keep peace, when you keep walking in love and keep a smile on your face, you are overcoming his tactics. That's how you win. Join me today, choose peace, choose to walk in love, and choose the victory God has prepared for you!

OUR PRAYER FOR TODAY

Father, thank You for giving me Your peace and strength today. I choose to hold my peace and bless those who come against me. I choose to walk in love and forgiveness so that I can honor You in all that I do. In Jesus' Name. Amen

Your brother in Christ,

Patrick

Rev Patrick Muston, Senior Pastor

Selah Christian Church

http://www.selahchurch.com

What do you call "True Success"?

 TODAY’S SCRIPTURE“...Freely you have received; freely give”
(Matthew 10:8, NIV)

TODAY’S WORD

There  are a lot of people who are successful in this world. They’ve accomplished their  goals in the public eye. But being successful isn’t just about what you make  happen for yourself, it’s about what you make happen for others. It’s when you  realize, “God has blessed me not to just sit on my throne and let everybody see  my accomplishments; God has blessed me to be a blessing to others. God has  helped me to win so I can help somebody else win.” In other words, it’s when you  realize, “God helped me overcome this addiction, now I’m going to go find  somebody and help them overcome.” Or, “God has blessed me with a happy family.  I’m going to go find a family that’s struggling and help them get back on  track.” That’s what being successful is  really all about.

THOUGHT FOR TODAY
 Selah people' and friends I challenge you today  look for ways to help others succeed. Reach back and give freely of the talents  and abilities you’ve been given. As you do, you’ll rise up higher and live in  the fullness of the blessing God has prepared for you!

OUR PRAYER FOR TODAY
Father God, thank You for giving me so much. Thank You for blessing me with talents and abilities and the desire to bless others. Show me ways to reach out and help others move forward and help them be successful so we can all rise higher together. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

Your brother in Christ,
Patrick

Rev Patrick Muston, Senior Pastor
Selah Christian Church
Four Oaks, NC
http://www.selahchurch.com/