January 31, 2010 ~ INSIDE STORY

Peter's words remind us to keep our priorities straight...

If you like many others in our area had worship service canceled due to weather please use our media link below to listen to our weekly sermon "Is Love For Grownups?" and special music provided by Coffey Anderson.

Rev Patrick Muston

Today's Scripture:

It is not fancy hair, Gold Jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from within you - The beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit that will never be destroyed and is very precious to God.

1 Peter 3: 3-4

The women of ancient Rome were much like many women today. They worked hard to be beautiful. Elaborate hairstyles made up of tiny knots plaited with Gold and jewels and then piled high on the head were all the rage. One drawback was that fashionable Roman women feared going to sleep lest they muss their hairdo. But those women wholeheartedly believed that their passion for fashion was worth the extra effort, because beauty was what was going to keep their husbands faithful, satisfied with them alone.

Fashion trends today tend toward plastic surgery, excessive dieting, and a closet full of haute couture. Women's (and even men's) motivations haven't changed much in two thousands years. People strive to look beautiful so that others will perceive them as valuable and desirable. The apostle Peter directed his readers to refocus from external beauty to internal beauty. From what fades to what is eternal. From what pleases God.

Selah people' and friends true lasting beauty is found in a heart that rests secure in God's love. That gentle and quiet spirit doesn't need to strive for attention. It is adorned with spiritual instead of physical riches. Authentic inner beauty, and not artificial glamour, attracts others to what is truly valuable - the unique person whom God holds precious in his sight.

"Peter's words are not a call to dowdiness. They are merely a reminder to keep your priorities straight when it comes to becoming a beautiful person. Concentrate on what matters most - the inside my brothers and sisters, not the outside."

Your pastor,

Rev Patrick Muston

Selah Christian Church
Four Oaks, NC

http://selahchurch.com

Listen to our music special and sermon message each week via our Selah media website:

http://selahmedia.tripod.com

Share a daily scripture and devotion at our church blog:
http://selahchurch.blogspot.com

January 30, 2010 ~ God's Dwelling Place

Are you fit for eternity do you keep your temple holy?

Today's Scripture:

You should know your body is a temple for the Holy Spirit who is in you. You have received the Holy Spirit from God. So you do not belong to yourselves, because you were brought by God for a price. So honor God with your bodies.

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

In Paul's day, the city of Corinth was infamous for sexual debauchery and decadence. There was even a slang Greek verb that meant "to act like a Corinthian," which implied that one took part in sexual immorality. The church of Corinth, though filled with true believers in Jesus, continued to struggle with the sinful excesses of its culture. In response to the church's repeated failure to set itself apart for God instead of blending into Corinthian society. Paul directed his comments in a letter to this struggling church. His words today, as well as then, are a good heart-and-body check for every believer.

Thanks to Jesus' sacrifice, your body is now God's home. In the Old Testament, God's presence stayed physically close to his people by dwelling in an elaborate temple complex every detail of the temple's construction, as well as strict rules on how to keep it holy and fit for his use. God's Spirit dwelt in an especially sacred part of the temple called the Holy of Holies. In Greek, this place was called naos. Paul uses that same word here. Your body is God's Holy of Holies.

Selah people' and friends when a guest comes to your home, you honor that guest by putting things in order and doing all you can to make that person feel comfortable. By taking care of yourself physically and steering clear of sexual sin, you are doing the same for God. You are giving your heavenly Father a warm welcome home.

"Your body is a sacred place where God's Spirit dwells. How you treat yourself physically is a reflection of the kind of dwelling place you desire to offer the Father who love you."

Your pastor,

Rev Patrick Muston

Selah Christian Church

Four Oaks, NC
http://selahchurch.com

Listen to our choir special led by Lee Ann Higgins and our sermon message each week via our Selah media website:
http://selahmedia.tripod.com

Share a daily scripture and devotion at our church blog:

http://selahchurch.blogspot.com

January 29, 2010 ~ Empty Tombs

Jesus resurrection is evidence that we

like Christ can live beyond the grave

Today's Scripture:

If Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!

1 Corinthians 15:17

The moment Jesus rose from the dead, everything changed. How God related to people in the Old Testament (by speaking to the whole nation through prophets) gave way to the New (by speaking to people individually through his Spirit). God forgave the sins of those who chose to follow him. Death was defeated. Eternal life was certain. There was absolute proof Jesus was who he said he was, God and Savior.

The apostle Paul's words to the Corinthian church removes the option of believing the Bible is a collection of morality myths. It does not allow for Jesus to be regarded as a prophet or a good teacher.

Either Jesus rose from the dead, proving he was who he said he was and that he did what he said he would do, or your faith is useless.

Paul, the writer of 1 and 2 Corinthians, goes on to say that if Jesus did not rise from the dead, then Christians are to be pitied as the most miserable people on earth because they have based their faith, their hope, and their life purpose on a lie.

Selah people' and friends history says otherwise, however. More than five hundred witnesses saw Jesus alive after he died on the cross. The bodies of other great religious leaders, such as Buddha and Mohammed, remain dead in their graves. Only Jesus lives beyond the grave. This important verse is a suitable reminder that because of Jesus, one day you will too.

"Though Jesus' death paid the price for people's transgressions, Jesus' resurrection is evidence of God's acceptance of that payment. Let Paul's words help keep you grounded in the historical facts that support your faith."

Your pastor,

Rev Patrick Muston

Selah Christian Church

Four Oaks, NC
http://selahchurch.com

Listen to our choir special led by Lee Ann Higgins and our sermon message each week via our Selah media website:
http://selahmedia.tripod.com

Share a daily scripture and devotion at our church blog:

http://selahchurch.blogspot.com

January 28, 2010 ~ Watching And Waiting

I see the image of the farmer patiently waiting.

Today's Scripture:

See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, waiting patiently for it until it receives the early and latter rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand.

James 5:7-8

God's timing is always perfect. He parted the Red Sea when his people needed it most - when they were trapped between the rushing waters and an approaching army. God allowed the water to flow again, but only after Moses and the Israelites had made it safely across. God provided what the people needed at the precise moment that it would make the greatest difference.

From a human vantage point, it isn't always easy to recognize that opportune moment. Waiting for God's answer, when you own internal timer has already gone off, can make you feel as if God isn't listening or he simply doesn't care. When you find yourself in that situation, take a lesson from this important verse in James and put yourself in a farmer's shoes. You can't rush a perfect harvest or an answer to prayer. As a farmer waits for the fruit of his labor, he doesn't just sit around complaining about how long the growing season is. He continues to work. He trusts God, and his patience grows right along with his fruit.

Selah people' and friends James provides a valuable tip for those who wait. He advises you to establish your heart, which means "to firmly plant your life and expectations in the fertile soil of God's truth." There is a bountiful harvest as certain as the fulfillment of God's promises: the Lord will return; the hard times that you and I face will end; and

God will answer your prayers when the time is right.

"The image of a patient farmer provides an encouraging visual picture for prayer. I can see my wife's Uncle Eldridge as he shared with me one time that he need not even speak verbally to God when his field is dry he just looks up and knows that God here's his prayer. Join me in picturing every prayer as a seed planted in God's will. As you wait, picture them ripening, trusting in God's perfect harvest time."

Your pastor,

Rev Patrick Muston

Selah Christian Church
Four Oaks, NC

http://selahchurch.com

Listen to our choir special led by Lee Ann Higgins and our sermon message each week via our Selah media website:

http://selahmedia.tripod.com

Share a daily scripture and devotion at our church blog:
http://selahchurch.blogspot.com

Story of Faith in the middle of tragedy - Haiti Quake

http://www.tangle.com/view_video?viewkey=227e1273143fb8ad01d6&utm_source=newsletter012710&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklytopvideos

CNN supporting those who continue to search for information on those in Haiti and an inspiring story of one brother who was touched by the scripture in Psalm 46:2 while waiting on news of his two missing siblings. May God continue to touch those in need and may you continue to join me in praying for all those suffering.

In Christ Service,

Rev Patrick Muston

Selah Christian Church
Four Oaks, NC ~ http://selahchurch.com

January 27, 2010 ~ Piecing Life Together...

Join me as we like Paul pray for a more complete life!

Today's Scripture:

May God himself, the God who makes everything Holy and whole, make you Holy and whole, put you together - spirit, soul, and body- and keep you fit for the coming of our master, Jesus Christ.

1 Thessalonians 5:23

A jigsaw puzzle is made up of multiple parts. It is only when these parts are put together, when the puzzle is whole and complete, that you see the picture it was designed to display. Your life is the same way. Your life is made up of many complex components: family life, job, hobbies, physical experiences, hopes for the future, relationship with God. It would be easy to feel that your life is fragmented, like unconnected pieces of a puzzle that don't seem to fit. But, that isn't the way you were designed.

God designed you and I to be whole and complete, where every part of your life interconnects with his love and his plan.

This doesn't happen automatically or overnight. That is why the apostle Paul asked God to help the people in the church at Thessalonica to continue to move closer toward wholeness in their lives. He recognized that people cannot achieve the process of maturity that leads to wholeness through self-effort. It requires the power of God. Paul's prayer is one you need to pray for yourself.

Selah people' and friends ask God to help pull the pieces of your life together according to his original design. As you choose to keep God at the center of your life, you'll find your own unique "picture" becoming more complete. Your job, your relationships, and your dreams work together, linked to one another because they are each solidly linked back to God.

"Let Paul's prayer make you more aware of the big picture behind what's going on in your life. Ask God to help you get a better glimpse of what that really is."

Your pastor,

Rev Patrick Muston

Selah Christian Church

Four Oaks, NC
http://selahchurch.com

Listen to our choir special led by Lee Ann Higgins and our sermon message each week via our Selah media website:

http://selahmedia.tripod.com

Share a daily scripture and devotion at our church blog:

http://selahchurch.blogspot.com

January 26, 2010 ~ Job Description: Excellence

Where ever God has placed you

he wants you to DO YOUR BEST!

Today's Scripture:

In all the work you are doing, work the best you can. Work as if you were doing it for the Lord, not for people.

Colossian 3:23

Work is a noble calling. God commends people for doing it well, and he also does work himself. I have learned much over the years beginning as a young scout, today as a senior pastor and in my secular work as a member of management at the pickle company. I have really come to learn that work regardless of what we do is not for the church, the company, for credit or for a payday. When God created the world, he worked. The excellence of his work is evident in everything he made and did. He even took a day off to review the results of his efforts and declared them "good." God continues to work, sustaining what he created that very first week in the world's history.

Since God created you and I in his image, work should be a part of our lives. Doing it reflects God's creativity and character. We work where He places us until He moves us in a new direction. You see it is easy, however, to lose your motivation when a job is difficult or you become bored or frustrated with dealing with the same thing day after day. Paul's words to Colossians can help you keep your work in its proper perspective.

Working the best you can literally means working "out from the soul."

You are not working simply to pay the bills, please your boss, or pass the time of day. God set this job in front of you. When you do your job well, God notices, even if no one else does.

It does not matter your position be it low or high. In my first green season at my company I was a seasonal worker making minimum wage working for the superintendent Ken Powell. It did not matter about the degrees from two different colleges I had hanging on the wall what mattered most was the work I did each day. God encourages us to work hard doing the best we can, where we are, with what He has given us and to do so in His name.

Selah people' and friends the section of Colossians I have shared with us today was originally directed toward slaves. It encouraged them to remain positive and productive, even if they were working in bondage under a tyrant. If a slave, who could be beaten even if he did a job well, could strive for excellence by maintaining a Colossians 3:23 perspective, that should inspire us in our jobs.

"Continually refocus on God's perspective throughout the day to help keep your efforts on the right track. Remember who we really work for and who "the man" really is."

Your pastor,

Rev Patrick Muston

Selah Christian Church
Four Oaks, NC

http://selahchurch.com

Listen to our choir special led by Lee Ann Higgins and our sermon message each week via our Selah media website:

http://selahmedia.tripod.com

Share a daily scripture and devotion at our church blog:
http://selahchurch.blogspot.com