Marc Estes

The other night while in line at a convenient store, I noticed a small framed elderly man with literally a stack of lottery tickets. He stood there at the coffee counter frantically using a coin to scrape off the masking from each ticket in hopes of finding a winner. After I had finished paying for my groceries, I walked up to him and exclaimed, “ I’ve got the winning ticket”! He replied, “You do?”  I told him that I had it and I was giving it to him!  At that moment he looked up at me and I gave him a tract on how he could go to Heaven. I shared that my winning ticket was forth much more than all his tickets combined, for mine would show him how he could go to Heaven for all eternity.  He smiled and nodded in agreement as he received the winning ticket.

 

It never ceases to amaze me how we as mere humans are always drawn to strike it rich. Whether it be from a lottery ticket or some get rich quick scheme, people are constantly investing their time, talents, and energies to gain more and more hay, wood, and stubble.

 

Yet Jesus said, “Seek ye first the Kingdom of Heaven and all these things will be given to you as well (Matthew 6:33).”  That old man well into the winter of his years was perhaps still seeking to build his own kingdom, and yet he was just one heartbeat away from eternity. 

 

We as Christians have a golden opportunity to share the winning ticket with multitudes of people who we run into each and every day of our lives. We can tell them that there is One who loves them. His name is Jesus, and that he has paid the price for everything wrong they have ever done.

 

submitted by Craig Fasler

One of the greatest misunderstood truths today surrounds the definition and purpose of the local church. Our ability to discern the true meaning and purpose of the local church and it’s relationship to our own lives will greatly determine the outcome of our lives. Pretty huge statement…but true!

 

In Christendom, controversy is wide spread concerning exactly what the church is to be and what it is actually supposed to do. There are those that believe the church to be the ‘universal’ expression of God’s purpose (big ‘C’) and that the local church (little ‘c’) is simply man’s interpretation and attempt to regulate and control God’s people. There are others that believe that the local church (little ‘c’) is God’s eternal purpose and his final instrment and the universal church (big ‘C’) is a culmination of all the local churches. Two extremes, both with huge ramifications as to how they are lived out in our lives.

 

Outside of the world of Christian debate there are those that don’t claim, nor desire to be called a Christian. They stand on the outside, looking in to our world, beliefs and lifestyle with their own opinions of the church and are asking a pretty big question that we had better be able to answer, “Why does the church even exist?” Many of them would define the church as irrelevant, introverted and religious. Others would say the church is a place for weak, feeble-minded people who are simply out of touch with reality.

 

As we continue to drown in the sea of personal opinion and global debate as to what the church is to be and do, it might be wise to see what Jesus thinks the church is and supposed to be. Jesus made a very thought provoking statement to His disciples regarding this thing called the ‘church.’ He did have an opinion! He says in Matthew 16, “This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not evern the gates of hell will be able to keep it out. And that’s not all. You will have complete and free access to God’s kingdom, keys to open andy and every door; no more barriers between heaven and earth, earth and heaven…”

 

Jesus seemed to think, as well as promise, that there would be this ‘thing’ called the church, and that it would be a part of God’s ultimate purpose and plan. In fact, the entire Bible has much to say about this area of controversy. Maybe, just maybe, there is something in God’s plan and Word that should get our attention as to what ‘HE’ thinks about church, its definition and purpose. Are you game?

 

Over the next few months, I would like to dialogue with you out in blogsville the issue of, “the local church.” As we journey together, I would welcome some thoughts from you as to what you think the local church is to be? Is there a Univeral church only, or is there a plan explained in God’s Word for the local church? And, if there is a local church, what does it look like? Give me your thoughts and lets see if we can together get this thing straight once and for all. Our lives depend on it, as well as the lives of all those who need Christ. The lines are now open! Let ‘er rip.