I need your prayer!  It seems that the cool weather has brought out and about a good number of men and women who have decided that their major calling in life is to quench the Spirit of God with their negative, critical and often mean spirited attitudes.  It seems like every year – as we get closer to the big holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas, they just seem to show up.  It’s not that they are not around at other times during the year.  They just seem to be around more and up to doing more harm than good during this time of year.

I love everybody, but I have to be really honest and tell you that I have to pray a lot more than usaul to find and share love with the Spirit Quenchers!  They drain the life out of me!  I can be happy, excited and ready to go for God and then after a run in with a Spirit Quencher, I am sad, drained and in need of a nap!  The Bible tells us to not quench the Spirit!  In fact it has some rather strong advice for those that would allow themselves to become quenchers of the Spirit, so be careful!

I am not sure what we can do about Spirit Quenchers – they have a mind, heart and spirit of their own and they get to decide for themselves!  I do know however, that I don’t have to let a Spirit Quencher turn me into a Spirit Quencher!  So I will keep talking to my God who loves me and has an amazing plan for my life.  And I will keep listening to my God through the love letter of His Word.  And I will ask you my family and friends to pray for me and with me – that I will stay strong and yielded not to man, but to God!  By they way, I will be praying the same thing for you!

I am big on list!  I make a list everyday that I call my “To Do” List.  It is a list of things that I need to get done to feel like I have accomplished something.  As important as it is to have a list of things that I need to do.  It is also important to have a list of things not to do.  The truth is most of us waste a lot of time doing things that we really don’t need to do, and if we can stop doing the things that we are not supposed to do, then we will have more time to focus on the things that we need to do.

I read a book a while back that got me to thinking about list and the importance of different kinds of lists.  To get some help on what you might put on you “Not To Do” list check out this blog by the guy that wrote the “Four Hour Work Week”   http://www.fourhourworkweek.com/blog/2007/08/16/the-not-to-do-list-9-habits-to-stop-now/

We had a great night of thinking, sharing and planning last night at Northwood.  I believe that we as a congregation are working hard to see what God is up to, and I think that we are getting very excited about joining Him in the journey.  We know and are beginning to think about the fact that Salvation is about more than Heaven.  When we are saved we are promised eternity in Heaven with God, but if being saved were just about Heaven, then the very moment that we are saved – God would take us on home to Heaven, but He allows us to stay and continue to live life here on earth, because there is work for us to do in partnership with God.

It is important to remember that salvation is the work of God!  God saves us according to His plans and for His purposes.  When we are saved our being in relationship with God should reflect who He is and what He is about.  In other words – our lives lived should point people toward God!  Our relationship with God is a very personal thing, but we should never keep it to ourselves.  We need to share our relationship and the difference it is making with everyone in everyway that we can.  When we are saved, we are born into a spiritual family.  This is one of the most often over-looked and taken-for-granted gifts of God.  I tell the world that I am in relationship with God by loving Him and loving others with the same kind of love that He loved me with.  If I am really saved, then I will live a life that is submitted to God and His calling upon my life.

Do you really love Jesus?  If you do then make sure that you are doing your part to grow, deepen and perfect the love.  If you really love Jesus then live as a part of His spiritual family and fulfill your role in the family.  If you really love Jesus, then make sure that you are an active part of His growing body.

We are the people of God and we are a part of the kingdom of God!  God loves us and we will show our love for Him by being a church that helps people come to know Him in a real and personal way, while we grow in our relationship with Him!  I am glad that we are on this journey together and I am so excited about what God is dong and going to do!