As imperfect as it may be, the local church really is God’s best plan for reaching this planet for Christ!  In fact, planting New Testament communities of faith in new places is the most effective form of evangelism that exists.  The church exists as God’s chosen instrument for fulfilling His purposes on the earth and  is the center of His redemptive purposes on earth.  Christ calls us out of our sinful independence and isolation in order to baptize us into His Body, the Church (1 Cor. 12:13).  His plan is to transplant us from being alone, to being immersed into the people of God (Acts 2:42 & 47).  It is within the context of committed meaningful relationships in a local church that the fullness of Christ is revealed and we are brought to a place of maturity and service.  Thus, when it comes right down to it, there is no Christianity apart from life in the local church. What do you think about that statement?  Can you have Christ without His Community and His Cause?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18  give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Circumstances are a lot like the mattress on your bed:  if you are under the mattress, you will suffocate; but if you can get on top of the mattress, you can enjoy some rest! And one of the key things that helps us get on top of the mattress of difficult life-circumstances is our attitude in life!

Airplanes have something called an attitude indicator or artificial horizon which is an instrument used to tell the pilot the orientation of the aircraft in relationship to the earth.  Attitude is the term that refers to the relative position of the nose of the aircraft to the horizon. If the horizon is straight out in front of you and you pull back on the yoke of the plane slightly one degree up angle, you have an upward attitude. And with continued forward movement, you will gain altitude, and continue to go higher and higher until you change the attitude. The opposite holds just as true. With the nose of the plane pointed even slightly down, you lose altitude. You will continue to descend until you have a change of attitude.  A downward attitude lowers your altitude; and an upward attitude raises your altitude.  And so, your attitude determines your altitude!

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