Men for Rough Work - Just When Needed

"And the Lord shewed me four carpenters." (Zechariah 1:20)

Many years ago, the great English pastor Charles H. Spurgeon, penned his "Morning and Evening" devotional guide. That work is now in the public domain, and you can find copies of it everywhere. Although the language is dated, it is a wonderful devotional to use in your daily Bible reading. I found today's entry encouraging for a number of reasons. See if you do, too:

In the vision described in this chapter, the prophet saw four terrible horns. They were pushing this way and that way, dashing down the strongest and the mightiest; and the prophet asked, "What are these?" The answer was, "These are the horns which have scattered Israel." He saw before him a representation of those powers which had oppressed the church of God. There were four horns; for the church is attacked from all quarters. Well might the prophet have felt dismayed; but on a sudden there appeared before him four carpenters. He asked, "What shall these do?" These are the men whom God hath found to break those horns in pieces. God will always find men for His work, and He will find them at the right time. The prophet did not see the carpenters first, when there was nothing to do, but first the "horns," and then the "carpenters." Moreover, the Lord finds enough men. He did not find three carpenters, but four; there were four horns, and there must be four workmen. God finds the right men; not four men with pens to write; not four architects to draw plans; but four carpenters to do rough work. Rest assured, you who tremble for the ark of God, that when the "horns" grow troublesome, the "carpenters" will be found. You need not fret concerning the weakness of the church of God at any moment; there may be growing up in obscurity the valiant reformer who will shake the nations: Chrysostoms may come forth from our Ragged Schools, and Augustines from the thickest darkness of London's poverty. The Lord knows where to find His servants. He hath in ambush a multitude of mighty men, and at His word they shall start up to the battle; "for the battle is the Lord's," and He shall get to Himself the victory. Let us abide faithful to Christ, and He, in the right time, will raise up for us a defence, whether it be in the day of our personal need, or in the season of peril to His Church.

By the way, if you'd like to read more of Spurgeon's Morning and Evening, you can find it HERE.

HAVEN OF REST - CANCELLED

For those who serve monthly with us at the Haven of Rest, please be advised that the Haven has cancelled our service time this month, as they have a Christmas activity planned for that time slot.

We'll pick it up again in January!

Happenings This Week

As I read in my Bible this morning, I found this verse encouraging:
And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. (Psalm 9:10 KJV)
I share it with you in hopes that you, too, might be encouraged by the absolute faithfulness of our God. He will never ever let you down.

Here are some opportunities at Friendship Bible Church this week:

Wednesday Evening Prayer meeting - I encourage all who have tried this meeting to join us this Wednesday evening for an open and candid discussion about taking it in a new direction. The Lord has been blessing us with a few more attendees and it is important that we structure the meeting in a way that is helpful and valuable. Join us for that discussion this Wednesday at 6:30 pm in the sanctuary. Of course, we will also pray for one another, as we do every Wednesday.

Saturday is Haven of Rest service day, and you are invited to join us at the Haven and help in setting up, serving, and cleaning up. Meet at the Haven of Rest at 10:00. We will be done before noon.

Sunday is the Lord's Day and all God's people are to be in church, so we look forward to your being with us. But in addition to our normal Sunday School and Worship Services, this Sunday's activities also include our Secret Sisters' Christmas Tea immediately following morning worship. In order to accomodate this event, the regularly scheduled Christmas Cantata practice has been moved to 4:00 PM.

We'll see you in church!

He Knows

Life is not always clear... or easy... or even fun. Sometimes the Lord allows us to go through things that are just plain hard... or messy... or unpleasant. Sometimes life just seems to stink!

This week we celebrate Thanksgiving here in America, a time of year when many find themselves feeling like there's nothing to be thankful for... their problems and trials make them wonder if God even cares.

But this morning I read a passage which spoke to me in a new way. Nobody had more troubles than poor old Job. Once in the midst of his trials he let loose with this glorious hymn of praise:

But he knows the way that I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold. (Job 23:10)

Wonderful words indeed. But this morning I noticed, seemingly for the first time, the words that proceed it. Find your Bible and read Job 23:8-9, for therein Job mentions that he can't find God. He looks left and right and before and behind and up and down, but he can't find God. THEN, he says, "Regardless of whether I know where He is, or what He's doing, He knows where I am and what I'm doing, and everything will be ok."

If you're going through a trial, and don't know what God's doing, take comfort in Job's words of wisdom - God knows.

CELEBRATE!

The Lord gave us a wonderful day of celebration this past Lord's Day, and a big thank you goes out to all who worked hard to make it a success. There are probably a few who went home on Sunday afternoon after laboring incessantly over food, setup, and cleanup, and collapsed in near exhaustion. I know I did! But I'm always reminded of one of the Lord's promises - "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." (Galatians 6:9) If you're one who left the church too tired to feel like celebrating, take comfort in that verse. God rewards His workers!

On another note - there are some important announcements for this week:

Wednesday - Prayer Meeting is cancelled this week due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Spend time with family and friends!

Thursday - Happiest of thanksgivings!

Friday - Roping of the Greens. Those who signed up for this should be receiving phone calls to schedule your time slot.

Saturday - 4:00 PM - Hanging of the Greens. Help us decorate the building for Christmas.

Happenings - Week of 11/16/2008

Lots of stuff happening this week. Will you be a part?

On Wednesday, you can join us for Prayer Meeting - 6:30 PM at the church.

On Thursday, we will be touring the Haven of Rest rescue mission in Akron. If you would like to travel with a group, we'll meet at the church, leaving for Akron at 5:15 PM. If it is more convenient, just meet us at the Haven of Rest Missions Building (175 E. Market Street) at 6:00 PM. If you have not yet seen this ministry, it is well worth your time to do so.

Sunday, November 23rd, is Celebration Sunday! Special music will be provided by the Howes Family, and a celebration dinner will be enjoyed by all immediately following the service. YOU APPRECIATE WHAT YOU CELEBRATE! Let's celebrate all God is doing in our lives at FBC!

Set those clocks back on Sunday!

"Turning your clock back on Sunday may be good for your heart. Swedish researchers looked at 20 years of records and discovered that the number of heart attacks dipped on the Monday after clocks were set back an hour, possibly because people got an extra hour of sleep." (By STEPHANIE NANO, Associated Press Writer)

Less heart attacks - there's a nice result of setting those clocks back! But what about being more rested and prepared for a morning worshipping our Lord on the Lord's Day? Who would have thought that the simple act of turning our clocks back in the fall could reap both physical and spiritual benefits?

Turn that clock back Saturday night. We'll see you in church Sunday morning, rested, refreshed, and heart attack free!