What the congregation opened in 1911 as a place for the church to meet in a little under two and half hours came down this morning. This is a sad day for many memories were connected with that structure.

It is also a joyous day for the simple fact last June's tornado left a congregation to continue the legacy of people who were sixteen years without a structure to meet. We look back for the inspiration of those who came before us and we look ahead to those who will follow in our legacy and what we build for them both physically and spiritually.

-MJR

Pay Day

And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life.

(Matthew 19:29, NIV)

I want to piggyback off some of the thoughts from Sunday’s sermon (sermons are available to view via the youtube link on the right). Notice the last questions the king made to the twelve hour workers about how they were paid legally. This was not just reference to their agreement earlier in the day, for Jesus says this is a parable of the Kingdom of Heaven. If God’s just then His own rules of law are true of Him. If we are His servants then we can trust what the law says about them.

The Law says:

Do not take advantage of a hired man who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother Israelite or an alien living in one of your towns. Pay him his wages each day before sunset, because he is poor and is counting on it. Otherwise he may cry to the Lord against you, and you will be guilty of sin. (Dt. 24:14-15)

If this is a kingdom parable, then is God in violation of his own law by not giving his workers daily wages? Friends, when do we receive reward from God? When does God give back to us for what we have left behind to work in his kingdom? Is it just in the sweet bye and bye, when we gather on that beautiful shore? I fear for some of us that is the only reward we believe in and that’s why the things of God grow strangely dim in the darkness of this world and mess. Now there is an eternal side to pay day, we claim the hope we have in Jesus. As one source I read while studying stated, clearly this speak more of direct return of us receiving 100 brothers, 100 sisters, 100 fathers, 100 mothers, 100 children and 100 fields for each 1 we have left for the call of Christ.

But is that true? If you are one who wonders if ministers are borderline crazy for what they do and thinks missionaries have gone completely mad, then maybe it is because we don’t spend enough time mentioning the fact God fulfills his duty to pay us generously every day. Hold on, this is not the point where I tell you to sow a seed of faith with me for x amount of dollars, I will let you in on the secret to you becoming rich and famous. No, this is where we realize that in the relationships of the believers we find our greatest riches. We begin to understand that the love of God and love of others is not just commandment but the true joy of our lives.

Within the body of Christ we have:

• mentor fathers who guide us in the faith
• co-laboring brothers and sisters who through our work and time together can be called upon and memories shared.
• mentored children in the faith have listened to what we told them about growing up in God and our now in love with Jesus and serve him.
• praying encouraging mothers who want to wrap their hugs around us when they see us hurt, feed me when we are hungry, and want to know how our relationship with “the One” is.
• fields of congregations that we have opportunity to share in the greatness of the family of God.

This week why not consider taking one of these groups each day and:

1. Thank God for those relationships
2. Pray specifically for one person on your list
3. Write, call, e-mail or text one of the people and just tell them how important they are to you.

-MJR

Welcome

Welcome to a new feature of the church's ministry online. Our new site will exist for occasional addressing of pressing church life situations, additional thoughts that may not have made it into teachings and additional practices to live out what we have learned to become what we are wish to be in Christ.

Titling the blog places focus back on our mission as a congregation. Though Moscow Musings and Real Rush County Rants were considered.

I want to encourage you to enjoy what's here and interact with the comments section. Let us pour out our lives to serve a thirsting world knowing Christ has promised us if we drink from Him our well will never run dry.

In His Service,
Mike