Say THE Name

Ephesians 1:15-23
15Wherefore I also, after I heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints,
16Cease not to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers;
17That the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give unto you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him:
18The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints,
19And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,
20Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,
21Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:
22And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,
23Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

Say THE Name

Yesterday, I had the good priviledge to preach a message called 'Say My Name.' The reference for the message was from Genesis 32 (the story of Jacob wrestling with the Angel of the Lord) and from Genesis 2:18 where God brought the animals to Adam and whatever Adam called them that became the name of the animal. The message dealt with answering your calling.

Whether from fatigue or by divine appointment, I didn't give the whole message. The scripture above is the other part, or say THE Name. Jesus, as a name wasn't uncommon. There were many boys before and since the birth of Christ who were named Jesus.

But who gives the name and who receives the name matters.

My pastor isn't my pastor because he decided to open a church. He is my pastor because God called him to that role and he accepted the name. Other people have the same name, but not the same role. His role is unique to his calling and the lives his obedience has impacted. Same with every other pastor, evangelist, apostle, prophet and teacher who has been called by God to service. Common names, unique applications.

Then there is this Jesus. This One Man. The Only Begotten of God Himself. This Jesus Who is Alpha and Omega, the Morning Star, Wonderul, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Prince of Peace. His name became Emmanuel, God with Us despite being a common, ordinary name because of Who gave it to Him and Who He is.

Say THE Name, that Name above all Names. That Name at which every knee should bow, and every tongue confess His Lordship. He is Christ the King. He is the Author and the Finisher of our faith.

Don't know what I'm talking about? Then you need to come see what's been written about and for you by the Author.

Know what I mean, but don't know why I'm so excited about it? Then perhaps your faith is unfinished in its construction. You need to spend time with the Finisher.

Know what I'm talking about and why I'm excited but you feel far removed? Then come see about this Man, this Jesus. You're still His.

Whether you know, don't know or feel lost, we have room for you at Fellowship.

Ephesians 1:3-14

3Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
5Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,
6To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
7In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;
8Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence;
9Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself:
10That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
11In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
12That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.
13In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise,
14Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.

The rest was too good not to share. Hallelujah!

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.

The church website is www.fcchosengeneration.com. Feel free to share this message. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church
Where Passions Become Reality
Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!
455 Hwy 138, Ste C
Jonesboro, GA 30238
Alton Watkins, Pastor

Ephesians 4:8, 11-13

8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Gifts to the Church

Paul taught us in Ephesians that Christ left gifts for the church. Like a good bridegroom who presents his bride with a rare gem as an engagement token of his pledge, so Christ has left His Bride, The Church, gifts of His pledge. His gifts include apostles, teachers, evangelists, prophets and pastors.

Last week, we talked about our responsibilty as belivers; that is to honor our calling in Christ, because we are all ministers. But like all organized bodies, different parts have different roles.

In the role of pastor at Fellowship, we are richly blessed. Our pastor, Alton Watkins, has a heart after God and a deep devotion to his congregation. All this combined with a solid foundation in the Word makes him a warrior and champion in his calling. In his wife, Dossie, we have a teacher of profound depth and humility. She exudes her lessons in her walk, giving us a tangible example of Godly womanhood that is rarely equalled.

I hope you will join us as we celebrate this wonderful couple's fourth anniversary in the ministry this Sunday, October 17th at Fellowship Church. We have a full day of events planned:
At our regular 11:30 morning service, Minister Ronald Watkins will bring the word.
We will have a light lunch after service catered jointly by Zen Catering and Calico Catering.
At 3:00 PM, we will have a special service honoring our Pastor and First Lady where I will share a word from God.
Cake and refreshments will be served following the special service.
Please make plans to join us for either or both services. We look forward to celebrating this special couple with you. However, whether you are able to make it or not, share a word of encourgement with them to help build their faith in their walk.

If you have no idea what would spark this kind of admiration for a pastor and first lady because you do not have a church home, or where you attend, your pastor is a stranger, then I encourage you to come to Fellowship. We are a ministry that takes roles and callings seriously. We take relationship seriously. We take salvation and discipleship seriously. And we would welcome the honor of introducing you to and walking with you through all of this. Seriously.

Proverbs 3:27
Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Peace and Joy be with you!

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.

The church website is www.fcchosengeneration.com. Feel free to share this message. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church
Where Passions Become Reality
Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!
455 Hwy 138, Ste C
Jonesboro, GA 30238
Alton Watkins, Pastor

Really? All Things? Really. All Things.

Philipians 4:13

I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Really? All Things? Really. All Things.

Ah, the battle cry of the believer. I can do all things!! We say it all the time. But do we believe it? Do we know what ALL really means?

When Paul wrote this line in his letter to the Philipians, he was in captivity. As Saul, he had been a favorite of the priests as a persecutor of the Church. He was a Pharasee with his own disciples. Here, as Paul, a man so changed by his salvation experience, his name changed; here he sits in a prison, a societal outcast, defending a practice that as a Pharasee, he had once killed followers to prevent its spread. Yes, Paul had learned that he could indeed do all things, including living as a humble servant with the same grace he showed as a celebrated leader.

Our discipleship journey crosses hills and valleys. Like the travels our Savior took throughout Judea and Galilee, we can expect mountains and canyons along the way. We may be praised as we enter one phase of our life, and find ourselves in isolation in the next. And our call is to know that regardless the of the circumstances, we can do all things through Christ. We can abase, and we can abound. We can be the lead, the middle, the tail end or even the left out. We can do whatever The Father needs us to do because when we move in obedience, we move through Christ.

We make this our call when we are challenged. I encourage you dear friends to also make this cry when you feel like the work is beneath you. Whether the Holy Spirit leads you to the pulpit or to the nursery, make this your battle cry. If the call is to preach or to vacuum the church after service, make this your battle cry.

Whatever the Holy Spirit leads you to do, you can do through Christ. The practice, whatever it is, will strengthen you. And honestly, your obedience and willingness to yield are matters of life and death, eternally speaking (Matthew 25:46).

If you are making this journey without leadership, or the support of a church family, please visit Fellowship. If you haven't started your journey, we would be honored to help you get started.

Matthew 25:31-46

³¹When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

³²And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

³³And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

³⁴Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

³⁵For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

³⁶Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

³⁷Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

³⁸When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

³⁹Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

⁴⁰And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

⁴¹Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

⁴²For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

⁴³I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

⁴⁴Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

⁴⁵Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

⁴⁶And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Peace that passes all understanding be with you!

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.

The church website is www.fcchosengeneration.com.

Feel free to share this message. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church

Where Passions Become Reality

Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!

455 Hwy 138, Ste C

Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor

Good Measure

Luke 6:37-38
37 Judge not, and ye shall not be judged: condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned: forgive, and ye shall be forgiven:
38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again.

Good Measure

These two verses from Luke are quoted all the time by non-believers as well as believers. The thing is, most people leave out that there is a colon and not a period between the statements.

From Dictionary.com
co·lon[koh-luhn] 1. the sign (:) used to mark a major division in a sentence, to indicate that what follows is an elaboration, summation, implication, etc., of what precedes; or to separate groups of numbers referring to different things, as hours from minutes in 5:30; or the members of a ratio or proportion, as in 1 : 2 = 3 : 6.

Ok, so what Sis. Stephanie. There's a colon. Other than being a grammar nerd, what's your point?

My point is Jesus was telling us that good or bad, righteous or unrighteous, our works, our thoughts, our words produce results, good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over. Other people relate to us based on how we relate to them. This short passage is another example repeated throughout the Bible that we reap what we sow (Galatians 6:6-8).

What we have to keep in mind as believers in Christ resurrected is that we not only reap, but we reap bountifully because our hearts have been turned from stony, unproductive ground into rich, life affirming soil by the Blood of Christ.

Dearest, when you consider your life in Christ, does it seem like you feel things more deeply? You care more now when you do something wrong than you used to? You're more sensitive to how people treat you? That isn't coincidence. That's an intentional result from being grafted in with the Savior. Good or bad, what we take in produces fruit; abundantly.

So, as you move through your days, remember what you take in, what you speak, what you feel gets multiplied in your life. If you need a picture of this, remember that a single kernal of corn produces a stalk full of corn cobs full of corn kernals. How much more can your words, work, actions, thoughts produce if you a part of the very Body of Christ?

My advice? Galatians 5:16 and Philipians 4:8.

Speak, give and think life. Speak, give and think faith. Speak, give and think encouragement. Study how Jesus spoke (speaks), gave (gives) and thought (thinks). Speak to Him, and you'll know what to say, do and think. And you will be joyful and grateful for the harvest you reap.

Need to know how to get that started? I look forward to meeting you at Fellowship. We know where to get good seed; straight from the Father's hand.

Philippians 4:4-13
4 Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me hath flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye lacked opportunity.
11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Peace that passes all understanding be with you!

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.

The church website is www.fcchosengeneration.com.

Feel free to share this message. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church
Where Passions Become Reality
Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!
455 Hwy 138, Ste C
Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor

Can't Lose Shoes

Deuteronomy 29:1-9
1 These are the words of the covenant, which the Lord commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, beside the covenant which he made with them in Horeb. 2 And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them, Ye have seen all that the Lord did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land;
3 The great temptations which thine eyes have seen, the signs, and those great miracles:
4 Yet the Lord hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.
5 And I have led you forty years in the wilderness: your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot.
6 Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink: that ye might know that I am the Lord your God.
7 And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them:
8 And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half tribe of Manasseh.
9 Keep therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may prosper in all that ye do.

Can't Lose Shoes

This is an affirmation that is used alot in my family. It is meant as a lighthearted victory cry of how good God is in our lives. As you can see, it's even Biblical, though when it was coined, we weren't being that deep. See, we went on a trip...we couldn't find a pair of shoes we thought we had brought...when we got home, they were in the suitcase already. That event birthed "Can't lose shoes". We were so well cared for that we couldn't even lose shoes. And we weren't the first.

The Children of Isreal were brought out of slavery and destitution to a land rich with provision. They spent 40 years on their journey from being slaves to being free. They whined, they cried, they took things in their own hands and fashioned idols and corrupted priests. They tried to kill Moses more than once. They were pleaded for by Moses more than once when God said that He would destroy them.

Yet, they were provided for all along the way. Even their shoes lasted over time on the rough terrain of the desert. Nothing wore out. Food came fresh in the morning. There is no record of devastating conditions from the weather, only from their behavior. From the temperature to the daily provision, including enough so that they didn't have to gather on the Sabbath, everything was provided.

Dear ones, we, like the children of Isreal, can't lose shoes. Most of them only related to God through Moses or Aaron and didn't have a personal relationship. Yet, through the sacrafice of Christ, we have a personal, face to face relationship. We are grafted into the very body of Christ. We are related by The Blood.

So, consider, as life challenges you, if the children of Israel, without benefit of direct relationship couldn't even lose shoes, how much better cared for are you as part of the Bride of Christ?

Give your life completely to Christ. If you haven't confessed Him, confess. If you haven't gotten to work in your calling, get to work. If you haven't given all of your life, give it all. If you need help getting to this point, join us at Fellowship. We know that in Christ, you won't even be able to lose shoes.

Psalm 91:1-12
1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
5 Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
6 Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.
7 A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.
8 Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.
9 Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;
10 There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.
11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Peace and encouragement.

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.

The church website is www.fcchosengeneration.com. Feel free to share this message. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church
Where Passions Become Reality
Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!
455 Hwy 138, Ste C
Jonesboro, GA 30238
Alton Watkins, Pastor

So, Just Where Are You Taking the Lord's Name?

Exodus 20:7
Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

So, Just Where Are You Taking the Lord's Name?

We use the Baptist Sunday School Quarterly at Fellowship Church. If you use it as well, then you know the lesson yesterday was about the diety of God as expressed through the first part of the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 1-18, Deuteronomy 5:4-22). We were talking about what it means to take the Lord's name in vain.

Of course, we focused on the careless habit we can get into of throwing around the name of God, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in the same way we use the words 'shoot', 'darn', and 'oh my gosh'. This habit is irreverent. We would never use our parents names in a careless explitive (Oh my Shirley! Tom Messiah!) because these are real people and it's silly to throw their names around like that (I apologize to any one out there who may be named Jimmey Cricket). Yet, we have to think about giving this same deference to the name and character of our Savior, our God.

But, the Holy Spirit dropped something in me that I couldn't get away from. The practice is falling out of fashion now, but there was a time that whenever a woman married, she automatically took her husband's name as her own. It wasn't unusual and at one time the highest form of respect, for her to be known almost entirely by his name (Mrs. John Wilson).

Dear ones, the Church of Jesus Christ is the very Bride of Christ. Other people call the followers of Christ "Christians" or Christ-like or little-Christ. We are literally known by His name. We take His name when we accept salvation.

And oh, the places we take that name.

We take the name of Christ to our jobs, to our family gatherings. We take the name of Christ everywhere we go. We take His name into every activity we practice; the ones we're proud of and boast about...and we take the Name to those actions we don't want anyone else to know about.

We have to ask ourselves when we look at where we go and what we do, have we taken His Name in vain?

Have we taken His Name and then insisted on behaving the same way we did before we were known as Christ's? Have we taken His Name and then walked in disbelief, faithlessness, broken-heartedness and sickness? Have we taken His Name and then see church as only a social obligation that is actually in place to benefit our business careers or dating opportunities?

Matthew 7:22-23
22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

Or, have we taken His Name and chosen to follow after the Holy Spirit? Have we taken His Name and looked to be not only grafted in, but disciples eager to learn of Him? Have we taken His Name, His yoke, His cross and His Way?

Isaiah 62:1-5
1For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth.
2And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory: and thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name.
3Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God.
4Thou shalt no more be termed Forsaken; neither shall thy land any more be termed Desolate: but thou shalt be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah: for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married.
5For as a young man marrieth a virgin, so shall thy sons marry thee: and as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee.

(By the way, the verse defines Hephzibah and Beulah)

If you've taken the name, do not take it in vain. Take it in fullness, life and truth.

If you've not taken the name or if you haven't open yourself up to the fullness of His Name, then you are welcome at Fellowship. We will introduce you, encourage you and work with you in your growth. We look forward to having you do the same for us.

Revelation 21:9
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

Revelation 22:17
And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.


Peace.

Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.

The church website is www.fcchosengeneration.com. Feel free to share this message. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church
Where Passions Become Reality
Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!

455 Hwy 138, Ste C
Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor

Are You All In, or Is This Just a Hook Up?

2 Samuel 13:1-2, 10-17
1 And it came to pass after this, that Absalom the son of David had a fair sister, whose name was Tamar; and Amnon the son of David loved her.
2 And Amnon was so vexed, that he fell sick for his sister Tamar; for she was a virgin; and Amnon thought it hard for him to do anything to her.

10 And Amnon said unto Tamar, Bring the meat into the chamber, that I may eat of thine hand. And Tamar took the cakes which she had made, and brought them into the chamber to Amnon her brother.
11 And when she had brought them unto him to eat, he took hold of her, and said unto her, Come lie with me, my sister.
12 And she answered him, Nay, my brother, do not force me; for no such thing ought to be done in Israel: do not thou this folly.
13 And I, whither shall I cause my shame to go? and as for thee, thou shalt be as one of the fools in Israel. Now therefore, I pray thee, speak unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee.
14 Howbeit he would not hearken unto her voice: but, being stronger than she, forced her, and lay with her.
15 Then Amnon hated her exceedingly; so that the hatred wherewith he hated her was greater than the love wherewith he had loved her. And Amnon said unto her, Arise, be gone.
16 And she said unto him, There is no cause: this evil in sending me away is greater than the other that thou didst unto me. But he would not hearken unto her.
17 Then he called his servant that ministered unto him, and said, Put now this woman out from me, and bolt the door after her.

Are You All In, or Is This Just a Hook Up?

The reference above is to one of the saddest episodes in David's life as a father. One of his sons, Amnon, forces himself on David's daughter (his half-sister), Tamar, and then throws her out of his house. He refuses to take her as his wife or care for her. She lives out her life in disgrace with her brother, Absalom. And, as the scholars know, two years later, Absalom kills his brother to avenge his sister and runs from his father in fear.

Amnon wanted the benefits of relationship with Tamar, but he wasn't willing to honor the comittment side. He wasn't willing to ask for her to be his wife. He wasn't willing to care for her after he had used her. His callousness and selfishness cost him his life. Though this is a harsh example, it is a clear representation of how we can misuse, or flat out ignore our responsibilities in our relationship with Christ.

Oh, we want the benefits...the favor...the protection...the assurance. Heaven is mine because I confess Him as Christ. Favor is mine because He loves me. I call out to the Lord and He will hear and answer my prayer, because He loves me. All of this is true. But, God's goodness does not superceed our responsibilities in Christ. And ignoring the responsibilities in Christ is costly (Luke 13:24-27).

Dear ones, Jesus is not interested in a 'friends with bennies' relationship with us. He gave all freely, but as an example. As He gave all, we should give all.

1 Peter 2:21
21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

His love is true. His faithfulness is true. Patience, longsuffering, kindness, all true. His sacrifice was a gift. However, we are not in this walk simply to benefit. If that were true, then salvation wouldn't be necessary because God loved us while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8). No, we are saved for relationship.

Examine where you stand with Jesus. Do you seek to 'take His yoke upon you and learn of Him' (Matthew 11:29)? Are you walking along side, staying in line with His precepts and practices? Are you learning of Him, from Him, about Him?

Or, is this just a 'bennie' situation for you? Do you do church 'cause it's the right thing to do? Do you feel like you've done God a favor because you said grace before eating? You dropped a little money in the offering plate, so you and 'The Big Guy Up There' are square? Consider Hebrews 10:30-31 anytime you feel like you've done God a 'solid'.

Jesus set the example of how we should walk; in peace and in service, with all the benefits AND responsibilities of relationship.

Jesus gave it all. All to Him, I owe. Sin had left a crimson stain. He washed it white as snow.

All to Jesus, I surrender. All to Him I freely give. I will ever love and trust Him. In His presence daily live. I surrender all.

John 13:12-16
12 So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you?
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

We teach Jesus and Him crucified at Fellowship. We focus on building our relationship in Christ. If you don't know Christ, come to Fellowship. If you are not in a church body, or if you are not moving into relationship with Jesus where you are right now, I encourage you to come to Fellowship.

Peace.
Evg. Stephanie Robinson

Lifeline is the evangelistic ministry of Fellowship Church in Jonesboro, GA.

The church website is www.fcchosengeneration.com.
Feel free to share this message. For questions or to subscribe, send an email to fellowship_lifeline@yahoo.com. You can reach the church at chosen.gen@att.net.

Fellowship Church
Where Passions Become Reality
Because you are a CHOSEN GENERATION!

455 Hwy 138, Ste C
Jonesboro, GA 30238

Alton Watkins, Pastor