July 2023 Revealing Light Newsletter

I'm not sure I can say I've ever tried to be a member of something that only consisted of me. Maybe in school, someone would try to make a team or club, but that student needed to find other people to join them, so that they could actually be a member of something. You can't be a member of something that doesn't involved other people. When it comes to the body of Christ, we are each members of Jesus and His body, the church. Paul talks about us each being members of Christ and yet each functioning differently as members of Christ's body. "For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others." Romans 12:4–5 (NIV)

As we follow Jesus, we are disciples of Him. As we are disciples of Jesus, we are members of Him, His body -- the church.

There's something to be said that Jesus said we have treated Him the way we treated people ["‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me." - Matthew 25:40]. As members of Jesus, how are we interacting together? How are we treating Jesus' church body and members?

Verses to consider when talking about being members of Jesus:
Romans 12; 13:8-10;
‌Acts 2:38-47; 4:29-35
‌Col 2:19; 3:12-17
‌Eph 2:21; 4:1-7, 11-16, 25-32
‌1 Cor 12:27

- Daryl Struemph

As I have been traveling on the roads, I have noticed a lot of road construction, improvements, and repaving taking place once the summer kicked off. Construction tends to be in high gear during the summer months, which makes it hard to ignore how we are trying to build things and make things better. We like to build and create things, even from a young age. We do crafts, build with blocks and legos, pictures, and we don't want someone to come and destroy those things we've created. We probably each have a memory when we built something or made something we were really proud of, and then someone came over and knocked it down, destroyed what you created, etc... How did you feel about that? Defeated, upset, disappointed…? Yeah, it hurts!! It doesn’t feel really good if someone else destroys your thing if you never requested it to be destroyed (I know demolition projects can actually be fun as long as it was planned).
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Sometimes, we destroy with our words! Why do we do this to people with our words? Intentionally hurt someone, tear them down? Words and actions do hurt.
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Question: if you wanted to build a house, would you get more accomplished faster by yourself or with a good team? We'd get more accomplished with a good team.
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As Christians, we are a team, actually, we are family. We are brothers and sisters joined in the family of God through Jesus Christ, our savior. ‌"Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Take the lead in honoring one another" (Rom 12:10). "So then, let us pursue what promotes peace and what builds up one another" (Rom 14:19). So with that being said, Paul goes on to say in Eph 4:29, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Instead of hurting each other, destroying each other, what could be accomplished if we built up one another, loving each other, finding ways to encourage each other??

More good can come from that than hurting and destroying each other; that would be like intentionally hurting your star teammate during a game!! That would be foolish!
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The writer of the book of Hebrews said:
"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24–25)‌‌ This is loving a person, building them up, encouraging them, even blessing them -- even if they’ve hurt you. "Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them" (Romans 12:14). "Each one of us is to please his neighbor for his good, to build him up" (Romans 15:2).

In what ways can you be building up people? Your family members, your friends, church members, co-workers, teachers, students, people you can’t stand?‌
 
- Daryl Struemph

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.‌"
John 13:34

"but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.‌"
Romans 5:8

It has been three weeks since any rain has fallen here on the farm. The weatherman predicted three good chances for rain that missed us altogether. The temperature yesterday was 103, and today only 101. I’ve been watering the yard for over a month to keep it green (I guess I like to mow too much!) I really just hate the way it crackles on my bare feet if I don’t keep it watered. You can tell exactly where the sprinkler waters and where it doesn’t. There are burnt patches of grass just out of the reach of the sprinkler circle. Sometimes I just let the water run out the hose end around the fruit trees in the yard. You can see green streaks down the hill where the water reached and revived the grass. It reminded that when I spend time in the Word of God that it refreshes and revives me much like the water does for the grass. [The Lord said] “I will pour out water to quench our thirst and to irrigate your parched fields.”

Water is a good illustration for Jesus: without water there is no life, without water how will we be clean? Jesus said “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of water.’” John 7:37 – 38. So I hope people know when they look at your life that you have been drinking deeply from the water(truth) of His Word.

- Alan McNeely

"For I'll pour water upon thirsty ground and streams on parched land. So will I pour my Spirit upon your offspring, and my blessing upon your descendants."
Isaiah 44:3

July 23rd - 27th
6:00pm - 7:30pm
There will be snacks, music, crafts, skits, and more!