Be the Best! By Pastor Joe

Be the Best!                                                                                       By Pastor Joe    

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.” Colossians 3:17 NLT. “Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.” Colossians 3:23-24 NLT.

These are two great thoughts from the Apostle Paul to the church in Colosse. Also, on a regular basis we hear from many other different voices about how important it is to do our best! Having been a Boy Scout it’s part of the Scout oath, here it is: “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law; to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” What a great pledge-it is so profound that we should read it over a few more times.

Most of us are not within the age prerequisites for being a Boy Scout, but we can still abide by this oath. The order of commitment within the Scout Oath is very important, Duty to God is first and  far above our commitment to country. The secret beauty of doing your duty (being your best) to Almighty God also means we’ll be even better citizens of this nation. Nevertheless, this world is falling apart and hatred towards our Christian world view is growing.  The powers of this dark world are at work to silence the church- but we do not answer to man, we answer to God. Hawthorne Assembly learned our lesson during the “Covid Crisis”. There is nothing within the Word of God, which followers of the Lord Jesus must honor above anything or any government, which brings dishonor to our nation. We have a mandate from heaven.

During this time of the year outdoor activities become more prevalent within this local fellowship we are  committed to doing everything we can to shine the light of Jesus. The snowfall seems to be done and Roadside cleanup, Spring Spruce Up, Assembly Park Camp cleanup day, and much more are just around the corner. All of these important fellowship activities will need take place, watch for more information through Text in Church and the church Facebook page. 

The impetus for this week’s thought comes from a young man I met in India in 2019. We had a few additional Bibles left to distribute and I was able to provide him a copy.  In our last conversation he mentioned his vocation was not a position where one experiences levels of success.  More specifically levels of success where we tell others about our great exploits, our great achievements, our great advancements!  According to our scripture passage if we are engaged in cleaning bathrooms, scrubbing floors or picking up trash, whatever we do, we do it to honor God. Be the Best at whatever you do.

Don’t forget the prophetic word God gave me 4 years ago….plant a garden, and plant a garden which brings glory and honor unto the Lord. One of my comments on Wednesday night was let your kids play in the dirt. The same goes for you! Part of my garden endeavors will be assembling containers, above ground, to provide the proper soil for our variety of produce. Having a beautiful garden is not about bragging rights, rather it’s about boasting in the Lord.

My challenge to you is be the best- be the best spouse, be the best parent, be the best neighbor, be the best employer, be the best employee, be the best worshiper, be the best volunteer, be the best gardener- be the best at whatever you do. And whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God!