As our summer endeavors come to an end I wonder what
might be said of the time we spent. Would others say that we put the time of
summer to good use? Did we let Christ make a difference in us? Greetings in
the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We have been looking into the book of Acts at Mt. Carmel Christian
Church one of the verses stuck with me; Acts 4:13b;
“they took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
How did we spend our summer? Did we take time to let Christ
influence and change us?
Did we spend time with Jesus while we traveled the highways and
byways? If so did that time leave such an impression on us that others would
take note that we had been with Jesus?
I was talking with a friend at the track the other day and he
shared how he had gotten pulled into more than he bargained for the night
before and he was feeling the affects of it.
I asked him the question; “Who were you with?”
When I heard the answer I knew exactly what happened. I knew the
person he was with. I knew his reputation. And from that information I could
draw a conclusion as to what he spent the night doing.
We are a product of our environment; the people, places and things
around us. We are influenced by them. They have a power over us that leads
us. We end up in some places we shouldn’t be because of their influence.
Sometimes we are unable to break free and make decisions that honor God.
We need to remember that no matter where we are, no matter what we
are up to; Jesus wants to be a part of it. Not only a part but involved so
much that His presence would change us. That change would cause others would
take notice.
Do we let Christ change us? Do we expect Christ to change us? We
should, He wants to.
Therein lies the difficulty we all face, we want to serve God
without changing. We want to be able to continue living the way we choose
and serve God at the same time. That cannot happen. Change is a requirement
of serving God through Christ.
As we change the new creation we become in Christ influences the
people around us. They should see a difference, an improvement. We should
reflect the very nature of Christ.
When we change there is a struggle that takes place. Our old self
struggles as it gets replaced by the new nature we have in Christ. We
continually have to decide which nature we will follow. Sometimes we follow
the right voice, sometimes we don’t. As we walk with Christ we ought to
follow the right voice more than we follow the wrong.
The decision is always present; Who do we follow? Joshua faced the
same question;
Joshua 24:14-16 "Now fear
the LORD and serve him with all faithfulness. Throw away the gods your
forefathers worshiped beyond the River and in Egypt , and serve the LORD.
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves
this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served
beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living.
But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."
Peter and John had been hauled before the
judgment seat to answer for what they had done. They were thrown in jail and
put on trial for their act of kindness and healing of a crippled man. They
were called to defend themselves.
Acts 4:19-20;
But Peter and John replied, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right
in God's sight to obey you
rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and
heard."
Peter and John had the right thought
process, they had been with Jesus. They knew that obeying God was much
better than obeying man. They had seen and heard the work of God and decided
to live their lives under the influence, the influence of Christ.
Who have we decided to live our life under the influence of? You
have heard of DUI well how about LUI, Living Under the Influence. My hope
and prayer for each one of you is that when your actions are observed by
others they would conclude that you are under the influence of Christ.
Acts 4:12 Salvation is found
in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be
saved."
THOUGHTS
FROM THE ROAD
WILLIAMS GROVE - Well my first trip
to Williams Grove is in the books and it lived up to all I had heard. This
place is a Mecca for Sprint Car fans. Friday was packed and Saturday was
overflowing in spite of the threatening weather. Even with a two hour delay
the fans packed the place hoping to see a classic.
Friday’s feature was just a taste of what Saturday would bring.
With a last lap pass for the lead Kreitz edged Dietrich to give the Posse a
sweep in warm-up for the National.
Saturday night all the stars aligned and a fairy book ending of a
great Sprint Car career was closed out with a win in the National. Fred
Rahmer won his first Williams Grove Speedway National Open victory in his
last attempt.
This proved to be a popular win among the crowd and the WOO drivers
as well. Many came up to congratulate Rahmer on his victory. Rahmer said
that meant more than the fifty grand prize money. Some had given him up for
dead, but he proved them wrong.
Nothing can prove a better motivator than your last try at a title
that has eluded you throughout your storied career. But that doesn’t always
mean the ending will fulfill your dreams. This night was different, Rahmer’s
dreams came true. I wonder if he is headed to Disney World?
NOCELLA WINS FIRST MODIFIED RACE - Seekonk was the place and
the Valenti Modified Racing Series event was the place. Anthony Nocella used
his experience gained in the NEMA ranks to notch his first victory. Look for
this to be a door opener for this young driver.
WATERFORD HAS ANOTHER FIRST - Bethany Stoehr out dueled her
Uncle and former NEMA Champion Russ Stoehr to win her first NEMA feature
Sunday at Waterford Speedbowl’s Finale. Stoehr, 18, became only the second
woman to win in a NEMA feature in its 61- year old history.
We are going to have to qualify the Stoehr name with initials as
there were no short of four Family members in the feature. Dad Greg, Uncle
Russ and Cousin Avery joined Bethany in this Sunday family reunion. Racing
IS a family sport!
We are looking forward to crowning the champions of the Whelen
Modified Tour and the K&N Pro Series East in a couple weeks. Hope to see you
at the track.
Until next time, be a witness for our Lord with the ministry decals
and apparel. See them at the Show Your Faith Apparel Store at
http://www.rwjm.com/store. Send us your prayer and counseling needs no matter
what part of our racing family you are in, or give us a call. Remember that
God loves you, we love you and
Jesus is Lord over Auto Racing. GOD BLESS.
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Numbers 6:24-26 "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord
make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face
toward you and give you peace."
May God always Bless you, everyday in everyway. Rev. Don
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