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The December edition of the UnOfficial Christian Newsletter |
| The December UnOfficial Christian Newsletter Co-Editors: Wes Roach, Cat Saxon, Grammapenny, Wordteacher And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear. Isaiah 65:24 TABLE OF CONTENTS: 1. About this Newsletter 2. Letter from the Editor 3. Bible Study 4. Editor's Picks 5. Prayer requests!!!!! We are Praying People!!! Amen! About this Newsletter & Bible Study. As has been said in a previous edition of the UCN (and after much thought, I can say it no better): We are here to serve God, and serve our Community of Believers. Each of us desires to be instruments of God’s handiwork. We each have something that God has put on our hearts to teach, and preach the Good News of The Gospel. Always…lifting Him up. Expect from Him to meet your needs. With His anointing, we pray the Holy Spirit has His way in our lives. He has placed this in my heart to say, that here in this newsletter, there will be no watering down of the Word, or teaching a social gospel. I care nothing for political correctness. I care about scriptural correctness! Letter from the Editor Greetings, folks. Thanks for the opportunity to share with you in this, my first newsletter as a co-editor for the UCN. I would like to thank Shaun for asking me to help in putting it out. A week or so ago, I sent off an email, asking to join you good folks, and it was a very humbling experience indeed to be asked to help out editing. Along with co-editors armyofnone, grandmapenny   , and tawnycatfl, I hope we will be able to put out a (somewhat) consistent product in order to challenge one another to walk the walk of a faithful believer in Christ. If you’re still thinking at this point “Who are you?” I apologize. Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Scott Earnst and I’m a 40 year old married father of two daughters from Virginia where I am currently in my 19th year of military service. More important than any of that though, is that I’m also an 18 year (and – OH so battle-scarred) veteran of Christ’s army. I am currently working on my bachelor’s degree in Religion through Liberty University. But enough of that, if you really think you need to know more than that, read About me. All that aside, we’re here not to discus me, but our relationship with Jesus Christ through the study of God's word, to see what good writing might be out there we’ve missed, and take to the all important task of prayer. ! In Christ, WordTeacher BIBLE STUDY The Spirit of a Bondservant If you open your Bible to Romans 1:1 you’ll find a description of its author. The passage describes a man named Paul and uses three small explanatory words to do so. The meaning of these words can easily be lost however, during a cursory reading of the text. These words are bondservant, apostle, and separated. Over the next few Newsletters that I do, lets take a look at each of these terms and not only what did they mean for Paul but what do the mean in your life and mine. The first term Paul uses in describing himself is “bondservant” It is the Greek word “doulos" and means: 1a) a slave, bondman, man of servile condition 1b) Metaphor, one who gives himself up to another’s will those whose service is used by Christ in extending and advancing His cause among men. 1c) Devoted to another to the disregard of one’s own interests. This is very important and is key to understanding Paul’s relationship with Jesus. It’s also key to understanding the relationship Jesus wants you and I to have with Him. The first real description of a bondservant is in the book of Deuteronomy 15:16-17 which reads: “And if it happens that he says to you, 'I will not go away from you,' because he loves you and your house, since he prospers with you, then you shall take an awl and thrust it through his ear to the door, and he shall be your servant forever. Also to your female servant you shall do likewise.” The relationship between this type of servant and his master and that of Paul to Jesus is hard to miss. Paul, has willingly given his life – his whole life – to Jesus Christ. He has willingly had His ear pierced through at Jesus’ doorpost as a sign of his attachment to the one who cleared the scales from his eyes. We’re not talking slavery here in the negative sense it has come to have here in America, but about a completely different meaning. Read that passage again. What is the key to understanding the passage? Love. “Because he LOVES the master and His house…” Likewise, if we LOVE Jesus, we will want to be His bondservant. Hold on, now… I can already hear the backs out there arching in rebellion. Think very hard about this though. You are NOT your own man or woman, whoever you are (nor, am I) there are no ifs, ands, or buts. If you draw breath you are either going to follow the Lord, or be in rebellion to Him. In this poor old life, you will follow one way or another. Either you will follow a pathway to righteousness (Ps. 23) or a pathway to your own destruction (Pr. 7). In other words, there are two paths you can go by but in the long run, it really DOES matter which road you’re on (my apologies to Led Zeppelin)! If we’re sincere in our love of Jesus, then we will make every effort not just to talk it, but also to walk it! People probably knew the bondservants of Paul’s day because of the signifying ear piercing. Likewise, people of our day should know the Christian because he shows the mark of the One who made him (at the very least that we’re “different”). Are you distinctively marked as Christ’s? I don’t mean are you tattooed with His name, or do you have a 12-day supply of Christian T-shirts. I don’t mean are you sure never to leave the house without your WWJD bracelet. I mean, can people see you’re his by the way you act that you love the master, by the way you carry yourself that you respect the Master, by the way you care that you are making every attempt to emulate Him? Closing Prayer: This month as we wind our way towards celebrating Your Son's birth, please, may we keep our focus? Let us stay focused on you, Lord and not the ways of the world. Please, let us maintain our bearing as Christians and be in the world but not of it, to be as you have asked us to be. Let us proclaim our love for you, oh Lord and proudly let folks know about your saving grace, and ALWAYS be about the work you have set before us. In Jesus’ holy and precious name, Amen. EDITOR’S PICKS
PRAYER REQUESTS At this time, while on that subject, I would like to offer to accept any and all prayer requests for the 2 groups for inclusion in the newsletter (if it’s an emergency, let one of us know, we can send it to the group immediately). As Grandmapenny pointed out in the last edition, prayer is an awesome and powerful thing. Let’s make use of it! Please, regardless of our political views, keep the members of our armed sevices in your prayers. Not only that, but pray for the people of Iraq and for our adversaries and that all the bloodshed will end and we get our boys and girls home safely. Please pray for the editorial staff, that we might be effectively used of the Lord and keep a good product coming to you. Please pray for the Writing.com community, for all the other authors out there, and especially that this group, others like it and their members can, through the power and work of the Holy Spirit, make a difference in peoples lives out there. RECOMMENDED SITES FOR VISITING. http://www.omegaletter.com (Recommended site!) Contact us! Do you have: a question or a comment for the Editor? Then please contact the Editor of that specific newsletter. an opinion on what you've read here today? Some Topics you would like addressed? Then send the Editors feedback! a prayer request for the Body Of Christ to intercede for, and put in the newsletter? Then send them to Wes Raven, Grammapenny, WordTeacher, or Cat Saxon, to be put in the newsletter to get the Body of Christ Cranked Up and On Our Knees! an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the UnOfficial Christian Newsletter! Again either Wes, Grandmapenny, WordTeacher, or Cat Saxon ""Application to subscribe to UCN"  " UnOfficial Christian Newsletter sign-up
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