Furaha Access Teams considering Team Line Up; looking for the pathway to real significance and most profound impact!

Not missing the point/score/significance!

Key reading (Rom 1:16) lam not ashamed of the gospel, because its the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as is written: ''The righteous will live by faith."

Begining Foundations

At the Furaha Sports fellowship held at Little down on 26th May 07, Furaha Access teams were considering the pathway to being free to live the lives God intended and each member keen not missing the point of their life.

The foundation for the Christian was considered in the previous Sports meeting, but still dwelt on extensively in the current meeting. Here are some review thoughts:

True belief in Christ is life. For many, the belief that it does not much matter which way you take because all ways will bring us to God is up held, and that He will receive us no matter how we come to Him as long as we do our best and are sincere. That view is very easy to understand because it offends no one, and seems so rational.

However, the truth that Jesus brought us is that all of these roads seeking to find God will run into the great impenetrable wall of our wrongdoing and nature, which God calls SIN. God has warned us that there is no possible way we can deal with this barrier between us and God. We cannot remove it, pay for it, or overcome it. To pretend that it does not exist is foolishness. Our religion and good works are not enough.

Consider the following scriptures;

Jesus said of himself, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.'' ( John 14:6)

He also said, "I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and he who lives and believes in me shall never die. you believe this (speaking to Mary, the sister to Lazarus who had died)?" (John 11:25)

All life is renewed from the Father through the Son by the Holy Spirit. This is the central point of our Christian walk. The foundation (Jesus Christ himself) is thus set up and laid for us to build our lives on.

Now the Set Up

The question to consider is what is holding me back from accepting God's call to serve him?

The scripture says; 'For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith (see foundation above) —and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, cre­ated in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.' These "good deeds" are our service.

Whenever we serve others in any way, we are actually serving God. At the sports meeting we went through what those present looked forward to doing when they completed their studies, training or other preparation. God told Jeremiah: "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for special work." We were placed on this planet for a special assignment.

Paul writes in (2 Corinthians 3:6); 'who (Jesus) has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life.' The Bible says, "It is he who saved us and chose us for his holy work, not because we deserved it, but because that was his plan. The foundation He laid was for a purpose. In God's kingdom, we have a place, a purpose a role, and a function to fulfill. This gives our life great significance and value.

Consider this; 'For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other the fragrance from life to life.' (2 Corinthians 2:15-16). God designed us to make a difference with your life - to add to life on earth.

We don't serve God out of guilt or fear or even duty, but out of joy, and deep gratitude for what he's done for us We owe him our lives. Through salvation our past has been forgiven, our present is given meaning, and our future is secured.

In light of these incredible benefits Paul concluded, 'therefore, 1 urge you, brothers, inview of God's mercy, to offer yuur bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed bythe renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will —his good, pleasing and perfect will.

'For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have he same function, So in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.

"We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. if it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently: if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.

love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. '"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves.

If I have no love for others, no desire to serve others, I should question whether Christ is really in my life. This because Jesus was unmistakable in (Mt 20:26-28): 'Not so with you. Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to he first must be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.'

The Bible says (2 Tim: 1:9), "He saved us and called us to be his own people, not because of what we have done, but because of his own purpose." Peter adds (1Pt2:9), "You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you.'' Anytime you use your God-given abilities to help others, you are fulfilling your calling.

The Bible says (1 Cor 12:27) , "Now you belong to him ... in order that we might be useful in the service of God.'' (Rom 12:4-7) There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. How much of the time are you being useful in the service of God? Line up and be counted!