Situation or Response?

Continuing from our last post, I want to start out with a quote from my friend Austin’s book, ” success in the home is not a question of situation; it is a question of response.”

Everyone goes through struggles. There is no marriage that has survived because the husband and wife were perfect! There are no children who were raised properly because neither they nor their parents ever made a mistake! No, everyone has  their problems, but not everyone has the right response.

So what is the right response to the offenses that we all suffer at the hands of those we love? Remember our essential dream-home practice- loving like Christ loved. What was His response when He suffered the ultimate offense at the hands of those He loved? The Bible tells us that, after being flogged and beaten, humiliated and crucified to death on a wooden cross, He raised His eyes to Heaven and said, ” Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” ( Luke 23:34 ) Even though He had been wronged in every way, is response was true forgiveness. Paul references the response of Christ when he writes, ” as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. ” ( Col. 3:13 )

Why is a misunderstanding of forgiveness so terribly fatal to the home? Because it can tear down everything we’ve managed to build so far. It has the potential to paralyze the healing ability of your family. An inability to forgive causes wounds to cut deeper and heal slower. It has bled many a marriage and home to death. When we pass through the inevitable fights, arguments, spats, and disagreements, do we have what it takes to forgive? Or are the wounds we sustain going to bleed our relationships to death?

If you are a Christian and have experienced the unbelievable forgiveness of a loving God, you must remember this first relationship principle of true forgiveness: ” the forgiven ones forgive. “  That is , we love like Christ loved, so we forgive like He forgives. And a dream home is a place where true forgiveness trumps every offence.——Taken from ” building your dream home “  a book written by  Austin Gardner

Wayne          www.hope.fm  

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Dream Home

This is an excerpt from a book that a friend of mine, Austin Gardner, wrote entitled, ” building your dream home.”

…. But there’s another dream that we’ve got. Another desire that, though every bit as valuable to us, can’t be purchased with money. If it could be bought, we’d certainly try! Because this dream isn’t built of brick, boards, and plaster; it’s made up of a family that loves each other and lives in harmony. And that dream home sometimes seems more unattainable than any of the man-made mansions we’ve imagined living in. There are times we feel we’d do anything to have it but feel completely incapable of achieving it.

We’ve all got this dream home! A wonderful place that we imagine our homes could be. But realize this! God has the plans for your dream home already drawn up! The blueprint has already been printed and approved! It’s found in the pages of your Bible, and it is the standard by which we will measure our homes and families in the pages of this book. All the homes I’ve seen God rescue and all the homes I’ve seen plucked out of misery were saved by the teachings of the Bible. It would be foolish for us to ignore the advise of a Book that has proved itself over and over in the lives of millions to be true and effective!

I really believe that the Bible has an answer for everything going on in our lives! It isn’t just some old dusty book that looks good on a coffee table, but a living instruction manual that applies to every aspect of life on Earth: our work, our friendships, our children, and our marriages. God has left for us a ” cheat sheet” containing the answers to the troubles and struggles of life! How sad that we so often treat it like an out-of-date rule book!

As a result, church has become a drudgery. A burden that many endure just to maintain social status or to keep from disappointing aging parents. It seems, at least in the Atlanta area where I pastor, that people’s confidence in the Bible and the church is sputtering out as they find no correlation between its writings and what they deal with everyday. With it goes our belief that our lives have purpose. Close behind is our faith in a God that wants the best for us.

But before we start, we have to settle something in our hearts. The Bible is absolutely clear - we really can have happy homes!……..more on another post

Wayne

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A Family Church

Hope Baptist Church, will begin with Bible studies on March 23, 2008 @ the Y.M.C.A.81 Highland Ave. Middletown, NY 10940. We will be meeting in the multipurpose room @ 9:00 am. If you are someone interested in joining up  with a new and exciting church from the beginning give us a call 845-467-1235 or e-mail me at wayne@hope.fm

Wayne

www.hope.fm

Kids Are Making Friends

Today, for the first time since we have arrived, several young people were outside riding their skateboards and having a good time. When our kids saw this, they rushed out to meet them. I am glad that my children are not shy about meeting people or about talking about the church.I know that God is going to use them greatly here in Middletown. Please pray as we are planning on starting Bible studies real soon at the “Y.”

Wayne 

www.hope.fm    This is a double post

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N.Y. Mattress Factory

Finally in Middletown. My family and I are enjoying living in New York. If anyone in the Middletown area is looking for a good affordable mattress, go see the guys at N.Y. Mattress Factory. They were very friendly and not at all pushy, unlike their competition down the street. So go down and talk to Mike, or Pablo and they will hook you up. 

Wayne

www.hope.fm

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Empty

My wife and I have just got back from Middletown. While we were there, I could not help but notice the empty look on a lot of the young people’s faces. I hope that our church can be a help to those teens who think that they are all alone in this world. If there are any teenagers who feel this way, please feel free to call or give us a visit.

Wayne

845-467-1235

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Santa Claus

I guess I was a good boy this year cause Santa came to see me. It has been a treat for the last two years that my wife’s uncle, who plays Santa Claus, has come to my father-in-law’s house to surprise all of the kids. Some of the cousins are growing up and think that they are too old to sit on Santa’s lap, but nonetheless, he talks them into it. I would like to wish everyone in Middletown, NY a very Merry Christmas and we hope to see ya soon.

Wayne

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Commercialized Christmas

This year I have told my children that we are taking this Christmas off. Yes, we will buy them a few things, but to be honest, I am so tired of feeling like if I don’t buy a lot of stuff, this makes me a bad father. As Christians we have forgotten the reason why we are celebrating Christmas in the first place. We have fallen in the same trap as everyone else: shop, buy, charge, charge, charge. Then we spend the rest of the year trying to get out of debt, only to fall again next year. By the way, before all of you start leaving comments of how terrible I am, next year we will buy our children Christmas presents and have a great time doing so. I am just trying to help them understand what the real reason for this time of year is all about. Try something new this season like buying gifts for the less fortunate, start some new Christmas tradition , or hey why not stop all of the rushing around and spend some time at home with the wife and kids.

Wayne

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Anger#4

Prov. 19:11 The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.

Have you ever heard someone say,” I don’t get mad, I get even”? This sounds so rational. I mean, after all, if you have been done wrong by somebody, you need to at least even up the score. The problem with this is that the Bible tells us that we can defer, or put off, our anger. How in the world can we put off , or maybe even forget about being mad, especially when we are soooo ticked off? It is simple, we need to use what the Bible calls discretion, or the ability to choose, using wisdom to put off our anger. You see, if we learn to do this, many times we would be able to stop and think about the other person’s actions, as well as, those of our own. Then when we go to discuss or solve the situation, it will be done more calmly. The verse continues to say that it is our glory, honor, for us to pass over a transgression. Yes, that is right, pass right over and completely forget and forgive someones transgression or offence towards us, after all that is what Christ did for you and me.

Wayne

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Anger#3

Prov. 15:1 A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger.

A lot of people have a problem with anger, but just as much making others mad as themselves. The Bible says that grievous , or hurtful words stir up anger. If you are having a bad day and nothing seems to be going your way, try your best to answer people in a way that would not cause them to become angry with you, in turn making you more angry. Instead try to use words of encouragement showing how you would like to be treated, and things will then pick up for you.

Wayne

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