WHAT BATTLE ARE YOU FIGHTING?

 

Matthew 16:24

 

“If anyone wishes to follow after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”

 

   We as Christians must learn to do this daily, as we walk this pilgrimage walk of faith. During this journey there will be times where God will permit things to be taken away from us, and there are also times when a service that we have been blessed to do, we are no longer able to do.

   Let us not think we are being punished or disciplined but simply it is because our physical sinful flesh is slowing down and breaking down, not allowing us to continue in that specific service anymore.  This can be very hard to accept.   So, how should we accept and carry oneself when we are going through the refiners’ fire as one who follows and serves the Lord Jesus during this trying transition?

 The first thing we should always do is pray and ask for the Lord’s peace and leading.

 Also pray that we carry ourselves humbly and for the holy spirit’s leading on how to accept this, and to be an example to all when this becomes a reality.  Let us always dive into the Lord’s word for Guidance and encouragement.

 Apostle Paul reminds us in the book of Romans 12: 1-2

·       “Therefore, I urge you brethren by the mercies of God, present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”  

 2^nd Corinthians 12: 7-10

·        “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason, to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me -to keep me from exalting myself! Concerning this, I implored the Lord three times so that it might leave me. “And he has said to me, my grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.”   Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, that that the power of Christ may dwell in me.  Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christs sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong.”

 Job 13:15

·       “Though he slays me I will hope in him.  Nevertheless, I will argue my ways before him.”

   We can only be successful in this only one way and that is by faith in the Lord Jesus and by the holy spirit, and here is the important part and may even be the most crucial , we have to put action behind our prayer, for all of us need to be growing, learning, and putting into practice that which we are being taught by these trials and just as we are being taught we need also to be growing  in our faith walk and maturing and increasing in our spiritual growth to be a pleasing aroma to our heavenly father and a positive example to our brethren and all who watch us.

So let us never grow weary in doing good, and in what we can do.

 GALATIONS 6:9-10   “Let us not become weary in doing good for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity let us do good to all people Especially to those who belong to the Household of Faith.”

 

                                                                May Lord Jesus bless you all.

 

                                                                                                                         Br. Steve Hoffner

 

 

Christian Believers Fellowship 100 Year Celebration

Live stream link - Channel dashboard - YouTube Studio 

    We have many dear brethren who are planning on attending this once in a lifetime event. Special guests include:

Friday Night - 6:00pm: vocalist & guitarist, Don Smith - A brother who has served us with hymns and spiritual songs for the last 30+ years 

Saturday Afternoon - 3-5pm: A Worship service led by the husband & wife team of Kris and Jamie Klein. Jamie attended CBF for the first 7 years of her life before the family moved to Buffalo.

Sunday Morning - 10:30am: Guest Speaker - Wayne Urbaniak from Minneapolis, Minnesota. Wayne and wife, Kathy, have visited and served at CBF for over 40 years.

Besides all that, there will be plenty of worship, testimonies and tons of fellowship with brethren we have known down through the years. 

Let us know if you are coming - we have reserved some rooms at one of the nearby hotels if needed. And as always, there will be plenty of food, conversation and memories to go around.  

Until then, The bless you and keep you.

Hopes and Fears of all the Years

 

As I sat and enjoyed our special Christmas celebration and remembrance of the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ my attention became fixed upon the lyrics of a Christmas carol that I have been singing since grade school but had never stopped to really contemplate the significance of the message found in the last line of the first verse of “O Little Town of Bethlehem”: “The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.”

         Since Adam opened the door to sin in Paradise and thus was expelled from Paradise and access to the Tree of Life, mankind has lived on the cursed earth as enemies of their Creator. Instead of an eternity of bliss they would live but a short time, long enough to experience and learn the sinfulness of sin and the sorrow and unfairness of a world run by Satan and man. With the wages of sin being death, all mankind has lived in dread of the process of dying and the fear of the unknown, of the state of the dead. The one thing man knew about death was that no one escaped it: the rich and the poor, the kings and peasants were all equal when the “breath of life” was taken away. (Heb 2:14-15) ^“Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil,  and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Fear has been the primary tool of Satan’s dominance over mankind and his ultimate weapon has been the fear of death. Be it fear of the always present, potential danger of that “out of nowhere” strike that fells men daily or the slow disintegration of strength and mind on the steady march to the grave, the fear of death has been the scourge of men, and the great weapon Satan has used to dominate them. 

         Since man is made in God’s image and God has put eternity in the heart and desire of all men (Eccl 3:11), man lives simultaneously in hope, wishes and fear. The Old Testament speaks of a time to come when a people will be led by the Messiah into a time of peace, plenty, and perfection but who will those people be? God told Daniel (Dan 12:2,3)

“And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt.  Those who are wise shall shine Like the brightness of the firmament, And those who turn many to righteousness Like the stars forever and ever” ,

and Job declared that he knows his redeemer lives and in his own flesh he would see God (Job 19: 25-27) but how? (Isa 53:1) “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” All the hopes and dreams of mankind could never approach the reality of the good things God has in store for His beloved creation: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him. But God has revealed them to us through His spirit.” (1Cor2:9,10) Blessed are your eyes and ears for you see, hear and comprehend the Gospel of the kingdom.

         All the promises and Messianic prophesies of God found in the Holy Scriptures, the hopes and fears of all mankind lying dormant in death and waiting, meet in the manger in Bethlehem with the long-promised birth of the Messiah to a virgin, and the angels proclaimed “I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” In this babe begins the fulfilment of all the Messianic prophecies of the Holy Scriptures.  Thirty-three years later we read “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles:  The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, and upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.” (Mt 4:15-16) Indeed “the hopes and fears of all the years” now more than 6,000 years’ worth come together for answer in Jesus Christ. “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

         In the Millennial Age, when all who are in the grave hear the voice of the Son of Man and come forth to the resurrection of judgment, will give an account for the lives they have lived and they will see all their hopes and fears come together in the great “Light of the World” as God restores Paradise and there is a new heaven and new earth where righteousness reigns forever as God always intended it to be.

         The great Light has come and shined upon you in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. There is no need to fear anyone or anything and all our hopes will be exceeded beyond our wildest dreams as the prophecies of God march on to completion. (Rev 22:20-21) ^“He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.”