To realize the value of a sister or brother:  ask someone who does not have one.
To realize the value of ten years:  ask a newly divorced couple.
To realize the value of four years:  ask a graduate.
To realize the value of one year:  ask a student who has failed a final exam. 
To realize the value of nine months:  ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn.
To realize the value of one month:  ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby.
To realize the value of one week:  ask an editor of a weekly newspaper.
To realize the value of one minute:  ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane.
To realize the value of one-second:  ask a person who has survived an accident.

Time waits for no one. Treasure every moment you have. To realize the value of a friend or family member: LOSE ONE. Remember...hold on tight to the ones you love!

"Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes (James 4:14)."

-Brad

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     When we give to the Lord, we sometime use different approaches. I would like to mention those.

1. The Tip Method—this method has no rule or purpose. It is understood that it should be a certain percentage, and it is also assumed because it is expected. When you think about a tip at a restaurant, you recognize that tipping is a part of it. Tipping is often done out of force. This is not the proper attitude of giving.

2. The Entertainment Method—The person who uses this method is only giving to the Lord if they happen to be present,
and that giving may vary based upon what a person has left in their wallet or the atmosphere of the particular day they have been to worship. This method does not lay by in store. This person may give more when the singing is better or the
preacher is better. It is kind of like going to the movies, but only paying afterward if you happened to enjoy the picture.

3. The Sponge Method—This person only gives under pressure. Perhaps a sermon on stewardship may increase the sponge giver's contribution for a while—until they forget or get distracted again by the world and its financial demands. The sponge giver is the guilty giver, the giver who has forgotten too many Sundays past. The sponge giver has to be begged and bullied, and frustrates the kinder efforts of the leadership.

4. The Tithe Method—How much do I owe? Ten percent? Ok. Here, Lord, here is your ten percent. When are we going to realize that the earth is the  Lord’s  and  all  its  fullness (1 Cor. 10:26)? There is nothing that is not already God's. The tither means to do well, but needs to be careful about giving ten percent. God expects one hundred percent in everything.  Perhaps we limit what people would be willing to give, by accepting the idea of
the tithe! Giving is not about percentages, it is about the heart.
 
5. The Christian Method—this method goes beyond percentages. It goes beyond Biblical examples of accepted righteousness (Matthew 5:20). The Christian who desires to give acceptably does so willingly and totally. They are excited about giving. They are moved with love for God and thanksgiving for understood blessings. The Christian gives more and more with time. They give in faith, and they do not cut back in periods of financial struggle. True Christian giving starts with the complete and total giving of self to the will of God (2 Cor. 8:5).
 
There is a method to everything we do. What type of giver are you?
 
"But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Cor. 9:6-7)

- Brad

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Read James 2:2-9—The setting of the text takes place in a worship service.  The problem was not showing honor to a man that was wealthy.  The Lord always favors kindness.  It is commanded in 1 Corinthians 13:4—“Love is Kind.”  The problem was when a poor visitor was treated with dishonor (with little worth) or rudeness.  What was so rude about their conduct?  No one stood and offered him their seat, but instead told him to stand or sit by their feet!  What a disgrace for a visitor to come into the assembly of the family of God and no one offer them a seat!  Have you ever seen it?  Friends, read the story again.  This is not just a suggestion.  God makes it an issue of the Law of the Kingdom—love thy neighbor as thyself!  In other words, be kind to visitors by offering them your seat.  Speak to them.  Treat them as you would want to be treated. 

What Do Friendly Churches Do?
1. Expect Visitors: Many of those that live in Fairview have been invited or come to our assembly each week.  Think how foolish it would be for us to come Sunday without the thought in mind that someone will be visiting today.  Let’s expect them, because they will be here.  Many visitors do not fill out cards, and we should be thankful that God blesses us with visitors; therefore, we should let them know.  Do you expect them?

2. Come Early and Stay Late: If everyone arrived at 2 till and left after the last “amen,” then there would be no one to visit with visitors.  Plan to arrive a few minutes earlier to search out visitors or the sick.  You may receive a blessing you never knew you would have received.

3. Visitors First: Do not wait until you have visited with everyone else before you search for visitors.  They will probably be gone.  Give the first few minutes to them before and after worship or Bible class.  Welcome them and invite them back because there is always opportunity to…

4. …Offer them Four Invitations:
     • Invite them to your class or help them find a class.
     • Invite them to sit with you during worship.
     • Invite them to lunch with you.
     • And invite them to the next service.
  Just because they are here does not mean invitations stop.

5. This Means YOU: No one else can obey the royal law for you—“thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.”  We do not have the same abilities and personalities, but most of us can offer a kind word or a seat to a visitor.

Remember our first impression billboards our Maker and Savior.  How do you billboard Him during worship (your giving, singing, attentiveness, praying, and participation)?   Would a visitor return, if they saw you?  May we ever strive to be a congregation for visitors?  Get involved and come early and stay late.

For what matters most,
Brad

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How would feel…

1. If you were ignored by the church members?
2. If you were not greeted warmly and received?
3. If you saw members acting disinterested and bored?
4. If you observed members not participating in songs of praise?
5. If you noticed many sleepy-eyed members dragging in late?
6. If you saw several who got up early and left?
7. If you saw many sleepers during the preaching?
8. If you could hardly concentrate on what was being said because of the members nearby who liked to talk the whole time or pass notes?
9. If you were not asked to come back again?
10. If you were not noticed when the services were over?
11. If you felt like you were just there?

If you were the only example of New Testament Christianity a visitor had, would it leave a favorable impression? Would they want to come back? Would they report to their friends that God is indeed among these people (1 Cor. 14:25)?  

-Brad Tate

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     Do you anticipate holiday cheer or holiday tears?  For cheer: Live First Corinthians 13! More Serious: A great blessing about the holidays is that families usually come from far and near to spend time together. For some, one of the greatest challenges of the holidays is that families usually come together from far and near to spend time together. Very Serious: What can each Christian do to make their family time this holiday as peaceful and memorable as possible? Apply the 1st Corinthians 13 Holiday Time Rules!

The Motive Must Be Love (Agape): you might clean, cook, trim a tree, shop, wrap, send, spend, sacrifice and even collapse from exhaustion, but if it is not from the motive of love—it is worth nothing (Verses 1-3).

Suffer Long: Before the first family arrives accept the fact that many things will not go as you have planned or as you would desire. If you do always "get your way" – it is probably because you are impatient and everyone "babies" you. Peaceful family time results when folks give and take (Verse 4).

Do Not Be Easily Provoked: Do not wear your feelings on your sleeves. This holiday season someone will say something that hurts your feelings, someone else will do something and another will probably forget you instead of remembering you! Decide now to forgive quickly and not cause a feud or even  offer a blunt comment in return (Verse 5).

Do Not Think Evil: Not wronging another is not enough, but God commands not to think it either! Think about the good ways you can serve your family (Verse 5).

Bear, Believe, and Hope: We need to believe and hope the best for our families. Do not give up on a peaceful family. It may take time, but work toward it!

Pure Love—Never Fails:  We cannot live each other's life, but we can do our part to have wonderful and meaningful family times.  Our part is love (agape). Family gatherings will not always be perfect, but knowing we have done our best pleases God—and it should please us!  Create special memories,not grudges!
   
Be Kind: Peaceful gatherings cannot exist without kindness! Remember that kindness is to be offered unconditionally. Be kind no matter what (Verse 4)!
 
Do Not Be Jealous:  Jealousy is a cancer to relationships.  Rejoice in other's success, then they are happy and you are too (Verse 4)!

Do Not Be Proud: You are not better than the rest of your family! As a Christian, you have chosen to live a life for the Lord, but pride must not be harbored in our hearts as a result. Our greatness is in God, not in ourselves! Pride fuels feuds! Humility considers how one can serve their family (Verse 4)!

Behave: That sounds too simple, but it is not! Most, if not all family turmoil is because folks have not behaved themselves! Do right, act right and talk right. Mother is not the only one that demands righteous behavior—God demands it, too (Verse 5)!

(To be continued...)
-Brad Tate

- Below are previous articles from our Interim Minister John Parker. -

"And may the Lord make you increase and abound in love to one another and to all, just as we do to you." (1 Thessalonians 3:12)

     For the last seven months, you at Fairview, have welcomed us as we were privileged to be among you to worship God together. Thank you for every kindness.   Especially we thank your elders - Jimmy Hand, Jimmy Hatcher, and Eddie Hyche - for  their gracious invitation to work with the Fairview church in the interim between your regular preachers.

     Some of our dearest friends are those we have made in our interim work, and that tradition continues with you at Fairview. People of like precious faith have a core belief in Christ which forms the basis for deeper love and friendship than that enjoyed by any other people.

     We congratulate you on the progress of the church in these months and for your rallying together to enhance your focus on the work of the Lord and to prepare for the future. We pray for your every success as you grow in faith and love and as you plan for the growth of the congregation and the spread of the gospel in the Fairview area.

     Brad and Christy Tate bring faith, enthusiasm, and knowledge to your new era, and we congratulate you as well on securing their services. Please give them your support, prayers, patience, and encouragement, both in the first few months and in
years to follow.

     As you look to that future, we know that you will be prayerful, hopeful, and cooperative with one another. Anticipate good things, work together, and above all follow the teaching of the apostles (Acts 2:42). Support and obey your elders (Hebrews 13:17). Deal scripturally, thoughtfully, and courageously with challenges. Avoid critical attitudes, bitterness, and competition. Each member has a place and a function (1 Corinthians 12:12-31), so let each person find his or hers and fill it cheerfully and well. Compliment, understand, and forgive each other, and always follow Jesus’ golden rule (Matthew 7:12).

     Thank you for your kind attention to the sermons. Central Christian teaching  is in my book Bound and Loosed: Fundamentals of the Christian System, treating in one volume vital Christian doctrines: God’s scheme of redemption; the plan of salvation; grace, faith and obedience; authority of the Bible; scriptural worship;  and  others. Also available is my Abide with Me: A Photographic Journey Through Great British Hymns.   Please see me or Jill this week or next for either.

     I would very much appreciate your handing to me or to Jill on December 13 or 20 any written messages from you regarding our interim work to go in our Fairview collection. These may be used in explaining to other interested churches what Jill and I do.

     Our contact information is:
     e-mail: johnparker22@comcast.net or parkerjill@comcast.net
     www.interimcofc.com; www.abidewithmehymns.com

     I especially thank Jill for her support and for her developing our relationships with the individuals and families of the church. As always, she gives me information and perspective about the members and families of the congregation. We are a team, and we love this work.

     My gratitude goes to Brenda Sullivan for her cheerful help in printing these articles.

     Thank you, our brothers and sisters at Fairview. We ask your prayers for our continued work. May God bless you richly.   
- John and Jill

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     The story of Lot (Genesis 13 and 19), the nephew of Abraham, is a sad one, but it offers valuable lessons.  
 
     When their possessions and herds grew so great as to require separation, Abraham allowed Lot to choose where he would settle, and Lot
chose the Jordan valley, so rich that it is compared to the garden of the Lord. This seems understandable, but in his exuberance over living  in  prime  territory Lot seems to ignore the accompanying dangers of the area. The valley contains the city of Sodom, and the scripture adds forebodingly: Now the men of Sodom were wicked exceedingly and sinners against the Lord. Lot at first moves only near there, but soon he is living in the city (14:12).  
 
     Genesis 19 records the horrifying events leading to the destruction of Sodom and the ruin of Lot's family and fortunes. God,intending to destroy Sodom, sends two angels to evacuate Lot, who receives them hospitably. But when the homosexual men of the city try to abuse them,  incredibly he offers them his virgin daughters instead. The angels intervene, but the story reveals that the girls have become engaged to two men of the town whose attitude clearly shows they know or care nothing about God; their refusal to leave leads to their own deaths.  
 
     Lot flees to the small town of Zoar, and then to a cave  in the mountains. His predilection for Sodom has led to loss of his once vast fortune. The worst occurs when the older daughter, all prospect of marriage seemingly gone, determines to become pregnant by her own father in order to preserve the family, and she convinces here younger sister to do likewise. Evidently growing up in Sodom has led her to reject her family's religious heritage. This disgraceful scene is the last we have in the life of Lot.  
 
     In fairness to Lot, we should recognize that the word―righteous is applied to him by the apostle Peter: "and if He rescued righteous Lot, oppressed by the sensual conduct of unprincipled men (for by what he saw and heard that righteous man, while living among them, felt his righteous soul tormented day after day with their lawless deeds) "(2 Peter 2:7-8). Nonetheless, Lot's decision to live on attractive real estate among degenerate people led to his daughters becoming engaged to ungodly and profane men; to his offering them up to a mob violation; to the loss of his honor, well-being, and fortune; and to his older daughter’s vile act and her enlistment of her younger sister in sin.   Let us remember that a righteous man can choose to put himself into a situation where his soul is vexed by the behavior of those around  him, but nonetheless he and his family are compromised.-Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals. (1 Cor. 15:33). Let us, then, choose wisely ourselves.

- John Parker

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     Foot racing provides Paul with an analogy in 1 Corinthians 9:24, and a report on a recent book on professional football suggests one here. Michael Lewis' book "The Blind Side" observes that while the attention of football spectators is usually on the quarterback, running backs, or receivers, those who really know the game also place high value elsewhere. While the star quarterback may be the most highly paid player, the second most highly paid player is the left offensive tackle, a player relatively  few people watch and one about whom some do not even know.
 
     Why is this relatively obscure player paid so much money? Because he protects the blind side of the vulnerable quarterback. When preparing to pass, a right-handed quarterback stands facing right, and therefore he is blind to any huge opponents rushing to hit him from his left. Therefore team managers' search for a 350-pound player with long arms and huge hands to protect him on that side, the left offensive tackle, and, except for perhaps the quarterback himself, they pay him the highest salary of any player: six to eight million dollars each to the top five of those players in the National Football League.
 
     Some Christians protect the blind side: they may not be as visible as, say, the preacher or prominent class teacher, but they are valuable, and-by the discerning-they are highly valued. Quiet but determined parents protect the blind side. In today's youth culture, attention may be on the teenager, the youth minister, the coach, the popular speaker. But it is that mother who warns her daughter about innocent-looking but dangerous habits and companions that may blindside her when she is too excited to be aware (Pro. 2:1-5; Eph. 6:1).
 
     Elders protect the blind side. Either well-meaning but uninformed or wrong-thinking people on the one hand, or else attractive but sinister and vicious false teachers on the other may approach the congregation with appealing but dangerous notions. The elders protect the church from unnoticed and unseen dangers (Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:26-31; Titus 2:9-14).
 
     True Bible scholars and teachers protect the blind side. Every generation produces unbalanced, contorted, and often weird religious notions that capture the attention of the innocent, the unknowing, and the enthused. The Bible scholar of integrity calmly and methodically but courageously points out the deep truth of scripture as opposed to the shallow and distorted messages of the moment (Ezra 7:10; Acts 17:11; Heb. 4:12). They may not be the most visible, but they are among the most needed. Value those who protect the blind side.

-John H. Parker

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     Paul wrote to the Thessalonians, "For what thanks can we render to God for you, for all the joy with which we rejoice for your sake before our God" (1 Thess. 3:9). As Thanksgiving nears, what thanksgiving to him can we render.

     We can give thanks for our physical blessings and the ability to earn a living:
     Ecclesiastes 3:13: "Every man should eat and drink and enjoy
the good of all his labor-it is the gift of God."

     We can give thanks for family, for our marriages and our children:
     Ps 127:3:  "Children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."  
     Proverbs 17:6: "Children's children are the crown of old men, And the glory of children is their father."

     We can also give thanks for our nation and all of its blessings.

     Most  of  all,  we  can  give  thanks  for  our  salvation  and  spiritual blessings: Ephesians 1:3: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord  Jesus  Christ, who ha  blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ."

     Ephesians 2:4:  "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 
     5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made  us  alive together with Christ . . . .
     8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God."
     We can be thankful for the gospel, the power of God to salvation (Romans 1:16), and for the church, "the pillar and ground of the truth" (1 Timothy 3:15). We can be thankful for the Word which guides us (Psalm 119:105). And we can be thankful for the opportunity of prayer.

     Philippians 4:6: "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;
     7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."

     Finally, we can be thankful for the prospect of future blessings, culminating in heaven:  1 Corinthians 2:9  "But as it is written: "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."

     For all of these blessings, let us give thanks.
John H. Parker

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     Last Sunday morning the elders gave us the glad news that Bradley Tate will be coming at the close of the year to  be the new preacher for the Fairview church, accompanied by his wife Christy and their children Jacob and Carley. The  congregation has been anticipating  this announcement of a new preacher, and we welcome it gladly and look forward to receiving them. Brad is a skilled and well-trained evangelist and is eager to serve as your minister.
 
    Paul said to Timothy,
     2 Tim. 4:1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom:
 
     2  Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long suffering and teaching.
 
     5  But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
 
     As  Brad faithfully fulfills this charge, we are confident that the congregation will receive him and support him in joy, in love, in trust, and in faith that God will guide all of the church in this next phase of the work at Fairview (cf. Col. 4:10). Please continue to pray for him, for your elders and deacons, and for the church that all may work together in love for the salvation of souls and the edification of the saints. Let us give thanks to God this week for His answer to our prayers, and let us petition Him to continue to guide and bless the Fairview church.

-John H. Parker