The Benchwamers August 3 Issue 3 Vol 2 by Minister Shelley Foster

They would come in &
Take a seat
The only evidence they were there
Was a pew with their heat.
They never took in
What they had heard,
Being hearers only
& not doers of the Word.
Hopefully one day the
Words will sink in &
They'll turn from
Part-time Christian
& full-time sin.
I hope one day
They'll do more than
Warm the bench,
They'll see their sin
And all of it's stench.
It's a shame to see the
 bench warming kind
Who walk away
Still so blind,
So I pray Dear Father
Open their ears
 & their eyes,
That they would
 run the race
To receive
 their heavenly prize.

There is so much more to being in Christ than just believing in Jesus.
Christ is the Head of the church, and we are the body (Eph 4:14-16). So, as the body, we are the hands and feet. The head thinks, while the body acts. when we think about the natural body, if a body is paralyzed, the muscles that were once active, atrophied,and eventually die.

Again, the Bible says He is the vine, we are the branches, he who abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit (John 15:5, Matt 7:17-20).

So, what are we talking about when we talk about being the hands and feet, and being fruit bearing branches? Matt 28:18-20 states: "behold all power has been given unto Me in heaven and earth, go therefore and make disciples of all  nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age, amen.

 We, as the hands and feet of Jesus, cannot afford to just come and sit in a Sunday service and think that we are safe.  No, far from it! Going back to the natural  body, a person who is paralyzed cannot turn themselves, they cannot prevent pressure sores, they cannot move, eventually the pressure on one side of the body will cause the outer layers of flesh to  be eaten away, eventually reaching the muscles and bone. The flesh, the muscles have atrophied and dies, leaving nothing behind but the smell of rotting flesh. Once again, Jesus makes it plain with His warning that whoever does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire (Matt 7:19, paraphrased).

 So, what should we do?  First of all, stop thinking that it is okay to just come to church on Sunday, and do what you want the rest of the week. Secondly, be a fruit bearing branch! You say how?  By going out and obeying the Words of Christ, not just Matt 28:18-20, but all the Words of Christ.  Thirdly, find your place within the body of Christ (the Church), and be an active member of the body. It must be said that not all of us will be the hands or the feet (some of us may be an elbow, or a shoulder, but each part of the body plays a significant part in the body of Christ (after all, the hand is useless without it being attached to the arm & shoulder). 

 You cannot think that you will have any sort of place in eternity if you are not a  fruit bearing branch, or you're not being the hands & feet of Jesus. (Luke 13:27).

 I pray today, that you will no longer come in & just warm the seat. May we all be stirred up to move as the hands & feet of Jesus.

Let us pray:
 
Father God, we come before you now in repentance of not being your hands and feet, I thank you for your blood that washes me clean.
Your Word says, Lord, that zeal for my Father's house has eaten me up, may I be eaten up with the zeal of the Lord to be about my Father's business in Jesus' name. I declare and I decree, that from this day forward, I will no longer be a worker of iniquity, I declare and I decree that from this day forward I will no longer be just a hearer of the Word, but a doer of the Word. I declare and I decree that from this day forward I will be a fruit bearing branch without the concern that I will be cut off and thrown into the fire.
May I do all as though doing unto you, my God and my King, may I do all with diligence.  Lord, I once was very passionate about my sinful life, may I have that same passion for the kingdom business, in Jesus' name, amen, and amen.

I sincerely pray that you hear these words, power hour women, and take it to heart.
I pray that the Lord will have His way in your life and that you will reach your high call in Him.
May you go and bear much fruit for the One who has saved you!

Eternal blessings, precious women of God!