Four times in the New Testament the expression “This is a faithful saying" is utilized as an introduction to underscore the trustworthy nature of the ensuing statement. The first time we encounter this is in regard to Christ’s singular purpose in coming to earth. Timothy 1:15 tells us: “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief”. (Note: Paul was identifying himself with the phrase “of whom I am chief”, but I have no doubt that any and all of us would certainly admit we also fit the bill!). This would seem to be the most important truth that has ever reached the human ear or been entrusted by the human heart of man; that Jesus Christ, son of God, became incarnate, lived a sinless life, suffered, died, was buried, but rose again, and by His grace saves mankind from their sins.
This is the great picture, the wondrous manifestation, of God’s love in composite form. In the fourth chapter of his first letter, John emphatically declares “God is love”, not just once, but twice! For centuries, theologians have wrestled with precisely how this attribute of the divine nature is revealed in our mortal realm. Unfortunately, we often develop misperceptions regarding God’s love, tending to distort it according to our human situation. We often equate our individual well-being, whether it is wealth or a good doctor’s report, as an indication of God’s love. But the true, objective demonstration of God’s love was exhibited through Jesus Christ’s willingness to descend from the throne of deity to the depths of this world’s depravity, from heavens adoration to earth’s abomination, from heavens glory to earth’s gory. God’s love was abundantly revealed not through mere words, but through deliberate and selfless action. As one songwriter put it:
What condescension, bringing us salvation
That in the dead of night
Not one faint hope in sight
God, glorious and tender, laid aside His splendor
Stooping to woe, to win, my soul.
“God is love”, three words packed with theological ramifications. But the economy of God’s love can be distilled down to this basic formula: We are all sinners. We need a savior. Jesus Christ embodied God’s love in action, and became that Savior. It’s that simple.
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
Sacred Vocations
As Moses marveled incredulously at the burning bush in the wilderness, God spoke to him. Imagine, Moses actually heard the voice of the omnipotent, omniscient, all sovereign God Himself, and quite understandably, the prophet would never be the same. God had spoken and Moses would obey.
It is not difficult, based on this and other similar stories from the Bible of God’s direct interactions with specific individuals, to derive the notion that God is only concerned with the pursuits of those who are engaged in full-time service (i.e. preachers and missionaries), and that He doesn’t waste His time on the more mundane activities of your “average, everyday Christian”. But nothing could be further from the truth. God is interested in each and every one of us. We are, after all, made in His image, and He does intend for each of us to have a purpose in life to fulfill to His glory, whether it be as a preacher or as a farmer.
On that note, I’ve heard the story of a farmer who left it all one day to go to seminary and become a minister. Shortly after he began his studies, he realized it was going to be a real struggle. Grades down and growing discouraged, he went to see the Dean. The Dean asked him what had motivated him to decide to leave farming and become a minister. He responded “I was in the field one day and had a vision. Two clouds in the sky had formed the initials P.C. I took it as a sign that God was telling me to “preach Christ”, so off to school I went”. The Dean told him that being a farmer was just as important as being a preacher. He then said “Did you ever think that perhaps the initials in the sky meant “plow corn”?
We were designed to work (see Genesis 2:15 if you doubt this!), to take dominion over all areas of the life we have been given, and commanded to be good and faithful stewards. Directly in keeping with this mandate, what we do for a livelihood should be done in earnest. These words from the essay “Why Work?” by Dorothy Sayers seem most appropriate:
"I ask that [work] should be looked upon—not as a necessary drudgery to be undergone for the purpose of making money, but as a way of life in which the nature of man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself to the glory of God. That it should, in fact, be thought of as a creative activity undertaken for the love of the work itself; and that man, made in God’s image, should make things, as God makes them, for the sake of doing well a thing that is well worth doing."
Regardless of our life’s vocation, every Christian should be of the mind that all ground is sacred ground. Whether a doctor, a lawyer, and yes, a farmer or a preacher, all these when performed with the proper motivation, are sacred to God.
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
It is not difficult, based on this and other similar stories from the Bible of God’s direct interactions with specific individuals, to derive the notion that God is only concerned with the pursuits of those who are engaged in full-time service (i.e. preachers and missionaries), and that He doesn’t waste His time on the more mundane activities of your “average, everyday Christian”. But nothing could be further from the truth. God is interested in each and every one of us. We are, after all, made in His image, and He does intend for each of us to have a purpose in life to fulfill to His glory, whether it be as a preacher or as a farmer.
On that note, I’ve heard the story of a farmer who left it all one day to go to seminary and become a minister. Shortly after he began his studies, he realized it was going to be a real struggle. Grades down and growing discouraged, he went to see the Dean. The Dean asked him what had motivated him to decide to leave farming and become a minister. He responded “I was in the field one day and had a vision. Two clouds in the sky had formed the initials P.C. I took it as a sign that God was telling me to “preach Christ”, so off to school I went”. The Dean told him that being a farmer was just as important as being a preacher. He then said “Did you ever think that perhaps the initials in the sky meant “plow corn”?
We were designed to work (see Genesis 2:15 if you doubt this!), to take dominion over all areas of the life we have been given, and commanded to be good and faithful stewards. Directly in keeping with this mandate, what we do for a livelihood should be done in earnest. These words from the essay “Why Work?” by Dorothy Sayers seem most appropriate:
"I ask that [work] should be looked upon—not as a necessary drudgery to be undergone for the purpose of making money, but as a way of life in which the nature of man should find its proper exercise and delight and so fulfill itself to the glory of God. That it should, in fact, be thought of as a creative activity undertaken for the love of the work itself; and that man, made in God’s image, should make things, as God makes them, for the sake of doing well a thing that is well worth doing."
Regardless of our life’s vocation, every Christian should be of the mind that all ground is sacred ground. Whether a doctor, a lawyer, and yes, a farmer or a preacher, all these when performed with the proper motivation, are sacred to God.
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
Monday, March 5, 2012
Spring Cleaning
I recently read of a woman at home doing some spring cleaning when the telephone rang. In going to answer it she tripped on a scatter rug and grasping for something to hold onto seized the telephone table. It fell over with a crash, knocking the receiver off the hook. As it fell it hit the family dog, who leaped up howling and barking. The women’s three year old son, startled by the noise, broke out into loud screams. The woman mumbled some words. She finally managed to pick up the receiver and lift it to her ear just in time to hear her husband’s voice on the other end say, “Nobody said hello yet but I’m positive I have the right number.”
Spring is right around the corner. It's time to clean out the dirt, dust and debris and thank the Lord the winter is past.
Farmers will soon be planting and breaking up the fallow ground in hopes of a good harvest in the fall. Spiritually speaking, we all need to clean up different things in our lives. Over time we allow things to go unchecked. As the old time preachers would say “an unguarded heart is a double weakness.”
It could possibly be a habit that needs to be escorted out of our lives. Possibly a relationship we have allowed to go sour. A debt we need to pay to God or perhaps a rekindling of our love for God. It is time to open up the windows of our hearts and clean up what has been idle. We do not enjoy living in a dirty house. The reality TV program “Hoarders” shocks us when we see people holding onto junk that clutters and accumulates, leaving no place to live. Spiritually we have to remove that which hinders and hurts us.
The Bible says,” Little foxes spoil the vine”. Let’s remove that which hinders us and hurts us. There is nothing like the freshness of spring!
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
Spring is right around the corner. It's time to clean out the dirt, dust and debris and thank the Lord the winter is past.
Farmers will soon be planting and breaking up the fallow ground in hopes of a good harvest in the fall. Spiritually speaking, we all need to clean up different things in our lives. Over time we allow things to go unchecked. As the old time preachers would say “an unguarded heart is a double weakness.”
It could possibly be a habit that needs to be escorted out of our lives. Possibly a relationship we have allowed to go sour. A debt we need to pay to God or perhaps a rekindling of our love for God. It is time to open up the windows of our hearts and clean up what has been idle. We do not enjoy living in a dirty house. The reality TV program “Hoarders” shocks us when we see people holding onto junk that clutters and accumulates, leaving no place to live. Spiritually we have to remove that which hinders and hurts us.
The Bible says,” Little foxes spoil the vine”. Let’s remove that which hinders us and hurts us. There is nothing like the freshness of spring!
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Are you facing a giant today?
Most of us remember these familiar lines from a popular children’s story:
“Fee Fi Fo Fum
I smell the blood of an Englishman
Be he alive or be he dead
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.”
The lines actually come from an old English fairy tale “Jack and the Giant Killer”. The story begins with the words, “When King Arthur reigned, there lived near lands’ end of England, in the country of Cornwall, a farmer who had an only son called Jack.” Shortly thereafter follows a rather comprehensive description of a huge giant named Comoran, which includes the detailed measurements of his massive frame: Eighteen feet tall and 3 yards about the waist! He was notorious for terrorizing the people of Cornwall, and had done so for a long time. With no end in sight to his rampaging deeds, the locals were in complete despair. Enter Jack, who comes to the rescue, and through a combination of courage and cunning, kills the giant Comoran, and seizes his treasure, thus earning himself the nickname “Jack the Giant killer”.
The Bible relates a very similar encounter from centuries ago about a young boy named David who valiantly stood against a menacing giant named Goliath. But point in fact is, this is a true story, an actual historic event, not a fairy tale. In an old edition of the monthly periodical “The Prairie Overcomer” an article appeared which contained within it a thesis stating the reason for David’s victory: that Goliath suffered from “tunnel vision”, and David won the battle that day as Jack the Giant Killer had done in the fairy tale, through superior knowledge, skill and agility. I would have to respectfully, but totally disagree. The Bible clearly states, and I am certain David himself would concur, that he was victorious because the Lord was with him.
In each of our lives there are times when “giants” may appear. Most often these are not necessarily physical in nature, but relational, emotional and spiritual. But they are no less imposing, no less foreboding, and they are just as threatening to our well being. But unlike fairy tales, the secret to confronting and defeating the seemingly unconquerable giants in life is the Lord. Victory is not in us, but in Him, as David would surely attest.
What giant do you face today? All things are possible to him that believeth. Put your faith, not in yourself, but in God and you will become a giant killer. You may not secure an earthly treasure like Jack, but you will have joy unspeakable, and peace that passes understanding.
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
“Fee Fi Fo Fum
I smell the blood of an Englishman
Be he alive or be he dead
I’ll grind his bones to make my bread.”
The lines actually come from an old English fairy tale “Jack and the Giant Killer”. The story begins with the words, “When King Arthur reigned, there lived near lands’ end of England, in the country of Cornwall, a farmer who had an only son called Jack.” Shortly thereafter follows a rather comprehensive description of a huge giant named Comoran, which includes the detailed measurements of his massive frame: Eighteen feet tall and 3 yards about the waist! He was notorious for terrorizing the people of Cornwall, and had done so for a long time. With no end in sight to his rampaging deeds, the locals were in complete despair. Enter Jack, who comes to the rescue, and through a combination of courage and cunning, kills the giant Comoran, and seizes his treasure, thus earning himself the nickname “Jack the Giant killer”.
The Bible relates a very similar encounter from centuries ago about a young boy named David who valiantly stood against a menacing giant named Goliath. But point in fact is, this is a true story, an actual historic event, not a fairy tale. In an old edition of the monthly periodical “The Prairie Overcomer” an article appeared which contained within it a thesis stating the reason for David’s victory: that Goliath suffered from “tunnel vision”, and David won the battle that day as Jack the Giant Killer had done in the fairy tale, through superior knowledge, skill and agility. I would have to respectfully, but totally disagree. The Bible clearly states, and I am certain David himself would concur, that he was victorious because the Lord was with him.
In each of our lives there are times when “giants” may appear. Most often these are not necessarily physical in nature, but relational, emotional and spiritual. But they are no less imposing, no less foreboding, and they are just as threatening to our well being. But unlike fairy tales, the secret to confronting and defeating the seemingly unconquerable giants in life is the Lord. Victory is not in us, but in Him, as David would surely attest.
What giant do you face today? All things are possible to him that believeth. Put your faith, not in yourself, but in God and you will become a giant killer. You may not secure an earthly treasure like Jack, but you will have joy unspeakable, and peace that passes understanding.
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Stay fit - Spiritually!
It is incumbent upon all of us, as Christians, to cultivate our spiritual life. In his second epistle the Apostle Peter writes, “Giving all diligence, add to your faith”, and then a bit further on in the passage he continues, “If these things be in you and abound then you will not be barren, nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus”. Peter is exhorting us to “exercise” the spiritual area of our lives, for it is through these disciplines, such as prayer and Bible study, by which we add to our faith and knowledge of our Lord, which in return will provide us the basic tools to be effective in living our daily Christian walk. It is a task which requires dedication, similar to the principle often found stated by exercise gurus and in fitness rooms: “No pain, no gain”.
To emphasize further the importance of this practice, Peter adds, “He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” We need to develop a certain mentality concerning spiritual things, and it must be an “I need this!” mentality. Physical science has demonstrated that nature abhors a vacuum; what this essentially means is an empty space will not remain empty long; eventually it will be filled by something. The spiritual corollary I am attempting to draw here is simply this; if we don’t take the time to exercise the spiritual area of our minds, the time will be filled by something else, and not always for the better.
In the pamphlet “Our Daily Bread”, there was a daily devotional which quoted a study from Karen Bolla, a Johns Hopkins researcher. She was performing an investigation on human memory. She came up with these statistics regarding “Things people forget most”: names, 83%, where something is, 60%, telephone numbers 57%, words, 53%, faces, 42%. Also this little gem (one I hate to admit I seem to be more familiar with as I get older): if you can’t remember whether you have just done something, you join company with 38% of the population.
Followers of Jesus also have a problem with forgetfulness. We often forget the great importance of tending to our spiritual life. David said, “Some trust in Chariots, some in horses. We will remember the name of the Lord.” In other words, some place their trust in man made things; we as Christians trust in the Lord. But the only way to sustain this trust is to strengthen our spiritual muscle, and this requires spiritual exercise.
This year let’s heed the Apostle Peter’s admonition. Add to your faith. Through daily “spiritual exercise” you can “grow” in the fruit of the spirit: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, Godliness and brotherly kindness. It’s up to us to develop a mindset of adding these to our Christian walk.
God bless you as you do. I love and appreciate you.
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
To emphasize further the importance of this practice, Peter adds, “He that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins.” We need to develop a certain mentality concerning spiritual things, and it must be an “I need this!” mentality. Physical science has demonstrated that nature abhors a vacuum; what this essentially means is an empty space will not remain empty long; eventually it will be filled by something. The spiritual corollary I am attempting to draw here is simply this; if we don’t take the time to exercise the spiritual area of our minds, the time will be filled by something else, and not always for the better.
In the pamphlet “Our Daily Bread”, there was a daily devotional which quoted a study from Karen Bolla, a Johns Hopkins researcher. She was performing an investigation on human memory. She came up with these statistics regarding “Things people forget most”: names, 83%, where something is, 60%, telephone numbers 57%, words, 53%, faces, 42%. Also this little gem (one I hate to admit I seem to be more familiar with as I get older): if you can’t remember whether you have just done something, you join company with 38% of the population.
Followers of Jesus also have a problem with forgetfulness. We often forget the great importance of tending to our spiritual life. David said, “Some trust in Chariots, some in horses. We will remember the name of the Lord.” In other words, some place their trust in man made things; we as Christians trust in the Lord. But the only way to sustain this trust is to strengthen our spiritual muscle, and this requires spiritual exercise.
This year let’s heed the Apostle Peter’s admonition. Add to your faith. Through daily “spiritual exercise” you can “grow” in the fruit of the spirit: virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, Godliness and brotherly kindness. It’s up to us to develop a mindset of adding these to our Christian walk.
God bless you as you do. I love and appreciate you.
See ya Sunday!
Pastor
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Faith, not fear!
Two words that are jam packed with significance for Christians, and often are juxtaposed against each other, are faith and fear. We know as Christians we are to possess an unshakable faith; a faith that will bolster us through the storms of life, a faith which lights the way when darkness shrouds our path. So important is faith to the victorious Christian life that Jesus emphasized the point when healing the blind men in Matthew 9:29, saying “According to your faith be it unto you.” Obviously derived from this passage is the fact that success in the Christian life is not measured according to fame or fortune, but by faith.
The enemy of faith is fear. As we look around us, there are many reasons which may cause us to become fearful. We may encounter obstacles which will make the road ahead difficult to traverse. We may hear the thunder and see the lightening of impending storms approaching on the horizon. At these times our faith may be shaken. Why? Because of fear. However, many of these things we can do little or nothing about. And in our daily walk we are not to fear, but rather we are to trust God. And we are assured in 2nd Tim 1:7 that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”.
The Bible also informs us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Faith therefore should be visibly evident in our lives, and clearly demonstrated through every area of life. Marriage, raising children, business ventures, relationships with family and friends. We need a strong, robust faith to navigate through all these successfully, the type of faith which will cast out all fear!
Let’s endeavor this year to feed our faith and starve our fears. A sure fire way to strengthen your faith is to have a quiet time with the Lord every day. Here is another idea – let’s be faithful to all of the services at church. Yes! Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night; being present whenever the doors are open and God’s word preached will feed your faith, as Rom 10:17 states: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God! And it wouldn’t hurt if you even threw in Sunday school once in awhile! ;)
Let’s make this year a life-changer – Faith, not fear!
See you Sunday!
Pastor
The enemy of faith is fear. As we look around us, there are many reasons which may cause us to become fearful. We may encounter obstacles which will make the road ahead difficult to traverse. We may hear the thunder and see the lightening of impending storms approaching on the horizon. At these times our faith may be shaken. Why? Because of fear. However, many of these things we can do little or nothing about. And in our daily walk we are not to fear, but rather we are to trust God. And we are assured in 2nd Tim 1:7 that “God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind”.
The Bible also informs us that “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. Faith therefore should be visibly evident in our lives, and clearly demonstrated through every area of life. Marriage, raising children, business ventures, relationships with family and friends. We need a strong, robust faith to navigate through all these successfully, the type of faith which will cast out all fear!
Let’s endeavor this year to feed our faith and starve our fears. A sure fire way to strengthen your faith is to have a quiet time with the Lord every day. Here is another idea – let’s be faithful to all of the services at church. Yes! Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wednesday night; being present whenever the doors are open and God’s word preached will feed your faith, as Rom 10:17 states: “So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God! And it wouldn’t hurt if you even threw in Sunday school once in awhile! ;)
Let’s make this year a life-changer – Faith, not fear!
See you Sunday!
Pastor
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Happy New Year!
It does not require a degree in psychology to determine we Americans are obsessed with the future. All one needs to do is read the newspapers or listen to the radio and you will find a proliferation of prophets, pundits and prognosticators eagerly attempting to predict what the future holds in an effort to quench this insatiable thirst. Many gullible folks will quickly turn to the astrology section of the newspaper, trusting they will find what “the stars” hold for them in the future.
Some will visit their local psychics, who will gaze at tea leaves, read tarot cards or some other method of hocus-pocus to “determine” what the future will bring. Some of us trust our intuition, minds or intellect to study all sorts of “megatrends” to get a leg up on what these portend for the future. No matter the means to which we may resort, we want to be in the know regarding the future.
However, only One truly knows the future, and that is the omniscient, sovereign God who rules the universe. It is an unfortunate circumstance of this mortal life, but we all must contend with the stubborn fact there is a shroud of uncertainty cloaking the future. And since God is the only One who truly knows the future, it is a monumental mistake not to include Him in our plans. This is the fatal error many commit when creating their grand schemes for future success.
As the beginning of a new year is fast approaching, many are quite concerned as to what it may bring forth, while many are in the process of making plans in hopes to make it a successful one. Perhaps the best advice for both situations, at least from a spiritual perspective, has been provided by Henry Ward Beecher, who said, “Every man should be born again on the first of January.” What better mindset than this to purposefully reconnect with God and start the New Year with a fresh page and a re-invigorated spirit.
Frances Havergal wrote:”Another year is dawning dear Father. Let it be, in working or in waiting, another year with thee”. Include God in your plans, and with this type of attitude, you will have the settled reassurance that no matter what the future brings, God will be with you!
Thank you for your service to Christ this past year. Let’s endeavor to make this the best year ever in our church’s history!
See you on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day!
Pastor
Some will visit their local psychics, who will gaze at tea leaves, read tarot cards or some other method of hocus-pocus to “determine” what the future will bring. Some of us trust our intuition, minds or intellect to study all sorts of “megatrends” to get a leg up on what these portend for the future. No matter the means to which we may resort, we want to be in the know regarding the future.
However, only One truly knows the future, and that is the omniscient, sovereign God who rules the universe. It is an unfortunate circumstance of this mortal life, but we all must contend with the stubborn fact there is a shroud of uncertainty cloaking the future. And since God is the only One who truly knows the future, it is a monumental mistake not to include Him in our plans. This is the fatal error many commit when creating their grand schemes for future success.
As the beginning of a new year is fast approaching, many are quite concerned as to what it may bring forth, while many are in the process of making plans in hopes to make it a successful one. Perhaps the best advice for both situations, at least from a spiritual perspective, has been provided by Henry Ward Beecher, who said, “Every man should be born again on the first of January.” What better mindset than this to purposefully reconnect with God and start the New Year with a fresh page and a re-invigorated spirit.
Frances Havergal wrote:”Another year is dawning dear Father. Let it be, in working or in waiting, another year with thee”. Include God in your plans, and with this type of attitude, you will have the settled reassurance that no matter what the future brings, God will be with you!
Thank you for your service to Christ this past year. Let’s endeavor to make this the best year ever in our church’s history!
See you on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day!
Pastor
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