On Christ the solid Rock I stand....

No one and I do mean no one, sojourns through this life without encountering some difficulties. Some may experience issues with their health, even when young. Some, even the wealthiest among us, may suddenly find themselves financially ruined. Some who simply seek to love and be loved are confronted with rejection again and again.

Recently the world witnessed a 9.0 earthquake, and the ensuing massive tsunami which battered the island nation of Japan. It caused thousands of deaths and inflicted massive damage. It was a catastrophic event of such enormous scale that it even induced a slight shifting of the earth’s axis. I thought of all those many precious people who suffered the dramatic effects of this disaster, some who lost everything they possessed in a relatively short period of time.

These illustrations remind us of the frailty of this life, and the tempestuous nature of this earthly realm is a constant reminder we can face hardship at any moment. Tragically, many never stop and truly examine the type of foundation upon which they are building to withstand these storms of life. As Christians, we should be encouraged that God has a purpose for us, and he has provided the foundation which will support us in the time of trouble. Jesus Himself reveals this truth in the Gospel of Luke, chapter 6:48 -49:

He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.

Difficulty will come; however, if we have prepared by building on a solid foundation, we will see a way through. That foundation is none other than Jesus Christ. The famous evangelist D.L. Moody aptly said, “Give your life to Christ; he can do more with it than you can.” Or, as the refrain of one of the most beloved hymns so succinctly puts it:

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;
All other ground is sinking sand,
All other ground is sinking sand.

See ya Sunday!
Pastor

The Coronation Day

In Second Timothy chapter four, the Apostle Paul is preparing for his trip to heaven. He states, “I am ready to be offered. I have fought a good fight, kept the faith and finished my course.” What a life he had led. It is said that the test of religion is not whether you can live by it, but can you die by it. The old hymn, “Old Time Religion” says, “It will do when I am dying.” The great Methodist preacher said of the Methodist people “Our people die well”. D.L. Moody said, “One day you will read that I am dead. Don’t believe it. I will be more alive than ever before.” When he came to the end of his earthly life he said, “Earth is receding, God is calling, I am going. Is this death? Why, this is not bad. This is glorious, this is my Coronation Day.”

Yesterday our family placed in the ground the earthly body of our saintly father and husband. He was one of the Godliest men I have ever met. Married for over 60 years with five children who love and serve the Lord! For over 40 years he was the Pastor of Bible Baptist Church in New Jersey. He will be missed sorely. The scores of people that showed up yesterday are a testimony to the influence of his life.

He was prepared to go! As it says in the book of Hebrews, “He being dead yet speaketh”. The influence of his words and his wonderful example will live on in our lives. I love you Dad and look forward to seeing you in the morning.

See ya Sunday!

Pastor

Rollercoasters

I recently went to Six Flags with my speech class. We had a good time. What a great bunch of young people. Against my better judgment, I even rode many of the rollercoasters.

However, that did not prepare me for the rollercoaster of emotions I went through last week. My precious father took sick. He injured his spine a week ago. Within 2 days he became disoriented and began a rapid decline. At present he is unconscious and on a ventilator. The kidney doctor told us he contracted an infection and this is the reason for the decline. So far there is no change, although the doctor said he has seen people in a worse state come out of it.

My Dad is a good man. He loves the Lord and his family. He pastored for most of his life. He has been married to the same woman over 60 years and raised five Christian children.

We all know God is able and we are praying for his recovery. Please pray with me in this regard.

Thank you for your patience. I have had to be there for my Mom and family. It is one of those events you are never prepared for. I will be back in the pulpit on Wednesday evening and Sunday morning.

Please know that I love and appreciate each one of you. May God strengthen each of us for His work! God bless you abundantly is my prayer.

See you Sunday!
Pastor

When life gives you lemons...

Many years ago a preacher went to the World’s Fair. From a distance he saw a man pumping water with one of those old hand pumps. The water was pouring out and he said as he looked, “That man is really pumping water.” However, when he got closer, he discovered that it was a wooden man connected to a pump powered by electricity. The man was not pumping the water, the water was pumping him.

I’m sure all of us have felt the same way. We find ourselves controlled by problems, pressures and the perplexities of life.

I read of a counseling center’s hotline voicemail message that correctly sums up how we often feel. “Thank you for calling. If you are obsessive-compulsive press one repeatedly. If you are co-dependent, please ask someone to press two for you. If you have multiple personalities please press 4, 5 and 6. If you are paranoid or delusional, remember, we know who you are, even while you’re on hold; we have been tracing this call. If you are schizophrenic, listen carefully to the little voice and it will tell you what number to push. If you are manic-depressive it doesn’t matter what number you press, no one is going to answer. Have a good day!"

The Bible is full of people who persevered through adversity. Job said it best when he said, “Man born of woman is few of days and full of trouble.”

I’m sure many reading this today are in the midst of some adversity. It is a fact of life. My Mama used to say “When life hands you lemons, make lemonade.” Hang tough and persevere. You can’t stop a man that won’t quit!

Our fathers were such a people. May we follow their example.

See ya Sunday!
Pastor

Do you have a right spirit?

The person who desires to live an unshakable, spirit filled life, one that is resilient against the tumultuous nature of the times which exist in today’s world, must build his life upon a firm foundation. As Christians, we should inherently recognize in order to be successful in this endeavor, our lives need to be built up and anchored in God’s word. When we study the Bible and actively seek to apply its precepts and principles to life, we will develop the proper spirit necessary to achieve this goal. As the wise man Solomon said, “The spirit of a man shall sustain his infirmity, but a wounded spirit who shall bear.” In other words, when your spirit is right, you will be able to handle the difficulties and adversity that life may hurl at you. Of course the antithesis to this is, when you do not have a proper spirit, you will fall apart in the time of trouble.

There are many voices in the public square advocating a multitude of philosophies, all of them competing to get our attention and seeking to shape our lives and how we perceive the world around us. However, as the adopted sons and daughters of the living God, it is His voice speaking to our hearts that is most important. And God’s voice will only be properly heard when our spirit is right within us. The peculiar thing here is, we attain this right spirit by earnestly seeking God’s face. As King David beseeched the Lord in Psalms 51:”Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”.

I have been the pastor of the same church for close to 30 years, and during this time I have dealt with quite a few people. Some have had wonderful spirits, and this was always quite obvious just by the manner in which they carried themselves. It was equally evident these dear souls were attuned to hearing God’s voice. Unfortunately, I have also dealt with some whose actions and countenance betrayed a wrong spirit, and they themselves and those around them suffered because of it. I am sad to say, I would question upon what foundation they were building, and how well their spirit would sustain them in difficult times.

How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!
What more can He say than to you He hath said—
To you who for refuge to Jesus have fled?

Why not stop today, bow your head and ask God to give you a proper spirit so that you would more clearly hear His voice.

See ya Sunday!
Pastor

Be An Encourager!

The ability to encourage others is a rare gift. Those of us who grew up in a home with a positive parent or who have met someone who encouraged us need to thank the Lord. Henry Ford said, “The ability to encourage others is one of life’s greatest assets.” Fortunately, Ford knew firsthand the power of encouragement. Ford had drawn a picture of his newly built engine for Thomas Edison. Henry Ford endured much criticism and ridicule in regard to his gas generated motor car. Most engineers believed that electrical cars would be the mode of transportation. One night at a dinner Ford was explaining his invention to Edison. After explaining it Edison slammed his fist on the table and said, “That’s the thing young man”. In later years Henry Ford said, “The thump of that fist on the table was worth worlds to me.” That is the power of encouragement! To those who work for us, to our families, just a fit word can change destiny. Perhaps today you will be allowed to lift up, encourage, and help someone through the power of an encouraging word. Don’t pass up the opportunity. Where would we be if Edison hadn’t put his fist on that table! See ya Sunday! Pastor

He is Risen!

The name and escapades of Harry Houdini are familiar to most of us. He was a magician whose claim to fame was especially associated with spectacular escapes from what would seem to be impossible situations. It is said that he laughed at locks and sneered at fetters, and that he had the flexibility of an eel and the lives of a cat.

Those who desired to challenge his capabilities manufactured all types of contraptions in an attempt to incarcerate him. He was sealed in a coffin and sewn into canvas bags; secured with iron chains and locks; they even locked him in a milk can. But every time he escaped. They sealed him in a beer barrel only to see him set himself free. They even put him in a maximum security prison but somehow old Harry still managed to work his way to freedom.

Harry was so confident in his own talents that he had told his wife if there was any way to come back after death, he would find it. He actually informed her he would try to make contact with her on the anniversary of his death. Then in October of 1926 old man death laid his hands on Harry Houdini and put him in a grave. For the next ten years, his wife kept a light burning over his portrait, expecting the great master would find a way to escape the clutches of the grim reaper! But at the end of those 10 years, she despondently turned the light out. She had come to realize Death had Houdini, and this time he wasn’t going to escape.

Death also laid its hands on Jesus. Death put Him in a rock hewn tomb, which was then further affirmed by the seal of the Roman government. But, despite these “official” pronouncements, on the 3rd day Jesus stirred Himself, and He arose, victorious over Death! He left behind the grave clothes that were wrapped around His lifeless body, and He arose! The stone in front of the tomb had been rolled away, but not so much as to let Jesus out; no, it was moved to show the disciples He was no longer swallowed up by Death, but that He had triumphed over Death!

Easter is the greatest time for believers. As the Apostle Paul clearly emphasizes in 1 Corinthians 15, it is the salient point upon which Christianity is established, and provided the early Christians the impetus to “turn the world upside down”, as they proclaimed “He is risen! He is risen indeed!”

I trust that, as a Christian, your life was changed because of the resurrection. And I trust that the truth of the risen Christ lives all year long in your heart. Jesus did what no other could do, not even the great Houdini; He triumphed over Death. This is the foundational hope of the Christian faith, for as the scriptures say, “because He lives, we also shall live”.

See ya Sunday!
Pastor