Things You Can Lose

Good Morning,

In this brief life, one faces many false hopes, disappointments, and empty dreams.  In the course of following these empty feelings, real things might be forfeited. 

The possibility of losing blessings is real; some are difficult or impossible to ever get back.

You can lose:

1. Your life - James speaks of a sin unto death.

2. Your joy - guilt, shame, and endless emotions can terrorize you for decades.

3. Your testimony - you can end up like Lot, such a fraud that no one takes you seriously, and may even cost you your children (as it did Lot).

4. Your ministry - oh the wonderful opportunities to serve God that can be lost by wrong doing.

5. Your eternal rewards - you can arrive in Heaven “ashamed” and empty-handed for eternity.

(More details on this subject can be found in a coming sermon at our church.)

Do not make the mistake of acting like this world is the end; it is only the stepping stone to your eternal world – do not ruin it.  As Bob Jones said, “Never sacrifice the eternal on the altar of the immediate.”

Oh yes, there is one thing you cannot lose – you will never lose your salvation.  

Pastor

Finished Work of Calvary

Good Morning,

I preached a sermon about the will of God and how we should not focus on the past or some utopian dream of "the perfect will of God." God is most concerned about our doing the will of God today, regardless of where we once were, what we have faced in the past, or even of what wrong has been done.

Is it not wonderful how our Lord used the woman at the well? (John 4) She previously had five husbands and was currently living with another man. Yet she trusted Christ sufficiently to go to town and tell everyone of the Saviour. She did not need to grovel in the mire of a failed, sinful past, but rather receive that "living water" that she might not thirst again. She gloried in the Man Who told her all things that she ever did. She was able to focus on doing the will of God right at the moment.

The trouble we face is our inability to understand God and His character.

1. God's love is far greater than anything we can imagine.

2. God's forgiveness is also erasure (a complete elimination of our wrong deeds). The term is justification.

Romans 5:1 “Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

3. Christ's sacrifice is effectual — a complete, total payment for all our sins.

Our humanity wrestles with the idea of our sins being paid for, a principle which is clearly taught all through the Bible. Christ died for our sins; therefore, the payment for our sins has already been paid.

1 Corinthians 15:3 “For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;”

2 Corinthians 5:14 “For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:”

vs. 15 “And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.”

When we do accept the idea of full payment for our sins, we have a difficult time accepting that God no longer considers those sins, that He holds no grudges, and that He does not limit us from honorable service because of our sins. The Bible teaches that God, unlike men, forgives and forgets.

Hebrews 8:12 “For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.”

Hebrews 10:17 “And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.”

If I were to pay for some items in the store, and then as I walked out the store, an employee asked for me to pay for the items again, I would not consider doing such a thing. The debt had been paid! I need not pay again. Yet when we receive Christ and His payment for our sin, we insist on punishing ourselves and often hold bitterness and anger against ourselves or others, failing to grasp the fact that God has long since forgiven and forgotten our shameful deeds.

What Jesus did was pay for all my sins.

What God's substitutionary atonement achieved was that those sins ARE NO LONGER MINE. THEY WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE SAVIOR’S ACCOUNT.

SO WHY SHOULD I PUNISH MYSELF FOR SINS THAT ARE NOT MY OWN?

2 Corinthians 5:21 “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”

We read here that we were made righteous by our Lord. Hmmm. That sure sounds like we ought to live a life of joy and assurance rather than grief and sorrow.

Notice these truths from Isaiah 53:

Isaiah 53:5 “But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Christ was chastised for our peace... We ought to be enjoying peace purchased by our Lord, and certainly we should not live in anxiety.

vs. 6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

If the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all, why are we weighed down under the weight of our past sin?

vs. 11 “He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied…"

If God was satisfied, literally recognizing what Christ did was sufficient and adequate to care for our sin debt, then perhaps we too ought to be satisfied?

Lastly, were we made righteous?

Romans 5:19 “For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.”

Did the finished work of Calvary make us righteous? If it did, then it is wrong to wallow in our sinful past. It is wrong to allow guilt to cripple us and weigh us down to the point that we are incapable of serving God or the world around us.

The little children's song fits adults too:

Gone, gone, gone, gone,

Yes! my sins are gone.

Now my soul is free and in my heart's a song

Buried in the deepest sea,

Yes, that's good enough for me...

Is Christ's death enough for you? It is good enough for God.

Pastor

God Is Right

Good Morning,

In our soft culture, the emphasis is on "be nice" and "live and let live" (unless, of course, you are the media and are dealing with a terrible threat like Sara Palin; then you can be ugly without limits.)  These "we've gotta be nice to the world” believers have forgotten so much of what the Bible says.  Remember, we have a timeless Book.  Our Bible is good for all cultures, all ages, and all political landscapes.

In the book of 1 Timothy, notice the blunt and cold definitions of doctrinal error Timothy uses:

1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils;”

vs. 2 “Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;”

vs. 3 “Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.”

Paul is warning Timothy that there would come a time (in the "later times”) when wrong would be taught by religious people as if it were correct.  Paul called them "seducing spirits and doctrines of devils.” (I Timothy 4:1)

What horrid belief could this be?  Could it be human sacrifice or worse?  No.   An example of doctrine of devils is when a religion pushes celibacy or vegetarianism.   We all know that Catholic priests are not supposed to marry, and that Seventh Day Adventists and others do not believe in eating meat.  For some reason, we do not call these groups "seducing spirits" — but God does.  God is always right and should always be trusted.  Although we do not understand some of the things He says, we can believe Him and trust that the One Who created everything is worthy of our faith and trust.

John had no problem calling some religious leaders vipers.

Matthew 3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

The important thought in this passage is that accepting everyone and giving everyone his little vote of approval is biblical nonsense.  In America, we certainly provide religious freedom, but Christians need not act as if the ideas of others are acceptable and correct.  We do not need to say silly things such as, "We can all be right,” or, "All faiths lead to Heaven.”  God makes it very clear that one doctrine is right and one is wrong.  The permissive, accepting world around us is more satanic than most of us actually believe.

If we adopt this mentality, we will start thinking that if two men want to get married, that is their business, or if a gal wants to abort her child, that is her right.  Yet, an expression of such an idea six weeks after the child is born would never be acceptable (at least society has not reached that point yet).  So why allow it six weeks before the child is born?  While I was in college, I met a guy who was of the Baha'i faith.  He assured me that his religion accepts all religious leaders and embrace all faiths.  Yet, he wanted everyone to join his church, worship in their building, etc.  If all of the other religions were okay, then why not leave us all alone?  Why try to convert us all?  He told me a picture of Jesus, as well as of many other great religious leaders, hung on the wall at his church.  I assured him that Jesus was either the only God and only One Who could save, or He was a lying lunatic unworthy of anyone following His teaching.

Acts 4:12  "...there is none other name under Heaven... whereby we must be saved.”

John 14:6  “…I am the way the truth and the life: no man come the into the Father, but by me.”

The Bible is clear of God's love for all mankind.  The Scripture is equally clear that there is only one God, there is only one way to Heaven, and that there is only one Saviour.  God offers no lateral movement.  God is narrow-minded; right typically is.  No doctor will say, "Sure, the choice is yours.  You may go to the witch doctor or visit the shaman; however, we will use CT scans and antibiotics.  Everyone is going to find health in their own way."  Could you see a mechanic telling someone, "Sure, I think you need new brake pads, but if you feel better without them, I'm sure your opinion is right."

People in government agencies think they have the right to say what is acceptable or not.  The  members of the EPA think they have the right to determine what is dangerous or not.  The FDA workers have no problem telling us one medicine is safe while another is not; yet they all have been proven wrong over and over.  When God wrote the Bible, He wrote it as Lord of all, King of Kings, Sovereign of the universe, Creator, and one day destroyer of all planets and even atmosphere.  God is right, all the time, in every situation, in every culture, and in every form of human government.  God and the Bible are right, all the time.  God is right and the Bible is right — when it is popular or when it is banned as hate literature.  When the Lord returns in the end, He will make no apologies for what He said, for Who He is, nor for what He did.  He is God.

We are to be kind to all, but we need not act as though all beliefs are acceptable, nor are we required to act as if politically correct actions are truly correct.  We are accountable to one Book, to One God, and to One Saviour.  The opinions of others really do not matter.

Pastor

Mercy & Truth

Good Morning,

I found myself thinking about mercy and truth. These attributes are often found together in the Bible and teach us much. 

Psalm 85:10 “Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.”

Psalm 98:3 “He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.”

Proverbs 16:6 “By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.”

Many lessons involve mercy and truth, but for today, I would like to focus on the response of Samuel when the people of Israel demanded their first king. 

First of all, we notice how wrong the children of Israel were to ask for a king.

1 Samuel 12:13 “Now therefore behold the king whom ye have chosen, and whom ye have desired! and, behold, the LORD hath set a king over you.”

vs. 17  “…that ye may perceive and see that your wickedness is great, which ye have done in the sight of the LORD, in asking you a king.”

vs. 20 “...ye have done all this wickedness…"

Twice, Samuel calls the request for a king wickedness.  Yet, because the children of Israel fussed at the Lord, God let them have their way.  As demonstration of the severity of their wicked choice, God sent rain in their harvest.  Perhaps, a symbol of the power of the prophet of God (which their king could not have), or a severe warning that God can change anything in a moment.  (Wet grain could not be harvested because it would mold.  Their plans needed to change; the grain could not be harvested that day.)

Now to the point concerning mercy and truth:

Although it was wrong, and though it was an act of rejection toward God, God still chose to have mercy on the children of Israel.

1 Samuel 8:7 “And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.”

Although their action made a clear statement that they would rather have a frail man lead them than God, and though they spoke outright that they would like to be like the world around them, God showed mercy on them in granting their request.

1 Samuel 8:5 “And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.”

vs. 20 “That we also may be like all the nations; and that our king may judge us, and go out before us, and fight our battles.”

Although Samuel, the man of God, severely warned the children of Israel about their evil choice, God still allowed them to have their way.  Then God added His comments:

vs. 14 “If ye will fear the LORD, and serve him, and obey his voice, and not rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall both ye and also the king that reigneth over you continue following the LORD your God:”

vs. 15 “But if ye will not obey the voice of the LORD, but rebel against the commandment of the LORD, then shall the hand of the LORD be against you, as it was against your fathers.”

If these people would do right, stay close to the Lord, and obey His Word, they could go on and be a blessed people.  The desire for a king was wrong, but God was merciful.  The issue:  doing right is not easy for mankind under ideal circumstances, and every time we do something stupid, such as changing our lives to fit in with the world, it makes it harder to do right. 

The choice was so bad that the people feared God would kill them all.

vs. 19 “And all the people said unto Samuel, Pray for thy servants unto the LORD thy God, that we die not: for we have added unto all our sins this evil, to ask us a king.”

No doubt, the fact that the people wanted something that was wrong was clear.  God was not going to fight with them, but rather allow them to have their own way, even though it was a dangerous path and much more likely to lead them away from God.  The mercy God gave them in agreeing to their request was followed by the truth of the consequences — fields being rained upon and the dread of possible death. 

vs. 20 “And Samuel said unto the people, Fear not: ye have done all this wickedness: yet turn not aside from following the LORD, but serve the LORD with all your heart;”

vs. 21 “And turn ye not aside: for then should ye go after vain things, which cannot profit nor deliver; for they are vain.”

Over and over God has warned us not to turn aside or seek vain things.

Through this story, we see that people can openly rebel against the Lord in their desire to be like the world around them, yet in mercy, God may still bless them.  In these situations, God gives serious warnings of the danger and that extra care must be exercised to do right; for the choice  may move one much closer to a sinful path.

To say that God is happy with the choice is stupid! The bad choice was called wickedness twice; God showed His anger by an untimely thunderstorm on their crops.  Their choice was not acceptable, and the path was not a safe one.  The people would have been much better off if they had listened to the old preacher.  Adjusting our lives to adapt to the world around us is never a good idea.

Mercy and truth:  mercy, in that God tolerates our foolishness and tries to find a way to bless us in our rebellion; truth, in that wrong is clearly wrong and dangerous, and we are asking for trouble.

To be sure, you will encounter people who do things that your pastor has shown you from the Bible to be clearly wrong.  Yes, many of those people are blessed but are also much nearer to danger.

Yes, some churches choose to be "like the world,” and yes, I believe it angers God, but in mercy, God tolerates their wrong, blesses them, and warns them to do right. He warns them that they are much nearer to ruin than if they were to walk according to the Bible and not try to be "like the nations" around them.  Finally, though the adults in those situations may survive, their children are the ones who are most likely to veer off the path and fall. 

Since we cannot see the road ahead, it is always best to follow our Divine GPS and let the Lord guide us on the safest path possible.

Nothing is as safe as doing right.

Pastor

Who Has the Authority?

Good Morning,

Jesus told Pilate that he had no power at all.

John 19:11 “Jesus answered, Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given thee from above: therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin.”

A truth most of us believe, yet is so very hard to keep in our hearts, is the idea that God is the giver of all authority.  Notice how Paul worded this same truth.

Romans 13:1 “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.”

There is NO POWER, but of God.  God holds all the power or authority in the universe, and no one gets a share of that power or authority without the Lord having His hand in the process.  

As the persecuted disciples met together for prayer, they acknowledged that the power men used to crucify their Lord or to beat these men all came from God and was a part of the determinate counsel of God.  

Acts 4:28  “For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.”

Though all of us have moments of fear, we must have enough Bible in our hearts to draw us back to faith and hope and to rest in the Almighty.  Governments and rulers of all kinds have to face the Lord in judgment one day, and what these leaders do with their power will clearly be revealed in the future.  Until then, may we rest in the many passages that assure us we are not alone and that the powers of darkness are all in submission to God.

When talking about being hated and sold, Joseph put it this way:

Genesis 45:7 “And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.”

vs. 8 “So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt.”

God makes it clear that even the powerful animals are under His rule.

Jeremiah 27:5 “I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the ground, by my great power and by my outstretched arm, and have given it unto whom it seemed meet unto me.”

When David Livingstone was attacked by a lion, he did not grow bitter at God, for God knew and ordered the universe. God had a plan, and David Livingstone was willing to trust in that plan, although it left him crippled for the remainder of his life.  

Could we trust the Lord today, at least in our head?  Sure, we worry and fear, yet we should not; actually, we should confess it.  To keep believing that He rules the universe is honoring to the Lord, for He most certainly does.

Pastor

Self-Imposed Hell

Good Morning,

The statement, “Self-Imposed Hell,” was in a book I was recently reading and it struck me how true it was.  People do things that cause their own "Hell on earth."  

Greed eats up the soul, it will devour the life from the inside.  The same is true of lust.  When a man or woman turns their heart and soul to desire that which is unholy, it always forms a cancer within.  This philosophy applies to a new owner, new schools, new marriage partners, new jobs, or new cities.  


Bitterness over any matter, small or large, will result in the same internal "Hell" that will go wherever the owner moves.   When forgiveness can be only moments away (the forgiveness that brings peace and rest), far too many people embrace the oozing sore of anger or bitterness and prevent the healing balm of Gilead from cleansing their soul.  

Folks will have their feelings hurt and walk out of their church, often without the slightest attempt to fix the trouble.  At times, this behavior is the result of an unplanned event: one that could not be changed and was simply a one-in-a-thousand event.  Faith in those around us is often very shallow.  

I am always a little taken back when decades of investment, countless hours of fellowship, and endless shared joys and tears are thrown out without a word.  Even a secular job deserves some notice and a conversation with the boss. What about the relationships that were cherished for decades? Are those relationships of so little value that an attempt to reconcile the situation would not be worth a try?  Not even a hand shake or "I wish you well? Bitterness is unquenchable, and the self-imposed hell becomes a lifelong companion.  

Why was Peter broken and weeping when he returned to his Lord with peace, while Judas repented and then hanged himself?  The answer is simple; one allowed the “Self-Imposed Hell" to rule in his heart.  The other found faith, rest, forgiveness, and hope in Christ.  

Too many people will refuse to accept the rest that is offered by the Lord.

Isaiah 28:12 “To whom he said, this is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.”

May we refuse to allow the hurt of yesterday to erase the wonders of the Christian life and the countless blessings of God and man.  

Matthew 11:28 “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Remember that the Lord will care for the hurt while He blesses the just.  

Psalm 94:13 “That thou mayest give him rest from the days of adversity, until the pit be digged for the wicked.”

Pastor

The Spirit

Good Morning,

Trends today tend to belittle and lessen the value of great men, whether referring to the writers of our Constitution or preachers who built amazing churches. Small minds try to build themselves by diminishing the wonder of great men of the past. This practice is more prevalent in our colleges and universities, therefore making it prevalent in our political world. Small men try to make themselves big.

It is interesting that God speaks of lifting up great men, and of each one humbling himself. Today we humble others while making ourselves out to be more than we are. You can see this scenario unfold, especially as writers dig up ancient facts to smear the names of great men. Of course, there is no one to challenge the allegations and defend the dead. The exception is David Barton who wrote The Jefferson Lies and defended the greatness of the writer of our declaration.

God views men differently; God calls men; God blesses men. God anoints men with spiritual powers and sets them above others. God does not lift up the weakness of men but sidesteps it knowing that all have sinned, and He promotes men who love and honor Him.

Zechariah 3:8 “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at…"

“…men…. wondered at. Hmm. It surely seems as though these men were special. How about Samuel? Folks asked if he came to town peaceably.

1 Samuel 16:4 “And Samuel did that which the LORD spake, and came to Bethlehem. And the elders of the town trembled at his coming, and said, Comest thou peaceably?”

vs. 5 “And he said, Peaceably: I am come to sacrifice unto the LORD: sanctify yourselves, and come with me to the sacrifice. And he sanctified Jesse and his sons, and called them to the sacrifice.”

Many of those who diminish the touch of God on a man’s life will say, "That was a special prophet, not one of us common men today." Paul told the church in Thessalonica to honor those men of God who preach to them.

1 Thessalonians 5:13 “And to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. [And] be at peace among yourselves.”

“…esteem them very highly…” Wow! Sounds like it is okay to honor godly men and to lift them up. I am so glad I grew up in an era of Bible college students and young preachers who loved and esteemed men highly for their works’ sake.

None would doubt the unusual touch of God on the lives of the apostles:

2 Corinthians 1:21 “Now he which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed us, is God;

To deny that God calls men to preach and empowers them to do mighty works for God is childish, like a little league player criticizing a major league player for striking out. Some people would wish that no one have God's power, for fear they are revealed to be charlatans.

I, for one, am glad that I have seen the great men who knew God in a unique way. Lester Roloff was unusual, to say the least, but he was marvelously anointed. Jack Hyles, much different from Brother Roloff, was anointed with the oil of gladness as God promised in an obvious manner. These men and countless others who preached with “unction," as John writes, were as different as day and night, yet all possessed something others did not have, a touch of God, an anointing of the Holy Spirit.

John 7:38 “He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.”

vs. 39 “(But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)”

The Old Testament prophets spoke of this anointing:

Isaiah 55:1 “Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.”

Joel 2:28 “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions:”

vs. 29 “And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit.”

When I came to town to start our church, I came as a man called of God. Nothing by myself, but as my calling and election were clear, I came on a divine mission. I dressed differently because I was someone important, not that I was myself, but my calling was different. I came believing in the anointing of God. I was the preacher. I was in this little town of 1,000 people because God sent me, ordained me, and anointed me. I was a man of God. That very statement today will rattle the mental cages of "Bible teachers" who love their ability to teach but shun the idea that spiritual power can be obtained or an unusual anointing of God can be received.

Young men, be careful that you do not value your followers on Twitter more than your anointing of God. Be sure your prayer closet gains more of your attention than your Facebook page.

It was our Lord Who told the disciples to tarry in Jerusalem until they were endued with power. It was not just the twelve who stayed the many days in the upper room, finally fasting ten days until Pentecost. It was one hundred twenty who left that room to proclaim the wonderful works of God and were heard in the native tongue of sixteen different nations. How sad it is that I never hear young preachers even mention the power of God or the anointing of the Holy Spirit. (Although, I do know everyone's favorite ball team.)

1 John 2:20 “But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things.”

Over and over, our Bible speaks of the Holy Spirit, evil spirits, unclean spirits, and being filled with the Spirit. I will not let men promote themselves while acting as though there is no spiritual world: no power of God with which to do good or satanic powers whereby evil deeds are done.

I will urge young men seeking to be in the ministry to thirst and plead for the Spirit's fullness.

John 7:37 “In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”

Isaiah 44:3 “For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:”

There are men, men who are unusually anointed, or men at which others wonder. I am thankful for those in my life upon whom I saw spiritual power.

Zechariah 3:8 “Hear now, O Joshua the high priest, thou, and thy fellows that sit before thee: for they are men wondered at…"

Let us "wonder at” men of God, and pray for them. May we pray for God to call and anoint more men that our nation might be turned from sin to seek after God.

Pastor

Trust Him

Trust Him

Good Morning,

This morning, as I read, I could not help but stop and mention verses I have addressed before.  These are the words of Joseph after his father’s death, and in response to the brothers fearing the wrath of the brother they sold into slavery. 

Genesis 50:19 “…. am I in the place of God?”

vs. 20 “But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

First of all, Joseph felt it was not his job to “get even,” for he was not in the place of God.  We can trust God to take care of evil; we do not need to exercise vengeance.  

Secondly, God has a plan when evil men hurt us. Yes, it was difficult for Joseph, and there is no way of knowing all of the emotional hurt he dealt with being sold and resold.  But God was not dead, and God had a great and wonderful plan. 

Third, we see that the suffering of Joseph was going to be used to save others, and most assuredly, he saved entire nations.

vs. 20 “… to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.”

Paul wrote something similar: 

Philippians 1:12 “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel…"

Paul suffered much, but God had a plan and used the suffering of Paul greatly to save the lost.

I wish all of us could focus on the lost getting saved more than our own comfort and well being.  We are choking on self-help, yoga, meditation, natural remedies, gyms, spas, and diet plans while the world is dying and going to hell.  I believe God would rather a fat man, who is unhealthy and living on junk food, go to the world soul winning than a healthy person sit in a detox program cleansing their inward parts while the world goes to hell. 

What is it you have faced?  How will God use that hurt to open doors to share the Gospel.  If you have faced cancer, then cancer patients will listen to you more readily than to me.  If you were orphaned,  then the poor and forgotten child will listen to your message of Christ more easily than to someone like me who had a loving home.  

Do not think God cannot use our hurt.  Commit the difficult trials to His divine will and rest in the goodness of God that He has a plan – a wonderful plan.  Living by faith will remove bitterness and much anxiety. Trust Him; rest in Him; believe Him.

Pastor

Strength & Manliness

Good Morning,

Think with me about some the preachers God saw fit to record.

Isaiah 58:1 “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.”

John the Baptist

Matthew 3:7 “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”

Jesus

Matthew 12:34 “O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.”

Matthew 23:33 “Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?”

Stephen

Acts 7:51 “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.”

Elijah

My favorite one, Elijah, publicly mocked the god of the prophets.

1 Kings 18:27 “And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.”

Recently, I was at a meeting of a preacher who never once stopped smiling.  I mean he had this sick smile; and I do not think he ever raised his voice, named a sin, or pushed anyone to do anything. Somehow, I felt the sermon void of Paul's instruction about preaching as he instructed Timothy to:

2 Timothy 4:2 “Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.”

Here is my unpopular, politically-incorrect, MASCULINE, narrow-minded opinion:  we have allowed television, politicians, and Hallmark to tell us what kind of spirit a preacher needs to have, rather than God and the Bible.  I believe men of God have become feminine, nice, and afraid of offending anyone.  We are raising boys who could not defend themselves in a fight, protect their family from trouble, and are afraid of speaking the truth for fear someone will not like them.  We have determined that the spirit of a preacher needs to be kind, friendly, and, in fact, FEMININE rather than passionate and truthful.

Folks, that is simply not Bible!  Bible preaching offended people; it made people angry, and preachers were often beaten, jailed, and killed for their preaching.  Read your Bible and look for the smiling face of Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, and Noah (who was the first one to ever be called a preacher of righteousness).

Remember the old saying, "sugar and spice and everything nice" is what girls are made of?  What were boys made of? "Snips and snails and puppy dog tails."

We have pulled gender and true diversity from babies to adults, and it has soiled the pulpits. The quiet Hallmark man with his perfect three-day beard who listens with feeling to his gal and shares his own deep feelings and fears is as far from reality and manhood as can be found. We watch on television as two men share their fears and baggage from the past, while in sixty-five years of being a man, I have NEVER seen or heard of this happening except on a feminine movie.

The feminization of man is written of much, but my concern is how much ladies influence the preachers we hear.  Online and in person, we are looking for nice, kind, and gracious preachers, and we have tossed out the reckless, bold, confident, and thundering of righteousness. The preacher you gals sneer at because he is rough is probably just what America needs.  Go to a ladies’ conference if you want soft and nice!  Stop criticizing men of God who preach like Ezekiel, who was told, "Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Howl ye, Woe worth the day!"  Just what would the softer side of Christian folks think of Micah who said, "Therefore I will wail and howl, I will go stripped and naked: I will make a wailing like the dragons, and mourning as the owls."  

Men had better get back to enjoying masculine things in play, work, and church and believing ladies need to urge their men and boys to toughness and strength, in public and private.  

Happy New Year!

Pastor

Care For Enemies

Good Morning,

Our Lord taught His listeners much about the proper treatment of enemies.  This basic Christian doctrine goes against our natural flesh, as well as against our own system of justice, but it is the clear teaching of God.

Matthew 5:44 “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;”

Luke 6:27 “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,”

In the Law, Moses taught this principle often from Mount Sinai.  Here is just one illustration:

Exodus 23:4 “If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.”

As unpopular and difficult as it may be, the Christian life asks believers to treat people differently than the world treats people.

Luke 6:27 “But I say unto you which hear, Love your enemies, do good to them which hate you,"

vs. 28 “Bless them that curse you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.”

The Baptist martyr, Dirk Williams, was imprisoned in Holland in 1569.  His crimes were holding church services in his home, getting baptized as an adult, and teaching that infant baptism was unscriptural.

Soon to be burned at the stake, he escaped and fled but was pursued by a soldier.  Taking a grave risk, he ran across a frozen river which, when his pursuer attempted, the ice gave way and while struggling not to drown, cried for help.   At that point, Dirk had a decision to make: love his enemy or let him die.  Turning back, Dirk rescued his enemy only to end up being caught, returned to jail, and soon burned at the stake.  

Like so many other godly martyrs, these people took their faith seriously enough to die for it.  They loved their enemies at all cost. 

This spirit is manifested at the cross when Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him.

Luke 23:34 “Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do..."

Stephen also showed this spirit of love and care when he, too, prayed for those who were killing him.

Acts 7:60 “And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Some people might say that the verses in Matthew and Luke associated with loving our enemies are for special circumstances, exclusive to the Sermon on the Mount; but we see these same thoughts about love for enemies echoed by Paul to all believers in all times. 

Romans 12:14 “Bless them which persecute you: bless, and curse not.”

Adding to his admonition towards those who hurt them, Paul instructed Christians to not just guard their actions but also guard their hearts.  They were not to allow any bitterness or anger to find a home in their hearts.

Ephesians 4:31 “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:”

vs. 32 “And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.”

Ephesians 5:1 “Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;”

vs. 2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us…"

"Walk in love" is the summary of the exhortation.  The second great commandment clearly includes loving our enemies.   Obviously, loving enemies is no easy path to follow, but this path is clearly outlined in Scripture.  May we love those who do not love us.  May we draw near to the Lord and find grace to pray for those who misuse us.

Be good to people, all people.  It is the way of the Saviour.

Pastor 

Busy Body

Good Morning,

Peter makes an interesting statement in 1 Peter 4:15:  “But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men’s matters.”

Peter warns that, as the people of God, we may suffer for a multitude of reasons.  In his generation, people were fed to lions and imprisoned.  Peter said he wanted to make one thing very clear; Christians should never suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer.  Those make sense to us.  If we are going to be called the children of God or claim the name of Christ, certainly, we should not be accused of murder, theft, or evil deeds; but there is a fourth item mentioned in that passage -- “…a busybody in other men's matters.”  

Our inability to put a busybody in the same category as a murderer, thief, or an evil person shows our poor perception of right and wrong.  God puts a busybody in the category of grievous sins.  A busybody is someone who gets involved in business that is not his own. Specifically, in the text, somebody who tries to take authority over a matter that belongs to someone else; such as me writing a speeding ticket for someone who is driving too fast. I have no authority or right to punish people who speed; only police have that job.  It is not MY job.  

Our granddaughter lives in our home, but she has a mother and a father; I am not her parent, and I have not been given the divine or earthly authority to rule in that little girl's life.  If I were to meddle in the training of that little girl, I would be a busybody.  I would be getting involved in something that is another man's matter.  

In 1 Thessalonians 4:11, it says that we should study to be quiet and to do our own business.  

Obviously, in our culture, everyone feels it is his business to get involved in everyone else’s lives.  God does not feel that way.  It is none of my business what you do, unless the thing you do harms another of whom I have been given charge.  

The church in Thessalonica had its share of difficulties, and several times, Paul rebuked certain behaviors.  This matter of minding our own business was brought up again in 2 Thessalonians 3:11 when he said some were walking disorderly and were busybodies.  Again, we see the importance that God places on our staying out of other people's affairs.  

When it comes to electing people, as we did recently, certainly, those we elect are going to influence all of our lives.  As citizens and voters, we have some responsibility and privilege to get involved in elections, but that which my neighbor does or something a church friend does, in his own life, is none of my business.  

Paul also reminded Timothy to teach and to preach on the subject of meddling in other men's affairs.  In 1 Timothy 5:13, Paul talked about people being busybodies and speaking about subjects which they ought not.  The amount of hurt done by thoughtless or uninformed words is almost endless.  The scars and troubles that careless comments have caused are painful beyond description.  Friends have been separated.  Church members have lost their churches, their ministries, and their spiritual relationships.  Relatives have parted company not to speak again, and that is only the beginning of the list that could be compiled when we consider how wrong it is to get involved in matters that are none of our business. Meddling in affairs that are not our own and talking about matters about which we are poorly informed hurts countless people.  

On occasion, some people are decent enough Christians to go to the person they spoke of and confess their own wrong.  The problem is, you can never undo the damage that was incurred to a name or reputation.  Apologies can be offered, accepted, and forgiven, and everyone can go on their way; but the ill-spoken words of people meddling in things that are not their affair, will never be erased.  Neither can someone find the path of all the repeated comments that have been made.

I would encourage every Christian to regularly go through Proverbs and mark the verses that have to do with the tongue.  The book of James is another good place to focus attention.  James tells us that the tongue is an unruly evil and is full of deadly poison set on fires of hell. Whether it be gossip, slander, or being a busybody in other men's affairs, this tongue of ours can surely hurt many people.  

Let us be careful who we talk about and whose life we are meddling in.  A busybody is a dangerous person.  

Not only should we study the use of our tongues, but it would also be prudent to pray that God will help us to be careful with our tongues.  Silence may not be the most enjoyable, but it is better than saying words that cannot ever be taken back or erased from the mind and heart of the listener.  

Pastor

Purpose

Good Morning,


Fulfillment and meaning in life have been the subject of countless books and lectures throughout time.  One of the distinctions that set mankind apart from animals is the desire to have meaning for life.  


Our purpose is to glorify God.

Revelation 4:11 “Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” 


Other passages amplify this in varied vocabulary, but the essence is the same – we are here for God and our goal is to make Him look good. 


The last part of that verse clarifies that truth: “...and for thy pleasure they are and were created.”  If it pleases God that I face trouble, then it is my job to face that trouble and bring glory to God through my behavior as I face the trial of my faith (James 1).

1 Peter 1:7 “That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”


We live in a culture that seeks fulfillment everywhere except in God.  Mankind wants a cause that makes them look good, whether it be charitable, environmental, or social.  We see people finding a cause in saving an animal or helping the planet by what they drive or what kind of bag they use for groceries.  We see others who find a purpose in the promotion of healthy eating, or non-toxic gardening – none of these things are sinful unless they take us away from glorifying God, for that is why we were created.  The "cause" is really unimportant, glorifying God is the priority.


Parents are seeking fulfillment by doing what others have not done, like living in a bus and driving the nation while homeschooling their children.  Again, there is no sin in that “purpose” unless it keeps you from church and service of others – and it usually does. 


The home remodelers are popular today; and there is nothing wrong with that, except for the great imbalance in expenditures on the house and our giving to the church, both of time and money.  We can remodel our entire home but cannot get out soul winning once a week, and that is wrong.  We can travel the nation to show our children the world, yet we cannot show one poor sinner the Gospel and teach our children about Sunday school and training others to grow in grace. 


1 Corinthians 10:13 “Whether Ye therefore eat or drink, or whatsoever Ye do, do all to the glory of God.”


The same principle applies to sports.  We give countless hours to training our child in some athletic skill, yet we fail to train them to love the poor or to serve their church and community.  Dare we even consider video games and social media in our purpose?  How far do these activities cause us to stray from our purpose? 


The greatest fulfillment comes from investing in eternity, a spiritual walk, and in actions that glorify God.  For this reason, we have always had a service-oriented ministry.  We want folks to sing, pass out tracts, teach the Bible, preach in public, run buses to pick up the poor, and be involved in any outreach that will affect lives for eternity.  We desire folks to walk daily with God, and to worship Him, to praise Him, to talk to Him, and to read His Word.

Somewhere it seems we have all heard about the two great commandments – to love God and to love our neighbor.  What kind of grocery bag you carry has absolutely nothing to do with either of those GREAT COMMANDMENTS.  Driving an electric car might help your gas mileage and commute time, but it is far from the great commandments or our purpose on earth. 


A large portion of what we eat in our home is organic, but I seriously doubt God is looking down from Heaven saying, “Look at those kids of mine, eating organic food.  Wow!  That is what I created them for.” Our purpose is not to be vegan, or to homeschool, or to save a fairy shrimp, or even to protect our children from the world.  Our job is to send our children into the world to preach the Gospel, to get folks saved, and to love God! 


Purpose.  I feel sorry for the pro-athlete whose life is engulfed in a ball or a sport, and they are so consumed that they do not even attend church.  I feel sorry for the writer of books who is skilled with words, yet never uses those words to teach the Bible to the unlearned.  How pitiful is the singer or actor who never opens his mouth to speak the eternal Words of the living God!  


Cooking shows or investment strategies, standing against immunization, or for non-GMO foods: those causes do not contain a real purpose; they are a distraction from the REAL PURPOSE for our lives.  We are to serve God and honor Him.  We are to spread the Gospel to the world and love the Word of God, and when we live for those things, we will find true fulfillment.


Pastor

Command to Love

Good Morning,

Have you ever wondered about all those verses telling us to love one another?  Really, did you not wonder why the Lord talked so often about us loving each other?

Colossians 3:12 “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;”

vs. 13 “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.”

Those are serious and pointed commands. 

Jesus made some very clear statements about loving each other; I do not mean regarding loving the unsaved guy who hates us, I mean loving each other as Christians.

John 13:34 “A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.”

vs. 35 “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.”

This was among the disciples! 

John 15:12 “This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.”

vs. 17 “These things I command you, that ye love one another.”

I could immediately write twenty verses like these without any searching. Everywhere, we find the Lord urging us to love each other: I mean the twelve Apostles, Christian couples, friends who go to church together, Christians who serve in ministries together –  God says to love one another!

Now, why would He say that so often?  Because we are sinners, and we offend each other, hurt each other, do wrong, misunderstand the actions of others, fail to live up to the expectations of others, and many other reasons.  

Do you understand that the Apostles spent three years working side-by-side and sacrificing their personal lives for the Saviour? Then one of their own betrayed Christ.  It might have been easy to get bitter, hateful, or proud.  Over and over, Jesus urged them to love, to forgive, and to be merciful.  

Not long after the Lord ascended to Heaven, the believers fought over who was getting more financial support (Acts 6:1). Before long, moral trouble showed up in the church (1 Corinthians 5:1).   Our Lord did not write repeatedly to love one another because we are so good, but because humanity is so bad.  

Paul publicly rebuked Peter (Galatians 2) and division showed up in the church (Romans 16:17, 1 Corinthians 1:10 & 3:3).  These situations can cause believers to develop bitterness and anger towards one another, but the body is of Christ, and it is precious in His sight, so He asks us to love one another.

As I heard a preacher say in a recent sermon, "Do not be surprised when a Christian does wrong; be surprised when they do right." 

Our Lord commands us to LOVE ONE ANOTHER and to NOT FORGET IT.  He repeats this over and over to try to imprint this in our minds: LOVE, FORGIVE, BE MERCIFUL. 

Pastor

Healing The Land

Good Morning,

Israel had been in captivity for seventy years. As the story is told in Ezra, they began to return, rebuild, and repopulate (as is told in Nehemiah).  

While trying to turn the people toward right, Nehemiah lead the people into a covenant with God; a covenant for those who would separate from the people of the land;

Nehemiah 10:28 “...all they that had separated themselves from the people of the lands unto the law of God…"

They pledged to keep their children separate from the people of the land.

vs. 30 .”..And that we would not give our daughters unto the people of the land, nor take their daughters for our sons…"

For the next nine verses, they also committed to the financial support of the ministry and the preachers.

Lastly, they promised not to forsake the house of God, or in our terms, the church.  

vs. 39 "...and we will not forsake the house of our God."


Countless people are passionate about electing Trump who are casual about their church.  That is not the answer – that is the trouble.

Two things were set forth for the healing of the nation: Separation and financial support of the church, these were summarized in the statement, "...and we will not forsake the house of our God." vs. 39

Our New Testament reminds us of a similar truth:  "Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching."  (Hebrews 10:25)

As the New Year gets under way, may we do the things that might bring the hand of mercy on our nation.  Let us live holy and not forsake the house of our God.

Pastor

Mowing Lawns

For a while, I lived in Indiana, and the last year I was there, I oversaw the maintenance in our apartment complex. I took care of the simple jobs such as shoveling snow, fixing minor household repairs, and mowing lawns. (The grass grew unbelievably fast!)

I was no sooner done with the mowing before I had to go back to where I started and do it again

The Christian life is not much different than that. You hear Sam Gipp talk about reading ten pages of Bible a day, and you dedicate yourself to Bible reading.

Then you hear Tom Williams preaching on prayer and realize you need to be more of a prayer warrior.  You decide that you need not only a prayer time but a prayer life, so you begin focusing your attention on prayer.

Then we have a spring or fall program and an emphasis on soul winning. Soon, you realize you need to build a Sunday school class or a bus route, and you begin working more in the ministry.

Then the pastor has a family conference or a couples’ retreat and you realize how much you need to work on your marriage or your family.

Soon you feel overwhelmed.  

That is the Christian life. Consistently, steadily going from one important thing to another important thing. The danger is when we think prayer is important and neglect soul winning, or we think Bible study is important and we neglect prayer.

All those things are important.

The Christian life is like going from one lawn to the next, mowing each one at the appropriate time, knowing that we will need to keep that circle going the rest of our Christian life if we are to be victorious.

I was told that the Golden Gate Bridge was always being painted. The people who do it (or did it at the time that I heard the story), started at one end and work their way slowly across the bridge and by the time they got to the other end they had to start over, never finishing the job.

Finishing the job is not the issue; doing the job is the issue!   Some jobs never end. My responsibilities as a husband will never end until one of us goes to Heaven. My responsibilities as a Christian will never end until I see Jesus face-to-face.

Let us enjoy living for God. Let us schedule when to pray and when to go soul winning. Plan when to read the Bible. All the while, know that we are doing the right thing at the right moment.

We are not to say one thing is more important than another. At each moment of the day, there is one thing that is most important. If it is my time of prayer, then prayer is more important than playing with my grandchildren.

If it is time to go soul winning, then that is what is most important. I am not to be distracted from that most important thing at that moment by counseling, getting the car washed, or any other thing. Do not think you are a failure if you wrestle with this, for most people do.  The key is knowing what you are supposed to do at a given moment and doing it, and that it is a constant, never-ending cycle.

Remind yourself that there are many good things that are important; schedule each one with purpose.

I watched a young couple looking over their phones at football games being played the following week, they were planning their week around the football games they wanted to watch.  That makes complete sense to me and I have no problem with it, as long as they planned time for prayer, and planned time for Bible, and planned time for soul winning and ministry as diligently as they did planning time for football.

Ecclesiastes 3:11 “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time…”

 That’s the key – what time is it, and what are you supposed to be doing at that time?

Pastor

Faithful

Good Morning,



In the Garden of Eden, God gave a direct command to Adam to “keep the garden.”  From the beginning, the job to protect and provide was given to the man. Satan entered the Garden and turned to Eve to introduce sin; the result obviously showed that Adam had failed in the hour of need.  Later in the book of Titus, the woman is told to keep the house:


Titus 2:5 “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”



We see that both the husband and the wife carry the responsibility of guarding the home and controlling what influences enter their domain. 



I cannot say that I understand all that goes on in the spiritual realm around us.  Risking being labeled a crazy person, I would like to say that there are demons seeking to get a foothold in our homes all of the time.  Music, television, friends, and countless other things, in my opinion, are doorways to satanic influence if not blatant entrances.  We are given the admonition to be sober and vigilant:


1 Peter 5:8 “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:”



Too many Christian parents live as if they do not believe in the devil.  If the dad, the earthly picture of the Heavenly Father, practices shameful deeds on the computer or in daily living or a Christian mom has a semi-secret drug or alcohol problem, their children are in imminent danger.  Satan is a real person; he is living, prowling, and planning — and has 6,000 years of experience at ruining homes, we need to be careful.  



David tried to cover his adultery with Bathsheba; devastation followed.  Amnon, Tamar, Absolom, and many other tragic stories followed the cover-up of David’s sin.  In our lifetime, story after story follows the same pattern.  



Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”



Cleansing and forgiveness come to those who confess and forsake.


1 John 1:8 “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”



In forty years of ministry, I have rarely seen a child go on for God whose parent secretly embraced shameful habits.  Sin shows up here and there, and only the sinner thinks he is getting away with the wrong.  Satan will be sure that your sin will be exposed.  As a result, our children develop casual attitudes toward obedience, complacency towards the things of God, and a warped and defiled image of holiness.   The very term Father is corrupted when children see dad hiding shameful behavior.  If the child cannot trust his earthly father, he is most likely not going to trust his Heavenly Father.



The home and the pulpit are perhaps the two most important places in which to validate the truth of the Scriptures.  The pastor is also looked upon with unusual expectation; and in failing, he can easily shatter the image of the things of God.



Likewise, the attitude of a wife toward her husband is vital if the Bible is to be trusted and loved by children:


Titus 2:5 “To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.”



A great responsibility lies with dad and mom to guard their relationship and their actions; for the validity of the Scriptures is resting on their lives and what the children see.  Double standards, secret sins, and a “do as I say and not as I do” lifestyle will corrupt the children’s perspective of all that is good and spiritual.  



As the walls of protection are torn down by parents’ sins, satanic powers will enjoy the freedom of influence in the hearts of children. To acknowledge and confess, to repent and to walk humbly and holy will give hope to the children already facing the onslaught of the devil’s armies.  



My pastor often quoted, “Your walk talks and your talk talks, but your walk talks louder than your talk talks.”  I have seen this statement prove to be true over the decades of my ministry.  You do not need to be perfect, but you do need to be honest and humble enough to confess wrong so that your life is consistent with the teaching under which you place your family.  



Pastor

Don’t Quit!

Good Morning,

We are all aware of the trouble in life; trouble is common.  Trouble was predicted by our Lord when He said, "In the world ye shall have tribulation,” (John 16:33) yet it still catches us off guard.  We still struggle when we face a trial that forces us to our knees not knowing what to do next.  Any kind of Christian has people on his prayer list that make him sit back and simply pray, almost in disbelief, for the grief they bear.  Trouble is more real than any of us wish to admit.

Burdens are not new to the child of God.  Suffering, being overwhelmed, wondering what to do and where to turn: these are trials that come with life on this earth.  Trouble will be your companion, no matter how good of a Christian you are.  Notice Paul's words to the Corinthian church:

2 Corinthians 7:4 “Great is my boldness of speech toward you, great is my glorying of you: I am filled with comfort, I am exceeding joyful in all our tribulation.”

vs. 5 “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.”

vs. 6 “Nevertheless God, that comforteth those that are cast down, comforted us by the coming of Titus;”

Look at the key phrases:

“…joyful in all our tribulation.”

“…troubled on every side…”

“…without were fightings…”

“…within were fears…”

“…cast down…”

Today, Paul might be diagnosed with PTSD or some panic disorder; surely, he would have been placed on some medication.  Yet, amidst the trouble, he went on serving God.   Today, some people make plans to serve God when life smooths out.  They act as if one first needs to deal with trials and then get involved in the ministry of the Gospel when the situation clears.   We tend to think that our trials serve as an exemption ticket, allowing us to opt out of ministry.  Yet here we find the greatest church builder, soul winner, and preacher in the early church, and he was beaten over and over, inside and out, and still served God!

I have dear friends who have been abandoned by their spouse, been broken in their body, faced bankruptcy, been betrayed or forsaken by friends, faced depression to the point of wishing to die, and many other tragedies.  Yet each has told me of their witnessing, Sunday school class, or their starting over in the ministry after losing all they had.  Any of these people could have quit on God, but as good soldiers of the cross, they continue to serve because God is worthy of our service.  We award Purple Hearts to wounded soldiers, and you may be sure that one day when we are all home in Heaven, the awards will be meted out to spiritual soldiers as well.  Until then, may we press on for the prize of the high calling in Christ!

Philippians 3:14 “I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Hebrews 3:1 “Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus;”

vs. 7 “Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice…”

vs. 8 “Harden not your hearts…"

May we continue to serve God, to believe in His plan, to wrestle through our trials, to limp across the finish line, and to be honored to stand for the King.

Pastor

Confidence

Good Morning,

Growing up in a home in which we believed in hard work and proper preparation, it is hard to accept the failure mentality that is so prevalent in our society.  I watched my parents try the most unusual ventures and succeed.  I saw my dad build, design, create and do just about anything imaginable (because brains can always be borrowed as long as someone is willing to do the work).  From determining to earn a college scholarship in the sixth grade, to helping my parents build our house, working my way through Bible college, and starting a church — failure was never something to fear, just something to avoid by wise counsel, hard work and a great deal of prayer.  

Over the years, many have been bothered by my self-assurance in the pulpit.  Critics may call confidence arrogance, but if that about which I am confident about is biblical — that confidence is secure confidence.  Our society is cultivating a fearful, insecure mindset in young people, especially in young men.  

The Bible says a great deal about confidence:

Philippians 1:6 “Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:”

It was David who simply stated, “Is there not a cause?”  

Jonathan climbed up the mountain into the Philistines’ camp simply to see if God might do something great.

1 Samuel 14:6 “And Jonathan said to the young man that bare his armour, Come, and let us go over unto the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few.”

We are creating a generation of soft, passive people, especially the young men who simply do not believe that they can accomplish anything significant.  Independence,  self-reliance, and self-confidence are all biblical character traits, as long as we are leaning on the Lord for strength.  David rallied his men to victory.  Moses led the people out of Egypt.  Joshua led people into Canaan.  Peter stood up at Pentecost and preached resulting in 3000 people getting saved and baptized.  Someone has to be confident enough to say, ”This will work; let’s go do it.”  Our great generals in WWII did not sit around afraid to act.  Were they always correct?  No!  But they were self-assured.  They prepared and planned, and then they acted, believing they had the best idea available.  

Every other year, the workers of our church step out and run a “Big Day,” a time when we bring the church out to the community and preach to thousands of people.  This task is always done with prayer and some insecurity, but also with the assurance that we can do the work and leave the results up to God.   We always come back rejoicing at all God does! 

We live in an era in which strong leadership that is confident and passionate is almost unwanted.  

Security is displayed in the willingness to start a business or start a church, or the willingness to go out soul winning and expect someone to listen, or the willingness to start a bus route and expect that route will be filled with people — this kind of assurance is getting harder and harder to find.  Who will go to the third-world nations with the Gospel if we have no confidence?  Who will take the risk of death in difficult nations for preaching?   It was Jim Elliot who, having had many invitations to preach in America, chose rather to go to the Auca Indians and take the Gospel to them.  Upon leaving he was warned that it might cost him his life.  His famous reply was, “He is no fool who gives up what he can not keep, to gain what he can not lose.”  That is confidence!  That confidence needs to be in our hearts as we rear our children, train employees, or work with children at church.  

Around 1910 William Borden was said to have donated his inheritance of millions to be used in missions work in China.  He left America at 22 years of age and pursued his calling to the Gansu province in China. Reportedly, in Borden’s Bible (which was found after his death), he had written, “No Reserve” shortly after turning from fortune to the mission field.  In another portion of the Bible the phrase, “No Retreat” was inscribed shortly after he learned of his meningitis diagnosis.  He wrote, “No Regrets” shortly before his death.   Having never reached his desired mission field, this bold young man stepped out into eternity with confidence and assurance.   

Let us redevelop strong self-reliant, bold young men who desire nothing but a cause, seek nothing but to make a difference, and love only God.   

Pastor

Devoted to the Enemy

Good Morning,

Paul had some physical troubles, but these people loved him and learned the Gospel from him.  

Galatians 4:13 “Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.”

vs. 14 “And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.”

They treated Paul as if he were an angel.

They so loved Paul, that they would have given him one of their eyes (perhaps indicating that his physical trouble was eyesight). Whatever his ailment was, they loved him, they learned from him, and they were devoted to him.  

Galatians 4:15 “Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.”

Along came a person, a critic who elevated himself to demean Paul.  Notice the word some in Galatians 1:7,  the word him in verse 8, the word who in Galatians 3:1, and the word they in Galatians 4:17.   Paul makes it clear that someone had come into their lives who had not led them to Christ, and who had not taught them the Word of God for long periods of time.  That someone had turned them from the truth, and Paul was very unhappy about it!  

Galatians 4:16 “Am I therefore become your enemy, because I tell you the truth?”

vs. 17 “They zealously affect you, but not well; yea, they would exclude you, that ye might affect them.”

"They" had been zealous and no one would have expected them to have been outwardly demonic, vile, and corrupt. These zealous people were subtile and underhanded; Paul called them "ministers of righteousness" (2 Corinthians 11:15).  

The ones who were devoted had been turned into destroyers. The people who owed Paul their lives were turned against him and against the Word of God at the same time.  

The greatest tragedies I have seen in nearly fifty years of serving the Lord have been rooted in a "who" that came along and turned good people from their parents, their church, or their faithful friends – all to whom they owed much.  Do not think the work of Satan has changed with the centuries; that which worked in Galatia continues to work today.

Be careful who gets your head and heart, they often have hidden agendas, and you will be the one who suffers.  

Pastor

Praise

Good Morning,

In our culture, men get a lot of praise.  They throw a ball, build a business, or play an instrument, but who deserves the praise?

Judges 5:3 “Hear, O ye kings; give ear, O ye princes; I, even I, will sing unto the LORD; I will sing praise to the LORD God of Israel.”

In Chronicles there were thousands of people whose job it was to praise God.  It is easy to neglect praise so they made it someone's job.  

1 Chronicles 23:5 “Moreover four thousand were porters; and four thousand praised the LORD with the instruments which I made, said David, to praise therewith.”

We stand and applaud for a touchdown, stadiums resound with shouts and cheering for a great concert or athletic event, but Who made them? Who made the hands, the eyes, the minds, and enabled the coordination? When does He get the praise He deserves?  

1 Chronicles 29:13 “Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.”

Psalm 22:23 “Ye that fear the LORD, praise him.”

May we praise to the One Who deserves the praise.  Praise the Creator who made a man so agile that he can run, jump, catch, throw, or play an instrument. Praise the God Who made a brain so spectacular that the five year old can speak in several languages.  

We clap for everybody, but there ought to be some praising of God.

Americans will clap after a song or a touchdown, but look at those stars and lift up your hands toward heaven with adoration and worship, and shout out "What a God!"   I know, we are a more sedate congregation, but seriously, we are not sedate at a ball game.  Folks in our church get a little awkward when people are expressive.  I know, it needs to be well-timed to not distract from the message, but really, how hard is it to say, "Amen?"   What about this uncomfortable verse: Psalms, 47:1 “O clap your hands, all ye people; shout unto God with the voice of triumph.  Maybe He means in private, or outside, but wherever and whenever, he said it, "clap your hands.”

I am not turning Pentecostal, but I am getting sick of all the praise going to some fornicating gorilla out in the pasture, who can run or block or catch. I am tired of folks becoming famous because they make a lot of money when they do not know the Creator. The fact is, the beginning of wisdom and knowledge is the fear of the Lord.  (Proverbs 1:7, 9:10)  Who cares what the Hollywood star or the inventor of a car thinks about politics.  Let us praise the God Who holds our lives in His hands and give respect and honor to those who love and fear Him. 


Let us remember to give praise and honor to God. The Bible says God wants that praise to come from our mouths – out loud! 

Hebrews 13:15 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.”

Pastor