From the Pastor's Desk
This Week’s Thought: Treasure: “Something highly valued, accumulated wealth.”
This Week’s Scripture: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6:21).
This Week’s Quote: “Money is not able to buy one single necessity of the soul.” (Henry David Thoreau)
A recent headline in the local newspaper read, “Robber Makes Of With McDonald’s Cash.” A persistent female robber escaped with an undisclosed amount of cash from a fast-food restaurant less than two hours after being rebuffed in an attempted hold-up at a convenience store. A police officer said, “What she lacked in efficiency, she made up for in determination.” The article also stated that police believe the motivation of this female robber was “a need to acquire drugs.” Obviously, drugs were a ‘treasure” to this woman.
We all have our “treasures,” don’t we? We all have various priorities in our lives. What are some of your treasures? What are the things that you highly value? I saw a sticker recently in the back of a classic car that read, “Yes, this car is very nice, but my real treasure is in Heaven.” Wow! The owner of that classic car has learned an important lesson. Jesus said that earthly treasures will either be stolen or decayed (Matthew 6:19). Yes, that classic car will eventually rust away, however its owner will one day enjoy the treasure he is laying up in Heaven.
God’s Word states, “Don’t trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who gives us richly all things to enjoy,” We certainly are living in uncertain times, aren’t we? In the midst of it all, God’s presence and His Word are constant. Never give up on Him! Keep trusting in Him! Lay up treasure in Heaven!
This week’s thought: Education…. “The process of educating a person.”
This week’s quote: “Since we taught our young people that they came from animals, now they’re acting like it.”……Howard B. Courtney
This Week’s Scripture: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all those who do His commandments.” (Psalm 111:10).
I saw a bumper sticker recently that read, “If you think education is expensive, try ignorance.” I believe most of us can relate to that comment. God’s Word states that His people perish or suffer from the lack of knowledge,” (Hosea 4:6). In that same passage God says, “Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me.”
The Bible also states in Daniel 12:4 that in the last days man’s “knowledge” would increase. Just think of how much knowledge mankind has gained in the last 50 years. But, are we really coming to the knowledge of the truth? Have we really learned that God can be trusted and that He will never leave us and that He will always be faithful to His children? Are we understanding the meaning and purpose of life?
Someone once said, “There are ten things I wish I had known before I was twenty-one:
1.) That being a Christian is really important.
2.) That my life’s vocation would be what it is.
3.) That my health after 30 would depend to a great degree on what I ate before I was 21.
4.) That I really am a trustee of my money and possessions.
5.) That being neatly and sensibly dressed is an asset.
6.) That habits are hard to change after you are 21.
7.) That worthwhile things require time, patience and work.
8.) That the world gives a person just about what he deserves.
9.) That a thorough education brings not only better wages, but the best of everything.
10.) That absolute truthfulness in everything is invaluable.
11.) And one more for extra thought. That my parents weren’t Old Fogies after all.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5,6)
If you were honest, I believe you would admit that you struggle with trusting God at times. I admit
that I do. Sometimes life’s circumstances seem so overwhelming to us and we do not see any way out or any
relief in sight.
I experienced one of those moments recently while waiting in traffic. My mind was focused on a certain
problem, rather than on God’s presence. The Holy Spirit quickly convicted me. I repented and began to
recall the many times God answered prayer and brought various types of healing to me.
God IS faithful! God IS GOOD all the time!
The key in trusting God is to trust Him with all your heart. God loves us so very much. His eye is
not only on the sparrow, but His eye is also on you and me. He is watching us. Let’s not allow Satan to be
victorious. May we not focus on our problems, but may we focus on the problem solver, the
Lord Jesus Christ. No matter what difficulty you may be facing today, God’s presence is within you.
He WILL lead us through as we fully rely on Him!
THIS WEEK’S THOUGHT: Marriage: Marriage is “The institution whereby men and women are joined
in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family.”
“Successful marriage is always a triangle: a man, a woman, and God.” ……..Cecil Myers
The first institution created by God was the home. Everything begins at home.
The church is built by and consists of families or homes. As the home is, so is the church. As the home is, so is society.
I had the privilege of officiating at many wedding ceremonies over the years. That is a pastoral responsibility that can be very rewarding to me. It is a joy to witness a couple mature in their relationship with God and with each other. A wedding is not only a legal ceremony, it is a spiritual one as well. It is also a time of worship.
Do you know that the true church is now going through an engagement process to be married to Jesus Christ ? “Therefore my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another – to Him who as raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.” (Romans 7:4 N.K.J.V.).
The true church is the Bride of Christ. One day the true church will sit down at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).
Sometimes after a few years of marriage the spark and flame is not as bright as it was while the couple was going through their engagement process. Often times the marriage ends in a divorce. Obviously, they drifted apart. What happened? How did they drift apart?
And sometimes, if we’re not alert, we can drift away from our close relationship with Christ. “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love,” (Revelation 2:4). Sometimes we are so busy doing the “work of the Lord,” that we become disconnected with the “Lord of the work.” Don’t let that happen to you. All relationships take work, if they are to remain intimate. Be sure to keep
working on your relationship with Jesus. Don’t be one who drifts away from Him.
Thought for this week: Victory! Victory is “the defeat of an enemy in battle.”
“Your outcome in life doesn’t depend upon your income, but rather upon how you overcome.”……..Miguel de Unamuno
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the
world, our faith.” (I John 5:4 N.K. J. V.)
There has been and always will be a constant battle between good and evil, between the works of the flesh and the Spirit of God. Even the Apostle Paul talked about his struggles in the seventh chapter of Romans. “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:14,15).
He then continues to talk about his “struggles” and finally concludes, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:25)
In other words, Paul did not and could not experience victory in his life as long as he relied only upon his own strength and will power. Only when he completely yielded his life to the Spirit of God did he experience victory over sin and self.
How about you? Have you been experiencing victory over self and sin in your daily walk with God?
Or, have you been relying too much upon your own strength and will power? Or, have you completely surrendered your will and life to the Spirit of God? That is a personal decision and choice that we all must make each and every day.
Will you rely upon self? Or, will you rely upon the Spirit of God? What will you do?
It’s my hope and prayer that each of us would rely upon the Holy Spirit of God!
Thought for this week: Resurrection Power
“Our degree of “resurrection power” is in direct ratio to our involvement in being crucified with
Christ.” … Earnest W. Lefever
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Jesus from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you,” (Romans 8:11).
Part of C. I. Scofield’s testimony is this: “Within a week of my conversion, I passed a picture store in
St. Louis and saw, hanging in the window, a picture of Daniel looking up in the den of lions and answering the king’s questions. I was a drunken lawyer before I was converted. No one had told me about the keeping power of the Lord Jesus Christ. I stood before that picture, and a great hope and faith came into my heart.
I said, ‘Those lions are all about me…..my old habits and my old sins, but the God that shut the lions’ mouth for Daniel can shut them for me.’”
Notice that God did not deliver Daniel from the den of lions, but He did deliver him from the lions’ mouths. Have you felt like you were surrounded by “lions” recently? How we respond to life’s difficulties is determined by our relationship to God and the knowledge of His Word.
My prayer for you is that you are experiencing the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to nurture your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.
This week’s thought: Maturing – “Growing and developing, aging”
“But Jesus said, No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the Kingdom of God,” …..Luke 9:62 N. K. J. V.
Recently, as I was entering a local hardware store, I noticed a man standing near the cashier. “That man looks familiar to me,” I thought. “Is he a doctor? A salesman? Does he attend a local church that I ministered in?”
As I got closer to him he looked directly into my eyes. I then remembered who he is. He and I attended Bible College classes together many years ago. We talked for a few minutes, sharing some of our recent life’s experiences. We also commented on how quickly the years have gone by and how we both “matured” or aged.
God’s children should also be maturing spiritually as the years go by. There should be a noticeable difference in our attitude and conduct as time marches on. We should be becoming more and more like the nature of Christ. That will only happen by simply having a desire to have an intimate relationship with Jesus.
We must:
1) Separate ourselves from the attitude of the world. (I John 2:15)
2) Have a hunger for more of God. (Matthew 6:33)
3) Be willing to learn, listen to and obey the voice of God. (John 10:27)
Don’t allow past failures and mistakes to keep you from maturing in Christ. If God has forgiven you, learn to forgive yourself and move forward with Him. He has a plan and a purpose for your life. Allow His to transform you into the person He created you to be. Celebrate each day! Look to the future with confidence and expectation.
“Some people are like crawfish. They back into their future while looking at their past.”………………..
Matthew Arnold
This week’s thought: Values…. “The things in life that are most important to you.”
This week’s quote: “Aim at heaven and you get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.” …………C.S. Lewis
This week’s scripture: “If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God.”
A little girl had accidentally dropped a small coin into her mother’s prized vase. Naturally, she put her small hand in to recover it, but found as she gripped the coin and held it tight, to withdraw her hand, she was unable so she screamed and struggled to get her hand out. Her cries attracted the other members of the family who all advised and pleaded with her to open her hand and withdraw it with ease. But no, she would hold on to her precious little coin and continued to struggle, squirm and scream. Finally, the costly vase had to be broken; and with her fist tightly clenched, she screamed, “I’ve still got it!” The far more costly vase was sacrificed for the sake of the small coin.
What are your values? What in life is most important to you? It’s my prayer that we all see the “big picture.” Values are an issue of the heart. Where we invest is where our rewards will be. May we all be investing in the Kingdom of God.
This week’s thought: Faithfulness: “Complete confidence, trust and loyalty to God.”
This week’s quote: “If we are correct and right in our Christian life at every point, but refuse to stand for the truth at a particular point where the battle rages, then we are traitors to Christ,” ….. Martin Luther
This week’s scripture: “Do not fear any of those things which you are about to suffer. Indeed, the devil is about to throw some of you into prion, that you may be tested, and you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.” (Revelation 2:10).
Nowhere in the Bible do we read God commending anyone for greatness or brilliance, however, God does commend faithfulness. Jesus once asked the question, “When the Son of Man comes back, will He really Find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8).
You probably know his name as a disease, but in 1927, Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees was named outstanding baseball player of the year! During his lifetime he played in more consecutive games than any other man in the history of the sport. He never missed a game! They called him the “Iron Man of Baseball.” What made Lou Gehrig so great? It was his faithfulness to his team and to the game of baseball. He had a better record than Cal Ripken, Jr. Every single Gehrig was out there on first base doing his best. We all need to ne “team players.” We all need to be out there doing our best for Christ, with what He has given us. Many who gave their best are mentioned in the eleventh chapter of Hebrews. That’s really all God asks of each of us. He gave His best for us! Are we giving our best to Him?
This Week’s Thought: Brokenness… “Fragmented or fractured, not working or functioning.”
This Week’s Scripture: “For you see your calling brethren, that not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called. But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are mighty.” (ICorinthians 1:26,27).
Have you ever experienced the emotion or pain of feeling broken? Of course you have! We all have experienced brokenness or weakness at one time or another. Perhaps it was due to the death of a close friend or family member? Perhaps it was due to a failed marriage? Perhaps it was due to a close friend that betrayed you?
The Bible often speaks of “broken” objects and then highlights the positive effect of that brokenness.
*Broken pitchers (Judges 7:18,19) – and the light shone out.
*A broken box (Mark 14:3) – and the ointment was poured out.
*Broken bread (Matthew 14:19,20) and the hungry were fed.
*A broken body (I Corinthians 11:24) and the world was saved.
If we give the Lord Jesus our “brokenness,” He will cause good to come from it. We often can’t understand why certain things happen to us, but always remember that God loves you and He desires to work through your life. Trust Him with your brokenness today!
This Week’s Thought: Memorials: “Something designed to preserve the memory of a person or event.”
This Week’s Scripture: “Assuredly I say unto you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, What this woman has done will also be told as a memorial to her,” (Matthew 26:13).
This Week’s Quote: “You cannot stop people from thinking…..the job is to get some people started.” (unknown)
Memorial Day is an official holiday in most states of the U. S. After W. W. I, the day was set aside to honor veterans of all American wars, and then the custom was extended to pay homage to both military people as well as civilians.
God has given us memorials as well. He has taken a great deal of effort to give us memorials of his love, promises and His word. For example, the rainbow was given to us to help us remember God’s promises.And the sacraments of Holy Communion were given to us so we would remember Jesus’ love for us.
Many times Jesus became angry at His disciples for not remembering His word and promises.
1) “Do you not remember the five loaves and five thousand and how many baskets you took up?
(Matthew 16:9).
2) “Remember the word I said unto you,” (John 15:20)
3) “Remember Lot’s wife.” (Luke 17:32)
Take some time this week to reflect and remember what God has done for you. Your burdens will seem lighter and your day brighter.”
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, And do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways
acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path.” (Proverbs 3:5,6)
If you were honest, I believe you would admit that you struggle with trusting God at times. I admit
that I do. Sometimes life’s circumstances seem so overwhelming to us and we do not see any way out or any
relief in sight.
I experienced one of those moments recently while waiting in traffic. My mind was focused on a certain
problem, rather than on God’s presence. The Holy Spirit quickly convicted me. I repented and began to
recall the many times God answered prayer and brought various types of healing to me.
God IS faithful! God IS GOOD all the time!
The key in trusting God is to trust Him with all your heart. God loves us so very much. His eye is
not only on the sparrow, but His eye is also on you and me. He is watching us. Let’s not allow Satan to be
victorious. May we not focus on our problems, but may we focus on the problem solver, the
Lord Jesus Christ. No matter what difficulty you may be facing today, God’s presence is within you.
He WILL lead us through as we fully rely on Him!
THIS WEEK’S THOUGHT: Marriage: Marriage is “The institution whereby men and women are joined
in a special kind of social and legal dependence for the purpose of founding and maintaining a family.”
“Successful marriage is always a triangle: a man, a woman, and God.” ……..Cecil Myers
The first institution created by God was the home. Everything begins at home.
The church is built by and consists of families or homes. As the home is, so is the church. As the home is, so is society.
I had the privilege of officiating at many wedding ceremonies over the years. That is a pastoral responsibility that can be very rewarding to me. It is a joy to witness a couple mature in their relationship with God and with each other. A wedding is not only a legal ceremony, it is a spiritual one as well. It is also a time of worship.
Do you know that the true church is now going through an engagement process to be married to Jesus Christ ? “Therefore my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another – to Him who as raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.” (Romans 7:4 N.K.J.V.).
The true church is the Bride of Christ. One day the true church will sit down at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:7-9).
Sometimes after a few years of marriage the spark and flame is not as bright as it was while the couple was going through their engagement process. Often times the marriage ends in a divorce. Obviously, they drifted apart. What happened? How did they drift apart?
And sometimes, if we’re not alert, we can drift away from our close relationship with Christ. “Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love,” (Revelation 2:4). Sometimes we are so busy doing the “work of the Lord,” that we become disconnected with the “Lord of the work.” Don’t let that happen to you. All relationships take work, if they are to remain intimate. Be sure to keep
working on your relationship with Jesus. Don’t be one who drifts away from Him.
Thought for this week: Victory! Victory is “the defeat of an enemy in battle.”
“Your outcome in life doesn’t depend upon your income, but rather upon how you overcome.”……..Miguel de Unamuno
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the
world, our faith.” (I John 5:4 N.K. J. V.)
There has been and always will be a constant battle between good and evil, between the works of the flesh and the Spirit of God. Even the Apostle Paul talked about his struggles in the seventh chapter of Romans. “For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do.” (Romans 7:14,15).
He then continues to talk about his “struggles” and finally concludes, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God – through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.” (Romans 7:25)
In other words, Paul did not and could not experience victory in his life as long as he relied only upon his own strength and will power. Only when he completely yielded his life to the Spirit of God did he experience victory over sin and self.
How about you? Have you been experiencing victory over self and sin in your daily walk with God?
Or, have you been relying too much upon your own strength and will power? Or, have you completely surrendered your will and life to the Spirit of God? That is a personal decision and choice that we all must make each and every day.
Will you rely upon self? Or, will you rely upon the Spirit of God? What will you do?
It’s my hope and prayer that each of us would rely upon the Holy Spirit of God!
Thought for this week: Resurrection Power
“Our degree of “resurrection power” is in direct ratio to our involvement in being crucified with
Christ.” … Earnest W. Lefever
“But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Jesus from the
dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you,” (Romans 8:11).
Part of C. I. Scofield’s testimony is this: “Within a week of my conversion, I passed a picture store in
St. Louis and saw, hanging in the window, a picture of Daniel looking up in the den of lions and answering the king’s questions. I was a drunken lawyer before I was converted. No one had told me about the keeping power of the Lord Jesus Christ. I stood before that picture, and a great hope and faith came into my heart.
I said, ‘Those lions are all about me…..my old habits and my old sins, but the God that shut the lions’ mouth for Daniel can shut them for me.’”
Notice that God did not deliver Daniel from the den of lions, but He did deliver him from the lions’ mouths. Have you felt like you were surrounded by “lions” recently? How we respond to life’s difficulties is determined by our relationship to God and the knowledge of His Word.
My prayer for you is that you are experiencing the resurrection power of Jesus Christ. I encourage you to nurture your relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ.