Thursday, April 23, 2009
Something to think about.
To help your children turn out well, spend twice as much time with them and half as much money. Mark Twain.
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday April 26th
Our churches are shrinking!
Here's a scary statistic, some say that 86 to 88% of our young people, the "twenty-something's", are leaving the church and never return! When these young people leave home to go to college or into the business sector they are unprepared for the secular world-view and the challenges to their faith and as a result, their faith is destroyed. The reason for this, according to the "experts", is due to wide spread biblical illiteracy. In other words, our young people are leaving the church because they have no doctrinal underpinning to their faith; no foundation to support them under the weight of a secular world-view. The Psalmist says, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word." (Psa. 119:9) In other words, God's word must be our sure foundation if we are to withstand the storms of life. However, my concern goes further than our young people. I believe that the vast majority of people who call themselves Christian today do not have a good biblical foundation. And if they are not solidly grounded in the word of God they too will be destroyed when "life" challenges their faith. When the storms of life blow against our house, we must know what we believe and why we believe it or our house will come crashing down! Daily reading of God's word and regularly sitting under the teaching of God's word is critical to the survival of the believer. Underpinning your faith with solid biblical truth is vital. Know what you believe and why you believe it. Don't be a part of the statistic mentioned above, be a part of those who turn that statistic around by building your life on the word of truth, the Holy scriptures.
Pastor Don.
Our churches are shrinking!
Here's a scary statistic, some say that 86 to 88% of our young people, the "twenty-something's", are leaving the church and never return! When these young people leave home to go to college or into the business sector they are unprepared for the secular world-view and the challenges to their faith and as a result, their faith is destroyed. The reason for this, according to the "experts", is due to wide spread biblical illiteracy. In other words, our young people are leaving the church because they have no doctrinal underpinning to their faith; no foundation to support them under the weight of a secular world-view. The Psalmist says, "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word." (Psa. 119:9) In other words, God's word must be our sure foundation if we are to withstand the storms of life. However, my concern goes further than our young people. I believe that the vast majority of people who call themselves Christian today do not have a good biblical foundation. And if they are not solidly grounded in the word of God they too will be destroyed when "life" challenges their faith. When the storms of life blow against our house, we must know what we believe and why we believe it or our house will come crashing down! Daily reading of God's word and regularly sitting under the teaching of God's word is critical to the survival of the believer. Underpinning your faith with solid biblical truth is vital. Know what you believe and why you believe it. Don't be a part of the statistic mentioned above, be a part of those who turn that statistic around by building your life on the word of truth, the Holy scriptures.
Pastor Don.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Something to think about.
"A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful
than a life spent doing nothing." -George Bernard Shaw-
than a life spent doing nothing." -George Bernard Shaw-
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday April 19th
What if Jesus came to your house?
If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two,
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.
Oh I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored guest,
and all the food you'd serve Him would be the very best.
But, when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door
with arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in,
or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they had been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope he hadn't heard?
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, nasty word?
And I wonder - if the savior spent a day or two with you,
would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you keep right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?
Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,
or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things we would do,
If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.
Author unknown
What if Jesus came to your house?
If Jesus came to your house to spend a day or two,
If He came unexpectedly, I wonder what you'd do.
Oh I know you'd give your nicest room to such an honored guest,
and all the food you'd serve Him would be the very best.
But, when you saw Him coming, would you meet Him at the door
with arms outstretched in welcome to your heavenly visitor?
Or would you have to change your clothes before you let Him in,
or hide some magazines and put the Bible where they had been?
Would you turn off the radio and hope he hadn't heard?
And wish you hadn't uttered that last, loud, nasty word?
And I wonder - if the savior spent a day or two with you,
would you go right on doing the things you always do?
Would you keep right on saying the things you always say?
Would life for you continue as it does from day to day?
Would your family conversation keep up its usual pace?
And would you find it hard each meal to say a table grace?
Would you be glad to have Him stay forever on and on,
or would you sigh with great relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know the things we would do,
If Jesus came in person to spend some time with you.
Author unknown
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday April 12th
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This is the cry of Jesus as He hung on the cross. This was a cry (scream) of greatest anguish and pain. I don't want to minimize the pain that Jesus suffered physically during this ordeal. He underwent a grueling interrogation, He was spat on, people stuck Him with their fists, He was ridiculed. All this between the hours of midnight and sunrise. And then when Jesus was exhausted and in the early stages of dehydration He is tried by Pilot and Herod culminating in Pilot having Him scourged and then crucified. We can only imagine the pain and suffering He bore that day, but the deepest suffering that transcended even this physical suffering is the pain and anguish expressed in this scream of Jesus. Until now Jesus had been silent before His accusers and tormentors but now He can be silent no more. Until now He could say, "I am not alone, my Father is with me." But now He is truly alone and here in this cry we hear the pain as the full force of God's wrath against sin is poured out on Jesus. THIS was the "cup" that Jesus was afraid of in His Gethsemane struggle. Though His physical pain was intense beyond our imagination it was nothing compared to the pain of becoming sin for us and being punished to the full extent of God's holy law for the sins that were placed upon Him. This is what John means when He says for "God SO loved the world". Not God loved the world so much but God's love is demonstrated in this way, i.e. that He would bear the agony of God's righteous holy wrath for sinners like you and me! God's love is shown in that He would bear such horror and anguish to reconcile us to God. There is no greater love than this. So this Easter Sunday worship the one who took your place on the cross at great personal suffering. Salvation is free for you but not for Him.
Pastor Don.
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" This is the cry of Jesus as He hung on the cross. This was a cry (scream) of greatest anguish and pain. I don't want to minimize the pain that Jesus suffered physically during this ordeal. He underwent a grueling interrogation, He was spat on, people stuck Him with their fists, He was ridiculed. All this between the hours of midnight and sunrise. And then when Jesus was exhausted and in the early stages of dehydration He is tried by Pilot and Herod culminating in Pilot having Him scourged and then crucified. We can only imagine the pain and suffering He bore that day, but the deepest suffering that transcended even this physical suffering is the pain and anguish expressed in this scream of Jesus. Until now Jesus had been silent before His accusers and tormentors but now He can be silent no more. Until now He could say, "I am not alone, my Father is with me." But now He is truly alone and here in this cry we hear the pain as the full force of God's wrath against sin is poured out on Jesus. THIS was the "cup" that Jesus was afraid of in His Gethsemane struggle. Though His physical pain was intense beyond our imagination it was nothing compared to the pain of becoming sin for us and being punished to the full extent of God's holy law for the sins that were placed upon Him. This is what John means when He says for "God SO loved the world". Not God loved the world so much but God's love is demonstrated in this way, i.e. that He would bear the agony of God's righteous holy wrath for sinners like you and me! God's love is shown in that He would bear such horror and anguish to reconcile us to God. There is no greater love than this. So this Easter Sunday worship the one who took your place on the cross at great personal suffering. Salvation is free for you but not for Him.
Pastor Don.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Something to think about.
If a church wants a better Pastor, it can get one by praying for the one they have.
Mark Twain.
Mark Twain.
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday April 5th
Who is running your control room?
Wayne Cordeiro in his book, "Attitudes that Attract Success" tells how on one occasion he was asked to speak at the chapel service at the local jail. He was met at the door by a voice that asked him to identify himself and his reason for being there and then the door was electronically unlocked and Wayne was guided by this voice down corridors and through doors and up an elevator to the chapel. After his message he asked one of the guards if he could visit the control room where his "faceless tour guide was housed". The control room was a small room fully enclosed with bulletproof glass and equipped with several television monitors. A few men were monitoring every doorway and every room and, at their discretion, they allowed people in or out by pushing a few buttons. Wayne then remarks that the thought struck him how dangerous it would be if the wrong person got control of this room. Our heart is the control room of our life. And we can all testify to the havoc that has be wreaked when the wrong person had control of our hearts. God constantly warns us to guard our hearts, in fact He tells us to turn our hearts over to His control. Do a heart check, who is in control of your heart?
Pastor Don
Who is running your control room?
Wayne Cordeiro in his book, "Attitudes that Attract Success" tells how on one occasion he was asked to speak at the chapel service at the local jail. He was met at the door by a voice that asked him to identify himself and his reason for being there and then the door was electronically unlocked and Wayne was guided by this voice down corridors and through doors and up an elevator to the chapel. After his message he asked one of the guards if he could visit the control room where his "faceless tour guide was housed". The control room was a small room fully enclosed with bulletproof glass and equipped with several television monitors. A few men were monitoring every doorway and every room and, at their discretion, they allowed people in or out by pushing a few buttons. Wayne then remarks that the thought struck him how dangerous it would be if the wrong person got control of this room. Our heart is the control room of our life. And we can all testify to the havoc that has be wreaked when the wrong person had control of our hearts. God constantly warns us to guard our hearts, in fact He tells us to turn our hearts over to His control. Do a heart check, who is in control of your heart?
Pastor Don
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