Saturday, November 28, 2009
Something to think about.
“Don’t overlook life’s small joys while searching for the big ones.” (Life’s Little Instruction Book. Vol. II)
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday November 29th
Who do you say thank you to if no one is there?
Thanking God for His blessings is as natural to us Christians as a swimming is to a duck. Thanksgiving comes naturally because Christians understand that everything we have comes from God. The fastest growing religious identity in America are those who answer the question on the survey sheet under religion with “none of the above”. They are therefore known as the “Nones”. So, who do those who don’t believe in God say thank you to on Thanksgiving Day? Perhaps they just attribute their good fortune to “luck” and are “glad” (as opposed to thankful) that they are not as bad off as someone else. I don’t know what goes on in their heads on Thanksgiving Day, but I am thankful to a God who really is there and who does in actual fact bless me with so much. Our gratitude looks to a person who has blessed us far beyond what deserve or even imagined. Top of the list of things to give thanks for is our salvation from the wrath of God through the blood of Jesus and along with Jesus God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Listen to Mary the mother of Jesus’ song of praise for all that God had done in her life. Her words should be our words: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation...and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things,...” (Luke 1:46-53)
Pastor Don.
Who do you say thank you to if no one is there?
Thanking God for His blessings is as natural to us Christians as a swimming is to a duck. Thanksgiving comes naturally because Christians understand that everything we have comes from God. The fastest growing religious identity in America are those who answer the question on the survey sheet under religion with “none of the above”. They are therefore known as the “Nones”. So, who do those who don’t believe in God say thank you to on Thanksgiving Day? Perhaps they just attribute their good fortune to “luck” and are “glad” (as opposed to thankful) that they are not as bad off as someone else. I don’t know what goes on in their heads on Thanksgiving Day, but I am thankful to a God who really is there and who does in actual fact bless me with so much. Our gratitude looks to a person who has blessed us far beyond what deserve or even imagined. Top of the list of things to give thanks for is our salvation from the wrath of God through the blood of Jesus and along with Jesus God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing. Listen to Mary the mother of Jesus’ song of praise for all that God had done in her life. Her words should be our words: “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for he who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is his name. And his mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation...and exalted those of humble estate; he has filled the hungry with good things,...” (Luke 1:46-53)
Pastor Don.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Something to Think About
"God prospers me not to raise my standard of living but to raise my standard of giving. God gives us more money than we need so that we can give generously." Randy Alcorn.
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday November 15th
“by him (Jesus)God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.” (Col 1:20)
God made peace through the blood of Jesus because through the blood of Jesus God cleansed us from our sin and thus reconciled us to Himself. Peace and reconciliation always go together. Reconciliation brings peace and to make peace is to be reconciled. Since God made peace with us by reconciling us to Himself we are to seek peace by being reconciled with those with whom we have broken relationships. Reconciliation is gained through forgiveness, and that’s where the crunch comes because forgiveness is really hard sometimes, but without forgiveness there can be no reconciliation and without reconciliation there can be no peace. I am confident that if you examine those areas of your life that are not marked by peace that you will find sin is lurking there because sin is at the root of all discord. It may be resentment; it may be anger; it may be a stubborn unforgiving attitude; it may selfishness; it may be suspicion; whatever it is, there’s only one way to deal with it and that is through the cross. Bring these things to Jesus, ask His forgiveness and leave it there at the cross. The peace we so desperately want is there at the cross. At the cross we find forgiveness and through the cross we learn to forgive. Be reconciled to God and be reconciled to one another.
Pastor Don.
“by him (Jesus)God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of his blood on the cross.” (Col 1:20)
God made peace through the blood of Jesus because through the blood of Jesus God cleansed us from our sin and thus reconciled us to Himself. Peace and reconciliation always go together. Reconciliation brings peace and to make peace is to be reconciled. Since God made peace with us by reconciling us to Himself we are to seek peace by being reconciled with those with whom we have broken relationships. Reconciliation is gained through forgiveness, and that’s where the crunch comes because forgiveness is really hard sometimes, but without forgiveness there can be no reconciliation and without reconciliation there can be no peace. I am confident that if you examine those areas of your life that are not marked by peace that you will find sin is lurking there because sin is at the root of all discord. It may be resentment; it may be anger; it may be a stubborn unforgiving attitude; it may selfishness; it may be suspicion; whatever it is, there’s only one way to deal with it and that is through the cross. Bring these things to Jesus, ask His forgiveness and leave it there at the cross. The peace we so desperately want is there at the cross. At the cross we find forgiveness and through the cross we learn to forgive. Be reconciled to God and be reconciled to one another.
Pastor Don.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Something to think about.
"Live every day like it's your last, 'cause one day you will be right."
Ray Charles from Esquire magazine.
Ray Charles from Esquire magazine.
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday Nov. 8
What’s killing you?
Because of the wickedness of the Amalekites, God told King Saul to kill everything and everyone. But Saul disobeyed and saved king Agag’s life. Later, King Saul was wounded and because he feared he would be captured and tortured he killed himself with his own sword. T.D. Jakes, the African American preacher, makes this comment about this event in King Saul’s life, “The sword that should have killed Agag killed Saul! If you don’t kill what God commands you to kill, it will kill you!” What a profound truth! If you don’t kill what God has commanded you to kill, those things will kill you. What is there in your life that God has said for you to kill? Is it pride? Is it envy? Is it an addiction? Is it anger? The apostle Paul says, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don’t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry…get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other.” If you do not put these things to death they will kill you. They will drag you down and rob your life of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We can only kill these things by God’s Spirit living in us. So in the power of the Holy Spirit, hunt down those sinful, earthly things lurking within you and kill them before they kill you.
Pastor Don.
What’s killing you?
Because of the wickedness of the Amalekites, God told King Saul to kill everything and everyone. But Saul disobeyed and saved king Agag’s life. Later, King Saul was wounded and because he feared he would be captured and tortured he killed himself with his own sword. T.D. Jakes, the African American preacher, makes this comment about this event in King Saul’s life, “The sword that should have killed Agag killed Saul! If you don’t kill what God commands you to kill, it will kill you!” What a profound truth! If you don’t kill what God has commanded you to kill, those things will kill you. What is there in your life that God has said for you to kill? Is it pride? Is it envy? Is it an addiction? Is it anger? The apostle Paul says, “So put to death the sinful, earthly things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual sin, impurity, lust, and shameful desires. Don’t be greedy for the good things of this life, for that is idolatry…get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. Don’t lie to each other.” If you do not put these things to death they will kill you. They will drag you down and rob your life of joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We can only kill these things by God’s Spirit living in us. So in the power of the Holy Spirit, hunt down those sinful, earthly things lurking within you and kill them before they kill you.
Pastor Don.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)