Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Something to think about.
The shortest distance between a problem and a solution is the distance between your knees and the floor!
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday Nov. 28th
“I have called you friends” (John 15:15). With these words Jesus introduces us to the amazing fact that Jesus brings us into a relationship with Him! Living the Christian life is not about keeping rules but about loving the God who created us; loving Jesus who died for us. Our obedience is not to be a mechanical check list of “do’s” and “don’ts”; our obedience is to be an expression of our love for God; we do what God asks because we have a relationship with Jesus, a relationship where Jesus calls us His friends! And Jesus is a friend that we can trust, He’s not going to abandon us for someone more popular, He’s not going to abandon us when we let Him down, He’s not going to abandon us because we’re too demanding. He’ll be with us through thick and thin. There is no greater friend than Jesus. And so, as you would do with any other friend, lean on Jesus for support and strength, He’ll not let you down.
Pastor Don
“I have called you friends” (John 15:15). With these words Jesus introduces us to the amazing fact that Jesus brings us into a relationship with Him! Living the Christian life is not about keeping rules but about loving the God who created us; loving Jesus who died for us. Our obedience is not to be a mechanical check list of “do’s” and “don’ts”; our obedience is to be an expression of our love for God; we do what God asks because we have a relationship with Jesus, a relationship where Jesus calls us His friends! And Jesus is a friend that we can trust, He’s not going to abandon us for someone more popular, He’s not going to abandon us when we let Him down, He’s not going to abandon us because we’re too demanding. He’ll be with us through thick and thin. There is no greater friend than Jesus. And so, as you would do with any other friend, lean on Jesus for support and strength, He’ll not let you down.
Pastor Don
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday Nov 21st
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Rev 14:13)
Wednesday was a sad day for us at CCC. What a shock it was for all of us when Kendall Smith passed away so suddenly that morning. It is on occasions such these that the above scripture holds such promise and hope for us who believe in Jesus.
There are several things promised here to the believer. One, even though they have died they are blessed! Notice this blessing is on those who are “in the Lord”, because, when they die they go to be with their Lord and will be with him forever more! The second thing the apostle John tells us is that they will rest from their labors. Life for Kendall was not easy. He had a muscular illness that made life really difficult. Well, now he can rest from all that labor. What joy! What peace is his now! Then the third thing the apostle John tells us is that there is life beyond death! John says their deeds follow them, this means that those who die in the Lord are going somewhere; deeds can’t follow someone who isn’t going anywhere. Death is not the end it is the beginning. Kendall has not been absorbed into the “great cosmic energy” of the universe; he is with Jesus at this very moment. He has left here and gone there. He is still alive, he is simply living in another place. This is the blessed hope of all believers. And this is why we grieve but we do not despair for we will see our loved ones again on that glorious day!
Pastor Don
And I heard a voice from heaven saying, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (Rev 14:13)
Wednesday was a sad day for us at CCC. What a shock it was for all of us when Kendall Smith passed away so suddenly that morning. It is on occasions such these that the above scripture holds such promise and hope for us who believe in Jesus.
There are several things promised here to the believer. One, even though they have died they are blessed! Notice this blessing is on those who are “in the Lord”, because, when they die they go to be with their Lord and will be with him forever more! The second thing the apostle John tells us is that they will rest from their labors. Life for Kendall was not easy. He had a muscular illness that made life really difficult. Well, now he can rest from all that labor. What joy! What peace is his now! Then the third thing the apostle John tells us is that there is life beyond death! John says their deeds follow them, this means that those who die in the Lord are going somewhere; deeds can’t follow someone who isn’t going anywhere. Death is not the end it is the beginning. Kendall has not been absorbed into the “great cosmic energy” of the universe; he is with Jesus at this very moment. He has left here and gone there. He is still alive, he is simply living in another place. This is the blessed hope of all believers. And this is why we grieve but we do not despair for we will see our loved ones again on that glorious day!
Pastor Don
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday 14th Nov.
How do we stay faithful?
“Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Prov. 19:27 Solomon was the wisest man ever (except Jesus), and yet, in spite of this he turned away from God at the end of his life. How could that happen?! How can someone with such wisdom and discernment turn away from God? Here's how, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines and it was his love for these foreign women that turned his heart from the Lord. How this all happened is summed up in this verse written by Solomon himself – he ceased to listen to instruction. The bible describes his falling away with these words, “His heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (1Kings 11:4) God had commanded Israel not to marry foreign women because they would turn their hearts away from God to follow after their pagan gods. This simple, clear, straight forward instruction Solomon did not obey. It’s a sobering thought, is it not? Perhaps Solomon’s great wisdom became his downfall because; (I’m just speculating) perhaps he became more reliant on his own wisdom than God’s. If I may borrow these words from Tim Challies, “If Solomon could stray so far from the Lord, I know that I can too. This is a sobering thought. This is a terrifying thought, even. But the solution to avoiding the folly of Solomon is clear. I need to take care that I never cease to hear instruction. I must live with an intense focus on God’s Word, never believing that I have learned enough, never believing that I’ve arrived. I must know that from this day to the day I die, I need to maintain a humble dependence on God.” To which I say, “Amen”.
Pastor Don.
How do we stay faithful?
“Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Prov. 19:27 Solomon was the wisest man ever (except Jesus), and yet, in spite of this he turned away from God at the end of his life. How could that happen?! How can someone with such wisdom and discernment turn away from God? Here's how, Solomon had 700 wives and 300 concubines and it was his love for these foreign women that turned his heart from the Lord. How this all happened is summed up in this verse written by Solomon himself – he ceased to listen to instruction. The bible describes his falling away with these words, “His heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.” (1Kings 11:4) God had commanded Israel not to marry foreign women because they would turn their hearts away from God to follow after their pagan gods. This simple, clear, straight forward instruction Solomon did not obey. It’s a sobering thought, is it not? Perhaps Solomon’s great wisdom became his downfall because; (I’m just speculating) perhaps he became more reliant on his own wisdom than God’s. If I may borrow these words from Tim Challies, “If Solomon could stray so far from the Lord, I know that I can too. This is a sobering thought. This is a terrifying thought, even. But the solution to avoiding the folly of Solomon is clear. I need to take care that I never cease to hear instruction. I must live with an intense focus on God’s Word, never believing that I have learned enough, never believing that I’ve arrived. I must know that from this day to the day I die, I need to maintain a humble dependence on God.” To which I say, “Amen”.
Pastor Don.
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
Pastor's Corner
for Sunday Nov 7th
The Christian and civil duty.
We’ve just gone through another election process and some Christians wonder what our role is in the political process. Well, the apostle Paul tells Christians to pray for “kings and all who are in high positions” because God desires “all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth”. (1Timothy 2:2-4) Paul reminds us that the preeminent goal of a Christian’s concern in things political is that we will be able to live lives that allow us the freedom and opportunity to preach the gospel and live our lives as Christians without fear and without opposition. This is important because only the gospel has the power to save people and only God can change the human heart. Politicians cannot change people, so our confidence is not in the political system but in God, and the only way for people to be changed is if they are born again by the work of the Holy Spirit. The world is becoming more and more hostile to the preaching of the gospel and we don’t know how much longer we will have the freedom to preach the gospel message so, when we have opportunity to vote men and women into places of authority over us let us choose wisely and prayerfully those who will give us the freedom to preach the gospel. And pray for those in authority that our freedom to live as Christians will not be hindered.
Pastor Don.
The Christian and civil duty.
We’ve just gone through another election process and some Christians wonder what our role is in the political process. Well, the apostle Paul tells Christians to pray for “kings and all who are in high positions” because God desires “all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth”. (1Timothy 2:2-4) Paul reminds us that the preeminent goal of a Christian’s concern in things political is that we will be able to live lives that allow us the freedom and opportunity to preach the gospel and live our lives as Christians without fear and without opposition. This is important because only the gospel has the power to save people and only God can change the human heart. Politicians cannot change people, so our confidence is not in the political system but in God, and the only way for people to be changed is if they are born again by the work of the Holy Spirit. The world is becoming more and more hostile to the preaching of the gospel and we don’t know how much longer we will have the freedom to preach the gospel message so, when we have opportunity to vote men and women into places of authority over us let us choose wisely and prayerfully those who will give us the freedom to preach the gospel. And pray for those in authority that our freedom to live as Christians will not be hindered.
Pastor Don.
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