Something to Think About

“Trust God to move your mountain, but keep on climbing” Daily Bread

Pastor's Corner

Keep Looking to God.
When God blessed Abraham and Sarah with a child in their old age He attached great promises to the child. They were told that through this child God would bless all nations; that this child was the first in a long line of descendants. God told Abraham that his descendants would be a numerous as the sand on the sea shore or as the stars in the sky! How this must have thrilled Abraham and Sarah’s hearts! But then God told Abraham to do a very strange thing, He told him to sacrifice this one and only son. What makes this strange is not only the command to sacrifice him since God hated the human sacrifices of the pagan religions, but what was to become of the promise? What about all these children that were going come from this boy? I think part of what God was doing with Abraham was to ensure that Abraham keep his eyes on God and not on the gift God had given him – Isaac. It’s so easy to get focused on the gift and not on God. It’s so easy to be swept up in the “dream” of what God is doing or going to do with me that I stop looking to Him. My gift now holds my vision; the ministry that I’m involved in captures my heart and energy instead of God. So, sometimes God will make us put our gift – our dream – aside to see if our dream is more important to us than following Him. Abraham got Isaac back because he was focused on God and so God will let us have the dream back as long as we keep our eyes on Him and not the dream.
Pastor Don.

Something To Think About

Oswald Chambers warns that many Christians have enough of the Holy Spirit to spoil their sin but not enough to change their character.

Pastor's Corner

In the 6th chapter of the book of Nehemiah we find Nehemiah and the rest of the Jews finishing up on the reconstruction of the walls of Jerusalem. All of their surrounding enemies began to conspire against Nehemiah, due to fear. These people had watched the Jews rebuild this wall in just 52 days, while resting on the Sabbath. Their enemies recognized that they could not have done this without the help of God. These enemies of theirs didn’t know God, but they could see the result of His favor, and took careful notice of the result of His blessing. When others see what can be accomplished when a group of likeminded people get together for a common cause, it creates wonder. They are witness to the impossible being made possible, and they begin to understand these feats could not have come to pass without special blessing from above. It can make them question themselves and their own beliefs, and maybe fear that power, which when in opposition to that power can be a great advantage, like in the days of Nehemiah. It can also attract them as well; they might see the strength and love that is available and say “I would like to have some of that”. 
Nehemiah’s enemies were trying to cause him to stumble by making him lose focus on what God had set in front of him to accomplish. Our enemies in life will be persistent but we know God’s love endures forever. We can trump the efforts of evil by applying the endless love and favor of God to these situations, and expect to be blessed for it. The general theme to this chapter of Nehemiah is persistence. Our efforts for the kingdom will persistently be met with opposition, but if we persistently look to the Lord and receive His blessing, we will overcome in His name. Roman’s 8:31[God's Everlasting Love] what then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? With God on our side it doesn’t matter from where or whom our opposition comes from. We can stand firm in the Lord and know we will not be forsaken.  
Jake Thomas

Something to Think About

Don't let yesterday use up too much of today. (Native American Proverb)

Pastor's Corner

In the fifth chapter of the book of Nehemiah we find the Jewish people diligently working on the rebuilding project in Jerusalem. There arose a great outcry from the meekest and poorest of the Jews. They were not only under the rule and authority of the Babylonian empire but their own structure of hierarchy within the Jewish community was very oppressive and judgmental as well. The richest and most powerful “nobles” were charging high interest and forcing their brethren to mortgage their lands to keep up with their debts to them. Some even had to pay their debts by selling off their children into slavery, slavery within their own community. Nehemiah, as leader of the Jews, was angered by how they were treating each other. He took counsel with himself, and prayed for an answer. Nehemiah confronted and rebuked the oppressive hierarchy and told them of a solution, it sounds so simple yet carries so very much weight, forgiveness. They were to forgive the debts, return whatever land, goods, or slaves they had acquired and begin to help in the healing process of a community. Nehemiah was privy to quite an allowance of food, money, and goods for being the leader of the Jews. Instead of hoarding it all and being wasteful. He opened up his home and table to those who were less fortunate and made sure all the goods were going as far as they could to serve the needs of as many as possible. The overall message I gather from this chapter is love and forgiveness. We are called to love one another, not to judge and belittle. We are called to forgive one another, not to take advantage of each other when we are down and most vulnerable. We don’t always need a hand out, possibly just a hand up. We can share in our challenges, and also share in the joy that comes from tight knit community, fellowship, and love for Jesus. Remember this week we are all in this together, one church, together for Jesus.        
Jake Thomas.

Something To Think About

“Fix your eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross, so you won’t grow weary and lose heart.”.” (Heb 12:2-3)

Pastor's Corner

In the book of Nehemiah chapter’s 3 and 4, we find the Jewish people back in Jerusalem ready to rebuild the city walls. Nehemiah has gathered all the clans together and appointed each a task of rebuilding a specific area of the wall and its gates. As their work begins they start to make noticeable progress immediately. In the matter of just a few days the wall is beginning to take shape and the enemies and oppressors of the Jewish people have noticed. At first those opposed to the Jews made fun of them, and made jokes at their expense. The Jews just kept on working and persevering as progress on the wall moved forward. As the progress became more and more the enemies of the Jews began to plot an attack on them. Nehemiah caught wind of their plans to attack so he had his people arm themselves and be ready for a fight. Nehemiah chapter 4: 18 And each of the builders had his sword strapped at his side while he built. The Plan of their enemies had been thwarted by the Mighty God, but His people were ready for a battle, and ready for the hard work to continue as well.
What I see from these chapters is that we all have a specific job appointed to us by God himself. We all come from different backgrounds, home towns, social circles, etc, but we can come together on behalf of the Lord and be blessed for it. We are going to be met with opposition when we labor in His name, He will always go before us and bless our efforts. We are to have our swords strapped to our sides, our sword, our weapon is the word of God. We can speak His word directly into the enemies of our lives and find relief and blessing. This week I encourage you to get into God’s word, commit it to memory and speak it into your lives. God will bless your efforts in fulfilling His will but watch out for the devil’s schemes.
Jake Thomas